Primary 5 Vocabulary List: 30 Advanced Words with Meanings and Examples

Quick Read: How to Use This Primary 5 Vocabulary List

This preserved eduKate Primary 5 vocabulary resource is a learning bank, not an official MOE or SEAB prescribed word list. Its value comes from turning each word into usable language: meaning, word class, context, retrieval and application.

For each word, first understand the core meaning, then say the meaning without looking, notice how the word behaves in a sentence, and finally use it in an original sentence. Review the word again after a few days. A learner has not fully mastered a word merely by recognising it on a page.

Word	Word class	Core meaning	Example
apparel	noun	clothing, especially when discussed as a category	The shop sells sports apparel for children and adults.
arid	adjective	extremely dry, with little rain or moisture	Few plants can survive in the arid landscape.
arrogant	adjective	showing an exaggerated sense of one’s own importance or ability	His arrogant reply made it seem as though he would not listen to anyone else.
allegiance	noun	loyalty or commitment to a person, group, cause or country	The knight pledged allegiance to the king.
beacon	noun	a light or signal used as a guide; figuratively, something that gives hope or direction	The lighthouse served as a beacon for ships near the coast.
blunder	noun / verb	a careless or serious mistake; to make such a mistake	Forgetting the final page of the report was an embarrassing blunder.
boycott	noun / verb	an organised refusal to buy, use or participate in something as a protest	The group decided to boycott the event until the rule was reviewed.
boisterous	adjective	noisy, energetic and cheerful, sometimes to an excessive degree	The boisterous crowd filled the hall with laughter.
chronological	adjective	arranged in the order in which events happened	She placed the photographs in chronological order.
clarity	noun	the quality of being clear and easy to understand	The diagram improved the clarity of his explanation.
collaborate	verb	to work together with others to achieve something	The two teams collaborated on the science project.
commend	verb	to praise someone formally or strongly	The teacher commended Mei for helping a younger pupil.
composure	noun	a calm and controlled state of mind or behaviour	Despite the unexpected question, she maintained her composure.
concise	adjective	brief but complete and clear	His concise answer explained the idea in two sentences.
cultivate	verb	to prepare and grow land or crops; figuratively, to develop a quality or skill	Regular reading can help cultivate curiosity about language.
deluge	noun / verb	a severe flood or a very large amount arriving at once; to overwhelm with a large amount	The office received a deluge of messages after the announcement.
deplete	verb	to reduce the amount or supply of something greatly	Weeks without rain depleted the reservoir.
drastic	adjective	extreme and likely to have a strong effect	The coach made a drastic change to the training schedule.
degrade	verb	to lower the quality, condition or dignity of something or someone	Plastic waste can degrade the quality of a natural habitat.
eligible	adjective	meeting the conditions required to take part or be chosen	Students who meet the age requirement are eligible to enter the competition.
efficient	adjective	working well without wasting time, energy or resources	The new filing system made the group’s work more efficient.
esteem	noun / verb	respect and admiration; to respect highly	The scientist was held in high esteem by her colleagues.
exploit	verb / noun	to make use of something, sometimes unfairly; as a noun, a notable deed	The scam attempted to exploit people’s trust.
extinct	adjective	having no living members remaining	The dodo is an extinct bird.
extract	verb / noun	to remove or obtain something; a short passage taken from a longer text	The students read an extract from the novel before answering questions.
genre	noun	a category of artistic, literary or musical work with shared features	Mystery is her favourite fiction genre.
inept	adjective	lacking skill or ability in a particular situation	His inept attempt to repair the tap made the leak worse.
ignite	verb	to set something on fire; figuratively, to start a strong feeling or process	The discovery ignited her interest in astronomy.
innovate	verb	to introduce or develop a new idea, method or product	The team had to innovate when the original design failed.
intimidate	verb	to frighten or pressure someone, especially to make them act in a certain way	The older boys tried to intimidate him into giving up his seat.

A Stronger Learning Routine

Understand: learn the meaning and word class.
Notice: study a sentence and common word partners.
Retrieve: cover the answer and recall the word from its meaning.
Apply: use the word in a sentence that makes the meaning evident.
Revisit: test it again after a delay rather than relying on same-day familiarity.

Continue with the eduKate Vocabulary Lists for more levelled and themed practice.

Vocabulary list for P5 Singapore Online. Primary Vocabulary for Primary School P5 prepared by Tutor Yuet Ling +65 88231234.

Welcome to eduKate Singapore’s English Lessons for Singapore students, this is our constant updates for our students and parents to do at home, and a free resource for everyone.

This list consists of an advanced list of vocabulary words that you can introduce to your child. It is always best to take it slow and steady for best results.

Instructions:

As usual, introduction of words to children consists of

explaining its meaning,
practicing it with a few examples that it will be used in, and
consistent usage for an extended period to incorporate the new words into their long term arsenal of vocabulary mastery.

The important thing is not merely to increase the word count every day, but to make sure new words become retrievable and usable.

Enjoy.