TOEFL Vocabulary Practice Test – Set 2

Everyone has three vocabularies in every language he or she speaks: a reading vocabulary, a listening vocabulary, and a speaking vocabulary.

The 80 questions in this practice test (set 2) will help you assess your vocabulary skills.

After you complete the test, look up the definitions for the words on your list. It might be a good idea to write down the definition beside the word.
When you are finished, check the answer key carefully to assess your results. Then, you can determine how much time you need to spend to increase your vocabulary power.

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Directions: For questions 1 through 18, choose the word that best fills in the blank.

1. Being a direct relative of the deceased, her claim to the estate was _____________.

a. optional
b. vicious
c. prominent
d. legitimate

2. The hail _____________ the cornfield until the entire crop was lost.

a. belittled
b. pummeled
c. rebuked
d. commended

3. The Earth Day committee leader placed large garbage bins in the park to _____________ Saturday’s cleanup.

a. confound
b. pacify
c. integrate
d. facilitate

4. Her rapport with everyone in the office _____________ the kind of interpersonal skills that all of the employees appreciated.

a. prevailed
b. diverged
c. exemplified
d. varied

5. The _____________ of the two rivers provided the perfect place to build a new state park.

a. assumption
b. confluence
c. seclusion
d. treatise

6. Do you have the _____________ paperwork you need to register for the class?

a. punitive
b. grandiose
c. restorative
d. requisite

7. Do not _____________ yourself; you must pass the last exam of the semester to graduate.

a. delude
b. depreciate
c. relinquish
d. prohibit

8. When you address the members of the committee, be sure to give a _____________ description of the new office procedures.

a. principled
b. determined
c. comprehensive
d. massive

9. Although Hunter was _____________ about revealing information to us when we first met him, he soon began to talk more than anyone.

a. customary
b. reticent
c. animated
d. voluntary

10. The darkening skies in the west were a _____________ to the dangerous thunderstorm that summer afternoon.

a. tedium
b. precursor
c. preference
d. momentum

11. The news was no longer secret; Martin Kemp _____________ told the press that he had accepted the nomination as board chairperson.

a. repulsively
b. reputedly
c. perpetually
d. principally

12. After an hour of heavy rain, the thunderstorm _____________, and we were able to continue our golf game.

a. abated
b. germinated
c. constricted
d. evoked

13. After years of experience, Florin became a _____________ veterinarian who could treat and operate on many different kinds of animals.

a. acute
b. superficial
c. consummate
d. ample

14. Anthony, a meticulous young man, _____________ watered his neighbors’ plants once a week while they were on vacation.

a. terminally
b. perpendicularly
c. diligently
d. haphazardly

15. _____________ elephants from the wild not only endangers the species but upsets the balance of nature.

a. Irritating
b. Poaching
c. Provoking
d. Smuggling

16. The two cats could be _____________ only by the number of rings on their tails; otherwise, they were exactly alike.

a. separated
b. divided
c. disconnected
d. differentiated

17. On each slick curve in the road, I was afraid we would _____________ and have an accident.

a. operate
b. hydroplane
c. submerge
d. reconnoiter

18. My cousin claimed to be _____________; evidently she was right because she always seemed to know what would happen in the future.

a. dreamlike
b. comical
c. criminal
d. clairvoyant

Directions: For questions 19 through 45, choose the best definition for the word in italics/underline.

19. Although the plot of the film is admittedly trite, the characters are so endearing that the movie is highly entertaining despite the old storyline.
Trite means

a. original.
b. exciting.
c. complex.
d. overused.

20. Ilka has always emulated her older brother, so it is no surprise that she is also pursuing a career as a neuroscientist.
To emulate means

a. to support wholeheartedly.
b. to strive to equal, imitate, or outdo.
c. to be more successful than.
d. to regard as inferior.

21. Everyone loved Ilona’s idea, and she quickly garnered enough support for her proposal to present it to the committee.
To garner means

a. to create.
b. to propose.
c. to demonstrate.
d. to withhold.

22. Cy’s attempt to finally complete the marathon was thwarted when he twisted his ankle in the 23rd mile.
To thwart means

a. to injure seriously.
b. to prevent from accomplishing.
c. to support actively.
d. to be excessively competitive.

23. To subjugate means

a. to be the subject of a sentence or conversation.
b. to conquer, bring under control.
c. to be wrongly or unevenly distributed.
d. to be surrounded on all sides.

24. Benevolence means

a. kindness, generosity.
b. a kind, generous ruler.
c. to be generous with one’s time or money.
d. kind, giving charitably.

25. To coalesce means

a. to dig up, mine.
b. to carry out an ill-conceived or poorly planned course of action.
c. to combine and form a whole; join together.
d. to withdraw silently, especially in shame.

26. Docile means

a. one who domesticates animals.
b. the management of domestic affairs.
c. obedience.
d. willing to obey, easily managed or taught.

27. Anomaly means

a. regularity, consistency.
b. something that is irregular, abnormal, or deviates from the usual form.
c. a surprising collaboration, the cooperation of unlikely individuals.
d. discontent among a specific group within a larger population.

28. Lamentable means

a. regrettable, unfortunate.
b. to regret.
c. an unfortunate occurrence.
d. to do something regrettable.

29. To abscond means

a. to create a secret hiding place.
b. to do something without telling anyone.
c. to go away secretly and hide.
d. to do something ahead of deadline.

30. Disparate means

a. chosen from within.
b. exceeding expectations.
c. from the same origin.
d. fundamentally different, distinct, or apart from others.

31. Rectify means

a. to correct.
b. a correction.
c. a surprising error.
d. an editor.

32. Inscrutable means

a. teaching a lesson.
b. having little or no impact.
c. kept between or within members of a family.
d. not fathomable; incapable of being understood.

33. Antipathy means

a. that which occurred previously.
b. a strong aversion or dislike.
c. an examination of all aspects of an issue.
d. the act of separating from the source.

34. Neophyte means

a. original, unique.
b. something that comes from multiple sources.
c. a roommate; someone who lives with another.
d. a beginner or novice.

35. A belligerent person is

a. from another country, foreign.
b. kind, eager to help.
c. eager to fight, hostile.
d. loving, devoted.

36. Someone who is omniscient

a. often speaks without thinking.
b. receives the maximum benefit.
c. blames others for his or her own faults.
d. is eager to please.

37. A renaissance is

a. a rebirth.
b. a punishment.
c. a lie.
d. a mistake.

38. To equivocate is to

a. burn or sting.
b. speak in a way that conceals the truth.
c. put something in its proper place.
d. calm or quiet.

39. Something that is manifest is

a. everywhere.
b. newborn.
c. obvious.
d. deadly.

40. Something that is luminous is

a. bright, shining.
b. even, equal.
c. excessive.
d. full of knowledge.

41. A person who is culpable is

a. capable.
b. vocal.
c. energetic, full of life.
d. guilty.

42. Something that is innocuous is

a. dangerous or deadly.
b. irrelevant, wandering from the main path or point.
c. harmless, inoffensive.
d. clean, thoroughly washed.

43. To juxtapose is to

a. place side by side.
b. overwhelm, flood.
c. be born again.
d. speak in a round-about manner.

44. Someone who is reticent is

a. fair, judging equally.
b. reserved, silent.
c. bubbling over with enthusiasm.
d. deeply in love.

45. A veritable autograph is

a. very valuable.
b. an autograph by a famous person.
c. genuine.
d. a forgery or fake.

Directions: For questions 46 through 59, choose the correct word in the parentheses to complete the sentence.

46. I tried everything, but nothing would (elicit/illicit) a response from the child.
47. The Euro has (deprecated/depreciated), but the dollar is up.
48. Stop (persecuting/prosecuting) me just because I often disagree with you.
49. Tomorrow the city is going to (raise/raze) the building that I grew up in.
50. As soon as I get off the phone, I will (appraise/apprise) you of the situation.
51. The odor quickly (disbursed/dispersed) through the room, and soon it was no longer even noticeable.
52. I don’t like Igor because he is constantly (meddling/mettling) in things that are none of his business.
53. Although you all seem to agree, I must (decent/descent/dissent); I think this is a bad decision.
54. Dixie is so (ingenious/ingenuous) I don’t think she could lie if her life depended on it.
55. I’m just going to (peak/peek/pique) in the baby’s room to make sure she’s okay.
56. The thief managed to (allude/elude) the police for several days, but they finally caught up with him in Reno.
57. The (cue/queue) for the movies was all the way to the end of the block and around the corner.
58. Georgio had to (fain/feign) excitement when he opened his presents so his parents wouldn’t know he’d already searched their room to find out what he was getting.
59. A strange odor is (eminenting/imminenting/emanating) from Professor Van Buren’s laboratory.

Directions: In questions 60 through 63, identify the correct synonym by looking for word roots, prefixes, or suffixes. Choose the word that means the same or about the same as the italicized/underlined word.

60. an incoherent answer

a. not understandable
b. not likely
c. undeniable
d. challenging

61. covered with debris

a. good excuses
b. transparent material
c. scattered rubble
d. protective material

62. inadvertently left

a. mistakenly
b. purposely
c. cautiously
d. carefully

63. compatible workers

a. gifted
b. competitive
c. harmonious
d. experienced

Directions: In questions 64 through 67, choose the word that means the opposite of the italicized/underlined word.

64. capable employee

a. unskilled
b. absurd
c. apt
d. able

65. zealous pursuit

a. envious
b. eager
c. idle
d. comical

66. exorbitant prices

a. expensive
b. unexpected
c. reasonable
d. outrageous

67. belligerent attitude

a. hostile
b. appeasing
c. instinctive
d. ungracious

Directions: For questions 68 through 72, choose the word whose definition best matches the description.

68. an artist’s first gallery showing

a. ennui
b. imbroglio
c. parvenu
d. debut

69. a temporary separation in a relationship

a. blasé
b. quid pro quo
c. hiatus
d. malaise

70. wearing a disguise

a. incognito
b. imbroglio
c. milieu
d. oeuvre

71. pretending not to be hurt by an insulting remark

a. ad hoc
b. gauche
c. cliché
d. façade

72. someone who reports students’ questions and concerns to the dean

a. aficionado
b. liaison
c. parvenu
d. vis-à-vis

Directions: For questions 73 and 74, choose the word or phrase that best describes the section of the word in underlined type.

73. congregation

a. with
b. over
c. apart
d. time

74. wisdom

a. a state of being
b. a relationship
c. a property
d. an action

75. A synonym for affect is

a. accomplish.
b. cause.
c. sicken.
d. influence.

76. An antonym for wary is

a. alert.
b. leery.
c. worried.
d. careless.

77. An antonym for novel is

a. dangerous.
b. unsettled.
c. suitable
d. old.

78. A synonym for continuous is

a. intermittent.
b. adjacent.
c. uninterrupted.
d. contiguous.

79. A synonym for courtesy is

a. civility.
b. congruity.
c. conviviality.
d. rudeness.

80. An antonym for fallacy is

a. truth.
b. blessing.
c. weakness.
d. fable.

Answers:

d. Legitimate means in a manner conforming to recognized principles or accepted rules or standards.
b. Pummeled means to pound or beat.
d. Facilitate means to make easier or help bring about.
c. Exemplify means to be an instance of or serve as an example.
b. Confluence means a coming or flowing together, a meeting, or a gathering at one point.
d. Requisite means essential or necessary.
a. Delude means to mislead the mind; to deceive.
c. Comprehensive means covering completely or broadly.
b. Reticent means inclined to be silent or uncommunicative, reserved.
b. Precursor means something that comes before.
d. Reputedly means according to general belief.
a. Abated means to decrease in force or intensity.
c. Consummate means extremely skilled and experienced.
c. Diligently means to do something with careful attention and great effort.
b. To poach is to trespass on another’s property in order to steal fish or game.
d. To differentiate between two things is to establish the distinction between them.
b. When a car goes out of control and skims along the surface of a wet road, it is called hydroplaning.
d. A clairvoyant is someone who can perceive matters beyond the range of ordinary perception.
d. Trite means repeated too often, overly familiar through overuse. The key context clue is the phrase “the old storyline,” which indicates that the plot of the movie is overused.
b. To emulate means to try to equal or excel, especially by imitation. The sentence tells you that Ilka is pursuing the same career as her brother, which indicates that she is trying to equal or outdo him through imitation.
d. To garner means to gather, amass, or acquire. The sentence tells you that Ilona quickly found the support she needed to present her idea to the committee; also because the sentence states that people loved Ilona’s idea, it is logical to conclude that she would gather their support.
b. To thwart means to prevent the accomplishment or realization of something. Cy’s twisted ankle kept him from realizing his attempt to complete the marathon.
b. The prefix sub- means under or below. To subjugate means to conquer, subdue, bring under control. Notice also the verb suffix -ate, meaning one that performs, promotes, or causes an action; being in a specified state or condition.
a. The noun suffix -ence means state of. Benevolence means the inclination to be kind and generous; a disposition to act charitably.
c. The prefix co- means with, together. Coalesce means to combine and form a whole; to join together, fuse.
d. The adjective suffix -ile means having the qualities of. Docile means willing to obey, ready and willing to be taught, or easily managed.
b. The prefix a- mean not, without. Anomaly means something that deviates from the general rule or usual form; one that is irregular or abnormal.
a. The adjective suffix -able means capable or worthy of. Lamentable means regrettable, unfortunate; inspiring grief or mourning.
c. The prefix ab- means off, away from, apart, down. To abscond means to go away secretly and hide oneself, especially after wrongdoing.
d. The prefix dis- means away from, apart, reversal, not. Disparate means fundamentally different or distinct; dissimilar, varied.
a. The verb suffix -ify means to make. To rectify means to make right, correct.
d. The prefix in- means not. Inscrutable means baffling, unfathomable, incapable of being understood. Notice also the adjective suffix -able.
b. The prefix anti- means against, opposed to. Antipathy means a strong aversion or dislike.
d. The prefix neo- means new, recent, a new form of. Neophyte means a beginner or novice.
c. The root bel means war. The ending -ent is an adjective suffix meaning in a state or condition; performing or causing a specified action. Belligerent means hostile and aggressive, showing an eagerness to fight.
d. The root omni means all; the root sci means to know. Omniscient means having infinite knowledge, knowing all things.
a. The root nas/nat/nai means to be born. The prefix re- means back or again; the suffix -ance means state of. Renaissance means a rebirth or revival.
b. The root equ means equal; the root voc/vok means to call; the suffix -ate means to make, cause to be. To equivocate means to use unclear or ambiguous language in order to mislead or conceal the truth. Thus, someone who equivocates is “equally” lying and telling the truth (or rather, not quite doing either).
c. The root man means hand. Manifest means clear and unmistakable, obvious; thus, at hand. The correct answer can be achieved here through the process of elimination, as the other answers correspond with different roots.
a. The root luc/lum/lus means light; the suffix -ous means having the quality of or relating to. Luminous means shining, emitting light; full of light, brilliant.
d. The root culp means blame. The adjective suffix -able means capable or worthy of. Culpable means deserving blame or censure for doing something wrong or harmful; blameworthy, guilty.
a. The root nec/nic/noc/nox means harm, death. The prefix in- means not; the suffix -ous means having the quality of or relating to. Thus, innocuous means harmless, having no adverse or ill effects.
a. The root pon/pos/pound means to put, place. To juxtapose means to place side by side, especially to compare or contrast.
b. The root tac/tic means to be silent. Reticent means tending to keep one’s thoughts and feelings to oneself; reserved, untalkative, silent.
c. The root ver means truth. The suffix -able means capable or worthy of. Veritable means real, true, genuine.
elicit. To elicit means (1) to call forth or draw out, to provoke; (2) to deduce or derive by reasoning. This sentence uses the first meaning.
depreciated. To depreciate means to diminish in price or value, to lessen the worth of. It also means to think or speak of as being of little worth, to belittle.
persecuting. To persecute is to oppress, harass, or mistreat, especially because of race, religious or political beliefs, or sexual orientation.
raze. To raze is (1) to level to the ground, demolish completely; (2) to erase, obliterate. This sentence uses the first meaning.
apprise. To apprise means to give notice or information to, to make aware of, inform.
dispersed. To disperse is (1) to separate and scatter in different directions, or cause to do so; (2) to distribute widely, disseminate. This sentence uses the first meaning.
meddling. To meddle is to intrude in other people’s affairs, interfere.
dissent. To dissent is (1) to differ in opinion, disagree; (2) to withhold approval or assent. This sentence uses the first meaning.
ingenuous. Ingenuous means (1) not cunning or deceitful, unable to mask feelings; artless, frank sincere; (2) lacking sophistication or worldliness. This sentence uses the first meaning.
peek. To peek is to glance quickly or peer at furtively.
elude. To elude is (1) to escape from or evade, especially by cleverness, daring, or skill; (2) to be incomprehensible to, escape the understanding of.
queue. A queue is (1) a line of waiting people or vehicles; (2) in information processing, an ordered list of tasks to be performed or sequence of programs awaiting processing. This sentence uses the first meaning.
feign. To feign is to pretend, to give the false appearance of.
emanating. To emanate is to come or issue forth, as from a source.
a. Incoherent means not understandable. To cohere means to connect. A coherent answer connects or makes sense. The prefix in- means not.
c. Debris is scattered fragments or trash.
a. Inadvertently means by mistake. The key element in this word is the prefix in-, which means not.
c. Compatible means capable of existing or performing in harmony.
a. The suffix -able tells you that a capable employee is one who has ability. Capable means able; unskilled means unable.
c. Zealous means eager, so idle is most nearly the opposite. You may have heard the word zeal before, which might give you a clue about the meaning of the word. One other precaution is to be careful and not be misled by the similar sounds of zealous and jealous. The other trick is not to choose the synonym, eager, choice b.
c. The best clue in this word is the prefix ex-, which means out of or away from. Exorbitant literally means exceeding the bounds of what is fair or normal; very high. The opposite of an exorbitant or outrageous price would be a reasonable one.
b. The key element in this word is the root belli, which means warlike. The synonym choices—hostile and ungracious—would be incorrect. The antonym would be appeasing.
d. A debut is a first appearance in or presentation to the public.
c. Hiatus means a gap or opening; an interruption or break.
a. Incognito means with one’s identity concealed; in disguise or under an assumed character or identity.
d. A façade is (1) the face or front of a building; (2) an artificial or deceptive front, especially one intended to hide something unpleasant.
b. Liaison means (1) a channel or means of connection or communication between two groups; one who maintains such communication; (2) a close relationship or link, especially one that is secretive or adulterous.
a. The prefix con- means to be together with. A congregation would gather together with each other in a house of worship.
a. The suffix -dom is a state of being. Someone who has wisdom is someone who is wise enough to discern or judge what is right, true, or lasting.
d. To affect means to influence.
d. To be wary is to be on guard or watchful; careless is the opposite of watchful.
d. To be novel is to be new; the opposite is old.
c. Continuous means marked by uninterrupted extension in space and time.
a. A courtesy is a courteous or mannerly act; it is characterized by civility.
a. A fallacy is a false or mistaken idea, trickery; a truth is something that conforms to the facts.

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