IELTS Vocabulary List Set 2
Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3
- Gauge – measure; evaluate
- Generate – produce; create
- Genuine – real; authentic
- Germinate – begin to grow
- Gesture – movement expressing meaning
- Glare – strong light; angry look
- Glitter – shine brightly
- Gloomy – dark; depressing
- Glorify – praise highly
- Gradual – slow and steady
- Grant – give officially
- Gratitude – thankfulness
- Grave – serious; critical
- Grievance – complaint
- Grim – severe; harsh
- Grind – crush; reduce to powder
- Gripping – very interesting
- Grudge – resentment
- Guarantee – promise
- Guardian – protector
- Guilt – blame; responsibility
- Gutter – drainage channel
- Habitat – natural environment
- Hackneyed – overused; clichéd
- Halting – slow; hesitant
- Hamper – obstruct; delay
- Handful – small amount
- Harass – trouble persistently
- Harbinger – a sign of future events
- Harmonious – peaceful; balanced
- Harness – control; make use of
- Harsh – rough; severe
- Hasty – quick; rushed
- Haughty – arrogant
- Hazard – danger; risk
- Heed – pay attention
- Hefty – large; heavy
- Heighten – increase
- Helpless – unable to act
- Hesitate – pause before doing
- Hiatus – break; interruption
- Hinder – obstruct; slow down
- Hindrance – obstacle
- Hitherto – until now
- Holistic – complete; whole view
- Homogeneous – all the same
- Hostile – unfriendly; aggressive
- Humble – modest; not proud
- Hunger – desire or need strongly
- Hypothesis – scientific assumption
- Ideal – perfect; most suitable
- Identical – exactly the same
- Identify – recognize
- Idle – inactive
- Illuminate – light up; clarify
- Illusion – false idea
- Illustrate – explain with examples
- Imbalance – lack of equality
- Immaculate – perfectly clean
- Imminent – about to happen
- Immobile – unable to move
- Immune – protected from harm
- Impact – strong effect
- Impartial – fair; neutral
- Impede – obstruct; delay
- Impending – soon to happen
- Imperative – extremely important
- Imperfect – not complete
- Implement – carry out
- Implicate – show involvement
- Implicit – implied; not stated
- Imply – suggest indirectly
- Impose – force on others
- Imposing – grand; impressive
- Impractical – unrealistic
- Improbable – unlikely
- Impulse – sudden desire
- Incentive – motivation
- Incidence – rate of occurrence
- Incline – tend towards
- Inclusive – including everyone
- Incoherent – unclear
- Incompetent – lacking ability
- Inconclusive – not definitive
- Inconvenient – causing trouble
- Incorporate – include; blend
- Increase – grow
- Incremental – small, gradual increase
- Indebted – grateful; owing
- Indicate – show; point out
- Indigenous – native
- Indignant – angry at unfairness
- Indispensable – essential
- Induce – cause; persuade
- Inevitable – unavoidable
- Inexhaustible – unlimited
- Inexperienced – lacking skill
- Infectious – easily spread
- Infer – conclude; deduce
- Inflate – increase; expand
- Influence – affect
- Informative – educational
- Infrastructure – basic systems (roads, power)
- Inhabit – live in
- Inherent – natural; built-in
- Inhibit – prevent; reduce
- Initiative – action taken to solve a problem
- Innovation – new idea or method
- Innumerable – countless
- Input – contribution; information provided
- Inquiry – investigation; question
- Insight – deep understanding
- Insignificant – unimportant
- Insolent – rude; disrespectful
- Inspect – examine closely
- Inspire – motivate
- Instability – lack of stability
- Instance – example
- Instinct – natural behavior
- Institute – establish; set up
- Institutional – relating to organizations
- Instruct – teach; direct
- Instrumental – essential; important
- Insufficient – not enough
- Insulate – protect; isolate
- Integrate – combine into whole
- Integrity – honesty; moral principles
- Intellect – ability to think
- Intensive – demanding; concentrated
- Interact – communicate; engage
- Intercept – stop before arrival
- Interchange – exchange
- Interdependent – dependent on each other
- Interim – temporary
- Intermittent – occurring occasionally
- Internally – inside
- Interpret – explain meaning
- Intervene – step in to help
- Intimidate – frighten
- Intricate – complex; detailed
- Intrinsic – essential; natural
- Intuition – instinctive understanding
- Inundate – flood; overwhelm
- Inventive – creative
- Invest – put resources for future gain
- Investigate – examine thoroughly
- Ironic – opposite of expected
- Irrelevant – unrelated
- Irrevocable – permanent; cannot be changed
- Isolation – separation
- Jeopardize – put in danger
- Jolt – sudden shock
- Judicious – wise; careful
- Justify – explain logically
- Keen – eager; interested
- Kindle – to ignite; inspire
- Knead – press or shape
- Knock-on effect – indirect consequence
- Laborious – requiring hard work
- Lament – express sadness
- Landscape – scenery; environment
- Languish – weaken; suffer
- Large-scale – extensive
- Lateral – side; sideways
- Laudable – praiseworthy
- Lavish – rich; luxurious
- Legitimate – lawful; valid
- Leisure – free time
- Lenient – not strict
- Lethal – deadly
- Liable – responsible; likely
- Liberal – open-minded
- Liberate – set free
- Limitation – restriction
- Linear – straight; sequential
- Literal – exact meaning
- Livelihood – source of income
- Loathe – hate strongly
- Lucrative – profitable
- Ludicrous – absurd; ridiculous
- Luminary – expert; leading figure
- Lurk – hide secretly
- Lush – rich vegetation
- Luxury – great comfort and wealth
- Magnify – enlarge; exaggerate
- Mainstream – commonly accepted
- Maintain – keep in good condition
- Majestic – grand; impressive
- Malicious – harmful; spiteful
- Manifest – show clearly
- Manipulate – control unfairly
- Marginal – small; not central
- Materialize – happen; become real
- Mature – fully developed
- Meager – very small
- Mediate – resolve conflict
- Medieval – relating to the Middle Ages
- Meditate – reflect; think deeply
- Menace – threat; danger
- Mend – repair
- Mentor – guide; advisor
- Mere – only; nothing more
- Merit – value; worth
- Metaphor – symbolic comparison
- Methodical – organized; systematic
- Meticulous – very careful
- Milestone – major achievement
- Miraculous – amazing; extraordinary
- Mitigate – reduce harm
- Mobilize – prepare for action
- Moderate – reasonable; not extreme
- Modify – change
- Momentous – very important
- Monetary – related to money
- Monopoly – exclusive control
- Monumental – huge; historically important
- Morale – confidence; spirit
- Morbid – disturbing; unhealthy
- Morph – change shapes
- Mortal – subject to death
- Motivate – encourage
- Motley – mixed; varied
- Mundane – ordinary; boring
- Municipal – related to cities
- Murky – dark; unclear
- Naive – inexperienced; simple
- Nasty – unpleasant
- Navigate – find direction
- Neglect – ignore; fail to care
- Negligible – too small to matter
- Negotiation – discussion to reach agreement
- Neutral – not supporting any side
- Niche – specialized role; segment
- Nomadic – moving from place to place
- Nominal – very small; in name only
- Nonchalant – calm; uninterested
- Nonetheless – despite this
- Notable – important; remarkable
- Notion – idea; belief
- Nourish – feed; support
- Novel – new; unique
- Novice – beginner
- Nuance – small difference in meaning
- Nullify – cancel; invalidate
- Numerous – many
- Obligation – duty; responsibility
- Oblige – require; compel
- Obscure – unclear; hidden
- Observe – watch carefully
- Obsolete – outdated
- Obstinate – stubborn
- Obstruct – block; hinder
- Obtain – get; acquire
- Obvious – clear; easy to see
- Occupy – take up; reside
- Occurrence – event
- Offensive – rude; insulting
- Omit – leave out
- Onerous – burdensome
- Ongoing – continuing
- Opaque – not transparent
- Operate – function; run
- Oppose – resist
- Optimal – best; ideal
- Optimize – improve performance
- Optional – not required
- Orbit – path around something
- Ordeal – difficult experience
- Organic – natural; chemical-free
- Organize – arrange; plan
- Orient – adjust; direct
- Origin – beginning
- Outbreak – sudden appearance (disease)
- Outstanding – excellent
- Outstrip – surpass
- Overestimate – guess too high
- Overhaul – repair completely
- Overlook – fail to notice
- Overt – obvious; open
- Overwhelm – overpower emotionally
- Overwhelming – very intense
- Pace – speed; rate
- Pacify – calm down
- Painstaking – very thorough
- Palatable – acceptable; pleasant
- Palliate – reduce pain
- Paltry – meager; small
- Pandemic – widespread disease
- Paradigm – model; example
- Paradox – contradiction
- Parallel – similar; side by side
- Paramount – most important
- Partially – not completely
- Participate – take part
- Particle – very small piece
- Passionate – strong emotion
- Passive – not active
- Patchy – uneven; inconsistent
- Peculiar – strange
- Penalty – punishment
- Perceive – understand
- Peril – danger
- Permeate – spread through
- Perpetuate – keep something going
- Persistent – continuing firmly
- Personnel – staff; employees
- Pessimistic – expecting bad outcomes
- Pivotal – crucial; essential
- Plagiarism – copying without credit
- Plausible – believable; reasonable
- Plethora – large amount
- Plight – difficult situation
- Plunge – fall sharply
- Polarize – divide into opposite sides
- Policy – official rule
- Pollute – contaminate
- Portray – depict; describe
- Pose – present; cause
- Possess – own
- Postpone – delay
- Potent – powerful
- Pragmatic – practical; realistic
- Precarious – risky; unstable
- Precede – come before
- Precious – very valuable
- Precise – exact; accurate
- Predominantly – mainly
- Preeminent – superior; outstanding
- Prejudice – unfair judgment
- Preliminary – initial; early
- Premise – assumption; basis
- Premium – higher quality or price
- Preserve – protect; maintain
- Prevail – win; succeed
- Prevalent – widespread
- Prevent – stop from happening
- Previous – earlier
- Pristine – pure; untouched
- Privilege – special right or advantage
- Probable – likely
- Probe – investigate thoroughly
- Proclaim – announce officially
- Procrastinate – delay work
- Prodigious – extremely large
- Proficient – skilled; competent
- Profound – deep; intense
- Prohibit – forbid
- Proliferate – increase rapidly
- Prolong – extend
- Prominent – important; noticeable
- Promote – support; advertise
- Prompt – immediate; quick
- Propel – drive forward
- Propensity – tendency
- Proponent – supporter
- Proportion – relative amount
- Prosper – succeed financially
- Prosperity – wealth; growth
- Protective – shielding; defending
- Prototype – first model
- Provoke – cause a reaction
- Prudent – wise; careful
- Pseudonym – fake name
- Psychologically – related to the mind
- Punctual – on time
Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3