Core Vocabulary — 20 Advanced Words
At C1, each word includes its IPA pronunciation guide, near-synonyms, and key collocations — the hallmarks of truly advanced vocabulary learning. Study the subtle distinctions carefully.
abdicate
/ˈæbdɪkeɪt/
verb
To renounce a position of power or responsibility; to fail to fulfil a duty.
"The board accused the CEO of abdicating his responsibility during the crisis."
"To abdicate leadership in difficult times is a failure of character."
Near-synonyms: relinquish, renounce, forsake
abdicate responsibilityabdicate authority
acrimony
/ˈækrɪməni/
noun
Bitterness and ill feeling, especially in speech or manner.
"The negotiations ended in acrimony, with both sides accusing the other of bad faith."
"Despite the acrimony of the dispute, a settlement was eventually reached."
Near-synonyms: animosity, rancour, bitterness
bitter acrimonyend in acrimony
articulate
/ɑːˈtɪkjʊlət/
adjective / verb
(adj) Able to express ideas clearly and fluently; (v) to express an idea in words.
"She is an exceptionally articulate speaker who can hold any audience."
"The report articulates the company's strategic vision with great clarity."
Near-synonyms: eloquent, lucid, coherent
articulate a viewwell-articulated
candour
/ˈkændər/
noun
The quality of being open, frank, and sincere in speech; honest directness.
"I appreciate your candour — it is rare to find such honesty in business."
"He spoke with great candour about the failures of the project."
Near-synonyms: frankness, honesty, forthrightness
speak with candourrefreshing candour
circumspect
/ˈsɜːkəmspekt/
adjective
Thinking carefully about all consequences before acting; cautious and prudent.
"Investors have become increasingly circumspect in the current economic climate."
"A circumspect approach to policy-making is essential in times of uncertainty."
Near-synonyms: cautious, prudent, wary, discreet
remain circumspectcircumspect approach
cogent
/ˈkəʊdʒənt/
adjective
Clear, logical, and convincing; forceful in argument or expression.
"She presented a cogent argument that convinced even her strongest critics."
"The defence lawyer offered a cogent case that the jury found hard to dismiss."
Near-synonyms: compelling, persuasive, lucid, forceful
cogent argumenthighly cogent
diffident
/ˈdɪfɪdənt/
adjective
Modest or shy because of a lack of self-confidence; hesitant to assert oneself.
"Despite her brilliance, she remained diffident in large group meetings."
"His diffident manner in interviews belied his considerable expertise."
Near-synonyms: modest, self-effacing, reticent, bashful
diffident mannerremain diffident
disseminate
/dɪˈsemɪneɪt/
verb
To spread information or ideas widely and to many people.
"The organisation works to disseminate accurate health information globally."
"Social media has transformed the way misinformation is disseminated."
Near-synonyms: circulate, propagate, broadcast, promulgate
disseminate informationwidely disseminated
equivocate
/ɪˈkwɪvəkeɪt/
verb
To use deliberately vague language to avoid commitment or mislead.
"Stop equivocating and give us a direct answer to the question."
"Politicians often equivocate on difficult issues to avoid alienating voters."
Near-synonyms: prevaricate, hedge, waffle, obfuscate
equivocate ontend to equivocate
exacerbate
/ɪɡˈzæsəbeɪt/
verb
To make a problem, situation, or negative feeling worse.
"The austerity measures only served to exacerbate the economic inequality."
"Poor communication in the team exacerbated an already tense situation."
Near-synonyms: aggravate, worsen, intensify, compound
exacerbate the problemfurther exacerbate
hegemony
/hɪˈdʒeməni/
noun
Leadership or dominance of one country, group, or organisation over others.
"The report examines the cultural hegemony of English in global academia."
"Many argue that digital platforms have established a new form of technological hegemony."
Near-synonyms: dominance, supremacy, ascendancy, primacy
cultural hegemonyassert hegemony
impasse
/ˈɪmpɑːs/
noun
A deadlock — a situation in which no progress can be made; a complete standstill.
"Negotiations reached an impasse when neither side was willing to compromise."
"The political impasse has paralysed any attempt at meaningful reform."
Near-synonyms: deadlock, stalemate, standstill, gridlock
reach an impassepolitical impasse
incongruous
/ɪnˈkɒŋɡruəs/
adjective
Not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings; strange or out of place.
"His casual dress seemed incongruous at such a formal diplomatic reception."
"There is something incongruous about a company that promotes sustainability while ignoring its own waste."
Near-synonyms: inconsistent, out of place, jarring, anomalous
seem incongruousincongruous with
obfuscate
/ˈɒbfʌskeɪt/
verb
To make something unclear or difficult to understand; to confuse deliberately.
"Critics accused the government of obfuscating the true cost of the programme."
"Dense technical jargon can obfuscate meaning rather than clarify it."
Near-synonyms: obscure, muddy, confuse, cloud
deliberately obfuscateobfuscate the truth
paradigm
/ˈpærədaɪm/
noun
A typical example or model of something; a framework of thought or ideas.
"Artificial intelligence represents a paradigm shift in how we process information."
"The research challenges the dominant paradigm in evolutionary biology."
Near-synonyms: model, framework, archetype, pattern
paradigm shiftdominant paradigm
perfunctory
/pəˈfʌŋktəri/
adjective
Carried out with minimal effort; done as a routine duty without care or interest.
"His perfunctory apology satisfied no one and only deepened the resentment."
"The inspection was so perfunctory that it failed to detect any of the violations."
Near-synonyms: cursory, superficial, token, desultory
perfunctory apologyperfunctory inspection
reiterate
/riːˈɪtəreɪt/
verb
To say or do something again or repeatedly for emphasis or clarity.
"Allow me to reiterate the company's position on this matter for absolute clarity."
"The minister reiterated his commitment to reform at every press conference."
Near-synonyms: restate, repeat, emphasise, underscore
reiterate a pointreiterate commitment
salient
/ˈseɪliənt/
adjective
Most noticeable or important; standing out prominently from the rest.
"Let me draw your attention to the most salient points in the executive summary."
"The salient feature of the proposal is its surprisingly low cost."
Near-synonyms: prominent, notable, key, conspicuous
salient pointmost salient feature
tenuous
/ˈtenjʊəs/
adjective
Very weak or slight; lacking substance or strength; uncertain.
"The connection between the two events is tenuous at best."
"Her argument rested on a tenuous chain of circumstantial evidence."
Near-synonyms: flimsy, fragile, weak, insubstantial
tenuous linktenuous at best
ubiquitous
/juːˈbɪkwɪtəs/
adjective
Seeming to appear or be present everywhere at the same time.
"Smartphones have become ubiquitous in modern professional environments."
"The company's logo is now ubiquitous across the city's advertising spaces."
Near-synonyms: omnipresent, pervasive, universal, ever-present
become ubiquitousubiquitous presence
10 Exercises
Exercise 1 — Fill in the Blank
Use: exacerbate / impasse / paradigm / reiterate / ubiquitous
1. Cutting the budget will only ___ the existing problems rather than solve them.
2. Allow me to ___ my earlier point: quality must never be compromised for speed.
3. Digital technology has brought about a genuine ___ shift in global communication.
4. The talks reached an ___ when neither delegation was willing to make further concessions.
5. Coffee shops have become ___ in every city centre across the country.
Exercise 2 — Precision Word Choice
At C1, choose the most precise, register-appropriate word for each context
6. The politician's vague statement seemed deliberately designed to ___ the public about the true cost of the policy. (to confuse / obscure)
7. Her ___ apology — just two words before moving on — only made the situation worse. (minimal, without care)
8. The link between screen time and poor sleep is now well-established, but the link to academic failure remains ___. (weak, uncertain)
9. I appreciate your ___ — it is genuinely refreshing to hear such honest feedback. (frankness, openness)
10. Please draw attention to only the most ___ points in your summary — we have limited time. (most important, standing out)