Vocabularies

Discover, learn, and master English vocabulary

noun
/ˈspɛkjʊˌleɪtər/

A person who forms theories without evidence, or invests in assets hoping for profit.

"The real estate speculator bought land hoping its value would rise."

adjective
/ˈspiːtʃləs/

Unable to speak because of shock, surprise, or strong emotion.

"She was speechless when she received the award."

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spelunker

noun
/spɪˈlʌŋkər/

A person who explores caves as a hobby.

"The spelunker carried ropes and lights into the dark cave."

noun
/ˈspɛndˌθrɪft/

A person who spends money extravagantly or wastefully.

"The young prince was known as a spendthrift, wasting his fortune on lavish parties."

😮‍💨

spent

verb, adjective
/spɛnt/

Past tense and past participle of 'spend'; also used as an adjective meaning exhausted or used up.

"She spent all her energy preparing for the exam."

noun
/sfɛˈrɪsɪti/

The quality or state of being spherical; roundness.

"The sphericity of the ball made it roll smoothly on the ground."

noun
/ˈsfɛrɔɪd/

A three-dimensional shape that is almost spherical but slightly flattened or elongated.

"The Earth is not a perfect sphere but an oblate spheroid."

noun
/sfɪˈrɒmɪtər/

An instrument used for measuring the curvature of spherical surfaces.

"The scientist used a spherometer to measure the lens curvature."

adjective
/ˈsfɪŋks laɪk/

Mysterious, enigmatic, or difficult to interpret

"Her sphinx-like smile made it hard to guess what she was thinking."

🌀

spin

verb
/spɪn/

To turn around quickly or cause something to rotate

"The dancer began to spin gracefully on the stage."

adjective
/ˈspɪndli/

Long, thin, and weak-looking

"The spindly tree bent under the weight of the snow."

adjective
/ˈspaɪnəs/

Having spines or thorn-like projections

"The spinous cactus was difficult to handle without gloves."

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spinster

noun
/ˈspɪnstər/

An unmarried woman, often one who is older and considered unlikely to marry

"The novel featured a kind-hearted spinster who cared for the village children."

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spiny

adjective
/ˈspaɪni/

covered with or full of spines; having sharp points

"The spiny cactus stood tall in the desert."

noun
/ˈspaɪər/

a tall, pointed structure on top of a building, especially a church

"The church spire could be seen from miles away."

noun
/spliːn/

an organ in the body that produces lymphocytes and filters blood; also refers to bad temper or spite

"He vented his spleen on his coworkers after the meeting."

adjective
/splɪˈnɛtɪk/

bad-tempered, irritable, spiteful

"His splenetic remarks offended everyone in the room."

verb
/splaɪs/

to join two pieces of rope, film, or other material by weaving or attaching them together

"The technician spliced the two wires to restore the connection."

/splɪnt/

A rigid device used to support and immobilize a broken or injured body part.

"The doctor applied a splint to stabilize the patient's broken arm."

noun
/ˈspɔɪlˌspɔːrt/

A person who ruins other people's enjoyment or fun.

"Don't be a spoilsport and let us enjoy the party."

🚲

spoke

noun, verb
/spoʊk/

As a noun, a bar connecting the center of a wheel to its rim; as the past tense of 'speak'.

"The bicycle's spoke was bent after the accident."

noun
/ˌspoʊliˈeɪʃən/

The act of destroying or ruining something, often evidence or property.

"The court punished the company for the spoliation of evidence."

noun
/ˌspɑːntəˈneɪəti/

The quality of being natural, impulsive, and unplanned.

"Her spontaneity made the trip more exciting."

adjective
/spɒnˈteɪniəs/

Happening naturally without planning or external cause; impulsive or unplanned.

"Their spontaneous trip to the mountains turned out to be the highlight of the summer."