Meaning: Difficult to understand or interpret.Example: The ancient text was inscrutable to the modern scholar without translation.

Inscrutable

Meaning: Most noticeable or important.Example: The salient point of the argument was that the proposal was too expensive.

Salient

Meaning: Causing annoyance, frustration, or worry.Example: The vexatious noise of the construction site next door kept the neighbors up all night.

Vexatious

Meaning: A departure from what is normal, usual, or expected.Example: The athlete's poor performance in the competition was an abberation from his usual record.

Aberration

Meaning: A person, thing, or situation that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand.Example: The disappearance of the plane remains an enigma to investigators.

Enigma

Meaning: Attempting to avoid notice or attention, secretive.Example: The spy's furtive movements were captured on video by a surveillance camera.

Furtive

Meaning: Fond of company, sociable.Example: The dog was so gregarious that it greeted every visitor to the house with wagging tail.

Gregarious

Meaning: Having keen insight, mentally sharp.Example: The perspicacious detective quickly solved the crime.

Perspicacious

Meaning: Bewildered, confused, unsure how to react.Example: She was left feeling nonplussed by the strange turn of events.

Nonplussed

Meaning: A very large number or variety.Example: The book contained a myriad of facts and figures about the history of the region.

Myriad

Meaning: Wicked or criminal.Example: The thieves had a nefarious plan to rob the bank and get away with the money.

Nefarious

Meaning: High-sounding but with little meaning, inflated.Example: The CEO's email to employees was filled with bombastic language about the company's success.

Bombastic

Meaning: To place side by side for comparison or contrast.Example: The author juxtaposed the protagonist's inner thoughts with her outward actions.

Juxtapose

Meaning: Present, appearing, or found everywhere.Example: Fast food chains are ubiquitous in the United States.

Ubiquitous

Meaning: Regard or represent as being of little worth, belittle.Example: The politician's opponent disparage his record as a failed leader.

Disparage

Meaning: To kneel, bow or bend in reverence or worship.Example: The athlete genuflected before the game as a sign of respect for his opponents.

Genuflect

Meaning: A profound change in form or nature.Example: Her experiences during the war caused a metamorphosis in her beliefs and attitudes.

Metamorphosis

Meaning: Stubborn, unyielding, resistant to persuasion.Example: The obdurate boss would not listen to any suggestions from her employees.

Obdurate

Meaning: Complaining or whining in a petulant manner.Example: The querulous child whined about not getting the toy he wanted.

Querulous

Meaning: A person or thing that announces or signals the approach of another.Example: The first snowfall of the year is often seen as a harbinger of winter.

Harbinger

Meaning: Calmness, composure, evenness of temper.Example: He faced the criticism with equanimity and did not let it bother him.

Equanimity

Meaning: Clear, transparent, easy to understand.Example: Her voice was a limpid and pure as a mountain stream.

Limpid

Meaning: A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.Example: The construction site next door was a cacophony of drilling, hammering, and shouting.

Cacophony

Meaning: Self-evident, unquestionable.Example: The idea that people have the right to free speech is axiomatic in democratic societies.

Axiomatic

Meaning: Stubborn, unwilling to compromise.Example: The union leaders were intransigent in their demands for higher wages.

Intransigent

Meaning: Having great enthusiasm or passion for something.Example: The zealous artist poured his heart and soul into his paintings.

Zealous

Meaning: Complaining, whining, fretful.Example: The patient was querulous and demanded constant attention from the nurses.

Meaning: Lasting for a very short time.Example: The beauty of cherry blossoms is ephemeral and only lasts for a few days.

Ephemeral

Meaning: To criticize or berate harshly, to use abusive language towards.Example: He vituperated his boss in a scathing email that he later regretted sending.

Vituperate

Meaning: A confusing and difficult problem or question.Example: Solving this math problem was a conundrum that took me hours to figure out.

Conundrum

C2 words for IELTS - Group 2. These 30 words are at Level C2 (the highest level) so you can test your skills and improve your vocabulary.

Nonplussed

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