A1 Beginner vocabulary
English words at CEFR level A1. Choose a word for its meaning, example sentences, synonyms and origin.
A
- able adjective Having the skill, strength, or opportunity to do something.
- access noun The right or opportunity to enter a place, use something, or obtain information.
- accident noun An unexpected event, often unpleasant, that happens without being planned.
- ache noun A dull, steady pain in a part of the body.
- act verb To do something, or to perform a role in a play or film.
- action noun Something that is done, or the process of doing something.
- active adjective Full of energy, and involved in doing things regularly.
- actor noun A person who performs a role in a play, film, or television show.
- actress noun A woman who performs in plays, movies, or television shows.
- add verb To put something together with something else, or to combine numbers to find a total.
- addition noun The process of adding numbers together, or something added to a group of things.
- address noun The details of where a building or place is located, used for finding it or sending mail.
- adult noun A person who has reached full physical and legal maturity, no longer a child.
- adventure noun An exciting or unusual experience, often involving some risk.
- advertisement noun A public notice or announcement, usually paid for, that promotes a product or service.
- aerobics noun Physical exercise, often performed to music, intended to strengthen the heart and lungs.
- afraid adjective Feeling fear or worry about something.
- afternoon noun The part of the day between midday and evening.
- agree verb To have the same opinion as someone else, or to say yes to something.
- agreement noun A decision or arrangement reached by two or more people or groups, or a shared opinion.
- aid noun Help given to someone, especially money, supplies, or support in a difficult situation.
- airport noun A place where aircraft take off and land, and where passengers board their flights.
- aisle noun A narrow walkway between rows of seats, shelves, or pews.
- alarm noun A device or signal that warns people of danger or wakes them up.
- album noun A collection of songs released together, or a book used to hold and display photos.
- alien noun A being from another planet, or, in legal terms, a person who is not a citizen of the coun...
- alike adjective Similar to each other in appearance or character.
- alive adjective Living, not dead.
- allergy noun A condition in which the body reacts badly to a normally harmless substance, such as polle...
- alligator noun A large reptile with a long body, short legs, and powerful jaws, found mainly in rivers an...
- allow verb To let someone do something, or to say that something is permitted.
- alone adjective Not with any other people, by yourself.
- alpaca noun A smaller relative of the llama, raised mainly for its soft wool.
- alphabetical adjective Arranged in the order of the letters A to Z.
- alter verb To change something, usually in a small or specific way.
- amaze verb To surprise someone so much that they feel wonder or disbelief.
- amazing adjective Causing great surprise or wonder because it is so impressive.
- amber noun A hard, golden-brown material formed from ancient tree resin, often used in jewelry, or th...
- ambulance noun A vehicle used to carry sick or injured people to the hospital quickly.
- amount noun A quantity of something, especially one that can be measured.
- anchor noun A heavy metal object dropped into the water on a chain to keep a ship from drifting.
- anger noun A strong feeling of displeasure that comes from being hurt, treated unfairly, or opposed.
- angry adjective Feeling strong displeasure, often wanting to shout or complain.
- animal noun A living creature that can move by itself and feeds on other organisms, distinct from plan...
- animation noun A technique for making a series of drawings or images appear to move, or lively, enthusias...
- ankle noun The joint connecting your foot to your leg.
- anniversary noun A date that marks the yearly return of an important event.
- annoy verb To make someone feel slightly angry or impatient, often through repeated behavior.
- answer noun A response given to a question, or the solution to a problem.
- anteater noun A long-nosed mammal that eats ants and termites using its long, sticky tongue.
- antelope noun A fast, slender wild animal with horns, related to deer and cattle, found mainly in Africa...
- antenna noun A thin metal rod that sends or receives radio or television signals, or one of the feelers...
- apartment noun A set of rooms for living in, forming part of a larger building.
- appeal verb To make a serious, often emotional request for something, or to seem attractive to someone...
- appear verb To become visible, or to seem to be a certain way.
- apple noun A round fruit with red, green, or yellow skin and firm white flesh.
- apply verb To formally request something, such as a job or place at school, usually by filling out a...
- apricot noun A small, orange fruit with a soft, fuzzy skin and a single hard stone inside.
- apron noun A piece of clothing tied over the front of the body to protect clothes while cooking or wo...
- aqua noun A pale blue-green color, similar to the color of clear seawater.
- aquarium noun A glass tank where fish and other water animals are kept, or a building full of such tanks...
- arcade noun A place with coin-operated games, or a covered passage lined with shops.
- area noun A particular part of a place, or the size of a surface measured in square units.
- arena noun A large enclosed space used for sports events or performances, or a field of activity or c...
- arm noun The part of your body between your shoulder and your hand.
- armadillo noun A small mammal covered in hard, bony plates that can roll into a ball for protection.
- armchair noun A large, comfortable chair with padded arms and a soft back, usually found in a living roo...
- armor noun A protective covering, historically made of metal, worn to guard the body in battle.
- army noun A large, organized group of soldiers trained to fight on land.
- arrange verb To put things in a particular order or position.
- arrow noun A thin, straight stick with a pointed tip, shot from a bow, or a symbol shaped like it tha...
- artichoke noun A vegetable with a thick stem and layers of tough, pointed leaves around an edible center.
- artist noun A person who creates art, such as paintings, drawings, or sculptures.
- ashamed adjective Feeling embarrassed or guilty about something you did.
- ask verb To put a question to someone, or to request something.
- asparagus noun A vegetable with long, thin green or white stalks.
- aspirin noun A common medicine, usually in tablet form, used to relieve pain and reduce fever.
- assist verb To help someone do something.
- astronaut noun A person who is trained to travel and work in space.
- athletic adjective Physically strong, fit, and good at sports, or relating to athletics.
- atlas noun A book of maps.
- attend verb To be present at an event, place, or gathering.
- attic noun The space just under the roof of a house, often used for storage.
- attraction noun A place or thing that draws people's interest, or a strong feeling of liking or being draw...
- aunt noun The sister of your mother or father, or the wife of your uncle.
- autumn noun The season between summer and winter, when leaves change colour and fall.
- avenue noun A wide street, often lined with trees, or a possible way of achieving something.
- avocado noun A pear-shaped fruit with tough green skin and soft, pale green flesh around a large seed.
- awake adjective Not sleeping.
- awesome adjective Extremely impressive or, informally, very good.
- awful adjective Very bad or unpleasant.
B
- baboon noun A large monkey with a long snout, found in Africa and Arabia, that lives in groups.
- baby noun A very young child, usually one still unable to walk or talk.
- backpack noun A bag with straps, worn on the back and used to carry books or belongings.
- bacon noun Thin strips of salted or smoked meat cut from a pig, usually fried.
- badge noun A small object worn to show identity, achievement, or membership in a group.
- badger noun A grey, burrowing mammal with a black and white striped face, active mostly at night.
- badminton noun A sport in which players use rackets to hit a shuttlecock back and forth over a net.
- bake verb To cook food, especially bread or cakes, using dry heat in an oven.
- baker noun A person who makes and sells bread, cakes, and other baked goods.
- bakery noun A shop where bread, cakes, and pastries are made and sold.
- balcony noun A platform that sticks out from the wall of a building, with a railing, accessible from an...
- balloon noun A thin rubber bag that can be filled with air or gas until it becomes round.
- bamboo noun A tall, fast growing plant with a hard, hollow stem, often used to make furniture.
- banana noun A long, curved fruit with a thick yellow peel and soft flesh inside.
- bandage noun A strip of material used to wrap around a wound or injury.
- bang verb To hit something suddenly and hard, making a loud noise.
- banister noun A rail supported by posts along the side of a staircase.
- bank noun A business that keeps and lends money, or the raised ground along the edge of a river.
- banner noun A long piece of cloth or paper with writing or a design, hung up as a sign or decoration.
- bargain noun Something bought for a lower price than it's usually worth, or an agreement between two pe...
- barn noun A large building on a farm used to store crops or keep animals.
- barrel noun A large, round container with curved sides, usually made of wood or metal, used to store l...
- baseball noun A sport played with a bat and ball between two teams, popular especially in the United Sta...
- basement noun The floor of a building that is partly or fully below ground level.
- basin noun A round bowl-shaped container for holding water, or a low area of land drained by a river.
- basket noun A container, often made of woven material, used for carrying or holding things.
- basketball noun A game played by two teams who score by throwing a ball through a high hoop.
- bathroom noun A room containing a toilet, sink, and usually a bath or shower.
- bathtub noun A large container that holds water, used for washing the whole body.
- beach noun A stretch of sand or pebbles along the edge of the sea or a lake.
- bead noun A small, often round piece of material with a hole through it, used for stringing into jew...
- beak noun The hard, pointed part of a bird's mouth.
- bean noun A type of seed, often kidney-shaped, eaten as a vegetable and grown in pods.
- bear noun A large, heavy animal with thick fur that lives in forests and mountains.
- beard noun The hair that grows on a man's chin and cheeks.
- beat verb To hit repeatedly, or to defeat someone in a game or contest.
- beautiful adjective Very pleasing to look at or experience.
- become verb To start to be something, or to change into something.
- big adjective Large in size, amount, or importance.
C
G
H
P
R
S
- sad adjective Feeling unhappy, often because of a loss or disappointment.
- see verb To notice something with your eyes.
- shy adjective Feeling nervous or uncomfortable around other people, especially people you don't know.
- skipping noun The activity of jumping over a rope as it is swung under your feet and over your head.
- snow noun Soft white flakes of frozen water that fall from the sky in cold weather.
- surface noun The outside or top layer of something.
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