IELTS Writing: 100 Hard Words

IELTS writing relies on your vocabulary skill, especially in the academic writing test. Study shows that your vocabulary range and accuracy impact at least 25% writing band. So writing vocabulary is very important to prepare for the IELTS writing test.

Task 2 essay usually is around 300 words. If you want to have a good score, you cannot use generic or basic words thoroughly. Try to highlight your idea with 5-7 hard or low-frequency words, which are similar to the following 100 words, which will impress the examiners, like you own an edge vocabulary skill.

You may think it's too short. However, writing isn't like reading; in reading tests, you cannot choose words, but in writing tests, you can select words by yourself. So these 100 words can play a significant role in your writing. Of course, you can also prepare other high score words for Task 2 writing.

Word List

aberration: something that differs from the norm

abhor: fill with horror and loathing; horrify; hate

acquiesce: assent; agree without protesting

alacrity: cheerful promptness or willingness; eagerness; speed or quickness

amiable: good-natured and likable; lovable; warmly friendly

appease: bring peace, quiet, or calm to; satisfy or relieve

arcane: secret; mysterious; known only to the initiated

avarice: greediness for wealth; insatiable desire of gain

brazen: having loud, usually harsh, resonant sound; shameless

brusque: abrupt and curt in manner or speech; rudely abrupt, unfriendly

cajole: influence or urge by gentle urging or flattering

callous: emotionally hardened; unfeeling

candor: frankness; quality of being honest and straightforward in attitude and speech

chide: scold mildly so as to correct or improve; express disapproval

circumspect: carefully aware of all circumstances; cautious

clandestine: secret; conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods

coerce: restrain by force, especially by law or authority; repress; curb

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

complacency: feeling of contented self-satisfaction, especially when unaware of upcoming trouble

confidant: a person entrusted with secrets

connive: to plot, scheme

cumulative: increasing by successive addition

debase: reduce in quality or value; lower in esteem; degrade

decry: express strong disapproval of; disparage

deferential: showing deference; respectful and considerate

demure: modest and reserved in manner or behavior

deride: ridicule; make fun of; laugh at with contempt

despot: tyrant; harsh, authoritarian ruler; eastern Orthodox bishop

diligent: assiduous; industrious; hard-working

elated: overjoyed; extremely happy and excited

eloquent: vividly or movingly expressive; persuasive

embezzle: appropriate fraudulently to one's own use, as property entrusted to one's care; apply to one's private uses by a breach of trust

empathy: understanding and entering into another's feelings

enmity: ill will; hatred; quality or state of being hostile

erudite: learned; scholarly, with emphasis on knowledge gained from books

extol: praise highly; glorify; celebrate

fabricate: build; put together out of components or parts

feral: not domestic; wild; existing in wild or untamed state

flabbergasted: astonished; appalled, amazed, or stunned

forsake: leave someone who needs or counts on you

fractious: inclined to make trouble; disobedient; irritable

furtive: marked by quiet and caution and secrecy

gluttony: excess in eating; extravagant indulgence of the appetite for food; voracity

gratuitous: given freely; unwarranted; granted without recompense; unearned

haughty: high; lofty; bold; arrogant; overbearing

hypocrisy: act or practice of a hypocrite

impeccable: faultless; incapable of sin or wrongdoing

impertinent: improperly forward or bold; rude

implacable: incapable of being pacified; not to be relieved;

impudent: casually rude, insolent, impertinent

incisive: penetrating, clear, and sharp, as in operation or expression

indolent: lazy; slow to heal, grow, or develop; inactive

inept: lacking of judgment, sense, or reason; unsuited; inappropriate; foolish

infamy: notoriety, extreme ill repute

inhibit: restrain; prevent or forbid; hold back

innate: possessed at birth; inborn

insatiable: not easily satisfied; impossible to satiate or satisfy; greedy

insular: of isolated people, especially having a narrow viewpoint

intrepid: fearless; indicating or springing from courage

inveterate: deep-rooted; firmly and long established; habitual

jubilant: happy; merry; joyful and proud especially because of triumph or success

knell: the solemn sound of a bell, often indicating a death

lithe: flexible; moving and bending with ease

lurid: causing shock or horror; gruesome

maverick: one that refuses to abide or be independent; an unbranded range animal

maxim: proverb; formulation of fundamental principle or general truth

meticulous: excessively careful; marked by extreme care in treatment of details

modicum: limited quantity; small or moderate amount; any small thing

morose: ill humored; sullen; depressingly dark; gloomy; persistent

myriad: of very large or indefinite number; of ten thousand

nadir: lowest point; point on sphere opposites zenith diametrically

nominal: in name only; insignificantly small

novice: beginner; person new to a field or activity

nuance: subtle or slight degree of difference

oblivious: inattentive or unmindful; lacking all memory; forgetful

obsequious: slavishly attentive; attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery

obtuse: lacking in insight or discernment; stupid

panacea: remedy for all diseases, evils, or difficulties; a cure-all

parody: work or performance that imitates another work or performance with ridicule or irony; make fun of

penchant: strong inclination; definite liking

perusal: a careful examination, review

plethora: excess; overfullness in any respect; superabundance

predilection: condition of favoring or liking; tendency towards; preference

quaint: odd; old-fashioned; picturesque; unfamiliar or unusual in character

rash: hasty, incautious

repudiate: disown; refuse to acknowledge; reject validity or authority of

rife: excessively abundant or numerous; in widespread existence, practice, or use

salient: prominent or protruding; projecting outwardly; moving by leaps or springs

serendipity: gift for finding valuable or desirable things by accident; accidental good fortune or luck

staid: sober; serious, organized, and professional; characterized by dignity and propriety

superfluous: being beyond what is required or sufficient

sycophant: one who attempts to win favor by flattering influential people; bootlicker; yes man

taciturn: silent or reserved in speech; saying little; not inclined to speak or converse

tefurbish: to restore, clean up

truculent: disposed to fight; belligerent; aggressively hostile

umbrage: resentment, offence

venerable: deserving high respect; impressive by reason of age; profoundly honored

vex: annoy; disturb, especially by minor irritations; be a mystery or bewildering to

vociferous: offensively loud; noisy; making outcry

wanton: unrestrained; willfully malicious; immoral or unchaste

zenith: point directly overhead in sky; summit

Spelling Exercise

[Esc] (1) something that differs from the norm

[Esc] (2) fill with horror and loathing; horrify; hate

[Esc] (3) assent; agree without protesting

[Esc] (4) cheerful promptness or willingness; eagerness; speed or quickness

[Esc] (5) good-natured and likable; lovable; warmly friendly

[Esc] (6) bring peace, quiet, or calm to; satisfy or relieve

[Esc] (7) secret; mysterious; known only to the initiated

[Esc] (8) greediness for wealth; insatiable desire of gain

[Esc] (9) having loud, usually harsh, resonant sound; shameless

[Esc] (10) abrupt and curt in manner or speech; rudely abrupt, unfriendly

[Esc] (11) influence or urge by gentle urging or flattering

[Esc] (12) emotionally hardened; unfeeling

[Esc] (13) frankness; quality of being honest and straightforward in attitude and speech

[Esc] (14) scold mildly so as to correct or improve; express disapproval

[Esc] (15) carefully aware of all circumstances; cautious

[Esc] (16) secret; conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods

[Esc] (17) restrain by force, especially by law or authority; repress; curb

[Esc] (18) adhesive; cohesive; sticking together ; logical; sound; capable of thinking and expressing yourself in a clear and consistent manner

[Esc] (19) feeling of contented self-satisfaction, especially when unaware of upcoming trouble

[Esc] (20) a person entrusted with secrets

[Esc] (21) to plot, scheme

[Esc] (22) increasing by successive addition

[Esc] (23) reduce in quality or value; lower in esteem; degrade

[Esc] (24) express strong disapproval of; disparage

[Esc] (25) showing deference; respectful and considerate

[Esc] (26) modest and reserved in manner or behavior

[Esc] (27) ridicule; make fun of; laugh at with contempt

[Esc] (28) tyrant; harsh, authoritarian ruler; eastern Orthodox bishop

[Esc] (29) assiduous; industrious; hard-working

[Esc] (30) overjoyed; extremely happy and excited

[Esc] (31) vividly or movingly expressive; persuasive

[Esc] (32) appropriate fraudulently to one's own use, as property entrusted to one's care; apply to one's private uses by a breach of trust

[Esc] (33) understanding and entering into another's feelings

[Esc] (34) ill will; hatred; quality or state of being hostile

[Esc] (35) learned; scholarly, with emphasis on knowledge gained from books

[Esc] (36) praise highly; glorify; celebrate

[Esc] (37) build; put together out of components or parts

[Esc] (38) not domestic; wild; existing in wild or untamed state

[Esc] (39) astonished; appalled, amazed, or stunned

[Esc] (40) leave someone who needs or counts on you

[Esc] (41) inclined to make trouble; disobedient; irritable

$Spelling Word: fractious$

[Esc] (42) marked by quiet and caution and secrecy

[Esc] (43) excess in eating; extravagant indulgence of the appetite for food; voracity

[Esc] (44) given freely; unwarranted; granted without recompense; unearned

[Esc] (45) high; lofty; bold; arrogant; overbearing

[Esc] (46) act or practice of a hypocrite

[Esc] (47) faultless; incapable of sin or wrongdoing

[Esc] (48) improperly forward or bold; rude

[Esc] (49) incapable of being pacified; not to be relieved;

[Esc] (50) casually rude, insolent, impertinent

[Esc] (51) penetrating, clear, and sharp, as in operation or expression

[Esc] (52) lazy; slow to heal, grow, or develop; inactive

[Esc] (53) lacking of judgment, sense, or reason; unsuited; inappropriate; foolish

[Esc] (54) notoriety, extreme ill repute

[Esc] (55) restrain; prevent or forbid; hold back

[Esc] (56) possessed at birth; inborn

[Esc] (57) not easily satisfied; impossible to satiate or satisfy; greedy

[Esc] (58) of isolated people, especially having a narrow viewpoint

[Esc] (59) fearless; indicating or springing from courage

[Esc] (60) deep-rooted; firmly and long established; habitual

[Esc] (61) happy; merry; joyful and proud especially because of triumph or success

[Esc] (62) the solemn sound of a bell, often indicating a death

[Esc] (63) flexible; moving and bending with ease

[Esc] (64) causing shock or horror; gruesome

[Esc] (65) one that refuses to abide or be independent; an unbranded range animal

[Esc] (66) proverb; formulation of fundamental principle or general truth

[Esc] (67) excessively careful; marked by extreme care in treatment of details

[Esc] (68) limited quantity; small or moderate amount; any small thing

[Esc] (69) ill humored; sullen; depressingly dark; gloomy; persistent

[Esc] (70) of very large or indefinite number; of ten thousand

[Esc] (71) lowest point; point on sphere opposites zenith diametrically

[Esc] (72) in name only; insignificantly small

[Esc] (73) beginner; person new to a field or activity

[Esc] (74) subtle or slight degree of difference

[Esc] (75) inattentive or unmindful; lacking all memory; forgetful

[Esc] (76) slavishly attentive; attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery

[Esc] (77) lacking in insight or discernment; stupid

[Esc] (78) remedy for all diseases, evils, or difficulties; a cure-all

[Esc] (79) work or performance that imitates another work or performance with ridicule or irony; make fun of

[Esc] (80) strong inclination; definite liking

[Esc] (81) a careful examination, review

[Esc] (82) excess; overfullness in any respect; superabundance

[Esc] (83) condition of favoring or liking; tendency towards; preference

[Esc] (84) odd; old-fashioned; picturesque; unfamiliar or unusual in character

[Esc] (85) hasty, incautious

[Esc] (86) disown; refuse to acknowledge; reject validity or authority of

[Esc] (87) excessively abundant or numerous; in widespread existence, practice, or use

[Esc] (88) prominent or protruding; projecting outwardly; moving by leaps or springs

[Esc] (89) gift for finding valuable or desirable things by accident; accidental good fortune or luck

[Esc] (90) sober; serious, organized, and professional; characterized by dignity and propriety

[Esc] (91) being beyond what is required or sufficient

[Esc] (92) one who attempts to win favor by flattering influential people; bootlicker; yes man

[Esc] (93) silent or reserved in speech; saying little; not inclined to speak or converse

[Esc] (94) to restore, clean up

[Esc] (95) disposed to fight; belligerent; aggressively hostile

[Esc] (96) resentment, offence

[Esc] (97) deserving high respect; impressive by reason of age; profoundly honored

[Esc] (98) annoy; disturb, especially by minor irritations; be a mystery or bewildering to

[Esc] (99) offensively loud; noisy; making outcry

[Esc] (100) unrestrained; willfully malicious; immoral or unchaste

[Esc] (101) point directly overhead in sky; summit