IELTS 8 Bands Vocabulary for Different Topics

1. accommodation: a room or building in which you stay during holidays or live.
2. all holiday: a time after you lost your job.
3. all-inclusive: a hotel deal where the price includes accommodation, meals and drinks at any time.
4. half-board: if you request ‘half-board’ at a hotel, breakfast and dinner would be included in the hotel price
5. full-board: if you request ‘full-board’ at a hotel, that would include all three meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) in the price of your accommodation.

6. self-catering: a holiday deal where meals are not provided.
7. to book (something): to arrange and confirm a place on a flight, a room in a hotel or a ticket for an event in the future.
8. breathtaking view: an amazing view.
9. busman’s holiday: when you spend your free time similarly to the time when you work. This expression comes from the idea that a bus driver would spend his holiday traveling somewhere on a bus.
10. charter flight: a cheap regular flight.
11. check-in desk: the place at the airport where you register for your flight and deposit your luggage.
12. far-off destination: a distant place.
13. getting away from it all: escaping in order to rest from a daily routine.
14. go off the beaten track: to visit an uncommon place.
15. guided tour: a tour in which a group of people is guided by an expert.
16. head for: go in a direction for.
17. holiday brochure: a publication with details of holiday.
18. holiday destination: where you go for a holiday.
19. in the middle of nowhere: in a place that is far away from where most people live.
20. out of season: not within the main holiday period.
21. picturesque village: a nice, beautiful village.
22. stunning landscape: a beautiful countryside.
23. to go sightseeing: to go visiting sights of interest.
24. tourist attractions: places which tourists tend to visit. 

1. close friend: a very good friend.
2. enjoy each other’s company: to like spending time with each other.
3. fair-weather friend: someone who is your friend only when you are cheerful and successful.
4. friends are like second family: that is to say your friends love you and make you feel comfortable.
5. get in touch with somebody: to contact somebody.
6. near and dear to someone: very important to someone.

7. shoulder to cry on: someone who is always ready to listen to your problems.
8. to be through thick and thin: to have some good times and difficult times together.
9. to be well-matched: to be similar to somebody in interests.
10. to drift apart: to become less close to someone.
11. to fall for someone (to fall in love with someone): to start loving somebody.
12. to fall out with: to quarrel, to have a conflict.
13. to get on like a house on fire: people get on like a house on fire when they like each other’s company and become friends very quickly.
14. to get on well with somebody: to have a good relationship with somebody.
15. to get to know someone: to become acquainted with someone.
16. to have a lot in common: to have similar interests.
17. to have friends in high places: to have friends in powerful positions in business or government.
18. to hit it off with somebody: to quickly become close friends with somebody.
19. to keep in touch with someone: to maintain contact with someone.
20. to lose touch with someone: to lose contact with someone.
21. to see eye to eye: to agree.
22. to strike up (a conversation, a relationship): to start.
23. ups and downs: a mixture of good and bad things that happen. 

1. computer age: the period in modern history characterized by rapid technology development and widespread computer use.
2. computer buff: a user who is good at working with a computer.
3. computer fatigue: a syndrome of tiredness resulting from long computer usage.
4. cutting-edge: something innovational and leading.
5. essential: something you can’t imagine your life without.
6. gadget: an advanced piece of technology, like smartphone.

7. geek: someone who is obsessed with technology, especially computers.
8. hold the line: wait a minute.
9. light years ahead: very far away from.
10. rocket science: a very complicated subject for someone.
11. social media: media used to interact with other people.
12. time-consuming and inefficient: something that takes too much of your time and isn’t rational to do.
13. to access websites/email: to visit websites/email.
14. to back up files: to make a copy of files in case of a computer problem.
15. to be stuck behind a computer: to use computer for a long period of time.
16. to browse websites: to search for websites.
17. to go online: to use the Internet.
18. to navigate a website: to find what you need on the website.
19. to pull the plug: to end an activity.
20. to push someone’s buttons: to do specific thing to irritate somebody (usually intentionally).
21. well-oiled machine: something that works perfectly well.
22. widespread computer use: that is to say people use computers very often. 

1. active rest: a leisure time during which you exercise.
2. athletics track (running track): a track for running, usually used for athletic races.
3. blow the competition away: win easily the competition.
4. brisk walk (brisk walking): a sport in which people walk fast, but not as fast as a full run.
5. fitness program: a timetable of activities to keep you in a good shape.
6. keep-fit exercises: exercises that help you to keep your body in a good shape.

7. personal trainer (sports coach): a person that helps you to train on a one-to-one basis.
8. sports centre (fitness centre): a specific building where people can do different sports.
9. sports meeting (athletics meeting): an event at which a number of athletic contests are held.
10. strength-training strategy: set of exercises to build muscles.
11. strenuous exercise: exercise that needs a lot of physical effort.
12. that’s the way the ball bounces: used to say that things don’t always go as planned, but there is nothing we can do about it.
13. to be keen to do something (to be keen on doing something): to be very interested in doing something.
14. to be out of condition (to be out of shape): to be in bad physical condition, to lose strength.
15. to be saved by the bell: to be saved from losing by a timely interruption.
16. to get into shape: to become fit.
17. to set a record: to achieve the best result in a sport.
18. to take up doing something: to start doing something new (usually sport).
19. to warm up: to perform light exercises to prepare for a hard workout.
20. to work out: to exercise in gym.
21. trial-and-error method: a method of reaching a solution by trying various means until you succeed.
22. workout: session of exercises in gym. You can do a workout for chest, for legs, for losing weight etc. 

1. dine in: dine at home.
2. dine out: dine at a restaurant.
3. fussy eater: someone who is very picky about the food and doesn’t eat everything.
4. home-cooked food: food cooked at home, usually implies that food is healthy.
5. in a walking distance of: close to.
6. more of a chore than a pleasure: something you do rather unwillingly.

7. mouth-watering: delicious, appetizing.
8. my mouth is watering: that is to say you find something very appetizing. People use this expression when they see/smell food that looks very delicious.
9. nutritious products: products rich in calories.
10. processed food: food that has been modified in an undesirable or unhealthy way to achieve its current state.
11. quality justifies the bill: when a product is worth buying due its good quality, even if it’s expensive.
12. quick snack: a light and quick meal, usually unhealthy.
13. ready meal: a meal that you buy already cooked, which only requires reheating to be eaten.
14. restrain one’s hunger: to avoid eating when you really want to. Usually practiced during diets.
15. slap-up meal: a quick and fatty meal. To slap up means to cook something very quickly.
16. starving hungry: to be extremely hungry.
17. take-away: a meal prepared in a café/restaurant and eaten at home.
18. the main meal: the most important meal of the day.
19. to be dying of hunger: an exaggerated way of saying you are really hungry.
20. to be full-up: to eat to the point that you can’t eat anymore.
21. to be ravenous (to have ravenous appetite): to be really hungry, starving, voracious.
22. to bolt something down: to eat a large amount of food very quickly.
23. to catch a snack: to eat a little portion of food very quickly.
24. to eat a balanced diet: to eat correctly and in time.
25. to eat like a horse: to always eat a lot.

1. bookworm: a term to describe someone who really likes to read and spends a lot of time on it.
2. distance learning (e-learning): education that takes place remotely, usually via the Internet.
3. eager beaver: an enthusiastic and hard-working person.
4. face-to-face classes: a traditional way of studying – in a classroom with a teacher.
5. higher education: education that is followed after high school.
6. hit the books: begin studying hard.

7. individual tuition (private tuition): instruction received individually or in a small group.
8. intensive course: a course that offers longer and more frequent classes.
9. internship: a temporary position which students usually take to get work experience and practical knowledge.
10. master’s degree: a graduate course, which follows after bachelor’s degree.
11. mature student: someone who’s older than others.
12. not the sharpest tool in the shed: a polite way of saying that someone isn’t very smart.
13. schoolboy error: a very basic and stupid mistake.
14. small fraction: small part.
15. subject specialist: a person who is very talented in one specific field.
16. teacher’s pet: student whom teachers like the most.
17. to fall behind with studies: to progress less quickly than others.
18. to goof around: spend time doing nothing important.
19. to learn something by heart: to memorize something.
20. to pass with flying colours: to pass easily and with excellent result.
21. to set aside some time: to take some time.
22. to pursue studying: to continue studying.

1. boiling hot: an expression to describe a very hot weather.
2. mild: warm and pleasant.
3. chilly: cold.
4. freezing cold: very cold.
5. gloomy: weather with dark clouds and dull light.
6. to clear up: when clouds and rain disappear.
7. to be drenched (to the skin): to be completely soaked with water.
8. drizzle: a light rain that falls in very small drops.

9. downpour: a heavy fall of rain.
10. to pour down: to rain heavily.
11. humid: containing a high amount of water.
12. snow-covered: covered with snow.
13. heavy snow: when a lot of snow falls.
14. frosty: cold.
15. snowstorm: large amounts of wind and snow.
16. hail: when small balls of ice (hailstones) fall from the sky.
17. breeze: a nice gentle wind.
18. wind chill factor: when the wind makes the air feel colder than the real temperature.
19. sunshine: the heat and light of the sun.
20. heat stroke (sun stroke): a serious heat illness because of being too long in hot weather.
21. a spell of good weather: a period of good weather. You can use other adjectives instead of “good” to describe weather.
22. changeable weather: weather that often changes.
23. mild climate: a climate without extreme weather conditions.
24. smog: a cloud of pollution.
25. forecast: a prediction of how the weather will change.

1. air quality: the cleanliness of the air we breathe.
2. bio-diversity: a diversity in nature, among plants and animals.
3. endangered species: a category of animals or plans that migh become extinct.
4. environmentally friendly: products that do not harm the environment.
5. exhaust fumes: gases, ejected from an engine as waste products.
6. fossil fuels: energy resources like gas and oil.
7. global warming: an increase in temperature all-over the world, as a result of greenhouse effect.

8. greenhouse effect: heating of the atmosphere due to the carbon dioxide and other gases.
9. melting of glaciers: the process of icebergs’ melting.
10. natural disaster: an event like an earthquake, hurricane etc.
11. paper recycling: the processes of reprocessing waste paper for reuse.
12. toxic waste: poisonous rubbish, produced by industrial processes.
13. to become extinct: to stop existing.
14. to be under threat: to be in danger of becoming extinct.
15. to get back to nature: live a life that is closer to nature.
16. to dry up: to have all the water drained away.
17. to litter: to throw rubbish in inappropriate places.

1. music genre: a distinct type of music.
2. classical music: music that is thought to be a part of a long, formal tradition.
3. pop music: a genre of popular music.
4. rock music: music that is based around amplified instruments, especially the electric guitar and electric bass, and is characterized by driving rhythms.
5. catchy tune: a tune or a song that’s easy to remember and that you enjoy singing.
6. elevator music: music that is played in places like supermarket or family restaurant. Almost always is very repetitive and annoying.

7. live music: music performance in front of an audience.
8. music to one’s ears: something (often information) very pleasant and enjoyable to someone.
9. opera: a kind of performance in which actors sing during their play with music performed by an orchestra.
10. tone deaf: not able to discern the notes properly.
11. tuneful: pleasant and melodious music or sound.
12. to face the music: to have to accept the unpleasant consequences of your actions.
13. to ring a bell: to sound familiar.
14. to sound like a broken record: to repeat yourself again and again.
15. to strike (hit) a false note: to do something wrong.

1. action-packed: full of action.
2. addictive: a book or film that you quickly become addicted to.
3. creepy: producing a sensation of uneasiness or fear, scary.
4. dreary: gloomy or depressing.
5. entertaining: funny and enjoyable.
6. futuristic: telling about the future.
7. heartbreaking: that breaks your heart and evokes sad emotions.

8. inspirational: evoking inspiration.
9. intense: a book or film loaded with actions and emotions that evokes strong feelings.
10. tear-jerking: tragic, making you cry.
11. thought-provoking: a book or film that makes you think of new ideas or that changes your attitude to something.
12. action movie: film with fast moving scenes, often containing violence.
13. bedtime reading: a book you read in your bed before going to sleep.
14. box office hit: a very successful movie, in terms of money.
15. e-reader: a gadget for reading books.
16. from cover to cover: from the first page to the last.
17. hardcover: a book with hard cover. Opposite to softcover.
18. page turner: a book which is so good that you cannot stop reading it.
19. plot: a storyline of a book or film.
20. intricate plot: a very complex, labyrinthine plot.
21. subordinate plot (subplot): a plot that is related to, but less important than the main plot of a story.
22. threadbare plot: a simple, primitive plot.
23. unravelling of the plot: the way in which a story develops over time.
24. don’t judge a book by its cover: a metaphorical phrase which means “you shouldn’t judge someone or something by its appearance alone”.
25. to catch the latest movie: to see a movie that has just come out.
26. to flick through: to look quickly through a book.
27. to know like a book: to know something extremely well.
28. to read between the lines: to understand the hidden meaning about something.

1. addict: a person, who is obsessed (addicted) by (to) something, drugs or alcohol, for example.
2. a check-up: an examination done by a doctor.
3. a runny nose: a nose that has liquid coming out of it.
4. chronic disease: a type of disease that continues to occur for a long time.
5. impediment: a physical defect that hinders normal or easy speech.
6. epidemic: when disease spreads very quickly and effects a large number of people.
7. painkillers: medicine for dealing with pain.

8. rehab: a course of treatment for drug or alcohol or any other dependence.
9. to diagnose: to recognise an illness by examining the patient.
10. to stutter: to talk with a continued accidental repetition of sounds.
11. alive and kicking: to continue being well and healthy.
12. to break a habit: to stop doing something that is a habit, especially something bad or harmful.
13. to black out: to lose consciousness.
14. to be under the weather: to feel ill.
15. to phone in sick: to call your superior to inform him/her that you are sick and won’t be at work for some time.
16. sick as a dog = to be at death’s door: very sick.
17. white as a sheet: can be sad about a very pale person.

1. petty crime – not a serious crime
2. violent crime – crime which includes assault
3. organized crime – organized group of people commits crimes or engages in criminal enterprises for profit.
4. white-collar crime – a term mostly referring to business world crimes. Usually crimes committed by businessmen or office workers for financial gain.
5. victimless crime – a crime with no apparent victim
6. to carry out a crime – to commit a crime

7. to investigate a crime – to detect / solve a crime
8. to fight crime – to tackle crime
9. to prevent crime – to preclude crime
10. a crackdown on crime – a serious attempt to punish people for committing crimes
11. life of crime – criminal way of living
12. a crime wave – a sudden increase in the amount of crime in an area
13. circumstances of the crime – conditions under which a crime was committed
14. the incidence of crime – the number of times crime happens or develops
15. hijacking – stopping and stealing a vehicle
16. manslaughter – also killing a person
17. felony – a serious crime such as murder or burglary
18. pickpocketing – stealing someone’s belongings from pockets and purses
19. shoplifting – stealing things from a shop or store
20. a defendant – a person accused of a crime in court
21. a prosecutor – the lawyer who represents the side that tries to prove the person guilty
22. a witness – a person who sees something (such as crime) happening
23. guilty – responsible for committing a crime or doing something wrong
24. victim – a person who has been attacked in some way by somebody
25. Innocent / unsuspecting victim – not deserving to be harmed
26. to portray somebody as a victim – to present somebody as a victim
27. a suspect – a person who is believed to be guilty
30. an attorney – a lawyer who can sue or defend people
31. evidence – something that can serve to prove something
32. criminal evidence – evidence related to a criminal case
33. in the light of evidence / in the face of evidence – considering the evidence
34. not a scrap of evidence – no evidence
35. verdict – the decision made by a jury in a trial
36. law-abiding – obeying the law : not doing anything that the law does not allow
37. antisocial behavior – social misconduct
38. juvenile delinquency – delinquency among children
39. corporal punishment – physical punishment
40. forfeiture – the loss of property or money because of legal obligation or as a judge’s decision