C1 vocabulary

• to be on the verge is to be very close to happening
• Abiding:

  • Ongoing; continues for a long time
  • Example: Abiding love for old movies
• Able-bodied:

  • Strong and healthy; physically fit
  • Example: Our construction company requires only able-bodied workers
• Abolish:

  • To cancel; put an end to; terminate; finish something
  • Example: Prohibition was abolished in 1933
• Absentminded:

  • One who constantly forgets things or fails to notice things
  • Example: Sarah's absentminded husband forgot his car keys at the bar
• Abundant:

  • Available in large quantities; more than enough
  • Example: The lake near our house is abundant in fish
• Accentuate:

  • To make more noticeable
  • Example: Dan's new shirt accentuates his biceps
• Accrue:

  • To accumulate; gradually increase over time
  • Example: I placed my money in a saving account to accrue interest
• Acerbic:

  • Harsh, sarcastic and critical
  • Example: Someone left a very acerbic comment under my new video
• Adamant:

  • Unwillingness to change one's mind, decision, or belief
  • Example: Mike was adamant in his decision to quit his job
• Afflatus:

  • Sudden burst of inspiration; strong creative impulse
  • Example: In 1995, on a wave of afflatus, I wrote my first book
• Aggravate:

  • Make something bad even worse
  • Example: The new treatment plan only aggravated her condition
• Aimless:

  • Without clear purpose or intent
  • Example: Jack's life became aimless after the death of his wife
• Akin:

  • Similar in some way
  • Example: He spoke in a language akin to Spanish; this game is akin to football
• Aloof:

  • Unfriendly; stays away from others; distant
  • Example: Jessica kept aloof from her father's new wife
• Ambrosial:

  • Delicious; something very tasty or smelly
  • Example: Her mother's birthday cake was ambrosial
• Antagonize:

  • Make someone dislike you or get mad at you
  • Example: After the divorce, Rebecca tried to antagonize our kids against me
• Ante up:

  • To give money; pay what is due
  • Example: My landlord told me to ante up or vacate the apartment by the beginning of the month
• Antiquated:

  • Too old; old-fashioned; no longer useful
  • Example: Antiquated system; antiquated beliefs; antiquated methods; antiquated laws
• As right as rain:

  • To feel great or healthy again
  • Example: After the final stage of therapy, he is as right as rain now
• Assertive:

  • Very confident without being aggressive
  • Example: If you want to get this job, you need to be more assertive
• A stone’s throw:

  • Very close
  • Example: Her apartment is just a stone's throw from the city center
• Awe:

  • A feeling of deep respect and approval combined with fear
  • Example: Sam was in awe of his strong father; Dina gazed at the soldiers with awe
• Backlash:

  • A strong and unfavorable reaction of a large number of people to political or social changes
  • Example: Government faces backlash from voters; the backlash against default
• Bad blood:

  • Feelings of enmity and hatred between people for events that occurred in the past
  • Example: There has been bad blood between John and Sarah for years
• Baleful:

  • Capable of doing something bad or hurting someone; evil; hateful
  • Example: The bully gave me a baleful look
• Barmy:

  • Extremely stupid; slightly crazy
  • Example: Barmy idea, barmy decision
• Barren:

  • Sterile; unable to produce anything
  • Example: This land is barren, we cannot grow anything here
• Batty:

  • Crazy; mad; mentally unstable
  • Example: Dean gets a bit batty when we talk about politics
• Bawl:

  • Scream or cry very loudly
  • Example: "Stop hitting my husband!" she bawled
• Bear up:

  • Face a difficult situation with courage and bravery
  • Example: Donna is bearing up well under the strain of losing her apartment
• Beckon:

  • Make a hand or head gesture to encourage someone to come closer
  • Example: She beckoned to the waiter
• Beggarly:

  • Very poor; small in amount
  • Example: Dan received a beggarly sum for his excellent work
• Besotted:

  • Deeply in love with someone; thinking about someone all the time
  • Example: Ronda is completely besotted with her new boyfriend
• Bewitching:

  • Seductively attractive; delightful; fascinating; charming
  • Example: Craig was bewitched by Fiona's beauty
• Billow:

  • To be filled with air; huge moving mass of something
  • Example: The sails billowed in the wind; billow of smoke
• Bite the bullet:

  • Force yourself to do something extremely hard or unpleasant
  • Example: I hate doing this part of my job, but I have to bite the bullet and get it done
• Boisterous:

  • Noisy; loud; full of energy and a little out of control
  • Example: A boisterous horse; boisterous children; boisterous crowd
• Bonkers:

  • Silly; crazy; stupid
  • Example: Ron must be bonkers to take such a risk
• Bountiful:

  • Large in amount; generous
  • Example: Bountiful supply of food; bountiful land