ESSENTIAL WORDS FOR IELTS

Complete List of Synonyms


Here is a complete list of the words in the course, with synonyms.

Note that a lot of synonyms do not have exactly the same meaning as the main word - some
words can only be used in certain contexts; and some words only go with certain words.

For example, you can talk about “a vegetarian restaurant” but not “a herbivore restaurant”.

This means that, when writing or speaking, you cannot always substitute one word for its
synonym.

Also, some words have a very precise meaning (e.g. amphibian), so they do not have any
synonyms. In these cases I have left the synonyms box empty, or I have included examples of the
word.

I hope you enjoy the course! Best wishes, Charlie!

WORD SYNONYMS
ANIMALS

amphibian Examples: toad, frog, salamander

carnivore meat eater, beast of prey, predator

herbivore grazers, browsers, plant eater, vegetarian

omnivore

predator

prey quarry, hunted, victim, game

parasite

CHANGES

acclimatize adjust, get used to, adapt, conform

merge unite, amalgamate, blend, join, combine

restore rebuild, bring back, re-establish, put back, reinstate, recover

amend correct, alter, change, enhance, modify

deviate depart, veer, differ, vary, diverge

distort alter, misrepresent, warp, twist, pervert

divert deflect, redirect, pivot, switch

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WORD SYNONYMS
manipulate exploit, handle, mould, control, shape, influence

refine make, improve, hone, polish, perfect

transition shift, change, changeover, passage, path, transformation

enlarge boost, make bigger, extend, expand, grow

deteriorate weaken, worsen, degenerate, degrade, decline, fall apart

diminish shrink, lessen, lower, abate, decrease, reduce

eradicate eliiminate, destroy, wipe out, exterminate, erase, abolish

CHEMISTRY

agent

atom

molecule

compound

soluble

insoluble

crystal

ENGINEERING

analogue

automate mechanize, robotize, make automatic

hydraulic

hydroelectric

laser

prototype model, precursor, mock-up

optical visual

electronic computerized, automated

engine motor

engineering

mechanical

technical mechanical, technological, specialized, high tech

user-friendly accessible, easy to use, easy to understand, convenient, straightforward

vehicle transport

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WORD SYNONYMS

ENVIRONMENT

biodiversity variety of animal / plant life, range of animal / plant life

ecosystem environment, association, network, organization

fossil fuel non-renewable energy, non-renewables

landfill tip, rubbish dump, waste dump, dumping ground, garbage dump, disposal area

refuse trash, rubbish, junk, garbage, waste

unspoiled unblemished, untouched, natural, clean, pristine, unpolluted

green belt

FAMILY

infant baby, kid, young child

adolescent young person, teenager, juvenile, youth, young adult

maternal sympathetic, protective, loving, caring, affectionate

paternal vigilant, fatherly, loving, concerned, fatherlike, protective

sibling

marital status

upbringing nurturing, childhood, training, background, preparation

GEOGRAPHY

hemisphere

equator

longitude

latitude

tide current, wave, flow

crater hole, bowl, depression, hollow, pit, caldera

summit peak, top, highest point, pinnacle

temperate moderate, restrained, balmy, warm, mild, agreeable

arid dry, parched, bone-dry, dusty, barren

marine aquatic, salt water, deep sea, maritime, coastal, oceanic

glacier ice, ice pack, snow

terrestrial terrene, global, earthbound

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WORD SYNONYMS
fauna animal life, wildlife, animal kingdom

flora plant life, vegetation, plants, crops, verdure

GOVERNMENT

autonomy self-rule, self-government, self-determination, freedom, independence, sovereignty

constitution legislation, charter, code

coup revolution, overthrow, plot

dictator despot, autocrat, tyrant

monarch sovereign, king, queen, emperor, empress

legislature parliament, chamber, law-making body, house

regime dictatorship, military government, government, administration

HEALTH AND MEDICINE: TREATMENTS

therapy treatment, remedy, cure, counselling

transplant replace, transfer, graft, move

immune unaffected, safe from, exempt, resistant

vaccine

antibiotic drug, medicine

dose amount, shot, meaurement, quantity, measure

remedy fix, medicine, antidote, relief, drug, panacea

clinic health centre, medical centre, hospital

cure treat, heal, treatment, healing, drug, remedy

drug medicine, medication, remedy, pill, narcotic, stimulant

injection

medicine drugs, medication, antibiotics, health care, medical career

patient case, invalid, sick person, inpatient, outpatient

scan x-ray, examine, examination

HEALTH AND MEDICINE: HEALTHCARE

immunize inoculate, protect, vaccinate

pathology

pharmaceutical drugs, medicine

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WORD SYNONYMS
physiotherapy

practitioner doctor, specialist, consultant, clinician

psychiatry

anaesthetic pain killer, soporific, gas, shot

HEALTH AND MEDICINE: WELLBEING

blood pressure

cognitive mental, intellectual, thinking

pharmacology

intake consumption, take in

mental intellectual, thought, cerebral, psychiatric, mad, psychotic

posture position, stance, pose

recover recuperate, heal, bounce back, rebound, convalesce, mend

HEALTH AND MEDICINE: ILLNESS

acute severe, sudden, sharp, intense

chronic constant, protracted, incurable, persistent, continual, sustained

addict

allergy sensitivity, reaction, hypersensitivity, aversion

syndrome problem, ailment, malady, disorder, sickness

epidemic widespread disease, pandemic, plague

trauma shock, injury, blow, wound, damage

HEALTH AND MEDICINE: DISEASE

depression despair, sadness, melancholy, despondency, distress, unhappiness

disorder illness, complaint, affliction, ailment, malady, sickness

donate give, give away, provide, bequeath

fatal deadly, lethal, incurable, mortal, terminal

infectious contagious, virulent, poisonous, toxic, communicable, pestilential

overweight

obese

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WORD SYNONYMS

HEALTH AND MEDICINE: ANATOMY

bone bony parts of the body, skeleton

brain mind, grey matter, cerebrum

breathe inhale, exhale, sniff, respire

heart cardiac organ, vascular organ, ticker

muscle

organ Examples: heart, brain, kidneys, liver, lungs, skin

sight vision, perception, eyesight

HEALTH AND MEDICINE: MEDICAL SCIENCE

bacteria germs, microbes, micro-organisms

cell

germ infection, disease, bug

hereditary genetic, inherited, inborn

toxic poisonous, dangerous, harmful, deadly, lethal

trial test, experiment, investigation, examination, analysis

virus disease, infection, germ, pathogen

LAW

advocate (noun) lawyer, solicitor, campaigner, defender, attorney, exponent

abide by defer, accept, consent, acknowledge, tolerate

enforce implement, apply, carry out, impose, invoke, accomplish

invoke effect, resort to, enforce, use, apply

jurisdiction area of authority, authority, district, power, administration, territory

litigate prosecute, drag into court, institute proceedings, sue

prosecute sue, try, arraign, litigate, indict

clause paragraph, provision, section, article

comply obey, observe, adhere to

exempt not liable, excused, absolved, immune

ratify sign, endorse, approve, confirm, affirm

sanction ratify, certify, approve, allow, authorize

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WORD SYNONYMS
uphold endorse, back, confirm, support, stand by, maintain

violate breach, disregard, disobey, break, infringe, contravene

POLITICAL BELIEFS

advocate (verb) push, advance, support, promote, recommend, campaign for

dogma ideology, creed, doctrine, belief

propaganda indoctrination, disinformation, hype, misinformation, brainwashing

ideology philosophy, values, doctrine, belief, theory

liberal progressive, reformist, social democrat, radical

libertarian autonomous, individualistic, self-ruling, free will

pluralism diversity, inclusivity

SOCIAL ISSUES

civil rights

secular civil, secular, non-religious, material, worldly, temporal

ethics morals, beliefs, right and wrong, principles

feminism women’s lib, women’s liberation

humanitarian benevolent, charitable, humane, public-spirited, altruistic, philanthropic

refugee asylum seeker, displaced person, emigre, migrant, emigrant

catastrophe disaster, tragedy, devastation, calamity, cataclysm

inequality inequity, disparity, injustice

deprived underprivileged, disadvantages, needy, destitute

elite establishment, oligarchy, ruling class

redistribute reorganize, move, shift

privilege benefit, entitlement, right, advantage

underprivileged poor, disadvantages, needy, impoverished

multicultural diverse, multiracial, inclusive, ethnically diverse

SOCIAL ISSUES: POPULATION

civilian citizen, noncombatant, non-military, private citizen

demography

indigenous native, homegrown, local

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WORD SYNONYMS
migrate move, relocate, emigrate, immigrate

opinion poll survey, poll

overpopulation overcrowding

per capita per head, per person, for each person

TEXTS

abstract summary, outline, precis, synopsis

bibliography reading list, list of books, further reading

commentary exposition, analysis, review, description, critique, explanation

footnote

paper research, thesis, essay, study, article, dissertation

periodical journal, publication, magazine

précis summary, outline, synopsis

BIOLOGY

decay rot, deteriorate, decompose

dormant asleep, inactive, latent, insert, sluggish

exhale breathe out, let out, give off, emit

inhale breathe in, suck in, smell, sniff

fertilize inseminate, pollinate, germinate, enrich

reproduce breed, clone, recreate, replicate

suppress stop, inhibit, contain, cut off

BUSINESS

enterprise business, company, firm, project, activity, undertaking

entrepreneur businessman, business owner, businesswoman, solopreneur, proprietor

found establish, begin, initiate, organize, start, form

franchise

merge amalgamate, unite, blend, join, combine

restructure reorganize, reconstruct, reform, reshuffle

subsidiary subordinate

audit review, investigation, check, scrutiny, inspection, analysis

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WORD SYNONYMS
compensate pay back, make up for, repay, reimburse

reimburse compensate, repay, pay back, refund

revenue earnings, income, proceeds, funds, profit, receipts

turnover revenue, earnings, income

creditor bank, lender, banker, loan shark

debtor borrower

COMPARING AND CONTRASTING

complement supplement, accompany, augment, add to, enhance

converse on the other hand, opposite

differentiate distinguish, point out differences

diverse varied, distinct, differing, assorted

mirror resemble, embody, seem like, reflect, epitomize, echo

resemble look like, be similar to, be like, act like, echo

synonymous the same as, equates with, interrelated, identified with, identical, interchangeable

HISTORY

archive collection, repository, library, records office

artefact antique, relic, heirloom

excavate dig, uncover, unearth

heritage history, culture, traditions, ancestry, customs, legacy

primitive basic, backward, undeveloped

millennium 1000 years

Renaissance

LINGUISTICS

analogy comparison, resemblance, parallel, similarity

nuance subtlety, hint

coin create, come up with, invent

connotation association, overtone, undertone, meaning

figurative metaphorical, fanciful, figure of speech, descriptive

literal exact, untarnished, authentic, actual

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WORD SYNONYMS
metaphor analogy, allegory, symbol, image

MATERIALS

dense compressed, heavy, thick, overcrowded

porous absorbant, permeable, penetrable

permeable porous, absorbant, spongelike

fibre thread, strand, tissue

constituent element, ingredient, component, part

raw natural, untreated, basic, unprocessed, crude

debris junk, waste, rubble, wreckage, rubbish, remains

MATHS

constant

deduct subtract, withdraw, remove

integer whole number, digit

fraction portion, part, chunk

median central, average, middle, midpoint

mean average

theorem axiom, rule, law

OPINIONS

assertion contention, statement, pronouncement, argument, allegation

conjecture supposition, surmise, hunch, guesswork, hypothesis

contention hypothesis, argument, idea, opinion, assertion, position

dogma tenet, ideology, creed, doctrine, teachings, gospel

stance position, posture, attitude, viewpoint

sceptic critic, questioner, dissenter, dissident, cynic, devil’s advocate

speculation opinion, guess, hypothesis, belief, prediction, thought

POSITIVE QUALITIES

compelling strong, irresistible

constructive effective, positive, usable, practical, useful, productive

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WORD SYNONYMS
credible trustworthy, believable, conceivable, plausible, honest

groundbreaking revolutionary, original, cutting edge, trailblazing, radical, innovative

integrity honesty, sincerity, virtue, principle

optimum ideal, perfect, most favourable, maximum, peak

rigorous thorough, uncompromising, tough, strict, meticulous

NEGATIVE QUALITIES

abnormal strange, aberrant, irregular, odd, deviant, unusual

adverse negative, disadvantageous, unfavourable

deficient faulty, inadequate, insufficient, impaired, lacking, weak

deprived underprivileged, poor, destitute, impoverished

negligent neglectful, remiss, careless

shortcoming imperfection, failing, defect, deficiency, weakness, flaw

volatile erratic, unstable, unsettled, unpredictable, fickle

RESEARCH METHODS

collate assemble, gather, collect

correlate tie in, equate, link, compare, interact

empirical evidence-based, observational, factual, experimental

hypothesis proposition, idea, conjecture, theory, thesis, assumption

theory proposition, law, idea, philosophy, rule, argument

qualitative Examples: case study, interview, observation, focus group, action research

quantitative statistical, numerical, measurable

TRENDS: UPWARD

rise go up, climb, increase

soar ascend, shoot up, rocket

increase go up, climb, rise

leap surge, soar, rocket

rocket surge, soar, leap

climb grow, increase, go up, rise

peak highest point, top, maximum, greatest point

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WORD SYNONYMS

TRENDS: DOWNWARD

fall drop, decrease, decline

decrease depreciate, fall, decline, go down, drop, depreciation

plunge plummet, dive, drop, sink, tumble

plummet plunge, nose-dive, crash, tumble, collapse

decline decrease, fall, go down, drop

drop go down, decline, decrease, fall

dip drop, fall

TRENDS: ADJECTIVES & ADVERBS

dramatic sudden, rapid, huge

steady constant, regular, even, stable

sharp sudden, steep, acute

rapid quick, fast, brisk, swift

steep rapid, sharp, precipitous

modest limited, moderate, small

sudden unusual, immediate, rapid

TRENDS: MORE VOCABULARY

fluctuate hover, shifted, change

remain steady stayed the same, stabilized

stabilize remain steady, is sustained, is maintained, fixed

stagnate languish, stall, stand still

overall in general, general, generally speaking

upwards

downwards

CAUSE AND EFFECT

attribute credit, blame, connect, associate, trace

chain reaction

derive received, gets, acquire, infer, extract, obtain

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WORD SYNONYMS
initiate trigger, start, commence, begin, set up, launch

interdependent interconnected, reciprocal, complementary, mutually dependent

interrelate affect, link, connect

repercussion side effect, backlash, fallout, reverberation, negative effect

TIME

consecutive sequential, one after another, successive

successive consecutive, one after another, sequential

penultimate second to last, last but one

intermittent occasional, infrequent, patchy, fitful, sporadic, periodic

periodic regular, annually, recurrent, repeated, at fixed intervals, weekly

concurrent at the same time, coincident, simultaneous

coincide concurrent, coexist, correspond, go along with

SCIENTIFIC PROCESSES 

boil

burn heat, incinerate, combust

cool chill, reduce temperature

freeze harden

heat warm, raise temoerature, make hot, warmth

melt

process procedure, course, system

accelerate step up, stimulate, advance, hasten, increase, quicken

activate trigger, initiate, start, stimulate

condense

conduct transport, carry, send, administer, carry out, handle

contaminate pollute, poison, harm, infect

contract shrink, get smaller, decrease, narrow, decline

deplete reduce, consume, use up, drain, empty, diminish

dissolve break up, liquify

evaporate dry out, dissipate, vaporize, disappear

filter strain, clean, refine, sift, purify

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WORD SYNONYMS
extract pull, remove, derive, elicit, draw out, glean

harness tame, make use of, exploit, channel, utilize, control

synthesize combine, bring together, make whole, make

dilute weaken, lessen, water down, temper

circulate flow, go around, move around, travel around

emit give off, release, discharge, secrete, spew

flow move, circulate, proceed, glide, pour

form develop, grow, appear, build

generate produce, create, cause, make, bring about

rotate revolve, turn, spin, circle

vaporize evaporate, destroy

FORCES

force

dynamic changing, active, energetic, vigorous

motion

friction

kinetic

momentum impetus, acceleration, push, impulse, thrust, propulsion

propel drive, launch, thrust, move, push, shoot

SCIENTIFIC PHENOMENA

current

nuclear atomic

phenomenon occurrence, experience, incident, aspect

power energy, electricity, operate

pressure strength, strain, load, compression

property characteristic, feature

solar

SUBSTANCES

chemical

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WORD SYNONYMS
fuel energy source, combustible

gas

liquid fluid

metal

oil

substance material, stuff, item, object

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

device machine, instrument, gadget, contraption, machanism

instrument tool, device, mechanism, apparatus, equipment,

law principle, rule

pioneer innovator, leader, developer, founder, inventor

sample specimen, example, fragment, piece

specimen sample, example, exemplar, illustration

trial test, investigation, pilot, analysis

EDUCATION

curriculum syllabus, educational programme

syllabus curriculum, course outline, programme of study

scholar academic, student, researcher, specialist, expert, pupil

literate well-informed, learned, cultured, lettered, educated, knowledgeable

vocational specialized, professional, hands-on

apprentice pupil, novice

pedagogy teaching methods, educational techniques, teaching approach

ART

aesthetic artistic, pleasing, creative, artful

depict portray, describe, illustrate, represent, characterize, show

genre style, type, family, brand, kind, class

icon symbol, idol, legend

vivid colourful, intense, detailed, memorable, powerful, brilliant

portrait characterization, painting, depiction, likeness, representation, account

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WORD SYNONYMS
sculpture shape, carve, chosel, fashion, form, model

ECONOMICS

boom upsurge, expansion, soar, upturn, growth, spurt

slump recession, bust, decrease, depression, decline, downturn

GDP

deficit shortfall, arrears, lack of, shortage

surplus excess, unused, left over

macroeconomic

microeconomic

THOUGHT PROCESSES

anticipate wait for, expect, forecast, await, predict, foresee

appreciate understand, acknowledge, recognize

comprehend understand, appreciate, grasp, realize

conceive come up with, believe, realize, create, perceive, accept

envisage visualize, envision, consider, picture, imagine, see

infer guess, deduce, assume, reckon, conclude, speculate

recall remember, think of, remind

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