IELTS TOEFL Words of the Day

gastronomy  
n. practice or art of choosing, cooking, and eating good food
paraglide  
n. recreational sport of soaring from a slope or a cliff using a modified parachute
Tourists were looking for a product, either active holidays such as paragliding and diving, or more leisure-based breaks involving nature and gastronomy tourism.

bolster  
v. support or strengthen; prop up
nurture  
v. further the development of
They were seeking evidence that might bolster a conspiracy theory long nurtured by President Trump.

sensationalize  
v. present information about (something) in a way that provokes public interest and excitement  
mitigate   
v. make less severe, serious, or painful 
The police will not release the videos in an effort not to sensationalize the men's actions and to mitigate the potential of other individuals being inspired.

curtailment  
n. action or fact of reducing or restricting something
timber  
n. wood prepared for use in building and carpentry
Companies have announced shutdowns or curtailments in more than two dozen timber mills in the province.

doom  
n. an unpleasant or disastrous destiny
none the less  
ad. in spite of that; nevertheless
I fancy that he made a miscalculation, and if we had not been there, his doom would none the less have been sealed.

dog  
v. follow (someone or their movements) closely and persistently
scuffle  
n. an unceremonious and disorganized struggle
confederate  
n. a person one works with, especially in something secret or illegal
There he was dogged by his confederate, who held Beppo responsible for the loss of the pearl, and he stabbed him in the scuffle.

pitch black  
a. completely dark; as black as pitch
creak  
v. make a high-pitched, screeching noise
The place was pitch black, our feet creaked and crackled over the bare planking, and my outstretched hand touched a wall from which the paper was hanging in ribbons.

deplorable  
a. of very poor quality or condition
irreparable  
a. impossible to repair, rectify, or amend
Any show of surprise and emotion upon your part might have drawn attention to my identity and led to the most deplorable and irreparable results.

groom  
n. a person employed to take care of horses
page  
n. a young person employed in a hotel or other establishment to run errands, open doors, etc
My groom and my page sleep out of the house, and may beset aside altogether.

regurgitation  
n. action of bringing swallowed food up again to mouth
whish  
v. make a sibilant sound
I knew at once by the whishing sound that there was a slight leakage, which allowed a regurgitation of water through one of the side cylinders.

predominate  
v. appear very large or occupy a commanding position
eclipse  
v. be greater in significance than
In his eyes she eclipses and predominates the whole of her sex.

bustle  
v. move or cause to move energetically or busily
dangle  
v. hang freely
It was indeed our visitor of the afternoon who came bustling in, dangling his glasses more vigorously than ever.

creep  
v. occur or develop gradually
syllable  
n. the least bit of expression; slightest detail, as of something said
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow creeps in this petty pace from day to day, to the last syllable of recorded time.

populist  
n. person of a political party seeking to represent the interests of ordinary people
imperative  
n. an essential or urgent thing
With Faubus, who had genuine populist impulses, racism was a political imperative.

homespun  
a. simple and unsophisticated