C2 English Vocabulary

An act of hitting someone on the buttocks as punishment or in a sexual context; Fast, energetic, and lively; brisk and fresh; Used as an intensifier, especially in 'spanking new', meaning completely or strikingly

A person or business holding a concession or franchise

Extremely harsh and bitter in tone or language

Having a strong flavour; lively and enthusiastic

Lacking meaningful content or intelligence; empty

A short stop or break between stages of a journey

A tall stool used at a bar or counter

Restricted or forced; lacking naturalness

A return to a former state or practice

A large fly that bites livestock; a person who provokes or annoys others

The quality of being unclear or logically disconnected

To grant nobility; to make more dignified

Rigidly applying theory without regard for practicality; a dogmatic theorist

The principal bullfighter who kills the bull

To cheat or defraud someone; a swindler

Holding a title in name only; nominal

A member of a small ruling group; a powerful wealthy person

A horizontal bar connecting two upright posts, e.g. the top of a goal

A thin watery porridge; to exhaust or punish severely

Causing instability or undermining security

A private or secret meeting; a papal election assembly

Travelling from place to place; an itinerant person

Deplorable, pitiful, or deeply regrettable

A person who makes fraudulent copies or forges metal

A club-shaped stick for grinding in a mortar; to grind with such a tool

Willing and happy to help others

A sheath for a sword or dagger

Willing to take risks; daring and bold

To ambush or unexpectedly intercept someone

A woman who serves drinks in a bar

A person who behaves badly or illegally; villainous

Conservation of natural resources; an organization dedicated to this

Feeling sincere remorse for wrongdoing; a person who repents

A person who illegally makes fake copies of money or goods

Completely airtight and sealed; isolated from outside influence

A row of evenly spaced columns supporting a structure

Excessively talkative about trivial matters

To dull the senses or shock someone greatly

To carefully groom or tidy one's appearance

Excessive obedience or submissiveness to others

A litter of piglets; to give birth to piglets

A glass bottle used for serving water or wine at the table

A minor quarrel or disagreement

Shabby, dirty, or afflicted with mange

The quality of being impossible to defeat

To praise someone highly and eloquently, especially in a formal speech

A heavy waterproof sheet used to cover and protect things

To tame animals or cultivate plants for human use