4000 CPE Vocabulary List

n. manual computing device consisting of a frame holding parallel rods strung with movable counters

v. humiliate; lower or depress in rank or esteem

v. embarrass; make ashamed or uneasy; disconcert

v. subside; decrease; become less in amount or intensity

v. make shorter; reduce to shorter form intended to represent full form, as for word or phrase

n. shortening something by omitting parts of it

v. give up, renounce, abandon, lay down, or withdraw from, as a right or claim

n. abnormal;  markedly different from an accepted norm

v. aid, usually in doing something wrong; encourage

n. suspended action; temporary cessation or suspension

v. fill with horror and loathing; horrify; hate

v. renounce upon oath; abandon forever

a. burning; radiant; bright; keenly excited; resembling flame in brilliance or color

n. washing or cleansing of the body, especially as part of religious rite

v. give up or surrender; deny something to oneself

n. repudiation; self-sacrifice; renouncing your own interests in favor of interests of others

n. act of waiting; delay; stay or continuance in a place

v. cancel; put an end to; destroy completely

n. a reformer who favors abolishing slavery

a. detestable; extremely unpleasant; very bad

a. being the first of its kind in a region; primitive; native

a. unsuccessful; failing to accomplish an intended objective; fruitless

v. be full of; be plentiful

v. wear away by friction; scrape; erode

n. scratch; friction; the process of rubbing away the surface of something

v. condense; shorten; reduce length of written text

a. abolish, do away with, or annul, especially by authority

a. broken off; very steep; having sudden transitions from one subject to another

v. leave quickly and secretly and hide oneself, often to avoid arrest or prosecution

v. assimilate or incorporate; suck or drink up; occupy full attention

v. refrain; hold oneself back voluntarily from an action or practice

a. sparing or moderation in eating and drinking; temperate

a. obscure; profound; difficult to understand

n. quality of being absurd or inconsistent with obvious truth, reason, or sound judgment; logical contradiction

a. plentiful; possessing riches or resources

v. border upon; adjoin; touch or end at one end or side; lie adjacent

a. bottomless; very profound; limitless; very bad

n. a scholar who is skilled in academic disputation

v. agree; give consent, often at the insistence of another; concede

v. emphasize; stress; pronounce with stress or accent; mark with an accent

n. the attribute of being easy to meet or deal with

n. additional object; useful but not essential thing; subordinate or supplementary item

v. applaud; announce with great approval

v. accustom or become accustomed to a new environment or situation; adapt

n. upward slope, as of hill

n. award of merit; expression of approval; praise

n. act of accompanying someone or something

a. attendant; appearing or going with someone or something else

n. achievement; fulfillment; something that is successful

n. a box-shaped musical instrument consisting of a folded central part with a keyboard

v. approach and speak to boldly or aggressively, as with demand or request

v. equip; provide with military equipment

v. authorize; commission; give credit for

n. growth or increase in size by gradual external addition, fusion, or inclusion

v. increase, accumulate, or come about as a result of growth; accumulate over time

v. pile up; collect;  mount up; increase

v. blame; say that someone has done something morally wrong, illegal, or unkind

n. the bitterness of speech and temper; sourness or acidness of taste, character, or tone

a. having properties of vinegar; sour

a. slightly sour in taste or manner; sharp; caustic

n. fruit of the oak, being an oval nut growing in a woody cup; a cone-shaped piece of wood

n. science of sound; the quality that makes a room easy or hard to hear in

v. assent; agree without protesting

n. act of contracting or assuming or acquiring possession of something

a. unpleasantly sharp or bitter to taste or smell; bitterly pungent

a. bitter and sharp in language, tone, or manner

n. an abbreviation consisting of the first letters of each word in the name of something

n. fear of heights; abnormal fear of high places

a. calculating; pertaining to insurance statistics

v. put into motion or action; activate

n. sharpness; acuteness of vision or perception; keenness

n. mental keenness; quickness of perception

n. wise saying; brief familiar proverb;  expression of popular wisdom

a. flexible; becoming or being made suitable to a particular situation or use

n. something added or to be added, especially a supplement to a book

v. cause someone to become dependent; indulge in; be devoted to

a. something you cannot stop taking once you have started

v. muddle; drive crazy; become confused

a. expert at; very skilled; having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude

n. a person who adheres; one who follows or upholds a leader, party, cause

a. adjoining; neighboring; close to; lying near

v. be next to; be contiguous to; border on

v. hear and settle a case by judicial procedure

n. something added on or attached generally nonessential or inferior

v. appeal to or entreat earnestly; command or enjoin solemnly, as under oath

v. change something slightly, especially to make it more correct, effective, or suitable

v. warn; counsel someone against something to be avoided

n. gentle or friendly reproof; cautionary advice or warning

n. clay; brick; sun-dried brick; structure built with this type of brick

n. a juvenile between the onset of puberty and maturity;

v. accept; take on; raise; take into one's family

n. act of accepting with approval

n. act of playing honor to a divine being; worship paid to God; the act of addressing as a god

v. enhance or decorate with or as if with ornaments

n. embellishment; decoration; something that beautifies or adorns; ornament

a. skillful and adept under pressing conditions

n. excessive flattery or admiration; unmerited praise

v. make impure by adding inferior or tainted substances

v. give hint or indication of something; disclose partially or guardedly; overshadow; shade

n. coming or arrival, especially of something extremely important

a. accidental; casual; not inherent but added extrinsically

n. support; active pleading on behalf of something

n. nest of a bird, such as an eagle, built on a cliff or other high place

a. easily approachable; warmly friendly

v. associate; cause a group to become part of or form a close relationship with another

n. natural attraction, liking, or feeling of kinship; relationship by marriage

v. state something as true; assert; confirm

n. positive assertion; confirmation; solemn pledge by one who refuses to take an oath

v. fasten; append; add on; secure to something

n. cause or condition of pain, suffering, or distress

n. abundance; a plentiful supply of material goods; wealth

a. able to pay for

n. insult; offense; intentional act of disrespect

n. outcome; consequence, especially of a disaster or misfortune

n. collection; heap; act or process of gathering into a mass

v. increase the scope of; extend; intensify; make greater in power, influence, stature, or reputation

v. worsen; make worse or more troublesome

v. gather into a mass, sum, or whole; amount to

n. several things grouped together or considered as a whole

a. struck by shock, terror, or amazement

n. mentally quick; moving quickly and lightly

v. cause to move with violence or sudden force; upset; disturb

n. anxiety; extreme emotional disturbance

n. one who is skeptical of the existence of a god or any ultimate reality

a. pertaining to land or its cultivation; relating to agricultural or rural matters

n. sickness;a slight but often persistent illness 

v. be broadcast on television or radio

a. aloft; flying; in the air

n. cheerful promptness or willingness; eagerness; speed or quickness

n. medieval chemistry; magical or mysterious power or process of transforming

n. nook; small, recessed section of a room

n. established procedure for solving problem

n. arrangement; association; alliance

a. providing nourishment; concerned with food, nutrition, or digestion

n. soda ash; caustic soda, caustic potash; one of a class of caustic bases, such as soda, potash, and ammonia

v. calm; pacify; reduce the intensity of; relieve

n. suggestion without proof that someone has done something wrong

v. state without proof; assert to be true

n. symbolic representation of abstract ideas or principles in narrative, dramatic, or pictorial form

n. repetition of a beginning sound in poetry

v. assign; distribute according to plan

v. combine; mix; make less pure; lessen or moderate

v. refer casually or indirectly, or by suggestion

v. attract with something desirable; be highly, often subtly attractive

n. temptation; enticement; any real or apparent good held forth or operating, as a motive to action

n. indirect reference; symbolical reference or comparison; metaphor

n. confederate; partner; collaborator

ad. in or into a high place; high or higher up

a. apart; remote in manner; distant physically or emotionally; reserved and remote

n. a passage from one form or state to another; change

a. unselfishly generous; concerned for others

v. combine; unite in one body; mix or alloy metal with mercury

v. collect; gather for oneself, as for one's pleasure or profit

v. astonish; affect with wonder

a. awesome; astounding; surprising

a. capable of using either hand with equal ease

n. particular environment or surrounding influence; an atmosphere of the environment

n. state of being ambiguous; doubtfulness or uncertainty

a. unclear or doubtful in meaning

n. aspiration; a strong wish to achieve something

a. aspiring; having a strong desire for success or achievement

n. state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes, such as love and hate

a. mixed;  experiencing or expressing opposing or contradictory feelings

n. moving at an easy pace; walk slowly or leisurely

a. able to walk; formed or adapted for walking; not stationary

v. make or become better; improve; grow better

a. responsive to advise or suggestion; responsible to a higher authority; willing to comply with; agreeable

v. change for the better; improve; remove faults or errors

n. a change or changes made to the words of a text; revision

n. convenient features; courtesies

n. pleasantness resulting from agreeable conditions

a. good-natured and likable; lovable; warmly friendly

a. exhibiting friendliness or goodwill; not quarrelsome

n. friendship; peaceful relations, as between nations

a. moved by sexual love; loving

a. formless; lacking shape or definition

a. able to live both on land and in water

n. oval building with tiers of seats from central open space or arena

n. addition of extra material or illustration or clarifying detail

v. broaden or clarify by expanding; intensify; make larger or more powerful; increase

v. cut off part of the body, especially by surgery; prune

a. having time error in the story; erroneous in date; in the wrong time

a. serving to reduce sensibility to pain without loss of consciousness

a. comparable; similar or alike

v. diagnose; study, or examine something in detail to discover more about it

n. a person who seeks to overturn established government; advocate of abolishing authority

n. solemn curse; someone or something regarded as a curse

n. detailed analysis;  the scientific study of the body and how its parts are arranged

a. inherited or inheritable by established rules

n. family descent; series or line of ancestors; lineage

a. serving as aid or accessory; auxiliary

a. experiencing extreme discomfort or discontent; feeling, expressing, or caused by anguish

a. sharp-cornered; consisting of an angle or angles; stiff in manner

n. the feeling of enmity or ill will; an attitude that informs one's actions; disposition

n. a chronological record of the events of successive years

v. append or attach; take possession of; incorporate into an existing political unit

v. destroy completely; reduce to nonexistence

v. comment; make explanatory notes

a. bothersome; troublesome; irritating

n. annual payment of allowance or income; periodical payment, amounting to a fixed sum in each year

v. make or declare void or invalid; reduce to nothing

n. source of relaxation or comfort; medicine that relieves pain

v. apply oil or similar substance to; put oil on during religious ceremony as a sign of sanctification or consecration.

a. deviating from normal or common order, form, or rule

n. active resistance; condition of being an opposing principle, force, or factor

v. precede; go before in time, and sometimes in place, rank, or logical order

n. preceding events or circumstances that influence what comes later; ancestors or early background

v. be earlier in time; go back further

a. antiquated; extremely old and ancient; belonging to very ancient times

n. book of literary selections by various authors

a. regarding human beings as the center of the universe

a. manlike; resembling a human, especially in shape or outward appearance

a. having human form or characteristics

n. any substance that can destroy or inhibit the growth of bacteria and similar microorganisms

v. act in advance of; deal with ahead of time; predict

n. the letdown in thought or emotion; decline viewed in disappointing contrast with the previous rise

n. strong feeling of aversion; dislike

n. any furniture old and valuable; out of fashion

n. contrast; direct contrast; opposition

n. entire horn, or any branch of the horn

n. a heavy block of iron or steel with a smooth, flat top on which metals are shaped by hammering

a. feeling or showing a lack of interest or concern; indifferent

n. lack of interest, or the attitude of not caring resulting from it; the indifference

n. alcoholic beverage taken before a meal as an appetizer

n. opening; diameter of such an opening; hole

n. highest point; vertex; summit; climax

n. loss of speech due to injury or illness

n. definition or concise statement of principle; tersely phrased statement of truth or opinion

n. a place where bees and beehives are kept, especially where bees are raised for their honey

n. poise; self-confident assurance

a. untrue; of questionable authorship or authenticity; erroneous; fictitious

n. the highest point; point in an orbit most distant from the body being orbited

a. having aversion or lack of concern for political affairs

a. offering or expressing an apology or excuse; serving as or containing a formal justification or defense

n. a person who argues in defense or justification of something, such as doctrine, policy, or institution

v. beg pardon; tell someone that you are sorry for having done something

n. one who abandons his religious faith or political beliefs

n. text character used to mark the possessive or to show the omission of letters or numbers

n. elevation to godhood; fact or action of becoming a god; an ideal example of something

v. depress or discourage with fear; grow faint or become weak

n. ghostly figure; sudden or unusual sight; appearance; state of being visible

n. attraction; charm; attract; fascinate; challenge

a. attractive or interesting; charming

n. name; title; the act of naming; the act of appealing for aid, sympathy

v. attach; add as supplement or appendix

n. something appended to or accompanying, a principal or greater thing, though not necessary to it

n. instinctive physical desire, especially one for food or drink

v. acclaim; express approval, especially by clapping the hands

a. capable of being applied; fit or suitable to be applied; having relevance

n. candidate; a person who formally requests something, especially a job

n. close attention; work of applying something; verbal or written request for assistance

v. designate; nominate; choose someone officially for a job or responsibility

a. strikingly appropriate and relevant; well-suited

n. assessment; evaluation; the classification of someone or something with respect to its worth

v. estimate value of; evaluate, especially in an official capacity

a. large enough to be noticed or to affect; perceptible

v. be thankful for; increase in worth; be thoroughly conscious of

n. fearful or uneasy anticipation of the future; the act of seizing or capturing; understanding

a. capable of knowing; conscious; relating to the faculty of apprehension; sensible or perceptive

n. the term during which one learns a trade from a skilled worker; service or legal condition of an apprentice

v. inform; give notice to; make aware

n. a way of considering or doing something

n. expression of warm approval; praise

v. acquire; take possession of for one's own use; set apart for specific use

v. come near or nearer to something or someone in space, time, quality, or amount

ad. very similarly; roughly

a. with reference or regard; in respect

a. consisting of, relating to, or being in the water

a. curved or hooked like an eagle's beak

a. fit for growing crops, as by plowing

n. person with power to decide a dispute; judge

a. tree-dwelling; treelike; living in trees

n. a place where different tree varieties are exhibited

n. the continuous portion of a circle; something curved in shape

a. secret; mysterious; known only to the initiated

n. study of artifacts and relics of early humankind

a. no longer current or applicable; antiquated

n. prototype; original model or type after which other similar things are patterned

n. group of closely located islands

a. displaying or by strong enthusiasm or devotion; passionate

a. demanding great effort or labor; difficult

a. dry; lacking moisture, especially having insufficient rainfall to support trees or plants

n. hereditary nobility; privileged class

n. one of the aristocracy or people of rank in a community; one of a ruling class; a noble

n. theory of numerical calculations

n. a fleet of warships; a large group of moving things

n. arsenal; a place where arms are manufactured

a. fragrant or sweet-smelling; caused by fragrant odor

n. act of awaking from sleep; arousing from what is like sleep

v. officially charge someone in a court of law

n. composition; a plan for how something will happen

n. being in debt; unpaid, overdue debt or an unfulfilled obligation

v. claim without justification; claim for oneself without the right

n. deep gully; a dry gulch; brook or creek; watercourse

n. subtle but base deception; trickery; cleverness or skill; ingenuity

n. manually skilled worker; craftsman, as opposed to an artist

a. free of artificiality; natural; open and honest

v. move up or climb something; mount

n. superiority or decisive advantage; domination

n. upward slope or grade; movement upward

a. leading a life of self-discipline and self-denial; austere

v. inscribe or dedicate; attribute to a specified cause, source, or origin; assign as a quality

a. preventing infection; having cleansing effect

a. ash-colored; very pale; consisting of ashes

a. utterly stupid or silly; inanely foolish

a. with a sideways or indirect look; Turned to side, especially of eyes

ad. turned or twisted toward one side; at an angle

n. the sharpness of temper; roughness or harshness, as of surface, sound, or climate

v. deprive of oxygen to the extent of producing death or severe symptoms; suffocate

n. one who aspires, as to advancement, honors, or a high position

n. ambition; something that you hope to achieve

v. assault; attack with or as if with violent blows

n. a violent attack; an onslaught

v. analyze; evaluate; examine by trial or experiment; put to the test

n. a group of persons together in one place

v. express agreement to what is alleged or proposed; accept

v. declare or state with confidence; put oneself forward boldly

a. positive; affirming confidently; affirmative; peremptory

v. estimate  value; judge worth of something

n. act of judging or assessing; amount determined as payable

a. constant in application or attention; diligent; unceasing or persistent

v. incorporate and absorb into mind; make similar; cause to resemble

n. help, especially money or resources that are given to people  

v. ease or lessen pain; satisfy or appease

ad. in a way that causes something to be certain; undoubtedly

n. eye defect that prevents proper focus

a. amazed; very surprised

v. affect with wonder; surprise; shock

a. causing contraction; having the effect of drawing tissue together; stern or austere

n. a physicist who studies astronomy

n. branch of physics that studies celestial bodies and the universe as a whole

ad. into separate parts or pieces; apart

a. not identical on both sides of a dividing central line

n. resemblance to remote ancestors rather than to parents; deformity returning after the passage of two or more generations

a. displaying characteristics of previous cultural era or previous ancestral form

a. denying existence of God; godless

n. art of training by athletic exercises; games and sports of athletes

n. air; a mixture of gases that surrounds any planet

n. a tiny piece of anything; the smallest component of an element having the chemical properties of the element

n. brutal deed; atrocious condition, quality, or behavior; monstrousness

n. wasting away; decrease in size; reduction in the functionality of an organ caused by disease

n. a bond, as of affection or loyalty; fond regard; supplementary part; accessory

v. achieve or accomplish; gain

n. something, such as an accomplishment or achievement; achievement

v. be present at; go to; take care of; tend

n. act of being present

n. aide; servant; accompanying; a person who participates in a meeting

n. act or state of attending or heeding; application of the mind to any object of sense, representation, or thought

v. make slender, fine, or small; weaken; lessen the density of

n. clothes, especially of a particular or formal type; dress

n. appeal; a characteristic that provides pleasure and attracts

a. appealing; pleasing; inviting; tempting

n. essential quality; reputation; honor

v. relate to particular cause or source; ascribe; explain

n. a gradual decrease in numbers; reduction in the workforce without firing employees; wearing away through harassment

a. not normal; unusual or irregular; not representative of a group, class, or type

a. fearlessly, often recklessly daring; bold

n. area of theater or concert hall where the audience sits

a. of or relating to hearing, the organs of hearing, or the sense of hearing

n. hand tool for boring holes; hollow drill used to take core samples of soil, ice

v. make greater, as in size, extent, or quantity

n. sign of something coming; art or practice of foretelling events by signs or omens

n. the outermost region of the sun's atmosphere; halo

a. characteristic of dawn; dawning, eastern, like a new beginning; relating to the atmospheric phenomenon auroras

a. attended by favorable circumstances; marked by success; prosperous

a. strict or severe in the discipline; severely simple and unornamented

v. prove genuine; establish authenticity of

a. expecting absolute obedience; completely dominating another's will

a. weighting authority; peremptory and dictatorial

n. biography or story written by yourself

n. dictator; ruler having unlimited power

a. having absolute, unchecked power; dictatorial

n. the mechanism that imitates actions of humans

a. self-governing; not controlled by others or by outside forces; independent

n. independence; self-government or the right of self-government; self-determination

a. convenient for use or disposal; not busy, free; obtainable; accessible

n. radically new or original; cutting edge

n. greediness for wealth; the insatiable desire to gain

v. declare to be true; affirm

a. reluctant; disinclined; turned away or backward; unwilling

n. large cage, building, or enclosure in which birds are reared or kept

a. greedy; eager for; marked by keen interest and enthusiasm

n. activity taken up in addition to one's regular work or profession, usually for enjoyment

v. declare openly; acknowledge openly, boldly, and unashamedly

n. open declaration; frank acknowledgment

a. in the manner of an uncle, about uncle; kind, genial, benevolent, or tolerant

a. difficult to handle or manage

n. roof-like cover, usually of canvas, extended over or before any place as a shelter from the sun, rain, or wind

ad. in a position that is turned toward one side; away from the correct course

n. self-evident truth requiring no proof

n. pin or spindle on which a wheel revolves, or which revolves with a wheel; transverse bar connecting the opposite wheels

a. sky blue; light purplish-blue