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http://toefl.magoosh.com Word Part of Speech Difficulty Definition Example Sentence access noun verb easy the ability to go into (when somebody or something must allow you to enter) to go into something when allowed to enter Only students have access to the university library. There is a large amount of oil under the ice, but we have not be able to access it. accurate adjective common correct (about information, not opinions); on target That test is not an accurate test of intelligence. achieve verb easy to accomplish a goal The best students know that to achieve good grades, they have to study every day. acquire verb easy to get (especially when you will continue to get more) Janice isn't a doctor yet, but from her studies she's slowly acquiring the knowledge and skills she'll need adequate adjective common good enough for what you need A very light jacket will be adequate for Los Angeles's warm winter. adjust verb common to change or move a little and make better or more accurate The colors on this TV screen are wrong. I'll adjust them. administration noun medium the running of something or an organization (business, school, government, etc); the person or people in charge of running an organization The university administration cancelled all school events after a bad storm left most buildings without electricity. affect verb easy to change, make different, have an effect Which language we speak affects how we think about the world. alter verb hard to change, to adjust Magazines heavily alter the photos they publish of celebrities. alternative noun adjective medium other possibility or option different, other than the main option The menu includes alternatives for students who don't eat meat. Many words in these flashcards have alternative definitions. analyze verb common to try to understand something better by closely looking at its details The accountant was too busy with paperwork to analyze the report that said the company had no money. annual adjective medium yearly; happening every year Everyone in Manchester was excited about the annual game between the city's two soccer teams. apparent adjective adjective hard clearly seen or understood seeming (but not definitely true) After only a few months, it was apparent that the French would not win the war. The shark's apparent sleepiness is actually because of how cold the water is. approach verb noun common to come/go closer to something or someone a way to do something The sign at the park said clearly, "Do not approach wild animals! They will bite." The new CEO had a very strange approach to management, letting his employees sleep whenever they wanted.
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Magoosh TOEFL Vocabulary

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  • http://toefl.magoosh.com

    WordPartofSpeech

    Difficulty Definition ExampleSentence

    accessnounverb easy

    theabilitytogointo(whensomebodyorsomethingmustallowyoutoenter)togointosomethingwhenallowedtoenter

    Onlystudentshaveaccesstotheuniversitylibrary.Thereisalargeamountofoilundertheice,butwehavenotbeabletoaccessit.

    accurate adjective commoncorrect(aboutinformation,notopinions)ontarget

    Thattestisnotanaccuratetestofintelligence.

    achieve verb easy toaccomplishagoal

    Thebeststudentsknowthattoachievegoodgrades,theyhavetostudyeveryday.

    acquire verb easytoget(especiallywhenyouwillcontinuetogetmore)

    Janiceisn'tadoctoryet,butfromherstudiesshe'sslowlyacquiringtheknowledgeandskillsshe'llneed

    adequate adjective common goodenoughforwhatyouneedAverylightjacketwillbeadequateforLosAngeles'swarmwinter.

    adjust verb commontochangeormovealittleandmakebetterormoreaccurate

    ThecolorsonthisTVscreenarewrong.I'lladjustthem.

    administration noun medium

    therunningofsomethingoranorganization(business,school,government,etc)thepersonorpeopleinchargeofrunninganorganization

    Theuniversityadministrationcancelledallschooleventsafterabadstormleftmostbuildingswithoutelectricity.

    affect verb easytochange,makedifferent,haveaneffect

    Whichlanguagewespeakaffectshowwethinkabouttheworld.

    alter verb hard tochange,toadjustMagazinesheavilyalterthephotostheypublishofcelebrities.

    alternativenounadjective medium

    otherpossibilityoroptiondifferent,otherthanthemainoption

    Themenuincludesalternativesforstudentswhodon'teatmeat.Manywordsintheseflashcardshavealternativedefinitions.

    analyze verb commontotrytounderstandsomethingbetterbycloselylookingatitsdetails

    Theaccountantwastoobusywithpaperworktoanalyzethereportthatsaidthecompanyhadnomoney.

    annual adjective medium yearlyhappeningeveryyear

    EveryoneinManchesterwasexcitedabouttheannualgamebetweenthecity'stwosoccerteams.

    apparentadjectiveadjective hard

    clearlyseenorunderstoodseeming(butnotdefinitelytrue)

    Afteronlyafewmonths,itwasapparentthattheFrenchwouldnotwinthewar.Theshark'sapparentsleepinessisactuallybecauseofhowcoldthewateris.

    approachverbnoun common

    tocome/goclosertosomethingorsomeoneawaytodosomething

    Thesignattheparksaidclearly,"Donotapproachwildanimals!Theywillbite."ThenewCEOhadaverystrangeapproachtomanagement,lettinghisemployeessleepwhenevertheywanted.

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    WordPartofSpeech

    Difficulty Definition ExampleSentence

    area noun hardarangeofsubjectsorstudies,afield,adiscipline

    Researchersworkinginmanydifferentarea,frompsychologytophysics,willbeabletousethenewtypeofplastic.

    aspect noun hardafeature,acharacteristic,aparticularpartofsomething

    Thethreemostimportantaspectstothinkaboutwhenlearningalanguagearegrammar,vocabulary,andpronunciation.

    assess verb commontolookcloselyatandfigureoutthevalueortypeofsomething

    Beforebuyingahouse,youshouldalwaysassessthebuildingcarefully.

    assist verb easy tohelporaidTheboxwastoobigtocarry,soJohnaskedthestoremanagertoassisthim.

    assume verb common tobelievewithoutproof

    Ahmedassumedhisforgetfulprofessorwouldn'tremembertheirmeeting,buttheprofessorwasalreadywaitingforhiminheroffice.

    attitude noun mediumasetwayofthinkingorasetfeelingaboutsomethingorsomeone

    Zachalwayshasapositiveattitudewhenhehastodealwithaproblematwork.

    attributeverbnoun medium

    togiveaneventorpersoncreditforsomething,likeaworkofartoraspeechaqualityorfeaturethatisanimportantpartofsomething

    ThemuseumdirectorattributedtherecentlydiscoveredpaintingtoVanGogh.Allofhismovieshaveafewattributesincommon:forexample,thereislittleconversationandalotofmusic.

    authority noun mediumcontrolorresponsibilityoversomething(people,area,laws,etc)

    OnlyCongresshastheauthoritytomakeandpasslawsforthecountry.

    available adjective easy abletobereached,used,orbought

    TheadvisorwasnotavailabletoomeetalldayMonday,sothestudenthadtocomebackonTuesday.

    aware adjective medium tohaveknowledgeof

    AsHelendroveawayformthegasstation,shewasn'tawarethatherlightswereoffuntilsheturnedontoadarkstreet.

    benefit noun mediumsomethinggoodcomingfromanaction,agreement,idea,plan,etc.

    Thepresidentflewaroundthecountry,talkingaboutthebenefitsofthenewhealthcarelaw.

    brief adjective common short(abouttime,notlength)Beforewebeginclass,letmebrieflyintroducemyself.

    capable adjective common abletodoNeartheageoftwelvemonths,childrenarecapableofwalking.

    capacitynounnoun hard

    theamountorvolumesomethingcanholdability(especiallymental)

    Thehotelisfulltomaximumcapacitytherearenoemptyrooms.Fewbirdshavethecapacitytorecognizethemselveswhenlookinginamirrormostactasthoughthereisasecondbirdbehindtheglass.

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    WordPartofSpeech

    Difficulty Definition ExampleSentence

    challenge

    nounverbverb easy

    somethingdifficulttosuggestafightorargument,todisagreeortrytofightsomebodytosaysomethingisn'ttrue

    Newmedicinesfacemanychallengesbeforetheycanbeputinstores.Inordertogettheattentionoffemales,malesofmanyanimalspecieswillchallengeeachotherindifferentways.Einstein'swritingschallengedmanyideasofthetime.

    circumstance noun easythesituation,factsorenvironmentaroundanevent

    Myprofessoronlygivesextratimetofinishessaysunderspecialcircumstances.Normallyit'snotallowed.

    commentnounverb easy

    anobservation,note,orresponsetosayashortresponseoropinionaboutagiventopic

    Theprofessorwasangryaboutthenegativecommentsmadeabouthisteachingstyle.Asmartpolitician,theprimeministerrefusedtocommentonthecriticismsofhernewestbudgetplan.

    commit

    verbverbverb hard

    todoorperform(somethingverynegative,likeacrime)topromiseto,tomakeafinalandunchangeabledecision(usually"becommittedto")togiveallofyourenergytosomething

    Michikocommittedtoomanygrammarerrorsinheressay,andthathurtherscore.Beforeyoucommittoauniversity,besuretospendsometimeoncampus.I'mcompletelycommittedtoourbaseballteam'ssuccessI'ddoanythingtowin.

    community noun mediumagroupofpeoplelivingorworkingtogether

    TheSpanishspeakingcommunitywithinNewYorkCityincludesmillionsofpeople.

    compensate verb hardtohelpcorrectaproblemwithanother,positivething

    ThepayatIan'snewjobwaslow,butthefreedomhisbossgavehimcompensatedforthat.

    complex adjective easywithmanydifferentpartsanddifficulttounderstand,complicated

    ThesciencebehindtheatomicbombusedinWorldWarIIwashighlycomplexatthetime,butitissimplecomparedtotoday'snuclearscience.

    component noun hard apartofawholeManyelectronicsaremadeofthousandsofsmallercomponentsandwires.

    concentrateverbverb medium

    tofocusattentiononsomethingtocometogetherintoasmallerspace

    Youmustlearntoconcentratetobesuccessfulonthetest.Theprotestsconcentratedinthecityparks.

    concept noun common anabstractidea

    Someconceptswithinadvancedmathematicsarehardtoshowintherealworld.

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    WordPartofSpeech

    Difficulty Definition ExampleSentence

    conduct verb easytoorganizeandmanage(foraneventthattakecarefulplanningandcontrol)

    MyresearchteamisaconductingastudyonhowtheInternetischangingdating.Wearecollectinginformationfromfivecountries.

    conflict noun mediumanargument,longbattle,ordifferenceofopinions

    TheconflictinSyriahasforcedmanypeopletoleavethecountry.

    consequence noun easyresult,effect,whathappensbecauseofanevent

    Ifyouhurtthepeoplearoundyou,therewillbeunwantedconsequences.

    considerable adjective mediumlargeenoughorimportantenoughtogetspecialnotice

    Aconsiderablenumberofpopularsportswereinventedinonlythelast100years.

    consist verb hard tobemadeof TheU.S.consistsoffiftystates.

    constant adjective commonnotchangingandnotstoppingcontinuous

    Theriverflowsconstantlythroughtheyearandneverfreezes.

    constitute verb hard tobethepiecesthatmakeawhole FiftystatesconstitutetheU.S.A.

    constrain verb hard tolimittheactivityof,restrict

    Popularbeliefsaysthatapetfish'ssizeisconstrainedbythesizeofthetankit'sin,butthisisactuallyfalse.

    construct verb easy tobuildThelandfloodedeveryyear,soitwasunsafetoconstructbuildingsonit.

    consume verb common toeat,touse

    NocountryconsumesmoreoilthantheU.S.A.Yeast,whichisusedtomakebeer,consumessugarstocreatealcohol.

    contact

    nounnounverb easy

    touchinghavingpossibleornormalcommunicationcommunicating(asbyemailorphoneespecially)togiveorgetspecificinformation

    Anelectricalwireincontactwithapoolofwatercanbeextremelydangerous.Liamisstillincontactwithmanyofhishighschoolteachers,surprisingly.ThewomanatthehelpdesktoldmetocontactthestudentaffairsofficeifIwanttochangerooms.

    context noun commontheinformationorsituationaroundanidea,event,orsomethingthatissaid

    Whenyouhavedifficultyunderstandinganewword,lookatthecontext.Thesentencearoundthewordmighttellthemeaning.

    contrastverbverb common

    tobeclearlydifferentfromtolookspecificallyatthedifferencesbetweentwothings

    Thezebra'sblackandwhitestripescontrastclearlywiththeyellowgrassaroundit.BycontrastingthevocabularyofFrenchandSpanish,wecanseetheirdifferenthistories.

    contributeverbverb medium

    togivesomething(oftenmoney),tohelpreachagoaltoaddtothecauseofsomethingbigger

    Overthepastthreeyears,myparentshavenotcontributedtomyuniversitytuition.IsmokedalotwhenIwasyounger,andthat'scontributedtomyhealthproblemstoday.

  • http://toefl.magoosh.com

    WordPartofSpeech

    Difficulty Definition ExampleSentence

    coordinate verb hard

    toworkwithorcommunicatewiththedifferentpeople,groups,orpiecesinvolvedinalargeproduct

    Achefatabigrestaurantwillspendhistimecoordinatingalltheworkingsofthekitchen,notcooking.

    coreadjectivenoun hard

    central,offundamentalimportancethecenterofsomething

    Althoughwehavemadeimprovementsinbrainscience,manyofthecoreproblemsremain.Theearth'scoreismadeofliquidrock.

    correspondverbverb medium

    tobeaclosematchtosendlettersbackandforth

    Thisnewpaintfortheroomdoesnotcorrespondtotheoldpaint.Mymotherandfathercorrespondedforalmosttwoyearsbeforemeetinginperson.

    criteria noun hardthemeasuresbywhichyoujudgeordecidesomething

    AgoodTOEFLessayincludesafewcriteria,includinggoodstructure,clearideas,andnaturalvocabulary.

    culturenounnoun easy

    thewayagroupofpeoplelivinginoneareanormallyacts,includingarts,style,food,andhowpeopletalktoandactwitheachother

    Whenlivinginanothercountry,itcanbeverydifficulttobecomecomfortableinthenewculture.

    data noun common information,factsWecollectdataontheoceans'temperatureseveryyear.

    debate verb mediumtoargue,usuallyinaformal,politeway

    WatchingthepresidentialdebatesonTVdidnothelpmedecidewhotovotefor.

    decline

    verbverbnoun medium

    topolitelysaynotoaninvitationoroffertobecomeless,fewer,orsmaller(usuallyofsomethinggood)aslowcontinuouslossofvalue,power,orstrength

    IdeclineddinnerbecauseIhadplanstoeatwithmyfamilyinstead.Fortenyears,thenumberoffishintheriverhasdeclined.ManypeoplesaythatAmericaisindecline.

    deduce verb hardtocometoaconclusionthroughlogicandevidence,tofigureout

    Byanalyzingthebones,wecandeducewhentheanimallivedand,maybe,howitdied.

    demonstrate verb commontoshowanexampleof,toprovewithevidence

    Ateightyearsold,MozartdemonstratedhismusicalabilityinLondon.

    derive verb hard

    togetorcreatefrom(usually"bederivedfrom")tocomefrom,originatefrom

    Allplasticsarederivedfromoil.ManyEuropeanlanguagesarederivedatleastpartlyfromLatin.

    despite preposition commonevenwith(whenaneventissurprisingbecauseofsomedifficulty) Weenjoyedourvacationdespitetherain.

    discrete adjective hardseparate,notthesamethingandwithnopartsincommon

    Yourleftarmandrightarmarecontrolledbytwodiscreteareasofthebrain.

    distinct adjective medium clearlydifferentfromThereareatleastfivedistincttypesofturtlelivingontheisland.

    distribute verb medium togiveoutsomething

    Theteacherdistributedteststotheclass,andthestudentswerehappytoseetheydidwell.

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    WordPartofSpeech

    Difficulty Definition ExampleSentence

    diverse adjective hard havingmanydifferenttypes

    ThestudentpopulationisincrediblydiverseatSouthStateUniversity,withstudentsfrom30differentcountries.

    element noun mediumapartofsomething,usuallypartofanidea

    TheelementofhisspeechthatIdidn'tlikewasattheend,whenhetalkedaboutreligion.

    emerge verb hard tocomeoutofAfterawinterspentsleeping,thebearemergesfromitscave.

    emphasize verb common toplaceextraimportanceononepartMostmodernartemphasizescreativityandemotion,notskill.

    enable verb medium tomakesomethingpossibleTheclassesincollegewillenableyoutofindagoodjob.

    enforce verb hard tomakepeoplefollow(aruleorlaw)

    Althoughsmokingisnotallowedonschoolcampus,thebanisn'tenforced,andmanystudentssmokefreely.

    entity noun hard athingthatexistsoractsasoneunit

    Themaleanglerfishwillattachpermanentlytothefemale,andintime,thetwofishwillbecomeasingleentity.

    equivalent adjective medium equal

    Rashimusedacharttofindthathis6.7GPAinhishomecountrywasequivalenttoa3.2GPAintheUnitedStates.

    establish verb common

    tobuild,tocreate(ofasystem,organization,orideanotareal,physicalthing)

    TheU.S.governmentwasestablishedinthelate1700s.

    estimate verb medium

    todetermineroughlythevalueornumberofsomething,toguessanumberusingsomeinformation

    Becarefultonotforgetanycostsfortheyearwhenyouestimateyourbudget.

    evaluate verb easytoformanideaofthetheamount,numberorvalueofsomething

    Studentsareevaluatedbytheirgradesontests,homework,essays,andinclassinteraction.

    evident adjective easy clearlyseenorunderstood,obviousDogs'feelingareusuallyevidentintheiractions.

    exclude verb hardtonotinclude,tonotputinalistorgroup

    Ieatalmostanything,excludingspicyfoods.Ihatehotpepper.

    expand verb easytomakelargertogivemoredetailonasubject

    Blowingairintoaballoonwillcauseittoexpand,butifyoublowtoomuchair,itwillexplode!

    expose verb mediumtoshoworrevealsomethingthatwashidden

    Thepolitician'scrimeswereexposedandhewasforcedtoleavehisposition.

    external adjective hardoutside(especiallyofabodyorsystem)

    Uncontrollable,externaleventscancauseevenaverycarefulcompanytofail.

    facilitate verb hard tomakeeasyoreasier

    Classicalmusic,unlikemanytypesofmusic,willgenerallyfacilitatelearningandimprovememory.

  • http://toefl.magoosh.com

    Word

    PartofSpeech

    Difficulty Definition ExampleSentence

    factor noun hardafactthatinfluencesorchangesaresult

    Twoofthelargestfactorsaffectingchildren'shealthygrowtharefoodandrelationshipswithparents.

    featurenounverb common

    animportantcharacteristic,apropertytoincludeasanimportantpiece

    Thesoundmadeby"r"isoneofthemostdifficultfeaturesofspokenEnglish.Theuniversity'snewstudenthousingfeatureslargerroomsthantheoldbuildingdid.

    focusverbnoun easy

    tolookat,thinkabout,orgiveattentiontothecenterofattentionthemostimportantpart

    Icouldnotfocusonmyhomeworkinthelibrarybecausesomeonewasplayingmusicveryloudly.ThefocusofJustin'sessaywasnotcleartotheprofessor,sohereceivedalowgrade.

    framework noun hardastructureforabuilding,system,oridea

    Ellen'sbusinessplanmayhavefailed,butitformedtheframeworkforhernext,successfulplan.

    functionverbnoun common

    toworktodowhatsomethingshoulddowhatsomethingdoes,itspurpose

    Idroppedmyphoneintoaswimmingpool,but,amazingly,itstillfunctions.Thehaironthehumanheadhasnoclearfunction.

    fundamental adjective common basic,centralextremelyimportant

    Alivebelievesthatwomenarefundamentallydifferentfrommen.Thefundamentalbeliefsofmostreligionsarepeaceful.

    furthermore adverb common also,inaddition,what'smore

    Kenyahasbeautifulweatherand,furthermore,doesnothavelongnightsinthewinter.

    generate verb hardtocreate,toproduce(especiallyenergy) Movementgeneratesheat.

    grantverbverb hard

    toagreetogive(somethingthatwasaskedfor)toadmit,tosaysomethingistrue

    Thegovernmenthasrecentlygrantedusaccesstoinformationthatwassecretbefore.Idisagreethatsnakesmakegoodpets,butI'llgrantthatthey'reeasytotakecareof.

    hence adverb common therefore,so,asaresultTheevidenceisfalsehence,theconclusionisalsofalse.

    hypothesis noun commonanideawhichexplainssomethingbutisunproven

    ThehypothesisthattheEarthisgrowingwasshowntobefalse.

    identify verb commontoname,toshoworfigureoutwhatsomethingis

    Scientistshavenotbeenabletoidentifythelanguagewrittenontherocks.

    illustrate verb common toexplainwithanexamplePeterillustratedhispointbytellingashortstory.

  • http://toefl.magoosh.com

    WordPartofSpeech

    Difficulty Definition ExampleSentence

    impact

    nounverbnoun hard

    aneffectthatchangesasituationtoaffectstronglytheforceofbeinghithard

    Theendofthewarhadalargeimpactoneconomicgrowth.Myfather'sadvicehugelyimpactedmyuniversitydecision.Theimpactofacarcrashcansendadriverwhodoesn'twearaseatbeltthroughthewindow.

    imply verb easy

    tocommunicatewithoutsayingspecifically,tohintatanideatoleadtoaclearconclusion

    Thepresidentimpliedthathewouldnotsupportthenewlawagainstsellingtobacco,buthedidn'tsayitclearly.

    indicate verb common tobeasignof,toshowThewayyouspeakandactindicatesyouremotions.

    individual adjective easy singleorseparatedonlyoneof

    JoanwassurprisedthatthetenbookssheorderedfromtheInternetcametogether,butinindividualboxes.

    initial adjective medium atthebeginning

    Myinitialplanwastostudyuntilmidnightandwakeuplate,butthenIfellasleepearly.

    instance noun common anexample,acase

    TwoanimalsinAustralia(platypusesandechidnas)aretheonlyinstancesofanimalswithhairthatlayeggs.

    instituteverbnoun hard

    tostart(aruleorsystem)agroupororganizationthatstudiesorworksforsomethingspecific

    InJanuary,wewillinstituteaplantomakecaraccidentslessfrequent.TheNationalCancerInstitutewascreatedtolearnmoreabout,andhopefullycure,themanytypesofcancer.

    integrate verb hard tobecomeapartof

    Itisdifficultorevenimpossibletosmoothlyintegrateasmall,foreigncultureintothemaincultureofacountry.

    internal adjective mediumfoundorhappeninginside(abody,organization,etc)

    TheUSgovernmenthashadlotsofproblemseversinceinternalmessageswerepublishedonnewswebsites.

    interpret verb mediumtofigureoutorexplainthemeaningofsomething

    Thestudentscouldnotinterprettheextremelyoldbookbecausethepageswerehardtoread.

    invest verb medium

    tospendmoney,energy,ortimeonsomethinghopingforgoodresultslatertospendmoneyinthehopesofmakingmoremoney,usuallyinproperty,financialshares,orsomeotheractivity

    Ifyouwanttolearnanotherlanguage,youwillhavetoinvestalotofyourfreetime.Jamieinvestedinaneducationcompanythathethoughtwouldsucceedandmakehimrich.

    investigate verb commontotrytofindanswerstoquestionsaboutsomething,toresearch

    Doctorsareinvestigatinganewlydiscoveredplantthatmighthelptofightcancer.

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    WordPartofSpeech

    Difficulty Definition ExampleSentence

    involve verb common toinclude,tohaveasapartThestudyofarchitectureinvolvesbothartandscience.

    issuenounnoun common

    atopicorsituationtotalkaboutaproblem

    Inordertodefinewhatjazzmusicis,weneedtolookatafewdifferentissues.Monarchies(governmentswithkingsorqueens)oftenhaveseveralcommonissues.

    justify verb hard

    togiveagoodreasonforanactionorsituation(especiallyonethatseemsbad)

    AlthoughMilosexplainedforalongtime,hecouldnotjustifyborrowinghisbrother'scarwithoutasking.

    labelnounverb easy

    anameorphrasegiventoagroupofthingstoidentifythem(oftennegative)togivealabeltosomething

    Themeaningofthelabel"punk"haschangedgreatlyinthelast30years.Childrenareoftenunkindandlabelotherswholookdifferentasoutsiders.

    labor noun medium workeffortJuanwassurprisedathowmuchlaborwasneededtofinishhisprojectontime.

    layernounverb medium

    somethingthatcoverssomethingelsetoputsomethingontopofsomethingelse

    Layersofpaintonthesteelbridgewillprotectitfromrust.Sebastianlayeredthesandwichwithallmyfavoritemeatsandcheeses.

    lecturenounverb common

    alongspeechaboutonetopic(especiallyinaclassroom)togivealongspeechaboutatopic

    ProfessorJackson'slecturesaretoolongIalwaysfallasleep.

    linkverbnoun medium

    tocreateaconnectionbetweentwoormorethingsaconnectionbetweentwothings

    Thenewsstorylinkedthepresident'ssuccesswiththeimprovedeconomy.Whatisthelinkbetweensuccessinlifeandineducation?

    maintain

    verbverbverb easy

    tocontinuetokeepalive,tokeepingoodstateorconditiontocontinuetosayalthoughpeopledisagree

    ChinahasmaintainedafriendshipwiththeU.S.,althoughthetwocountriesoftenhavedifferentneedsandideas.Theseroadsaresobadlymaintainedthatthey'redifficulttodriveon.Untilhisdeath,ChristopherColumbusmaintainedthathehadsailedtoAsia,notAmerica.

    major adjective easy veryimportant,orlargeinsizeTheexamscoreisamajorpartofthefinalclassgrade.

    maximize verb easytomakeasbigaspossibletouseordoascompletelyaspossible

    Inordertomaximizethenumberofpeoplethatcanfitontheplane,theairlinetookouttherestrooms.

    mental adjective easy ofthemind

    Manymentalproblemsarestillnotwellunderstood.Weoftendon'tknowwhatcausesthemnorhowtostopthemfromhappening.

    method noun common howtodosomething,aprocessTheSpanishmethodofmakingchocolatecreatedacompletelynewdrink.

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    WordPartofSpeech

    Difficulty Definition ExampleSentence

    minor adjective easy notveryimportantsmallinsizeTheoldactresswassadshehadonlyaminorroleinthenewmovie.

    modify verb commontomakesmallchangesoraddtoinordertomakebetter

    Thefirstbicycleswereslowanddifficulttouse,buttheyweremodifiedovertime.

    monitorverbnoun hard

    towatchthequalityorprogressofsomethingovertimesomethingorsomebodywhichmonitors

    Wehavebeencarefullymonitoringtheamountofsaltinouroceansforthelast50years.Heartratemonitorscanbeusedforbothmedicineandexercise.

    negate verb hard tomakenottrueornoteffective

    Studyinglateintothenightmighthelpyoulearnmore,butsleepinglessnegatesthepositiveeffects.

    network noun medium

    asystemofconnectedpieces(especiallyfortransportationorcommunication)

    Thetyphoondestroyedthenetworkofroads,whichhasmadeithardtobringsuppliesandfirstaidtothetown.

    nevertheless adverb common however,regardlessThedecisionwasdangerous.Nevertheless,HitlerattackedRussia.

    notion noun medium abeliefanideaIthinktheprofessor'snotionoffunwasdifferentfromthestudents'notionoffun.

    objectivenounadjective hard

    agoalbasedinfact,notanopinion,notfrompersonalbeliefsorideas

    TheobjectiveoftheTOEFListomeasureyourtotalEnglishability.Wecanobjectivelymeasurehowspicyapepperis,buthowwefeelaboutthatspicinessisnotobjective.

    obtain verb medium togetorsecuresomethingAfterlotsoflooking,JorgeobtainedajobandapartmentinNewYorkCity.

    obvious adjective easy easilyunderstoodorseen

    Theresultsoftheelectionweresoclearthattheloseradmitteddefeatbeforevotingwasfinished.

    occupy verb easy tobeinoronaspace,tofillaspaceThedentist'sofficeoccupiedtheentirefourthfloorofthebuilding.

    occur verb easy tohappenThesinkingoftheTitanicoccurredonApril14,1912.

    orientverbverb hard

    (usually"tobeoriented")tomoveintoapositioninlinewithsomespecificpoint(usually"toorientyourself")toexploreandbecomecomfortablewith

    Thestatuesappeartobeorientedtowardthesunrise.Ittookafewweekstoorientmyselfinthenewjob,butIfeelcomfortablenow.

    overalladjectiveadverb common

    lookingatorincludingallpiecesorfactorsingeneral,forthemostpart

    Somewordsmightbenewanddifficult,buttheoverallmeaningofthesentenceisclear.Overall,Americanseatalotofbeef,especiallycomparedtopeopleinothercountries.

    participate verb easytojoinortakepartin(aconversation,agame,etc.)

    Theteacherwassurprisedwheneverystudentparticipatedinthemathgame.

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    WordPartofSpeech

    Difficulty Definition ExampleSentence

    perceive verb hard tobeawareof,tosenseorfeelIfhuntersareskilled,theanimalswillnotperceivetheirpresence.

    period noun easy arangeoramountoftime

    Computertechnologychangedalotintheperiodbetweenthe1980sandtheyear2000.

    perspective noun hard

    howyouseesomethingfromaspecificplaceapointofvieworopinion

    Youngchildren'sdrawingsdonothaveclearlydefinedperspectiveyoumayseethreewallsofanoutsideofabuilding,forexample.ManyHollywoodmovies,whenwatchedfromawoman'sperspective,haveclearlysexistcharacters.

    phase noun hardaperiodoftimeinalongerprocessofchange

    Thereareatleastthreedifferentphasesinafrog'sdevelopmentfromeggtoadult.

    philosophynounnoun medium

    thestudyofknowledgeorasetoftheoriesknowledgeandthoughtabasicideaofapersonororganizationthataffectstheiractions

    Philosophyhasalwaystriedtoanswerthequestion"Whatisthemeaningoflife?"Myphilosophyisthatifyoucandosomethingtoday,youshouldn'twaituntiltomorrow.

    physicaladjectiveadjective easy

    ofthebody(notmental)concrete(notabstract)

    Cleaningupthecampusgardenwastiring,physicalwork.Katerinadoesn'tlikepayingformusicwithoutaphysicalcopy,suchasaCD.

    policy noun hardarulemadebyanorganization,government,orcompany

    Schoolpolicydoesnotallowalcoholoncampus.

    potentialnounadjective medium

    possibleabilitythatmightbeusedinthefuturehavingtheabilitytodosomethinginthefuture

    Windandsolarenergyhavethepotentialtoreplaceoil.Chinaispotentiallythenextworldleader.

    precise adjective medium exactcarefullydefined

    Becausethepiratesweren'tcertainofthepreciselocationofthegold,theydugholesallovertheisland.

    predict verb commontosaysomethingwillhappeninthefuture

    CharlieChaplinpredictedthatmovieswouldneverbecomepopular.Hewaswrong,clearly.

    previous adjective easyhappeningbeforetheonehappeningnow(ofathing,event,ordate)

    Soojinthoughtherscienceclasswasreallyhardafterstudyingonlyliteratureinthepreviousyear.

    primary noun easy firstinimportanceTheprimarycauseofunhappinessisnotaboutmoneyitisbadhealth.

    principle noun hardaruleorideathatmakesthebaseforasystem(oftenmoral)

    TheprinciplesattheheartofthenewreligionarethesameasmanycentralbeliefsofChristianity.

    prior adjective medium happeningorbeingbefore

    ThenewCEOofYahoocalledthepriorCEOofthecompanytogetabetterunderstandingofthecompany.

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    WordPartofSpeech

    Difficulty Definition ExampleSentence

    proceed verb medium tobeginorcontinuewithsomeaction

    Wewillnotproceedwiththeconstructionuntilsomeonetellsusitissafetobuildhere.

    project

    nounverbverb common

    aplanortasktoreachaspecificgoaltopredictthemeasurementofsomethinginthefuturefrompresentmeasurementstosendout,tothrow(oflight,energy,etc)

    Cleaningoutthestorageroomwasabigproject,butit'snicetoseeitempty,now.Basedonthisyear'ssuccess,Appleisprojectingsimilargrowthnextyear,too.Hopingtocommunicatewithaliens,scientistshavebeenprojectingradiomessagesintospaceformanyyears.

    proportion noun hardthesizeoramountofsomethingcomparedtothewholeorotherparts

    Cartoonsofpeopleoftenhaveexaggeratedproportions,suchasverylargeeyesorhands.

    pursueverbverb hard

    tofollow,tochasetotrytoachieve(adreamorgoal)

    Thebabyelephantran,butthepackoflionspursuedit.Manpursuedthedreamofflightforhundredsofyearsbeforethemodernairplanewasinvented.

    rangenounverb medium

    thedistancebetweentwothings(likearea,time,orintelligence)tobebetweenasetminimumandmaximum

    Therangeofscoresonthetestwasbig.Inthecompany,theageofpeoplerangesfrom25to75.

    react verb easy torespond,actinanswertoMothersreactquicklytotheirbabiescries,eveninthemiddleofthenight.

    region noun easy anareaofland

    AlthoughmostoftheJapaneseexchangestudentscomefromOsaka,inthesouth,AkikocomesfromthenorthernregionofJapan.

    registerverbverb common

    toputyournameorotherinformationinalistforsomethingtoidentifyandshowonatoolformeasuring

    Ifyou'dliketobuyamealplan,youcanregisteratthestudentaffairsoffice.Thebombwassostrongthatfarawayweatherballoonsregisteredtheheat.

    regulate verb mediumtohavecontroloveraprocesssothatitfunctionsproperly

    Parentsregulatetheamountoftimekidsspendplayinggamesontheirphones.

    reject verb easytosaynotosomethingoffered,torefuseordecline

    Afterapplyingtotenschools,Lucaswasrejectedbynineofthem.

    relevant adjective easycloselyconnectedtothetopicandthereforeimportant

    IthinkProfessorMcGarrycangiveyousomerelevantbookstohelpyouwritethatessay.

    rely verb easytodependon,toneedinordertocontinuewell

    Inmanycountries,childrenrelyontheirparentsforfood,money,andhousinguntiltheyareover20yearsold.

    remove verb easy totakeawayortakeout

    Thegrocerystoreremovedallofthemilkafterthegovernmentsaiditwasunsafetodrink.

    requireverbverb common

    toneedforaspecificpurposetosetastheminimum

    Alllife,plantsandanimalsincluded,requireswater.

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    WordPartofSpeech

    Difficulty Definition ExampleSentence

    researchverbnoun easy

    tofindorsearchformoreinformationaboutsomethinginformationcollectedaboutsomething(usuallyacademic)

    Aftergrowinguponanisland,Malikahopedtoresearchoceantemperaturesingraduateschool.Dr.Stanislauswasfamousforhisresearchonchangesinhealtheducationoverthepast100years.

    reside verb medium toliveinaplace IresideinCalifornia.

    resolve verb easytoagreetodecidetosolveaproblemorargument

    Evenaftermeetingforhours,thegovernmentleadersstillcouldnotresolvetheirargumentovernewtaxes.

    resource noun easy

    somesavedmaterialthatcanbeusedforapurpose(especiallymoney,anythingusedtomakeenergysuchasoil,orinformationsourcessuchasbooks)

    Manyoftherichestcountrieshavesurprisinglyfewnaturalresourcesandmustbuyoilorgasfromothercountries.Neverforgettomakeuseofthelibraryduringyourstudiesit'sfullofgreatresources.

    respond verb easy answerreact

    Waiterswhorespondtocustomers'questionswithasmilegenerallygetmoremoney.Ifyouscareaturtle,itwillrespondbyhidinginitsshell.

    restrict verb commontolimit,tomakesomeactionsimpossible

    Accesstothisparkingareaisrestricted:onlyuniversitystudentsmayuseit.

    retain verb hard tokeep,continuetohaveorcontainOriginallyfromFrance,JeanretainsahintofherFrenchaccenteventoday.

    role noun medium ajoborfunctionapositionStudentclasspresidentisanimportantrole.

    scheme noun hard

    alargeplanthesystembywhichsomethingisarranged

    Microsoft'smarketingschemefortheirnewtabletcomputerwaslessthansuccessful.Themodernschemefornamingdifferenttypesofplantsandanimalsstartedaround1800.

    section noun easyoneofanumberofpieceswhichcometogethertocreateawhole

    Everyant'sbodyhasthreesections:ahead,athorax(wherethelegsare),andanabdomen(theback).

    secure verb mediumtoattachsomethingsothatiswon'tcomeoff

    Pleasetightlysecurethesurfboardsontopofthecar.

    seek verb hard tolookfor,totrytofindAcrossmanydifferentcultures'stories,heroesseekmorethanjustgoldorfame.

    selectverbadjective common

    tochoosechosenasthebestfromagroup

    Therearefourdifferentmathcoursesyoumayselectfrominyourfirstyear.Harvardstudentsareaselectgroupofveryintelligent,successfulstudentswhoareoftenfromrichfamilies.

  • http://toefl.magoosh.com

    WordPartofSpeech

    Difficulty Definition ExampleSentence

    shiftverbnoun medium

    tomovesomethingashortdistanceasmallchangeinpositionordirection

    Pleasehelpmeshiftthetablesoitiseasierforpeopletositdown.Therecentshiftthatthecoachmadeishelpingtheteamwinmoregames.

    significant adjective commonimportantorbigenoughthatyoushouldnoticeorpayattention

    Mostanimalsspendasignificantamountoftheirtimelookingforfood.

    site noun medium thelocationofsomething

    Thepeopleofthecityvotedforasitedowntownasthelocationofthenewsportsstadium.

    source noun easy wheresomethingcomesfrom

    Donottrustbooksthatgiveinformationwithoutlistedsources.Thefactscouldbefalse.

    specify verb easytosaywhichoneorclearlypointtowhichone

    Thekingtoldtheherothathecouldmarryoneoftheprincessesbutdidnotspecifywhichdaughter.

    stable adjective medium

    notlikelytochange,fall,ormovesecure(asinemployment,finances,housing,etc)

    Makesuretheladderisstablebeforeyouclimbupit!

    status noun medium

    therankorsocialclassofsomeoneorsomethingthecurrentsituationthatsomethingisin

    Thestatusofwomenhasslowlyimprovedoverthepast100years,anditcontinuestoimprove.What'sthestatusofthenewlibrary?Aretheyfinishedbuildingityet?

    strategy noun easyaplanofactiontoreachadesiredgoal

    Thedebateteamspenttheeveningdiscussingtheirstrategyfordefeatingtheotherteam

    stress

    verbnounnoun common

    toplaceextraimportanceononepartextraimportanceplacedononepartpressure,strain,tensionworry

    IfyoustressthewrongwordsorsoundswhenspeakingEnglish,youmaynotbeunderstood.Finalexamsaresoon,andsostresslevelsarehighamongstudents.

    subsequent adjective hard immediatelyafter

    Boththewinterandthesubsequentspringweresurprisinglydry,withneithersnownorrain.

    substituteverbnoun common

    totakeoutandputsomethingelseinthesameplace(usuallysomethingworse)somethingthatgoesintheplaceofthenormalthing

    Becausewedidn'thaveany,wesubstitutedthesugarwithjuice.Manycigarettesmokerswhotrytoquitusechewinggumasasubstitute.

    sufficient adjective common enoughinamountforwhatyouneed

    Becauseofweatherchanges,lastyearfarmscouldn'tgrowsufficientricetofeedthecountry.

    sustain verb mediumtohelpsomethingcontinue,tokeepgoing

    Noanimalsorplantscansustainlifewithoutwater.

  • http://toefl.magoosh.com

    WordPartofSpeech

    Difficulty Definition ExampleSentence

    theory noun commonanideaorbeliefabouthow/whysomethingworks

    Therearemanytheoriesaboutwhywedream.

    tradition noun medium

    asetofbeliefsoraculturethatispassedfromfamilytofamilyoveralongperiodoftime

    Chris'sfavoritetraditioniseatinghamonChristmas.

    transfer verb easytopassfromonepersonorthingtoanother

    SallytransferredallofhermoneyfromAmericanNationalBankwhensheheardtheywereclosing.

    trendnounverb common

    thedirectionorwayinwhichsomethingischanging

    Today'scomputercultureistrendingtowardmoretouchscreentechnology.

    underlying adjective hard formingthebasisforsomething

    Thereisnosinglewaytoputanendtodrugaddictionsincetherearemanyunderlyingcauses.

    valid adjective hard fromareasonableorcorrectbasis

    ManypeoplehavesaidtheartistJacksonPollack'sworkdidn'trequiremuchskill,andthatideaissomewhatvalid.

    vary verb medium

    tobeadifferentsize,amount,orcharacterwhencomparedtosomethingelseinasimilargroup

    Therestaurantsinthisareavarygreatlyinquantityandprice.

    welfare noun hardhowhealthyandhappyapersonorgroupis

    Aperfectgovernmentwouldcaremoreaboutthewelfareofitspeoplethananythingelse.

    whereas conjunction commonalthough(usedtocontrasttwodifferentthings)

    Lemonsareverysourwhereasmostfruitsaresweet.

    AdditionalResources:

    MagooshTOEFLOnlineFlashcards:Includesallthewordslistedabove.AlsoavailableasappsforAndroidandiPhone!

    MagooshTOEFLBlog MagooshTOEFLOnlinePrep:Lessonvideosandpracticequestionswithvideoexplanations MagooshTOEFLYouTubeChannel

    Happystudying!:)