Duolingo English Test Vocabulary: Words to Know

accrue verbC2

To accumulate or build up gradually over time.

The benefits of regular reading accrue slowly but steadily over many years.

constrain verbC1

To limit or restrict what someone or something can do.

Economic growth in the region is constrained by a shortage of skilled workers.

deduce verbC1

To reach a conclusion by reasoning from the available evidence.

From the speaker's tone, you can deduce that she disagrees with the government's policy.

digress verbC2

To move away from the main subject temporarily while speaking or writing.

The lecturer digressed briefly about her fieldwork, so leave that detail out of your summary.

elude verbC1

To escape from or avoid something, often through cleverness or trickery.

For years the forger managed to elude detection by imitating the master's brushwork with uncanny precision.

flaunt verbC1

To display something ostentatiously to attract admiration or envy.

Some critics argued that celebrities flaunt their wealth on social media.

fluctuate verbC1

To rise and fall irregularly in number, amount or degree.

The study found that bird populations fluctuate markedly from year to year, complicating any estimate of decline.

germinate verbC1

To begin to grow and develop from a seed or spore.

Some desert seeds will only germinate after heavy rain has washed away their coating.

impair verbC1

To weaken or damage the quality or functioning of something.

The article reports that lack of sleep can seriously impair memory.

insulate verbC1

To protect something from heat loss, sound or outside influence.

A thick layer of fat insulates the seal against the freezing water.

mobilise verbC1

To organise people or resources for a particular purpose.

Local activists mobilised thousands of volunteers to restore the wetland.

persecute verbC1

To treat someone cruelly or unfairly, especially because of their beliefs or identity.

Many refugees fled because they were persecuted for their political views.

pertain verbC2

To be connected with or relevant to something.

Include only details that pertain directly to the main idea of the passage.

precede verbC1

To come before something in time, order or position.

In the correct order, the sentence about funding must precede the one about results.

reminisce verbC1

To think or talk with pleasure about past experiences.

Whenever my old school friends meet, we reminisce about our summer camping trips.

secrete verbC2

To produce and release a substance from a cell, gland or organ.

The frog secretes a toxic substance from its skin to deter predators.

subside verbC1

To become less intense, violent or severe.

Once the floodwaters subsided, researchers measured the damage to the riverbank.

wreak verbC2

To cause a large amount of damage or harm.

Invasive species can wreak havoc on fragile island ecosystems.

affront nounC2

An action or remark that causes offence or shows disrespect.

Residents saw the decision to close the library as an affront to the community.

ambience nounC2

The character and mood of a place.

What I loved most about the café was its relaxed ambience and soft music.

deference nounC2

Polite submission and respect shown to someone's authority or judgement.

Out of deference to her mentor, the student withheld her objections until after his death.

epitaph nounC2

A short text in memory of a person who has died, often written on a gravestone.

The poet's epitaph consists of just four simple lines.

epithet nounC2

A descriptive word or phrase used to characterise a person or thing.

The city earned the epithet the Venice of the North because of its many canals.

tenet nounC2

One of the main principles or beliefs of a theory or system.

The lecturer outlined the central tenets of behavioural economics.

analogous adjectiveC1

Similar in some way that allows a meaningful comparison.

The structure of a bird's wing is analogous to that of a human arm.

cluttered adjectiveC1

Untidily filled with too many objects.

The desk in the picture is cluttered with papers, cups and unopened letters.

contemptuous adjectiveC1

Showing a feeling that someone or something is worthless or beneath consideration.

The author is openly contemptuous of theories that rely on anecdote rather than systematic evidence.

corporeal adjectiveC2

Relating to the physical body or material world rather than the spirit.

The philosopher distinguished between corporeal pleasures and intellectual ones.

dingy adjectiveC2

Dark, dirty and unpleasant in appearance.

The students in the image are studying in a dingy room lit by a single bulb.

dismayed adjectiveC1

Feeling shocked, worried and disappointed by something unexpected.

I was dismayed to discover that my flight had been cancelled without any notice.

elated adjectiveC1

Extremely happy and excited, especially because of a success.

I was elated when I opened the email and saw that I had been accepted.

intricate adjectiveC1

Having many small parts or details arranged in a complicated way.

The woman is weaving a carpet with an intricate pattern of red and gold.

jubilant adjectiveC2

Feeling or showing great happiness because of a success.

The jubilant fans in the picture are celebrating their team's victory in the streets.

loath adjectiveC2

Reluctant or unwilling to do something.

Many shoppers are loath to pay extra for eco-friendly packaging.

malleable adjectiveC2

Capable of being shaped or changed easily, whether physically or in opinion.

Far from fixed, childhood memories proved remarkably malleable when subjects were exposed to suggestive questioning.

mesmerising adjectiveC1

Holding your attention so completely that you cannot look away.

The street performer's juggling act was so mesmerising that a huge crowd gathered.

regrettable adjectiveC1

Unfortunate and deserving to be regretted.

The company described the data breach as a regrettable error.

unnerving adjectiveC2

Making someone feel nervous, anxious or less confident.

Speaking in front of the whole class for the first time was a genuinely unnerving experience.

viscous adjectiveC2

Thick and sticky, and therefore slow to flow.

Honey becomes more viscous as the temperature drops.

voracious adjectiveC2

Wanting or devouring great quantities of something with eagerness.

A voracious reader from childhood, the statesman drew on an astonishing range of sources in his speeches.