C1 English vocabulary list

Work and business (33)

From the work word of the day: each word has a page with notes, mistakes and five questions once it is out.

• accountable adjective Having to explain or take responsibility for your actions and decisions. Managers are accountable for their team’s results.
• appraisal noun A meeting or report in which a manager looks at how well an employee has done their job. I have my annual appraisal next Tuesday.
• attendee noun A person who goes to a meeting, an event or a course. All attendees must sign in at the front desk.
• bottleneck noun A point in a process where work slows down because too much has to pass through one narrow place. The approval step is the bottleneck in our process.
• commission noun Extra money a salesperson earns for each thing they sell, usually a percentage of the price. He earns a small salary plus ten percent commission.
• consensus noun A general agreement among a group of people. The team reached a consensus after a long discussion.
• delegate verb To give part of your work or power to someone else so that they do it for you. A good manager knows when to delegate.
• entrepreneur noun A person who starts their own business, often taking a risk to do something new. She became an entrepreneur at twenty-five.
• escalate verb To pass a problem to someone with more authority, or to become more serious or more intense. I’ll escalate this complaint to my manager.
• facilitate verb To make a process or action easier, for example by leading a discussion or arranging what people need. She facilitated the workshop and kept everyone on time.
• forecast noun A statement about what will probably happen in the future, based on information you have now. The sales forecast for next year is good.
• headquarters noun The main office of a company or organisation, where the most important decisions are made. The company’s headquarters is in Munich.
• initiative noun The ability to decide and act on your own, without waiting to be told what to do. She showed real initiative by fixing the problem herself.
• leverage verb In business English, to use something you already have, such as skills, data or contacts, to get a better result. We can leverage our customer data to improve the app.
• mentor noun An experienced person who gives advice and support to someone with less experience, especially at work. My first manager was also my mentor.
• milestone noun An important point in a project or in life, used to show progress. Hitting a million users was a big milestone for the app.
• onboarding noun The process of helping a new employee or customer get started, with introductions, training and information. The onboarding for new staff takes about two weeks.
• outsource verb To pay another company to do some of your work, instead of doing it with your own staff. The firm outsourced its customer service to another country.
• overdue adjective Late, because it should have been done, paid or returned before now. My library book is two weeks overdue.
• proactive adjective Acting early to prevent a problem or to make something happen, instead of waiting for it to happen. Be proactive and ask your boss for feedback.
• probation noun A short trial period at the start of a new job, when an employer checks if you are right for the role. I’m still on probation for another two months.
• procrastinate verb To keep delaying something you should do, usually because it is boring or difficult. I always procrastinate when I have an essay to write.
• proofread verb To read a text carefully to find and correct small mistakes before it is published or sent. Please proofread your CV before you send it.
• recruit verb To find and hire new people to work for a company or join an organisation. We’re recruiting three new teachers this year.
• redundancy noun The loss of a job because the employer no longer needs the position, not because of anything the worker did wrong. Fifty people faced redundancy when the factory closed.
• regarding preposition About, used to name the subject of a letter, an email or a conversation, especially in formal writing. I’m writing regarding your recent order.
• reimburse verb To pay someone back money that they spent for you. The company will reimburse your travel costs.
• setback noun Something that stops progress or makes a situation worse for a while. Losing the first match was a setback, but the team recovered.
• shareholder noun A person or company that owns shares in a business and so owns a small part of it. Shareholders voted to accept the new offer.
• shortlist verb To choose a small number of the best people or things from a longer list, before making the final choice. They shortlisted four candidates for the final interview.
• stakeholder noun A person or group that has an interest in a project or business, or is affected by what it does. We need to keep all stakeholders informed about the changes.
• streamline verb To make a process simpler and faster by removing steps that waste time. We streamlined the booking system to save time.
• supplier noun A company or person that provides goods or materials to a business. We changed our supplier because deliveries were always late.

Travel (24)

From the travel word of the day: each word has a page with notes, mistakes and five questions once it is out.

• authentic adjective Real and true, not a copy or made to look like something else. We ate authentic Italian pizza in Naples.
• breathtaking adjective So beautiful or impressive that it surprises you and takes your breath away. The view from the top was breathtaking.
• cancellation noun A decision that something planned will not happen, or the act of ending a booking. The cancellation of our flight ruined the trip.
• culture shock noun The confused or uncomfortable feeling you have when you move to a place with a very different way of life. I had culture shock in my first week in Tokyo.
• detour noun A longer way to a place that you take because the usual road is closed or because you want to see something. The road was closed, so we took a detour.
• embark verb To get on a ship or plane at the start of a journey, or to start a long or important trip or project. Passengers can embark from two o’clock.
• excursion noun A short trip made for pleasure, often with a group, usually in one day. We went on an excursion to the island.
• fare noun The price you pay for a journey by bus, train, taxi or plane. The taxi fare to the airport is about thirty euros.
• gap year noun A year taken out between school and university, or between jobs, often used for travel or work experience. She took a gap year to travel through Asia.
• haggle verb To argue about a price until you and the seller agree on a lower one. You have to haggle at the market.
• hospitality noun Friendly and generous treatment of guests, or the business of hotels, restaurants and tourism. Thank you for your warm hospitality.
• linger verb To stay somewhere longer than necessary, because you enjoy it or do not want to leave. We lingered over coffee after dinner.
• navigate verb To find your way to a place, using a map, a phone or road signs. I can navigate with a map on my phone.
• off-season noun The time of year when fewer tourists visit a place, so prices are lower and it is quieter. Prices are much lower in the off-season.
• overbooked adjective Having more people with reservations than there are seats or rooms available. Our flight was overbooked, so we waited for the next one.
• picturesque adjective Very attractive in a way that looks like a picture, especially a village or a scene. We stayed in a picturesque village by the lake.
• roam verb To walk or travel freely over a large area, often without a clear plan. Wild horses roam across the valley.
• scenic adjective Having beautiful views of nature or countryside. We took the scenic route along the coast.
• spontaneous adjective Done because you suddenly want to, not planned. We took a spontaneous trip to the coast.
• stopover noun A short stay in a place between two parts of a long trip, often for a night or a few days. We had a two-day stopover in Dubai.
• tourist trap noun A place that is crowded and expensive, and made mainly for visitors, not for local people. The restaurant by the tower was a total tourist trap.
• touristy adjective Full of tourists and made for them, often expensive and not very real. The main square is beautiful but very touristy.
• turbulence noun Sudden, rough movements of air that shake an aircraft in flight. We hit some turbulence over the mountains.
• unwind verb To relax and stop feeling tense after work or a busy time. I like to unwind on the beach with a book.

Tech and the internet (27)

From the tech word of the day: each word has a page with notes, mistakes and five questions once it is out.

• algorithm noun A set of steps that a computer follows to solve a problem or make a decision. The app’s algorithm shows you videos you may like.
• automate verb To make a machine or program do a job by itself, without a person. We automated the weekly report.
• bandwidth noun The amount of data a connection can carry. Video calls use a lot of bandwidth.
• breach noun An event where private information is seen or stolen by people who should not have it. The company reported a data breach last week.
• cache noun A place on your device where the browser keeps copies of web pages so they open faster next time. Clear your cache if the page looks wrong.
• chatbot noun A computer program that talks with you in writing or speech, for example to answer customer questions. The bank’s chatbot answered my question in seconds.
• compatible adjective Able to work together or be used together without problems. This charger is compatible with most phones.
• customise verb To change something to suit your own needs or taste. You can customise the home screen with your photos.
• default noun The setting that is used automatically unless you choose another one. English is the default language on this phone.
• encrypt verb To change information into a secret code so that only the right person can read it. Messaging apps encrypt your messages.
• firewall noun A security program or device that controls what can enter or leave a network, to keep out harmful traffic. The firewall blocked the strange website.
• influencer noun A person with many followers online who can affect what other people buy or do. She became a travel influencer on Instagram.
• interface noun The part of a program or device that you see and use, such as the buttons and menus on a screen. The app has a clean, simple interface.
• intuitive adjective Easy to understand and use without needing instructions. The app is intuitive, so I didn’t need a guide.
• lag noun A delay between what you do and what happens on screen, for example in a game or video call. There’s too much lag on this video call.
• malware noun Software made to damage a computer or steal information from it. The email attachment contained malware.
• outage noun A period when a service, such as electricity, the internet or a website, is not available. A power outage left the whole street in the dark.
• outdated adjective Old and no longer useful because newer things have replaced it. My phone is outdated and slow.
• phishing noun Sending fake emails or messages to trick people into giving passwords or money. The email was a phishing attempt.
• reboot verb To turn a computer or device off and on again so that it starts fresh. Try rebooting your laptop.
• surveillance noun Careful watching of a person or a place, often with cameras, to see what they do. The shop uses cameras for surveillance.
• sync verb To make the files on two or more devices match each other, usually over the internet. My photos sync between my phone and my laptop.
• troubleshoot verb To find out why something is not working and fix it, step by step. I spent an hour troubleshooting the printer.
• upgrade noun A newer or better version of a product or service that you get or pay for. I’m waiting for the upgrade to the new model.
• verify verb To check that something is true or correct, for example your identity or an email address. Please verify your email address.
• versatile adjective Able to do many different things well, or useful in many different ways. Eggs are one of the most versatile foods in the kitchen.
• viral adjective Spreading very quickly online as many people share it. Her video went viral overnight.

Health and body (38)

From the health word of the day: each word has a page with notes, mistakes and five questions once it is out.

• ambulance noun A vehicle that takes sick or injured people to hospital quickly. Call an ambulance, please. He’s not breathing.
• antibiotic noun A medicine that kills bacteria and treats infections. The doctor gave me antibiotics for my throat.
• anxiety noun A strong feeling of worry or fear about something that might happen. She felt a wave of anxiety before the exam.
• blood pressure noun The force of blood against the walls of your blood vessels, measured with a cuff on your arm. The nurse checked my blood pressure.
• bruise noun A dark mark on the skin where you have hit it, caused by blood under the skin. I fell and got a big bruise on my leg.
• chronic adjective Lasting for a long time or happening again and again, usually describing an illness. She has chronic back pain.
• contagious adjective Easily passed from one person to another by touch or by being close. The flu is very contagious.
• cramp noun A sudden painful tightening of a muscle. I got a cramp in my leg while swimming.
• dehydrated adjective Not having enough water in your body. I felt dizzy because I was dehydrated.
• diagnosis noun A doctor’s decision about what illness a person has, after examining them or doing tests. The doctor gave her a diagnosis after the tests.
• dose noun The amount of medicine you take at one time. Take one dose every eight hours.
• faint verb To suddenly lose consciousness for a short time, often because of heat, shock or no food. She fainted when she saw the blood.
• fatigue noun Extreme tiredness that does not go away with a little rest. Fatigue is a common symptom of the flu.
• fracture noun A break or crack in a bone. The X-ray showed a small fracture in his wrist.
• hygiene noun Keeping yourself and your surroundings clean to stay healthy. Good hygiene stops germs spreading.
• immune adjective Protected from a disease because your body can fight it. You are immune to measles after the vaccine.
• infection noun An illness caused by bacteria or a virus that enters your body. She has an ear infection.
• inflammation noun A condition where a part of the body becomes red, hot, swollen and painful, often as a response to injury or infection. The inflammation in my knee is getting better.
• insomnia noun A long-term problem with falling asleep or staying asleep. She suffers from insomnia and wakes at three every night.
• migraine noun A very bad headache, often with feeling sick and sensitivity to light. I get a migraine when I’m stressed.
• nausea noun The feeling that you are going to be sick. The medicine can cause nausea.
• numb adjective Not able to feel anything in a part of your body, for example because of cold or an injection. My fingers went numb in the cold.
• nutrition noun The food you eat and the way it affects your health and growth. Good nutrition is important for children.
• pharmacy noun A shop where you can buy medicine and get prescriptions filled. I’ll pick up the medicine at the pharmacy.
• posture noun The way you hold your body when you stand or sit. Sitting at a desk all day is bad for your posture.
• prescribe verb To officially tell a patient to use a medicine or treatment, and write the instructions down. The doctor prescribed antibiotics for my throat.
• quarantine noun A period when a person or animal that may have a disease is kept away from others so it cannot spread. Travellers had to go into quarantine for ten days.
• rash noun An area of red, spotty or itchy skin. I got a rash on my arm after using the cream.
• resilient adjective Able to recover quickly after something difficult, such as an illness, a shock or a failure. Children are often more resilient than adults think.
• shiver verb To shake slightly because you are cold, ill or afraid. I was shivering with cold at the bus stop.
• snore verb To breathe noisily while you sleep. My husband snores so loudly that I can’t sleep.
• stamina noun The physical or mental energy that lets you keep doing something for a long time. Marathon runners need great stamina.
• sunburn noun Red, sore skin caused by staying too long in strong sun. I got sunburn on my shoulders at the beach.
• surgery noun A medical operation in which a doctor cuts into the body to repair or remove something. He had surgery on his knee last year.
• swollen adjective Bigger than normal because of injury or illness. My ankle is swollen after the fall.
• therapy noun Treatment for a physical or mental problem, often involving regular sessions with a trained professional. She goes to therapy once a week.
• vaccine noun A medicine given to people, usually by injection, to protect them from a disease. The vaccine protects against measles.
• well-being noun The state of being comfortable, healthy and happy. Walking in nature is good for your well-being.

Everyday life and home (29)

From the home word of the day: each word has a page with notes, mistakes and five questions once it is out.

• appetite noun The wish to eat food. I’ve lost my appetite since I got the flu.
• appliance noun A machine for use in the home, such as a washing machine, fridge or kettle. We bought a new kitchen appliance.
• bland adjective Having a mild taste with little flavour. The soup was bland, so I added salt.
• compost noun Natural material such as vegetable waste that rots and is used to feed plants in a garden. We put our vegetable peelings in the compost.
• declutter verb To remove things you do not need from a room or a space, so it is tidier and easier to use. I decluttered my wardrobe and gave away three bags of clothes.
• furnished adjective Having furniture, for example a flat that you can rent with a bed, sofa and table. We rented a furnished flat near the station.
• household noun All the people who live together in one home, or the home itself with its daily running. Every household received a leaflet about recycling.
• housewarming noun A party to celebrate moving into a new home. We’re having a housewarming on Saturday.
• improvise verb To make or do something without planning, using whatever you have at the moment. I forgot my notes, so I had to improvise.
• leak noun A hole or crack where liquid or gas escapes from something. There’s a leak in the bathroom ceiling.
• lease noun A legal contract that lets you use a property for a fixed time in return for rent. We signed a one-year lease.
• marinate verb To leave meat, fish or vegetables in a sauce for some time before cooking, so they take on its flavour. Marinate the chicken for at least an hour.
• mortgage noun A loan from a bank that you use to buy a house and pay back over many years. We took out a mortgage to buy the flat.
• overdraft noun An arrangement with your bank that lets you spend more money than you have in your account. I’m in my overdraft until payday.
• oversleep verb To sleep longer than you planned. I always oversleep on Mondays.
• potluck noun A meal where each guest brings a dish to share. We’re having a potluck on Friday. Bring a dish!
• renovate verb To repair and improve an old building so that it looks new again. They renovated the old farmhouse last year.
• ripe adjective Fully grown and ready to eat, usually of fruit. These peaches are ripe and very sweet.
• shrink verb To become smaller, especially when cloth gets smaller after washing. Wool can shrink if you wash it too hot.
• simmer verb To cook gently in liquid that is almost, but not quite, boiling. Let the sauce simmer for twenty minutes.
• snooze verb To sleep lightly for a short time, or to press the snooze button on an alarm to get a few more minutes of sleep. I always snooze my alarm twice.
• spacious adjective Having plenty of room inside. The living room is bright and spacious.
• spill verb To let liquid fall out of a container by accident. I spilled coffee on my laptop.
• splurge verb To spend a lot of money on something special, often more than you planned. I splurged on a nice dinner for my birthday.
• stale adjective No longer fresh, usually describing bread, cake or air. The bread was stale, so we made toast.
• tenant noun A person who pays rent to live in a house or flat that belongs to someone else. The tenants upstairs are very quiet.
• thrifty adjective Careful with money and not wasting it. My grandmother was very thrifty and reused everything.
• utilities noun Basic services for a home, such as electricity, gas, water and internet. Rent includes utilities.
• warranty noun A written promise from a company to repair or replace a product if it breaks within a certain time. The washing machine has a two-year warranty.

Feelings and people (35)

From the feelings word of the day: each word has a page with notes, mistakes and five questions once it is out.

• acquaintance noun A person you know a little, but who is not a close friend. We aren’t friends, just acquaintances from work.
• arrogant adjective Behaving in a proud, rude way because you think you are better than other people. He’s so arrogant that he never listens to anyone.
• ashamed adjective Feeling very bad because of something you did, or something you are, that you think is wrong or bad. I’m ashamed of how I behaved at the party.
• betray verb To hurt someone who trusts you by doing something disloyal, such as breaking a promise or telling their secret. He betrayed his best friend by telling her secret.
• bittersweet adjective Mixing happiness and sadness at the same time. Graduation day was bittersweet for all of us.
• bond noun A strong connection between people, such as between friends or family. There is a strong bond between the two sisters.
• compassion noun A feeling of sympathy for someone who is suffering, with a wish to help. The nurse treated everyone with compassion.
• considerate adjective Careful not to upset other people; thinking about their feelings and needs. It was considerate of you to call ahead.
• content adjective Quietly happy and satisfied with what you have. She seems content with her life.
• courage noun The ability to do something difficult or frightening. It took courage to speak up in the meeting.
• empathy noun The ability to understand and share another person’s feelings. A good nurse shows empathy for patients.
• flattered adjective Feeling pleased and proud because someone has said something very nice about you. I’m flattered that you asked me.
• fond adjective Liking someone or something, especially in a warm, gentle way. I’m very fond of my aunt.
• gloomy adjective Dark and sad, or without hope. It was a gloomy, grey day.
• gossip noun Talk about other people’s private lives, often not kind and not always true. There’s a lot of gossip in the office.
• grudge noun A feeling of anger or dislike towards someone because of something they did to you in the past. He still holds a grudge against his old boss.
• grumpy adjective Bad-tempered and easily annoyed, usually for a short time. I’m always grumpy before my first coffee.
• humble adjective Not proud or arrogant; knowing that you are not better than other people. Despite his success, he stayed humble.
• inevitable adjective Certain to happen, so it cannot be avoided or stopped. Some mistakes are inevitable when you learn a language.
• insecure adjective Not confident about yourself, or worried that you are not good enough. She felt insecure about her accent.
• loyal adjective Staying faithful to a person, a group or a brand, even when things are difficult. She is a loyal friend who never gossips about you.
• moody adjective Having moods that change quickly, often becoming unhappy or angry without a clear reason. My brother is moody in the morning.
• mutual adjective Felt or done by two or more people in the same way, or shared by them. The feeling is mutual.
• nostalgia noun A happy and slightly sad feeling when you think about good times in the past. Old songs fill me with nostalgia.
• offend verb To hurt someone’s feelings by saying or doing something rude. I didn’t mean to offend you.
• rapport noun A friendly connection between people in which they understand and like each other. The new teacher quickly built a rapport with her students.
• reassure verb To say or do something that makes a worried person feel calmer. The doctor reassured her that the test was normal.
• resentment noun A bitter feeling that stays after you think you were treated unfairly. She felt resentment towards her boss.
• rumour noun A story that many people are repeating but that may not be true. There’s a rumour that the company will close.
• sarcastic adjective Saying the opposite of what you mean in order to mock or criticise someone. “Great, another meeting,” he said in a sarcastic voice.
• self-conscious adjective Worried about what other people think of you, especially how you look or what you say. I always feel self-conscious when I speak English in public.
• sentimental adjective Connected with feelings of love or memories, often about the past. I keep my grandfather’s watch for sentimental reasons.
• sibling noun A brother or sister. I have three siblings, two brothers and a sister.
• tolerate verb To accept something that you do not like without complaining or taking action. I can’t tolerate loud music at night.
• vulnerable adjective Easy to hurt or harm, physically or emotionally. Children are vulnerable to infection.

Kitchen (1)

From the kitchen word list.

• stir verb Kitchen · Cooking actions

Body (1)

From the body word list.

• nod verb Body · Senses and small movements