The TOEFL Exam: Essential English Vocabulary: List 3

Set yourself up for success on the TOEFL Exam by mastering these common English vocabulary words.
20 words 2267 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. acknowledge
    declare to be true or admit the existence or reality of
    She recognized and acknowledged our huge mess, and that our feelings—despite our being just fifth graders—were very real. Because of Mr. Terupt
  2. acquire
    come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
    In this way she was able to acquire a good portion of her supplies for free. Little Fires Everywhere
  3. chronological
    relating to or arranged according to the order of time
    All histories need a beginning and an end: two chronological points, ideally far but not too far apart, that provide the boundaries for the story to be told. Washington Post (Oct 8, 2020)
  4. coherent
    marked by an orderly and consistent relation of parts
    Charlie slurred his words, barely able to form a coherent sentence. We Are the Ants
  5. constrain
    hold back
    He demanded that India immediately withdraw its forces and “strictly control and constrain frontline troops.” New York Times (Aug 31, 2020)
  6. deplete
    use up, as resources or materials
    The batteries in our one remaining radio were nearly depleted. Into Thin Air
  7. digress
    turn aside from the main subject of attention
    But let us return to the point we digressed from. The Prince
  8. evade
    escape, either physically or mentally
    He went from attempting to evade them to wishing desperately that they’d find him. Gregor the Overlander
  9. evaluate
    estimate the nature, quality, ability or significance of
    He evaluated the English language skills of all of the airline’s flight crews. Outliers
  10. exceed
    be greater in scope or size than some standard
    Winds in these storms often exceed 70 or 80 mph. Washington Post (Jan 8, 2021)
  11. imply
    express or state indirectly
    But the problem with rules, he reflected, was that they implied a right way and a wrong way to do things. Little Fires Everywhere
  12. inhibit
    limit, block, or decrease the action or function of
    They argued that the law was overly complex, putting smaller banks at a disadvantage and inhibiting economic growth and lending. BBC (May 22, 2018)
  13. intervene
    get involved, so as to alter or hinder an action
    When two individuals fight, he will intervene and stop the violence. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
  14. justify
    show to be reasonable or provide adequate ground for
    Under the new rules, agency officials will be required to justify such choices to the White House. Washington Post (Jan 25, 2021)
  15. periodic
    recurring or reappearing from time to time
    Australia’s forests and wildlife evolved alongside periodic wildfires. Seattle Times (Jan 17, 2020)
  16. predominant
    having superior power or influence
    There are three key emotional responses: anger, disgust and anxiety, with anger being the predominant emotion. BBC (Nov 19, 2018)
  17. recognize
    perceive to be something or something you can identify
    At one moment she seemed to recognize him, the next, he was a stranger to her. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes
  18. reject
    refuse to accept or acknowledge
    “We’re leaving tomorrow morning,” he says quickly, neither accepting nor rejecting my apology. Dry
  19. stable
    resistant to change of position or condition
    The Fed’s job in normal times is to help the economy operate at an even keel — to keep prices stable and jobs plentiful. New York Times (Dec 23, 2020)
  20. stress
    single out as important
    I want to stress the strangeness of this procedure. The Invention of Science
Created on Mon Jan 25 11:09:30 EST 2021 (updated Tue Sep 21 14:57:08 EDT 2021)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.