Vocabulary · Audiobook read-along
Vocabulary from The Ballad of the White Horse
The Ballad of the White Horse by G. K. Chesterton introduces these 48 key English words — graded A2–C2, each with a short definition and an example. Learn them before you read, or review them after. In the reader you can tap any word to hear it and see it highlighted in the sentence.
A2 words (10)
- alive/əˈlaɪv/A2
- possessing life“the happiest person alive”
- ancient/ˈeɪnʧənt/A2
- a very old person“ancient history”
- apart/əˈpɑrt/A2
- remote and separate physically or socially“existed over the centuries as a world apart”
- arise/əraɪz/A2
- come into existence“A new religious movement originated in that country”
- aside/əˈsaɪd/A2
- a line spoken by an actor to the audience but not intended for others on the stage“step aside”
- ass/æs/A2
- the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on“he deserves a good kick in the butt”
- band/bænd/A2
- an unofficial association of people or groups“the smart set goes there”
- battle/ˈbætəl/A2
- a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war“Grant won a decisive victory in the battle of Chickamauga”
- beat/bit/A2
- a regular route for a sentry or policeman“in the old days a policeman walked a beat and knew all his people by name”
- beauty/ˈbjuti/A2
- the qualities that give pleasure to the senses“his roses were beauties”
B1 words (10)
- alarm/əˈlɑrm/B1
- fear resulting from the awareness of danger“I was horrified at the thought of being late for my interview”
- alter/ˈɔltər/B1
- cause to change“The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city”
- arch/ɑrʧ/B1
- a curved shape in the vertical plane that spans an opening“they built a triumphal arch to memorialize their victory”
- autumn/ˈɔtəm/B1
- the season when the leaves fall from the trees“in the fall of 1973”
- awake/əˈweɪk/B1
- stop sleeping“She woke up to the sound of the alarm clock”
- awful/ˈɔfəl/B1
- exceptionally bad or displeasing“atrocious taste”
- babe/beɪb/B1
- a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk“the baby began to cry again”
- bade/beɪd/B1
- a Chadic language spoken in northern Nigeria“The Swiss dealer offered $2 million for the painting”
- banner/ˈbænər/B1
- long strip of cloth or paper used for decoration or advertising“a banner year for the company”
- bare/bɛr/B1
- lay bare“bare your breasts”
B2 words (10)
- abide/əˈbaɪd/B2
- dwell“You can stay with me while you are in town”
- abode/əˈboʊd/B2
- any address at which you dwell more than temporarily“a person can have several residences”
- acclaim/əˈkleɪm/B2
- enthusiastic approval“the book met with modest acclaim”
- afar/əˈfɑr/B2
- (old-fashioned) at or from or to a great distance“we traveled afar”
- agony/ˈægəni/B2
- intense feelings of suffering“an agony of doubt”
- alien/ˈeɪliən/B2
- a person who comes from a foreign country“The will aliened the property to the heirs”
- aloft/əˈlɔft/B2
- at or on or to the masthead or upper rigging of a ship“climbed aloft to unfurl the sail”
- aloud/əˈlaʊd/B2
- using the voice“please read the passage aloud”
- amazement/əˈmeɪzmənt/B2
- the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising“he looked at me in astonishment”
- ancestral/ænˈsɛstrəl/B2
- inherited or inheritable by established rules (usually legal rules) of descent“ancestral home”
C1 words (9)
- abhor/æˈbhɔr/C1
- find repugnant“I loathe that man”
- aeonC1
- (Gnosticism) a divine power or nature emanating from the Supreme Being and playing various roles in the operation of the universe“oh, that happened eons ago”
- aflame/əˈfleɪm/C1
- keenly excited (especially sexually) or indicating excitement“his face all ablaze with excitement”
- afoot/əˈfʊt/C1
- traveling by foot“she was afoot when I saw her this morning”
- ajar/əˈʤɑr/C1
- slightly open“the door was ajar”
- aloof/əˈluf/C1
- remote in manner“stood apart with aloof dignity”
- awry/əraɪ/C1
- turned or twisted toward one side“a...youth with a gorgeous red necktie all awry”
- baptize/bæpˈtaɪz/C1
- administer baptism to“The parents had the child baptized”
- beardlessC1
- having no beard“a smooth-faced boy of 14 years”
C2 words (9)
- amainC2
- at full speed“the children ran down the hill amain”
- armourerC2
- a worker skilled in making armor or arms“a sword made by a famous English armorer”
- athwart/əθˈwɔrt/C2
- at right angles to the center line of a ship“the sun shone aslant into his face”
- begot/biˈgɔt/C2
- make children“Abraham begot Isaac”
- carvenC2
- made for or formed by carving (`carven' is archaic or literary)“the carved fretwork”
- chafferC2
- wrangle (over a price, terms of an agreement, etc.)“Let's not haggle over a few dollars”
- chidC2
- censure severely or angrily“The mother scolded the child for entering a stranger's car”
- clamorouslyC2
- in manner that attracts attention“obstreperously, he demanded to get service”
- doubtfullyC2
- in a doubtful manner“Gerald shook his head doubtfully”