TEST Your English Vocabulary: Do you know these 15 advanced words?

Notice, recognize, or show that you have seen or heard someone or something.

Tone and use: Neutral verb; common in conversation and formal writing. Use it when someone recognizes a person, fact, contribution, or message.

May not fit: It does not necessarily mean agree with; you can acknowledge a claim without accepting it.

Packaging made from material that can break down naturally over time.

Tone and use: Environmental and product-description term. Use it when discussing packaging designed to decompose under suitable conditions.

May not fit: Biodegradable does not automatically mean it breaks down quickly in every environment.

So interesting, attractive, or engaging that it holds your attention.

Tone and use: Positive descriptive adjective. Use it for a performance, story, person, or presentation that keeps people interested.

May not fit: It describes the effect on an audience, not simply that something is correct or useful.

Involving extremely serious damage, harm, or consequences.

Tone and use: Strong and serious adjective. Use it for a disaster or failure with very severe effects.

May not fit: Do not use it for a minor inconvenience; the word signals major harm.

A condition in which the body does not have enough of a particular vitamin.

Tone and use: Health and nutrition term. Use it when describing a medically relevant lack of a nutrient.

May not fit: Do not diagnose yourself from symptoms alone; a clinician can confirm a deficiency.

Temporarily inactive, but capable of becoming active again.

Tone and use: Neutral, often used for plants, volcanoes, or systems. Use it for something inactive that may resume activity later.

May not fit: For a person who avoids work, lazy is more natural; dormant is not a general synonym.

Spend a period inactive or asleep during cold weather, as some animals do.

Tone and use: Biology term also used informally for staying in during winter. Use it for animals that enter a seasonal inactive state.

May not fit: Humans do not literally hibernate; use it jokingly if you mean staying indoors.

Make an action or process easier to do.

Tone and use: Formal and common in workplace or academic language. Use it when a tool, person, or condition helps a process happen smoothly.

May not fit: It does not mean perform the task for someone; it means make it easier.

A strong interest and curiosity about medieval history.

Tone and use: Natural collocation; fascination is stronger than casual interest. Use have a fascination with to describe a subject that strongly interests you.

May not fit: Fascination names an interest, not necessarily expertise or professional study.

Learning by being surrounded by the language in use.

Tone and use: Language-learning term. Use it for experiences where much of the listening, reading, or interaction happens in the target language.

May not fit: It does not require living abroad; media and local activities can also provide immersion.

Choose to act or begin something without waiting for someone to instruct you.

Tone and use: Positive workplace and learning phrase. Use it when someone proactively starts a useful task or takes responsibility.

May not fit: It does not mean ignoring necessary approval or safety procedures.

Interesting in a way that makes you curious and want to know more.

Tone and use: Positive adjective. Use it for an idea, question, story, or discovery that invites further thought.

May not fit: It can mean curious-making, not merely confusing or strange.

Likely to make a lot of money or produce substantial profit.

Tone and use: Business and work adjective. Use it to describe a job, deal, or business opportunity with strong earning potential.

May not fit: It describes financial potential, not whether an activity is enjoyable or ethical.

Lectures that feel repetitive or lack variety.

Tone and use: Critical description. Use monotonous for repetitive content or an unchanging tone of voice.

May not fit: It means lacking variety, not necessarily factually wrong or difficult.

Develop a high level of skill in a subject or language.

Tone and use: Formal learning phrase. Use reach proficiency when describing progress toward strong, capable performance.

May not fit: It does not necessarily mean perfect or native-like ability.

Denied something with strong energy, force, or emphasis.

Tone and use: Emphatic and formal-ish adverb + verb combination. Use it when a person strongly rejects an accusation or claim.

May not fit: It describes how forcefully someone denies something, not whether the denial is true.