C2 English Nouns: Events, States & Emotions
Language proficiency is demonstrated through the ability to describe situations and emotional landscapes with great specificity. This section provides a powerful lexicon for articulating the entire spectrum of human experience, from chaos to tranquillity.
Here you will find nouns for Events, Situations & Circumstances like conundrum and watershed, and for states of Hostility, Discord & Opposition such as animosity and rancour. It also contrasts vocabulary for Chaos, Turmoil & Disruption, like bedlam and turmoil, with words for Calm, Rest & Stability, such as serenity and respite.
Jump to a section:
- People, Roles & Occupations
- Personal Qualities & Character Traits
- Emotions & Mental States
- Conflict, Violence & Warfare
- Governance, Law & Authority
- Crime, Wrongdoing & Punishment
- Morality, Virtue & Ethics
- Knowledge, Learning & Wisdom
- Communication & Expression
- Religion, Spirituality & Belief
- Abstract Concepts & Phenomena
- Philosophy, Thought & Principles
- Natural World & Scientific Processes
- Time, Change & Stages
- Physical Structures, Places & Objects
- Groups & Social Organisation
- Events, Situations & Circumstances
- Hostility, Discord & Opposition
- Chaos, Turmoil & Disruption
- Calm, Rest & Stability
- Hardship, Adversity & Suffering
- Abundance, Scarcity & Resources
- Reputation, Status & Standing
- Tendency, Inclination & Preference
- Compliance, Procedure & Standards
- Ideologies & Movements
- Appearance, Surface & Perception
- Scale, Degree & Extent
Events, Situations & Circumstances
| Word | Example Sentence | IPA (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| cataclysm | The country was still recovering from the financial cataclysm of the previous decade. | /ˈkætəklɪzəm/ |
| catharsis | For many, writing about their traumatic experiences is a form of catharsis. | /kəˈθɑːsɪs/ |
| dalliance | It was a brief romantic dalliance that she soon regretted. | /ˈdæliəns/ |
| debacle | After the team's disastrous performance, the manager described the match as a complete debacle. | /deɪˈbɑːkl/ |
| delineation | The report provides a clear delineation of responsibilities. | /dɪˌlɪniˈeɪʃn/ |
| deluge | They received a deluge of complaints after the announcement. | /ˈdeljuːdʒ/ |
| escapade | The film follows the hilarious escapades of two friends on a road trip. | /ˌeskəˈpeɪd/ |
| exigency | In the exigencies of the moment, they had to make a quick decision. | /ɪkˈsɪdʒənsi/ |
| farce | The trial was widely regarded as a complete farce. | /fɑːs/ |
| fiasco | The grand opening turned into a complete fiasco when the power went out. | /fiˈæskəʊ/ |
| foray | The established author made an unexpected foray into science fiction. | /ˈfɒreɪ/ |
| forfeiture | Failure to comply will result in the forfeiture of your deposit. | /ˈfɔːfɪtʃə(r)/ |
| gaffe | The politician made a terrible gaffe during the live interview.
Word Partners: make a gaffe, diplomatic gaffe
|
/ɡæf/ |
| gambit | His opening gambit in the negotiations was to demand a higher salary.
Word Partners: opening gambit
|
/ˈɡæmbɪt/ |
| itinerary | The tour guide handed out the detailed itinerary for our trip. | /aɪˈtɪnərəri/ |
| jamboree | The scout jamboree attracted participants from over fifty countries. | /ˌdʒæmbəˈriː/ |
| jaunt | They went on a short jaunt to the countryside for the weekend. | /dʒɔːnt/ |
| jubilation | There were scenes of wild jubilation in the streets after the victory. | /ˌdʒuːbɪˈleɪʃn/ |
| jubilee | The country celebrated the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. | /ˈdʒuːbɪliː/ |
| juncture | At this critical juncture, we cannot afford to make a mistake. | /ˈdʒʌŋktʃə(r)/ |
| mishap | The event went off without mishap. | /ˈmɪshæp/ |
| odyssey | His book recounts his spiritual odyssey from atheism to faith. | /ˈɒdəsi/ |
| ovation | Her incredible performance received a standing ovation from the audience.
Word Partners: standing ovation
|
/əʊˈveɪʃn/ |
| plight | The documentary highlighted the desperate plight of the refugees. | /plaɪt/ |
| quagmire | The conflict became a political quagmire with no obvious way out.
Word Partners: political/military quagmire
|
/ˈkwæɡmaɪə(r)/ |
| quandary | She found herself in a quandary over whether to accept the job offer.
Word Partners: be in a quandary
|
/ˈkwɒndəri/ |
| reclamation | The project involved the reclamation of industrial wasteland. | /ˌrekləˈmeɪʃn/ |
| relegation | The team is facing the threat of relegation from the top division. | /ˌreləˈɡeɪʃn/ |
| repercussion | The scandal had serious repercussions for his political career. | /ˌriːpəˈkʌʃn/ |
| revelry | The sounds of drunken revelry could be heard from the street outside. | /ˈrevlri/ |
| reverberation | The decision to close the factory had economic reverberations across the entire region. | /rɪˌvɜːbəˈreɪʃn/ |
| rigmarole | We had to go through the whole rigmarole of filling in forms. | /ˈrɪɡmərəʊl/ |
| saga | The book is a lengthy family saga spanning several generations. | /ˈsɑːɡə/ |
| sojourn | His brief sojourn in Paris lasted only three months. | /ˈsɒdʒɜːn/ |
| spate | The company was hit by a spate of resignations.
Word Partners: a spate of
|
/speɪt/ |
| stalemate | The peace talks have reached a stalemate, with neither side willing to compromise.
Word Partners: reach a stalemate, end in a stalemate
|
/ˈsteɪlmeɪt/ |
| standstill | A major accident on the motorway brought traffic to a complete standstill.
Word Partners: bring to a standstill, come to a standstill
|
/ˈstændstɪl/ |
| stint | After a brief stint as a teacher, he decided to become a writer. | /stɪnt/ |
| stopgap | The new policy is only a stopgap measure until a permanent solution can be found.
Word Partners: a stopgap measure
|
/ˈstɒpɡæp/ |
| symposium | She will be speaking at an international symposium on climate change. | /sɪmˈpəʊziəm/ |
| tantrum | The child threw a tantrum in the middle of the supermarket.
Word Partners: throw a tantrum
|
/ˈtæntrəm/ |
| travesty | The court's decision was a travesty of justice.
Word Partners: a travesty of justice
|
/ˈtrævəsti/ |
| tremor | A slight tremor of fear ran through her as she heard the sound. | /ˈtremə(r)/ |
| trudge | After the long meeting, the slow trudge back to the office felt endless. | /trʌdʒ/ |
| typhoon | A powerful typhoon is expected to hit the coast tomorrow. | /taɪˈfuːn/ |
| undertaking | Starting a new business is a risky undertaking. | /ˌʌndəˈteɪkɪŋ/ |
| undoing | His arrogance was ultimately his undoing. | /ʌnˈduːɪŋ/ |
| upshot | The upshot of the lengthy negotiations was a compromise that pleased no one. | /ˈʌpʃɒt/ |
| vacancy | The hotel had a 'no vacancies' sign in the window. | /ˈveɪkənsi/ |
| vicissitude | Despite the many vicissitudes of life, they remained optimistic. | /vɪˈsɪsɪtjuːd/ |
| vigil | Mourners held an all-night vigil outside the hospital. | /ˈvɪdʒɪl/ |
| walkout | The union threatened a walkout if their demands were not met. | /ˈwɔːkaʊt/ |
Hostility, Discord & Opposition
| Word | Example Sentence | IPA (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| acrimony | The divorce was conducted with considerable acrimony on both sides. | /ˈækrɪməni/ |
| animosity | There was considerable animosity between the two factions. | /ˌænɪˈmɒsəti/ |
| antipathy | She felt a strong antipathy towards her new boss. | /ænˈtɪpəθi/ |
| condescension | She resented the condescension in his voice when he explained the procedure to her. | /ˌkɒndɪˈsenʃn/ |
| disaffection | There is growing disaffection with the current government. | /ˌdɪsəˈfekʃn/ |
| discord | The policy changes sowed discord among the board members. | /ˈdɪskɔːd/ |
| disdain | She looked at him with open disdain.
Word Partners: open/utter disdain, treat with disdain
|
/dɪsˈdeɪn/ |
| dissension | There was growing dissension within the ranks of the party. | /dɪˈsenʃn/ |
| dissent | The regime ruthlessly suppressed any dissent. | /dɪˈsent/ |
| intransigence | The negotiations failed due to the intransigence of both parties. | /ɪnˈtrænsɪdʒəns/ |
| ostracism | After the scandal, he faced social ostracism from his former friends. | /ˈɒstrəsɪzəm/ |
| rancour | The debate was conducted without personal rancour. | /ˈræŋkə(r)/ |
| recalcitrance | The student's recalcitrance was a constant challenge for the teacher. | /rɪˈkælsɪtrəns/ |
| recrimination | The meeting descended into a bitter cycle of accusations and recriminations.
Word Partners: accusations and recriminations
|
/rɪˌkrɪmɪˈneɪʃn/ |
| repugnance | She felt a deep sense of repugnance at the sight of the violence. | /rɪˈpʌɡnəns/ |
| rift | A deep rift had developed between the two former allies. | /rɪft/ |
| snub | Not inviting him was a deliberate snub. | /snʌb/ |
| umbrage | She took umbrage at his suggestion that she was not qualified for the job.
Word Partners: take umbrage at
|
/ˈʌmbrɪdʒ/ |
| venom | She spoke with undisguised venom about her former employer. | /ˈvenəm/ |
| vexation | He let out a sigh of vexation when the computer crashed again. | /vekˈseɪʃn/ |
| vindictiveness | The article was criticised for its personal vindictiveness. | /vɪnˈdɪktɪvnəs/ |
| wrath | The announcement provoked the wrath of the local community. | /rɒθ/ |
Chaos, Turmoil & Disruption
| Word | Example Sentence | IPA (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| bedlam | When the fire alarm went off, the classroom descended into bedlam. | /ˈbedləm/ |
| doldrums | After the project was cancelled, the team was in the doldrums for weeks.
Word Partners: in the doldrums
|
/ˈdɒldrəmz/ |
| maelstrom | The country was drawn into a maelstrom of political violence. | /ˈmeɪlstrəm/ |
| pandemonium | Pandemonium erupted in the courtroom when the verdict was announced. | /ˌpændəˈməʊniəm/ |
| ruckus | A few angry fans started a ruckus after the referee's decision. | /ˈrʌkəs/ |
| shambles | After the party, the house was in a complete shambles.
Word Partners: in a shambles
|
/ˈʃæmblz/ |
| tumult | Her mind was in a tumult after receiving the confusing news. | /ˈtjuːmʌlt/ |
| turbulence | The company is experiencing a period of political and economic turbulence. | /ˈtɜːbjələns/ |
| turmoil | The country was in political turmoil following the disputed election. | /ˈtɜːmɔɪl/ |
| uproar | The decision to close the school caused a public uproar. | /ˈʌprɔː(r)/ |
| volatility | Investors were unnerved by the volatility of the stock market. | /ˌvɒləˈtɪləti/ |
| vortex | The country was being drawn into a vortex of political instability. | /ˈvɔːteks/ |
Calm, Rest & Stability
| Word | Example Sentence | IPA (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| abeyance | The project was held in abeyance until further funding could be secured.
Word Partners: in abeyance, hold in abeyance
|
/əˈbeɪəns/ |
| deliverance | The arrival of the rescue team felt like a final deliverance from danger. | /dɪˈlɪvərəns/ |
| emancipation | The historical study focused on the emancipation of enslaved peoples. | /ɪˌmænsɪˈpeɪʃn/ |
| equanimity | She accepted the unexpected news with remarkable equanimity.
Word Partners: with equanimity
|
/ˌekwəˈnɪməti/ |
| remission | After months of treatment, her cancer was declared to be in remission.
Word Partners: in remission
|
/rɪˈmɪʃn/ |
| respite | The ceasefire provided a brief respite from the fighting. | /ˈrespaɪt/ |
| seclusion | The writer retreated into seclusion to finish her novel. | /sɪˈkluːʒn/ |
| slumber | The baby finally fell into a deep slumber. | /ˈslʌmbə(r)/ |
| sobriety | After years of addiction, he finally achieved lasting sobriety. | /səˈbraɪəti/ |
| solitude | She enjoyed the peace and solitude of the mountains. | /ˈsɒlɪtjuːd/ |
| stupor | He sat in a drunken stupor, barely aware of his surroundings. | /ˈstjuːpə(r)/ |
| torpor | The summer heat induced a general torpor among the workers. | /ˈtɔːpə(r)/ |
| trance | He seemed to be in a trance, staring blankly into space.
Word Partners: in a trance
|
/trɑːns/ |
| tranquillity | She enjoyed the peace and tranquillity of the countryside. | /træŋˈkwɪləti/ |
