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 linearidadjectivedesiccatedlacking vitality or spiritHigh Camp2 sensesHas a reason line
Every word at SummitGrouped by theme
Qualities56 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
- meekadjectivemodest
- mercilessadjectiveunmerciful
- naiveadjectivenaif
- obscureadjectivedark
- oilyadjectivegreasy
- operableadjectivepracticable
- pathosnounpoignancy
- placidadjectiveequable
- plentynounlot
- profoundadjectiveunfathomed
- rarefiedadjectiverarified
- responsibleadjectivecreditworthy
- silenceverbstill
- smallnessnounlittleness
- spiritedadjectiveenlivened
- stalwartadjectivestouthearted
- sufficiencynounenough
- sweetnessnounpleasantness
- talladjectivemarvelous
- tangibleadjectivetouchable
- uncertaintynounprecariousness
- uniformadjectiveunvarying
- unsanitaryadjectiveinsanitary
- warmthnounwarmness
Actions19 words
Things done, named as nouns
- aggravationnounexacerbation
- awakeningnounwakening
- defiantadjectivenoncompliant
- disfigurementnoundefacement
- dismantlingnoundisassembly
- downturnnoundownswing
- dutifuladjectiveduteous
- elevationnounaggrandizement
- evasionnounnonpayment
- expulsionnounriddance
- gripnounhold
- inventorynounstock
- juxtapositionnounapposition
- reliefnouneasing
- rigmarolenounrigamarole
- scoutingnounreconnoitering
- sillyadjectiveridiculous
- suppressionnouncurtailment
- wastefuladjectiveuneconomical
States and conditions15 words
How something stands
- aridadjectivedesiccated
- defineverbdelineate
- disturbancenouncommotion
- humnounbusyness
- incompleteadjectiveuncompleted
- infamynounopprobrium
- innocentadjectiveguiltless
- mangyadjectivemangey
- messyadjectivemussy
- offsetverbcancel
- outweighverboverbalance
- seizurenounraptus
- tensionnountenseness
- titlenounchampionship
- unattainableadjectiveunachievable
Thinking and knowing14 words
Judgement, memory, belief
- breadthnounlargeness
- cautionnouncare
- enigmaticadjectivepuzzling
- fantasynounphantasy
- headnounmind
- heedlessadjectivereckless
- impartialadjectiveunprejudiced
- kennouncognizance
- knightlyadjectivechivalric
- musicnouneuphony
- obliviousadjectiveforgetful
- obscureadjectivedark
- obtuseadjectivepurblind
- seminaladjectivegerminal
Communication13 words
Saying, writing, signalling
Contact and joining10 words
Touching, holding, fixing
People and roles8 words
Who someone is
Emotions7 words
What something feels like
Objects6 words
Things you can hold
Change5 words
Becoming something else
Time5 words
When, and for how long
Events4 words
Things that happen
The body4 words
Bodily verbs and parts
Quantity4 words
How much of it there is
Social life2 words
Acting with other people
Groups and collections2 words
Many treated as one
Perception2 words
Seeing, hearing, noticing
Processes2 words
Something unfolding over time
Materials2 words
What something is made of
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
Climb from Foothills to Summit, five rungs a day
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