| Term | Definition |
|---|
| pachyderm | thick-skinned animal |
| pacifist | one opposed to force; antimilitarist; ADJ. N. pacifism: opposition to war as a means of resolving disputes |
| pacify | soothe; make calm or quiet; subdue; bring peace to |
| paean | song of praise or joy; Ex. paeans celebrating the victory |
| painstaking | taking pains; showing hard work; taking great care; very careful and through |
| palatable | agreeable; pleasing to the taste |
| palate | roof of the mouth; sense of the taste |
| palatial | of or suitable for a palace; magnificent |
| paleontology | study of prehistoric life or fossils; CF. paleo-: ancient or prehistoric; Ex. paleography: study of ancient written documents |
| palette | board on which painter mixes pigments(coloring matters) |
| palimpsest | parchment or piece of writing material used for second time after original writing has been erased |
| parchment | writing material made from the skin of a sheep or goat |
| pall | become boring; grow tiresome |
| pallet | small poor bed; Ex. straw pallet |
| palliate | ease pain (without curing); make less severe or offensive (a crime or illness) |
| pallid | pale; wan; Ex. pallid complexion |
| palpable | tangible; (of something bad) easily perceptible; obvious; Ex. palpable blunder |
| palpitate | throb; beat rapidly; flutter; tremble; Ex. Her heart began to palpitate. |
| throb | (of a heart or machine) beat rapidly or violently; N. Ex. hearthrob: heartbeat; sweetheart |
| paltry | insignificant; petty; trifling; contemptible; Ex. paltry sum; CF. trash |
| pan | criticize harshly |
| panacea | cure-all; remedy for all diseases |
| panache | flair; manner of doing things without any difficulty (causing admiration); flamboyance; bunch of feathers (on a helmet); Ex. with great panache; CF. 儡 酒贰肺 玫阑 哗郴绰 钾揪 |
| pandemic | widespread; affecting the majority of people; N: pandemic disease; CF. all people |
| pandemonium | wild tumult(commotion); wild noisy disorder; CF. Paradise Lost |
| pander | cater to (the low desires of others) |
| cater | provide food and drink (for); cater to: try to satisfy (desires of a bad kind) |
| panegyric | formal praise; encomium; Ex. I don't deserve such panegyrics. |
| panoramic | denoting an unobstructed and comprehensive view; N. panorama: unbroken view of a wide area |
| pantomime | acting without dialogue; V. |
| papyrus | ancient paper made from stem of papyrus plant |
| parable | short simple story teaching a moral |
| paradigm | model; example that serves as a model; pattern; list of all the inflectional forms of a word |
| paradox | something apparently contradictory in nature (that may nonetheless be true); statement that looks false but is actually correct |
| paragon | model of perfection; Ex. paragon of virtue |
| parallelism | state of being parallel; similarity; analogy |
| parallel | similar; analogous; corresponding; N: parallel line; person or thing that is parallel (to another); similarity; Ex. know of no parallel to the case; Ex. without parallel; V: be similar to; make parallel; Ex. Your experience parallels mine; CF. unparalleled |
| parameter | limit; independent variable; Ex. parameters of the problem; Ex. within the parameters of the budget |
| paramount | foremost in importance; supreme; CF. para-: beyond; above; Ex. paranormal |
| paramour | illicit lover |
| inamorata | woman whom a man loves |
| paranoia | psychosis marked by delusions of grandeur or persecution; N: ADJ: paranoid, paranoiac |
| paraphernalia | equipment; odds and ends used in a particular activity; personal belongings; Ex. photographic paraphernalia; CF. married woman's property exclusive of her dowry |
| dowry | money or property brought by a bride to her husband at marriage |
| paraphrase | restate a passage in one's own words while retaining thought of author; N: restatement of a text in other words |
| parasite | animal or plant living on another; toady; sycophant; CF. para-: beside |
| infest | inhabit in numbers large enough to be harmful; Ex. Mice infested the house; Ex. shark-infested waters |
| parched | extremely dry; very thirsty; V. parch: make or become extremely dry (by exposure to heat) |
| pariah | social outcast; Ex. Mariah the pariah |
| outcast | one that has been excluded from a society; ADJ. |
| parity | equality; close resemblance; CF. disparate |
| parlance | language; manner of speaking; idiom; Ex. in legal/common parlance |
| parley | conference (between opponents); CF. speak |
| parochial | narrow in scope or outlook; provincial; related to parishes |
| parish | area in the care of a single priest and served by one main church |
| outlook | point of view; view from a particular place; expectation for the future; prospect; Ex. outlook on life; Ex. pleasing outlook; Ex. weather outlook |
| parody | humorous imitation; spoof; takeoff; travesty; V. |
| spoof | parody |
| takeoff | burlesque; act of leaving the ground |
| paroxysm | fit or attack of pain, laughter, rage; sudden outburst |
| parquet | floor made of wood strips inlaid in a mosaic like matter; CF. strip: long narrow piece |
| parry | ward off a blow; deflect; Ex. He parried the unwelcome question very skillfully; N. CF. 阜绰促绰 俺充捞 酒丛 |
| ward | administrative division of a city; division in a hospital or prison; incompetent person placed under the protection of a guardian; V: guard; ward off: avert |
| parsimony | stinginess; excessive frugality; ADJ. parsimonious |
| partial | incomplete; favoring one side over another; having a liking for something |
| partiality | state of being partial; inclination; favorable bias; special fondness; preference |
| partisan | one-sided; prejudiced; committed to a party (with dislike of any others); N: strong supporter of a party; guerrilla |
| parvenu | upstart; newly rich person |
| partition | divide into parts |
| pass\'e | old-fashioned; past the prime |
| passive | not active; acted upon; receiving an action without acting in return; accepting without resistance |
| pastiche | imitation of another's style in musical composition or in writing; work of art openly imitating the works of other artists |
| pastoral | rural; of rural life; idyllic; of a pastor |
| patent | obvious; easily seen; open for the public to read; of or protected by a patent; Ex. patent to everyone; N. |
| pathetic | causing sadness, compassion, pity; touching |
| touching | causing a feeling of pity or sympathy; pathetic; V. touch: cause to feel pity or sympathy; ADJ. touched |
| pathological | pertaining to disease; N. pathology: study of disease |
| pathos | tender sorrow; pity; quality in art or literature that produces these feelings; Ex. pathos that runs through the novel |
| patina | green crust on old bronze works or copper; tone slowly taken by varnished painting |
| varnish | paint used to coat a surface with a glossy film; glossy coating produced by using this substance; Ex. nail varnish; V. |
| patois | local or provincial dialect |
| patriarch | father and ruler of a family or tribe |
| patrician | noble; aristocratic; N: person of high rank; aristocrat; CF. member of the governing classes in ancient Rome; CF. plebian |
| patronize | support; act superior toward; treat in a condescending manner; be a customer of; N. patron: one that supports; regular customer; N. patronage; CF. boycott |
| paucity | scarcity; dearth |
| pauper | very poor person |
| peccadillo | slight offense or fault; CF. sin |
| swipe | hit with a sweeping motion; N. |
| pecuniary | pertaining to money |
| pedagogue | teacher; CF. child leader |
| pedagogy | teaching; art of education |
| pedant | scholar who overemphasizes book learning, trivial details of learning, or technicalities |
| pedantic | bookish; showing off learning; marked by an excessive ostentatious concern for book learning; N. pedantry |
| bookish | fond of books and reading |
| studious | given to diligent study |
| pedestrian | ordinary; dull; unimaginative(lacking in imagination); going on foot; Ex. pedestrian prose; N. |
| precinct | division of a city for election or police purposes; precincts: space that surrounds a building; Ex. precincts of the college |
| pedigree | ancestry; lineage |
| pediatrician | physician specializing in children's diseases; N. pediatrics |
| peerless | having no equal; incomparable |
| peer | one who has equal standing with another; nobleman; V: look intently; N. peerage; CF. peeress |
| pejorative | (of a word or phrase) suggesting that someone is of little value; negative in connotation; having a belittling effect; Ex. Many women now considers ``housewife'' a pejorative expression, because it patronized them. |
| pell-mell | in confusion; disorderly; Ex. dash pell-mell |
| pellucid | transparent; limpid(crystal clear); clear in meaning; easy to understand |
| penance | self-imposed punishment for sin; Ex. do penance for one's sins; CF. penitent |
| penchant | strong inclination; strong liking (esp. for something that is disapproved of by other people); Ex. penchant for fast cars |
| pendant(pendent) | hanging down from something; pending; N: ornament (hanging from a necklace etc.) |
| pending | not yet decided or settled; impending; Ex. pending decision; PREP. while awaiting; until; Ex. delay the decision pending his return |
| pendulous | hanging; suspended |
| suspend | cause to stop for a period; interrupt; hold in abeyance; defer; hang from above; exclude for a period from a position; Ex. suspended state; Ex. suspend judgment; Ex. suspended from the team; N. suspension |
| suspense | state of being undecided; anxiety or apprehension resulting from uncertainty |
| penitent | repentant; N. |
| pensive | dreamily or deeply thoughtful; sadly thoughtful; thoughtful with a hint of sadness; contemplative; CF. think over |
| penumbra | partial shadow (in an eclipse); CF. almost shadow |
| penury | extreme poverty; stinginess; ADJ. penurious: very poor; stingy |
| peon | landless agricultural worker; bond servant; menial worker; N. peonage |
| perceptive | insightful; showing a good ability at perceiving and understanding; aware; wise; of perception |
| percussion | striking one object against another sharply; Ex. percussion instrument; N: striking together of two bodies; sound caused by percussion |
| perdition | damnation; complete ruin; hell |
| damn | condemn; criticize severely; condemn to everlasting punishment; doom; bring to ruin; N. damnation |
| doom | condemnation to a severe penalty; ruin; fate (esp. a tragic or ruinous one); V. |
| peregrination | journey; V. peregrinate |
| peremptory | demanding and leaving no choice; imperative; Ex. peremptory decree/knock |
| perennial | something long-lasting; perennial plant; ADJ: lasting through the year or many years; lasting for a long time; enduring |
| perfidious | treacherous; disloyal; N. perfidy: treachery |
| perforate | pierce; put a hole through |
| perfunctory | done routinely and with little care; superficial; not thorough; lacking interest, care, or enthusiasm; Ex. perfunctory kiss |
| perigee | point of moon's orbit when it is nearest the earth; CF. apogee |
| perimeter | outer boundary; length of the outer boundary; circumference |
| bound | leap or spring; limit or confine; constitute the limit of; Ex. bounded by Canada; N: leap or jumping; boundary; ADJ: certain; having a duty to do something (legally or morally); confined by bonds; Ex. We are bound to be late; Ex. I am bound to say my opinion; CF. bounce, rebound |
| peripatetic | walking about from place to place (to work); moving; Ex. peripatetic school of philosophy |
| peripheral | of a periphery; marginal; outer; of minor importance; not central; Ex. peripheral nerve/interest |
| periphery | outside edge especially of a round surface; perimeter; Ex. periphery of the town |
| perjury | false testimony while under oath; V. perjure oneself: testify falsely under oath |
| permeable | that can be permeated; penetrable; porous; allowing liquids or gas to pass through; V. permeate: spread or flow throughout; charge |
| pernicious | very harmful; deadly; very destructive; Ex. pernicious effect/anemia |
| peroration | conclusion of an oration; perorating; V. perorate: conclude a speech; speak at great length |
| perpetrate | commit an offense; do (something wrong) |
| perpetual | everlasting |
| perpetuate | make perpetual; make something last for a long time; preserve from extinction; N. perpetuity |
| perquisite(perk) | any gain above stipulated salary; Ex. perquisites such as free meals and a car |
| personable | attractive (in personality or appearance) |
| perspicacious | (of someone) having insight; penetrating; astute |
| perspicuity | clearness of expression; freedom from ambiguity |
| perspicuous | (of something) plainly expressed; easy to understand; Ex. perspicuous comments |
| pert | (esp. of a girl or young woman) impertinent; forward; trim; jaunty; Ex. pert young miss/hat |
| forward | presumptuous or bold |
| pertinacious | holding tenaciously to an action; stubborn; persistent |
| pertinent | suitable; to the point; relevant |
| perturb | disturb greatly |
| peruse | read through with care; N. perusal |
| pervasive | spread throughout; V. pervade: (of smells, ideas, feelings) spread throughout; charge; permeate |
| perverse | purposely continuing to do something wrong; stubbornly wrongheaded; perverted; directed away from what is right; wicked and unacceptable; Ex. perverse satisfaction; Ex. Hannibal Lecter in a perverse mood; N. perversity |
| perversion | corruption; turning from right to wrong |
| pervert | corrupt; turn from right to wrong; misuse; Ex. perverted sexual desire/scientific knowledge; N: person whose sexual behavior is not natural |
| wrongheaded | stubbornly wrong |
| pessimism | belief that life is basically bad or evil; gloominess; tendency to take the gloomiest possible view of a situation; ADJ. pessimistic |
| pestilential(pestilent) | causing plague; tending to cause death; baneful; N. pestilence: fatal epidemic disease (esp. bubonic plague) |
| pestle | tool for mashing or grinding substances in a hard bowl or mortar |
| mortar | vessel in which substances are crushed with a pestle |
| mash | crush into mash; convert into mash; N: mixture of ground grain and nutrients fed to livestock and fowl |
| petrify | turn to stone; cause to become stonelike; stun or paralyze |
| petty | trivial; unimportant; very small; small-minded; petty-minded |
| petulant | touchy; peevish; ill-tempered |
| phalanx | formation of infantry carrying overlapping shields and long spears; group of men packed together (for attack or defense) |
| pharisaical | pertaining to the Pharisees, who paid scrupulous attention to tradition; self-righteous; hypocritical |
| pharisee | Pharisee: member of an ancient Jewish group that emphasized strict observance of the Mosaic law (considering themselves very holy); hypocritical self-righteous person |
| self-righteous | sure of one's own righteousness; moralistic |
| phenomena | observable facts; subjects of scientific investigation; SG. phenomenon: observable fact; very unusual person, thing, or event; marvel; wonder; CF. phenomenons; ADJ. phenomenal: very unusual; extraordinary; of a phenomenon; Ex. phenomenal strength |
| philanderer | faithless lover; flirt |
| philanthropist | lover of mankind; doer of good; N. philanthropy |
| philatelist | stamp-collector; N. philately: stamp collecting |
| philistine | narrow-minded person, uncultured and exclusively interested in material gain; uncultured person who is indifferent to artistic and cultural values; member of an ancient people in Palestine; OP. aesthete |
| philology | study of language or words |
| phlegmatic | calm and unexcitable; not easily disturbed; CF. phlegm: sticky mucus produced in the respiratory tract |
| phobia | morbid fear |
| phoenix | symbol of immortality or rebirth; Ex. phoenix rising from its ashes |
| phylum | major classification, second to kingdom, of plants and animals; category ranking below a kingdom and above a class; division |
| physiognomy | face (as showing the character and the mind); art of judging human character from facial features |
| physiological | pertaining to the science of the function of living organisms; N. physiology |
| piebald | of different colors; mottled; spotted in different colors (esp. in black and white); Ex. piebald horse; CF. pie+bald |
| piecemeal | one part at a time; gradually; in stages; Ex. read a novel piecemeal |
| pied | piebald; variegated(many-colored); multicolored |
| piety | devoutness; reverence for God; ADJ. pious |
| pigment | coloring matter (usually powder to be mixed with water or oil) |
| pillage | plunder |
| pillory | punish by placing in a wooden frame or pillory; subject or expose to criticism and ridicule; N. |
| pine | long for; yearn; languish from longing or grief; decline |
| pinion | restrain or immobilize by binding the wings or legs; N: bird's wing |
| pinnacle | peak; highest point; acme; Ex. pinnacle of fame |
| pious | devout; religious; N. piety |
| piquant | pleasantly tart-tasting; spicy; pleasantly stimulating; Ex. piquant situation when my old enemy asked for my help |
| tart | sharp to the taste; acid-tasting; caustic; sarcastic; Ex. tart apple/reply |
| sour | having a sharp or acid taste; acid; tart; bad-tempered; V. |
| pique | irritation; resentment from wounded pride (eg. loss in a contest); V: provoke; arouse; annoy; cause to feel resentment; Ex. pique her curiosity |
| piscatorial | pertaining to fishing; CF. Pisces |
| pitfall | hidden danger; concealed trap |
| beware | be cautious (of) |
| pith | core or marrow; spongelike substance in the center of stems; essence; substance |
| marrow | soft fatty tissue that fills most bone cavities and is the source of blood cells |
| pithy | concise and meaningful; substantial; meaty |
| pittance | small amount (of money); small allowance or wage |
| pivotal | of a pivot; central; critical; crucial |
| placate | pacify; bring peace to; conciliate; appease |
| placebo | harmless substance prescribed as a dummy pill |
| tablet | small round piece of medicine; flat piece of stone or metal bearing an inscription; Ex. stone tablet on the wall |
| placid | peaceful; calm; Ex. placid child/lake |
| plagiarize | steal another's ideas or writings and pass them off as one's own; Ex. ideas plagiarized from my article; N. plagiarism; CF. kidnap |
| plaintive | expressing sorrow; mournful; Ex. plaintive song |
| plait | braid; interwine; interweave strands or lengths of; make by weaving strands together; Ex. plaited hair; N: braided length as of hair o fabric; CF. pigtail, ponytail |
| plasticity | ability to be molded; ADJ. plastic: capable of being shaped or molded; Ex. plastic material such as clay |
| platitude | trite remark; commonplace statement; ADJ. platitudinous |
| commonplace | ordinary; N: something ordinary or common; trite remark |
| commonwealth | nation governed by the people; republic; people of a nation |
| platonic | purely spiritual; theoretical; without sensual desire |
| plaudit | praise; enthusiastic approval; round(succession or series) of applause; ADJ. plauditory; CF. applaud |
| plausible | conceivably true; having a show of truth but open to doubt; specious |
| plebeian | common; vulgar; pertaining to the common people; N: common people in ancient Rome; CF. patrician |
| plebiscite | direct vote by the entire electorate (on an important issue) |
| referendum | direct vote by all the people |
| plenary | (of power) complete; full; fully attended by all qualified members; Ex. plenary power |
| plenitude | abundance; plenty; great amount; completeness; fullness; CF. plenary, plenty |
| plethora | excess; overabundance; Ex. a plethora of excuses |
| pliable | flexible; easily influenced; yielding; adaptable |
| pliant | flexible; easily influenced |
| plight | difficult condition; condition or state (esp. a bad state or condition); predicament |
| pluck | courage; V: pull off or out; pull out the hair or feathers of; ADJ. plucky: courageous; brave |
| plumage | feathers of a bird; |
| plume | feather, esp. large or showy one; something that rises into the air (like the shape of a feather); Ex. plume of smoke: 滚几 备抚 |
| plumb | exactly vertical; N: weight on the end of a line; V: examine very carefully or critically in order to understand; measure depth (by sounding); Ex. plumb the depth of |
| plumber | one who installs and repairs pipes and plumbing(pipes) |
| plummet | fall sharply; fall straight down; Ex. Stock prices plummeted. |
| plutocracy | society ruled by the wealthy |
| podiatrist | doctor who treats ailments of the feet; chiropodist; N. podiatrics |
| podium | pedestal; raised platform |
| pedestal | support or base as for a pillar or statue |
| poignancy | quality of being deeply moving; keenness of emotion; ADJ. poignant: touching; deeply moving; (of sorrow, grief, etc.) painful; keenly distressing to the mind; Ex. poignant memory/anxiety; CF. prick |
| polarize | split into opposite extremes or camps |
| polarity | state of having two opposite qualities |
| polar | of a pole; characterized by opposite extremes; Ex. polar opposites |
| camp | group sharing a common cause or opinion |
| polemic | attack or defense of an opinion; controversy or refutation; argument in support of point of view; N. polemics: art of debate or controversy |
| polemical(polemic) | aggressive in verbal attack; disputatious (rather than simply expressing opinions) |
| politic | prudent; judicious; well judged; expedient; well devised |
| polity | (particular form of) political organization; form of government of nation or state; Ex. student polity |
| polygamist | one who has more than one spouse at a time; CF. bigamy; CF. polyandry |
| polyglot | speaking several languages; multilingual; Ex. polyglot person/society; N. |
| pomposity | self-important behavior; acting like a stuffed shirt(pompous person); ADJ. pompous: self-important |
| ponderous | having great weight; weighty; unwieldy; lacking lightness; dull; Ex. ponderous body/style of writing |
| pontifical | pertaining to a bishop or pope; pompous or pretentious; CF. pontiff: pope; bishop |
| pore | study industriously; ponder; scrutinize; Ex. pore over the book; N. |
| orous | full of pores; like a sieve |
| interstice | narrow space between things |
| portend | foretell; presage; be a sign or warning of; N. portent: sign; omen; forewarning |
| soothsayer | one who foretells the future |
| portly | stout; corpulent |
| stout | rather fat; strong in body; sturdy; resolute; determined; strong in determination; Ex. stout stick/supporter |
| poseur | person who pretends to be sophisticated, elegant, etc., to impress others; person who poses; CF. pose |
| pose | assume a particular posture; put forward; present; affect a particular attitude (to impress others); Ex. pose a threat; N. |
| posterity | descendants; future generations; Ex. go down to posterity; CF. posterior, anterior |
| posthumous | after death (as of child born after father's death or book published after author's death); coming or occurring after one's death; Ex. posthumous fame/novel |
| postmortem | autopsy; ADJ: occurring after death; of a postmortem |
| postulate | self-evident truth; something assumed without proof; V: assume the truth of (as a basis of an argument) |
| posture | assume an affected pose; act artificially; N: pose; attitude |
| potable | suitable for drinking; drinkable |
| potent | powerful; convincing; persuasive; greatly influential |
| potentate | monarch; sovereign |
| potential | expressing possibility; latent; N: capacity for growth |
| potion | dose (of liquids); liquid dose |
| potpourri | heterogeneous mixture; medley; mixture of dried flower petals a pot (to give a pleasant smell to a room) |
| poultice | soothing application applied to sore and inflamed portions of the body |
| practicable | feasible |
| practical | based on experience; of or acquired through practice (rather than theory); useful; Ex. practical man |
| pragmatic | practical (as opposed to idealistic); concerned with practical worth or impact of something; Ex. pragmatic test of the skill |
| pragmatist | practical person; N. pragmatism: pragmatic way of dealing with things |
| prance | move about in a spirited manner (proudly and confidently) |
| prate | talk idly; speak foolishly; boast idly |
| prattle | talk idly; babble; N. CF. prate |
| idle | not working; not employed or busy; lazy; without purpose; useless; lacking substance; baseless; not based on truth; Ex. idle worker; Ex. talk idly; V. |
| preamble | introductory statement |
| precarious | unsafe; lacking in stability; uncertain; risky; Ex. precarious living |
| precedent | something preceding in time which may be used as an authority or guide for future action; V. precede; CF. unprecedented |
| precedent | preceding (in time, rank, etc.) |
| precept | practical rule guiding conduct; Ex. mother's precept |
| precipice | cliff; dangerous position; Ex. on the edge of the precipice |
| brink | edge (at the top of a cliff); Ex. on the brink of the Grand Canyon |
| precipitant | something that causes a substance in a chemical solution to separate out in solid form; 魔傈力; OP. solvent |
| precipitate | hurl downward; throw headlong; hasten; cause to happen sooner; condense and fall as rain or snow; cause (a solid substance) to be separated from a solution; ADJ. hasty; rash; premature; sudden |
| precipitous | steep; overhasty; precipitate |
| pr\'ecis | abstract; concise summing up of main points; concise summary of a text |
| precise | exact |
| preclude | make impossible; prevent; exclude; eliminate |
| precocious | advanced in development; N. precocity |
| precursor | forerunner; predecessor |
| predator | predatory animal or bird; predatory person; creature that seizes and devours another animal; person who robs or exploits others; ADJ. predatory: living by preying on other organisms; plundering; N. predation |
| predecessor | former occupant of a post |
| predetermine | determine in advance; predestine; settle or decide beforehand; influence markedly |
| predicament | difficult situation; tricky or dangerous situation; dilemma |
| predilection | preference; partiality |
| predispose | give an inclination toward (in advance); make susceptible to; Ex. predispose people to certain cancer; N. predisposition |
| preeminent | outstanding; superior |
| preempt | prevent in advance; head off(forestall); forestall by acting first; appropriate for oneself before others; supplant; take the place of; displace; Ex. preempt any attempts; ADJ. preemptive |
| preen | make oneself tidy in appearance; feel self-satisfaction or pride; (of a bird) smooth or clean (feathers) with the beak; Ex. preen oneself on; CF. prune |
| prefatory | introductory; of a preface |
| prehensile | capable of grasping or holding (esp. by wrapping around); Ex. prehensile tails |
| prelate | church dignitary; priest of high position in the church (esp. bishop) |
| prelude | introduction; introductory performance or event; forerunner |
| premeditate | plan in advance; Ex. premeditated murder |
| premise | assumption; postulate; proposition upon which an argument is based |
| premonition | forewarning; presentiment; foreboding |
| premonitory | serving to warn |
| preponderance | superiority of power, quantity, etc.; V. preponderate: be greater in power, weight, or importance; ADJ. preponderant |
| preposterous | absurd; completely unreasonable; ridiculous |
| prerogative | privilege; unquestionable right; CF. ask before |
| presage | foretell; be a warning or sign of; N: presentiment; foreboding; omen |
| prescience | ability to foretell the future; knowledge of actions before they occur; ADJ. prescient |
| presentiment | premonition; foreboding; feeling something will happen; anticipatory fear |
| prestige | respect or admiration; impression produced by achievements or reputation; ADJ: causing admiration; ADJ. prestigious: having prestige |
| presumptuous | going beyond what is right; excessively forward; arrogant; taking liberties |
| presume | take for granted; assume; act overconfidently; take liberties; presume on/upon: take unfair advantage of (someone's kindness or connection); N. presumption |
| pretentious | ostentatious; showy; pompous; making unjustified claims; overambitious; Ex. pretentious films that claim to be art |
| pretend | feign; pretend to: claim to possess; make pretensions to; Ex. I don't pretend to much expertise; N. pretense |
| pretension | pretentiousness; claim (without foundation); Ex. I make no pretensions to skill as an artist. |
| preternatural | beyond what is normal in nature; supernatural; Ex. preternatural strength/forces |
| pretext | excuse |
| prevail | be widespread; triumph over; gain victory; prevail on: persuade; induce; Ex. Justice has prevailed; Ex. prevail on someone to do something |
| prevalent | widespread; generally accepted |
| prevaricate | lie; hide the truth (by equivocating) |
| prey | target of a hunt; victim; V: hunt and eat as prey; victimize; Ex. Cats prey on mice. |
| prim | proper to the point of affectation; very precise and formal; exceedingly proper |
| primogeniture | seniority by birth; state of being the first-born child; right of the eldest child (to inherit the entire property of one or both parents) |
| primordial | existing at the beginning (of time); rudimentary |
| primp | groom oneself with care; adorn oneself |
| pristine | unspoiled; remaining in a pure state; characteristic of earlier times; primitive; Ex. an old book in pristine condition |
| privation | lack of the basic necessities or comforts of life; hardship; want; CF. deprive |
| privy | secret; hidden; not public; made a participant in something secret; Ex. privy chamber government; Ex. be privy to a discussion; CF. private |
| probe | explore with a probe or tools; investigate; N: slender instrument used to explore a wound or body cavity; device designed to investigate an unknown region; thorough investigation; Ex. space probe |
| probity | uprightness; honesty; incorruptibility |
| defalcate | embezzle |
| problematic | causing a problem; open to doubt; doubtful; unsettled; questionable; Ex. Whether the arena will ever be completed is problematic. |
| proclivity | inclination; natural tendency (esp. towards something bad) |
| procrastinate | postpone; delay or put off |
| procurement | obtaining; V. procure: obtain by effort; obtain (a prostitute) for another |
| prod | poke (with a pointed object); stir up; urge; goad to action; N: pointed object used to prod; prodding |
| prodigal | wasteful; reckless with money; profuse; Ex. a mind prodigal of ideas; N. prodigality |
| prodigious | enormous; marvelous; extraordinary; Ex. prodigious amount/memory |
| prodigy | highly gifted child; person with exceptional talents; marvel; wonder |
| profane | violate; desecrate (something holy); treat unworthily; be profane for; ADJ: secular; nonreligious; irreverent for holy things |
| profligate | wasteful (of money); dissipated; wildly immoral; dissolute; N: profligate person; N. profligacy |
| profound | deep; not superficial; complete; Ex. profound thinker/remark/silence/deafness; N. profundity |
| profusion | great amount; plenty; overabundance; excess; lavish expenditure; Ex. profusion of choices; ADJ. profuse: plentiful; copious; giving or given abundantly; extravagant |
| progenitor | ancestor |
| progeny | children; offspring; descendants |
| prognosis | forecasted course of a disease; prediction; CF. prognostic |
| prognosticate | predict (according to present indications) |
| prohibitive | so high as to prohibit purchase or use; tending to prevent the purchase or use of something; prohibiting; inclined to prevent or forbid; Ex. prohibitive tax |
| projectile | missile; fired or thrown object (such as stone or bullet) |
| proletarian | member of the working class; blue collar guy; N. proletariat: working class (who have to work for wages) |
| proliferate | grow rapidly (in numbers); spread; multiply; N. proliferation |
| prolific | producing offspring or fruit in abundance; fertile; fecund; abundantly fruitful; producing abundant works; Ex. prolific writer |
| prolixity | tedious wordiness; verbosity; ADJ. prolix: wordy; verbose; diffuse |
| prologue | introduction (to a poem or play) |
| feud | bitter prolonged quarrel (usually between two peoples or families); V. CF. Romeo and Juliet; CF. feudal, feudalism |
| prolong | lengthen; extend; draw out |
| prominent | protruding(sticking out); conspicuous; notable; eminent |
| promiscuous | mixed indiscriminately; indiscriminate; not choosing carefully; indiscriminate in the choice of sexual partners; irregular, particularly sexually; Ex. promiscuous life/girl; N. promiscuity |
| promontory | headland |
| promote | advance in rank; advance; help to flourish; advocate; help actively in forming; publicize or popularize; Ex. Milk promotes health; Ex. promote a match/bill; Ex. promote a new product |
| prompt | cause; urge; provoke; provide a cue (for an actor); ADJ: done without delay; done at the right time; punctual; on time; N: reminder or cue |
| cue | word or signal (as in a play to prompt another actor's speech or entrance); reminder or hint; V: give a cue to |
| promulgate | announce; proclaim a doctrine or law; make known by official publication |
| prone | inclined to; likely to (suffer); prostrate; lying with the front downward; Ex. prone to disease/make mistakes; Ex. accident-prone |
| propagate | increase in number by producing young; multiply; spread; Ex. Most plants propagate by seed; Ex. newspaper propagating their ideas |
| propellant(propellent) | substance which propels or drives forward (such as an explosive charge or a rocket fuel) |
| propensity | natural inclination |
| prophetic | of a prophet or prophecy; having to do with predicting the future; N. prophecy; V. prophesy; N. prophet |
| prophylactic | used to prevent disease; N: something prophylactic; condom; N. prophylaxis: prevention of disease |
| propinquity | nearness (in space or relationship); proximity; kinship |
| propitiate | appease; conciliate; make peaceful; ADJ. propitiatory |
| propitious | favorable; auspicious; advantageous; fortunate; Ex. propitious day/sign |
| horoscope | diagram of the positions of stars at a given moment (eg. of a person's birth) used by astrologers |
| proponent | supporter; backer; opposite of opponent |
| propound | put forth for consideration or analysis; set forth; Ex. propound a problem/theory |
| propriety | fitness; quality of being proper; correct conduct; conformity to prevailing customs and usages; CF. proprietor, proprietary |
| usage | act or manner of using; accepted practice; way in which words are actually used |
| propulsive | driving forward; N. propulsion |
| prosaic | lacking in imagination; dull and unimaginative; matter-of-fact(concerned with facts, not imagination or feelings); factual; CF. prose |
| proscenium | part of stage in front of curtain; front arch of a stage |
| proscribe | prohibit; ostracize; banish; outlaw |
| outlaw | fugitive from the law (excluded from legal protection); V: declare (someone) to be an outlaw; deprive of the protection of the law; declare illegal; Ex. Drinking has been outlawed. |
| proselytize | (induce someone to) convert to a religion or belief; N. proselyte: new convert to a doctrine or religion |
| prosody | art of versification; study of the metrical structure of verse |
| metrical | metric; written in the form of poetry; Ex. metrical translation of Homer |
| meter | arrangement of words in the form of poetry (by accentual rhythm) |
| prosperity | good fortune and financial success; physical well-being |
| prosper | become successful (esp. financially); thrive; grow well; Ex. children prospering under his care |
| prosperous | successful; rich; affluent; well-to-do; well-off |
| prostrate | stretch out full on ground; make prostrate; enervate; Ex. prostrating illness; ADJ: lying face down; having lost all strength |
| protean | able to take on many forms; versatile; CF. Proteus: sea god to change his shape at will |
| prot\'eg\'e | person receiving protection and support from a patron |
| protocol | diplomatic etiquette; ceremony and etiquette observed by diplomats; first copy of a treaty before its ratification; Ex. Protocol demands that the queen meet him at the airport. |
| prototype | original work used as a model by others |
| protract | prolong; lengthen in time; draw out |
| protrude | stick out; jut; project; Ex. protruding teeth |
| protuberance | protrusion; swelling; bulge |
| bulge | protruding part; swelling of a surface; Ex. The apple made a bulge in his pocket; V: swell outward; protrude |
| provenance | place of origin; origin or source of something; Ex. Gunpowder is of Chinese provenance; CF. come |
| provender | dry food for livestock; fodder |
| provident | providing for future needs; displaying foresight; thrifty; preparing for emergencies; OP. improvident |
| providence | quality of being provident; divine care; god's care; Providence: god; Ex. It seemed like providence that the doctor happened to be there; ADJ. providential: of divine providence; fortunate |
| provincial | pertaining to a province; limited in outlook; narrow; unsophisticated |
| provisional | tentative; temporary |
| proviso | stipulation; condition in an agreement; provision |
| provision | act of providing; something provided; preparatory measure; provisions: necessary supplies (esp. food); stipulation; condition in an agreement; Ex. According to the provisions of the agreement |
| provocative | arousing anger or sexual interest; annoying; Ex. provocative in tight jeans; V. provoke: incite to anger; cause (an unpleasant action or feeling); N. provocation |
| prowess | extraordinary ability; military bravery; Ex. prowess in battle |
| proximity | nearness; ADJ. proximate |
| proxy | authorized agent; authority to act for another |
| prude | excessively modest or proper person (who is easily shocked by improper things, esp. of a sexual nature); N. prudery; ADJ. prudish: excessively concerned with propriety |
| prudent | cautious; careful; prudential |
| prune | cut away; trim |
| prurient | having or causing lustful desires and thoughts; arousing immoderate sexual desire |
| pry | inquire impertinently (someone else's private affairs); use leverage to raise or open something; prize; N. pries: tool for prying |
| prize | pry; move with a lever; value highly; esteem; Ex. his most prized possession; N: something captured during war-time (esp. an enemy ship) |
| pseudonym | pen name; fictitious name assumed by an author; ADJ. pseudonymous |
| psyche | soul; mind |
| psychiatrist | doctor who treats mental diseases |
| psychic | of psyche; mental; of or possessing extraordinary mental powers |
| psychopathic | pertaining to mental dearrangement; N. psychopath: person with an antisocial personality disorder |
| psychosis | mental disorder; ADJ. N. psychotic |
| psychosomatic | of the influence of the mind on the body (esp. with respect to disease) |
| pterodactyl | extinct flying reptile; CF. wing+finger |
| puerile | childish; immature; CF. puer: boy |
| pugilist | boxer; CF. pugilism: boxing |
| pugnacity | combativeness; disposition to fight; ADJ. pugnacious: (of people) belligerent; combative in nature |
| puissant | powerful; strong; potent; N. puissance: power |
| pulchritude | beauty; comeliness; ADJ. pulchritudinous |
| pulmonary | pertaining to the lungs |
| pulsate | throb; beat regularly; vibrate regularly |
| pulse | rhythmical throbbing of arteries; brief sudden change in a normally constant quantity; V: pulsate |
| pulverize | crush or grind into very small particles |
| pummel | pommel; beat or pound with fists |
| punctilious | minutely attentive (perhaps too much so) to fine points; stressing niceties of conduct or form; N. punctilio, punctiliousness: careful attention payed to every small exact detail |
| pundit | authority on a subject; expert; learned person |
| pungent | stinging; acrid; sharp in taste or smell; (of speech or writing) caustic; N. pungency |
| punitive | punishing; Ex. punitive measures |
| puny | tiny; weak; insignificant |
| purchase | secure grasp or hold; firm grasp or footing |
| purgatory | place of spiritual expiation; temporary state or place in which the souls must expiate their sins |
| purge | remove or get rid of something or someone unwanted; eliminate; free from blame or guilt; cleanse or purify (esp. of sin, guilt, or defilement); N. |
| purport | intention; purpose; meaning; V: claim; profess; Ex. order which purports to be signed by the general |
| purported | alleged; claimed; reputed or rumored; Ex. purported Satanists |
| rooster | cock; adult male chicken |
| rabble | mob; noisy crowd |
| purse | pucker; contract (lips) into wrinkles; N: wallet |
| pucker | gather into wrinkles or folds; N: wrinkle or fold |
| purveyor | furnisher of foodstuffs; caterer; V. purvey: supply (eg. food); furnish; CF. provide |
| pusillanimous | cowardly; lacking courage; fainthearted |
| putative | supposed; reputed; generally regarded as such; Ex. putative father of the child |
| putrid | decayed and foul-smelling; foul; rotten; decayed; N. putridity |
| putrefy | make or become putrid; N. putrefaction |
| putrescent | becoming putrid; putrefying |
| gangrene | decay of body tissue caused by insufficient blood supply (usually following injury); ADJ. gangrenous |
| pyromaniac | person with an insane desire to set things on fire |
| quack | charlatan; impostor |
| quadruped | four-footed animal; ADJ. CF. biped |
| quaff | drink with zest; drink with relish(zest; hearty enjoyment); 曹博曹博 付矫促; CF. sip |
| quagmire | bog; marsh; soft, wet, boggy land; predicament; complex or dangerous situation from which it is difficult to free oneself |
| bog | soft wet land; V: hinder or be hindered; Ex. bogged down in the mud |
| quail | cower; shrink back in fear; lose heart |
| quaint | odd in an old-fashioned way; odd; old-fashioned; picturesque |
| qualified | limited; restricted; V. qualify: limit the meaning of; modify |
| qualms | uneasy feelings; misgivings; uneasy fears especially about matters of conscience; Ex. I have no qualms about giving this assignment to Helen. |
| quandary | dilemma; state of uncertainty; Ex. She is in a quandary about whether to go. |
| quarantine | isolation of a person, place, or ship to prevent spread of infection; V: isolate in quarantine |
| quarry | person or animal of pursuit; victim; object of a hunt; prey |
| quarry | dig into (to get stone); N: mine; 盲籍厘 |
| bank | heap; piled-up mass; embankment; lateral tilting (as of an aircraft in turning); V: pile up; protect with a bank; tilt in turning |
| quash | crush; suppress; squash; subdue; annul; Ex. quash a rebellion/the decision of the low court |
| squash | crush; quash; suppress |
| quay | dock; wharf; pier; landing place (for boats) |
| queasy | experiencing nausea; nauseated; easily nauseated; squeamish; Ex. feel a little queasy |
| quell | suppress; put an end to; put down forcibly; extinguish; quiet; Ex. ``Army Quells Rebellion'' in newspaper; CF. kill |
| quench | assuage or satisfy (thrust); slake; douse or extinguish; put out; suppress |
| squelch | produce a splashing sound (when stepping through mud); crush; squash; CF. 柳入阑 困俊辑 光阑 锭 |
| querulous | given to complaining; complaining; fretful; whining |
| whine | complain (in a sad voice); make a high sad sound (as in pain or supplication) |
| query | inquiry; question; V. |
| queue | line (of waiting people or vehicles) |
| quibble | minor objection or complaint; V: raise minor objections; carp; cavil |
| quiescent | dormant; temporarily inactive; at rest; N. quiescence |
| quietude | tranquillity; calmness |
| quintessence | purest and highest embodiment; perfect example; apotheosis; most essential element; Ex. quintessence of wit; ADJ. quintessential; CF. fifth essence |
| quip | taunt; clever sarcastic remark; V. |
| taunt | deride or provoke; challenge in derision; N. |
| quirk | sudden sharp turn or twist; startling twist; caprice; idiosyncrasy; peculiarity of behavior; Ex. by a quirk of fate |
| quisling | traitor who aids invaders; CF. Vidkun Quisling |
| quiver | case for arrows |
| quiver | tremble; shake; N. |
| leash | restraining rope fastened to the collar of an animal (to control it); Ex. a dog on a leash |
| quixotic | idealistic but impractical; CF. Don Quixote |
| quizzical | curious; suggesting puzzlement (without saying); questioning; teasing; mocking; bantering; Ex. quizzical glance |
| quorum | minimal number of members necessary to conduct a meeting |
| quotidian | daily; commonplace; customary; Ex. quotidian routine |
| rabid | of or suffering rabies; like a fanatic; extremely zealous; furious; CF. rabies: hydrophobia |
| raconteur | story-teller; one who tells stories with wit and skill |
| ragamuffin | dirty child in torn clothes; person wearing tattered clothes |
| tatter | torn piece of cloth; ADJ. tattered: (of clothes) old and torn; (of a person) dressed in old torn clothes |
| rail | complain bitterly; scold; rant; Ex. the weaker railing against injustices |
| raiment | clothing; garments; Ex. I have no raiment fit to wear. |
| rakish | jaunty; stylish; sporty; morally corrupt; dissolute; Ex. He wore his hat at a rakish and jaunty angle. |
| rake | angle of a slope; V: slant from the perpendicular |
| rake | immoral or dissolute person |
| rally | come or bring together; call up or summon (forces, vital powers, etc.); revive or recuperate (after illness or difficulty); N: act of rallying; mass gathering |
| ramble | wander aimlessly (physically or mentally); digress |
| ramification | branching out; subdivision; one branch of a system; one of the results following from an action or decision; Ex. ramifications of a business/the decision |
| ramify | branch out; divide into branches or subdivisions |
| ramp | slope; inclined plane or roadway (connecting two levels) |
| rampant | growing or spreading uncontrollably; growing in profusion; unrestrained; Ex. rampant lawlessness/weed |
| rampart | defensive mound of earth |
| ramshackle | (of a building or vehicle) poorly constructed; rickety; falling apart |
| rickety | (of buildings) likely to break or fall apart; of rickets; CF. rickets; CF. vitamin D |
| ransack | search thoroughly; pillage (going through a place); Ex. Enemy soldiers ransacked the town. |
| rancid | having the odor of stale or decomposing fat; rank |
| rank | offensive in odor or flavor |
| rancor | long-lasting hatred; bitterness; Ex. negotiation without rancor; ADJ. rancorous |
| random | without definite purpose, plan, or aim; haphazard; Ex. random shots; Ex. chosen at random |
| lot | object used in making a determination at random; fate; piece of land |
| draw | choosing of a lot or card |
| lottery | contest in which winners are selected in a drawing of lots |
| raffle | lottery; V: award as a prize in a raffle; Ex. raffle off a new car |
| rankle | irritate; fester; annoy |
| rant | speak violently or excitedly; rave; talk excitedly showing anger; scold; make a grandiloquent speech; Ex. The priest ranted about the devil. |
| rapacious | voracious; ravenous; taking everything one can; excessively grasping; plundering; subsisting on live prey; Ex. rapacious birds |
| rapport | close relationship; emotional closeness; harmony |
| rapt | engrossed; absorbed; enchanted; Ex. rapt listener |
| rarefied | made less dense (of a gas); V. rarefy: make less dense; N. rarefaction |
| rare | (of air) thin in density; rarefied; Ex. rare air of the mountains |
| raspy | making a harsh noise; grating; harsh |
| rasp | (of a sound) grate on (eg. nerves); make a harsh noise; have an unpleasant effect; rub with something rough; Ex. The cat's tongue rasped my hand. |
| ratify | approve formally; confirm; verify |
| ratiocination | reasoning; act of drawing conclusions from premises; V. ratiocinate: reason logically |
| rationale | fundamental reason or principle (on which a system or principle is based); fundamental reason or justification; grounds for an action |
| rationalize | make rational; devise false reasons for (one's behavior); offer an excuse; give a plausible reason for an action in place of a true, less admirable ones; N. rationalization |
| rational | (of a person) having reason; (of ideas) based on reason; logical |
| ration | fixed portion; V: distribute as rations |
| raucous | (of voice) harsh and unpleasant; (of people) disorderly and boisterous; Ex. raucous shouts |
| ravage | devastate; plunder; despoil; Ex. crops ravaged by storms |
| maraud | move in search of plunder; Ex. marauding army |
| rave | overwhelmingly favorable review; V: talk wildly as if mad; Ex. raving lunatic |
| ravel | fall apart into tangles; entangle; unravel or untwist |
| ravenous | extremely hungry; voracious |
| ravine | narrow valley with steep sides; gorge; CF. gully, canyon |
| raze | destroy completely; Ex. raze the city to the ground |
| reactionary | strongly opposed to social or political change; opposing progress; politically ultraconservative; N. OP. radical |
| reinstate | restore to a previous condition or position |
| realm | kingdom; field or sphere; Ex. not within the realms of possibility |
| reaper | one who harvests grain; Ex. the Grim Reaper; V. reap: cut and gather (crop); harvest a crop |
| rebate | return of part of a payment; discount; V. |
| rebuff | reject bluntly; snub; beat back; Ex. She rebuffed his invitation; N. |
| snub | ignore or behave coldly toward; Ex. I made a suggestion but she snubbed me; N. |
| rebuke | scold harshly; criticize severely |
| rebus | representation of words in the form of pictures or symbols; puzzle in which pictures or letters stand for words; Ex. ``R U 18'' is a rebus for ``Are you 18''. |
| rebuttal | refutation; response with contrary evidence; V. rebut: refute; disprove |
| recalcitrant | disobedient or resisting authority even after being punished; obstinately stubborn; determined to resist authority; unruly; Ex. recalcitrant child |
| recant | disclaim or disavow; retract a previous statement; openly confess error; Ex. recant one's faith/a statement |
| recapitulate | summarize |
| recast | reconstruct (a sentence, story, statue, etc.); fashion again |
| fashion | give shape to; make; Ex. fashion the pot out of clay |
| receptive | quick or willing to receive (ideas, suggestions, etc.); Ex. receptive to the proposal |
| recession | withdrawal; retreat; time of low economic activity |
| recess | pause; temporary cessation; alcove; secret inner place; Ex. parliament in recess; V. CF. recessive |
| recidivism | habitual return to crime (even after being punished); N. recidivist |
| recipient | receiver |
| reciprocal | mutual; given and received in return; exchangeable; interacting; Ex. reciprocal trade agreement |
| reciprocate | do or give something in return; repay in kind; give or take mutually; interchange; move backwards and forwards; Ex. reciprocate his invitation by inviting him; N. reciprocity: reciprocal relationship; mutual interchange of advantages between two groups; Ex. reciprocity in trading rights |
| recluse | hermit; loner; ADJ. reclusive |
| reconcile | make friendly again (after quarrel); make consistent (two ideas in opposition); correct inconsistencies; Ex. reconcile one's political principles with one's religious beliefs |
| recondite | abstruse; not easily understood; profound; secret |
| reconnaissance | survey of enemy by soldiers; reconnoitering; V. reconnoiter: make a preliminary inspection of (esp. to gather military information) |
| recount | narrate or tell (a story); count over again |
| recourse | resorting to help when in trouble; Ex. without recourse to |
| resort | turn to for help; Ex. resort to violence; N. |
| makeshift | temporary expedient or substitute (in the case of urgent need); Ex. makeshift shelter |
| recreant | disloyal; cowardly; N: disloyal and cowardly person |
| recrimination | countercharges; V. recriminate |
| rectify | set right; correct; CF. rect-: right |
| rectitude | moral correctness; moral uprightness; moral virtue; correctness of judgment |
| recumbent | reclining; lying down completely or in part |
| recline | lie down |
| recuperate | recover; return to health; regain; Ex. recuperate losses |
| recurrent | occurring again and again |
| redolent | odorous; fragrant; suggestive (of an odor); Ex. redolent of onions/mystery |
| redoubtable | formidable; causing fear |
| redress | remedy; compensation; Ex. seek redress for the damage to your car; V: put right; remedy or rectify (a wrong); make amends for |
| redundant | superfluous; more than is necessary; verbose; excessively wordy; repetitious |
| reek | emit (an unpleasant odor or smoke); give off an unpleasant odor; give out smoke; Ex. reeking chimney; N: unpleasant odor; stench |
| stench | strong foul odor; reek; stink |
| stink | stench; V: emit a strong foul odor |
| refectory | dining hall; room where meals are served (in a school) |
| refraction | bending of a ray of light |
| refractory | unmanageable; disobedient and stubborn; Ex. refractory horse |
| refrain | abstain from; resist; forbear; N: chorus |
| chorus | phrase repeated throughout a song or poem |
| refulgent | effulgent; brilliant; brightly shining; gleaming; Ex. refulgent moon |
| gleam | brief flash of light; glow; V. |
| refurbish | renovate; make clean, bright, or fresh (make new) again; make bright by polishing; Ex. refurbish an old theater; CF. furbish: polish |
| refute | disprove; prove to be false; N. refutation |
| regal | royal; of a monarch; Ex. regal manner |
| regale | entertain |
| regatta | boat or yacht race |
| regeneration | spiritual rebirth; Ex. regeneration of the prisoners; V. regenerate: give or obtain new life; reform spiritually |
| penology | study of prison management and criminal rehabilitation |
| regicide | murder of a king or queen |
| regime | method of system or government |
| regimen | prescribed course of diet or exercise; prescribed diet and habits; Ex. daily regimen of a dancer |
| regiment | military unit; V: subject to strict order; Ex. regimented society |
| rehabilitate | restore to proper condition (health or useful life); restore the former rank of |
| reimburse | repay; pay back |
| reiterate | repeat |
| rejoinder | reply; retort; comeback; V. rejoin: say in reply |
| comeback | retort; quick clever reply; return to former status |
| rejuvenate | make young again |
| relegate | put into a lower or worse place; banish to an inferior position; delegate; assign; Ex. relegate the old furniture to the children's room; Ex. relegated to the second division |
| relent | become less severe; give in(surrender); ADJ. relentless: unyielding; continuously severe |
| relevant | having importance; pertinent; referring to the case in hand; N. relevance, relevancy |
| relic | surviving remnant (from an extinct culture); memento; keepsake; relics: corpse; Ex. ancient relics; Ex. relics of his travel; Ex. His relics are buried at X. |
| relinquish | give up something (with reluctance); yield; release; Ex. relinquish power/the claim to the land/his hold on my arm |
| relish | enjoy; savor; N: enjoyment; zest |
| remediable | reparable |
| reminiscence | recollection; V. reminisce: recollect the past |
| reminiscent | suggestive of something (in the past); of reminiscence |
| remiss | negligent; careless about a duty |
| remission | temporary moderation (of disease symptoms); remitting of a debt or punishment; cancelation of a debt; pardon; Ex. The disease went into remission; Ex. Christians pray for the remission of sins. |
| remit | transmit (money) in payment; free someone from a debt or punishment |
| remittance | remitting of money; amount of money remitted |
| remnant | remainder |
| remonstrate | protest; objection; V. remonstrate: say in protest |
| remorse | deep regret for wrongdoing; guilt; self-reproach |
| remunerative | (of work) compensating; rewarding; profitable; well-paid; V. remunerate: reward; pay (someone) for work or trouble |
| rend | split; tear apart; N. rent; CF. heartrending: causing deep sorrow |
| render | give; deliver; provide; represent in verbal or artistic form; depict; perform; make; translate; Ex. render the song beautifully |
| rendezvous | meeting place; meeting at a set time or place; V. |
| rendition | rendering; translation; artistic interpretation of a song, etc |
| renegade | deserter; traitor; ADJ. |
| renege | break a promise; deny; go back on; Ex. renege on the contract/paying off the debt |
| renounce | abandon; give up (by formal announcement); disown; repudiate; Ex. renounce one's claim to the property/one's religion; N. renunciation |
| renovate | restore to good condition; renew |
| renown | fame; ADJ. renowned |
| herald | messenger; sign of something to come; V: announce; proclaim; Ex. unheralded researcher |
| rent | tear made by rending; rip; split |
| reparable | capable of being repaired |
| reparation | compensation (for loss or wrong); amends; Ex. make reparation for the damage; CF. repair |
| repartee | quick clever reply |
| repast | meal; feast; banquet |
| repeal | revoke; annul |
| repel | drive away; disgust; Ex. repel the attack/moisture; Ex. repelled by the dirty room; CF. repulsion |
| repellent | driving away; disgusting; offensive; repulsive; unattractive; N. |
| repercussion | rebound; reaction; reverberation; Ex. serious repercussion |
| repertoire | list of works of music, drama, etc., a performer is prepared to present; CF. repertory |
| repine | fret; complain; be annoyed; Ex. repine over the undone work |
| replenish | fill up again |
| replete | fully filled; filled to the brim or to the point of being stuffed; abundantly supplied; Ex. report replete with errors |
| memoir | memoirs; autobiography; biography |
| brim | uppermost edge of a cup; projecting rim (as on a hat); Ex. The glass was full to the brim; V: be full to the brim |
| replica | copy |
| replicate | reproduce; duplicate |
| repository | storehouse |
| repose | resting; state of being at rest; calmness; V: lie at rest; relax; put or place; Ex. repose our hopes in a single man |
| reprehensible | deserving blame; blameworthy; V. reprehend: blame |
| repress | hold back (the natural expression of); restrain; crush; oppress; Ex. repressed child; Ex. repress a laugh/rebellion |
| reprieve | postponement or cancelation of a punishment; temporary stay; V: postpone or cancel the punishment of |
| reprimand | reprove severely; rebuke; N. |
| reprisal | retaliation |
| reprise | musical repetition; repeating of a piece of music; repeat performance; recurrent action; Ex. reprise in the finale; Ex. constant reprises |
| reproach | blame (not angrily but sadly); express disapproval or disappointment; N. ADJ. reproachful |
| reprobate | morally disapproved person; person hardened in sin, devoid of a sense of decency; CF. disapproved by God ? |
| reprobation | severe disapproval; CF. approbation |
| reprove | censure; rebuke; N. reproof |
| repudiate | disown; disavow; deny |
| repugnance | disgust; strong dislike; loathing; ADJ. repugnant: arousing disgust; repulsive |
| repulsion | distaste; disgust; act of driving back; ADJ. repulsive: causing disgust; tending to drive away; V. repel (not `repulse') |
| repulse | reject with rudeness or coldness (an offer or friendship); drive back (an enemy attack); CF. repulse $\neq$ cause repulsion |
| reputable | respectable; having a good reputation |
| reputed | supposed; Ex. reputed father of the child; V. repute: consider; N. repute: reputation; esteem |
| requiem | mass for the dead; dirge |
| mass | Christian religious ceremony; CF. Mass: ceremony of the Eucharist |
| requisite | necessary requirement; something required; ADJ: required; necessary |
| requisition | formal demand or request; Ex. requisition for more computing equipment; V. |
| requite | make return for; repay; reciprocate; revenge; N. requittal |
| rescind | repeal; annul; cancel (a law, decision, or agreement) |
| resentment | indignation; bitterness; displeasure; V. resent: feel anger about |
| reserve | self-control; self-restraint; formal but distant manner; reticence; Ex. without reserve: freely and openly; ADJ. reserved: shy and uncommunicative |
| residue | remainder; balance |
| residual | remaining; left over; of a residue; N: residue |
| resignation | patiently submissiveness; statement that one is quitting a job; ADJ. resigned: acquiescent |
| resign | give up (a position, right, or claim); submit (oneself) passively |
| resilient | elastic; having the power of springing back; able to recover quickly (as from misfortune) |
| elastic | able to spring back into shape; quick to recover (as from disappointment); able to adapt to change; Ex. elastic plans; N: elastic material |
| resolution | determination; resoluteness; ADJ. resolute: firm or determined in purpose |
| resolve | determination; resolution; firmness of purpose |
| resolve | decide; settle; solve; separate; make a determined decision; N. resolution |
| resonant | (of a sound) echoing; resounding(sounding loudly); deep and full in sound; producing resonance; Ex. resonant voice; N. resonance |
| resound | (of a place) be filled with sound; (of a sound) sound loudly; sound back; echo; Ex. hall resounded with laughter |
| respiration | breathing; exhalation; ADJ. respiratory |
| respite | time for rest; interval of relief; delay in punishment; reprieve |
| resplendent | brilliant; splendid in appearance; dazzling; glorious |
| responsiveness | state of reacting readily to appeals, orders, etc.; ADJ. responsive: readily reacting; Ex. responsive to treatment |
| restitution | returning something (lost or stolen) to the rightful owner; reparation; indemnification; compensation for loss, damage, or injury |
| restive | impatiently restless (induced by external coercion or restriction); restlessly impatient; obstinately resisting control; Ex. restive horses because of wolves; CF. not a general synonym for `restless' |
| restraint | moderation or self-control; controlling force; restriction |
| resumption | taking up again; recommencement; V. resume: begin or take up again; take or occupy again; Ex. Kindly resume your seats. |
| resurge | rise again; flow to and fro; N. resurgence; ADJ. resurgent: (of ideas or beliefs) experiencing revival; surging again |
| resurrect | revive |
| resuscitate | revive; bring back to life or consciousness; Ex. resuscitate the drowned child |
| retain | keep; maintain possession of; employ (esp. a lawyer or advisor); N. retainer: servant; fee paid to retain an advisor |
| retaliate | repay in kind (usually for bad treatment); V. retaliate |
| retentive | holding; able to retain things (esp. facts in the mind); having a good memory |
| reticent | inclined to silence; uncommunicative; reserved; Ex. He was reticent about the reasons; N. reticence |
| retinue | following; attendants |
| retiring | shy and reserved (of a person); modest; Ex. her retiring personality |
| retort | quick sharp reply; V. |
| retract | withdraw; take back; draw back; Ex. retract a statement/an offer/claws; N. retraction; CF. retractile |
| retrench | cut down; cut down expenses; economize |
| retribution | deserved punishment for wrongdoing; punishment for offenses; compensation; vengeance; CF. pay back |
| retrieve | recover; put right; find and bring in; regain; Ex. retrieve the situation |
| retroactive | taking effect before its enactment (as a law) or imposition (as a tax); (of a law) having effect on the past as well as the future |
| enact | make (a bill) into law |
| retrograde | go backwards; recede; degenerate; deteriorate; ADJ. |
| retrospective | looking back on the past; N. retrospection; V. retrospect |
| revelry | boisterous merrymaking; V. revel: engage boisterous festivities; enjoy greatly; N: boisterous festivity or celebration |
| reverberate | echo repeatedly; resound; Ex. The thunder reverberated across the valley. |
| reverent | respectful; worshipful; V. revere: regard with reverence; N. reverence: profound respect |
| reverend | deserving reverence; N: priest |
| reverie | daydream; abstracted musing |
| revert | relapse; backslide; turn back to; return to the former owner; N. reversion |
| relapse | return to a former state (esp. after improvement); N. |
| backslide | revert (to bad habits); N. reverter |
| revile | attack with abusive language; vilify(slander) |
| revoke | cancel; retract; CF. irrevocable |
| revulsion | sudden strong feeling of disgust; sudden violent change of feeling; negative reaction; Ex. revulsion from the scenes of torture |
| rhapsodize | speak or write in an exaggeratedly enthusiastic manner; Ex. rhapsodize over the beauty of the scenery |
| rhapsody | excessively enthusiastic expression of feeling; musical composition of irregular form (as if made up as one plays it) |
| rhetoric | art of effective communication; art of using language effectively and persuasively; style of speaking or writing; grandiloquent language; Ex. political rhetoric; ADJ. rhetorical; CF. rhetorical question: question to which no answer is expected as ``Who knows it ?'' |
| ribald | marked by vulgar lewd humor; wanton; profane; N. ribaldry: ribald language or joke |
| riddle | pierce with holes; permeate or spread throughout; Ex. The gunman riddled the car with bullets; Ex. The whole report is riddled with errors; N. large sieve (separating earth from stone) |
| rider | amendment or clause added to a legislative bill |
| rife | (of something bad) widespread; abundant; current |
| rift | narrow opening in a large mass; break in a friendly relation; Ex. through a rift in the clouds; OP. reconcilation |
| rig | fix or manipulate; manipulate dishonestly for personal gain; Ex. rig the election |
| rig | arrangement of masts and sails; V: equip (a ship) with rigging; ADJ. rigging: ropes that hold up a ship's sails |
| rigid | hard and unbending; stiff and unyielding; fixed in behavior or views; strict; rigorous; Ex. rigid rule |
| rigor | severity; Ex. rigors of the Russian winter |
| rile | irritate; vex; muddy |
| riveting | holding one's attention; absorbing; engrossing |
| rivet | metal pin used for fastening metal plates together; V: fasten with a rivet; engross |
| rivulet | small stream; CF. rill < rivulet < river |
| robust | strong; vigorous |
| rococo | ornate; highly decorated; N. CF. 18th century |
| roil | make liquids murky by stirring up sediment; disturb |
| roseate | rosy; optimistic; Ex. roseate views |
| roster | list (of names) |
| rostrum | raised platform for speech-making; pulpit |
| pulpit | raised platform used in preaching (in a church) |
| rote | repetition; memorization through repetition without understanding; Ex. learn poetry by rote |
| rotunda | circular building or hall covered with a dome |
| rotundity | roundness; sonorousness of speech |
| rotund | (of a person) fat and round |
| rousing | lively; inducing excitement; stirring; V. rouse: waken; arouse from sleep or depression; excite; stir up |
| rout | put to rout; stampede; drive out; N: complete defeat and disorderly retreat |
| stampede | sudden frenzied rush (of panic-stricken animals or people); V: participate in or cause stampede; Ex. stampede before the price rises |
| rubble | fragments (esp. from a destroyed building) |
| mason | one who builds or works with stone or brick; N. masonry: work of a mason; stonework or brickwork |
| rubric | title or heading (in red print); directions for religious ceremony; protocol |
| ruddy | reddish; (of the face) reddish and healthy-looking |
| rudimentary | elementary; not developed; crude; N. rudiment: fundamental element or principle; Ex. rudiments of the language |
| rue | regret; lament; mourn; Ex. He will rue the day; N. ADJ. rueful |
| ruffian | violent scoundrel; bully |
| ruminate | chew over and over (mentally or, like cows, physically); mull over(ponder) |
| ruminant | animal that ruminates; ADJ. |
| rummage | ransack; thoroughly search |
| runic | mysterious; set down in an ancient alphabet; N. rune: one of the letters of an alphabet used by ancient Germanic peoples (cut on stone or wood); magic charm |
| ruse | trick to deceive; stratagem |
| rustic | pertaining to country people; unsophisticated; simple; crude; uncouth; (of furniture) rough with the bark left on; N. rural person; rustic person |
| rusticate | banish to the country; dwell in the country |
| ruthless | pitiless; merciless; cruel |
| saboteur | one who commits sabotage; destroyer of property; N. sabotage: destruction of property (usually carried out secretly) |
| saccharine | cloying sweet; characteristic of sugar or saccharin |
| sacrilegious | desecrating; profane; N. sacrilege: desecration, misuse, or theft of something sacred |
| sacrosanct | invioably sacred; most sacred; inviolable |
| sadistic | inclined to cruelty; N. sadism: delight in cruelty |
| saga | Scandinavian myth; any legend; long heroic narrative |
| sagacious | wise; perceptive; shrewd; having insight; N. sagacity |
| sage | person celebrated for wisdom; wise person; ADJ: wise |
| salacious | lascivious; lustful; Ex. salacious monk |
| salient | prominent; projecting beyond a line; conspicuous; Ex. salient features |
| saline | salty |
| sallow | (of the skin) yellowish and unhealthy-looking; sickly in color; Ex. sallow complexion due to jaundice |
| salubrious | healthful; conducive to health or well-being; socially desirable; Ex. salubrious area; CF. health |
| salutary | tending to improve; beneficial; wholesome; Ex. The punishment had a salutary effect on the boy; CF. health |
| salvage | rescue (goods or property) from loss; N: saving; property saved |
| sanctimonious | displaying ostentatious or hypocritical devoutness; N. sanctimony: hypocritical piety |
| sanction | approve; ratify; N: permission; penalty intended to enforce compliance |
| sanctuary | place of refuge; shelter; shrine; holy place; Ex. The outlaw was granted sanctuary in the church. |
| sanguinary | bloody; with much bloodshed |
| sanguine | optimistic; cheerful; hopeful; of the color of blood; red |
| sap | diminish; weaken; undermine the foundations of (a fortification); Ex. The element kryptonite sapped his strength. |
| sarcasm | cutting ironic remark; scornful remarks; stinging rebuke; ADJ. sarcastic |
| sardonic | scornfully mocking; disdainful; sarcastic; cynical; Ex. sardonic smile |
| sartorial | pertaining to tailors or tailoring; Ex. a man of great sartorial elegance; CF. sartor: tailor |
| sate | satisfy to the full; satisfy to excess; cloy |
| doze | sleep lightly; nap |
| satellite | small body revolving around a larger one |
| satiate | satisfy fully (physical needs such as hunger); sate; N. satiety: condition of being satiated |
| satire | form of literature in which irony, sarcasm, and ridicule are employed to attack human vice and folly |
| satirical | using satire; mocking |
| saturate | soak thoroughly; imbue; impregnate; charge; fill to capacity |
| saturnine | morose; gloomy; Ex. Do not be misled by his saturnine countenance. |
| satyr | half-human, half-bestial being in the court of Dionysus (resembling a goat), portrayed as wanton(unrestrained) and cunning; lecher; CF. faun; CF. goat: lecherous man |
| saunter | stroll(go for a leisurely walk) slowly; N. |
| savant | scholar; learned person; CF. savoir: know |
| savor | enjoy; have a distinctive flavor, smell, or quality; N: taste or smell; distinctive quality |
| savory | pleasant in taste; tasty; pleasing, attractive, or agreeable; Ex. savory reputation |
| scabbard | case for a sword blade; sheath |
| scad | a great quantity; Ex. scads of clothes |
| scaffold | temporary platform for workers (to work at heights above the ground); bracing framework; platform for execution |
| scale | climb up; ascend; remove or come off in scales; N: flake of epidermis; ascending or descending series of musical tones |
| scanty | meager; insufficient |
| scapegoat | someone who bears the blame for others; whipping boy; CF. escape+goat |
| scavenge | hunt through discarded materials for usable items or food; search, especially for food; N. scavenger: one who scavenges; animal that feeds on refuse and carrion |
| refuse | anything discarded or rejected as worthless; trash |
| scenario | plot outline; screenplay(script for a movie); opera libretto; outline of possible future events |
| schematic | of a schema or scheme; relating to an outline or diagram; using a system of symbols; N. schema: diagrammatic representation; outline |
| scheme | systematic plan; plot; clever dishonest plan; orderly arrangement of elements; Ex. health insurance scheme; Ex. a scheme to escape taxes; Ex. a color scheme; Ex. a story with no scheme; V: contrive a scheme |
| schism | division into factions (esp. within a religious body); split |
| scintilla | trace; minute amount; shred; least bit; Ex. There is not a scintilla of truth; CF. spark |
| scintillate | sparkle; flash; be animated; be full of life; Ex. scintillating conversation |
| scoff | laugh (at); mock; ridicule; Ex. scoff at their threats |
| scotch | stamp out(put an end to); thwart; hinder; Ex. scotch the rumor; CF. cut; CF. 劝悼阑 临捞绰 狼固 |
| score | number of points; written form of a musical composition; reason; group of 20; notch or incision; Ex. full/vocal score; Ex. Don't worry on that score; V: mark with lines or notches; Ex. score the paper to make it easy to fold |
| stamp | step on heavily (so as to crush or extinguish); put an end to; imprint or impress with a mark, design, or seal; shape with a die; characterize; Ex. machine stamping out car bodies; Ex. newspaper stamping him as a liar; N. stamping; implement used to stamp; impression stamped; mark; Ex. Her remarks bear the stamp of truth. |
| scourge | lash; whip (formerly used for punishment); source of severe punishment; V: whip; afflict |
| scruple | hesitate for ethical reasons; fret about; Ex. She did not scruple to read his diary; N: uneasy feeling arising from conscience; conscience |
| scrupulous | conscientious; extremely thorough; Ex. scrupulous worker |
| scrutinize | examine closely and critically; N. scrutiny |
| scuffle | struggle confusedly; move off in a confused hurry; N. CF. scuffling twins ? |
| shuffle | mix together; jumble; move (something) from one place to another; slide (the feet) along the ground while walking; Ex. shuffle papers from one pile to another; N. |
| scurrilous | abusive; obscene; indecent; Ex. scurrilous remark |
| scurry | move hastily; hurry; move briskly |
| scurvy | contemptible; despicable; N: disease caused by deficiency of Vitamin C |
| scuttle | sink (a ship) by cutting holes in the hull; scrap; discard; N: small hatch in a ship's deck or hull |
| hull | husk; dry outer covering of a seed; frame or body of a ship |
| seamy | sordid; base; filthy; unwholesome; Ex. seamy side of city life |
| base | contemptible; morally bad; inferior in value or quality; Ex. base motives/conduct; Ex. base metal such as iron |
| sear | burn the surface of; char or burn; brand; parch; cause (a plant) to wither |
| char | make or become black by burning; reduce or be reduced to carbon or charcoal(black substance made by burning wood) by incomplete combustion |
| scorch | sear; N. |
| brand | trademark; mark burned on the hide of an animal; mark burned into the flesh of criminals; mark of disgrace; V: mark with a brand; give a lasting bad name; stigmatize; Ex. The press branded him a liar. |
| hide | skin of an animal |
| seasoned | experienced |
| season | enhance the flavor of by adding a spice, etc.; inure; harden; N. seasoning: something used in seasoning |
| seasonal | of a particular season; Ex. seasonal rise in employment |
| seasonable | occurring at the proper time or season; opportune; Ex. seasonable intervention in the dispute |
| secession | withdrawal; V. secede: withdraw formally from membership |
| seclusion | isolation; solitude; V. seclude: set apart from others; isolate |
| secrete | conceal; hide away or cache; produce and release a substance into an organism; CF. secretive |
| sect | separate religious body; faction; group of people with common beliefs within a larger group |
| sectarian | of a sect; narrow-minded; parochial; N: member of a sect; narrow-minded person |
| denomination | religious group; unit in a system; name or designation; CF. denominator: common trait or characteristic |
| secular | worldly; not pertaining to church matters or religion; temporal |
| sedate | composed (with no excitement); grave; V: administer a sedative to; CF. sedative |
| sedentary | requiring sitting; done while sitting; not moving from one place to another; settled; Ex. sedentary job/population |
| sedition | conduct or language inciting rebellion; rebellion; resistance to authority; insubordination; ADJ. seditious |
| sedulous | diligent; assiduous; paying attention; N. sedulity |
| seedy | run-down; decrepit; disreputable; having many seeds; Ex. seedy downtown hotel |
| run-down | (of a place) dilapidated; in a bad condition; (of a person) weak or exhausted |
| seemly | (of behavior) proper; appropriate |
| seep | pass slowly through small openings; ooze; trickle; N. seepage |
| seethe | be violently disturbed; boil; (of a liquid) move about wildly as if boiling; Ex. The nation was seething with discontent. |
| seine | seine net; net for catching fish |
| seismic | pertaining to earthquakes |
| semblance | outward appearance; guise; Ex. We called in the troops to bring a/some semblance of order to the city. |
| seminal | related to seed or semen; germinal; creative; providing a basis for further development; influencing future developments; Ex. seminal research in a new field |
| seminary | school for training future ministers; secondary school, especially for young women |
| senility | old age; feeblemindedness of old age; ADJ. senile: resulting from old age; showing the weakness of body or mind from old age; Ex. senile dementia |
| feebleminded | deficient in intelligence; very stupid |
| sensitization | process of being made sensitive or acutely responsive to an external agent or substance; V. sensitize: make or become sensitive |
| sensual | devoted to the pleasures of the sense; carnal; voluptuous; Ex. sensual woman/curves/lips |
| voluptuous | sensual; of or giving sensual pleasure; indulging in sensual pleasures; Ex. voluptuous lines; Ex. voluptuous life of the Romans; N. voluptuary: voluptuous person |
| sensuous | giving pleasure to the senses; pertaining to the physical senses; operating through the senses; sensuous feeling of soft velvet on the skin |
| sententious | pithy; terse; concise; aphoristic |
| sentient | capable of sensation and conscious; aware; sensitive; Ex. sentient creature; N. sentience |
| sentinel | sentry; lookout |
| lookout | act of keeping watch; high place commanding a wide view; person who keeps watch |
| septic | of or causing sepsis; putrid; producing putrefaction; N. sepsis: poisoning of part of the body (producing pus) |
| sepulcher | tomb; V: place in a sepulcher; ADJ. sepulchral |
| sequester | isolate; segregate; seclude; retire from public life |
| sere | sear; parched; dry |
| serendipity | gift for finding valuable things by accident; accidental good fortune or luck; CF. The Three Princes of Serendip |
| serenity | calmness; placidity; ADJ. serene |
| serpentine | winding; twisting; of or like a serpent; Ex. serpentine course of the river; N. serpent: snake |
| serrated | having a sawtoothed edge; Ex. serrated leaf |
| servile | slavish; cringing; N. servility |
| servitude | slavery; compulsory labor imposed as a punishment |
| sever | separate; cut off (a part) from a whole; break up (a relationship); N. severance; CF. severance pay: extra pay given an employee upon leaving a position |
| severity | harshness; intensity; sternness; austerity; ADJ. severe: harsh; strict; extremely violent or intense |
| sextant | navigation tool used to determine a ship's latitude and longitude (by measuring the altitudes of stars) |
| shackle | chain; fetter; confine with shackles; N. |
| sham | pretend; feign; ADJ: not genuine; fake; Ex. sham jewelry; N: something that is not what it appears; impostor; pretense; Ex. The agreement was a sham. |
| shambles | (place or scene of) complete disorder or ruin; wreck; mess; Ex. After the hurricane, the coast was a shambles. |
| shard | fragment generally of broken pottery (glass, clay bowl, or cup) |
| shaving | very thin piece, usually of wood (cut from a surface with a sharp blade) |
| plane | carpenter's tool for smoothing and leveling wood; V. CF. flat |
| sheaf | bundle of stalks of grain; any bundle of things tied together |
| sheathe | place into a case; insert into or provide with a sheath; Ex. He sheathed his dagger; N. sheath: case for a blade |
| sherbet | flavored dessert ice |
| shimmer | shine with a flickering light; glimmer intermittently; Ex. The moonlight shimmered on the water; N. |
| shirk | avoid (responsibility, work, etc.); malinger |
| shoddy | made of inferior material; sham; not genuine; inferior; dishonest; Ex. shoddy goods/trick |
| shrew | scolding woman; very small mouselike animal |
| shrewd | clever; astute |
| shun | keep away from; avoid deliberately; Ex. She has been shunned by her neighbors. |
| shunt | move (a railway train) from one track to another; turn aside; divert; sidetrack; Ex. shunt traffic around an accident; N. |
| sidetrack | switch (a railroad car) to a siding; divert from a main issue; N. CF. siding: short section of railroad track connected by switches with a main track |
| shyster | lawyer using questionable methods; unscrupulous practioner |
| sibling | brother or sister |
| sibylline | prophetic; oracular; N. sibyl: woman prophet (in the ancient world) |
| sidereal | relating to stars; Ex. sidereal day |
| silt | sediment deposited by running water (at the entrance to a harbor or by a bend in a river) |
| simian | monkeylike; N: ape or monkey |
| simile | comparison of one thing with another, using the word like or as |
| simper | smirk; smile in a silly way; smile affectedly |
| simplistic | oversimplified |
| simulate | feign; imitate |
| sinecure | well-paid position with little responsibility; CF. sine cure: without care; CF. San Serif |
| sinewy | (of meat) tough; strong and firm; muscular; N. sinew: tendon; strong cord connecting a muscle to a bone |
| singular | being only one; individual; unique; extraordinary; odd; Ex. singular beauty/behavior |
| sinister | evil; ominous |
| sinuous | twisting; winding; bending in and out; not morally honest |
| skeptic | sceptic; doubter; person who suspends judgment until he has examined the evidence supporting a point of view; ADJ. skeptical; N. skepticism; scepticism |
| skiff | small light sailboat or rowboat |
| skimp | provide or use scantily; live very economically; Ex. skimp on necessities; ADJ. skimpy: inadequate in amount; scanty; stingy; niggardly |
| skinflint | miser; stingy person |
| skirmish | minor fight; minor battle in war; V. |
| skittish | inconstant; capricious; frivolous; not serious; Ex. charming but skittish young woman; CF. skit |
| frisk | move about playfully; froric; ADJ. frisky: playful |
| skulduggery(skullduggery) | dishonest behavior or action; Ex. skulduggery in the election |
| skulk | move furtively and secretly; Ex. He skulked through the less fashionable sections of the city. |
| slacken | slow up; loosen; make or become slack |
| slack | moving slowly; sluggish; inactive; (of a rope) loose; negligent; lax; Ex. slack season; Ex. slack in one's work; N. V. |
| slag | glassy residue from smelting metal; dross; waste matter |
| slake | satisfy (thirst); quench; sate |
| slander | defamation; utterance of false and malicious statements; V. ADJ. slanderous |
| slapdash | hasty and careless; haphazard; sloppy(carelessly done) |
| sleazy | shabby and dirty; flimsy; insubstantial; Ex. sleazy back-street hotel/fabric |
| sleeper | one that achieves unexpected success; something originally of little value or importance that in time becomes very valuable |
| sleight | dexterity; CF. sleight of hand: legerdemain; quickness of the hands in doing tricks |
| slew | large quantity or number; Ex. slew of errands left |
| slight | insult to one's dignity; snub; V: treat as if of small importance; insult; snub; ADJ. small in size; of small importance |
| slipshod | slovenly; careless; sloppy; untidy; shabby; Ex. slipshod work |
| slither | slip or slide |
| sloth | slow moving tree-dwelling mammal; laziness; ADJ. slothful: lazy; indolent |
| slough | (of a snake) shed or cast off (dead outer skin); N: outer layer that is shed |
| slovenly | untidy; careless in work habits; slipshod; N. sloven: one who is habitually untidy or careless |
| sledge | large sled drawn by work animals |
| sleigh | large vehicle drawn by a horse over snow or ice |
| sluggard | lazy person |
| sluggish | lazy; slow; inactive; lethargic; CF. slug: nail with no shell |
| sluice | artificial channel for directing or controlling the flow of water (with a gate to regulate the flow) |
| slur | slander; insult to one's character or reputation; V. |
| slur | pronounce indistinctly; speak indistinctly; mumble |
| smattering | slight knowledge; small scattered number or amount; Ex. smattering of German |
| smelt | melt (ore) for separating and removing the metal; melt or blend ores changing their chemical composition |
| smirk | conceited smile; offensively self-satisfied smile (often at someone else's misfortune); V. |
| smolder | smoulder; burn slowly without flame; be liable to break out at any moment; exist in a suppressed state; Ex. smoldering anger |
| snicker | half-stifled(suppressed) laugh; V. |
| snivel | complain or whine tearfully; run at the nose; snuffle; Ex. Don't come back sniveling to me. |
| snuffle | sniffle; sniff repeatedly (in order to keep liquid from running out of the nose) |
| sobriety | moderation (especially regarding indulgence in alcohol); seriousness |
| sober | serious; solemn; not drunken; abstemious or temperate; V: make or become sober |
| sodden | thoroughly soaked; dull or stupid as if from drink |
| sojourn | temporary stay; V: stay for a time |
| solace | comfort in sorrow or trouble; consolation; V: comfort or console in time of sorrow or trouble |
| solder | repair or make whole by using a metal alloy; N: metal alloy (usually tin and lead) used in the molten state to join metallic parts |
| solecism | nonstandard grammatical construction; construction that is flagrantly incorrect grammatically; violation of social etiquette |
| solemnity | seriousness; gravity |
| solicit | entreat; request earnestly; seek to obtain; Ex. solicit votes; CF. solicitor: one who solicits; chief law officer |
| solicitous | anxious; worried; concerned; eager; Ex. solicitous to do something; N. solicitude |
| soliloquy | talking to oneself (esp. in a play); CF. monologue: soliloquy; long speech by one person (often monopolizing a conversation) |
| solitude | state of being alone; seclusion; ADJ. solitary: existing or living alone (esp. by choice); remote or secluded; single; sole; Ex. solitary life/inn; Ex. no solitary piece of proof |
| solstice | point or time at which the sun is farthest from the equator |
| soluble | able to be dissolved in a liquid; able to be worked out or solved |
| solvent | able to pay all depths; N. solvency |
| solvent | substance that dissolves another; ADJ: capable of dissolving another substance |
| somatic | pertaining to the body; bodily; physical |
| somber | dark; gloomy; melancholy; depressing; CF. shadow |
| somnambulist | sleepwalker; V. somnambulate; N. somnambulism |
| somnolent | half asleep; drowsy; N. somnolence |
| sonorous | resonant; producing a full deep sound; producing sound |
| sonic | of sound or its speed in air; CF. subsonic, supersonic |
| sonnet | 14-line poetic verse form with a fixed rhyme pattern |
| sophist | teacher of philosophy; quibbler; employer of fallacious reasoning; N. sophism: plausible but fallacious argument |
| sophisticated | worldly wise and urbane; refined; complex; N. sophistication; V. sophisticate |
| sophistry | seemingly plausible but fallacious reasoning; sophism |
| sophomoric | immature; half-baked; like a sophomore |
| soporific | sleep-causing; marked by sleepiness; drowsy |
| sordid | filthy; foul; base; vile; Ex. sordid bed/story |
| spangle | small shiny metallic piece sewn to clothing for ornamentation |
| sparse | not thick; thinly scattered; scanty |
| spartan | without attention to comfort; lacking luxury and comfort; sternly disciplined; Ex. spartan living condition/life |
| spasmodic | fitful; periodic; of or like a spasm; N. spasm: sudden involuntary muscular contraction; sudden burst of energy or emotion |
| spat | squabble; minor dispute; minor quarrel |
| spate | sudden flood or rush; Ex. spate of accidents |
| spatial | relating to space |
| spatula | broad-bladed instrument used for spreading or mixing |
| spawn | lay eggs (in large numbers); produce offspring (in large numbers); N: eggs of aquatic animals |
| specious | seemingly reasonable but incorrect; misleading (often intentionally) |
| spectral | ghostly; N. specter: spectre; ghost; phantom |
| spectrum | colored band produced when a beam of light passes through a prism; broad and continuous range; Ex. whole spectrum of modern thoughts |
| spendthrift | someone who wastes money; CF. thrift: accumulated wealth |
| sphinx-like | enigmatic; mysterious |
| splice | join together end to end to make one continuous length; fasten together; unite; Ex. splice two strips of tape; N. |
| spontaneity | lack of premeditation; naturalness; freedom from constraint; ADJ. spontaneous: self-generated; unpremeditated; happening without being planned |
| spoonerism | accidental transposition of sounds in successive words; Ex. ``Let me sew you to your sheet'' for ``Let me show you to your seat''; CF. William Spooner |
| transpose | reverse the order or position of |
| sporadic | occurring irregularly; intermittent |
| sportive | playful; frolicsome; merry; CF. sport: play or frolic; CF. sportsmanlike |
| spruce | neat and trim in appearance; smart; Ex. Be spruce for your job interview; V. |
| spry | (esp. of older people) vigorously active; nimble |
| nimble | quick in movement; agile; quick in understanding; Ex. nimble climber/mind |
| spurious | false; counterfeit; forged; illogical; Ex. spurious arguments |
| spurn | reject disdainfully; scorn; Ex. She spurned all offers of help. |
| squabble | minor quarrel; bickering; V: engage in a minor quarrel; Ex. squabbling children |
| squalor | condition of being squalid; filth; degradation; dirty neglected state; ADJ. squalid: dirty; sordid; morally repulsive; Ex. squalid story |
| squander | waste; spend foolishly |
| squat | short and thick; stocky; Ex. ugly squat tower; V. N. |
| staccato | played in an abrupt manner; marked by abrupt sharp sound; Ex. staccato applause |
| legato | (of music) played smoothly |
| stagnant | (of water) not flowing (often bad-smelling); motionless; stale; not developing; inactive; dull; Ex. stagnant industrial output |
| staid | serious and sedate; sober; Ex. staid during the funeral ceremony |
| stalemate | deadlock; situation in which further action is blocked |
| stalwart | physically strong; brawny; steadfast; strong in mind or determination; Ex. stalwart supporter; N: stalwart follower |
| stamina | power of endurance; strength; staying power |
| stanch | stop or check flow of blood; Ex. stanch the gushing wound |
| stanza | division of a poem (composed of two or more lines) |
| static | having no motion; unchanging; lacking development; N. stasis: stable state |
| statute | law enacted by the legislature |
| statutory | created by statute or legislative action; regulated by statute; Ex. statutory age limit |
| steadfast | steadily loyal; unswerving; steady |
| stealth | action of moving secretly or unseen; slyness; sneakiness; secretiveness; ADJ. stealthy |
| steep | soak; saturate; Ex. steep the fabric in the dye bath; ADJ: precipitous |
| stellar | pertaining to the stars; of a star performer; outstanding; Ex. stellar attraction of the entire performance |
| stem | stop or check (the flow of); Ex. stem the bleeding from the slashed artery; N: main axis of a plant; stalk |
| stem_from | arise from; originate from |
| stentorian | (of the voice) extremely loud; CF. Stentor: a loud herald in the Iliad |
| stereotype | one regarded as embodying a set image or type; fixed and unvarying representation; standardized mental picture often reflecting prejudice; Ex. stereotype of the happy slave; V: make a stereotype of; represent by a stereotype; Ex. It is wrong to stereotype people; Ex. stereotyped answer |
| stickler | perfectionist; person who insists things be exactly right |
| stifle | suppress; extinguish; inhibit; smother or suffocate |
| smother | kill from lack of air; suppress; cover thickly; Ex. smothered in little stickers |
| suffocate | die or kill from lack of air; suppress |
| stigma | token of disgrace; brand; V. stigmatize: mark with a stigma; characterize as disgraceful |
| stilted | bombastic; stiffly pompous; Ex. stilted rhetoric; CF. stiff: formal |
| stint | set limits in amount or number; be thrifty; ADJ. stinting, unstinting; CF. stint:savings |
| stint | supply; allotted amount of work; assigned portion of work; limitation; Ex. two-year stint in the army; Ex. without stint |
| stipend | pay for services |
| stipple | paint or draw with dots or short strokes |
| stipulate | state as a necessary condition (of an agreement); make express conditions; specify; Ex. He stipulated payment in advance |
| stock | standard; kept regularly in stock or supply; typical; routine; common; Ex. stock sizes of paper; Ex. stock excuse/character; N: goods for sale in a shop; OP. unique |
| stockade | wooden enclosure or pen; fixed line of posts used as defensive barrier |
| pen | fenced enclosure for animals; confining space; Ex. sheep pen; V: confine in a pen; enclose |
| stodgy | dull; stuffy; boringly conservative; Ex. stodgy book |
| stoic | stoical; impassive; unmoved by joy or grief; N. CF. stoicism |
| stoke | stir up a fire or furnace; feed plentifully |
| stolid | dull; impassive; showing little emotion when strong feelings are expected |
| stratagem | deceptive scheme; clever trick |
| stratified | divided into classes; arranged into strata; V. stratify |
| stratum | layer of earth's surface; layer of society; PL. strata |
| strew | spread randomly; sprinkle; scatter; Ex. flower girl strewing rose petals |
| striated | marked with parallel bands; striped; grooved; Ex. striated rocks; V. striate; N. stria: thin groove or line |
| stricture | severe and adverse criticism; critical comments; limit or restriction |
| strident | loud and harsh; insistent; N. stridency |
| stringent | (of rules) binding; rigid; marked by scarcity of money; Ex. stringent economic conditions |
| strut | pompous walk; V: walk in a self-important manner |
| strut | supporting bar; |
| studied | carefully contrived; calculated; unspontaneous; deliberate; thoughtful; Ex. studied remark |
| stultify | make stupid in mind; cause to appear or become stupid or inconsistent; suppress; frustrate or hinder; Ex. stultifying effect of uninteresting work; Ex. stultify free expression |
| stupefy | stun; make numb (as with a drug); amaze |
| stupor | state of being stupefied; state of apathy; daze; lack of awareness |
| stun | make unconscious or numb as by a blow; amaze; astound |
| daze | stun as with a blow or shock; bemuse; benumb; N. |
| stygian | unpleasantly dark; gloomy; hellish; deathly; CF. Styx: the chief river in the subterranean land of the dead |
| stymie | thwart; present an obstacle; stump |
| stump | base of a tree trunk left after the rest has been cut down; V: walk in a heavy manner; baffle; puzzle |
| suavity | urbanity; polish; ADJ. suave: smooth and courteous |
| subaltern | subordinate |
| subdue | less intense; quieter; Ex. subdued lighting; Ex. subdue: conquer; make less intense; quiet; Ex. subdue one's anger |
| subjective | influenced by personal feelings; occurring or taking place within the mind; unreal; Ex. subjective sensation of the ghostly presence |
| subjugate | conquer; bring under control |
| sublimate | refine; purify; replace (natural urges) with socially acceptable activities; change between a solid state and a gaseous state |
| sublime | causing deep feelings of wonder, joy, respect, etc.; exalted; noble and uplifting; utter |
| subliminal | below the threshold of conscious perception; Ex. subliminal advertisement |
| submissive | willing to obey orders; yielding; timid |
| subordinate | occupying a lower rank; inferior; submissive; N. V: put in a lower rank or class |
| suborn | persuade to act unlawfully (especially to commit perjury); N. subornation |
| subpoena | writ(written command issued by a court) summoning a witness to appear in court; V: summon with a subpoena |
| subsequent | following in time or order; later |
| subservient | behaving like a slave; servile; obsequious; subordinate; N. subservience |
| subside | sink to a lower level; settle down; sink to the bottom (as a sediment); descend; grow quiet; become less; moderate; abate |
| subsidiary | serving to assist; subordinate; secondary; of a subsidy; N. |
| subsidy | direct financial aid by government, etc.; V. subsidize: assist with a subsidy |
| subsistence | existence; means of subsisting; means of support; livelihood; V. subsist: exist; maintain life (at a meager level) |
| substantial | of substance; material; solid; essential or fundamental; ample; considerable; well-to-do; wealthy |
| substantiate | support (a claim) with evidence; establish with evidence; verify |
| substantive | substantial; essential; pertaining to the substance; substantial; considerable; Ex. substantive issues |
| subsume | include (as a member of a group); encompass |
| subterfuge | stratagem(deceptive scheme); pretense; evasion; Ex. resort to a harmless subterfuge |
| subtlety | perceptiveness; ingenuity; delicacy; ADJ. subtle: delicate; so slight as to be difficult to detect; able to make fine distinctions; clever; Ex. subtle mind/differences in meaning |
| subversive | tending to overthrow or ruin; V. subvert: overthrow completely (an established system); destroy completely; CF. undermine ? |
| succor | assist (someone in difficulty); aid; comfort; N. |
| succulent | juicy; full of juice or sap; full of richness; N: succulent plant such as a cactus |
| succumb | yield (to something overwhelming); give in; die; Ex. succumb to the illness |
| suffragist | advocate of the extension of voting rights (for women); CF. suffrage |
| suffuse | spread through or over (with a color or liquid); charge; Ex. A blush suffused her cheeks. |
| sully | defile; soil; tarnish; Ex. sully one's hands in menial labor |
| tarnish | make or become dull or discolored; N. |
| sultry | (of weather) hot; sweltering; sensual; voluptuous |
| summation | act of finding the total; summing-up; summary (esp. one given by the judge at the end of a trial) |
| sumptuous | grand suggesting great expense; lavish; rich; Ex. sumptuous feast |
| sunder | separate; part; CF. asunder |
| sundry | miscellaneous; various; several; N. sundries: small miscellaneous items |
| superannuated | retired or disqualified because of age; outmoded; obsolete |
| supercilious | haughty; arrogant; condescending; patronizing; CF. eyebrow, cilium |
| supererogatory | superfluous; more than needed or demanded |
| superficial | of the surface; not deep; shallow; not thorough; trivial; Ex. superficial analysis/knowledge |
| superfluous | excessive; overabundant; unnecessary; N. superfluity |
| superimpose | place over something else |
| supernumerary | person or thing excess of what is necessary; extra; ADJ: additional to the usual or necessary number |
| supersede | replace; cause to be set aside; make obsolete; N. supersession |
| supine | lying on back; passive; inactive; Ex. The defeated pugilist lay supine; Ex. supine acceptance of the decision |
| supplant | take the place of unfairly; usurp; replace |
| supple | flexible; limber; pliant |
| suppliant | entreating; beseeching; N. |
| supplicate | petition humbly; pray to grant a favor |
| supplicant | one who supplicates; ADJ. |
| supposition | assumption; hypothesis; surmise; V. suppose |
| supposititious | assumed; counterfeit; hypothetical |
| suppress | put an end to forcibly; subdue; stifle; overwhelm; inhibit the expression of; check; prevent from being published or made public; Ex. suppress a smile; Ex. suppress the magazine/truth |
| surfeit | satiate; feed or supply to excess; stuff; indulge to excess in anything; N: surfeiting; excessive amount; Ex. surfeit of food |
| surly | bad-tempered; rude; cross |
| cross | bad-tempered; showing ill-humor; angry |
| surmise | guess; N. |
| surmount | overcome |
| surpass | exceed |
| surreptitious | done secretly; secret; furtive; sneaky; hidden |
| surrogate | substitute; person or thing used in place of another; Ex. surrogate mother; ADJ. |
| surveillance | close observation of a person (esp. one under suspicion); watching; guarding |
| susceptible | impressionable; easily influenced; sensitive; having little resistance as to a disease; likely to suffer; receptive to; capable of accepting; Ex. susceptible to persuasion/colds; Ex. The agreement is not susceptible of alteration; N. susceptibility |
| sustain | suffer (harm or loss); experience; support; prop; maintain; keep in existence; nourish (to maintain life); Ex. sustain the family/the trapped miners |
| sustenance | sustaining; means of livelihood, support, food, nourishment; something that maintains life; food |
| suture | stitches sewn to hold the cut edges of a wound or incision; material used in sewing; V: sew together a wound |
| swarthy | (of a skin or complexion) dark; dusky; Ex. swarthy Italian ? |
| swathe | swath; wrap around; bandage; Ex. one's head swathed in bandages |
| swelter | (of a person) suffer from oppressive heat; be oppressed by heat |
| swerve | deviate; turn aside sharply from a straight course; Ex. swerve from the principle; Ex. The car swerved to the right. |
| swill | drink greedily |
| swindler | cheater |
| sybarite | lover of luxury; person devoted to pleasure and luxury; CF. Sybaris: an ancient Greek city in Italy |
| sycophant | servile flatterer; bootlicker; yes man; ADJ. sycophantic |
| syllogism | logical formula consisting of a major premise, a minor premise and a conclusion; deceptive or specious argument |
| sylvan | pertaining to the woods or the country |
| symbiosis | interdependent relationship (between groups, species) often mutually beneficial; ADJ. symbiotic; CF. together + life |
| symmetry | arrangement of parts so that balance is obtained; congruity; ADJ. symmetrical |
| lopsided | heavier or larger on one side than the other; Ex. lopsided way of walking |
| synchronous | similarly timed; simultaneous with; occurring at the same time; V. synchronize |
| synoptic | providing a general overview; summary; N. synopsis |
| synthesis | combining parts or separate things into a whole; the whole so formed; PL. syntheses; V. synthesize |
| synthetic | not natural; artificial; resulting from synthesis; Ex. synthetic fiber; N. |
| tacit | understood (without actually being expressed); not put into words; Ex. tacit agreement |
| taciturn | habitually silent; talking little |
| tactile | pertaining to the organs or sense of touch |
| tact | skill or sensitivity in dealing with people without causing offence |
| tactful | careful no to cause offence; OP. tactless |
| taint | contaminate; cause to lose purity; modify with a trace of something bad; Ex. tainted reputation; N: stain; touch of decay or bad influence; CF. touch |
| talisman | charm; object believed to give supernatural powers to or protect its bearer |
| talon | claw of bird |
| tangential | only slightly connected; not central; peripheral; digressing; showing divergence; CF. tangent |
| tangible | able to be touched; real; concrete; palpable; possible to realize or understand; Ex. tangible proof |
| tanner | person who turns animal hides into leather |
| tan | convert (hide) into leather; make brown by exposure to the sun |
| tantalize | tease; excite by exposing something desirable while keeping it out of reach; torture with disappointment; CF. Tantalus: Greek mythological figure |
| tantamount | equivalent in effect or value; Ex. This invasion is tantamount to a declaration of war; CF. amount |
| tantrum | fit of bad temper; fit of petulance; caprice; Ex. The child went into tantrums. |
| taper | very thin candle; gradual decrease in the width of a long object; V. make or become gradually narrower toward one end |
| tarantula | venomous spider |
| tarry | linger; delay in starting or going; dawdle |
| taut | tight; strained; tense; ready; OP. slack |
| tautological | needlessly repetitious; Ex. ``It was visible to the eye''; N. tautology: needless repetition of the same sense; statement that is always true |
| tawdry | cheap and gaudy; Ex. tawdry jewelry |
| taxonomist | specialist in classifying (animals, etc.); CF. taxonomy: science of classification |
| tedium | boredom; weariness; ADJ. tedious |
| teetotalism | practice of abstaining totally from alcoholic drinks; N. teetotaler;; ADJ. teetotal; |
| temerity | boldness; nerve; rashness; Ex. temerity to ask for a pay increase after only three day's work |
| temper | moderate; make less severe; tone down or restrain; toughen (steel) as by alternate heating and cooling |
| temperament | characteristic frame of mind; disposition; emotional excess; ADJ. temperamental: of temperament; having frequent changes of temper; Ex. temperamental dislike of sports; Ex. temperamental actress |
| temperate | moderate; restrained; self-controlled; moderate in respect to temperature; CF. temperance: moderation and self-restraint; abstinence of alcoholic drinks; Ex. temperance society |
| tempestuous | stormy; violent; impassioned; N. tempest: violent storm |
| tempo | speed of music |
| temporal | of time; not lasting forever; limited by time; temporary; secular; worldly |
| temporize | gain time as by postponing an action; avoid committing oneself |
| tenacious | holding fast (as to a belief); persistent |
| tenacity | firmness; persistence |
| tendentious | promoting a particular point of view; biased; having an aim; designed to further a cause; Ex. tendentious rather than truth-seeking; CF. tend: move in a certain direction |
| tender | offer formally; extend; Ex. tender one's resignation/the exact fare; N: formal offer; money; Ex. legal tender; ADJ: young and vulnerable; sensitive to the touch; sore; soft; delicate; Ex. child of tender years; Ex. tender wound |
| tenet | doctrine; dogma |
| tensile | capable of being stretched; of tension; Ex. tensile rubber |
| tension | stretching; condition of being stretched; mental strain; strained relationship between groups or people |
| tentative | not fully worked out or developed; provisional; experimental; uncertain; hesitant; not definite or positive; Ex. tentative agreement/reply |
| tenuous | thin; slim; rare |
| tenure | holding of an office or real estate; time during which such an office is held |
| tepid | lukewarm; slightly warm; 固瘤辟茄; half-hearted; not eager; Ex. tepid reaction to the new film; Ex. tepid supporter |
| termination | end; V. terminate |
| terminology | terms used in a science or art; study of nomenclature |
| terminus | last stop of railroad; end |
| terminal | part that forms the end; railroad or bus station; ADJ. forming an end; ending in death; fatal; Ex. terminal cancer |
| terrestrial | on or relating to the earth |
| terse | concise; abrupt; pithy |
| tertiary | third in order or rank |
| tessellated | mosaic; inlaid; Ex. tessellated pattern |
| testator | maker of a will; CF. testatrix |
| testy | irritable; impatient and bad-tempered; short-tempered; N. testiness |
| tether | tie (an animal) with a rope or tether; N: rope or chain to which an animal is tied; limit of one's endurance; Ex. the end of one's tether |
| thematic | of a theme; relating to a unifying motif or idea |
| theocracy | government run by religious leaders |
| theoretical | based on theory; not practical or applied; hypothetical |
| therapeutic | curative; N. therapy |
| thermal | pertaining to heat; producing heat; warm; Ex. thermal bath; N: rising current of warm air |
| thespian | pertaining to drama; N: actor or actress |
| drama | prose or verse composition to be performed by actors; play; exciting and unusual situation |
| thrall | slave; bondage; slavery; Ex. Her beauty held him in thrall; CF. enthrall |
| threadbare | worn through till the threads show; shabby and poor; hackneyed; Ex. threadbare excuses |
| thrifty | careful about money; economical; N. thrift |
| thrive | prosper; flourish |
| throes | violent anguish |
| throng | crowd (of people or things); V. |
| throttle | strangle; regulate the speed of with a throttle; N: valve that regulates the flow; CF. throat ? |
| strangle | kill by choking or suffocating; suppress |
| thwart | block or hinder; baffle; frustrate |
| tightwad | miser; excessively frugal person |
| tiller | handle used to move boat's rudder (to steer) |
| timbre | quality of a musical tone produced by a musical instrument (which distinguishes it from others of the same pitch) |
| timidity | lack of self-confidence or courage |
| timorous | fearful; timid; demonstrating fear |
| tipple | drink (alcoholic beverages) frequently; N: alcoholic drink |
| tirade | long angry denunciatory speech; diatribe; harangue; extended scolding; denunciation |
| tardy | slow; sluggish; not on time; late; Ex. tardy arrival |
| titanic | gigantic; N. titan |
| tithe | tax of one-tenth (contributed to a church); V: pay a tithe |
| titillate | tickle; excite pleasantly; Ex. not to titillate the audience but to enlighten it |
| tickle | touch (the body) lightly so as to cause laughter; please |
| title | name (of a book, film, etc.); mark of rank; formal appellation as of rank or office (such as Lord or General); right or claim to possession; championship; Ex. title as head of the family; Ex. title to the estate |
| titter | nervous giggle; nervous laugh; V. |
| titular | of a title; in name only; nominal; having the title of an office without the obligations; Ex. titular head of the company |
| toady | servile flatterer; yes man; sycophant; V: be a toady to; fawn |
| toga | Roman outer robe |
| tome | large volume; book |
| handsome | large in quantity; generous; Ex. handsome reward |
| tonsure | shaving of the head especially by person entering religious orders; V. |
| topography | physical features of a region (such as the shape and height); CF. topo-: place |
| torpedo | underwater explosive apparatus; V. |
| torpor | lethargy; sluggishness; dormancy; ADJ. torpid: lethargic; lazy; inactive; (of an animal) dormant; hibernating |
| torque | twisting force; force producing rotation |
| torrent | rushing stream; flood; Ex. The rain fell in torrents. |
| torrid | (of weather) hot or scorching; passionate; Ex. torrid love affairs |
| torso | trunk of statue with head and limbs missing; human trunk |
| trunk | main wooden stem of a tree; human body excluding the head and limbs; torso; prehensile nose of an elephant |
| tortuous | winding; full of curves; Ex. tortuous mountain road |
| totter | shake or move unsteadily; sway as if about to fall |
| touchstone | stone used to test the fineness of gold alloys; criterion; standard |
| touchy | oversensitive; easily offended; irasible; delicate; needing delicate handling; Ex. touchy situation |
| tout | promote or publicize (one's goods or service); praise excessively (as a form of advertisement); CF. advertise |
| toxic | poisonous; N. toxicity |
| tract | propaganda pamphlet (esp. by a religious or political group); expanse of land; region of indefinite size; system of related organs; Ex. digestive tract |
| tractable | docile; easily managed; (of something) easily changed or molded; N. tractability |
| traduce | expose to slander |
| trajectory | path taken by a projectile; Ex. trajectory of a bullet |
| elevation | elevated position; altitude; height; flat upright side of a building; angle made by pointing a gun; Ex. The elevation of her style is much admired; Ex. front elevation of the house |
| tranquillity | calmness; peace |
| transcendent | exceeding ordinary limits; superior; surpassing; V. transcend: go beyond; exceed; surpass; N. transcendancy |
| transcendental | going beyond common thought or ideas; impossible to understand by practical experiences or practices; known only by studying thoughts or intuition; OP. empirical; CF. transcendentalism |
| transcribe | copy; write a copy of; N. transcription |
| transgression | violation of a law; sin; V. transgress: go beyond (a limit); violate; do wrong |
| transient | staying for a short time; momentary; temporary; N: one that is transient |
| transition | going from one state of action to another |
| transitory | transient; impermanent; fleeting; N. transitoriness |
| translucent | partly transparent |
| transmute | transform; change; convert to something different |
| transparent | permitting light to pass through freely; easily detected; obvious; clear; Ex. transparent lie |
| transpire | (of a fact) become known; be revealed; happen; give off (watery waste matter) through pores |
| transport | strong emotion; rapture; Ex. in a transport/transports of; V: move to strong emotion; enrapture |
| trappings | outward decorations; ornaments (as an outward sign of rank) |
| traumatic | (of an experience) deeply shocking; pertaining to an injury caused by violence; N. trauma: serious wound; emotional shock that causes lasting psychological damage |
| travail | strenuous work; toil; painful labor; labor of childbirth |
| traverse | go through or across |
| travesty | copy or example of something that completely misrepresents the true nature of the real thing; comical parody or imitation; treatment aimed at making something appear ridiculous; Ex. travesty of justice; OP. paragon |
| treatise | article treating a subject systematically and thoroughly |
| trek | travel; journey; V: make a long difficult journey |
| tremor | trembling; slight quiver (as of the earth or from nervous agitation) |
| tremulous | trembling; wavering |
| trenchant | cutting; incisive; keen |
| furrow | long shallow trench made by a plow; deep wrinkle in the skin; V. |
| trepidation | fear; nervous apprehension |
| tribulation | suffering; ordeal; distress; trial |
| tribunal | court of justice |
| tribune | official of ancient Rome elected by the plebians to protect their rights; protector of the people |
| tribute | tax levied by a ruler; payment made by one nation to another in acknowledgment of submission; mark of respect (such as praise or gift); Ex. pay tribute to |
| trident | three-pronged spear |
| prong | pointed projecting part |
| trifling | trivial; unimportant |
| trifle | something of little importance or value; small amount; Ex. a trifle; V: treat without seriousness; flirt |
| trigger | set off; start |
| trilogy | group of three related works (connected by a shared subject but each complete in itself) |
| trinket | knickknack; bauble; cheap jewelry |
| trite | hackneyed; commonplace |
| trivia | trifles; unimportant matters |
| troth | pledge of good faith especially in betrothal; betrothal; Ex. by my troth |
| trough | long narrow container for feeding farm animals; lowest point (of a wave, business cycle, etc.); long narrow depression as between waves |
| truculence | aggressiveness; ferocity; ADJ. truculent: aggressive; pugnacious; fierce |
| truism | self-evident truth |
| truncate | cut the top off; shorten |
| tryst | meeting arranged by lovers; arrangement between lovers to meet |
| tumid | (of a part of the body) swollen; distended; bombastic; pompous |
| overblown | inflated; exaggerated |
| tumult | commotion of a great crowd; riot; noise; uproar; ADJ. tumultuous: noisy and disorderly |
| tundra | rolling treeless plain in Siberia and arctic North America |
| rolling | (of land) rising and falling in long gentle slopes; happening continuously by stages; Ex. rolling devolution of power to local governments |
| turbid | (of a liquid) having the sediment disturbed; muddy; thick |
| turbulence | state of violent agitation; ADJ. turbulent: violently agitated or disturbed |
| tureen | deep dish for serving soup |
| turgid | swollen; distended (as from liquid) |
| turmoil | extreme confusion; great commotion and confusion; Ex. throw the country into turmoil |
| turncoat | traitor |
| turpitude | depravity; baseness; Ex. moral turpitude |
| tutelage | guardianship; training; function of a tutor; instruction |
| tutelary | protective; pertaining to a guardianship; Ex. tutelary deities |
| tycoon | wealthy and powerful businessperson; wealthy leader; magnate; Ex. business tycoon |
| typhoon | tropical hurricane or cyclone |
| tyranny | oppression; cruel government; ADJ. tyrannical: of a tyrant or tyranny; despotic; V. tyrannize: treat tyrannically; oppress |
| tyro | beginner; novice |
| ubiquitous | being everywhere; omnipresent; N. ubiquity |
| wade | walk through a substance, such as water, that impedes movement |
| ulterior | intentionally hidden; beyond what is evident; situated beyond; unstated and often questionable; Ex. ulterior motive |
| ultimate | final; not susceptible to further analysis; fundamental; Ex. The sun is the ultimate source of energy. |
| eventual | happening at last as a result; Ex. eventual victory |
| ultimatum | last demand; last warning; last statement of conditions that must be met; Ex. They have ignored our ultimatum. |
| umbrage | resentment; anger; sense of injury or insult; Ex. take umbrage at his rudeness |
| unaccountable | unexplicable; impossible to account for; unreasonable or mysterious |
| unanimity | complete agreement; ADJ. unanimous |
| unassailable | not open to attack; impregnable; not subject to question |
| unassuaged | unsatisfied; not soothed |
| unassuming | modest; Ex. the champion's unassuming manner |
| unbridled | violent; uncontrolled; Ex. unbridled rage/greed |
| bridle | harness fitted about a horse's head (used to restrain); curb; check; V: put a bridle on; control or restrain; show anger |
| uncanny | strange; mysterious; Ex. uncanny knack |
| knack | special talent; art |
| unconscionable | unscrupulous; not guided by conscience; excessive; beyond reason; Ex. unconscionable demand |
| uncouth | boorish; clumsy in speech or behavior; outlandish |
| unction | the act of anointing with oil; Ex. extreme unction |
| unctuous | oily; bland; insincerely suave |
| underlying | lying below; fundamental |
| undermine | weaken gradually; sap; dig a mine beneath |
| underscore | underline; emphasize |
| undulating | moving with a wavelike motion; V. undulate; CF. und: wave |
| unearth | dig up; discover (facts) by careful searching; Ex. He unearthed some secrets about her; OP. conceal |
| unearthly | not earthly; supernatural; weird; ghostly |
| weird | eerie; strange; unnatural |
| unequivocal | plain; clear; obvious |
| unerringly | infallibly; ADJ. unerring: making no mistakes |
| unexceptionable | entirely acceptable; not offering any basis for criticism |
| unfaltering | steadfast; firm; not changing |
| unfeigned | genuine; real |
| unfetter | liberate; free from chains; V. unfetter |
| hostage | person who is kept as a prisoner by an enemy so that the other side will do what the enemy demands |
| unfledged | immature; not having the feathers necessary to fly; CF. fledgling |
| unfrock | defrock; strip a priest or minister of church authority |
| disbar | make (a lawyer) leave the bar or the legal profession |
| debar | bar; forbid; exclude; Ex. debarred from jury services |
| bar | railing in a courtroom; legal profession; vertical line dividing a staff into equal measures; Ex. prisoner at the bar; V: shut in or out with bars; forbid; exclude; CF. barrister |
| bastard | illegitimate child |
| ungainly | (of someone) awkward in movement; clumsy; (of something) unwieldy; Ex. ungainly dancer/instrument |
| unguent | ointment |
| uniformity | sameness; monotony; ADJ. uniform: the same all over |
| unilateral | one-sided; involving or affecting only one side; Ex. unilateral declaration |
| unimpeachable | that cannot be impeached; beyond doubt or question; blameless and exemplary |
| uninhibited | unrepressed; free in behavior and feelings |
| unintimating | unfrightening |
| unique | without an equal; single in kind |
| unison | unity of pitch (in musical performance); complete accord; Ex. The choir sang in unison. |
| choir | group of people who sing together (esp. during religious services); place for choir |
| universal | characterizing or affecting all; general; present everywhere; of the universe; cosmic; Ex. universal agreement; Ex. a subject of universal interest |
| unkempt | disheveled; uncared for in appearance; not combed; CF. comb |
| unmitigated | (of something bad) not moderated; unrelieved or immoderate; without qualification; absolute; Ex. unmitigated disaster |
| unobtrusive | inconspicuous; not blatant |
| unprecedented | having no previous example; novel; unparalleled |
| unprepossessing | unattractive |
| prepossessing | attractive; CF. preoccupying ? |
| unravel | disentangle; solve |
| unrequited | not requited; not reciprocated; Ex. unrequited love |
| unruly | disobedient; lawless; difficult to control |
| unsavory | distasteful; disagreeable; morally offensive; Ex. unsavory activity/reputation |
| unscathed | unharmed; Ex. escape the accident unscathed |
| unseemly | unbecoming; not proper in behavior; indecent; Ex. leave with unseemly haste |
| unsightly | ugly; unpleasant to look at |
| unsullied | untarnished; CF. sully |
| untenable | (of a position, esp. in an argument) indefensible; not able to be maintained |
| untoward | unexpected and adverse; unfortunate or unlucky; Ex. untoward encounter |
| unwarranted | unjustified; having no justification; groundless; baseless; undeserved |
| unwieldy | awkward (to carry or move); cumbersome; unmanageable |
| unwitting | not knowing; unaware; unintentional; Ex. She was their unwitting accomplice; Ex. unwitting insult; CF. wit: know |
| unwonted | unaccustomed; unusual; Ex. He arrived with unwonted punctuality. |
| upbraid | reprimand; severely scold |
| braid | plait; interweave strands or lengths of; make by weaving strands together; N: braided segment (as of hair) |
| uproarious | marked by commotion or uproar; very noisy (esp. with laughter); hilarious; causing loud laughter; extremely funny |
| uproar | noisy confusion |
| upshot | outcome; final result |
| urbane | suave; refined in manner; elegant |
| urchin | mischievous child (usually a boy); CF. urchin: hedgehog; CF. porcupine: pig with spikes ; CF. sea urchin |
| ursine | bearlike; pertaining to a bear |
| usurp | seize another's power or rank (without legal authority); supplant; appropriate; N. usurpation; CF. take for one's own use |
| usury | lending money at illegal high rates of interest |
| utopia | ideal place, state, or society; ADJ. utopian |
| Shangri-la | imaginary remote paradise on earth; CF. Lost Horizon |
| uxorious | excessively submissive or devoted to one's wife; CF. uxor: wife |
| vacillate | waver (in opinion); fluctuate; sway to and fro; N. vacillation |
| vacuous | empty; lacking in ideas; inane; stupid; Ex. vacuous expression; N. vacuity |
| vagabond | wanderer (without a permanent home); tramp |
| tramp | walk with a heavy step; travel on foot; N: vagrant; one who travels aimlessly about; long walk; sound of heavy walking |
| trample | step heavily with the feet; crush under the feet |
| tread | walk; trample; N: grooved face of a tire; horizontal part of a step |
| vagary | capricious happening; caprice; whim; CF. wander |
| vagrant | wandering from place to place; roving; stray; moving in a random fashion; Ex. vagrant thoughts; N. vagrancy |
| vagrant | homeless wanderer |
| vainglorious | boastful; excessively conceited; N. vainglory: great vanity |
| valedictory | pertaining to farewell; N: farewell address (esp. at graduation exercises) |
| valediction | saying farewell; expression of leave-taking |
| leave-taking | farewell or departure |
| valid | logically convincing; sound; legally acceptable; effective; Ex. valid reasoning/passport |
| sound | in good condition; showing good judgment or good sense; thorough; complete; Ex. sound mind/investment/training |
| validate | make valid; confirm; ratify |
| valor | bravery; ADJ. valiant: possessing valor; brave |
| vampire | ghostly being that sucks the blood of the living |
| vanguard | forerunners; foremost position of an army; advance forces; foremost position in a trend or movement; CF. rearguard |
| avantgarde | group of artists whose work is based on the newest ideas and methods; CF. vanguard |
| vantage | position giving an advantage (such as a strategic point); CF. vantagepoint |
| apid | lacking liveliness; dull and unimaginative; insipid and flavorless; Ex. vapid lecture |
| vaporize | turn into vapor (steam, gas, fog, etc.) |
| variegated | (esp. of a flower or leaf) many-colored |
| variegate | change the appearance of (by marking with different colors) |
| vassal | in feudalism, one who held land of a superior lord; subordinate or dependent |
| vaunted | boasted; bragged; highly publicized; V. vaunt: boast; brag |
| veer | change in direction; swerve |
| vegetate | live in a monotonous way (without interests or activity); CF. vegetation: plants of an area; CF. vegetarian; CF. vegan |
| vehement | forceful; intensely emotional; with marked vigor; strong; N. vehemence |
| velocity | speed |
| venal | capable of being bribed; corrupt; CF. vernal |
| vendetta | blood feud (esp. between two families); CF. Nina Williams |
| vendor | seller |
| veneer | thin surface layer (of good quality wood, glued to a base of inferior material); cover; surface show; fa\c{c}ade; V. |
| venerable | deserving high respect; commanding respect; CF. command: deserve and get |
| venerate | revere; treat with great respect |
| venial | (of a fault or sin) forgivable; trivial |
| venison | meat of a deer; CF. cow: beef; CF. pig: pork, ham, bacon; CF. calf: veal; CF. sheep: mutton; CF. lamb: lamb |
| venom | poison (of an animal); hatred; Ex. remarks full of venom; ADJ. venomous |
| vent | small opening; outlet (as of fumes or a gas); Ex. He gave vent to his anger by kicking the chair. |
| vent | release or discharge through a vent; express (esp. unfairly); utter; Ex. He vented his wrath on his family. |
| ventilate | admit fresh air into to replace stale air |
| ventral | abdominal |
| ventriloquist | someone who can make his or her voice seem to come from another person or thing (without moving lips or jaws); N. ventriloquism, ventriloquy |
| venture | risk; expose to risk; dare; undertake a risk; N. |
| brave | face courageously; Ex. brave the storm |
| venturesome | (of a person) bold; adventurous; daring; (of an action) risky |
| venue | location; place (of a crime, trial, gathering, etc.); CF. come |
| veracious | (of a person) truthful |
| veracity | truthfulness; adherence to the truth |
| verbalize | put into words; ADJ. verbal: of words; spoken rather than written; oral; of a verb |
| verbatim | word for word; in the same words; repeating the actual words exactly |
| verbiage | pompous array of words; too many unnecessary words; wordiness |
| verbose | wordy; N. verbosity |
| verdant | green; covered with green plants or grass; lush in vegetation; Ex. verdant meadows |
| lush | (of a plant or grass) growing very well |
| verdigris | green coating or patina on copper which has been exposed to the weather |
| verge | border; edge, rim, or margin; Ex. on the verge of: very near to; V: border on |
| verisimilar | having the appearance of truth or reality; probable or likely to be true; plausible |
| verisimilitude | appearance of truth; quality of appearing to be true or real; likelihood; Ex. verisimilitude of her performance as Lady Macbeth |
| veritable | being truly so; real or genuine; actual; not false or imaginary |
| verity | quality of being true; lasting truth or principle; Ex. the verity of his testimony; Ex. one of the eternal verities |
| vernacular | living language (as compared to the official language); language spoken in a country or region; natural style; Ex. lapse into the vernacular |
| vernal | pertaining to spring |
| versatile | having many talents; capable of working in many fields; having many uses or functions; N. versatility |
| vertex | summit; highest point; PL. vertices |
| vertigo | severe dizziness; giddiness |
| verve | enthusiasm (as in artistic performance or composition); liveliness; vigor |
| vestige | trace; remains; Ex. vestiges of some ancient religion |
| veto | vested power to reject a bill; exercise of this right; V: prevent or forbid by exercising the power of veto |
| vex | annoy; distress |
| viable | capable of maintaining life; feasible; practical or workable; Ex. viable scheme |
| viand | food; CF. live |
| vicarious | experienced as if one were taking part in the experience of another; done by a deputy for other people; acting as a substitute; Ex. vicarious thrill at the movies; Ex. the vicarious sufferings of Christ |
| vicar | parish priest; representative |
| vicissitude | change (esp. from good to bad); change of fortune; CF. the last emperor of China |
| victuals | food; provisions; V. victual: provide with food |
| vie | contend; compete |
| vigilant | watchful; on the alert; watchfully awake; alert to spot danger; N. vigilance |
| vigil | keeping watch (during normal sleeping hours); Ex. all-night vigil |
| vigilante | one who without authority assumes law enforcement powers |
| vigor | active strength; energy; enthusiasm; ADJ. vigorous |
| vignette | small drawing placed at the beginning or end of a chapter; picture; short literary sketch; short written description of a character or scene |
| vilify | slander; speak evil of; N. vilification |
| vindicate | clear from blame; free from blame or accusation (with supporting proof); exonerate; substantiate; justify or support; avenge; Ex. vindicate one's client; Ex. vindicate one's claim; CF. vindicator |
| vindictive | disposed to revenge; vengeful; out for revenge; spiteful; intended to cause harm; malicious; Ex. vindictive streak |
| vintner | wine merchant; winemaker; seller of wine |
| viper | poisonous snake |
| virile | manly; having masculine spirit or strength; full of strength |
| virtual | in essence; existing in essence though not in actual form; for practical purposes; Ex. virtual ruler/space |
| virtue | goodness; moral excellence; good quality; advantage; Ex. by virtue of; Ex. make a virtue of necessity |
| virtuoso | highly skilled artist (esp. in music); Ex. piano virtuoso |
| virulent | (of a disease or poison) extremely harmful or poisonous; (of a feeling) hostile; bitter; N. virulence; CF. virus; CF. venom |
| virus | disease communicator |
| visage | face; appearance |
| visceral | felt in one's inner organs; N. viscera: internal body organs; CF. eviscerate |
| viscid | adhesive; gluey |
| viscous | (of a liquid) thick and sticky; gluey; viscid; CF. consistency |
| vise | vice; tool for holding work in place; clamping device |
| visionary | produced by imagination; fanciful; mystical; showing foresight; N: one having foresight; one given to speculative impractical ideas |
| vision | eyesight; foresight; mental image produced by the imagination; experience of seeing the supernatural |
| vital | full of life; animated; vibrant and lively; critical; of great importance; necessary to stay alive; of life; living; breathing; N. vitality; V. vitalize |
| vibrant | full of vigor or energy; vibrating |
| vitiate | spoil the effect of; make inoperative; corrupt morally |
| vitreous | of glass; pertaining to or resembling glass; V. vitrify: change into glass; CF. petrify |
| vitriolic | causing sharp pain to the mind; caustic; corrosive; sarcastic; of vitriol; N. vitriol: sulphuric acid (which burns flesh deeply); bitterly abusive expression; caustic expression; CF. glass |
| vituperative | abusive; scolding; V. vituperate: berate; scold; rail against abusively |
| vivacious | lively or animated; sprightly |
| sprightly | lively |
| vivisection | act of dissecting living animals |
| vixen | female fox; ill-tempered woman; CF. shrew |
| vociferous | clamorous; noisy; V. vociferate: cry out loudly (when complaining) |
| vogue | popular fashion; Ex. Jeans became the vogue. |
| volatile | changeable; of a quickly changing nature (as of temper); mercurial; tending to violence; evaporating rapidly; Ex. volatile character/situation in the street |
| volition | act of using one's will; act of making a conscious choice; Ex. She selected this dress of her own volition. |
| voluble | fluent; talkative; glib; N. volubility |
| volley | simultaneous discharge of a number of shots; V. |
| voluminous | having great volume (as of a garment or container); bulky; large |
| bulk | size or volume (esp. when very large); main part; Ex. The bulk of the work has already been done; ADJ. bulky: having great size |
| voodoo | religion practiced chiefly in Haiti |
| voracious | ravenous; eating large quantities of food; exceedingly eager; insatiable; Ex. voracious animal/reader |
| vortex | whirlwind; whirlpool; center of turbulence; predicament into which one is inexorably plunged |
| vouchsafe | grant condescendingly; guarantee; Ex. vouchsafe your fair return on your investment |
| vouch | give a personal guarantee; Ex. I can vouch for his integrity; N. voucher |
| voyeur | Peeping Tom; person who derives sexual gratification from observing the sexual acts of others |
| vulnerable | susceptible to wounds or attack; N. vulnerability |
| vulpine | like a fox; crafty |
| craft | skill (esp. with one's hands); skill in deceiving people; guile; ADJ. crafty: cleverly deceitful; cunning |
| vulture | carrion-eating birds |
| vying | contending; CF. vie |
| waffle | speak equivocally about an issue; N. |
| waft | move gently (in air or in seas) by wind or waves; Ex. leaves wafting past the window |
| waggish | humorous; mischievous; tricky |
| wag | shake repeatedly from side to side; Ex. The dog wagged its tail; N: humorous person; wit |
| waif | homeless child or animal; Ex. waifs and strays |
| waive | give up temporarily; yield; N. waiver: waiving a right or claim; document that waives a right or claim |
| wake | trail of ship or other object through water; path of something that has gone before; Ex. hunger followed in the wake of the war |
| wallow | roll in mud; indulge in; (of a ship) roll in a rough sea; become helpless; Ex. wallow in the mud/luxury |
| wan | having a pale or sickly color; pallid |
| wanderlust | strong longing to travel |
| wane | decrease in size or strength (after being full); grow gradually to an end; Ex. The moon waxes and wanes every month; N. |
| wangle | achieve by cleverness or trick; wiggle out; fake; Ex. She tried to wangle an invitation to the party. |
| wiggle | wriggle; move from side to side with irregular twisting motions |
| fake | not genuine; N: one that is not genuine; impostor; sham; V: counterfeit; Ex. fake the results of the experiment/the signature |
| wanton | unrestrained; gratuitously cruel; willfully malicious; unchaste; sexually improper; promiscuous; Ex. wanton spending/killing; CF. having no just cause |
| warble | (of a bird) sing; babble; N. |
| warp | twist out of shape; N. |
| warranted | justified; authorized |
| warrant | justification; written order that serves as authorization (esp. a judicial writ); Ex. search/death warrant; V: justify; guarantee |
| warranty | guarantee; assurance by seller |
| warren | tunnels in which rabbits live; overcrowded living area; crowded conditions in which people live |
| wary | very cautious; watchful |
| wastrel | waster; profligate |
| wax | increase gradually (as the moon); grow |
| waylay | ambush; lie in wait for and attack |
| ambush | act of lying in wait to attack by surprise; sudden attack made from a concealed position; Ex. lie in ambush; V. |
| wean | accustom a baby not to nurse; accustom (the young of a mammal) to take nourishment other than by suckling; give up a cherished activity; cause to gradually leave (an interest or habit); Ex. wean oneself from cigarettes |
| weather | pass safely through (a storm or difficult period); endure the effects of weather or other forces |
| welt | raised mark from a beating or whipping |
| welter | confusion; turmoil; confused mass; bewildering jumble; Ex. welter of data |
| welter | wallow (as in mud or high seas); lie soaked (as in blood); Ex. The victims weltered in their blood. |
| wheedle | deceive, persuade, or obtain by flattery; cajole; coax; Ex. wheedle a promise out of her |
| whelp | young animal (esp. of the dog or cat family); young wolf, dog, tiger, etc. |
| whet | sharpen; stimulate; Ex. whet someone's appetite |
| whiff | puff or gust (of air, scent, etc.); short-lasting smell; hint; Ex. whiff of perfume/scandal |
| whimsical | capricious; fanciful; amusingly strange |
| whim | sudden capricious idea; fancy |
| whimsy | whim; tendency to behave amusingly strangely; Ex. story full of whimsy |
| whinny | neigh like a horse; CF. neigh: make the sound which horses make |
| whit | small amount; smallest speck; Ex. not a whit of |
| whittle | pare; cut away thin bits (from wood); fashion in this way; reduce gradually; trim |
| pare | cut away the outer covering or skin of (with a knife); trim; Ex. pare apples/expenses |
| whorl | ring of leaves around stem; ring; circular arrangement; Ex. whorls on the fingers |
| willful | wilful; intentional; headstrong |
| wilt | loose freshness; droop |
| wily | crafty; cunning; artful; N. wile: deceitful stratagem |
| wince | move back suddenly; shrink back; flinch; Ex. She winced as she touched the cold body. |
| start | move suddenly or involuntarily; Ex. start at the sight of a snake |
| windfall | fallen fruit; unexpected lucky event |
| winnow | sift; separate the chaff from grain by blowing; separate good parts from bad; CF. wind |
| sift | put through a sieve to separate fine from coarse particles; sort or examine carefully |
| winsome | charming (in a childlike way); agreeable; gracious; engaging |
| wispy | thin; slight; barely discernible |
| wisp | small bunch (of hair); faint streak (of smoke) |
| wistful | sadly thoughtful (because of desires or memories); sadly pensive; vaguely longing |
| withdrawn | introverted; retiring; remote |
| remote | distant in manner; aloof |
| wither | (of a plant) dry up from loss of moisture; lose freshness; shrivel; decay |
| shrivel | make or become shrunken and wrinkled (often by drying) |
| withhold | refuse to give; hold back; Ex. withholding tax |
| withstand | stand up against; resist successfully |
| witless | lacking intelligence or wit; foolish; idiotic |
| witticism | witty saying; wisecrack(clever joking remark) |
| wizardry | sorcery; magic |
| wizened | shriveled; withered; Ex. wizened apple/old lady |
| woe | great sorrow; deep inconsolable grief; affliction; suffering; Ex. financial woes |
| woeful | sad; (of something bad) deplorable; deplorably bad; Ex. woeful housing conditions |
| wont | (the stated person's) habit or custom; habitual procedure; ADJ. wonted: customary |
| worldly | engrossed in matters of this earth; not spiritual; of the material world |
| wrangle | quarrel noisily; obtain through arguing; herd cattle; N. |
| herd | group of animals; crowd; one who looks after a herd; Ex. shepherd/goatherd; Ex. herd instinct; Ex. herdsman; V: come together in a herd; look after a herd; Ex. herd cattle |
| wrath | anger; fury |
| wreak | inflict; Ex. wreak one's vengeance on |
| wrench | twist; pull; strain; Ex. He wrenched the gun out of her hands. |
| wrest | obtain by pulling violently; pull away; take by violence; Ex. wrest victory from their grasp |
| writ | written command issued by a court (telling someone to do or not to do something) |
| writhe | twist in coils; contort in pain |
| wry | (esp. of an expression of the face) twisted; with a humorous twist (expressing displeasure) |
| xenophobia | fear or hatred of foreigners; N. xenophobe |
| yen | strong desire; longing; urge; Ex. yen for travel |
| yeoman | man or farmer owning small estate; middle-class farmer |
| yield | amount produced; crop; income on investment; profit obtained from an investment; V: produce; give in; surrender |
| yoke | join together; unite; N: crossbar used to joining two draft animals |
| yokel | rustic; country bumpkin; |
| yore | time long past; Ex. in the days of yore |
| zany | comic; crazy; N: clown; comical person (given to outlandish behavior) |
| zeal | eager enthusiasm (to a cause or ideal); ADJ. zealous |
| zealot | one who is zealous; fanatic; person who shows excessive zeal |
| zenith | point directly overhead in the sky; summit; acme; highest point |
| zephyr | gentle breeze; west wind |
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