Top 100 Advanced Vocabulary Words for Secondary 2 English Tutorial: A Comprehensive Guide

Quick Summary for Parents:

• Understanding advanced vocabulary is crucial for secondary 2 English students.
• Techniques for improving vocabulary include frequent reading, vocabulary drills, and online resources.
• Preparation can be enhanced through consistent practice and assessment tests.
• Many factors can influence a student’s vocabulary growth, such as exposure, engagement, and commitment to learning.
• Numerous international resources provide exceptional vocabulary-building tools.

Here are all 100 words along with their definitions and usage examples. Please note that these words are suitable for Secondary 2 students, but students’ vocabulary levels can vary widely:

Word	Definition	Usage
1. Abandon	To leave behind completely and finally	They had to abandon their car when the snow became too deep.
2. Benefit	An advantage or profit gained from something	The benefit of that exercise routine is improved flexibility.
3. Consequence	The result or effect of an action or condition	Neglecting your health can have serious consequences.
4. Discriminate	Recognize a distinction; differentiate	The policy discriminates in favor of the elderly.
5. Evaluate	Form an idea of the amount, number, or value of; assess	The research will evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment.
6. Fundamental	Forming a necessary base or core; of central importance	Respect for others is fundamental to a civil society.
7. Gratitude	The quality of being thankful	She expressed her gratitude to the team for their hard work.
8. Hierarchy	A system or organization in which people or groups are ranked one above the other	The corporate hierarchy determines who makes the final decisions.
9. Ignorance	Lack of knowledge or information	She was astounded by his ignorance of basic history.
10. Justify	Show or prove to be right or reasonable	The benefits of the research justify the costs.
11. Knowledge	Facts, information, and skills acquired through experience or education	She has a broad knowledge of history.
12. Logic	Reasoning conducted or assessed according to strict principles of validity	The logic of his argument was undeniable.
13. Misinterpret	Interpret (something) wrongly	The data can be easily misinterpreted.
14. Navigate	Plan and direct the route or course	She navigated the car through the dense traffic.
15. Obstacle	A thing that blocks one’s way or hinders progress	The biggest obstacle to success is fear of failure.
16. Paradox	A seemingly absurd or contradictory statement that when investigated may prove to be well-founded	The paradox is that the region’s most dynamic economies have the most primitive financial systems.
17. Quantify	Express or measure the quantity of	It’s difficult to quantify the impact of the campaign.
18. Repertoire	A stock of skills or types of behavior that a person habitually uses	He had an impressive repertoire of culinary skills.
19. Strategy	A plan of action designed to achieve a long-term or overall aim	They are discussing marketing strategies for the new product.
20. Transition	The process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another	The transition from high school to college can be challenging.
21. Underestimate	Estimate (something) to be smaller or less important than it actually is	Never underestimate the power of a good education.
22. Variable	Not consistent or having a fixed pattern; liable to change	The quality of hospital food is highly variable.
23. Wisdom	The quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment	He was known for his wisdom and courage.
24. Xenophobia	Dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries	Society must fight against xenophobia and discrimination.
25. Yield	Produce or provide	The vineyard yields a bountiful harvest each year.
26. Zeal	Great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective	She brought her typical zeal to the committee’s work.
27. Anomaly	Something that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected	There are a number of anomalies in the present system.
28. Bliss	Perfect happiness; great joy	The birth of their first child was a time of pure bliss.
29. Concise	Giving a lot of information clearly and in a few words; brief but comprehensive	She gave a concise summary of the events.
30. Dilemma	A situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two or more alternatives	He was facing the dilemma of obeying his orders or keeping his promises.
31. Eloquent	Fluent or persuasive in speaking or writing	Her speech was eloquent and passionate.
32. Facilitate	Make (an action or process) easy or easier	The new ramp will facilitate the entry of wheelchairs.
33. Gregarious	Fond of company; sociable	He was a popular and gregarious man.
34. Haphazard	Lacking any obvious principle of organization	The books were arranged in a haphazard fashion.
35. Inevitable	Certain to happen; unavoidable	The defeat had inevitable consequences for policy.
36. Jeopardy	Danger of loss, harm, or failure	The economic crisis has put jobs in jeopardy.
37. Kinetic	Relating to or resulting from motion	The kinetic energy of an object is the energy that it possesses due to its motion.
38. Lucid	Expressed clearly; easy to understand	He gave a lucid explanation of the complex process.
39. Momentum	The impetus gained by a moving object	The team has gained momentum in the last games.
40. Negligible	So small or unimportant as to be not worth considering	The price difference was negligible.
41. Oblivious	Not aware of or not concerned about what is happening around one	She was oblivious to the people staring at her.
42. Prudent	Acting with or showing care and thought for the future	It would be prudent to save some money each month.
43. Quaint	Attractively unusual or old-fashioned	The village had quaint houses and beautiful gardens.
44. Resilient	Able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions	She showed a resilient spirit after the accident.
45. Sceptical	Not easily convinced; having doubts or reservations	The public were deeply sceptical about some of the proposals.
46. Tedious	Too long, slow, or dull: tiresome or monotonous	The work can be tedious and physically demanding.
47. Unanimous	Fully in agreement	The jury returned a unanimous verdict of guilty.
48. Versatile	Able to adapt or be adapted to many different functions or activities	He’s a versatile actor who has played a wide variety of roles.
49. Wary	Feeling or showing caution about possible dangers or problems	Dogs that have been mistreated often remain very wary of strangers.
50. Zealous	Having or showing zeal	The council was extremely zealous in the application of the regulations.
51. Abhor	Regard with disgust and hatred	She abhors all forms of discrimination.
52. Bigot	A person who is intolerant towards those holding different opinions	Don’t let a few small-minded bigots destroy the good image of the city.
53. Counterfeit	Made in exact imitation of something valuable with the intention to deceive or defraud	The concert tickets were counterfeit and we couldn’t get in.
54. Enfranchise	Give the right to vote to	The 19th Amendment enfranchised women in the United States.
55. Hamper	Hinder or impede the movement or progress of	High winds hampered the firefighting efforts.
56. Kindle	Light or set on fire	They managed to kindle a fire to keep warm.
57. Noxious	Harmful, poisonous, or very unpleasant	The dump released a noxious odor that offended residents.
58. Placid	Not easily upset or excited	The lake was placid with no ripples disturbing its surface.
59. Remuneration	Money paid for work or a service	Fair remuneration for the work is a basic right.
60. Talisman	An object that is thought to have magic powers and to bring good luck	He carried a small bag of rice as a talisman for good fortune.
61. Abrasive	(of a substance or material) capable of polishing or cleaning a hard surface by rubbing or grinding	The abrasive cleaner quickly removed the stains.
62. Bilk	Obtain or withhold money from (someone) by deceit or without justification; cheat or defraud	The salesman bilked me out of my savings.
63. Covert	Not openly acknowledged or displayed	The team undertook covert surveillance to catch the thief.
64. Engender	Cause or give rise to (a feeling, situation, or condition)	The policy engendered a lot of controversy.
65. Hangar	A large building with extensive floor area, typically for housing aircraft	The private jet was stored in a hangar at the airport.
66. Knotty	Extremely difficult or complex	The committee had to deal with the knotty problem of homelessness.
67. Nuance	A subtle difference in or shade of meaning, expression, or sound	The nuances of the poem were thoughtful and complex.
68. Plagiarism	The practice of taking someone else’s work or ideas and passing them off as one’s own	She was found guilty of plagiarism in her university thesis.
69. Renown	The condition of being known or talked about by many people; fame	He achieved renown for his discoveries in physics.
70. Tangent	A completely different line of thought or action	She went off on a tangent about her vacation plans.
71. Abrogate	Repeal or do away with (a law, right, or formal agreement)	The treaty was abrogated unilaterally.
72. Blasphemy	The act or offense of speaking sacrilegiously about God or sacred things	His speech was considered blasphemy by the devout believers.
73. Credible	Able to be believed; convincing	There were no credible sightings of the missing child.
74. Enigma	A person or thing that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand	The meaning of the ancient text remained an enigma.
75. Harbingers	A person or thing that announces or signals the approach of another	Warm weather is the harbinger of spring.
76. Labyrinth	A complicated irregular network of passages or paths in which it is difficult to find one’s way	The mouse had to find its way through a labyrinth to get the cheese.
77. Nuzzle	Push or rub gently against (someone or something), typically with the nose and mouth	The dog nuzzled against his owner’s leg.
78. Plaudit	Praise	The novel received the plaudits of the critics.
79. Reprehensible	Deserving censure or condemnation	His reprehensible conduct resulted in a court case.
80. Tardy	Delaying or delayed beyond the right or expected time; late	She was tardy to the meeting.
81. Absolution	Formal release from guilt, obligation, or punishment	He sought absolution from his priest for his sins.
82. Blatant	(of bad behavior) done openly and unashamedly	The theft was a blatant disregard for the law.
83. Credulous	Having or showing too great a readiness to believe things	She’s so credulous she’ll believe anything.
84. Ensconce	Establish or settle (someone) in a comfortable, safe place	She ensconced herself in the chair with a good book.
85. Hasten	Be quick to do something	They hastened to finish the project on time.
86. Laceration	A deep cut or tear in skin or flesh	He had lacerations on his hands from the broken glass.
87. Obdurate	Stubbornly refusing to change one’s opinion or course of action	He was obdurate in his refusal to agree.
88. Plausible	(of an argument or statement) seeming reasonable or probable	It seems plausible that the drug could help.
89. Reprieve	Cancel or postpone the punishment of (someone, especially someone condemned to death)	He was reprieved at the last minute.
90. Tawdry	Showy but cheap and of poor quality	The shop sells tawdry jewelry.
91. Abstain	Restrain oneself from doing or enjoying something	He abstained from alcohol.
92. Blighted	Have a severely detrimental effect on	The crops were blighted by the disease.
93. Credulity	A tendency to be too ready to believe that something is real or true	His tale of alien abduction tested our credulity.
94. Enshroud	Envelop completely and hide from view	The mountains were enshrouded in fog.
95. Haughtiness	The appearance or quality of being arrogantly superior and disdainful	His haughtiness made him very unpopular.
96. Lachrymose	Tearful or given to weeping	The movie was a lachrymose melodrama.
97. Obfuscate	Render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible	The meaning of the text was obfuscated by its complex language.
98. Plethora	A large or excessive amount of something	There was a plethora of choices on the menu.
99. Repudiate	Refuse to accept or be associated with	She repudiated the allegations of misconduct.
100. Tedium	The state of being tedious	The tedium of the work was unbearable.

These words offer a challenge for Secondary 2 students and provide an opportunity to expand their English vocabulary significantly. It’s essential to practice using these words in context to fully grasp their meaning and proper usage.

Why Is Advanced Vocabulary Essential?

In Secondary 2, students start to delve deeper into the intricacies of the English language. Advanced vocabulary becomes a powerful tool for articulating complex thoughts and ideas. With a rich and diverse vocabulary, students can excel in their academic and personal lives, improving their communication skills and broadening their comprehension capabilities. But, what drives the necessity of advanced vocabulary?

• Enhanced Understanding: A robust vocabulary aids in understanding complex texts and discussions.
• Improved Communication: It enhances the ability to express thoughts, ideas, and feelings accurately.
• Academic Success: A strong vocabulary is crucial for better performance in examinations.
• Career Advancement: Many professions require good command of language and vocabulary.

How to Improve Advanced Vocabulary?

Frequent Reading

Reading is arguably the most effective method to expand a student’s vocabulary. Books, newspapers, magazines, or digital content – all are rich sources of new words. Encourage students to explore diverse genres and themes, and to look up any unfamiliar words.

Vocabulary Drills

While spontaneous learning is important, structured vocabulary drills can cement the knowledge. Consider using flashcards, vocabulary notebooks, or online vocabulary games for this purpose. Encourage students to use newly learned words in sentences and daily conversations.

Utilize Online Resources

In the digital age, learning has become more accessible than ever. There are numerous websites and apps dedicated to improving vocabulary skills. Some of the internationally acclaimed resources include:

1. Vocabulary.com: This interactive website offers an adaptive learning system, creating personalized learning experiences based on a student’s progress.
2. Memrise: Memrise utilizes spaced repetition and mnemonic techniques to help learners memorize new words.
3. Quizlet: A user-friendly platform providing various learning modes, such as flashcards, quizzes, and games.

How to Prepare for Advanced Vocabulary Learning?

Consistent Practice

One of the best ways to prepare for learning advanced vocabulary is by practicing consistently. This means not only studying new words but also repeatedly using them in written and spoken language. Consistent practice helps to internalize new vocabulary and aids in their appropriate usage.

Regular Assessment

Conduct regular assessment tests to gauge the students’ progress. These tests can be in the form of quizzes, sentence formation tasks, or word application exercises. Feedback from these assessments will help students identify their weak areas and focus on improvement.

What Influences Vocabulary Growth?

Exposure to Language

The more a student is exposed to language, the more their vocabulary grows. This exposure can come from various sources such as reading, listening to conversations, watching movies, or even through social interactions.

Engagement with Learning

Students who are actively engaged in learning are likely to develop their vocabulary more efficiently. This engagement could mean a proactive approach to reading, interactive participation in language games, or a willingness to explore new words and their uses.

Commitment to Learning

The desire and commitment to learn is another crucial factor influencing vocabulary growth. Students who show persistence and consistency in learning, despite challenges, are more likely to achieve their language learning goals. Improving advanced vocabulary for secondary 2 English is a journey that demands time, effort, and the right resources. But with the right approach and guidance, students can significantly enhance their language skills, paving the way for their academic success and beyond. Remember, every new word learned is a step towards a more enriched and expressive linguistic repertoire.

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