400 Must Have Words for the TOEFL LESSON 13 - Ghosts Vocabulary Test
Word List
astrological [ˌæstrəˈlɒdʒɪkəl] adj.
Related to the study of the position of stars,the sun, and the planets in the belief that they influence earthly events
→ Every day, Mona read her astrological forecast in the newspaper, and she was careful if the horoscope predicted trouble.
Parts of speech astrology n., astrologer n., astrologically adv.
divination [ˌdɪvəˈneɪʃ(ə)n] n.
Foretelling the future by finding patterns in physical objects
→ In Turkey, women offer divinations by reading the dregs from a coffee cup.
Parts of speech divine v.
haunt [hɔːnt] v.
To continually appear (in the form of a ghost) in the same place or to the same person
→ Some say the ghost of Princess Hilda haunts this castle, appearing as a headless form while she plays the piano.
horror [ˈhɔrər] n.
Strong fear mixed with disgust
→ On Halloween night, all the horror movies were rented out.
Parts of speech horrify v., horrific adj.
intermediary [ˌɪntəˈmiːdɪərɪ] n.
Acting as an agent between people or things
→ The plaintiff’s lawyer suggested that they hire an intermediary to help them discuss their case.
Usage tips Intermediary comes from the Latin words meaning “between the ways.”
invoke [ɪnˈvoʊk] v.
To call on for support
→ In many religions, believers invoke their god by holding out their hands.
Parts of speech invocation n.
meditate [ˈmɛdəˌteɪt] v.
To reflect; to think quietly and deeply for a long time
→ Every morning, the monks meditated for three hours in complete silence.
Parts of speech meditation n.
phantom [ˈfæntəm] n.
A dimly visible form,usually thought to be the spirit of a dead person, a sunken ship, etc.
→ Many visitors reported seeing a phantom who appeared around the lake.
Usage tips Phantom originates in a word meaning “dream”; like a dream, a phantom leaves an observer wondering whether it’s real or not.
psychic [ˈsaɪkɪk] adj.
Relating to the supposed ability of the human mind to sense things that cannot be observed
→ The governor’s assistant claimed to have unique psychic abilities enabling him to read people’s minds.
Parts of speech psychic n., psychically adv.
self-perpetuating [ˌselfpəˈpetjʊeɪtɪŋ] adj.
Having the power to renew oneself for an indefinite period of time
→ It is difficult to escape from a lie, as they are often self-perpetuating.
Parts of speech self-perpetuation n.
