ONE THOUSAND USEFUL WORDS

The following list consists mainly of words that 40 to 60 % of a sampling of college

freshmen missed on a vocabulary survey made by the Educational Testing Service of Princeton,
New Jersey. The list is intended to provide you with a means of judging your own vocabulary
development. These one thousand words have to be used to be useful.

A aloof arrears bandy

abase amass articulate bayou
abate ambiguous artifice beatitude
abdicate ambush ascendancy belles-lettres
aborigines ameliorate ascertain benediction
abscond amiable aspect benefactor
absolve amnesty assay beneficence
abstract amulet assent beset
abstruse anachronism assert bestial
abut analogy assessment bestow
access anarchy assiduity bestride
accessory anatomy assumption bewitch
accredit animate astral bicker
accrue animosity astute bide
acquiesce annals atheism biennial
acrimony anneal athwart bigot
adjacent anomaly atoll bland
adjudge anthology atrophy blasphemy
adjunct antipathy attest blazon
admonish antipodes attire blithe
adroit apathy audacious bluster
adulation apoplexy audible bondage
advocate apostasy augment botch
affable apostle auspices bounty
affinity apothecary auspicious bourgeois
affluence appall austerity brandish
aggrandize appease authoritative breech
agility apportion autocratic brigand
agnosticism apposite autonomy broach
agrarian appropriation auxiliary browbeat
alacrity arabesque avarice browse
alibi arable avoirdupois bruit
alimentary archeology avow brusque
allay archaic awry buffoon
allegory archipelago bullion
allocate archives B bureaucracy
allot arduous badger burlesque
allude armament ballad burnish
ally array balm butte

The Writing Center - EPCC 1

 C colloquy corporeal denomination
collusion correlate denote
caliber commensurate corroborate denude
caliph commissary couplet deplore
calumny commodious covert deposition
candid commute cower deprecate
canter compassion cozen depreciate
canvass complaisance crabbed descant
capital compulsory crag desecrate
capitol concatenation credible desist
capitulate concave credulity despondent
caprice conclave creed destitute
captivate concur crescent desultory
careen condescend crimp determinate
caret condolence crony devoid
carnage configuration crusade dictum
carnivorous congeal crux digress
carp congenital cudgel dilate
carrion congruent cult dilemma
cataclysm conifer currency diligent
cathartic conjecture curry diocese
censure connote cursory diphthong
centrifugal connubial curtail discompose
chaff conscience disconsolate
chamberlain conscript D discountenance
chaste conservative discredit
chattel consign dank discursive
chide consort dearth disdain
chilblain constellation debase disparage
chronic consternation debility disparity
chronicle constrict debit dispense
circumspect consul decadence disquisition
citadel contagion decant disseminate
civility contemp declaim dissenter
clack contemplate declivity dissertation
claret continuity decrease dissipate
clime contingent decrepit dissonant
coerce contumely deduction diurnal
coffer conundrum defection diverge
cogent convex deference divers
cogitation convivial defile diversion
cognate convoke definitive divest
cognizant convolution degrade docile
collate copious deliberate doggerel
collocation corollary delta dogmatic
colloquial corona demeanor dolor

The Writing Center - EPCC 2

dolt erudite fetid gratuitous
domineer escarpment fettle gregarious
dormant eschew fief gripe
dreg esoteric fiend grist
drone ethereal fiord grub
dross ethnology flabby grueling
dubious etude flaccid guild
dulcet etymology flagrant gull
dupe eulogy flail gut
duplicity euphony flaunt
duress evangelist fledge H
dynasty eventual florid
evince flout hale
E evoke foible hallow
evolve font hallucination
ebullition exchequer forensic harbinger
ecclesiastical excise foreshadow hardihood
edifice exodus forgo headlong
educe exorcist formidable hearth
efficacy expatiate fortitude heinous
effluence expectorate fortnight herbivorous
effrontery expedient fortuitous heresy
elegy explicit foursquare heritage
elixir expound fraudulent heyday
elocution expunge fray hoax
emanate extant freeholder hobgoblin
embellish extol frizzle homily
emendation extort frugal horticulture
emulate extradite hostile
enfranchise extraneous G humbug
engender extricate humdrum
enmity extrinsic galaxy hurtle
ennui gallant husbandry
ensconce gambol hydrophobia
ensign F garble hyperbole
entity garrulous
enunciate fabricate gauntlet I
environ facetious gear
epic facile generate identify
epigram faculty ghoul idiom
epilogue fallacy gibe idyl
epithet fastidious girt ignoble
epoch feasible glib illicit
equestrian felicity goad illusion
equinox ferret gradient imbibe
ergo fervent grandee impalpable

The Writing Center - EPCC 3

impeach inveigle ominous
impede investiture manifest omnivorous
impel investment mannerism onerous
imperative inveterate matting oppress
impertinent invidious maw opulence
implicit irony maxim oracular
imply isthmus mayoralty oration
importune italics menial orbit
impugn iterate mesa organic
inaugurate itinerant metaphor orifice
incendiary mete ornate
incidence J-K mettle orthography
increment microcosm ossify
indigent jargon mien overt
indignant jaundice militant
induct jetty missal P
induction jubilee monetary
indulgence kaleidoscope mortar pagan
ineffable mosque palatable
inert L mummery pall
inevitable muting palpable
infer lachrymal myriad palsy
infernal laity panacea
infidel lampoon N parable
infinity languid paradox
infirm latent naiad parallel
inherent latitude nativity paraphernalia
initiate leech node parenthesis
innate levy nonplus parody
insinuate lexicon nosegay parsimony
insolvent liability notation partisan
instantaneous libretto nurture pastoral
insular liege nutrition patent
insurrection litany patriarch
intangible literal O patrician
interdict lithe patrimony
interim litigation obeisance patron
interminable liturgy oblation pavilion
interpolate livid obscure pectoral
interregnum longitude obsolescence pecuniary
intimidate lucid obtrude pedant
intrepid lucre odious pendant
intricate luxuriant officious perdition
intrigue lymph ogre peremptory
intrinsic oligarchy perennial
intuition M omen perforce

The Writing Center - EPCC 4

periodic predispose questionable restitution
periphery preen quietus resume
pernicious prefect quittance resuscitate
perpetrate premier quoit reticence
perpetuate premise retribution
perquisite prerogative R revile
personification presbyter rift
perspicuity prescience raillery rigor
pert presentiment raiment robust
pertinent presume rancor rote
peruse pretension random rotundity
pervade preternatural rankle rudiment
perverse pretext rant
pestilence primogeniture rapacity S
pestle primordial rapt
petulance probe realty sable
pewter procrastinate rebuke sacrilege
phalanx profane reciprocal sagacity
phantom proffer recitative salient
philanthropy profuse reconnoiter saline
philology progeny reconstitute salutary
piety proletarian recrimination sanguine
pilaster prolific rectitude satire
pillory promontory refute scathing
plagiarism promptitude regale schism
plait prone regent scintillation
plumb propitious regicide scoff
plutocracy prorate regimen scope
poach prosaic rejuvenate scrip
poignant prose relevant scrutinize
politic prosody remission scurrilous
political protégé remonstrate seclude
polity prude remuneration secrete
portend prudent renegade sect
posse pseudonym renounce sector
posterity psyche repartee secular
potion pun repast sedentary
pottage pungent replete sedition
prate purge reprehend seethe
precise purloin reprisal segment
preclude purport reproach semblance
precursor reproof servitude
predatory Q repudiate shamble
predicament repute sheepish
predicate qualm respite shrew
predilection query responsive shunt

The Writing Center - EPCC 5

signify surfeit trappings vigilant
simile surmount travail vindicate
simper surveillance travesty vintage
skeptic sustenance treble virtual
slake swathe tremulous virtuoso
sloth syllogism trencher visage
sluice symposium tribulation vivacious
sociology synonymy tribute volatile
sojourn syntax truncheon volition
soliloquy trundle votary
somber T tryst
sordid turnkey W
sovereignty tableau tutelage
specious tacit twain wan
specter taciturn twit weal
speculate tack wheedle
sporadic tactic U willful
spume tangible windfall
sputum tankard ubiquitous wraith
steppe tantamount ulterior wrangle
sternum tariff unanimity wroth
stilted tawny unctuous wry
stint temerity undercurrent
stoicism temporal undulate Z
strait tenacity unique
stratagem tenure unison zealot
strategy terminus unregenerate zephyr
strident terse untold zodiac
sty testimonial upbraid
subjugate thesaurus usury
sublimate thesis
submission thrall V
subservient tiara
subsidiary tirade vacillate
subsidy tithe vagary
subterfuge tome valiant
succinct tonic valorous
succor totalitarian vanguard
succulent traduce variable
sully trait vaunt
superfluous transient venerate
supernal transitory verity
supersede transpire vermillion
supervene transpose vernacular
supplant transubstantiation vestige
supple transverse vicissitude

The Writing Center - EPCC 6