Wednesday, March 6, 2024
IELTS SpeakingIELTS Speaking Vocabulary (Band 9)

IELTS Speaking Band 7 to 9 Vocabulary (PDF)

In this post, you’ll find the PDF downloadable list of Words/Phrases/Idioms that should be part of your vocabulary to score band 7-8-9 in IELTS Speaking.

The secret sauce of achieving a high band score is all about how you make use of rich vocabulary and sprinkle some phrases or idioms in between the conversation.

IELTS Speaking is indeed a game of vocabulary & consistent practice. After you win this game, the goal of immigrating or studying in Toronto is never too far.

To guide you further, I’ve formulated a Pdf list of important English language vocabulary words, idioms and sentence structures that may help you in IELTS Speaking Part 1 (2023) Topics Questions & Answers ↗, IELTS Speaking Part-2 Cue Cards (2023) ↗ and IELTS Speaking Part 3 Follow-ups.

Prepare Well !!

IELTS Speaking Band 7/8/9 Vocabulary Words & Idioms PDF DOWNLOAD

Speaking Vocabulary Part-1

Here’s the list of IELTS Speaking Part: 1,2, and 3 vocabulary words, phrases and Idioms, that if successfully applied in conversation, can get you a band score in the range of 7, 8 or 9:

VocabularyMeaning & Sentence formation
avidcharacterized by enthusiasm and vigorous pursuit : very eager and enthusiastic
[I am an avid traveller and since all these years I’ve been travelling to numerous places around the world]
The Great White Norththe term Great White North in reference to Canada, the nickname has been in use for many decades. The general breakdown is that Canada is “Great” because it’s the second-largest country in the world. It’s “White” because of the amount of Arctic frozen tundra and snow within the country. Finally, it’s the “North” of the United States. Hence, the Great White North was born.
prompt to move to action, to serve as the reminder of
[There are number of reasons that prompt me to start a new chapter of my life]
multiculturalconsisting of or relating to people of many different nationalities and cultures.
[Toronto is one of the world’s most multicultural cities]
heaven for foodiesbest place for food lovers
[I am a foodie and Toronto is heaven for foodies]
one-time affairsomething that happens only once
[Life is a one-time affair]
mobilitythe ability to move or be moved freely and easily
[There is large mobility of people towards living in the city]
metropolitan cityrelating to or denoting a metropolis or large city
[Life in a metropolitan city with malls, cinemas, clubs etc. is the most important factor to get settled]
tranquilitythe quality or state of being calm
[Peace and tranquility of the area decides where people want to settle]
at the heart ofat the centre of
[Town square market is located at the heart of Sector – 15]
proximitythe state of being near in space or time
[Due to its proximity to the national highway, it can easily be accessed]
hoaxA hoax is a trick in which someone tells people something that is not true
[Mostly Advertisement are a hoax]
escalateto increase in extent, volume, number, amount, intensity, or scope
[The prices are so escalated in shopping malls that a common man may find it hard to purchase]
dampen the spiritto dull or deaden; depress: to dampen one’s spirits
[Traffic jams can’t dampen the spirit of visiting a street market]
very basisthe basic foundation
[It’s unfortunate that the very basis of our life is now under threat from environment degradation]
umbrella legislationbroad legislation subsuming different sub-legislations
[The Environment Act is an umbrella legislation designed to provide a framework for government to protect the environment]
emphasisegive special importance or prominence to (something) in speaking or writing
[The article emphasised different facets of Environment Protection Act]
sustainabilityavoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance
[The Environment law benefits every living creature by protecting and improving sustainability of the environment]
lackadaisicallacking enthusiasm and determination; carelessly lazy
[I feel the government had a lackadaisical implementation of the environmental powers since the enactment of the constitution]
moral responsibilityour self-directed responsibility
[It’s our moral responsibility to protect the environment]
upholdconfirm or support something
[It’s our moral responsibility to protect the environment and uphold every law framed for it]
took the batontook over the responsibility
[Indians now took the baton in their hands to preserve the mother earth]
noble professionprofession for the service of mankind
[Police service is a noble profession]
uprootpull something out of the ground
[A police officer should be physically fit and courageous to uproot crime from the society]
fatalextremely dangerous
[Use of cell phones while driving is fatal for the road safety]
gender disparitygender differences, male-female differences
[I don’t think there should be any gender disparity in the police service]
egalitarian societythe society where every person is entitled to equal rights, receive equal treatment and opportunities
[We are living in an egalitarian society which makes every race entitled to equal rights]
rotten applea bad or corrupt person in a group
[Each country does have some rotten apples]
outlawsa person who has broken the law, especially one who remains at large or is a fugitive
[There is need to strictly deal with the outlaws for favourable growth of a nation]
rational talklogical conversation
[Arguments are the foundation of every rational talk]
turned intochanged into
[It all started calmly as a discussion but in no time turned into an argument]
squabblea noisy quarrel about something petty or trivial
[The friendly argument soon became a squabble]
lose sight offail to consider, be aware of, or remember
[Jenny & Smith didn’t lose sight of their friendship during the argument]
leaves no space for holding grudgeseliminate all hard feelings or grievances
[Arguing is healthy because it leaves no space for holding grudges]
trivialof little value or importance
[Families normally disagree on trivial topics like what household things to buy and what not?]
closely knittedclosely connected
[Families are so closely knitted that they’ll find arguments in almost everything]
generation gapa difference in values and attitudes between one generation and another
[A generation gap refers to the chasm that separates the thoughts expressed by members of two different generations]
overly self-obsessedtoo much egocentric or self-centered
[Some people are stubborn because they’re overly self-obsessed and think of their opinion highly]
persona the public image of one’s personality
[Welcoming good arguments and listen to others help us build our persona]
tiling puzzleTiling puzzles are puzzles involving two-dimensional packing problems in which a number of flat shapes have to be assembled into a larger given shape without overlaps (and often without gaps).
hard to cracktough to solve
[Some jigsaw puzzles are hard to crack]
walk in the parksomething that is very easy to do
[Some puzzles are a walk in the park and can be solved in a matter of minutes]
bustlemove in an energetic or noisy manner
[Puzzling is perfect for people who want a solo break from the bustle of digital lifestyle]
cognitive abilitiesa general mental capability involving reasoning, problem solving, planning and abstract thinking
[Solving at least one puzzle a week improve our cognitive abilities]
reinforcestrengthen or support
[Sudoku and Jigsaw reinforce connections between brain cells and improves mental speed]
inclinationlikeness
[I’ve certain inclination towards detective movies]
stimulatingencouraging or arousing interest or enthusiasm
[Motion video is far more stimulating than navigating through pages of a novel]
inborn gifta skill by birth
[Natural talent is one such inborn gift that we realise with the gradual passage of time]
for that sakefor that purpose
[For that sake, I’ve tried number of things but nothing worked out for me]
accomplishedhighly trained or skilled
[He is an accomplished music tutor]
honerefine or perfect (something) over a period of time
[I’ll hone my skills under my Uncle’s guidance]
infusingfilling; pervading
[I thank god everyday for infusing this natural skill of singing within me]
get their eyes offstop watching something
[People can’t get their eyes off from the TV]
cloud ninea feeling of well-being or elation
[Singing at Wembley made me feel like I’m on cloud nine]
kinfolksrelatives, family members or friends
[It was my first ever experience in the Cricket Stadium and so I went there with my kinfolks]
vuvuzelasThe vuvuzela is a horn, about 65 centimetres (2 ft) long, which produces a loud monotone note
[People carry vuvuzelas to the stadium that reverberated the atmosphere]
coruscatedsparkled, scintillated
[Stadium coruscated with flood lights and loud music blares amazed me]
bucket lista list of things someone wishes to do in the future
[Everybody prepares their bucket list about things they wish to do]
crafteddesigned, planned
[I crafted this plan to visit the temple and paint my imagination into reality]
uphill taskdifficult task
[Holidays are coming up so train reservation may be an uphill task]
primordialbasic and fundamental
[Salary is primordial factor in career planning]
Capitalisman economic system focused on capital accumulation
[We’re living in an era of Capitalism where everything is measured in terms of money]
strike a balancemake something equally proportioned midway between two or more conflicting or contrasting things
[One should strike a balance between life and salary]
overbearingunpleasantly overpowering
[It’s generally seen that high paying jobs are more demanding and overbearing on life]
fathomto understand
[the locals could not fathom out the reason behind his new-found prosperity]
reeling underto struggle under something
[Due to Covid-19, the whole world was reeling under lockdowns]
stumbled uponcame across, to discover something by chance
[I stumbled upon wonderful article on health while reading newspaper]
preya person or thing that becomes the victim
[Less manual hard work makes us prey to various health problems]
congregationsa group of people assembled for religious worship
[Flowers are used for worshipping gods in religious congregations]
endureto sustain
[Tulips can endure different weather conditions]
quintessentialextremely essential
[Mobile phones nowadays have become quintessential part of our lives]
life pursuitslife goals
[It is impossible to even think of our life pursuits without the use of cell phones]
cautionary talea story that gives a warning
[Her story is a cautionary tale for women travelling alone]
There is no garden without weedsNothing is perfect. Even the best of us has his failings and weaknesses.
heavily investedto have given a lot of time and effort to something and care about it very much
[Boston city residents are heavily invested in reading newspapers]
attracting eye ballscatching attention
[World cup victory is a recent piece of news that attracted our eye balls]
hate mongerspersons who incite hate
[People believe they were surely some hate mongers with an aim to incite violence]
imposterspersons who pretend to be someone else in order to deceive others
[the charity has warned anyone approached by the imposters to contact police immediately]
alter egoa person’s secondary or alternative personality
[a national identity such as passport creates an alter ego which we can use to excel in career]
myriadmany, number of
[I believe there are myriad of ways to build national identity]
sky scrapperstall buildings
[London, the city where I came from is full of sky scrappers]
marvellouswonderful, brilliant
[The Big Ben Tower is a marvellous piece of architecture]
humongoushuge, enormous
[The Big Ben Tower stands 316 feet tall..which is HUMONGOUS!!]
grand edificehuge building
[The town hall is the only grand edifice surviving from the 15th century]
turns upside downPut in disorder, mix or mess up
[if elevator goes out of function, the whole world turns upside down for the residents]
road blocka problem
[With the rising population, the scarcity of land is becoming a road block]
fool’s erranda needless or profitless endeavor
[It would be a fool’s errand to build tall residential places in the countryside]
chronicallyto a very great extent; extremely
[In today’s chronically busy lifestyle we often overlook the significance of joy]
jam-packedcrowded, full, packed
[The hall was jam-packed when we reached there]
signature stylesomeone’s unique style
[She, in her signature style, said Hello to everyone and started cracking jokes]
bantera joke, pun
[I remember there was one banter on the life in a Metro train at the comedy show]
rib-ticklingexcessively funny
[The joke was so rib-tickling that people couldn’t control their laughter]
monotonyboredom, dullness
[We all should smile more often to break the monotony of life]
crestfallensad and disappointed
[Jokes are another great thing that can make any crestfallen human being smile within seconds]
hoodwinkdeceive or trick
[A fake smile is a powerful tool that may hoodwink people]
tread cautiouslymove carefully/warily
[Investors should tread cautiously until new interest rates are announced]
to and fromove repeatedly from one place to another and back again
[I drive almost everyday to and fro between home & office]
enchantingvery attractive or charming
[It was an enchanting car trip that I made with my family]
daily choresa routine task or job 
[Presence of social media can be felt in almost all of our daily chores]
blown awayto impress very strongly and usually favourably
[I was blown away by the power of social media]
spellboundfascinated, amazed
[It was spellbound by the social media post because I was a non-believer of extraterrestrial species]
extraterrestrialany object or being beyond (extra-) the planet Earth (terrestrial)
[It was spellbound by the social media post because I was a non-believer of extraterrestrial species]
engrossedabsorb all the attention or interest of
[The video confirmed the authenticity of alien presence and hence engrossed me completely]
conspiracy theoriesan explanation for an event or situation that invokes a conspiracy by sinister and powerful groups
[I thought aliens were mere conspiracy theories]
double-edged swordsomething that has or can have both favourable and unfavourable consequences
[Making friends on social networking sites is a double-edged sword]
breathtakingwonderful, amazing
[The painting was breathtaking]
asseta useful or valuable thing
[Preet Tractors is our town’s greatest asset]
prerogativeresponsibility
[It’s the prerogative of government to provide free skill training courses]
aftermaththe consequences or after-effects of a significant unpleasant event
[Higher earnings can provide the necessary cushion against the aftermath of the inflation]
low-hanging fruitthe most easily achieved set of tasks, measures, goals, etc.
[Generous donation is a low-hanging fruit that helps big names to attract free publicity]
treasure trovea collection or store of valuable or delightful things
[State Library is a treasure trove for me]
bear the bruntthe principal force, shock, or stress
[Every place bear the brunt of rapid urbanization]
accomplishedhighly trained or skilled in a particular activity
[Her parents are accomplished doctors]
conflictdifference of opinion
[There was a conflict between Jenny and her parents]
reasoned outtried to find an explanation or solution to something
[I reasoned out with her and told her that making a career as a musician wouldn’t possibly give her the luxuries of a doctor]
mendchange, fix
[Her parents threatened to cut her expenses if she did not mend her ways]
go above and beyondto put extra effort
[I try to help people in need, go above and beyond, regardless of any intention of getting something in return]
stratagroup, class
[Rich industrialists can help the poor strata of society by generous donations]
samaritana charitable or helpful person
[If parents lead them by example in helping others, they follow their footsteps and become good samaritans in the future]
leg upproviding help
[By engaging with other individuals and communities, we can provide a real leg up to people whoever needs it.
invigoratedstrengthened, energized
[Showing your own way of helping people, the children will be invigorated to do the same]
realma field or domain of activity or interest
[Today, I would take this opportunity to tell you about my first day into the realm of education]
befriendact as or become a friend to (someone)
[In an effort to befriend me, they offered me their lunch]
gratifyinggiving pleasure or satisfaction
[My first day at school was gratifying]
incontrovertiblenot able to be denied or disputed
[It is incontrovertible that children rely on parents for most of their childhood]
pat on the backa word or gesture of support, approval, or praise
[Parents should often consult with their children in the family decisions and give them pat on the back for their contribution]
chaoscomplete disorder and confusion
[Too much interference by parents may led into chaos in children’s life]
die-hard fansomeone or something that shows or possesses extreme, absolute or complete loyalty
[My family is a die-hard fan of movies and we hardly skip any weekends without watching a movie]
impromptudone without being planned, organized, or rehearsed
[We made no such plan of a movie night, it was all impromptu]
breezed throughdo something very easily or confidently
[Landon, an aimless, reckless guy who breezed through school on looks and popularity]
awe-inspiringimpressive, stunning, breathtaking
[The movie was very awe-inspiring to me]
nichea specialized audience for a particular kind of product or service
[Documentaries have a niche audience so they appear to be less famous on a global scale but in reality they are not]
testamentsomething that serves as a sign or evidence
[His style and range of characters is a true testament to his incredible acting ability]
need of the hourThe need of the hour is defined that it is the need of this moment or time
[A fun activity after school/work has become need of the hour]
pays me offyield good results
[Badminton builds good physical stamina and mental agility which consequently pays me off in the work life]
relishgreatly enjoy
[Each stroke of the racket makes the typical whoosh sound that I relish]
gender stereotypeswidely accepted biases about certain characteristics or traits about males-females
[Dawa Yangzum Sherpa celebrate success in extreme mountaineering and breaking down gender stereotypes]
allyfriend, companion
[My mother is my closest ally]
shopping spreeto shop excessively; to buy a lot of things in an extravagant way
[Last Saturday we went out together on a shopping spree]
seize the daymake the most of the present moment
[This woman looks at life as a challenge and wholeheartedly intends to seize the day every time]
outgrowngrow faster or taller
[Older people have outgrown their living standards over the period of time]
fancyfeel a desire or liking for
[We both fancy shopping]
daunting taskan intimidating or overwhelming task, difficult task
[Frankly speaking, buying a new TV can feel like a daunting task]
doorbuster dealsan exclusive offer which is handed out early into the business’s opening hours
[In the Black Friday sale, new models see major discounts in doorbuster deals]
binge-watchwatch multiple episodes of (a television programme) in rapid succession
[I prefer to use television to binge-watch my favourite Netflix shows]
TV spreeto watch TV excessively
[After returning from workplace, I go on a TV spree to watch my dearly loved Netflix shows]
indispensableessential, crucial, necessary
[Training employees during the start of the job is indispensable]
repercussionsan unintended consequence of an event or action, especially an unwelcome one
[Using modern technology excessively at home has serious repercussions]
inevitableunavoidable
[Failure is inevitable]
doomedan unfortunate and inescapable outcome; ill-fated
[All my dreams were doomed in no time]
emotional falloutemotional breakdown
[It became difficult for me to handle the emotional fallout after failure]
with the likes ofsimilar to
[I tried to build an online shopping website to compete with the likes of Amazon & Flipkart]
call it a daydecide or agree to stop doing something
[The whole website was affected by a malware(virus) so I call it a day, and decided to shut it down]
down in the dumpsdepressed or unhappy
[My spirit was down in the dumps]
toilingworking extremely hard or incessantly
[There is no point in toiling for something which has no opportunities]
let off a bit of steamto do or say something that helps you to get rid of strong feelings or energy
[Any time I need to let off a bit of steam, I call my friends and and talk]
sinking feelinga vague unpleasant emotion
[There is almost no more sinking feeling that losing your personal and financial belongings with the wallet]
go in vainunsuccessful; of no value
[I reported the theft but all efforts go in vain]
tattered statetorn into shreds ; ragged
[I gifted my mother a new wallet because her old wallet was in a tattered state]
sea changemassive change ; a profound or notable transformation
[A baby step from all of us can make a sea change in the environment]
laggarda person who makes slow progress
[Although I’ve worked with Environmental NGO’s and played my part but I am still a laggard in my efforts]
amalgamationmerger ; mixture
[Festivals such as Halloween has become super popular in India because of increasing amalgamation of Western culture into Indian culture]
List of important IELTS vocabulary words and idioms (PDF)

IELTS Vocabulary Part-2

Here’s some more IELTS Speaking Part: 1,2, and 3 vocabulary words, phrases and Idioms that can fetch you a 7+ band score.

Vocabulary Word or IdiomMeaning & Sentence formation
inquisitivehaving or showing an interest in learning things; curious
[I am an inquisitive person]
one heck of brilliant, surprisingly good
[Spending time with friends is one heck of an adventure]
walk down memory laneto reminisce over memories of past events
[My grandmother spends more time walking down memory lane these days]
apprehensiveanxious or fearful that something bad or unpleasant will happen
[For all my life I was apprehensive of diving into the water]
bread and butter a person’s livelihood or main source of income.
[Confidence is the bread and butter of sales people]
as happy as Larryextremely happy
[I was as happy as Larry after getting my first promotion]
goofing aroundto spend time doing silly or playful things
[I was just goofing around with my life]
Sexageneriana person from sixty to sixty-nine years old
[I have seen Sexagenerians who started their new lives with new skillset and are quite successful]
mind-bendinginfluencing or altering one’s state of mind
[if you look at Elon Musk’s tweets..they are hilarious and mind-bending]
List of important IELTS vocabulary words and phrases (PDF)

IELTS Speaking Vocabulary PDF (Band 9)

Click on the link to download the IELTS Speaking Band 7-8-9 Vocabulary list in PDF.

I hope this post will boost your language proficiency. To know more about the Speaking test, check out our Speaking Section.

If you have any questions, please write them in the comments below or join the conversation on our Youtube Channel.

All The Best !

Rajit K.

Rajit is the co-founder and an active blogger at 'CIC Talks'. He is best known for his rich expertise in IELTS & Canadian Immigration. Feel free to connect with him on Instagram & Twitter.

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