Hard TOEFL Words

backdrop  

n. background; setting

backstage  

ad. In or toward the area behind the performing space in a theater, especially the area comprising the dressing rooms

balance  

n. being in equilibrium; equilibrium; symmetry; stability

ballet  

n. a sort of theatrical representation by dancers

bandmaster  

n. conductor of a band

bang  

n. a vigorous blow; a conspicuous success

bankrupt  

v. cause to become financially ruin; ruin

bar  

n. a counter where you can obtain food or drink; cafe; strip; stick

barbaric  

a. resembling uncivilized persons, lacking refinement

barbecue  

n. a rack to hold meat for cooking over hot charcoal usually out of doors

barn  

n. an outlying farm building for storing grain or animal feed and housing farm animals

baroque  

a. complex or bizarre, especially in ornamentation; irregular in shape

barrage  

n. an artificial obstruction, such as a dam, built in a watercourse to increase its depth or to divert its flow; rapid and continuous delivery of linguistic communication

barren  

a. desolate; fruitless and unproductive; lacking

barricade  

n. structure set up across a route of access to obstruct the passage of an enemy

basement  

n. cellar; storage room

basin  

n. bowl-shaped vessel, usually used for holding food or liquids

batter  

v. hit heavily and repeatedly with violent blows

bay  

n. body of water partially enclosed by land but with a wide mouth; reddish-brown animal, especially a horse having a black tail

bead  

n. small, often round piece of material, such as glass, plastic, or wood, that is pierced for stringing or threading

beaded  

a. covered with beads of liquid

beamline  

n. line traveled by a particle beam in an accelerator

behavior  

n. conduct; manner

beleaguer  

v. besiege or attack; harass; surround with troops

belie  

v. contradict; give a false impression

bellows  

n. a mechanical device that blows air onto a fire to make it burn more fiercely

benefit  

n. advantage; something that aids or promotes well-being ; welfare; gain

betray  

v. be unfaithful; reveal unconsciously or unwillingly

bicameral  

a. composed of or based on two legislative chambers or branches

biography  

n. an account of the series of events making up a person's life; accounts of people's life

bison  

n. any of several large shaggy-manned humped bovid having large heads and short horns

bitumen  

n. any of various naturally occurring impure mixtures of hydrocarbons

blade  

n. sharp cutting edge of a knife; sword or knife; swords-man

blame  

v. condemn; rebuke; find fault with; censure

blaze  

n. a burst of fire, a flame

bleak  

a. cold or cheerless; unlikely to be favorable

blend  

n. combination; mixture; forming uniform mixture

blight  

v. blast; prevent the growth and fertility of; destroy the happiness of; ruin; frustrate

bluff  

a. direct and outspoken but good-natured

blush  

v. become rosy or reddish; turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame

board  

n. a committee having supervisory powers; a flat piece of material designed for a special purpose

bold  

a. brave; daring; intrepid; impudent

bonanza  

n. boom; rich mine, vein, or pocket of ore; sudden opportunity to make money

bonding  

n. formation of a close human relationship, as between friends; emotional and physical attachment occurring between a parent or parent figure

boom  

n. deep resonant sound, as of an explosion

boon  

n. blessing; benefit bestowed, especially in response to a request

boost  

v. raise or lift by pushing up from behind or below; increase; raise

boot up  

v. start a computer using its bootstrap procedure

booth  

n. small enclosed compartment with a window, used to separate the occupant from others; small stall for the display and sale of goods

boson  

n. any particle that obeys Bose-Einstein statistics but not the Pauli exclusion principle

boundless  

a. being without boundaries or limits; infinite; vast

bounty  

n. liberality in giving; something that is given liberally; goodness, kindness

bouquet  

n. small cluster or arrangement of flowers; an arrangement of flowers that is usually given as a present

brace  

v. confront with questions; prepare or position so as to be ready for impact or danger

breach  

n. an opening or tear; breaking of waves; a gap or rift

breath  

n. air that is inhaled and exhaled in respiration

brilliance  

n. cleverness; magnificence

brilliantly  

ad. brightly; radiantly

brim  

n. brink; edge

bronze  

n. an alloy of copper and tin and sometimes other elements

brook  

n. creek; stream

brush  

n. short and sometimes occasional encounter or experience

bumbler  

n. someone who makes mistakes because of incompetence

bunch  

n. clump; cluster; gathering

burgeon  

v. to develop or grow rapidly

buzz  

n. confusion of activity and gossip; sound of rapid vibration

buzzer  

n. a signaling device that makes a buzzing sound

bypass  

v. to avoid by using an alternative channel or route

cabinetmaker  

n. a woodworker who specializes in making furniture;

calculate  

v. compute; determine; estimate

calibration  

n. adjustment; measurement

cancellation  

n. act of cancelling; calling off some arrangement

canny  

a. careful; pleasant; shrewd

canopy  

n. covering; umbrella

canyon  

n. narrow chasm with steep cliff walls, cut into the earth by running water; a gorge

caper  

n. crime, especially theft, or a narrative about such a crime

capsize  

v. overturn or cause to overturn; turn over or upset

capsule  

n. small container; spacecraft to transport people in outer space

captivity  

n. state or period of being imprisoned, confined, or enslaved

cardinal  

a. chief; serving as an essential component

cartel  

n. a combination of independent business organizations formed to regulate production, pricing, and marketing of goods by the members

carve  

v. cut; sculpt

carving  

n. cutting away parts to create a desired shape

cascade  

n. a stream or sequence of something, a waterfall

cassette  

n. container that holds a magnetic tape used for recording or playing sound or video

cast  

v. throw something, especially light; throw with force; hurl

casting  

n. choice of actors to play particular roles in a play or movie

catalogue  

v. to creat or add to a systematic and complete list of item

catalyst  

n. agent which brings about chemical change while it remains unaffected and unchanged

catastrophe  

n. great, often sudden calamity; complete failure; sudden violent change in the earth's surface

catching  

a. act of seizing or taking hold of; captivating; alluring

categorize  

v. classify; sort

caterpillar  

n. a wormlike and often brightly colored and hairy or spiny larva of a butterfly or moth

cathedral  

n. church; temple

caution  

n. care; being attentive to possible danger

cautious  

a. conservative; careful

cavern  

n. cave; large underground chamber, as in a cave

celebrity  

n. a widely known person

cell  

n. any small compartment

certification  

n. document attesting to the truth of certain stated facts; confirmation that some fact or statement is true through the use of documentary evidence

cessation  

n. a stopping or discontinuance of action

chagrin  

n. anxiety caused by humiliation or injured pride; disappointment

chamber  

n. room in a house, especially a bedroom; hall for the meetings of a legislative or other assembly; enclosed space

charcoal  

n. a stick of black carbon material used for drawing; a very dark gray color

charge  

n. accusation, a claim of wrongdoing

charitable  

a. benevolent; kind; humane

chauffeur  

n. a person employed to drive a private motor car or a hired car of executive or luxury class

checkout  

n. counter in a supermarket where you pay for your purchases; the latest time for vacating a hotel room

chef  

n. a professional cook

cherished  

a. deeply loved or highly valued

chill  

a. cool; freeze

chilling  

a. causing mild fear

chilly  

a. cold

chivalry  

n. courtesy towards women

choir  

n. band or organized company of singers, especially in church service

choke  

v. breathe with great difficulty, as when experiencing a strong emotion; reduce the air supply

chop  

v. hew; cut by striking with a heavy sharp tool, such as an ax

chord  

n. combination of three or more notes that blend harmoniously when sounded together

chore  

n. a specific piece of work required to be done as a duty or for a specific fee

choreography  

n. art of representing dances in written symbols; arrangement of dances

chorus  

n. any utterance produced simultaneously by a group

chromosphere  

n. a gaseous layer of the sun's atmosphere

chronological  

a. arranged in order of time of occurrence

chug  

v. dull explosive sound, usually short and repeated, made by or as if by a laboring engine

cider  

n. beverage made from juice pressed from apples

circulate  

v. move around, as from person to person or place to place

civility  

n. act of showing regard for others; courteous behavior; politeness; citizenship

civilization  

n. culture

claim  

n. demand for something as rightful or due

clam  

v. be moist or glutinous; stick or adhere; produce or cause to clang

clan  

n. a large group of relatives, friends, or associates; a traditional social unit, consisting of a number of families claiming a common ancestor

clap  

v. applaud; slap; strike together with a sharp sound, as one hard surface on another

classification  

n. assigning to a class or category

classify  

v. declare unavailable, as for security reasons; arrange or order by classes or categories

clergy  

n. clergymen collectively; body of people ordained for religious service

clergyman  

n. a member of the clergy and a spiritual leader of the Christian Church

clinical  

a. involving direct observation of a patient

clip  

v. cut, cut off, or cut out with or as if with shears; cut off the edge of:

clog  

v. congest; jam

clumsy  

a. awkward; showing lack of skill or aptitude

clutch  

n. device for gripping and holding; tense, critical situation

coalesce  

v. combine; fuse; grow together; come together so as to form one whole; unite

coax  

v. persuade or try to persuade by pleading or flattery

codefendant  

n. a defendant who has been joined together with one or more other defendants in a single action

codify  

v. arrange laws, rules as a code; classify; arrange or systematize

cognition  

n. the process of knowing

coherent  

a. adhesive; cohesive; sticking together ; logical; sound; capable of thinking and expressing yourself in a clear and consistent manner

cohesive  

a. cohering or tending to cohere; well integrated

coil  

n. a series of connected spirals or concentric rings formed by gathering or winding; spiral pipe or series of spiral pipes

coinage  

n. coins collectively