Earmark (verb/ noun) to set aside for a special
purpose; an identification mark
To show ownership
This year the boss has not earmarked any
money for Christmas party.
Edifice (noun) a large building
People like to build an edifice to honor their
national hero.
Elaborate (verb/adj.) worked out with much
care, worked in detail
This beautiful building has many elaborate
designs.
Element (noun) a necessary basic feature, a
very small amount of something
Hydrogen is an element of water.
Eligible (adj.) suitable, having the right
qualifications
He wants to know if he is eligible for the job.
Embody (verb) to give ideas a definite form
Nelson Mandela was embodied for his fight
against racial discrimination.
Embrace (verb/noun) to take someone into
one’s arms to show affection; to include
People embrace the new regulations.
Emerge (verb) to come out, to appear
Michael Jordan emerges from his retirement to
play basketball again.
Emit (verb) to give or to send out
A firefly emits light in the dark.
Emphasize (verb) to put force or stress on a
word; to give a special value or importance
We emphasize on language training.
Encourage (verb) to give hope, confidence, or
support
The teacher encourages students to do work on
their own.
Enforce (verb) to cause something to go be
TOEFL Word List___________________________________________________________________10
obeyed; to force or compel
It is difficult to enforce the law when there is a
shortage of manpower.
Enhance (verb) to add to the value or
importance of something
The company has changed the product
appearance to enhance its marketing capability.
Enlist (verb) to voluntarily enroll in the armed
force; to get support
In some countries, young men are enlisted in
the army when they are 18.
Entangle (verb) to become caught or involved
in something so that escape is difficult
Dolphins are killed when they are entangled in
fishing nets.
Enthusiast (noun) a person with enthusiasm or
strong feelings of interest
He is baseball enthusiast; he watches every
match on TV.
Entitle (verb) to give a right to something
Everyone is entitled to receive free medical
treatment.
Envy (verb/noun) to have feelings of
disappointment because someone else has
something that you want
He is the envy of his friends when he shows
them his new car.
Epoch (noun) a period of time in history
The Internet begins a new epoch in the history
of human communication.
Equipment (noun) things needed for a
particular purpose
The students have been advised to handle the
laboratory equipment with care.
Erode/ erosion (verb/noun) to wear away,
usually by rain, wind, or acid
Weather erosion has caused damage to the
statue.
Erratic (adj.) irregular, odd; likely to do
unexpected things
The drunk driver is driving his car in an erratic
manner.
Essential (adj.) necessary
Water is an essential element of life.
Establish (verb) to set up, to settle in a position
The governor wants to establish a new
department to handle complaints.
Evacuate (verb) to leave empty, to withdraw
In case of fire, evacuate everyone in the
building quickly.
Exaggerate (verb) to make something seem
bigger, better, or worse than it is
No one believes his story anymore because he
always exaggerates the truth.
Exceed (verb) to do more enough, to be greater
than
The salesman has exceeded his sales target.
Excel (verb) to do better than the others
With the help from her teacher, she excels in
every school subject.
Excerpt (noun) a part of a book or article
He shows us an excerpt of his latest book in a
magazine.
TOEFL Word List___________________________________________________________________11
Exchange (verb/noun) to trade one thing for
another
This shop has no exchange policy.
Exhilarating (adj.) filled with high spirits,
lively, exciting
Everyone cheers when hears the exhilarating
news.
Exotic (adj.) unusual, coming from another
country
Some people keep exotic animals as pets.
Expanse (noun) a wide open area
Canada has a large expanse of land.
Explosion (noun) a loud noise caused by a
sudden bursting
Gas leak has caused a huge explosion.
Extravagant (adj.) wasting of money,
excessive
People criticize the government for holding
extravagant events.
Exquisite (adj.) of a high level of excellence
perfection
He is known for having exquisite taste in
clothing.
Extend (verb) to make longer
The company has extended the application
deadline for the job.
Fabric (noun) clothes, textile material
Cotton is a kind of fabric.
Face (verb/ noun) to meet confidently, to
recognize, to turn in a certain direction
We have to face the problem of nuclear waste.
Fallible (adj.) likely to make an error
Everyone is fallible in some conditions.
Fame (noun) the condition of being know or
talked about, a good reputation
His fame as a brilliant painter did not come
until after his death.
Fanciful (adj.) using creative images instead of
reason and logic
He is known for his fanciful stories.
Fancy (adj.) very decorated, not plain
Everyone wears fancy clothes for the New Year
party.
Fastener (noun) something that ties or joins
things together
He uses the cord as a fastener to tie up the
books.
Faucet (noun) a device for controlling the flow
of liquid (usually water) from a pipe or tank
His factory makes water faucets for export.
Favor (verb) to show support for, approval
He favors the rights to choose for everyone.
Feature (noun/ verb) the appearance of
something; distinct or outstanding part; an
attraction or main part; to emphasize the main
part
One of the main features of Hong Kong is The
Peak.
Feeble (adj.) weak or faint
The doctor is listening to his feeble heart rate.
Fellow (adj.) having the same ideas or position;
TOEFL Word List___________________________________________________________________12
in the same condition; associated
My fellow workers and their families are all
joining together for a party.
Fertile (adj.) producing much, full of ideas,
capable of developing
Scientists are working to turn desert into fertile
lands.
Fictitious (adj.) untrue or invented
He uses a fictitious name to send a letter to the
newspaper.
Fiery (adj.) on fire, or angry, passionate
to persuade the people to fight for their rights,
His fiery speech did not win him any more
support.
Final analysis (adj. + noun) at the end, in
conclusion
He gave the company positive comments in the
final analysis.
Fitting (adj.) proper, suitable
It is fitting that you send him a thank- you note
after all the help he has given you.
Fizz (verb/ noun) to make a bubbling, hissing
sound, as when gases escapes from liquid.
When the cap of the soft drinks are kept open,
they will lose the fizz.
Flake (noun) a small, light, leaf-like piece
No two snow flakes look the same.
Flaw (noun) a fault, an imperfection
There is a flaw in this diamond.
Flexible (adj.) easily bent without breaking
Copper wire is flexible.
Flicker (verb) to burn or shine unsteadily
The torch flickered a few times before the
battery ran out.
Flock (noun) a number of birds or animals
together, a group
A flock of geese are flying south.
Forbidden (adj./ verb) prohibited; to order not
to be done
It is forbidden to enter the building without
proper authorization.
Foremost (adj.) first, most important
James Joyce is considered the foremost writer
of this century.
Foster (verb/ adj.) to help with the growth and
development of an idea; to take care of
someone else’s child as if the child were your
own
The government should provide assistance to
foster creative ideas.
Found (verb) to establish, to start the building
of something
The school was found over a hundred year ago.
Fragrance (noun) a pleasing smell
This room is filled with fragrance of fresh
flowers.
Frank (adj.) showing thoughts and feelings
clearly
He wants to be frank with her.
Frightening (adj.) causing fear and alarm
Victims of a crime always have frightening
nightmares.
TOEFL Word List___________________________________________________________________13
Frugal (adj.) economical, not wasteful
Although he is rich, he lives a fugal live
Fuel (noun) a material that produces energy or
heat
Coal, oil and natural gas are fossil fuels.
Fully (adv.) completely
The language used in the article has made it
difficult for students to fully understand the
meaning.
Fund (noun/ verb) a supply of necessary things,
money; to provide money for support
The operating fund comes from donations.
Fundamental (noun/ adj.) basic, an essential
part
Listening is an important fundamental skill for
learning a language.
Gain (noun/ verb) an increase in power or
wealth; to obtain something
People look for capital gain in the stock
market.
Gather (verb) to bring together
He gathers his friends to celebrate his birthday.
Gemstones (noun) precious, valuable stones or
jewels
Ruby and Sapphire are gemstones.
Glare (noun/ verb) a strong, unpleasant light;
to shine disagreeable
The computer monitor makes such a glare that I
can’t look at it for too long.
Glistening (adj.) shining brightly, sparkling
His photographs capture the beauty of
glistening dewdrops.
Glow (verb) to send out light without flame
The light glows in the dark.
Goods (noun) things which have worth or are
valuable
Goods and services are subjected to tax.
Gradually (adv.) very slowly, little by little
He is recovering gradually from a bad cold.
Graphic (adj.) described in clear images
The newspaper prints graphic images of the
accident.
Gratifying (adj.) pleasing
He is gratifying to know all his friends support
him in the fight for justice.
Grave (adj.) serious, requiring careful
consideration
Cancer is a grave illness.
Grueling (adj.) severe, exhausting
Rock climbing is grueling sport.
Grumpy (adj.) bad-tempered
He is always grumpy when he doesn’t have
enough sleep.
Haphazardly (adv.) by chance, accidentally
The government doesn’t want people to think
that the panel is chosen haphazardly.
Hardly (adv.) only just, scarcely
She can hardly talk with a sore throat.
Harmful (adj.) causing harm, damage, injury
TOEFL Word List___________________________________________________________________14
Smoking is harmful to your health.
Hatch (verb) to break out of an egg; to produce
a plan
A baby crocodile has hatched in the zoo.
Head (verb) to move in a certain direction; to
be at the head of
They headed north to look for gold.
Hearty (adj.) strong, in good health
Home cooking is hearty.
Highlight (noun/verb) the most significant part;
to emphasize
The teacher highlights the mistakes in his
composition.
Hostile (adj.) unfriendly
The waiter is hostile towards the customers.
House (verb/ noun) to provide a home or
shelter for someone or something; dwelling
This library houses over three million copies of
books..
Huge (adj.) very large
His house is incredibly huge.
Humble (adj.) showing modesty; someone low
in rank or unimportant
He gave a humble speech about his
achievements.
Hybrid (noun) an animal or plant that is the
offspring of two different parents or species
Scientists are creating hybrid plants to increase
crop yield.
Hygienic (adj.) free of disease germs
We have to keep Hong Kong hygienic.
Ignore (verb) to refuse to notice someone or
something
The children ignore the warning sign.
Illicit (adj.) unlawful, forbidden
Smuggling is an illicit activity.
Imitate (verb) to copy something or use it as an
example
You learn by imitating.
Impediment (noun) a physical defect or an
obstacle
Despite his speech impediment, he finishes top
of his class.
Imperceptible (adv.) slight, gradual,
unnoticeable
The economy has made an imperceptible
recovery.
Impress (verb) to have a strong influence on
someone or something
He is not impressed by the speaker’s
presentation.
Increase (verb/ noun) to make larger; growth
The company has increased the service fee.
Incredible (adv.) something that cannot be
believed, very surprising
To make the Statue of Liberty to disappear is
an incredible trick.
Indefinite (adj.) not fixed, vague
The football match will be postponed for an
indefinite period of time.
TOEFL Word List___________________________________________________________________15
Independent (adj.) not controlled by another,
self-governing, thinking freely
Canada is an independent country.
Indicative (adj.) an indication or sign of
something to come
The surging in stock market index is an indicative
of economic recovery.
Indiscriminate (adj.) having no care or taste
Land mines kill people in an indiscriminate
way.
Induce (verb) to produce, to influence
Stress has induced his heart attack.
Inevitable (adj.) something that is sure to
happen, cannot be avoided
It is inevitable that he has to face the truth.
Ingenious (adj.) very clever and skillful
He has come up with an ingenious way to solve
the energy shortage.
Inherent (adj.) existing as a natural or
permanent part of something
To face danger is an inherent part of the job of
a policeman.
.
Inhibit (verb) to restrain or suppress, to hinder
He is inhibited from driving after failing to stop
at the red light three times.
Innovation (noun) something new that is
introduced
Innovations are the key elements in a
competitive world.
Insatiable (adj.) something that cannot be
satisfied
This young man has an insatiable desire for
knowledge.
Inscription (noun) words that are marked,
carved, or written on a surface
He gives his friends a pen with inscriptions.
Inspiring (adj.) causing uplifting thoughts
The president gives an inspiring speech.
Instantaneous (adj.) immediate, happening in
an instant
During his speech, the audience gave
instantaneous applause.
Insult (noun/ verb) speaking in a way that is
intended to hurt a person’s feelings
It is not polite to insult someone.
Intangible (adj.) that which cannot be touched
or held; in one’s mind ideas are intangible.
A company name is an intangible asset.
Intense (adj.) deeply felt, high in degree
The fire from the refinery caused intense heat
for several miles.
Intermittent (adj.) happening at intervals,
stopping and starting
Today we will have intermittent sunny weather.
Intricate (adj.) complicated, difficult
The fabric has very intricate designs.
Invade (verb) to enter in great numbers; to
attack
Refugees from the camp invaded the
neighboring village for food.
Invent (verb) to create or design something not
already existing
TOEFL Word List___________________________________________________________________16
Thomas Edison invented the electric light bulb.
Jell (verb) to take shape, to hold shape
Their scattered efforts are beginning to jell.
Landmark (noun) an object that marks the
boundary of a piece of land, an object that is
easily seen and can be used as a guide, an event
that marks a turning point
The Peak Tower is a landmark of Hong Kong.
Largely (adv.) to a great extent
Her great success is largely due to hard work
and persistence.
Lateral (adj.) From or at the sides of
something, from side to side
Most buildings cannot withstand lateral
movement of an earthquake.
Laudable (adj.) deserving praise
The volunteers have accomplished many
laudable acts.
Legendary (adj.) from an old story told to
people from generation to generation
Bruce Lee is considered as a legendary figure.
Lengthen (verb) to make something become
longer
Your composition is too short, you have to
lengthen it.
Liberate (verb) to free
The army liberated people from the war.
Ligament (noun) the tissue that holds bones
together
While playing tennis, he injured his ligament in
his arm..
Limited (adj.) restricted, narrow
He sells limited edition painting copies.
Link (noun/verb) a ring or loop of a chain,
something that unites or connects; to join
together, to make a connection
They build a walkway to link the two buildings
together.
Literally (adv.) exactly, corresponding word
for word to the original, lacking in imagination
You can’t take his words literally.
Loathe (verb) to dislike strongly, to feel
disgust for something
Most girls loathe rats.
Locale (noun) an area, the scene of an event
This is the ideal locale for holding the
celebration.
Look into (verb) to investigate, to examine
The insurance company looks into the cause of
the fire.
Ludicrous (adj.) ridiculous, absurd
It is ludicrous to say that money will buy
happiness.
Luminous (adj.) giving out light
Cyclists should wear luminous clothing at night,
so that motorist can see them clearly.
Lyrical (adj.) full of emotion, like a song
The verses of his poems are very lyrical.
Magnetic (adj.) having the properties of iron
attracting iron, something that attracts
The Earth has a magnetic field.
TOEFL Word List___________________________________________________________________17
Magnificence (noun) splendor, imposing
beauty
Most people go to Paris for its magnificence.
Maintain (verb) to keep up, continue
They maintain their contacts through email.
Mandatory (adj.) required
it is mandatory that you take physical training
before becoming a firefighter.
Manually (adv.) by hand
All the votes are counted manually.
Mar (verb) to injure or damage
Nothing could mar his high spirit after he
receives the news of getting the scholarship.
Master (noun/verb) a skilled person, one who
has control over others; to become skillful in or
knowledgeable about
If you work hard, you can master English in no
time.
Mature (verb/ adj.) ton be fully grown, to be
ready for use; perfected
He has very mature manners even though he is
only fifteen.
Melodious (adj.) having a musical quality
The songs he sings are melodious.
Merchandise (noun) things to buy or sell
This shop has a wide variety of merchandises
to choose from.
Meticulously (adj.) in a careful and detailed
manner
He demands his workers to work meticulously.
Minuscule (adj.) a tiny bit
There are minuscule writings on a grain of
sand.
Miserable (adj.) very unhappy, unfortunate
The old man is living alone and miserable.
Misleading (adj.) causing a wrong impression;
deceiving
The investors have been given misleading
information about the company.
Mock (verb/ adj.) to make fun of, insult; false
The school has given us mock exams.
Moderately (adv.) not extreme, reasonable,
limited, medium
Even though he is rich, he lives moderately.
Modern (adj.) of present, up-to-date
Hong Kong is modern city.
Motionless (adv.) still, having no movement
Part of the physical training is to stand
motionless for over a long period of time.
Multiple (adj.) many, more than one
The exam will be multiple choices.
Muscular (adj.) having many muscles, strong
You don’t have to be muscular to be a good
swimmer.
Musty (adj.) having a stale or moldy smell
When they entered the old house, a musty
smell filled the room.
Mutation (noun) a change, an alteration in the
genes of a plant or animal that can be passed on
its offspring
Cancer is caused by mutation in genes.
TOEFL Word List___________________________________________________________________18
Mythical (adj.) a person or thing that is
imagined or invented
Chinese have lots of mythical stories.