Vocabulary for IELTS Speaking: Word Lists with Meaning, Synonyms

Abhorrent 

Morally very bad

“He did an abhorrent crime.”

abundant 

Existing in large quantities 

“There were abundant snacks at the party last night.”

acclimate

To adjust to different life conditions, weather, etc 

“When she moved to a new city - she took time to acclimate her.”

Benevolent

To show kindness, helpful

“Her benevolent nature led her to donate regularly.”

Blissful

Extremely happy

“The couple enjoyed blissful vacation in Singapore.” 

Cynical 

To believe that people are only interested in themselves and are not sincere

“People are so cynical nowadays.’’

Convivial 

Friendly

“The party had convivial atmosphere with everyone enjoying each other’s company.”

Charismatic 

Someone having compelling charm 

“Her charismatic personality drew people to her effortlessly.”  

Diligent 

Careful and using a lot of effort

“John is very diligent in/about his work.”

Docile 

Easy to influence/ easily managed

“The docile nature of the dog made it effortless to train him.”

Dissuade 

To prevent somebody from doing something. 

“She tried to dissuade her husband from going on a trip.”

Discreet

careful in what you say and do so as not to cause embarrassment or difficulty for somebody

"They were very discreet about their romance"

Eccentric 

Someone who acts odd or strange.

“The neighbour has become more eccentric over the years.”

Elucidate

To explain something clearly 

“The aim of the class is to elucidate grammar rules.”

Ebullient

Someone full of energy

“On the call, she sounded ebullient.” 

Futile

Serving no useful purpose

“It was a futile attempt to talk to him.”

Fastidious 

Someone very attentive to detail

“She is fastidious about keeping her room clean.”

Flourish

To be successful

“He joined a flourishing company.”

Generous

Someone who donates more than expected.

“His wife is known for her generous donations.”

Grievance 

complaint or strong feeling of being treated unfairly

“The employee filed grievance with HR department.” 

Hostile

not liking something or unfriendly

“The negotiation became hostile when client disagreed on budget.”

Humble

Not showing any superiority. 

“She was humble about her achievement, not boasting.” 

Heed

A state of being aware, especially to advice or warning.

“We should heed the advice of our elders.”

Indifferent

Uninterested in something or someone

“He was indifferent about the upcoming elections.”

Imminent

Something likely to happen soon

“The imminent deadline added to her stress.”

Inquisitive

Want to discover as much as possible about things or people

“My neighbour has an inquisitive child.” 

Jeopardise

To put something in danger

“If they do not obey orders, they could jeopardise the mission.”

Judicious

To show/ have good judgment in decision-making.

“He made a judicious decision to invest in stocks.”

Jubilant

To express happiness, especially due to success

“The team was jubilant after winning cricket match.”

Kudos

Public Praise and admiration received for an achievement

“Kudos to team for their hard work and dedication.”

Keen

To be very eager to do something

“He was keen to climb Mt Everest.”

Lavish

To go beyond a limit in the amount (as in excessive) 

“They stayed in a lavish resort for the weekend.”

Lucid

Easy to understand; clearly expressed

“The professor’s lucid explanation made the topic easy to understand.”

Lethargic

Having little/no energy

“The humid weather made us lethargic.”

Meticulous

showing great attention to detail

“She is known for her meticulous planning.” 

Mundane

Not very interesting; ordinary

“He led a mundane life working nine to five.”

Malleable

Capable of easily influenced

“Young minds are more malleable than adults'.”

Notorious

Well known for something bad

“The notorious gang was finally captured by the police.”

Nonchalant

To show or feel a lack of concern

“She seemed nonchalant about the upcoming exam.”

Negligible

So small as to warrant no attention. 

“The error was negligible that it did not affect the results.”

Obscure

Not widely known about.

The origins of cultures in Africa are obscure.”

Obsolete

Something not in use anymore or old-fashioned

“The old printer is obsolete - so I can't get replacement parts.

Pragmatic

To see things as they really are and deal with them

“She made a pragmatic decision to save money for trip.”

Profound

Extreme impact in degree, power, or effect

“The speech by the President had a profound impact on the audience.”

Pernicious

To have a harmful effect in a gradual way.

“Social media have pernicious influence on people’s self-esteem.”

Query

A question, one addressed to an authority.

“He had a query regarding HR policy.”

Quintessential

The most typical example

“John is quintessential example of successful entrepreneur. 

Renowned

state of being widely known

“Mona Lisa is renowned work by Leonardo da Vinci.”

Resilient

Able to be happy again after something bad happened

“Her resilient nature helped her succeed in life.”

Reclusive

To avoid going outside or talking with people.

“After the tragedy - he led a reclusive life in mountains.”

Scrutinize

To check something very carefully.

“The HR scrutinise each applicant’s resume.”

Skeptical

Unsure about the truth of something.

“She was skeptical that plan would succeed.” 

Sympathy

To understand someone’s suffering

“He offered sympathy to family after their loss.”

Tenacious

To continue despite difficulties

“Her tenacious spirit ensured she achieved success.”

Tedious

Something that is not interesting 

“She had tedious and long staff meeting yesterday.”

Thorough

Detailed and careful.

“The detective conducted a thorough investigation.”

Unbiased

To be able to judge fairly.

“He is known for his unbiased decisions.”

Unanimous

(used about a group of people or decision) all agreeing about something

"The decision was taken unanimously"

Vivid

To produce a clear image in the mind.

“His son has a very vivid imagination.”

Vulnerable

Prone to be physically or mentally hurt

“Elderly are more vulnerable to the flu.”

Validate

To check the accuracy (of something)

“The results of the experiment validated the hypothesis.”

Wrath

A state of extreme anger.

“The villagers were afraid of the wrath of the king.”

Witty

clever and amusing; using words in a clever way

“The act was full of witty dialogues”

Xylophone

A musical instrument consisting of wooden bars of different lengths.

“Her child played the xylophone in school.”

Yearn

To desire very strongly.

“After a long hike, they all yearned for a hearty meal.”

Yield

To give up the responsibility for something.

“They refused to yield power.”

Zephyr

A slight movement of the wind

“A gentle zephyr from the ocean was refreshing.”

Zilch

Nothing; none

“She knew zilch about the topic of the discussion, so she couldn’t contribute.”