STEP vocabulary list: 246 frequent words with meanings

The words most often reported in STEP "closest in meaning" reading questions, ranked by frequency, with the synonym, the Arabic meaning and an example sentence.

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Word	Synonym	Arabic	Example
suffer frequent	experience	يعاني / يتعرّض لـ	Many farms near the coast suffered heavy losses after the floods last winter, and many farmers had to borrow money.
examine frequent	inspect	يفحص	The doctor examined Ahmed's knee carefully before deciding on treatment.
brighter frequent	shinier	ألمع	After Khalid polished the old silver tray, it looked much brighter than before.
far-fetched frequent	hard to believe	بعيد عن التصديق	Most scientists say the idea that aliens built the pyramids is far-fetched and has no real evidence.
inconvenience frequent	trouble	إزعاج / مضايقة	The airline apologised for any inconvenience caused by the two-hour delay.
proficient frequent	skilled	متمكّن / ماهر	Noura is proficient in three programming languages, so the company hired her quickly.
vacant frequent	empty	شاغر / فاضي	The flat on the third floor has been vacant since the last tenant moved out.
major frequent	main	رئيسي / كبير	Oil is the major source of income for many Gulf countries, providing most of their revenue.
maintain frequent	keep	يحافظ على	It can be difficult to maintain a healthy weight when you work long hours at a desk.
essential frequent	important	ضروري / أساسي	Drinking enough water is essential when you exercise in the summer heat, or you may faint.
sufficient frequent	enough	كافي	We had sufficient food for everyone at the picnic, so nobody went hungry.
function frequent	purpose	وظيفة / دور	The main function of the roots is to take water from the soil.
produce frequent	make	ينتج	This new factory in Jubail produces around 500 cars a day.
thrust frequent	main point	الفكرة الرئيسية	The thrust of Dr Sara's lecture was that sleep matters as much as diet.
obtain frequent	get	يحصل على	Obtaining a visa can take several weeks, so apply early.
infect frequent	contaminate	يعدي / يلوّث	If you do not clean a small cut, bacteria can infect it.
liability frequent	responsibility	مسؤولية (قانونية)	The hotel accepted full liability for the damage to the guests' car.
comprehensive frequent	complete	شامل	The new guide gives a comprehensive list of all the museums in Jeddah, from the largest to the smallest.
ideally frequent	if possible	في الوضع المثالي	Ideally, you should arrive at the airport three hours before an international flight.
express frequent	show	يعبّر عن	Noura expressed her thanks to everyone who helped organise the event.
report frequent	mention	يبلّغ / يذكر	Several passengers reported seeing smoke near the engine, so the pilot landed early.
resemble frequent	look like	يشبه	Khalid strongly resembles his father; they have the same eyes and smile.
premature frequent	too early	سابق لأوانه	It is premature to celebrate; the final results will not be announced until next week.
greedy frequent	never satisfied	طمّاع	The businessman was greedy; even though he was already very rich, he kept raising his prices.
myriad frequent	countless	لا يُحصى / عدد هائل	The Red Sea is home to myriad colourful fish and corals, which attract divers from all over the world.
tame frequent	domesticate	يروّض / يستأنس	People in Arabia tamed camels thousands of years ago and used them for travel.
mankind frequent	humanity	البشرية	The invention of the printing press changed the history of mankind.
connect frequent	join	يربط / يوصّل	A new bridge will connect the two sides of the city.
transfer frequent	move	ينقل	After two years in Jeddah, Ahmed was transferred to the company's office in Dammam.
discover frequent	find	يكتشف	Archaeologists discovered ancient tools buried in the sand near AlUla.
theory frequent	idea	نظرية	Scientists are testing a new theory about why some birds migrate at night.
concentrate frequent	gather	يتركّز / يتجمّع	Most of the country's population is concentrated in a few large cities.
impure frequent	contaminated	غير نقي / ملوّث	The lab tests showed that the well water was impure and not safe to drink.
shift frequent	change	تحوّل / تغيير	There has been a shift in how people shop, with more of them buying online.
device frequent	gadget	جهاز	This small device can measure your heart rate while you walk.
identify frequent	recognise	يتعرّف على / يحدّد	Experienced birdwatchers can identify many species by their songs alone.
purchase frequent	buy	يشتري	The museum shop lets visitors purchase souvenirs before they leave.
introduce frequent	bring in	يطرح / يقدّم	The university introduced a new online system for registering courses, so students no longer need to queue.
generally frequent	usually	عموماً / غالباً	It is generally cooler in Abha than in Riyadh in summer, which is why many families spend their holidays there.
rate frequent	speed	معدّل / سرعة	The population of Riyadh is growing at a fast rate.
alternative frequent	option	بديل	If the main road is closed, the side street is a good alternative.
antique frequent	old	أثري / قديم	Khalid's grandfather kept an antique clock that was over 200 years old.
overloaded frequent	overburdened	محمّل فوق طاقته	The old electricity network became overloaded when everyone turned on their air conditioners.
invent	create	يخترع	Alexander Graham Bell is said to have invented the first practical telephone in 1876.
cartographer	mapmaker	رسّام خرائط	The cartographer spent months drawing detailed maps of the Empty Quarter.
clue	sign	دليل / مؤشّر	Dark clouds are often a clue that rain is coming.
compatible	well suited	متوافق / منسجم	Khalid and his new roommate turned out to be very compatible, so they rarely argued.
effortless	easy	سهل / بلا مجهود	After years of practice, swimming became effortless for Sara.
pleased	happy	مسرور / راضي	The teacher was pleased with the students' excellent results.
forceful	powerful	قوي / مؤثّر	The manager gave a forceful speech that convinced everyone to support the plan.
nutritious	healthy	مغذّي	Dates are a nutritious snack, full of fibre and vitamins.
individual	single	فردي / كل واحد لحاله	The teacher spoke to each individual student about their progress.
current	present	حالي	The current manager has worked here for only six months; the previous one stayed for ten years.
reign	rule	فترة حكم / عهد	Many schools and hospitals were built during the king's reign.
agreement	deal	اتفاقية	The two companies signed an agreement to work together on the new airport.
govern	control	يحكم / ينظّم	Strict rules govern how food is stored in restaurants.
accurate	correct	دقيق	The weather app gave an accurate forecast; it rained exactly when it said it would.
increase	rise	يزيد	The number of tourists visiting AlUla increases every winter, so hotels there are often full.
isolate	separate	يعزل	Doctors isolated the sick patient to stop the virus from spreading.
carry out	conduct	ينفّذ / يجري	The researchers carried out a survey of 500 students in Riyadh.
extinction	dying out	انقراض	The Arabian oryx was saved from extinction by careful breeding programmes.
multiple	many	متعدّد	The new building has multiple entrances, so visitors never have to wait long.
constraint	limitation	قيد / حدّ	Because of time constraints, the meeting only covered the most urgent issues.
guideline	instruction	توجيه / إرشاد	Visitors must follow the safety guidelines posted at the entrance of the factory.
intellectual	mental	فكري / ذهني	Chess is an intellectual game that requires careful thinking.
promote	encourage	يعزّز / يشجّع	The campaign aims to promote healthy eating among school children.
shield	protect	يحمي	Sunglasses shield your eyes from strong sunlight.
accumulate	pile up	يتراكم	Dust accumulates quickly on furniture in desert cities.
bond	connection	رابطة / علاقة قوية	There is a strong bond between the twins; they always understand each other.
intuition	instinct	حدس	Without any evidence, Khalid followed his intuition and took a different road, which turned out to be faster.
phenomenon	event	ظاهرة	A solar eclipse is a natural phenomenon that people have watched for thousands of years.
sophisticated	advanced	متطوّر	The new hospital uses sophisticated equipment to detect diseases early.
replicate	repeat	يكرّر (النتيجة)	Other scientists were unable to replicate the results of the experiment, so the study was questioned.
modify	change	يعدّل	The engineers modified the design to make the car lighter.
reduction	fall	انخفاض / تخفيض	There was a sharp reduction in electricity use after the new solar panels were installed.
impact	effect	تأثير	Social media has a huge impact on how young people spend their time.
worthwhile	valuable	يستاهل / مفيد	The training course was long, but it was worthwhile because I got a better job afterwards.
extract	take out	يستخرج	Oil is extracted from deep under the ground in the Eastern Province.
desirable	attractive	مرغوب	Flats near the metro are very desirable, so their prices are high.
undergo	go through	يخضع لـ / يمرّ بـ	Khalid underwent a knee operation last month and spent two days in hospital recovering.
negotiation	talks	مفاوضات	After weeks of negotiations, the two companies finally agreed on a price.
book	reserve	يحجز	We booked a hotel room in Abha early, so we got a good price.
probable	likely	محتمل / مرجّح	With dark clouds everywhere, rain is probable this afternoon.
currency	money	عملة	The riyal is the official currency of Saudi Arabia.
slab	block	لوح (حجر سميك)	The ancient tomb was covered by a heavy slab of stone.
unite	bring together	يوحّد / يجمع	Football often unites people from different backgrounds.
unstable	unsteady	غير ثابت / متزعزع	The old ladder was unstable, so Ahmed asked his brother to hold it.
rapid	fast	سريع	The city has seen rapid growth; many new neighbourhoods appeared in just five years.
chief	main	رئيسي	The chief reason for the delay was a technical problem.
abandon	leave	يهجر / يترك	The villagers abandoned their homes when the well dried up and moved to the city.
descend	go down	ينزل / يهبط	The plane began to descend as it approached King Khalid Airport.
flame	fire	لهب / نار	Keep the flame low when cooking rice, or it will burn.
legislation	law	تشريعات / أنظمة	The new legislation made seat belts compulsory for all passengers.
illustrate	show	يوضّح	The teacher used a simple drawing to illustrate how the heart pumps blood.
document	record	يوثّق	The team documented every stage of the restoration with photos and notes.
imply	suggest	يلمّح / يوحي	His silence seemed to imply that he disagreed with the decision.
growth	increase	نمو / زيادة	There has been steady growth in the number of women working in technology, which has nearly doubled since 2018.
response	reply	رد	Sara emailed the manager on Monday and got a response the next morning that answered all her questions.
evidence	proof	دليل	There is strong evidence that regular exercise improves sleep.
potential	possible	محتمل	The company is looking for potential customers in new markets.
criteria	standards	معايير	The university uses several criteria to choose students, including grades and test scores.
build up	accumulate	يتراكم	If you do not clean your teeth properly, plaque will build up on them.
psyche	mind	النفس / العقل	Long periods of loneliness can harm a person's psyche.
convert	turn	يحوّل	Solar panels convert sunlight into electricity.
irrational	unreasonable	غير منطقي	His fear of flying is irrational; planes are much safer than cars.
aggregate	total	إجمالي / مجموع	The team's aggregate score over the two matches was 5-3.
ego	pride	الأنا / الكرامة	Losing the game hurt his ego more than his body.
characteristic	feature	سمة / خاصية	Bright colours are a common characteristic of traditional Najdi doors.
expose	subject	يعرّض	Construction workers are exposed to strong sunlight for many hours.
represent	stand for	يمثّل / يرمز لـ	On this map, the blue lines represent rivers.
specify	state clearly	يحدّد بدقّة	The job advert specified that applicants must speak both Arabic and English.
exhibit	display	يعرض	The National Museum will exhibit rare manuscripts next month.
accommodate	hold	يستوعب	The new stadium can accommodate up to 60,000 fans.
principle	basic idea	مبدأ	The principle behind solar panels is simple: sunlight is turned into electricity.
migrate	move	يهاجر	Every autumn, many birds migrate from Europe to Africa.
surge	rise suddenly	يرتفع فجأة	Ticket sales surged after the national team reached the final.
staple	basic	أساسي	Rice is a staple food in most Saudi homes.
promotional	advertising	ترويجي / دعائي	The shop gave out free promotional pens with its logo on them.
minuscule	tiny	ضئيل جداً	Only a minuscule amount of salt is needed; a few grains are enough.
proportion	part	نسبة / جزء	A large proportion of the students come from outside Riyadh.
infection	disease	عدوى	Washing your hands helps prevent infection.
cure	remedy	علاج	Scientists are still searching for a cure for the common cold.
status	position	مكانة	In the past, owning a large house was a sign of high social status.
trader	merchant	تاجر	Arab traders bought and sold goods in busy markets along the old caravan routes.
possession	belongings	ممتلكات / أغراض	Passengers should keep their possessions with them at all times.
shelter	cover	مأوى / ملجأ	During the sandstorm, the hikers took shelter in a small cave.
break out	start suddenly	يندلع	A fire broke out in the kitchen, but nobody was hurt.
marked	noticeable	ملحوظ	There has been a marked improvement in Ahmed's English since he started reading every day.
assure	promise	يطمئن / يؤكّد	The pilot assured the passengers that the delay would be short.
sequence	order	تسلسل / ترتيب	Please answer the questions in the correct sequence, starting with number one.
consistent	regular	ثابت / منتظم	To learn a language well, you need consistent practice every day.
peripheral	minor	ثانوي / هامشي	The meeting focused on the main budget; other topics were only peripheral.
lane	alley	زقاق / حارة ضيقة	The old town of Jeddah is full of narrow lanes where cars cannot pass.
elaborate	explain in more detail	يشرح بالتفصيل	The students did not understand the plan, so the teacher elaborated on it.
recur	happen again	يتكرّر	If the headaches recur, you should see a doctor.
pioneering	innovative	رائد	The hospital is famous for its pioneering work in heart surgery.
pit	set	يضع في مواجهة	The final match will pit the two oldest clubs in the country against each other.
exorbitant	excessive	باهظ / مبالغ فيه	The hotel charged an exorbitant price for a simple cup of coffee.
soil	earth	تربة	The soil in this valley is rich, so farmers grow many crops here.
additional	extra	إضافي	Passengers with more than 23 kg of luggage must pay an additional fee.
inhabit	live in	يسكن / يقطن	Many rare animals inhabit the mountains of the Asir region.
indigenous	native	أصلي / محلي	The Arabian leopard is indigenous to the mountains of the Arabian Peninsula.
familiar	well-known	مألوف	The smell of Arabic coffee is familiar to every Saudi.
method	way	طريقة	Online learning is a popular method of studying English.
distinct	different	مختلف / مميّز	The two dialects are distinct, with different words for many everyday things.
comprise	consist of	يتكوّن من	The team comprises four engineers and two designers.
constitute	make up	يشكّل	Women now constitute almost half of the company's staff.
hike	rise	ارتفاع (مفاجئ)	The sudden hike in fuel prices made transport more expensive for many families.
alarming	worrying	مقلق	Doctors say the number of children with diabetes is rising at an alarming rate.
plunge	fall sharply	ينخفض بشدّة	Temperatures in the desert can plunge at night after a very hot day.
species	kind	نوع (من الكائنات)	More than 1,000 species of fish live in the Red Sea.
agriculture	farming	الزراعة	Agriculture in Al-Jouf depends on underground water.
due to	because of	بسبب	The flight was cancelled due to bad weather.
unscheduled	unplanned	غير مجدول	The train made an unscheduled stop because a passenger felt ill.
occur	happen	يحدث	Earthquakes rarely occur in this part of the country.
impressive	remarkable	مبهر	The new skyline of Riyadh is truly impressive at night.
carve	cut	ينحت	The ancient Nabataeans carved tombs into the rock at Hegra.
mutual intelligibility	shared understanding	الفهم المتبادل	There is a high degree of mutual intelligibility between Saudi and Kuwaiti Arabic, so speakers can chat easily.
expedition	journey	رحلة استكشافية	The team set off on an expedition to explore the Empty Quarter.
equilibrium	balance	توازن	A healthy diet helps the body keep its natural equilibrium.
location	place	موقع / مكان	The hotel has a great location, right next to the beach.
leisure	free time	وقت الفراغ	Ahmed has had very little leisure since he started his new job.
risk	danger	خطر	Smoking increases the risk of heart disease.
crucial	important	حاسم / مهم جداً	Getting enough sleep is crucial before the STEP test.
essentially	basically	في الأساس	The two phones are essentially the same; only the colour is different.
doze	nap	يغفو	Grandfather often dozes in his chair after lunch.
allocate	assign	يخصّص	The school allocated a quiet room for students to study in during breaks.
legend	tale	أسطورة	According to an old legend, a hidden city lies under the sands of the Empty Quarter.
derive from	take from	مشتق من / مأخوذ من	Many English words are derived from Arabic, such as "sugar" and "coffee".
assume	take on	يتولّى	After the manager retired, Noura assumed responsibility for the whole department and now leads a team of twenty.
lacking	missing	ناقص	The report was lacking important details, so the manager sent it back.
nocturnal	active at night	ليلي (ينشط بالليل)	Bats are nocturnal animals; they sleep during the day.
compound	combination	مركّب	Water is a compound of hydrogen and oxygen.
celebrated	famous	مشهور	Ibn Sina was a celebrated doctor whose books were studied for centuries.
transfigure	transform	يحوّل / يغيّر شكله	The new park transfigured the old industrial area into a green space for families.
pile	stack	كومة	There was a pile of books on Sara's desk.
ancestor	forefather	جدّ / سلف	Our ancestors travelled across the desert on camels.
address	deal with	يعالج / يتعامل مع	The new manager promised to address the staff's complaints quickly.
tutor	private teacher	مدرّس خصوصي	Khalid hired a tutor to help him prepare for the maths exam.
in retrospect	looking back	لمّا أرجع وأفكّر	In retrospect, I should have studied harder for the exam.
remark	comment	تعليق / ملاحظة	The teacher made a kind remark about Sara's essay.
pronunciation	way of speaking	النطق	Ahmed's pronunciation has improved; native speakers now understand him easily when he speaks.
herb	plant	عشبة	My grandmother grows mint and other herbs for cooking.
pronounce	say	ينطق	Many learners find it hard to pronounce the English "th" sound.
define	explain	يعرّف / يوضّح المعنى	The teacher asked us to define five new words in our own words.
income	earnings	دخل	Many students work part-time to increase their income.
site	place	موقع	Diriyah is an important historical site near Riyadh.
harvest	gather	يحصد / يجني	Farmers harvest dates in late summer.
diet	food	نظام غذائي	A healthy diet includes plenty of fruit and vegetables.
moot	debatable	قابل للنقاش	Whether online classes are as good as real ones is a moot point; experts still disagree.
preserve	protect	يحافظ على	The city is working hard to preserve its old mud-brick buildings.
physician	doctor	طبيب	If the fever continues, you should see a physician.
papyrus	ancient paper	ورق البردي	The ancient Egyptians wrote on papyrus made from a river plant.
stimulus	trigger	مثير / منبّه	The eye reacts quickly to a sudden stimulus, such as a bright light.
derivation	origin	أصل / اشتقاق	The derivation of the word "algebra" is Arabic.
bless	favour	ينعم على / يحظى بـ	Abha is blessed with cool weather all summer.
head	director	رئيس / مدير	Dr Khalid is the head of the computer science department.
malicious	harmful	خبيث / ضار	The IT team warned staff not to open malicious emails that could steal passwords.
friction	rubbing	احتكاك	Friction between the tyres and the road helps the car stop.
amplification	strengthening	تضخيم / تقوية	The amplification of the speaker's voice allowed everyone in the hall to hear him.
scope	extent	نطاق	The scope of the study was limited to students in Riyadh.
employment	work	عمل / توظيف	After graduating, Sara found employment in a bank in Jeddah.
assistance	help	مساعدة	If you need assistance with your luggage, ask a member of staff.
conventional	traditional	تقليدي	Electric cars are cheaper to run than conventional petrol cars.
dissolution	ending	حلّ / إنهاء	The dissolution of the partnership meant that each partner started his own business.
legitimate	legal	نظامي / مشروع	Buy tickets only from legitimate websites to avoid being cheated.
relatively	comparatively	نسبياً	For a big city, Abha is relatively quiet.
relationship	connection	علاقة	Scientists studied the relationship between sleep and memory.
outcome	result	نتيجة	Everyone was waiting nervously for the outcome of the interview.
stabilise	become steady	يستقر	After the operation, the patient's condition stabilised, and he was allowed to go home.
adverse	harmful	سلبي / ضار	This medicine may have adverse effects such as headaches.
feat	achievement	إنجاز	Climbing the highest mountain in the region was a great feat for the young team.
retrieve	get back	يسترجع	Ahmed was able to retrieve the files he had deleted by mistake.
complete	finish	يكمل / ينهي	Noura completed her degree in three years instead of four and graduated with honours.
focus	concentrate	يركّز	It is hard to focus on your studies when your phone keeps ringing.
inauguration	opening	افتتاح	Hundreds of guests attended the inauguration of the new library.
definition	explanation	تعريف	Look up the definition of any new word in a good dictionary.
celebrate	mark	يحتفل بـ	The family celebrated Khalid's graduation with a big dinner.
recycling	reusing	إعادة التدوير	Recycling plastic bottles reduces the amount of waste in landfills.
unlikely	improbable	غير محتمل	It is unlikely to rain today, so you can leave your umbrella at home.
break	violate	يخالف / يكسر (قاعدة)	Drivers caught breaking the speed limit must pay a fine.
unconvincing	not believable	غير مقنع	Ahmed's excuse for being late was unconvincing, so the manager did not accept it.
bid	offer	عرض (سعر)	The company made a bid of five million riyals for the old factory.
chart	map	يرسم خريطة	Early sailors charted the coastline of the Red Sea using simple tools.
nutrient	nourishing substance	عنصر غذائي	Spinach is rich in nutrients such as iron and vitamin C.
undecided	unsure	متردّد / ما قرّر	Sara is still undecided about which university to choose.
exhausted	very tired	منهك / تعبان مرّة	After the long walk in the heat, everyone was exhausted.
dabble	experiment	يجرّب (بشكل غير جدّي)	Khalid likes to dabble in photography at weekends, but he is not a professional.
adapt	adjust	يتكيّف	It took Sara a few weeks to adapt to life in London.
stress	pressure	ضغط / توتّر	Many students feel a lot of stress before final exams and find it hard to sleep.
accomplish	achieve	ينجز / يحقّق	The team accomplished its goal of finishing the project two weeks early and celebrated with a dinner.
accommodation	housing	سكن	The university provides free accommodation for first-year students.
bowl	dish	وعاء / زبدية	Sara poured the soup into a large bowl.
brainstorming	generating ideas	عصف ذهني	After an hour of brainstorming, the team had twenty ideas for the new app.
slaughter	kill	يذبح	Animals must be slaughtered in clean, licensed places to keep the meat safe.
colony	settlement	مستعمرة	The Phoenicians founded a colony in North Africa called Carthage.
versatility	adaptability	تعدّد الاستخدامات	Engineers like this material because of its versatility; it can be used in cars, buildings and phones.
escalate	increase	يتصاعد	The cost of the project escalated as the work fell behind schedule.
conclude	deduce	يستنتج	After studying the data, the researchers concluded that the new medicine was safe.
dramatic	sharp	كبير ومفاجئ	There was a dramatic rise in temperatures last week, from 25 to 45 degrees.
rule	regulation	قاعدة / نظام	The school has a strict rule against using phones in class.
synthetic	artificial	صناعي	This jacket is made of synthetic material, not natural cotton.
repair	fix	يصلّح	The mechanic repaired the car in less than an hour, so we could continue our trip.
region	area	منطقة	The Asir region is famous for its green mountains.
find out	discover	يعرف / يكتشف	Ahmed called the airline to find out when his flight would leave.
inexpensive	cheap	رخيص	This restaurant serves tasty and inexpensive meals, so it is popular with students.