4000 CPE Vocabulary List

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

a. feeling or showing a lack of interest or concern; indifferent
But he shares Mary's apathetic and listless look: he seems to have more length of limb than vivacity of blood or vigor of the brain.

n. lack of interest, or the attitude of not caring resulting from it; the indifference
A firm believer in democratic government, she could not understand the apathy of people who never bothered to vote.

n. alcoholic beverage taken before a meal as an appetizer
We had it as an aperitif with cheeses but would also go well with seafood.

n. opening; diameter of such an opening; hole
She discovered a small aperture in the wall, through which the insects had entered the room.

n. highest point; vertex; summit; climax
He was at the apex of his career: he had climbed to the top of the heap.

n. loss of speech due to injury or illness
After the automobile accident, the victim had periods of aphasia when he could not speak at all or could only mumble incoherently.

n. definition or concise statement of principle; tersely phrased statement of truth or opinion
An aphorism differs from an adage in that it is more philosophical or scientific.

n. a place where bees and beehives are kept, especially where bees are raised for their honey
Although he spent many hours daily in the apiary, he was very seldom stung by a bee.

n. poise; self-confident assurance
Gwen's aplomb in handling potentially embarrassing moments was legendary around the office.

a. untrue; of questionable authorship or authenticity; erroneous; fictitious
To impress his friends, Tom invented apocryphal tales of his adventures in the big city.

n. the highest point; point in an orbit most distant from the body being orbited
When the moon in its orbit is furthest away from the earth, it is at its apogee.

a. having aversion or lack of concern for political affairs
It was hard to remain apolitical during the Vietnam War; even people who generally ignored public issues felt they had to take political stands.

a. offering or expressing an apology or excuse; serving as or containing a formal justification or defense
As they went by, one of their leaders shouted out to me in apologetic explanation.

n. a person who argues in defense or justification of something, such as doctrine, policy, or institution
Finally, the fifth item mentioned by the apologist is the rigid monotheism which stamps the whole volume.

v. beg pardon; tell someone that you are sorry for having done something
However, the sooner you apologize for your mistake, the more likely it will be viewed as an error in judgment and not a character flaw.

n. one who abandons his religious faith or political beliefs
Because he switched from one party to another, his former friends shunned him as an apostate.

n. text character used to mark the possessive or to show the omission of letters or numbers
The apostrophe is misused extensively, more so, perhaps, than any other punctuation mark.

n. elevation to godhood; fact or action of becoming a god; an ideal example of something
The apotheosis of a Roman emperor was designed to ensure his eternal greatness: people would worship at his altar forever.

v. depress or discourage with fear; grow faint or become weak
The horrifying conditions in the city's jails might appall you.