400 Must Have Words for the TOEFL
abandon (v.) ✔✔to leave; to give up
Ex: To save their lives, the sailors had to ~ the sinking ship.
adversely (adj.) ✔✔in a harmful way; negatively
Ex: Excessive rainfall early in the spring can ~ affect the planting of crops.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by affect.
aggregate (adj.) ✔✔gathered into or amounting to a whole
Ex: It is impossible to judge last year's performance without knowing the ~ sales numbers.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by a term like sum, total, or numbers.
cultivation (n.) ✔✔preparing the land to grow crops; improvement for agricultural purposes
Ex: With the development of land ~, hunters and gatherers were able to settle in one place.
fertilize (v.) ✔✔to supply with nourishment for plants by adding helpful substances to the soil
Ex: This farm ~+ tomatoes more than any other crop.
intensify (v.) ✔✔to increase in power; to act with increased strength
Ex: Jacob's long absence ~+ his certainty that he should marry Rose.
,irrigation (n.) ✔✔the supplying of water to dry land
Ex: In dry areas of the country, you can see ditches all over the farm-land for ~.
obtain (v.) ✔✔to gain possession of; to get
Ex: After a series of difficult interviews, he finally was able to ~ the job.
photosynthesis (n.) ✔✔the process by which green plants make their own food by combining
water, salts, and carbon dioxide in the presence of light
Ex: Oxygen is a by-product of the process of ~.
precipitation (n.) ✔✔water that falls to the Earth's surface
Ex: In the Pacific Northwest, the high level of ~ ensures rich, green plant life.
anticipate (v.) ✔✔to expect; to sense something before it happens
Ex: By placing sensors in earthquake-prone areas, scientists can ~ some tremors in time to warn
the public.
catastrophic (adj.) ✔✔extremely harmful; causing financial or physical ruin
Ex: The architect died in a ~ elevator accident.
collide (v.) ✔✔to come together with great or violent force
Ex: As usual, their holiday was ruined when their in-laws' views on politics ~+ with their own.
,eruption (n.) ✔✔a sudden, often violent, outburst
Ex: The ~ of Mount St. Helens in 1980 caused 57 deaths and immeasurable change to the face of
the mountain.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by an of phrase.
famine (n.) ✔✔severe hunger; a drastic food shortage
Ex: The potato ~ in Ireland in the mid-nineteenth century caused large numbers of Irish people to
emigrate to America.
flood (n.) ✔✔an overflowing of water; an excessive amount
Ex: The constant rain and poor drainage system caused a ~ in town.
Ex: The political party sent out a ~ of letters criticizing their opponents.
impact (n.) ✔✔a strong influence
Ex: The speech about the importance of education made an ~ on me.
Usage Tips: ~ is usually followed by on or of.
persevere (v.) ✔✔to keep going, despite obstacles or discouragement; to maintain a purpose
Ex: The hikers ~+ despite the bad weather and the icy trail.
plunge (v.) ✔✔to go down suddenly; to decrease by a great amount in a short time
, Ex: He jumped off the diving board and ~+ into the pool.
Ex: The value of the company's stock ~+ after its chief executive was arrested.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by an into phrase.
unleash (v.) ✔✔to release a thing or an emotion
Ex: When they saw the strange man on their property, they ~+ their dogs.
Ex: He is from such an unemotional family, he will never learn to ~ his feelings.
adapt (v.) ✔✔to adjust to the circumstances; to make suitable
Ex: Dinosaurs could not ~ to the warmer temperatures.
Ex: The teacher ~+ the exercises for his more advanced students.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by to.
diverse (n.) ✔✔various; showing a lot of differences within a group
Ex: India is one of the most linguistically ~ countries in the world.
Usage Tips: An -ly adverb (e.g., linguistically) often comes before ~.
evolve (v.) ✔✔to develop; to come forth
Ex: Modern-day sharks ~+ from their ancestor Eryops, which lived more than 200 million years
ago.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by into or from.
abandon (v.) ✔✔to leave; to give up
Ex: To save their lives, the sailors had to ~ the sinking ship.
adversely (adj.) ✔✔in a harmful way; negatively
Ex: Excessive rainfall early in the spring can ~ affect the planting of crops.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by affect.
aggregate (adj.) ✔✔gathered into or amounting to a whole
Ex: It is impossible to judge last year's performance without knowing the ~ sales numbers.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by a term like sum, total, or numbers.
cultivation (n.) ✔✔preparing the land to grow crops; improvement for agricultural purposes
Ex: With the development of land ~, hunters and gatherers were able to settle in one place.
fertilize (v.) ✔✔to supply with nourishment for plants by adding helpful substances to the soil
Ex: This farm ~+ tomatoes more than any other crop.
intensify (v.) ✔✔to increase in power; to act with increased strength
Ex: Jacob's long absence ~+ his certainty that he should marry Rose.
,irrigation (n.) ✔✔the supplying of water to dry land
Ex: In dry areas of the country, you can see ditches all over the farm-land for ~.
obtain (v.) ✔✔to gain possession of; to get
Ex: After a series of difficult interviews, he finally was able to ~ the job.
photosynthesis (n.) ✔✔the process by which green plants make their own food by combining
water, salts, and carbon dioxide in the presence of light
Ex: Oxygen is a by-product of the process of ~.
precipitation (n.) ✔✔water that falls to the Earth's surface
Ex: In the Pacific Northwest, the high level of ~ ensures rich, green plant life.
anticipate (v.) ✔✔to expect; to sense something before it happens
Ex: By placing sensors in earthquake-prone areas, scientists can ~ some tremors in time to warn
the public.
catastrophic (adj.) ✔✔extremely harmful; causing financial or physical ruin
Ex: The architect died in a ~ elevator accident.
collide (v.) ✔✔to come together with great or violent force
Ex: As usual, their holiday was ruined when their in-laws' views on politics ~+ with their own.
,eruption (n.) ✔✔a sudden, often violent, outburst
Ex: The ~ of Mount St. Helens in 1980 caused 57 deaths and immeasurable change to the face of
the mountain.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by an of phrase.
famine (n.) ✔✔severe hunger; a drastic food shortage
Ex: The potato ~ in Ireland in the mid-nineteenth century caused large numbers of Irish people to
emigrate to America.
flood (n.) ✔✔an overflowing of water; an excessive amount
Ex: The constant rain and poor drainage system caused a ~ in town.
Ex: The political party sent out a ~ of letters criticizing their opponents.
impact (n.) ✔✔a strong influence
Ex: The speech about the importance of education made an ~ on me.
Usage Tips: ~ is usually followed by on or of.
persevere (v.) ✔✔to keep going, despite obstacles or discouragement; to maintain a purpose
Ex: The hikers ~+ despite the bad weather and the icy trail.
plunge (v.) ✔✔to go down suddenly; to decrease by a great amount in a short time
, Ex: He jumped off the diving board and ~+ into the pool.
Ex: The value of the company's stock ~+ after its chief executive was arrested.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by an into phrase.
unleash (v.) ✔✔to release a thing or an emotion
Ex: When they saw the strange man on their property, they ~+ their dogs.
Ex: He is from such an unemotional family, he will never learn to ~ his feelings.
adapt (v.) ✔✔to adjust to the circumstances; to make suitable
Ex: Dinosaurs could not ~ to the warmer temperatures.
Ex: The teacher ~+ the exercises for his more advanced students.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by to.
diverse (n.) ✔✔various; showing a lot of differences within a group
Ex: India is one of the most linguistically ~ countries in the world.
Usage Tips: An -ly adverb (e.g., linguistically) often comes before ~.
evolve (v.) ✔✔to develop; to come forth
Ex: Modern-day sharks ~+ from their ancestor Eryops, which lived more than 200 million years
ago.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by into or from.
