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TOEFL Word List # TOEFL/M21

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Explanation of increment (noun)
increase; profit; growth; addition

Sample of increment
The teaching profession has recently made a beginning in this direction, allowing one salary increment for each three years of child rearing.



   
Explanation of disconcert (verb)
to confuse; to embarrass; to fluster; to worry

Sample of disconcert
As if deliberately to disconcert the semi-finalists, the world champion, Garry Kasparov, has registered one of his most impressive performances.



   
Explanation of blithe (adjective)
happy; cheery; merry; carefree

Sample of blithe
The wedding was a blithe celebration.
The blithe child was a pleasant surprise.



   
Explanation of ostracize (verb)
to banish; to exclude

Sample of ostracize
The students tend to ostracize the children they dislike from their games.



   
Explanation of biased (adjective)
prejudiced; influenced; not neutral

Sample of biased
The vegetarian had a biased opinion regarding what should be ordered for dinner.



   
Explanation of prevaricate (verb)
to speak equivocally or evasively; to lie; to deceive; to mislead; to embellish

Sample of prevaricate
The mayor's desperate attempt to prevaricate about the scandal was transparent to the voters.
His mother knew no one else could have done it, but the child foolishly prevaricated about the stain on the rug.



   
Explanation of querulous (adjective)
given to fault-finding and complaining; discontented

Sample of querulous
A querulous voice told him to go and jump in the Thames so he knocked again and eventually the door swung open to reveal a tall, gaunt figure, dressed in a long robe of dyed brown fur.



   
Explanation of expatriate (verb)
to banish; to exile; to withdraw from one's country; to expel

Sample of expatriate
Winters in California perhaps thought himself securely distant from the seat of the infection; he never visited Europe, still less was he tempted to expatriate himself.



   
Explanation of nettle (verb)
to annoy; to irritate

Sample of nettle
The younger brother nettled his older sister until she slapped him.
The boy will nettle the father into agreeing.



   
Explanation of promontory (noun)
piece of land jutting into a body of water; bluff

Sample of promontory
The boat hit the rocky promontory, splitting the bow.



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