Tier 5 of 5
Summit: rare and formal
The smallest tier and the hardest. These pairs are drawn from formal, literary and specialist English, and several of them have near misses that would pass unnoticed in a first draft. Read the reason under each answer even when you get it right.
Start hereFrom the three largest shelves at this tier
cautionnouncarejudiciousness in avoiding harm or dangerTreelineThinking and knowing2 sensesHas a reason lineaggravationnounexacerbationaction that makes a problem or a disease (or its symptoms) worseSummitActionsHas a reason lineaccessionnounassentingagreeing with or consenting to (often unwillingly)SummitCommunicationHas a reason line
Every word at SummitGrouped by theme
Qualities57 words
What something is like
- abandonnounwantonness
- amenableadjectiveconformable
- bitenounsharpness
- buxomadjectivezaftig
- carefreeadjectiveunworried
- cautionnouncare
- claritynounclearness
- comparisonnounequivalence
- constantadjectivechangeless
- datelessadjectiveendless
- deepadjectiveabstruse
- definitiveadjectiveauthoritative
- depthnoundeepness
- directnessnounstraightness
- drynessnoundispassion
- economynounthriftiness
- emphasisnounvehemence
- emphaticadjectiveforceful
- extensionnounprolongation
- fearfuladjectivetimorous
- fortuitousadjectivecauseless
- genuineadjectiveecht
- hardnessnounruggedness
- heedlessadjectivereckless
- immutableadjectivechangeless
- impulsiveadjectiveunprompted
- inadvisableadjectiveunadvisable
- inanimateadjectivenonliving
- inconsiderateadjectiveunconsidered
- intangibleadjectivenonphysical
- invisibleadjectiveunseeable
- likenessnounsimilitude
- magnanimitynounbeneficence
- meekadjectivemodest
- mercilessadjectiveunmerciful
- naiveadjectivenaif
- obscureadjectivedark
- oilyadjectivegreasy
- operableadjectivepracticable
- pathosnounpoignancy
- placidadjectiveequable
- plentynounlot
- profoundadjectiveunfathomed
- rarefiedadjectiverarified
- responsibleadjectivecreditworthy
- silenceverbstill
- smallnessnounlittleness
- spiritedadjectiveenlivened
- stalwartadjectivestouthearted
- sufficiencynounenough
- sweetnessnounpleasantness
- talladjectivemarvelous
- tangibleadjectivetouchable
- uncertaintynounprecariousness
- uniformadjectiveunvarying
- unsanitaryadjectiveinsanitary
- warmthnounwarmness
Actions20 words
Things done, named as nouns
- aggravationnounexacerbation
- awakeningnounwakening
- defiantadjectivenoncompliant
- disfigurementnoundefacement
- dismantlingnoundisassembly
- downturnnoundownswing
- dutifuladjectiveduteous
- elevationnounaggrandizement
- evasionnounnonpayment
- expulsionnounriddance
- gripnounhold
- inventorynounstock
- juxtapositionnounapposition
- randomadjectivedesultory
- reliefnouneasing
- rigmarolenounrigamarole
- scoutingnounreconnoitering
- sillyadjectiveridiculous
- suppressionnouncurtailment
- wastefuladjectiveuneconomical
Communication18 words
Saying, writing, signalling
- accessionnounassenting
- bawdynounbawdry
- bitenounsharpness
- blamenounrap
- circumlocutionnounperiphrasis
- colloquialadjectivedemotic
- diatribenounphilippic
- emphaticadjectiveforceful
- enunciateverbenounce
- gutturaladjectivecroaky
- harangueverbexcoriate
- intrudeverbobtrude
- ramblingadjectivediscursive
- scathingadjectivevituperative
- slurnounaspersion
- talladjectivemarvelous
- textnounschoolbook
- titlenounchampionship
Thinking and knowing17 words
Judgement, memory, belief
- breadthnounlargeness
- cautionnouncare
- cognitionnounmentation
- enigmaticadjectivepuzzling
- fantasynounphantasy
- headnounmind
- heedlessadjectivereckless
- impartialadjectiveunprejudiced
- kennouncognizance
- knightlyadjectivechivalric
- museverbcerebrate
- musicnouneuphony
- obliviousadjectiveforgetful
- obscureadjectivedark
- obtuseadjectivepurblind
- presageverbadumbrate
- seminaladjectivegerminal
States and conditions16 words
How something stands
- aridadjectivedesiccated
- catatonicadjectivecataleptic
- defineverbdelineate
- disturbancenouncommotion
- humnounbusyness
- incompleteadjectiveuncompleted
- infamynounopprobrium
- innocentadjectiveguiltless
- mangyadjectivemangey
- messyadjectivemussy
- offsetverbcancel
- outweighverboverbalance
- seizurenounraptus
- tensionnountenseness
- titlenounchampionship
- unattainableadjectiveunachievable
Emotions12 words
What something feels like
Contact and joining10 words
Touching, holding, fixing
People and roles9 words
Who someone is
Objects6 words
Things you can hold
Change5 words
Becoming something else
Events5 words
Things that happen
Social life5 words
Acting with other people
Time5 words
When, and for how long
The body4 words
Bodily verbs and parts
Quantity4 words
How much of it there is
Materials3 words
What something is made of
Weather3 words
Fire, frost and blight
Groups and collections2 words
Many treated as one
Perception2 words
Seeing, hearing, noticing
Processes2 words
Something unfolding over time
Animals2 words
Creatures and their traits
Food and drink1 words
Eating, drinking, abstaining
Giving and transferring1 words
Handing something over
Making and creating1 words
Bringing something into being
Relations1 words
How two things stand to each other
No theme recorded48 words
The bank leaves a theme off an entry when none of the shelves is a good fit. These words are listed here rather than being filed under a theme they do not belong to.
- badlyadverbpoorly
- baldadjectivedenuded
- befuddledadjectivebefogged
- benightedadjectivenighted
- bitterlyadverbpiercingly
- boisterousadjectiveknockabout
- carelesslyadverbincautiously
- championadjectiveprizewinning
- cursedadjectivecurst
- decimaladjectivedenary
- directadjectiveexact
- disablingadjectivedisqualifying
- embarrassedadjectivehumiliated
- fancifuladjectivenotional
- fossilizedadjectiveossified
- glazedadjectiveglassed
- gleamingadjectiveagleam
- hotlyadverbheatedly
- impulsivelyadverbimpetuously
- indefinableadjectiveundefinable
- innocuousadjectiveunobjectionable
- lateraladjectivesidelong
- minutelyadverbcircumstantially
- mutuallyadverbreciprocally
- noticeablyadverbperceptibly
- painstakinglyadverbfastidiously
- pleasantlyadverbagreeably
- predestinedadjectiveforeordained
- priestlyadjectivehieratic
- puzzledadjectivenonplussed
- radialadjectivestellate
- respectivelyadverbseverally
- sharplyadverbaggressively
- singsongadjectiveintoned
- slowlyadverbtardily
- squarelyadverbforthrightly
- summaryadjectivedrumhead
- sylvanadjectivesilvan
- traceableadjectivetrackable
- unblemishedadjectiveunmarred
- unconscionableadjectiveconscienceless
- undevelopedadjectiveunexploited
- unevenlyadverbunequally
- unfashionableadjectiveunstylish
- unflatteringadjectiveuncomplimentary
- untouchedadjectiveuninfluenced
- waxyadjectivewaxen
- wiselyadverbsagely
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