This list includes 66 Hard words that start with V, from “vacillatory” to “vulpine”. They are low-frequency, polysyllabic, and often Latin-derived, useful for writing, exams, and advanced vocabulary building.
Hard words that start with V are challenging, often technical or literary vocabulary you encounter in advanced reading. Many trace back to Latin roots and appear in classical literature and scholarly writing.
Below you’ll find the table with Etymology and Definition.
Etymology: Concise origin notes show you where each word comes from and help remember its meaning.
Definition: A one-sentence gloss gives you part of speech and a clear meaning for quick reference.
Hard words that start with V
| Word | Meaning | Part of speech | Etymology |
|---|---|---|---|
| vacuole | Small membrane-bound organelle in cells | noun | Latin vacuus “empty”, 19th c. |
| vadose | Relating to unsaturated groundwater zones | adjective | Latin vadosus “shallow, fordable”, 19th c. |
| vagary | An unpredictable or erratic action or occurrence | noun | Latin vagari “to wander”, 16th c. |
| vagile | Capable of movement, especially of organisms | adjective | Latin vagari “to wander”, 19th c. |
| vatic | Prophetic, inspired by a seer or prophet | adjective | Latin vates “prophet”, 17th c. |
| vaticinate | To prophesy or foretell | verb | Latin vaticinari “to prophesy”, 17th c. |
| vellicate | To twitch or cause slight contraction | verb | Latin vellicare “to pluck”, 17th c. |
| velutinous | Having a soft, velvety surface | adjective | Latin velutinus “velvety”, 18th c. |
| venesection | Bloodletting; cutting a vein to draw blood | noun | Latin vena “vein” + sectio “cutting”, 16th c. |
| venipuncture | Puncture of a vein to withdraw blood | noun | Latin vena “vein” + punctura “pricking”, 19th c. |
| ventifact | Rock sculpted by wind-driven sand | noun | Latin ventus “wind” + facere “make”, 20th c. |
| ventriloquize | To practice ventriloquism; speak as if from elsewhere | verb | Latin venter “belly” + loqui “to speak”, 18th c. |
| verbigeration | Meaningless repetition of words or phrases | noun | Latin verbum “word” + gerere “carry”, 19th c. |
| veridical | Truthful or corresponding to reality | adjective | Latin veridicus “truth-telling”, 17th c. |
| verisimilitude | Appearance or semblance of truth | noun | Latin verisimilis “likely”, 17th c. |
| vermeil | Gilded or silver-plated with gold; silver-gilt object | noun | French vermeil “gilded silver”, 18th c. |
| vermiform | Worm-shaped or resembling a worm | adjective | Latin vermis “worm” + -form, 17th c. |
| vermicular | Worm-like in shape or movement | adjective | Latin vermiculus “little worm”, 17th c. |
| vermicide | Agent that kills worms (vermin) | noun | Latin vermis “worm” + -cide “kill”, 19th c. |
| vermiculite | A mineral that expands when heated; layered silicate | noun | Latin vermiculus “little worm”, 19th c. |
| vertiginous | Causing or experiencing dizziness; steep | adjective | Latin vertigo “dizziness”, 17th c. |
| vespertine | Occurring in the evening; evening-active | adjective | Latin vesper “evening”, 17th c. |
| vexillology | Study of flags and their symbolism | noun | Latin vexillum “flag” + -logy, 20th c. |
| vibrissa | A tactile whisker, especially on mammals | noun | Latin vibrissa “whisker”, 19th c. |
| vicariance | Species separation due to geographic barrier | noun | Latin vicarius “substitute”, 20th c. |
| vicinage | Neighborhood or surrounding district; legal term | noun | Latin vicinus “neighbor”, 15th c. |
| vicissitude | A change of circumstances or fortune, often adverse | noun | Latin vicissitudo “change”, 16th c. |
| videlicet | Namely; that is to say (often abbreviated viz.) | adverb | Latin videlicet “it is seen”, 16th c. |
| vilipend | To hold or treat as of little worth | verb | Latin vilis “cheap” + pendere “hang”, 16th c. |
| villanelle | A fixed 19-line poetic form with refrains | noun | Italian villanella diminutive, 19th c. |
| villosity | Hairy or shaggy surface quality | noun | Latin villosus “hairy”, 17th c. |
| vindemiation | The grape harvest; vintage gathering | noun | Latin vindemia “grape harvest”, 16th c. |
| viniculture | Cultivation and harvesting of grapes for wine | noun | Latin vinea “vine” + culture, 19th c. |
| viand | An item of food; edible provision (often plural viands) | noun | Old French viande “food”, 14th c. |
| vibratile | Capable of vibrating or moved by vibration | adjective | Latin vibrare “to shake”, 19th c. |
| virgule | A slash mark (/) used as punctuation | noun | Old French virgule “little twig”, 16th c. |
| viridescent | Greenish or becoming green | adjective | Latin viridis “green” + -escent, 19th c. |
| virga | A shaft of precipitation that evaporates before ground | noun | Latin virga “rod, branch”, 17th c. |
| viscid | Sticky or glutinous | adjective | Latin viscidus “sticky”, 17th c. |
| viscus | An internal organ of the body (plural viscera) | noun | Latin viscus “internal organ”, 16th c. |
| vitelline | Relating to or resembling egg yolk | adjective | Latin vitellus “yolk”, 18th c. |
| vituperation | Abusive language; sustained bitter criticism | noun | Latin vituperare “to blame”, 16th c. |
| vivipary | Reproduction where young develop inside parent (plants/animals) | noun | Latin vivus “living” + parere “to bring forth”, 19th c. |
| vivisection | Surgical experimentation on live animals | noun | Latin vivere “to live” + sectio “cutting”, 19th c. |
| vocable | A word or utterance; a spoken form | noun | Latin vocare “to call”, 17th c. |
| vocative | Grammatical case addressing a person directly | adjective/noun | Latin vocare “to call”, classical usage. |
| volatic | Relating to flight; flying | adjective | Latin volare “to fly” + -atic, 17th c. |
| volitive | Expressing the will or volition | adjective | Latin volo “I will”, 16th c. |
| volute | A spiral scroll-shaped ornament or shell form | noun | Latin voluta “rolled”, 17th c. |
| voluptuary | A person devoted to luxury and sensual pleasure | noun | Latin voluptas “pleasure”, 17th c. |
| vomer | A thin bone forming part of the nasal septum | noun | Latin vomer “ploughshare”, 18th c. |
| vorticity | Measure of local rotation in a fluid flow | noun | Latin vortex “whirlpool” + -ity, 19th–20th c. |
| votary | A person devoted to a pursuit or worship; devotee | noun | Latin votum “vow”, 15th c. |
| vouchsafe | To grant or bestow (often condescendingly) | verb | Old French vouch “promise”, 15th c. |
| vulpine | Relating to or resembling a fox; crafty | adjective | Latin vulpes “fox”, 17th c. |
| vulnerary | Used for healing wounds; medicinal for wounds | adjective/noun | Latin vulnerarius “for wounds”, 16th c. |
| vacillatory | Characterized by indecision or wavering | adjective | Latin vacillare “to sway”, 17th c. |
| vacuity | Emptiness; intellectual or emotional vacuousness | noun | Latin vacuus “empty”, 16th c. |
| vagitus | A newborn’s cry or wailing | noun | Latin vagitus “a wailing”, 17th c. |
| valetudinarian | A person unduly anxious about their health | noun | Latin valetudinis “state of health”, 18th c. |
| valedictory | Serving as a farewell or farewell speech | adjective/noun | Latin valedicere “to say farewell”, 17th c. |
| vanadic | Relating to vanadium or its compounds | adjective | Named for Vanadium (Scand.), 19th c. |
| vasculature | The arrangement or system of blood vessels | noun | Latin vasculum “small vessel”, 19th c. |
| vasoconstriction | Narrowing of blood vessels reducing blood flow | noun | Latin vas “vessel” + constrictio “binding”, 19th c. |
| vasopressin | Peptide hormone that increases blood pressure and water retention | noun | Latin vas “vessel” + pressus “pressed”, 20th c. |
| velleity | A slight wish or inclination without action | noun | Latin velle “to wish”, 17th c. |
Descriptions
vacuole
Cell-biology term for fluid-filled compartments; neutral register. Example: plant cells often contain large vacuoles.
vadose
Technical geology/hydrology term; used in scientific writing about soil and groundwater.
vagary
Literary/academic register for capricious events or whims. Example: “the vagaries of weather.”
vagile
Biological term describing mobile organisms; formal scientific usage.
vatic
Poetic or literary; used to describe prophetic utterances. Example: “a vatic voice.”
vaticinate
Archaising verb; found in literary and philosophical texts.
vellicate
Rare verb; medical/biological contexts sometimes. Example: “the eyelid vellicates.”
velutinous
Descriptive, used for textures in natural history and textiles.
venesection
Historical medical term; archaic in modern medicine but appears in historical texts.
venipuncture
Standard medical procedure term; clinical register.
ventifact
Geology term for wind-eroded stones found in deserts; technical usage.
ventriloquize
Performing-arts term; formal or humorous contexts.
verbigeration
Psychiatric/clinical register for perseverative speech; formal writing.
veridical
Philosophical and psychological usage; formal tone.
verisimilitude
Literary and critical term describing realism in art or argument.
vermeil
Specialist term in art history and antiques; formal.
vermiform
Anatomical and zoological descriptive term; technical register.
vermicular
Used in biology, decorative arts (vermicular patterns).
vermicide
Technical/chemical term in pest control contexts.
vermiculite
Industrial and geological term; used in construction and horticulture.
vertiginous
Descriptive in physical and metaphorical contexts; literary register.
vespertine
Biology and literary usage for evening behaviors or events.
vexillology
Specialist hobbyist and academic field; formal/technical register.
vibrissa
Anatomical term in zoology and veterinary science; technical usage.
vicariance
Biogeography/ecology term; technical. Example: “vicariance explains species divergence.”
vicinage
Archaic/legal usage for jurisdictional neighborhood; formal register.
vicissitude
Literary and academic; used to discuss life’s ups and downs.
videlicet
Archaic or scholarly connective; appears in legal and historical texts.
vilipend
Rare verb, formal or literary; often found in critical writing.
villanelle
Poetic terminology; used in literary criticism and composition.
villosity
Anatomical and botanical term; technical descriptive usage.
vindemiation
Archaic/agricultural term found in historical texts about viticulture.
viniculture
Technical agriculture/winemaking term; formal usage.
viand
Archaic or literary; used for historical or elevated diction.
vibratile
Biological and mechanical contexts; technical descriptive term.
virgule
Typographical term used in editorial and linguistic contexts.
viridescent
Descriptive in biology and color description; poetic flavor.
virga
Meteorological term; used in weather reports and specialist writing.
viscid
Scientific and descriptive; used in chemistry and everyday description.
viscus
Anatomical term; formal/medical register.
vitelline
Biology and embryology term; technical usage.
vituperation
Formal/literary term for harsh denunciation or invective.
vivipary
Biological term for live-bearing reproduction; technical.
vivisection
Ethical and scientific term; emotive in debates on animal research.
vocable
Linguistic and philological term for a lexical item; formal register.
vocative
Grammar term used in linguistic and classical studies; formal.
volatic
Rare adjective in ornithology and poetic contexts.
volitive
Grammatical and philosophical usage; formal register.
volute
Architecture and natural-history term; used in art and design contexts.
voluptuary
Literary/pejorative term for epicurean lifestyles; formal usage.
vomer
Anatomical term in medicine and dentistry; technical.
vorticity
Fluid dynamics term used in physics and engineering; highly technical.
votary
Archaic or literary; religious and secular contexts.
vouchsafe
Formal or archaic; used in polite or ironic contexts.
vulpine
Descriptive and literary; used metaphorically for slyness.
vulnerary
Archaic medical term; appears in historical herbals and pharmacopoeias.
vacillatory
Formal adjective for indecisive behavior; literary or critical usage.
vacuity
Literary and critical term for lack of substance; formal register.
vagitus
Rare medical/obstetric term; highly specialized usage.
valetudinarian
Humorous or antiquated label for chronic invalids; literary register.
valedictory
Ceremonial/academic term for farewell addresses or remarks.
vanadic
Chemistry term describing vanadium-containing compounds; technical usage.
vasculature
Medical/anatomical term; clinical and scientific register.
vasoconstriction
Physiological and medical term; used in clinical contexts.
vasopressin
Endocrinology term for a key hormone; highly technical.
velleity
Philosophical and literary; valued by test-takers for its precise nuance.