CEFR Level
a person who uses clever but misleading arguments
"He was dismissed as a sophist who twisted facts to win debates."
the use of clever but false arguments, often to deceive
"The politician's speech was full of sophistry."
showing immaturity and overconfidence, like a sophomore
"His sophomoric behavior embarrassed his friends."
tending to induce drowsiness or sleep; causing sleepiness
"The professor's lecture was so soporific that half the class fell asleep."
a very small quantity of something; a trace
"She added just a soupcon of spice to the dish."
a tropical fruit with hard shell and tangy flesh; elephant apple
"The sour wood apple has a unique taste that many people enjoy."
A small shiny piece of metal or plastic used for decoration on clothes.
"Her dress was covered with silver spangles that glittered in the light."
occurring irregularly or in sudden bursts
"The patient experienced spasmodic coughing during the night."
Superficially plausible but actually false; misleading in appearance.
"The politician’s argument was specious, sounding convincing but lacking real evidence."
A person who explores caves as a hobby.
"The spelunker carried ropes and lights into the dark cave."
A person who spends money extravagantly or wastefully.
"The young prince was known as a spendthrift, wasting his fortune on lavish parties."
The quality or state of being spherical; roundness.
"The sphericity of the ball made it roll smoothly on the ground."
A three-dimensional shape that is almost spherical but slightly flattened or elongated.
"The Earth is not a perfect sphere but an oblate spheroid."
An instrument used for measuring the curvature of spherical surfaces.
"The scientist used a spherometer to measure the lens curvature."
Mysterious, enigmatic, or difficult to interpret
"Her sphinx-like smile made it hard to guess what she was thinking."
extremely clean and neat; immaculate
"The house was spick and span after the cleaning."
Having spines or thorn-like projections
"The spinous cactus was difficult to handle without gloves."
an organ in the body that produces lymphocytes and filters blood; also refers to bad temper or spite
"He vented his spleen on his coworkers after the meeting."
bad-tempered, irritable, spiteful
"His splenetic remarks offended everyone in the room."
The act of destroying or ruining something, often evidence or property.
"The court punished the company for the spoliation of evidence."
a fibrous gourd that becomes sponge-like when dried, used for cleaning and in cooking when young
"The sponge gourd can be eaten when young or dried to make natural scrubbers."
A verbal error in which the initial sounds of words are swapped to create a humorous effect.
"He made a spoonerism by saying 'queer old dean' instead of 'dear old queen'."
Playful, lively, or full of fun.
"The children were in a sportive mood during the picnic."
a type of freshwater fish with spotted markings and an elongated head resembling a snake
"The spotted snake head is a popular fish for aquaculture in South Asia."
active and lively, especially in old age
"The spry grandmother surprised everyone with her quick dance steps."
Froth or foam, especially found on waves or liquids.
"The waves crashed against the rocks, leaving spume in the air."
to make a soft sucking sound, such as when walking on mud; to suppress or silence
"His boots squelched in the wet ground."
short and detached in sound or style, often used in music
"The pianist played the notes in a staccato rhythm."
Overly theatrical, artificial, or exaggerated in manner or style.
"Her performance felt stagy and unnatural."
to stop the flow of blood or liquid from a wound or source
"The nurse quickly stanched the bleeding from the cut."
a strong upright bar or post used as support or to control movement
"The red rope was attached to the stanchions to guide the crowd."
A state of inactivity or equilibrium; a situation where nothing changes.
"The negotiations reached a state of stasis with no progress made."
The art of governing and managing state affairs effectively.
"The leader was praised for his exceptional statecraft in handling international relations."
The branch of mechanics dealing with bodies at rest and forces in equilibrium.
"She is studying statics as part of her engineering course."
Having the grace, beauty, or dignity of a statue; tall and attractively proportioned.
"She had a statuesque figure that turned heads wherever she went."
A large beer mug, typically made of glass or stoneware.
"He raised his stein to toast his friends."
Extremely loud and powerful in sound.
"The teacher’s stentorian voice quieted the noisy classroom."
A large flat area of unforested grassland, especially in southeastern Europe or Siberia.
"The nomads traveled across the vast steppe with their herds."
Characterized by heavy snoring or breathing.
"The patient’s stertorous breathing alarmed the nurses."
A person employed to load and unload cargo from ships.
"The stevedores worked tirelessly to unload the cargo before dawn."
to cover a surface with numerous small dots or specks, often in drawing or painting
"The artist stippled the canvas to create a textured effect."
a defensive barrier made of strong posts or timbers, often around a fort or prison
"The prisoners were kept inside the wooden stockade."
Calm, dependable, and showing little emotion or animation.
"Despite the chaos around him, he remained stolid and composed."
Brave, determined, and courageous
"The stouthearted soldier never gave up."
To move or spread in an irregular, scattered, or untidy way.
"The children began to straggle behind on the long hike."
A trumpet-shaped white or purple flower from the jimsonweed plant, known for its toxic properties
"The stramonium flower blooms at night with a sweet fragrance."
a plan or scheme designed to achieve a particular goal, often by trickery
"The general devised a clever stratagem to outwit the enemy."
a small stream; a tiny brook or rivulet
"A streamlet flowed through the meadow."
to mark with stripes or grooves; striped or streaked in appearance
"The rock surface was striated by glacial movement."
marked with thin lines, grooves, or stripes
"The muscle fibers appeared striated under the microscope."
