German B2 — Upper-Intermediate Vocabulary
Less common, more abstract vocabulary for news, essays and complex topics. · 2,844 words.
2,844 B2 words
| German word | English meaning |
|---|---|
| weihen | to consecrate / to ordain |
| der Weiher | pond |
| der Weinstock | a grapevine |
| die Weisheit | wisdom |
| weitreichend | far-reaching |
| die Wellenlänge | wavelength |
| das Weltall | universe / space / cosmos |
| die Weltgesundheitsorganisation | the World Health Organization (WHO) |
| weltlich | worldly / secular |
| der Weltranglistenerste | "World Number One" (e.g., tennis player) |
| der Weltraum | (outer) space |
| das Weltraumteleskop | a space telescope |
| die Wende | turn / change / turning point |
| wendig | manoueverable / agile |
| wenn es sie nicht gäbe | if it weren't for it... |
| der Werdegang | a career / development process |
| die Wertschätzung | esteem / high regard |
| der Wertstoffe | recyclables |
| das Wesen | essence/nature |
| die Wespe | a wasp |
| das Westjordanland | the West Bank |
| der Westmauer | the Western Wall |
| die Wetterfahne | weather vane |
| die Wichtigtuerei | pompousness / self importance |
| wichtigtuerisch | pompous / snobbish |
| widerrufen | to retract |
| Widersprechende Interessen | conflicting interests |
| der Widerstand | resistance / opposition |
| die Wiedergutmachung | reparation / amends |
| wiedervereinigen | to reunite |
| die Wiedervereinigung | reunification |
| die Wiederwahl | re-election |
| die Wiege | cradle |
| das Wildleder | suede |
| willkürlich | arbitrary / random |
| der Windkanal | a wind tunnel |
| die Windkraft | wind power |
| der Windpark | wind farm |
| windstill German | windless / calm |
| der Winkel | angle / corner / recess |
| das Wintersemester | winter semester |
| der Wipfel | treetop / top |
| die Wirksamkeit | effectiveness / efficacy |
| wirkungsvoll | effective / telling |
| wirtschaftlich | economical |
| wissbegierig | eager to learn / inquisitive |
| die Witzelei | a quip / wisecrack |
| die Woche, -e | week |
| der Wochentag, -e | weekday |
| das Wohlergehen | well-being / welfare |
| die Wohlfahrt | welfare |
| wohlmeinend | benevolent / well minded |
| der Wohlstand | prosperity / affluence |
| die Wohltat | a blessing / good deed |
| das Wohlwollen | goodwill / benevolence |
| die Wohnung, -en | Apartment / flat |
| der Wohnungswechsel | change of residence |
| der Wolkenkratzer | skyscraper |
| womöglich | possibly |
| das Wort, -ö, er/-e | word |
| das Wörterbuch, -ü, er | dictionary |
| der Wortschatz | vocabulary / thesaurus |
| der Wortwechsel | an exchange of words |
| wuchern | to proliferate / grow profusely |
| die Wucht | brunt / force / impact |
| wünschenswert | desirable |
| der Wurm | a worm |
| der Wuschelkopf | a mop of curly hair / fuzzy head |
| die Wut | anger / rage |
| die Wutschrei | a scream of rage |
| der Yachthafen | a marina |
| zackig | jagged / pointed |
| zaghaft | timid / diffident |
| die Zahlenreihe | series of numbers |
| der Zahnarzt | dentist |
| der Zauberstab | (magic) wand |
| das Zauberwort | the magic word |
| der Zeiger | pointer / indicator / hand |
| das Zeitalter | age / era |
| zeitaufwändig | time consuming |
| zeitgleich | synchronized |
| der Zeitraffer | a time lapse |
| die Zeitung, -en | newspaper |
| die Zensur | censorship |
| zerbeulen | to dent |
| der Zerfall | decay / disintegration |
| zerfallen | to decay / disintegrate |
| die Zerlegung | cutting apart / taking apart / stripping down |
| zerren | to tug |
| zerschmettern | to smash / crush / shatter |
| die Zerstreuung | a dispersal / scattering / diversion |
| zertrümmern | to smash up / shatter |
| zerzaust | disheveled / tousled / windswept |
| die Zeugenpflicht | duty to testify |
| der Ziegel | brick/tile |
| die Ziegelmauer | brick wall |
| die Zielsetzung | objective / target |
| die Ziffer | numeral / digit |
| die Zigarette, -n | cigarette |
| die Zikade | a cicada |
Quiz yourself on B2 words
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Frequently asked questions
How many words are in the German B2 vocabulary list?
2,844 words, each with its English translation, the article (der/die/das) and an example sentence.
Is the German B2 word list free to download?
Yes — download the whole list free as a CSV spreadsheet or an Anki flashcard deck for spaced repetition.
What topics does German B2 vocabulary cover?
Society & Abstract, Work & Education, Feelings & Character, Communication & Media, Everyday Actions, Nature & Weather, Body & Health, Money & Shopping and more — browse them above, or open a topic for its own list.
Learn B2 by watching real German videos
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