C1 Advanced vocabulary

A

• abstruse adjective Difficult to understand because it's so complex or obscure.
• adamant adjective Completely unwilling to change your mind or position, even under pressure.
• affable adjective Friendly, warm, and easy to talk to.
• arbitrary adjective Decided by chance or personal preference rather than by reason, rule, or system.
• autonomy noun The freedom to govern yourself or make your own decisions without outside control.

B

• berate verb To criticize someone angrily and at length.

C

• circumspect adjective Careful and cautious, thinking through the possible consequences before acting.
• cleave verb To split or divide something forcefully, often along a natural line.

D

• decorous adjective Showing behavior that is polite and appropriate for the occasion.
• discern verb To notice or understand something that isn't immediately obvious, often by looking or list...
• droll adjective Amusing in an odd, understated, or dry way.

E

• empirical adjective Based on observation or experiment rather than on theory or opinion alone.

F

• flout verb To openly disregard a rule, law, or convention.
• frenetic adjective Fast, energetic, and slightly out of control.

H

• haven noun A place where someone feels safe, protected, or free from trouble.

I

• impervious adjective Not affected or influenced by something, or not allowing liquid to pass through.
• implicit adjective Suggested or understood without being stated directly.
• inherent adjective Existing as a natural and permanent part of something, not added from outside.
• innocuous adjective Not harmful or offensive, and unlikely to cause any problem.
• interject verb To say something suddenly, interrupting someone else who is speaking.
• irresolute adjective Unable to decide or commit firmly to a course of action.

L

• larceny noun The crime of stealing someone's property.
• lithe adjective Moving in a graceful, flexible way; slender and supple.

M

• mundane adjective Very ordinary and not interesting or exciting.

N

• nihilism noun The view that life has no inherent meaning or purpose, and that established moral and reli...

P

• perusal noun A careful reading or examination of something.
• plausible adjective Seeming reasonable or likely to be true.
• posit verb To suggest or assume something as a fact or starting point for reasoning.
• premise noun A statement or idea that is assumed to be true and used as the starting point for an argum...

W

• winsome adjective Attractive or appealing in a simple, innocent, and charming way.