List of 1,092 Words You Should Know in High School
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Want to find a list of words you should know for high school? See this helpful collection of relevant terms. Here you'll find a list of essential vocabulary for secondary education.
a capella | enunciate | matrix | quintessence |
abash | epicure | mea culpa | quisling |
abate | epiphany | mellifluous | quiver |
abdicate | equanimity | mendacity | quixotic |
aberration | equinox | mentor | quotidian |
abet | eradicate | mercurial | raison d’être |
abhor | ersatz | metamorphosis | rakish |
abide | erudite | microcosm | ramification |
abject | esoteric | microeconomics | ramshackle |
abjure | espouse | micromanage | rancor |
ablution | estrange | migratory | rankle |
abnegate | etymology | milestone | rapport |
aboriginal | euphemism | milieu | rapturous |
abortive | evanescent | mimic | rarefied |
abrade | evoke | mire | raucous |
abrogate | exacerbate | misanthrope | ravenous |
abscond | exculpate | misconstrue | ravishing |
absolve | exhort | mishmash | recalcitrant |
abstemious | exigency | misogyny | recapitulate |
abstruse | exonerate | mitigate | reciprocal |
accede | expeditious | mitosis | reciprocate |
accentuate | expletive | mnemonic | reclamation |
accolade | expurgate | modicum | reclusive |
accrue | extenuate | moiety | recompense |
acquiescence | extrapolate | mollify | reconnoiter |
acrid | extrinsic | monograph | recoup |
acrimonious | facet | moribund | recrimination |
acronym | facetious | morose | rectify |
acrophobia | facilitate | mortal | recuse |
acumen | fait accompli | mortgage | redundancy |
acute | fastidious | mortification | referendum |
ad hoc | fatuous | motley | refuge |
ad infinitum | faux pas | multifaceted | refurbish |
adage | feckless | mundane | regress |
adamant | felicity | myopia | regurgitate |
addendum | feral | myriad | reiterate |
adept | fervor | nanosecond | relinquish |
adjudicate | fiasco | nanotechnology | remedial |
adroit | fiduciary | narcissism | reminisce |
aesthetic | filibuster | narcolepsy | reminiscent |
affinity | flaunt | narrative | remittance |
aggrandize | fledgling | nascent | remunerate |
akin | flippant | nationalism | renaissance |
alacrity | flout | natty | renege |
allay | foible | navigable | renunciation |
allude | foist | naysayer | reparation |
altruism | foray | nebulous | repartee |
amalgamate | fortuitous | necromancy | replete |
ambidextrous | fractious | nefarious | reprehensible |
ambience | fruition | negligent | reprobate |
ambivalent | fulminate | nemesis | rescind |
amble | funereal | neophyte | resilient |
ameliorate | furtive | nepotism | resolute |
amenable | fussbudget | netiquette | resonate |
amenity | gallantry | neural | respiration |
amiable | galumph | nexus | respite |
amorphous | galvanize | nihilism | restitution |
anachronism | gamete | noblesse oblige | restive |
anagram | gamut | nocturnal | reticent |
analogous | garner | nom de plume | retroactive |
anarchy | garnish | nomad | retrospective |
anathema | garrulous | nomenclature | revile |
ancillary | gastronomy | nonsectarian | rhetorical |
anecdote | gauche | nostalgia | ribald |
animosity | gaudy | notarize | roguish |
anomaly | genteel | nouveau riche | ruminate |
antebellum | germane | noxious | sagacious |
antecedent | gerrymander | nuance | salacious |
antipathy | gestation | null | salience |
antiquity | gesticulation | nullify | saline |
antithesis | gizmo | numismatics | salutary |
aphorism | glasnost | nuptial | salutation |
aplomb | gloaming | obesity | sanctum |
apocryphal | glossary | obfuscate | sanguine |
apparition | glutton | oblique | sardonic |
apprise | gossipmonger | oblivion | satchel |
apropos | gradation | obsequious | saturnine |
arbiter | graft | obsolescent | savant |
arbitrary | grandeur | obstinate | savoir faire |
ardent | grandiloquence | obtrusive | savory |
arduous | grandiose | obtuse | scapegoat |
ascribe | gratuitous | obviate | scarlet letter |
aspersion | gravitas | odious | scathing |
aspiration | gregarious | odoriferous | scenario |
assiduous | grisly | odyssey | schism |
attest | grovel | officiate | schmaltz |
audacious | guffaw | olfaction | schmooze |
augment | guile | oligarchy | scintilla |
auspices | haggard | omnipotent | scintillate |
auspicious | halcyon | omnivore | scofflaw |
austere | hale | onerous | scrimshaw |
autonomous | halitosis | onomatopoeia | scrip |
avant-garde | hallmark | onslaught | semantics |
avarice | hallow | onus | semblance |
avowal | hamlet | opaque | seminal |
axiom | haphazard | operatic | sentient |
baccalaureate | hapless | optics | sequester |
balderdash | harangue | optimal | serendipitous |
bandy | harbinger | optimize | serene |
baneful | hazmat | opulent | servitude |
bedraggled | hearsay | oratory |
sesquicentennial
|
befuddle | hegemony | orientation | severance |
beget | heinous | ornate | simile |
beleaguer | heirloom | ornithology | sine qua non |
belie | hemoglobin | orthography | skulduggery |
bellicose | heraldry | oscillate | sobriquet |
belligerent | herbivore | osmosis | socialism |
bemused | herculean | ossify | solace |
benediction | herstory | ostensible | soliloquy |
benevolent | heterogeneous | ostentatious | somnambulate |
bequeath | heyday | ostracize | soothsayer |
beseech | hiatus | oxidize | sophomoric |
bilk | hierarchy | ozone layer | sordid |
binary | hindsight | pacifist | specious |
blasé | histrionic | pagan | speculative |
blather | hoax | pageantry | spontaneity |
bludgeon | holistic | paginate | spurious |
bluster | homage | painstaking | spurn |
bombast | hominid | palatable | squalor |
bona fide | homogeneous | palliative | stalwart |
boorish | homonym | palpate | stately |
bowdlerize | hubris | palpitate | stereotype |
braggadocio | hyperbole | paltry | stigma |
bravado | hypotenuse | panacea | stipulate |
brevity | hypothermia | pandemic | subjugate |
brusque | ichthus | pandemonium | sublimate |
bureaucracy | iconoclast | pander | sublime |
candor | ideology | panoply | subservient |
capitulate | idiom | panorama | subversive |
capricious | idyllic | papal | succinct |
captious | ignominious | paparazzo | suffix |
caricature | ignoramus | papier-mâché | suffragist |
carnivore | illicit | parabola | supercilious |
carte blanche | imbibe | paradigm | superficial |
cartel | imbroglio | paradox | surreptitious |
caste | imbue | paragon | sycophant |
catalyst | immigrant | paralegal | symbiosis |
catch-22 | imminent | parameter | symmetrical |
catharsis | immutable | paranormal | symposium |
caustic | impalpable | parenthetical | synchronicity |
cavalier | impart | pariah | synonym |
cavil | impasse | parlance | synopsis |
censure | impeach | parody | tableau |
cessation | impeccable | parsimony | taboo |
chagrin | imperative | partiality | tabula rasa |
charismatic | impertinent | passé | tacit |
charlatan | impervious | pastoral | taciturn |
chicanery | impetuous | patent | tactful |
chivalrous | impetus | pathological | tactile |
chromosome | impinge | patrilineage | tandem |
churlish | implicate | patrimony | tangential |
circumlocution | implicit | patronage | tangible |
circumnavigate | implore | patronize | tantalizing |
circumvent | imprudent | paucity | tautology |
clairvoyance | impugn | peculiarity | taxonomy |
clandestine | impunity | pecuniary | technocrat |
clemency | in vitro | pedagogy | tectonic |
cogent | inane | pedantic | telekinesis |
cognition | inarguable | pedestrian | temblor |
cohort | inauspicious | peerless | temerity |
colloquy | incendiary | peevish | temperance |
collusion | incessant | pejorative | tempest |
comely | incipient | penitence | tempestuous |
commensurate | incisive | penultimate | template |
commiserate | incognito | perceptive | temporal |
compendious | incongruous | percussive | tenable |
complaisant | incontrovertible | perennial | tenacity |
comport | incorrigible | perfectionist | tenet |
compunction | incredulous | perfunctory | tenuous |
concerted | inculcate | peripatetic | tenure |
confabulate | inculpate | peripheral | terminus |
confluence | indefatigable | permafrost | terra firma |
congenital | indolent | pernicious | tertiary |
conjure | inebriate | perpetuate | testament |
connotation | ineffable | perquisite | testimonial |
consortium | inexorable | persecute | tête-à-tête |
consternation | inexplicable | perspicacious | theism |
construe | infallible | pert | theorem |
consummate | infer | perturb | thermodynamics |
contemptuous | infrastructure | perusal | thesaurus |
context | ingratiate | pervade | thespian |
contravene | inherent | pessimism | think tank |
contrivance | innate | pestiferous | thoracic |
convalescence | innocuous | petroglyph | throng |
convivial | inscrutable | petulant | thwart |
convoluted | insipid | phenom | tirade |
copious | insolent | philanthropic | titillate |
corroborate | insolvent | phobic | tome |
covenant | inspiration | phonetic | tort |
covert | insurgent | photosynthesis | totalitarian |
credence | intercession | physiognomy | traduce |
credulous | interpolate | piazza | trajectory |
culminate | intransigent | pictograph | tranquil |
culpable | intrinsic | piety | transfiguration |
cumbersome | intuition | pilfer | transfix |
cupidity | inundate | pinnacle | transgress |
curative | invective | pique | transliterate |
cyberspace | irony | pithy | transpire |
dalliance | irreverent | pittance | travail |
dank | iteration | pixel | treachery |
debacle | jejune | placate | treatise |
debilitate | jingoism | plagiarism | trepidation |
deciduous | jobbery | plagiarize | triage |
decorum | jocular | plaintiff | tribunal |
decrepit | jovial | plasma | trite |
deduce | judicious | platitude | tropism |
defamation | juggernaut | platonic | tryst |
deference | junta | plaudit | tumult |
deign | jurisdiction | plausible | ubiquitous |
delectable | jurist | plethora | ultimatum |
deleterious | juxtapose | plutocracy | umbrage |
delineate | kangaroo court | poignant | uncharted |
demure | keepsake | polemic | unctuous |
denote | kickback | politic | undaunted |
denunciation | kinetic | polity | underhand |
deplorable | kowtow | pollutant | underling |
depravity | kudos | polyglot | underwrite |
deprecate | laborious | polymer | unflinching |
dereliction | labyrinth | pontificate | unilateral |
derision | laconic | portend | unorthodox |
derivation | laggard | posit | unpalatable |
despondent | laissez-faire | potable | unrefined |
despotism | laity | pragmatic | unsavory |
dexterous | lambaste | precarious | uproarious |
diatribe | languid | precedent | urban myth |
dichotomy | languish | precipitous | urbane |
didactic | largesse | precocious | usurp |
diffident | lax | preconceive | utilitarian |
diminutive | lection | precursor | utopian |
discombobulate | leftism | prejudice | utterance |
disconcerting | legacy | prelate | vacillate |
disingenuous | leniency | preposition | vacuous |
disparate | lethargic | prescience | vagary |
disport | leviathan | pretense | vanity |
disseminate | levity | pristine | variance |
dissolution | lexicon | pro bono | vehement |
dissonance | liaison | proclivity | venerable |
dissuade | libation | procrastination | verbiage |
docile | liberalism | prodigy | verbose |
dogmatic | libido | profane | veritable |
domicile | licentious | profligate | vernacular |
dossier | litany | prognosticate | vex |
dot-com | literate | promulgate | vicarious |
droll | litigious | propinquity | vigilant |
dyslexia | livid | proscribe | vilify |
ebullient | lobby | proselytize | vindication |
eccentric | locution | protagonist | virulence |
eclectic | loquacious | protégé | vis-à-vis |
edification | lucid | protocol | visceral |
educe | ludicrous | prototype | vitriol |
effrontery | lugubrious | proverb | vociferate |
egalitarian | luminary | prudent | voracious |
egocentric | luminescence | prurient | vortex |
egregious | lurid | psychosomatic | wanton |
elicit | lustrous | puerile | warrant |
elocution | macabre | pugnacious | watershed |
eloquence | machismo | purport | wayward |
elucidate | macroeconomics | purveyance | wearisome |
elusive | maestro | quagmire | whimsy |
emanate | magnanimous | quaint | whodunit |
emancipate | mainframe | qualitative | wily |
embellish | malady | qualm | winnow |
empathize | malaise | quandary | woebegone |
emulate | malapropism | quantitative | wreak |
en masse | malevolent | quantum leap | writhe |
endemic | malign | quarantine | wunderkind |
enervate | manic | quark | xenophobe |
enfranchise | manifesto | quarrelsome | yeoman |
enigma | marginal | quasar | yuppie |
enmesh | martyr | queasy | zealous |
enmity | masticate | quench | zenith |
enshrine | matriculate | querulous | zero tolerance |
enthrall | matrilineage | quicksilver | zymurgy |