How to Improve your TOEFL Vocabulary

Your English vocabulary skills will be a key factor when trying to achieve a good score on the TOEFL exam.

The easiest and fastest way to improve your English vocabulary is to read. When reading an article or a book you will automatically learn new words and in what context they fit.

When finding a word you are feeling unsure about, find the definition of the word and write it down. Remember to look at different formats of the word with roots, prefixes and suffixes.

Listed below is a group of useful words to improve your TOEFL vocabulary.

TOEFL Vocabulary List

abundant present in great quantity

reaction an idea evoked by some experience

response the speech act of continuing a conversational exchange

rhythm an interval during which a recurring sequence of events occurs

pulse the rhythmic contraction and expansion of the arteries with each beat of the heart

scenic of or relating to the stage or stage scenery

picturesque suggesting or suitable for a picture; pretty as a picture

shallow lacking physical depth; having little spatial extension downward or inward from an outer surface or backward or outward from a center

superficial of, affecting, or being on or near the surface

shelter protective covering that provides protection from the weather

protect shield from danger, injury, destruction, or damage

vanishing a sudden or mysterious disappearance

disappear become invisible or unnoticeable

account a record or narrative description of past events

archaic so extremely old as seeming to belong to an earlier period

ancient belonging to times long past especially of the historical period before the fall of the Western Roman Empire

enlighten give spiritual insight to; in religion

instruct impart skills or knowledge to

hasten move fast

accelerate move faster

decline grow worse

decrease a change downward

refuse show unwillingness towards

gather assemble or get together

collect gather or collect

motion the act of changing location from one place to another

movement a change of position that does not entail a change of location

partisan a fervent and even militant proponent of something

biased favoring one person or side over another

pattern a perceptual structure

habit an established custom

phenomenal exceedingly or unbelievably great

philanthropic of or relating to or characterized by philanthropy

humanitarian marked by humanistic values and devotion to human welfare

placid (of a body of water) free from disturbance by heavy waves

plentiful existing in great number or quantity

hue the quality of a color as determined by its dominant wavelength

inactive not active physically or mentally

idle not in action or at work

intricate having many complexly arranged elements; elaborate

magnitude the property of relative size or extent (whether large or small)

dimension a construct whereby objects or individuals can be distinguished

oblige force somebody to do something

require have need of

overlook look down on

disregard lack of attention and due care

survey consider in a comprehensive way

questionnaire a form containing a set of questions; submitted to people to gain statistical information

practical guided by practical experience and observation rather than theory

functional designed for or capable of a particular function or use

predominant having superior power and influence

principal most important element

prompt according to schedule or without delay; on time

induce cause to do; cause to act in a specified manner

provoke provide the needed stimulus for

trigger lever that activates the firing mechanism of a gun

linguist a specialist in linguistics

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