Advanced vocabulary exercise 3
✓ Useful for TOEFL
✓ Useful for Cambridge B2/C1
Complete each of the following sentences using one of these words: abysmal, complacent, susceptible, imprudent, foment, emit, refute, conviction, geriatric, hostility
1. The candidate's (= terrible) showing caused him to drop out of the race.✓
2. You have to actively pursue this. You can't get !✓
3. Fiona claimed that she wasn't to flattery.✓
4. His ( = rash, not careful) management style didn't sit well with the other members of the board.✓
5. The rebels tried to ( = stir up) political unrest.✓
6. The liquid began to ( = give off, produce) a strange odor.✓
7. He hopes to that theory. = He hopes to prove that theory false.✓
8. He was guided by the ( = strong belief) that all people were equal.✓
9. My brother decided to study medicine. ( = relating to older individuals)✓
10. The ( = unfriendliness) of the locals was not something he had expected.✓
Quick tip: a simple daily vocabulary routine
Improving your vocabulary doesn't require hours of study — a focused 15 minutes a day, used consistently, works better than occasional cramming.
5 minutes — Read or listen: Go through a short article, podcast segment, or video clip (150–300 words) and note 3–5 words you don't know, without stopping to look them up yet.
5 minutes — Record in context: For each word, write down its part of speech, meaning, and a synonym or antonym — then copy the sentence it appeared in. Example: ubiquitous (adj.) — present everywhere; synonym: omnipresent — “Smartphones are ubiquitous today.” Learning words in context sticks far better than memorizing isolated lists.
5 minutes — Recall and use: Cover your notes and try to recall each word's meaning, then use it in a new sentence of your own — written or spoken. Repeating this small routine daily is what builds vocabulary that actually sticks.
5 minutes — Read or listen: Go through a short article, podcast segment, or video clip (150–300 words) and note 3–5 words you don't know, without stopping to look them up yet.
5 minutes — Record in context: For each word, write down its part of speech, meaning, and a synonym or antonym — then copy the sentence it appeared in. Example: ubiquitous (adj.) — present everywhere; synonym: omnipresent — “Smartphones are ubiquitous today.” Learning words in context sticks far better than memorizing isolated lists.
5 minutes — Recall and use: Cover your notes and try to recall each word's meaning, then use it in a new sentence of your own — written or spoken. Repeating this small routine daily is what builds vocabulary that actually sticks.
KEEP PRACTICING — MORE EXERCISES FOR YOU:
More vocabulary exercises:
Advanced vocabulary 1
Advanced vocabulary 2
Advanced vocabulary 4
Related writing mechanics exercises:
English Prefixes and Suffixes 1 | Advanced
Antonyms Exercise 1 (A1/A2)
Change or Exchange? Exercise 1 (B2)
Complete Sentence or Comma Splice? 2 (C1-C2)
Dangling Modifiers 2 (C1-C2)
Avoiding Double Negatives - Exercise 2 (B1/B2)
The vocative case in English 1 (B1/B2)
Browse all grammar exercises →
More vocabulary exercises:
Advanced vocabulary 1
Advanced vocabulary 2
Advanced vocabulary 4
Related writing mechanics exercises:
English Prefixes and Suffixes 1 | Advanced
Antonyms Exercise 1 (A1/A2)
Change or Exchange? Exercise 1 (B2)
Complete Sentence or Comma Splice? 2 (C1-C2)
Dangling Modifiers 2 (C1-C2)
Avoiding Double Negatives - Exercise 2 (B1/B2)
The vocative case in English 1 (B1/B2)
Browse all grammar exercises →
