IELTS Vocabulary
Stupid – silly or unwise; showing poor judgment or little intelligence.
Sentence – A blunt knife may be sharpened on a stone, but if a man is stupid there is no help for his stupidity.
Zenith – the highest point reached by a heavenly body (= any object existing in space, especially a planet, or the sun) as it travels around, or appears to travel around, another body.
Sentence – When it had almost reached its zenith, the second rod also moved, so that the motion of the wheel was continued.
Vacant – not filled or occupied; available to be used.
Sentence – They want to sell the house with vacant possession so they have asked their tenants to leave.
Fragrance – a sweet or pleasant smell.
Sentence – I could detect subtle variances in fragrance as we strolled through the garden.
Maybe – used to show that something is possible or that something might be true.
Sentence – Maybe god wants us to meet a few wrong people before meeting the right one, so that when we finally meet the person, we will know how to be grateful.
Aid – help, assist.
Sentence – No legal aid was available to cover representation before tribunals.
Bad (not good) – unpleasant and causing difficulties.
Sentence – A bad compromise is better than a good lawsuit.
Magician – a person who has magic powers in stories, or who performs tricks for entertainment.
Sentence – The magician palmed the coin and suddenly produced it from a boy’s mouth.
Unfortunate – unlucky or having bad effects.
Sentence – Some unfortunate person passing below could all too easily be seriously injured.
Gravestone – a stone that shows where a dead person is buried, usually with the name and the years of birth and death of that person written on it.
Sentence – A Dutch inventor has developed a digital gravestone with an LCD display showing pictures and films.
Housebreaking – the crime of illegally entering a house in order to steal something.
Sentence – When the police arrested Bill for housebreaking he coughed to five other burglaries he’d done.
To grab – to take hold of something or someone suddenly and roughly.
Sentence – Somebody tried to grab her handbag from her.
Refrain – to avoid doing or stop yourself from doing something.
Sentence – Our proposal met with the constant refrain that the company could not afford it.
To disappear – If people or things disappear, they go somewhere where they cannot be seen or found.
Sentence – Like sunlight, sunset, we appear, we disappear. We are so important to some, but we are just passing through.
Painting – a picture made using paint.
Sentence – The fake was barely distinguishable from the original painting.
Adjourn – to have a pause or rest during a formal meeting or trial.
Sentence – Nothing happened, however, because Congress was eager to adjourn for the November elections.
Instructions – information about how to do, make, or use something.
Sentence – Read the manufacturer’s instructions before using your new dishwasher.
Momentous – very important because of effects on future events.
Sentence – Most of the work for this momentous event was carried out by a sub-committee for which no records exist.
Priority – something that is very important and must be dealt with before other things.
Sentence – This is regarded as the crucial factor in deciding who should get priority.
Stationary – not moving, or not changing.
Sentence – The bus crashed into a stationary vehicle.
Praise – to express admiration or approval of the achievements or characteristics of a person or thing.
Sentence – I praise the nurse can use weak shoulders strong enough to carry a daughter, mother, wife’s burden.
Insufferable – very annoying, unpleasant, or uncomfortable, and therefore extremely difficult to bear.
Sentence – As usual, Santos as the long-suffering Becker and Margolin as the insufferable Angel provide solid support.
