IELTS Vocabulary
Flummox – to confuse someone so much that they do not know what to do
Sentence – Last week in Baltimore, the crafty Ravens came up with a no-huddle offense, which left the Raiders completely flummoxed.
Dowdy – (especially of clothes or the person wearing them) not attractive or fashionable.
Sentence – The drawback was his rather dowdy wife and their increasing brood of children, an imposition to be endured.
Howdy – a casual greeting that is not commonly used.
Sentence – Howdy, honorific lady, very happy have this opportunity to accept your personal interview here again.
Nincompoop – a silly or stupid person
Sentence – My house is just down the road from the bus stop. I don’t understand how those nincompoops managed to lose their way.
Muesli – a mixture of uncooked grains, dried fruit, and nuts, eaten with milk as part of the first meal of the day.
Sentence – Eating a bowl of muesli in the morning is a healthy way to start your day.
Phlegm – a thick substance in your nose and throat that is produced when you have a cold
Sentence – Phlegm and a runny nose can really make you feel uncomfortable, so it’s best to take the day off and stay home till you feel better.
Baloney – nonsense.
Sentence – That’s baloney! Don’t believe a word of what he says!
Myopic – not able to see clearly things that are far away
Sentence – I’m myopic. I really need my eyeglasses. I can’t see without them.
Bamboozle – to trick or deceive someone, often by confusing them.
Sentence – I went to buy a TV that was on sale but ended up being bamboozled into buying a more expensive unit.
Phyllo – a very thin dough that pastry chefs layer together to form a flaky pastry.
Sentence – The orange-pecan baklava pie I had yesterday was made with phyllo pastry. Yummy!
Thwart – to stop something from happening or someone from doing something
Sentence – We spent months preparing to climb Mount Everest. Who knew the weather would thwart our plans at the last minute?
Brouhaha – a lot of noise or angry complaining about something
Sentence – What’s with all that brouhaha? I think he did the right thing by resigning from his position.
Zeal – great enthusiasm or eagerness
Sentence – Her zeal for handmade designer shoes and handbags has made her the talk of the town.
Pneumatic – operated by air pressure
Sentence – Can you think of an example of something that’s pneumatic? That’s right. Car tires, bicycle pumps and vacuum cleaners are all pneumatic.
Noxious – Something, especially a gas or other substance, that is noxious is poisonous or very harmful
Sentence – You shouldn’t be standing behind that bus and breathing in all those noxious fumes. It’s bad for your health.
Flimflam – talk that is confusing and intended to deceive
Sentence – If you’re going to buy a used car online, you must be able to separate the flimflam from the facts.
Stealth: movement that is quiet and careful in order not to be seen or heard
Sentence – The thief moved about stealthily around the house, so as to get an idea about a safe entry and exit route.
Urbane: (especially of a man) confident, comfortable, and polite in social situations
Sentence – He was a very polished, soft spoken and urbane speaker.
Wretchedness: the state of being unpleasant or of low quality
Sentence – They lived in a wretched state and had to work hard to meet their daily requirements.
