| Term | Definition |
|---|
| abase | lower; degrade; humiliate |
| abash | embarrass |
| abate | subside or moderate |
| abbreviate | shorten |
| abdicate | renounce, give up |
| aberrant | abnormal or deviant |
| aberration | deviation from the expectedor the normal; mental irregularity or disorder |
| abet | assist, usually in doing something wrong; encourage |
| abeyance | suspended action |
| abhor | detest; hate |
| abject | wretched; lacking pride |
| abjure | renounce upon oath |
| ablution | washing |
| abnegation | renunciation; self-sacrifice |
| abolish | cancel; put an end to |
| abominable | detestable; extremely unpleasant; very bad |
| abominate | loathe; hate |
| aboriginal | being the first of its kind in a region; primitive; native |
| abortive | unsuccessful; fruitless |
| abrasive | rubbing away; tending to grind down |
| abridge | condense or shorten |
| abrogate | abolish |
| abscission | cutting off; separation |
| abscond | depart secretly and hide |
| absolute | complete; totally unlimited; certain |
| absolve | pardon (an offense) |
| abstain | refrain; withhold from participation |
| abstemious | sparing in eating and drinking; temperate |
| abstinence | restraint from eating or drinking |
| abstract | theoretical; not concrete; nonrepresentational |
| abstruse | obscure; profound; difficult to understand |
| abusive | coarsely insulting; physically harmful |
| abut | border upon; adjoin |
| abysmal | bottomless |
| abyss | enormous chasm; vast, bottomless pit |
| academic | related to a school; *not practical or directly useful* |
| accede | agree |
| accelerate | move faster |
| accessible | easy to approach; obtainable |
| accessory | additional object; useful by not essential thing |
| acclaim | applaud; announce with great approval |
| acclimate | adjust to climate or environment; adapt |
| acclivity | sharp up slope of a hill |
| accolade | award of merit |
| accommodate | oblige or help someone; adjust or bring into harmony; adapt |
| accomplice | partner in crime |
| accord | agreement |
| accost | approach and speak first to a person |
| accoutre | equip |
| accretion | growth; increase |
| accrue | come about by addition |
| acerbity | bitterness of speech and temper |
| acetic | vinegary |
| acidulous | slightly sour; sharp; caustic |
| acknowledge | recognize; admit |
| acme | peak; pinnacle; highest point |
| acoustics | science of sound; quality that makes a room easy or hard to hear in |
| acquiesce | assent; agree passively |
| acquittal | deliverance from a charge |
| acrid | sharp; bitterly pungent |
| acrimonious | bitter in words or manner |
| acrophobia | fear of heights |
| actuarial | calculating; pertaining to insurance statistics |
| actuate | motivate |
| acuity | sharpness |
| acumen | mental keenness |
| acute | quickly perceptive; keen; brief and severe |
| adage | wise saying; proverb |
| adamant | hard; inflexible |
| adapt | alter; modify |
| addendum | addition; appendix to book |
| addiction | compulsive, habitual need |
| addle | muddle; drive crazy; *become rotten : said of an egg* |
| address | direct a speech to; deal with or discuss |
| adept | expert at |
| adhere | stick fast |
| adherent | supporter; follower |
| adjacent | adjoining; neighboring; close by |
| adjunct | something (generally nonessential or inferior) added or attached |
| adjuration | solemn urging |
| adjutant | staff officer assisting the commander; assistant |
| admonish | warn; reprove |
| adorn | decorate |
| adroit | skillful |
| adulation | flattery; admiration |
| adulterate | make impure by adding inferior or tainted substances |
| advent | arrival |
| adventitious | accidental; casual |
| adversary | opponent; enemy |
| adverse | unfavorable; hostile |
| adversity | poverty; misfortune |
| advert | refer (to) |
| advocacy | support; active pleading on behalf of someone or something |
| advocate | urge; plead for |
| aegis | shield; defense |
| aerie | nest of a large bird of prey (eagle, hawk) |
| aesthetic | artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciating the beautiful |
| affable | easily approachable; warmly friendly |
| affected | artificial; pretended; assumed in order to impress |
| affidavit | written statement made under oath |
| affiliation | joining; associating with |
| affinity | kinship |
| affirmation | positive assertion; confirmation solemn pledge by one who refuses to take an oath |
| affix | attach or add on: fasten |
| affliction | state of distress; cause of suffering |
| affluence | abundance; wealth |
| affront | insult; offense; intentional act of disrespect |
| agape | openmouthed |
| agenda | items of business at a meeting |
| agglomeration | collection; heap |
| aggrandize | increase or intensify; raise in power, wealth, rank or honor |
| aggregate | gather; accumulate |
| aggressor | attacker |
| aghast | horrified; dumbfounded |
| agility | nimbleness, dexterity |
| agitate | stir up; disturb |
| agnostic | one who is skeptical of the existence of a god or any ultimate reality |
| agog | highly excited; intensely curious |
| agrarian | pertaining to land and cultivation |
| alacrity | cheerful promptness; eagerness |
| alchemy | medieval chemistry |
| alcove | nock (corner); recess |
| alias | an assumed name |
| alienate | make hostile; separate |
| alimentary | supplying nourishment |
| alimony | payments made to an exspouse after divorce |
| allay | calm; pacify |
| allege | state without proof |
| allegiance | loyalty |
| allegory | story in which characters are used as symbols; fable |
| alleviate | relieve; lessen |
| alliteration | repetition of beginning sound in poetry |
| allocate | assign |
| alloy | (n)a mixture of metals (v) mix; make less pure; lessen or moderate |
| allude | refer indirectly |
| allure | entice; attract |
| allusion | indirect reference |
| alluvial | pertaining to soil deposits left by running water |
| aloft | upward |
| aloof | apart; reserved |
| altercation | noisy quarrel; heated dispute |
| altruistic | unselfishly generous; concerned for others |
| amalgamate | combine; unite in one body |
| amass | collect |
| amazon | female warrior |
| ambidextrous | capable of using either hand with equal ease |
| ambience | environment; atmosphere |
| ambiguous | unclear or doubtful in meaning |
| ambivalence | the state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes |
| amble | moving at an easy pace |
| ambrosia | food of the gods |
| ambulatory | able to walk; not bedridden |
| ameliorate | improve |
| amenable | readily managed or willing to be led; answerable or accountable legally |
| amend | correct; change, generally for the better |
| amenities | convenient features; courtesies |
| amiable | agreeable; lovable; warmly friendly |
| amicable | politely friendly; not quarrelsome |
| amiss | wrong; faulty |
| amity | friendship |
| amnesia | loss of memory |
| amnesty | pardon |
| amok (also amuck) | in a state of rage |
| amoral | nonmoral |
| amorous | moved by sexual love; loving |
| amorphous | formless; lacking shape or definition |
| amphibian | able to live both on land and in water |
| amphitheater | oval building with tiers of seats |
| ample | abundant |
| amplify | broaden or clarify by expanding; intensify; make stronger |
| amputate | cut off part of body; prune |
| amulet | charm; talisman |
| anachronism | something or someone misplaced in time |
| analgesic | causing insensitivity to pain |
| analogous | comparable |
| analogy | similarity; parallelism |
| anarchist | person who seeks to overturn the established government; advocate of abolishing authority |
| anathema | solemn curse; someone or something regarded as a curse |
| ancestry | family descent |
| anchor | secure or fasten firmly; be fixed in place |
| ancillary | serving as an aid or accessory; auxiliary |
| anecdote | short account of an amusing or interesting event |
| anemia | condition in which blood lacks red corpuscles |
| anesthetic | substance that removes sensation with or without loss of consciousness |
| anguish | acute pain; extreme suffering |
| angular | sharp-cornered; stiff in manner |
| animadversion | critical remark |
| animated | lively; spirited |
| animosity | active enmity |
| animus | hostile feeling or intent |
| annals | records; history |
| anneal | reduce brittleness and improve toughness by heating and cooling |
| annex | attach; *take possession of* |
| annihilate | destroy |
| annotate | comment; make explanatory notes |
| annuity | yearly allowance |
| annul | make void; cancel |
| anodyne | drug that relieves pain; opiate |
| anoint | apply ointment or oil esp as religious ceremony; consecrate |
| anomalous | abnormal; irregular |
| anomaly | irregularity |
| anonymity | state of being nameless; anonymousness |
| antagonism | hostility; active resistance |
| antecede | precede |
| antecedents | preceding events or circumstances that influence what comes later; ancestors or early |
| antediluvian | antiquated; extremely ancient |
| anthem | song of praise or patriotism |
| anthology | book of literary selections by various authors |
| anthropoid | manlike |
| anthropologist | student of the history and science of humankind |
| anthropomorphic | having human form or characteristics |
| anticlimax | letdown in thought or emotion |
| antidote | remedy to counteract a poison or disease |
| antipathy | aversion; dislike |
| antiquated | obsolete; outdated |
| antiseptic | substance that prevents infection |
| antithesis | contrast; direct opposite of or to |
| anvil | iron block used in hammering out metals |
| apathy | lack of caring; indifference |
| ape | imitate or mimic |
| aperture | opening; hole |
| apex | tip; summit; climax |
| aphasia | loss of speech due to injury or illness |
| aphorism | pithy maxim or saying |
| apiary | a place where bees are kept |
| aplomb | self-possession; assurance; poise |
| apocalyptic | prophetic; pertaining to revelations |
| apocryphal | untrue; made up |
| apogee | highest point |
| apolitical | having an aversion or lack of concern for political affairs |
| apologist | one who writes in defense of a cause or institution |
| apostate | one who abandons his religious faith or political beliefs |
| apothecary | druggist |
| apothegm | pithy, compact saying |
| apotheosis | elevation to godhood; an ideal example of something |
| appall | dismay; shock |
| apparition | ghost; phantom |
| appease | pacify or soothe; relieve |
| appellation | name; title |
| append | attach |
| application | diligent attention |
| apposite | appropriate; fitting |
| appraise | estimate value of |
| appreciate | be thankful for; increase in worth; be thoroughly concious about |
| apprehend | 1) arrest (a criminal); 2) dread (<- to anticipate with anxiety) ; 3) perceive |
| apprehensive | 1) fearful; 2) *discerning* |
| apprise | inform |
| approbation | approval |
| appropriate | acquire; take possession of for one's own use |
| appurtenances | subordinate possessions |
| apropos (prep) | with reference to; regarding 2) at the right time |
| aptitude | fitness; talent |
| aquiline | curved, hooked |
| arable | fit for growing crops |
| arbiter | person with power to decide a matter in dispute; judge |
| arbitrary | unreasonable or capricious; tyrannical |
| arbitrate | act as judge |
| arboretum | place where different varieties of trees and shrubs are studied and exhibited |
| arcade | a covered passageway, usually lined with shops |
| arcane | secret; mysterious; known only to the initiated |
| archaeology | study of artifacts and relics of early mankind |
| archaic | antiquated |
| archetype | prototype; primitive pattern |
| archipelago | group of closely located islands |
| archives | public records; place where public records are kept |
| ardor | heat; passion; zeal |
| arduous | hard; strenuous |
| argot | slang |
| aria | operatic solo |
| arid | dry; barren |
| aristocracy | hereditary nobility; privileged class |
| armada | fleet of warships |
| aromatic | fragrant |
| arraign | charge in court; indict |
| array | 1) marshal; draw up in order 2) *clothe; adorn* |
| arrears | being in debt |
| arrhythmic | lacking rhythm or regularity |
| arrogance | pride; haughtiness |
| arroyo | a dry gully; a rivulet or stream |
| arsenal | storage place for military equipment |
| articulate | effective; distinct |
| artifact | object made by human beings, either handmade or mass-produced |
| artifice | deception; trickery |
| artisan | a manually skilled worker |
| artless | without guile; open and honest |
| ascendancy | controlling influence |
| ascertain | find out for certain |
| ascetic | practicing self-denial; austere |
| ascribe | refer; attribute; assign |
| aseptic | preventing infection; having a cleansing effect |
| ashen | ash-colored; deadly pale |
| asinine | stupid |
| askance | with a sideways or indirect look |
| askew | crookedly; slanted; at an angle |
| asperity | sharpness (of temper) |
| aspersion | slanderous remark |
| aspirant | seeker after position or status |
| aspire | seek to attain; long for |
| assail | assault |
| assay | analyze; evaluate |
| assent | agree; accept |
| assert | state strongly or positively; insist on or demand recognition of (rights, claims, etc.) |
| assessment | estimation; appraisal |
| assiduous | diligent |
| assimilate | absorb; cause to become homogenous |
| assuage | ease or lessen (pain); satisfy (hunger); soothe (anger) |
| assumption | something taken for granted; *the taking over or taking possession of* |
| assurance | promise or pledge; certainty; self-confidence |
| asteroid | small planet |
| astigmatism | eye defect that prevents proper focus |
| astral | relating to the stars |
| astringent | binding; causing contraction; harsh or severe |
| astronomical | enormously large or extensive |
| astute | wise; shrewd; keen |
| asunder | into parts; apart |
| asylum | place of refuge or shelter; protection |
| asymmetric | not identical on both sides of a dividing central line |
| atavism | resemblance to remote ancestors rather than to parents; reversion to a earliertype; throwback |
| atheistic | denying the existence of God |
| atone | make amends for; pay for |
| atrocity | brutal dead |
| atrophy | wasting away |
| attentive | alert and watchful; considerate; thoughtful |
| attenuate | make thin; weaken |
| attest | testify; bear witness |
| attribute | essential quality |
| attrition | gradual decrease in numbers; reduction in the work force without firing employees; wearing |
| atypical | not normal |
| audacious | daring; bold |
| audit | examination of accounts |
| augment | increase; add to |
| augury | omen; prophecy |
| august | impressive; majestic |
| aureole | sun's corona; halo |
| auroral | pertaining to the aurora borealis |
| auspicious | favoring success |
| austere | forbiddingly stern; severely simple and unornamented |
| authenticate | prove genuine |
| authoritarian | subordinating the individual to the state; completely dominating another's will |
| authoritative | having the weight of authority; peremptory and dictatorial |
| autocratic | having absolute, unchecked power; dictatorial |
| automaton | mechanism that imitates actions of humans |
| autonomous | self-governing |
| autopsy | examination of a dead body; postmortem |
| auxiliary | offering or providing help; additional or subsidiary |
| avalanche | great mass of falling snow and ice |
| avarice | greediness for wealth |
| avenge | take vengeance for something (or on behalf of someone) |
| aver | state confidently |
| averse | reluctant; disinclined |
| aversion | firm dislike |
| avert | prevent; turn away |
| aviary | enclosure for birds |
| avid | greedy; eager for |
| avow | declare openly |
| avuncular | like an uncle |
| awe | solemn wonder |
| awl | pointed tool used for piercing |
| awry | distorted; crooked |
| axiom | self-evident truth requiring no proof |
| azure | sky blue |
| babble | chatter idly |
| bacchanalian | drunken |
| badger | pester; annoy |
| badinage | teasing conversation |
| baffle | frustrate; perplex |
| bait | harass; tease |
| baleful | deadly; having a malign influence; ominous |
| balk | 1) stop short, as if faced with an obstacle, and refuse to continue 2) foil |
| ballast | heavy substance used to add stability or weight |
| balm | something that relieves pain |
| balmy | mild; fragrant |
| banal | hackneyed; commonplace; trite; lacking originality |
| bandy | discuss lightly or glibly; exchange (words) heatedly |
| bane | cause of ruin; curse |
| bantering | good-naturedly ridiculing |
| barb | sharp projection from fishhook or other object; openly cutting remark |
| bard | poet |
| barefaced | shameless; bold; unconcealed |
| baroque | highly ornate |
| barrage | barrier laid down by artillery fire; overwhelming profusion |
| barrister | counselor-at-law |
| barterer | trader |
| bask | luxuriate; take pleasure in warmth |
| bastion | stronghold; something seen as a source of protection |
| bate | let down; restrain |
| bauble | trinket; trifle |
| bawdy | indecent; obscene |
| beatific | giving bliss; blissful |
| beatitude | blessedness; state of bliss |
| bedizen | dress with vulgar finery |
| bedraggle | wet thoroughly |
| beeline | direct, quick route |
| befuddle | confuse thoroughly |
| beget | father; produce; give rise to |
| begrudge | resent |
| beguile | mislead or delude; cheat; pass time |
| behemoth | huge creature; something of monstrous size or power |
| beholden | obligated; indebted |
| behoove | be suited to; be incumbent upon |
| belabor | explain or go over excessively or to a ridiculous degree; assail verbally |
| belated | delayed |
| beleaguer | besiege or attack; harass |
| belie | contradict; give a false impression |
| belittle | disparage; depreciate |
| bellicose | warlike |
| belligerent | quarrelsome |
| bemoan | 1. lament; 2. express disapproval of |
| bemused | confused; lost in thought; preoccupied |
| benediction | blessing |
| benefactor | gift giver; patron |
| beneficent | kindly; doing good |
| benevolent | generous; charitable |
| benign | kindly; favorable; not malignant |
| benison | blessing |
| bent | determined; natural talent or inclination |
| bequeath | leave to someone by means of a will; hand down |
| berate | scold strongly |
| bereavement | state of being deprived of something valuable or beloved |
| bereft | deprived of; lacking |
| berserk | frenzied |
| beseech | beg; plead with |
| beset | harass or trouble; to surround or hem in |
| besiege | surround with armed forces; harass (with requests) |
| besmirch | soil, defile |
| bestial | beastlike; brutal; inhuman |
| bestow | confer; to give, grant |
| betoken | signify; indicate |
| betray | be unfaithful; reveal (unconsciously or unwillingly) |
| betroth | become engaged to marry |
| bevy | large group |
| bicameral | two-chambered, as a legislative body |
| bicker | quarrel |
| biennial | every two years |
| bifurcated | divided into two branches; forked |
| bigotry | stubborn intolerance |
| bilious | suffering from indigestion; irritable |
| bilk | swindle; cheat |
| billowing | swelling out in waves; surging |
| bivouac | temporary encampment |
| bizarre | fantastic; violently contrasting |
| blanch | bleach; whiten |
| bland | soothing or mild; agreeable blandishment :: flattery |
| blare | loud, harsh roar or screech; dazzling blaze of light |
| blasé | bored with pleasure or dissipation |
| blasphemy | irreverence; sacrilege; cursing |
| blatant | extremely obvious; loudly offensive |
| bleak | cold or cheerless; unlikely to be favorable |
| blighted | suffering from a disease; destroyed |
| blithe | gay; joyous |
| bloated | swollen or puffed as with water or air |
| blowhard | talkative boaster |
| bludgeon | club; heavy-headed weapon |
| bluff | 1) (adj) rough but good-natured 2) pretense (of strength); deception; *high cliff* |
| blunder | error |
| blurt | utter impulsively |
| bluster | blow in heavy gusts; threaten emptily; bully |
| bode | foreshadow; portend |
| bogus | counterfeit; not authentic |
| bohemian | unconventional (in an artistic way) |
| boisterous | violent; rough; noisy |
| bolster | support; reinforce |
| bolt (n) | door bar; fastening pin or screw; length of fabric |
| bolt (v) | dash or dart off; fasten (a door); *gobble down* |
| bombardment | attack (as with missiles) |
| bombastic | pompous; using inflated language |
| boon | blessing; benefit |
| boorish | rude; insensitive; awkward; illmannered |
| bouillon | clear beef soup |
| bountiful | abundant; graciously generous |
| bourgeois | middle class; selfishly materialistic; dully conventional |
| bovine | cowlike; placid and dull |
| bowdlerize | expurgate |
| boycott | refrain from buying or using |
| brackish | somewhat saline |
| braggadocio | boasting |
| braggart | boaster |
| brandish | wave around; flourish (<- [here] to make showy, wavy motions, as of the arms) |
| bravado | swagger; assumed air of defiance |
| brawn | muscular strength; sturdiness |
| brazen | insolent; shameless |
| breach | breaking of contract or duty; fissure or gap |
| breadth | width; extent |
| brevity | conciseness |
| brindled | tawny or grayish with streaks or spots |
| bristling | rising like bristles; showing irritation |
| broach | introduce; open up |
| brocade | rich, figured fabric |
| brochure | pamphlet |
| brooch | ornamental clasp |
| brook | tolerate; endure 2) a small stream |
| browbeat | bully; intimidate |
| browse | graze; skim or glance at casually |
| brunt | main impact or shock |
| brusque | blunt; abrupt |
| buccaneer | a pirate, or sea robber |
| bucolic | rustic; pastoral |
| buffet (n) | table with food set out for people to serve themselves; meal at which people help themselves. |
| buffet (v) | slap; batter; knock about |
| buffoonery | clowning |
| bugaboo | bugbear; object of baseless terror |
| bullion | gold and silver in the form of bars |
| bulwark | earthwork or other strong defense; person who defends |
| bungle | mismanage; blunder |
| buoyant | able to float; *cheerful and optimistic* |
| bureaucracy | over regulated administrative system marked by red tape |
| burgeon | grow forth; send out buds |
| burlesque | give an imitation that ridicules |
| burnish | make shiny by rubbing; polish |
| buttress | support; prop up |
| buxom | full-bosomed; plump; jolly |
| cabal | small group of persons secretly united to promote their own interests |
| cache | hiding place |
| cacophonous | discordant; inharmonious |
| cadaver | corpse |
| cadaverous | like a corpse; pale |
| cadence | rhythmic rise and fall (of wordsor sounds); beat |
| cajole | coax; wheedle |
| calamity | disaster; misery |
| calculated | deliberately planned; likely |
| caldron | large kettle |
| caliber | ability; quality |
| calligraphy | beautiful writing; excellent penmanship |
| callous | hardened; unfeeling |
| callow | youthful; immature; inexperienced |
| calorific | heat-producing |
| calumny | malicious misrepresentation; slander |
| camaraderie | good-fellowship |
| cameo | shell or jewel carved in relief; star's special appearance in a minor role in the film |
| camouflage | disguise; conceal |
| canard | unfounded rumor; exaggerated report |
| candor | frankness; open honesty |
| canine | related to dogs; doglike |
| canker | *any ulcerous sore*; any evil |
| canny | shrewd; thrifty |
| canon | collection or authoritative list of books (e.g., by an author, or accepted as scripture); rule or |
| cantankerous | ill-humored; irritable |
| cantata | story set to music, to be sung by a chorus |
| canter | slow gallop |
| canto | division of a long poem |
| canvass | determine or seek opinions, votes, etc. |
| capacious | spacious |
| capacity | mental or physical ability; role; ability to accommodate |
| capillary | having a very fine bore |
| capitulate | surrender |
| caprice | whim |
| capricious | unpredictable; fickle |
| caption | title; chapter heading; text under illustration |
| captious | faultfinding |
| carafe | glass water bottle; decanter |
| carapace | shell covering the back (of a turtle, crab, etc.) |
| carat | unit of weight for precious stones; measure of fineness of gold |
| carcinogenic | causing cancer |
| cardinal | chief |
| cardiologist | doctor specializing in ailments of the heart |
| careen | lurch; sway from side to side |
| caricature | grotesque or ludicrously exaggerated representation; distortion; burlesque |
| carillon | a set of bells capable of being played |
| carnage | destruction of life |
| carnal | fleshy |
| carnivorous | meat-eating |
| carousal | drunken revel |
| carping | petty criticism; fault-finding |
| carrion | rotting flesh of a dead body |
| cartographer | map-maker |
| cascade | small waterfall |
| caste | one of the hereditary classes in Hindu Society, social stratification; prestige |
| castigation | punishment; severe criticism |
| casual | implying a cause-and-effect relationship |
| casualty | serious or fatal accident |
| cataclysm | deluge; upheaval |
| catalyst | agent that brings about a chemical change while it remains unaffected and unchanged. |
| catapult | slingshot; hurling machine |
| cataract | great waterfall; eye abnormality |
| catastrophe | calamity; disaster |
| catcall | shout of disapproval; boo |
| catechism | book for religious instruction; instruction by question and answer |
| categorical | without exceptions; unqualified; absolute |
| catharsis | purging or cleansing of any passage of the body |
| cathartic | purgative i.e. tending to purify |
| catholic | universal; wide-ranging liberal |
| caucus | private meeting of members of a party to select officers or determine policy |
| caulk | to make watertight (by plugging seams) |
| caustic | burning; sarcastically biting |
| cauterize | burn with hot iron or caustic |
| cavalcade | procession; parade |
| cavalier | casual and offhand; arrogant |
| cavil | make frivolous objections |
| cede | yield (title, territory) to; surrender formally |
| celerity | speed; rapidity |
| celestial | heavenly |
| celibate | abstaining from sexual intercourse; unmarried |
| censor | overseer of morals; person who eliminates inappropriate matter |
| censorious | critical |
| censure | blame; criticize |
| centaur | mythical figure, half man and half horse |
| centigrade | denoting a widely used temperature scale (basically same as Celsius) |
| centrifugal | radiating; departing from the center |
| centrifuge | machine that separates substances by whirling them |
| centripetal | tending toward the center |
| centurion | Roman army officer |
| cerebral | pertaining to the brain or intellect |
| cerebration | thought |
| ceremonious | marked by formality |
| certitude | certainty |
| cessation | stoppage |
| cession | yielding to another; ceding |
| chafe | warm by rubbing; make sore (by rubbing) |
| chaff | worthless product of endeavor |
| chaffing | bantering; joking |
| chagrin | vexation (caused by humiliation or injured pride); disappointment |
| chalice | goblet; consecrated cup |
| chameleon | lizard that changes color indifferent situations |
| champion | support militantly |
| chaotic | in utter disorder |
| charisma | divine gift; great popular charm or appeal |
| charlatan | quack; pretender to knowledge |
| chary | cautious; sparing or restrained about giving |
| chase | ornament a metal surface by indenting |
| chasm | abyss |
| chassis | framework and working parts of an automobile |
| chaste | pure; virginal; modest |
| chasten | discipline; punish in order to correct |
| chastise | punish |
| chauvinist | blindly devoted patriot; zealous adherent of a group or cause |
| check | stop motion; curb or restrain |
| checkered | marked by changes in fortune |
| cherubic | angelic; innocent-looking |
| chicanery | trickery; deception |
| chide | scold |
| chimerical | fantastically improbable; highly unrealistic; imaginative |
| chisel | wedge like tool for cutting |
| chisel (v) | *swindle or cheat*; cut with a chisel |
| chivalrous | courteous; faithful; brave |
| choleric | hot-tempered |
| choreography | art of representing dances in written symbols; arrangement of dances |
| chortle | chuckle with delight |
| chronic | long established, as a disease |
| chronicle | report; record (in chronological order) |
| churlish | boorish; rude |
| ciliated | having minute hairs |
| cipher | 1) *nonentity; worthless person or thing* 2) secret code |
| circlet | small ring; band |
| circuitous | roundabout; indirect; devious |
| circumlocution | indirect or roundabout expression |
| circumscribe | limit; confine |
| circumspect | prudent; cautious |
| circumvent | outwit; baffle |
| cistern | reservoir or water tank |
| citadel | fortress |
| cite | quote; commend |
| civil | having to do with citizens or the state; courteous and polite |
| clairvoyant | having foresight; fortuneteller |
| clamber | climb by crawling |
| clamor | noise |
| clandestine | secret |
| clangor | loud, resounding noise |
| clapper | striker (tongue) of a bell |
| clarion | shrill, trumpet like sound |
| claustrophobia | fear of being locked in |
| clavicle | collarbone |
| cleave (n) cleavage (adj.) cloven | split or sever; cling to; remain faithful to |
| cleft | split |
| clemency | disposition to be lenient; mildness, as of the weather |
| cliché | phrase dulled in meaning by repetition |
| clientele | body of customers |
| climactic (n) climax | relating to the highest point |
| clime | region; climate |
| clique | small, exclusive group |
| cloister | monastery or convent |
| clout | great influence (especially political or social) |
| cloying (v) cloy | distasteful (because excessive); excessively sweet or sentimental |
| coagulate | thicken; congeal; clot |
| coalesce | combine; fuse |
| coalition | partnership; league; union |
| coda | concluding section of a musical or literary composition |
| coddle | treat gently; pamper |
| codicil | supplement to the body of a will |
| codify | to arrange (laws, rules, etc.) systematically; classify |
| coercion | use of force to get someone to obey; government by force |
| coeval | living at the same time as; contemporary |
| cog | tooth projecting from a wheel |
| cogent | convincing |
| cogitate | think over |
| cognate | related linguistically; allied by blood; similar or akin in nature |
| cognitive | having to do with knowing or perceiving related to mental processes |
| cognizance | knowledge |
| cohabit | live together |
| cohere | stick together |
| cohesion | tendency to keep together |
| cohorts | armed band |
| coiffure | hairstyle |
| coin | make coins; invent or fabricate |
| coincidence | the chance occurrence, at the same time, of two or more seemingly connected events |
| colander | utensil with perforated bottom used for straining |
| collaborate | work together |
| collage | work of art put together from fragments |
| collate | examine in order to verify authenticity; arrange in order |
| collateral | security given for a loan |
| collation | a light meal |
| colloquial | pertaining to conversational or common speech; informal |
| colloquy | informal discussion |
| collusion | conspiring in a fraudulent scheme |
| colossal | huge |
| colossus | gigantic statue |
| comatose | in a coma; extremely sleepy |
| combustible | easily burned |
| comely | attractive; agreeable |
| comestible | something fit to be eaten |
| comeuppance | deserved punishment; retribution |
| comity | courtesy; civility |
| commandeer | to draft for military purposes; to take for public use |
| commemorative | remembering; honoring |
| commensurate | equal in extent |
| commiserate | feel or express pity or sympathy for |
| commodious | spacious and comfortable |
| communal | held in common; of group of people |
| compact (adj.) | tightly packed; firm; brief |
| compact (n) | agreement; contract |
| compatible | harmonious; in harmony with |
| compelling | overpowering; irresistible in effect |
| compendium | brief, comprehensive summary |
| compensatory | making up for; repaying |
| compilation | listing of statistical information in tabular or book form |
| compile | assemble; gather; accumulate |
| complacency | self-satisfaction; smugness |
| complaisant | trying to please; obliging |
| complement | complete; consummate; make perfect |
| complementary | serving to complete something |
| compliance | readiness to yield; conformity in fulfilling requirement |
| compliant | yielding; conforming to requirements |
| complicity | participation; involvement |
| component | element; ingredient |
| comport | bear one's self; behave |
| composure | mental calmness |
| compound | combine; constitute; pay interest; increase |
| comprehensive | thorough; inclusive |
| compress | close; squeeze; contract |
| comprise | include; consist of |
| compromise | adjust or settle by making mutual concessions; endanger the interests or reputation of |
| compunction | remorse |
| compute | reckon; calculate |
| concatenate | link as in a chain |
| concave | hollow |
| concede | admit; yield |
| conceit | vanity or self-love; whimsical idea; extravagant metaphor |
| concentric | having a common center |
| conception | beginning; forming of an idea |
| concerted | mutually agreed on; done together |
| concession | an act of yielding |
| conciliatory | reconciling; soothing |
| concise | brief and compact |
| conclave | private meeting |
| conclusive | decisive; ending all debate |
| concoct | prepare by combining; make up in concert |
| concomitant | that which accompanies |
| concord | harmony |
| concur | agree |
| concurrent | happening at the same time |
| condescend | bestow courtesies with a superior air |
| condign | adequate; deservedly severe |
| condiments | seasonings; spices |
| condole | express sympathetic sorrow |
| condone | overlook; forgive; give tacit approval; excuse |
| conducive | helpful; contributive |
| conduit | aqueduct passageway for fluids |
| confidant | trusted friend |
| confine | shut in; restrict |
| confiscate | seize; commandeer |
| conflagration | great fire |
| confluence | flowing together; crowd |
| conformity | harmony; agreement |
| confound | confuse; puzzle |
| congeal | freeze; coagulate |
| congenial | pleasant; friendly; kindred [ -- - tastes] |
| congenital | existing at birth |
| conglomeration | mass of material sticking together |
| congruence | correspondence or parts; harmonious relationship |
| congruent | in agreement; corresponding |
| conifer | pine tree; cone-bearing tree |
| conjecture | surmise; guess |
| conjugal | pertaining to marriage |
| conjure | summon a devil; practice magic; imagine or invent |
| connivance | pretense of ignorance of something wrong; assistance; permission to offend |
| connoisseur | person competent to act as a judge of art, etc.; a lover of an art |
| connotation | suggested or implied meaning of an expression |
| connubial | pertaining to marriage or the matrimonial state |
| consanguinity | kinship |
| conscientious | scrupulous; careful |
| conscript | draftee; person forced into military service |
| consecrate | dedicate; sanctify |
| consensus | general agreement |
| consequential | following as result or inference; *pompous; self-important* |
| conservatory | school of the fine arts (especially music or drama) |
| consign | deliver officially; entrust; set apart |
| consistency | absence of contradictions; dependability; uniformity; degree of thickness |
| console | lessen sadness or disappointment; give comfort |
| consolidation | unification; process of becoming firmer or stronger |
| consonance | harmony; agreement |
| consort (n) | husband or wife |
| consort (v) | associate with |
| conspiracy | treacherous plot |
| constituent | *supporter* |
| constraint | compulsion; repression of feelings |
| construe | explain; interpret |
| consummate | complete |
| contagion | infection |
| contaminate | pollute |
| contempt | scorn; disdain |
| contend | struggle; compete; assert earnestly |
| contention | claim; thesis |
| contentious | quarrelsome |
| contest | dispute |
| context | writing preceding and following the passage quoted |
| contiguous | adjacent to; touching upon |
| continence | self-restraint; sexual chastity |
| contingent | dependent on; conditional |
| contortions | twistings; distortions |
| contraband | illegal trade; smuggling; smuggled goods |
| contravene | contradict; oppose: infringe on or transgress |
| contrite | penitent |
| contrived | forced; artificial; not spontaneous |
| controvert | oppose with arguments; attempt to refute; contradict |
| contumacious | disobedient; resisting authority |
| contusion | bruise |
| conundrum | riddle; difficult problem |
| convene | assemble |
| convention | social or moral custom established practice |
| conventional | ordinary; typical |
| converge | approach; tend to meet; come together |
| conversant | familiar with |
| converse | opposite |
| convert | one who has adopted a different religion or opinion |
| convex | curving outward |
| conveyance | vehicle; transfer |
| conviction | judgment that someone is guilty of a crime; strongly held belief |
| convivial | festive; gay; characterized by joviality |
| convoke | call together |
| convoluted | coiled around; involved; intricate |
| copious | plentiful |
| coquette | a girl or woman who merely from vanity tries to get men's attention and admiration; flirt |
| cordial | gracious; heartfelt |
| cordon | extended line of men or fortifications to prevent access or egress |
| cornice | projecting molding on building (usually above columns) |
| cornucopia | horn overflowing with fruit and grain; symbol of abundance |
| corollary | consequence; accompaniment |
| corporeal | bodily; material |
| corpulent | very fat |
| correlation | mutual relationship |
| corroborate | confirm; support |
| corrode | destroy by chemical action |
| corrosive | eating away by chemicals or disease |
| corrugated | wrinkled; ridged |
| cosmic | pertaining to the universe; vast |
| coterie | group that meets socially select circle |
| countenance (n) | face |
| countenance (v) | approve; tolerate |
| counterfeit | not genuine; imitation; forged |
| countermand | cancel; revoke |
| counterpart | a thing that completes another; things very much alike |
| coup | highly successful action or sudden attack |
| couple | join; unite |
| courier | messenger |
| covenant | agreement |
| covert | secret; hidden; implied |
| covetous | avaricious; eagerly desirous of |
| cow | terrorize; intimidate |
| cower | shrink quivering, as from fear |
| coy | shy; modest; coquettish |
| cozen | cheat; hoodwink; swindle |
| crabbed | sour; peevish |
| crass | very unrefined; grossly insensible |
| craven | cowardly |
| credence | belief |
| credo | creed; system of (esp. religious) beliefs |
| credulity | belief on slight evidence; gullibility; naiveté |
| creed | system of religious or ethical belief |
| crescendo | increase in the volume or intensity, as in a musical passage; climax |
| crestfallen | dejected; dispirited |
| crevice | crack; fissure |
| cringe | shrink back, as if in fear |
| criteria | standards used in judging |
| crone | hag i.e. withered old woman |
| crotchety | eccentric; whimsical |
| crux | essential or main point |
| crypt | vault, esp. one below church used for burial-place |
| cryptic | mysterious; hidden; secret |
| cubicle | small chamber used for sleeping |
| cuisine | style of cooking |
| culinary | relating to cooking |
| cull | pick out; reject |
| culmination | attainment of highest point |
| culpable | deserving blame |
| culvert | artificial channel for water |
| cumbersome | heavy; hard to manage |
| cumulative | growing by addition |
| cupidity | greed |
| curator | superintendent; manager |
| curmudgeon | churlish, miserly individual |
| cursive | flowing, running |
| cursory | casual; superficial; hastily done |
| curtail | shorten; reduce |
| cynical | skeptical or distrustful of human motives |
| cynosure | object of general attention |
| dabble | work at in a non-serious fashion; splash around |
| dais | raised platform for guests of honor |
| dally | to flirt; trifle with; procrastinate |
| dank | damp |
| dapper | neat and trim |
| dappled | spotted |
| daub | smear (as with paint) |
| daunt | intimidate; frighten |
| dauntless | bold |
| dawdle | loiter; waste time |
| deadlock | standstill; stalemate |
| deadpan | wooden; impassive |
| dearth | scarcity |
| debacle | sudden downfall; complete disaster |
| debase | reduce in quality or value; lower in esteem; degrade |
| debauch | corrupt; seduce from virtue |
| debilitate | weaken; enfeeble |
| debonair | friendly; aiming to please |
| debris | rubble |
| debunk | expose as false, exaggerated, worthless, etc.; ridicule |
| debutante | young woman making formal entrance into society |
| decadence | decay |
| decant | pour off gently |
| decapitate | behead |
| decelerate | slow down |
| deciduous | falling off, as of leaves |
| decimate | kill, usually one out of ten |
| decipher | decode |
| declivity | downward slope |
| décolleté | having a low-cut neckline |
| decomposition | decay |
| decorum | propriety; orderliness and good taste in manners |
| decoy | lure or bait |
| decrepitude | state of collapse caused by illness or old age |
| decry | express strong disapproval of; disparage |
| deducible | derived by reasoning |
| deface | mar; disfigure |
| defame | harm someone's reputation; malign; slander |
| default | failure to act |
| defeatist | resigned to defeat; accepting defeat as a natural outcome |
| defection | desertion |
| defer | give in respectfully; submit 2) postpone |
| deference | courteous regard for another's wish |
| defiance | refusal to yield; resistance |
| defile | pollute; profane |
| definitive | most reliable or complete |
| deflect | turn aside |
| defoliate | destroy leaves |
| defrock | to strip a priest or minister of church authority |
| deft | neat; skillful |
| defunct | dead; no longer in use or existence |
| degenerate | become wore; deteriorate |
| degradation | humiliation; debasement; degeneration |
| dehydrate | remove water from; dry out |
| deify | turn into a god; idolize |
| deign | condescend; stoop |
| delete | erase; strike out |
| deleterious | harmful |
| deliberate | consider; ponder |
| delineate | portray; depict; sketch |
| delirium | mental disorder marked by confusion |
| delta | flat plain of mud or sand between branches of a river |
| delude | deceive |
| deluge | flood; rush |
| delusion | false belief; hallucination |
| delusive | deceptive; raising vain hopes |
| delve | dig; investigate |
| demagogue | person who appeals to dpeople's prejudice; false leader |
| demean | degrade; humiliate |
| demeanor | behavior; bearing |
| demented | insane |
| demise | death |
| demographic | related to population balance |
| demolition | destruction |
| demoniac | fiendish |
| demotic | pertaining to the people |
| demur | object (because of doubts, scruples); hesitate |
| demure | grave; serious; coy |
| denigrate | blacken |
| denizen | inhabitant or resident; regular visitor |
| denotation | meaning; distinguishing by name |
| denouement | outcome; final ddevelopment of the plot of a play or other literary work |
| denounce | condemn; criticize |
| depict | portray |
| deplete | reduce; exhaust |
| deplore | regret |
| deploy | spread out [troops] in an extended though shallow battle line |
| depose | dethrone; remove from office |
| deposition | testimony under oath |
| depravity | extreme corruption; wickedness |
| deprecate | express disapproval of; protest against; belittle |
| depreciate | lessen in value |
| depredation | plundering |
| deranged | insane |
| derelict | abandoned; *negligent* |
| deride | ridicule; make fun of |
| derision | ridicule |
| derivative | unoriginal; obtained from another source |
| dermatologist | one who studies the skin and its diseases |
| derogatory | tending to lessen or impair; detracting disparaging; belittling |
| descry | catch sight of |
| desecrate | profane; violate the sanctity of |
| desiccate | dry up |
| desolate (adj.) | unpopulated; depressing; deserted |
| desolate (v) | rob of joy; lay waste to; forsake |
| desperado | reckless outlaw i.e. criminal |
| despise | look on with scorn; regard as worthless or distasteful |
| despoil | plunder |
| despondent | depressed; gloomy |
| despot | tyrant; harsh, authoritarian ruler |
| destitute | extremely poor |
| desultory | aimless; haphazard; digressing at random |
| detached | emotionally removed; calm and objective; physically separate |
| determinate | having a fixed order of procedure; invariable |
| determination | resolve; *measurement or calculation*; decision |
| deterrent | something that discourages; hindrance |
| detonation | explosion |
| detraction | slandering; aspersion |
| detrimental | harmful; damaging |
| deviate | turn away from (a principle, norm); depart; diverge |
| devious | roundabout; erratic; not straightforward |
| devise | think up; invent; plan |
| devoid | lacking |
| devolve | deputize; pass to others |
| devotee | enthusiastic follower |
| devout | pious |
| dexterous | skillful |
| diabolical | devilish |
| diadem | crown |
| dialectical | relating to the art of debate; *mutual or reciprocal* |
| diaphanous | sheer; transparent |
| diatribe | bitter scolding; invective |
| dichotomy | split; branching into two parts (especially contradictory ones) |
| dictum | authoritative and weighty statement; saying; maxim |
| didactic | teaching; instructional |
| die | device for stamping or impressing; mold |
| diffidence | shyness |
| diffuse | *wordy; rambling*; spread out (like a gas) |
| digression | wandering away from the subject |
| dilapidated | ruined because of neglect |
| dilate | expand |
| dilatory | delaying |
| dilemma | problem; choice of two unsatisfactory alternatives |
| dilettante | aimless follower of the arts; amateur; dabbler |
| diligence | steadiness of effort; persistent hard work |
| dilute | make less concentrated; reduce in strength |
| diminution | lessening; reduction in size |
| din | continued loud noise |
| dinghy | small boat (*often ship's boat*) |
| dingy | dull; not fresh; cheerless |
| dint | means; effort |
| diorama | life-size, three-dimensional scene from nature or history |
| dire | disastrous |
| dirge | lament with music; a funeral hymn |
| disabuse | correct a false impression; undeceive |
| disaffected | disloyal |
| disapprobation | disapproval; condemnation |
| disarray | disorderly or untidy state |
| disavowal | denial; disclaiming |
| disband | dissolve; disperse |
| disburse | pay out |
| discernible | mentally quick and observant; having insight |
| disclaim | disown; renounce claim to |
| disclose | reveal |
| discombobulated | confused; discomposed |
| discomfit | put to rout; defeat; disconcert |
| disconcert | confuse; upset; embarrass |
| disconsolate | sad |
| discord | conflict; lack of harmony |
| discordant | not harmonious; conflicting |
| discount | disregard |
| discourse | formal discussion; conversation |
| discredit | defame; destroy confidence in; disbelieve |
| discrepancy | lack of consistency; difference |
| discrete | separate; unconnected |
| discretion | prudence; ability to adjust actions to circumstances |
| discriminating | able to see differences; prejudiced |
| discursive | digressing; rambling |
| disdain | view with scorn or contempt |
| disembark | go ashore; unload cargo from a ship |
| disenfranchise | deprive of a civil right |
| disengage | uncouple; separate; disconnect |
| disfigure | mar the appearance of; spoil |
| disgorge | surrender something; eject; vomit |
| disgruntle | make discontented |
| dishearten | discourage |
| disheveled | untidy |
| disinclination | unwillingness |
| disingenuous | not naïve; sophisticated |
| disinter | dig up; unearth |
| disinterested | unprejudiced |
| disjointed | disconnected |
| disjunction | act or state of separation; disunity |
| dislodge | remove (forcibly) |
| dismantle | take apart |
| dismember | cut into small parts |
| dismiss | eliminate from consideration; reject |
| disparage | belittle |
| disparate | basically different; unrelated |
| disparity | difference; condition of inequality |
| dispassionate | calm; impartial |
| dispatch | speediness; prompt execution; message sent with all due speed |
| dispel | scatter; drive away; cause to vanish |
| disperse | scatter |
| dispirited | lacking in spirit |
| disport | to indulge in amusement; play; frolic |
| disputatious | argumentative; fond or arguing |
| disquietude | uneasiness; anxiety |
| disquisition | a formal systematic inquiry; an explanation of the results of a formal inquiry |
| dissection | analysis; cutting apart in order to examine |
| dissemble | disguise; pretend |
| disseminate | distribute; spread; scatter (like seeds) |
| dissent | disagree |
| dissertation | formal essay |
| dissident | dissenting; rebellious |
| dissimulate | pretend; conceal by feigning |
| dissipate | squander; waste; scatter |
| dissolution | disintegration; looseness in morals |
| dissonance | discord; opposite of harmony |
| dissuade | persuade not to do; discourage |
| distant | reserved or aloof; cold in manner |
| distend | expand; swell out |
| distill | purify; refine; concentrate |
| distinction | honor; contrast; discrimination |
| distort | twist out of shape |
| distrait | absentminded |
| distraught | upset; distracted by anxiety |
| diurnal | daily |
| diva | operatic singer; prima donna |
| diverge | vary; go in different directions from the same point |
| divergent | differing; deviating |
| diverse | differing in some characteristics; various |
| diversion | act of turning aside; pastime |
| diversity | variety; dissimilitude |
| divest | strip; deprive |
| divine | perceive intuitively; foresee the future |
| divulge | reveal |
| docile | obedient; easily managed |
| docket | program as for trial; book where such entries are made |
| doctrinaire | unable to compromise about points of doctrine; dogmatic; unyielding |
| doctrine | teachings in general; particular principle (religious, legal, etc.) taught |
| document | provide written evidence |
| doddering | shaky; infirm from old age |
| doff | take off |
| dogged | determined; stubborn |
| doggerel | poor verse |
| dogmatic | opinionated; arbitrary; doctrinal |
| doldrums | blues; listlessness; slack period |
| dolorous | sorrowful |
| dolt | stupid person |
| domicile | home |
| domineer | rule over tyrannically |
| don | put on |
| dormant | sleeping; lethargic; latent |
| dormer | window projecting from roof |
| dorsal | relating to the back of an animal |
| dossier | a collection of documents concerning a particular person or matter |
| dotage | senility |
| dote | be excessively fond of; show signs of mental decline |
| dour | sullen; stubborn |
| douse | plunge into water; drench; extinguish |
| dowdy | slovenly; untidy |
| downcast | disheartened; sad |
| drab | dull; lacking color; cheerless |
| draconian | extremely severe |
| dregs | sediment; worthless residue |
| drivel | nonsense; foolishness |
| droll | queer and amusing |
| drone (n.) | idle person; male bee |
| drone (v.) | talk dully; buzz or murmur like a bee |
| dross | waste matter; worthless impurities |
| drudgery | menial work |
| dubious | questionable; filled with doubt |
| ductile | malleable; flexible; pliable |
| dulcet | sweet sounding |
| dumbfound | astonish |
| dupe | someone easily fooled |
| duplicity | double-dealing; hypocrisy |
| duration | length of time something lasts |
| duress | forcible restraint, especially unlawfully |
| dutiful | respectful; obedient |
| dwindle | shrink; reduce |
| dynamic | energetic; vigorously active |
| dyspeptic | suffering from indigestion |
| earthy | unrefined; coarse |
| ebb | recede; lessen |
| ebullient | showing excitement; overflowing with enthusiasm |
| eccentric | irregular; odd; whimsical; bizarre |
| eccentricity | oddity; idiosyncrasy |
| ecclesiastic | pertaining to the church |
| eclectic | selective; composed of elements drawn from disparate sources |
| eclipse | darken; extinguish; *surpass* |
| ecologist | person concerned with the interrelationship between living organisms and their environment |
| economy | efficiency or conciseness in using something |
| ecstasy | rapture; joy; any overpowering emotion |
| eddy | swirling current of water, air, etc |
| edict | decree (especially one issued by a sovereign); official command |
| edify | instruct; correct morally |
| eerie | weird |
| efface | rub out |
| effectual | able to produce a desired effect; valid |
| effeminate | having womanly traits |
| effervescence | inner excitement or exuberance; bubbling from fermentation or carbonation |
| effete | worn out; exhausted; barren |
| efficacy | power to produce desired effect |
| effigy | dummy |
| effluvium | noxious smell |
| effrontery | shameless boldness |
| effusion | pouring forth |
| effusive | pouring forth; gushing |
| egoism | excessive interest in one's self; belief that one should be interested in one's self rather than in s |
| egotistical | excessively self-centered; self-important; conceited |
| egregious | notorious; conspicuously bad or shocking |
| egress | exit |
| ejaculation | exclamation |
| elaboration | addition of details; intricacy |
| elated | overjoyed; in high spirits |
| elegy | poem or song expressing lamentation; funeral song |
| elicit | draw out by discussion |
| elixir | cure-all; something invigorating |
| ellipsis | omission of words from a text |
| elliptical | oval; ambiguous, either purposely or because key words have been left out |
| eloquence | expressiveness; persuasive speech |
| elucidate | explain; enlighten |
| elusive | evasive; baffling; hard to grasp |
| elysian | relating to paradise; blissful |
| emaciated | thin and wasted |
| emanate | issue forth |
| emancipate | set free |
| embargo | ban on commerce or other activity |
| embark | commence; go on board a boat; begin a journey |
| embed | enclose; place in something |
| embellish | adorn; ornament; enhance, as a story |
| embezzlement | stealing |
| emboss | produce a design in raised relief |
| embrace | hug; adopt or espouse; accept readily; encircle; include |
| embroider | decorate with needlework; ornament with fancy or fictitious details |
| embroil | throw into confusion; involve in strife; entangle |
| embryonic | undeveloped; rudimentary |
| emend | correct, usually a text |
| emendation | correction of errors; improvement |
| emetic | substance causing vomiting |
| eminent | high; lofty |
| emissary | agent; messenger |
| emollient | soothing or softening remedy |
| emolument | salary; compensation |
| empathy | ability to identify with eanother's feelings, ideas, etc. |
| empirical | based on experience |
| emulate | imitate; rival |
| enamored | in love |
| encipher | encode; convert a message into code |
| enclave | territory enclosed within an alien land |
| encomiastic | praising; eulogistic |
| encomium | high praise; eulogy |
| encompass | surround |
| encroachment | gradual intrusion |
| encumber | burden |
| endearment | fond word or act |
| endemic | prevailing among a specific group of people or in a specific area or country |
| endorse | approve; support |
| endue | provide with some quality; endow |
| enduring | lasting; surviving |
| energize | invigorate; make forceful and active |
| enervate | weaken |
| enfranchise | admit to the rights of citizenship (especially the right to vote) |
| engage | attract; hire; pledge oneself; confront |
| engaging | charming; attractive |
| engender | cause; produce |
| engross | occupy fully |
| enhance | increase; improve |
| enigma | puzzle; mystery |
| enigmatic | obscure; puzzling |
| enjoin | command; order; *forbid* |
| enmity | ill will; hatred |
| ennui | boredom |
| enormity | hugeness (in a bad sense) |
| enrapture | please intensely |
| ensconce | settle comfortably |
| ensue | follow |
| entail | require; necessitate; involve |
| enterprising | full of initiative |
| enthanasia | mercy killing |
| enthrall | capture; enslave |
| entice | lure; attract; tempt |
| entity | real being |
| entomology | study of insects |
| entrance | put under a spell; carry away with emotion |
| entreat | plead; ask earnestly |
| entrée | entrance; a way in |
| entrepreneur | businessperson; contractor |
| enumerate | list; mention one by one |
| enunciate | utter or speak, especially distinctly |
| environ | enclose; surround |
| eon | long period of time; an age |
| epaulet | ornament worn on the shoulder (of a uniform, etc.) |
| ephemeral | short-lived; fleeting |
| epic | long heroic poem, novel, or similar work of art |
| epicure | connoisseur of food and drink |
| epigram | witty thought or saying, usually short |
| epilogue | short speech at conclusion of dramatic work |
| episodic | loosely connected |
| epistemologist | philosopher who studies the nature of knowledge |
| epitaph | inscription in memory of a dead person |
| epithet | word or phrase characteristically used to describe a person or thing |
| epitome | perfect example or embodiment |
| epoch | the beginning of a new and important period in the history of anything; period of time |
| equable | tranquil; steady; uniform |
| equanimity | calmness of temperament; composure |
| equestrian | rider on horseback |
| equilibrium | balance |
| equine | resembling a horse |
| equinox | period of equal days and nights; the beginning of spring and autumn |
| equipoise | balance; balancing force; equilibrium |
| equitable | fair; impartial |
| equity | fairness; justice |
| equivocal | ambiguous; intentionally misleading |
| equivocate | lie; mislead; attempt to conceal the truth |
| erode | eat away |
| erotic | pertaining to passionate love |
| errant | wandering |
| erratic | odd; unpredictable |
| erroneous | mistaken; wrong |
| erudite | learned; scholarly |
| escapade | prank; flighty conduct |
| eschew | avoid |
| esoteric | hard to understand; known only to the chosen few |
| espionage | spying |
| espouse | adopt; support |
| esteem | respect; value |
| estranged | separated; alienated |
| ethereal | light; heavenly; unusually refined |
| ethnic | relating to races |
| ethnology | study of humankind |
| ethos | underlying character of a culture, group, etc |
| etymology | study of word parts |
| eugenic | pertaining to the improvement of race through the control of hereditary factors in mating |
| eulogistic | praising |
| eulogy | expression of praise, often on the occasion of someone's death |
| euphemism | mild expression in place of unpleasant one |
| euphony | sweet sound |
| euphoria | feeling of exaggerated (or unfounded) well-being |
| evanescent | fleeting; vanishing |
| evasive | not frank; eluding |
| evenhanded | impartial; fair |
| evince | show clearly |
| evocative | tending to call up (emotions, memories) |
| evoke | call forth |
| ewe | female sheep |
| exacerbate | worsen; embitter |
| exacting | extremely demanding |
| exalt | raise in rank or dignity; praise |
| exasperate | vex |
| exceptionable | objectionable |
| excerpt | selected passage (written or musical) |
| exchequer | treasury |
| excise | cut away; cut out |
| exclaim | cry out suddenly |
| excoriate | scold with biting harshness; strip the skin off |
| exculpate | clear from blame |
| execrable | very bad |
| execrate | curse; express abhorrence for |
| execute | put into effect; carry out |
| exegesis | explanation, especially of biblical passages |
| exemplary | serving as a mode; outstanding |
| exemplify | show by example; furnish an example |
| exempt | not subject to a duty or obligation |
| exertion | effort; expenditure of much physical work |
| exhilarating | invigorating and refreshing; cheering |
| exhort | to urge earnestly by advice, warning, etc. (to do what is proper or required); admonish strongly |
| exhume | dig out of the ground; remove from the grave |
| exigency | urgent situation |
| exiguous | small; minute |
| existential | pertaining to existence; pertaining to the philosophy of existentialism |
| exodus | departure |
| exonerate | acquit; exculpate |
| exorbitant | excessive |
| exorcise | drive out evil spirits |
| exotic | not native; strange |
| expansive | *outgoing and sociable*; broad and extensive; able to increase in size |
| expatiate | talk at length |
| expatriate | exile; someone who has withdrawn form his native land |
| expedient | suitable; practical; politic |
| expedite | hasten |
| expenditure | payment or expense; *output* |
| expertise | specialized knowledge; expert skill |
| expiate | make amends for (a sin) |
| expletive | interjection; profane oath |
| explicate | explain; interpret; clarify |
| explicit | totally clear; definite; outspoken |
| exploit | make use of, sometimes unjustly |
| expository | explanatory; serving to explain |
| expostulation | protest; remonstrance |
| exposure | risk, particularly of being exposed to disease or to the elements; unmasking; |
| expropriate | take possession of |
| expunge | cancel; remove |
| expurgate | clean; remove offensive parts of a book |
| extant | still in existence |
| extemporaneous | not planned; impromptu |
| extenuate | weaken; mitigate |
| extirpate | to pull up by the roots; root out; to destroy or remove completely; exterminate; abolish |
| extol | praise; glorify |
| extort | wring from; get money by threats, etc. |
| extradition | handing over a person accused of crime to State where crime was committed |
| extraneous | not essential; superfluous |
| extrapolation | projection; conjecture |
| extricate | free; disentangle |
| extrinsic | external; not essential; extraneous |
| extrovert | person interested mostly in external objects and actions |
| extrude | force or push out |
| exuberance | overflowing abundance; joyful enthusiasm; flamboyance; lavishness |
| exude | discharge; give forth |
| exult | rejoice |
| fabricate | build; lie |
| façade | front (of building); superficial or false appearance |
| facet | small plane surface (of a gem); a side |
| facetious | joking (often inappropriately); humorous |
| facile | easily accomplished; ready or fluent; *superficial* |
| facilitate | help bring about; make less difficult |
| facsimile | copy |
| faction | small group with special aims within the larger one; party; clique; dissension |
| factious | inclined to form factions; causing dissension |
| factitious | artificial; sham |
| factotum | handyman; person who does all kinds of work |
| faculty | mental or bodily powers; teaching staff |
| fallacious | false; misleading |
| fallible | liable to err |
| fallow | plowed but not sowed; uncultivated |
| falter | hesitate |
| fanaticism | excessive zeal; extreme devotion to a belief or cause |
| fancied | imagined; unreal |
| fancier | breeder or dealer of animals |
| fanciful | whimsical; visionary |
| fanfare | call by bugles or trumpets; showy display |
| farce | broad comedy; mockery |
| fastidious | difficult to please; squeamish |
| fatalism | belief that events are determined by forces beyond one's control |
| fathom | comprehend; investigate |
| fatuous | foolish; inane |
| fauna | animals of a period or region |
| fawning | courting favor by cringing and flattering |
| faze | disconcert; dismay |
| feasible | practical |
| febrile | feverish i.e having symptoms of fever or 2) excited, restless |
| fecundity | fertile; fruitfulness |
| feign | pretend |
| feint | trick; shift; sham blow |
| felicitous | apt; suitable expressed; well chosen |
| felicity | happiness; appropriateness (of a remark, choice, etc.) |
| fell (adj.) | cruel; deadly |
| fell (v) | cut or knock down; bring down (with a missile) |
| felon | person convicted of a grave crime |
| feral | not domestic; wild |
| ferment | agitation; commotion |
| ferret | drive or hunt out hiding |
| fervent | ardent; hot |
| fervid | ardent |
| fervor | glowing ardor; intensity of feeling |
| fester | rankle; produce irritation resentment |
| festive | joyous; celebratory |
| fete | honor at a festival; entertain (<-v) (n->) outdoor function to raise money for charity |
| fetid | malodorous |
| fetter | shackle |
| feud | lasting mutual hostility especially between two families or groups |
| fiasco | total failure |
| fiat | command |
| fickle | changeable; faithless |
| fictitious | imaginary |
| fidelity | loyalty |
| figment | invention; imaginary thing |
| figurative | not literal, but metaphorical; using a figure of speech |
| figurine | small ornamental statuette |
| filch | steal |
| filial | pertaining to a son or daughter |
| filibuster | block legislation by making long speeches |
| filigree | delicate, lacelike metalwork |
| filing | particle removed by a file |
| finale | conclusion |
| finesse | delicate skill |
| finicky | too particular; fussy |
| finite | limited |
| firebrand | hothead; troublemaker |
| fissure | crevice |
| fitful | spasmodic; intermittent |
| flaccid | hanging in loose folds or wrinkles; flabby |
| flag | droop; grow feeble |
| flagrant | conspicuously wicked; blatant; outrageous |
| flail | thresh grain by hand; strike or slap; toss about |
| flair | talent |
| flamboyant | ornate |
| flaunt | display ostentatiously |
| flay | strip off skin; *plunder*; to criticize |
| fleck | spot |
| fledgling | inexperienced |
| fleece (n) | wool coat of a sheep |
| fleece (v) | rob; plunder |
| flick | light stroke as with a whip |
| flinch | hesitate; shrink |
| flippant | lacking proper seriousness |
| flit | fly; dart lightly; pass swiftly by |
| floe | mass of floating ice |
| flora | plants of a region or era |
| florid | ruddy; reddish; flowery |
| flotsam | drifting wreckage |
| flounder | struggle and thrash about; proceed clumsily or falter |
| flourish | grow well; prosper; make sweeping gestures |
| flout | reject; mock |
| fluctuate | waver; shift |
| fluency | smoothness of speech |
| fluke | unlikely occurrence; stroke of fortune |
| fluster | confuse |
| fluted | having vertical parallel grooves (as in a pillar) |
| flux | flowing; series of changes |
| fodder | coarse food for cattle, horses, etc |
| foible | weakness; slight fault |
| foil (n) | *contrast* |
| foil (v) | defeat; frustrate |
| foist | insert improperly; palm off |
| foliage | masses of leaves |
| foment | stir up; instigate |
| foolhardy | bold or daring in a foolish way; rash; reckless |
| foppish | vain (<-conceited, proud of ) about dress and appearance |
| foray | raid |
| forbearance | patience |
| ford | place where a river can be crossed on foot |
| forebears | ancestors |
| foreboding | premonition of evil |
| forensic | suitable to debate or courts oflaw |
| foreshadow | give an indication beforehand; portend; prefigure |
| foresight | ability to foresee future happenings; prudence |
| forestall | prevent by taking action in advance |
| forgo | give up; do without |
| forlorn | sad and lonely; wretched |
| formality | ceremonious quality; something done just for form's sake |
| formidable | menacing; threatening |
| forsake | desert; abandon; renounce |
| forswear | renounce; abandon |
| forte | strong point or special talent |
| forthright | straightforward; direct; frank |
| fortitude | bravery; courage |
| fortuitous | accidental; by chance |
| foster | rear; encourage |
| founder (n) | person who establishes (an organization, business) |
| founder (v) | *fail completely; sink* |
| fracas | brawl, melee |
| fractious | unruly |
| frail | weak |
| franchise | right granted by authority; right to vote; license to sell a product in a particular territory |
| frantic | wild |
| fraudulent | cheating; deceitful |
| fraught | filled |
| fray | a noisy quarrel or fight; brawl |
| frenetic | frenzied; frantic |
| fresco | painting on plaster (usually fresh) |
| fret | to be annoyed or vexed |
| friction | *clash in opinion*; rubbing against |
| frieze | ornamental band on a wall |
| frigid | intensely cold |
| fritter | waste |
| frivolous | lacking in seriousness; selfindulgently carefree; relatively unimportant |
| frolicsome | prankish; gay |
| frond | fern leaf; palm or banana leaf |
| fructify | bear fruit; fulfillment; realization |
| frugality | thrift; economy |
| fruition | bearing of fruit; fulfillment; realization |
| frustrate | thwart; defeat |
| fugitive | fleeting or transitory; roving |
| fulcrum | support on which a lever rests |
| fulminate | thunder; explode |
| fulsome | disgustingly excessive |
| functionary | official |
| fundamental | basic; primary; essential |
| funereal | sad; solemn |
| furor | frenzy; great excitement |
| furtive | secret or surreptitious behaviour; stealthy; sneaky |
| fusillade | simultaneous firing or outburst (of missiles, questions, etc.) |
| fusion | union; coalition |
| futile | useless; hopeless; ineffectual |
| gadfly | animal-biting fly; an irritating fly; an irritating person |
| gaffe | social blunder |
| gainsay | deny |
| gait | manner of walking or running; speed |
| galaxy | large, isolated system of stars, such as the Milky Way; a collection of brilliant personalities |
| gale | windstorm; gust of wind; emotional outburst (laughter, tears) |
| gall (n) | bitterness; nerve |
| gall (v) | annoy; chafe |
| galleon | large sailing ship. ( pinnace --> small sailing ship) |
| galvanize | stimulate by shock; stir up; revitalize |
| gambit | opening in chess in which a piece is sacrificed |
| gambol | romp; skip about; leap playfully |
| gamely | in a spirited manner; with courage |
| gamut | entire range |
| gape | open widely |
| garbled | mixed up; jumbled; distorted |
| gargantuan | huge; enormous |
| gargoyle | waterspout carved in grotesque figures on a building |
| garish | over bright in color; gaudy |
| garner | gather; store up |
| garnish | decorate |
| garrulous | loquacious; wordy; talkative |
| gastronomy | science of preparing and serving good food |
| gauche | clumsy; coarse and uncouth |
| gaudy | flashy; showy |
| gaunt | lean and angular; barren |
| gavel | hammer like tool; mallet |
| gawk | stare foolishly; look in openmouthed awe |
| gazette | official periodical publication |
| genealogy | record of descent; lineage |
| generality | vague statement |
| generate | cause; produce; create |
| generic | characteristic of an entire class or species |
| genesis | beginning; origin |
| geniality | cheerfulness; kindliness;sympathy |
| genre | particular variety of art or literature |
| genteel | well-bred; elegant |
| gentility | those of gentle birth; refinement |
| gentry | people of standing; class of people just below nobility |
| genuflect | bend the knees as in worship |
| germane | pertinent; bearing upon the case at hand |
| germinal | pertaining to a germ; creative |
| germinate | cause to sprout |
| gerontocracy | government ruled by old people |
| gerrymander | change voting district lines in order to favor a political party |
| gestate | evolve, as in prenatal growth |
| gesticulation | motion; gesture |
| ghastly | horrible |
| gibberish | nonsense; babbling |
| gibe | mock |
| giddy | light-hearted; dizzy |
| gingerly | very carefully |
| girth | distance around something; circumference |
| gist | essence |
| glacial | like a glacier; extremely cold |
| glaring | highly conspicuous; harshly bright |
| glaze | cover with a thin and shiny surface |
| glean | gather leavings |
| glib | fluent; facile; slick |
| glimmer | shine erratically; twinkle |
| gloat | express evil satisfaction; view malevolently |
| gloss over | explain away |
| glossary | brief explanation of words used in the text |
| glossy | smooth and shining |
| glower | to stare with sullen anger; scowl |
| glut | overstock; fill to excess |
| glutinous | sticky; viscous |
| glutton | someone who eats too much |
| gnarled | twisted |
| gnome | dwarf; underground spirit |
| goad | urge on |
| gorge (n) | narrow canyon; steep, rocky cleft |
| gorge (v) | stuff oneself |
| gory | bloody |
| gossamer | sheer; like cobwebs |
| gouge | 1) tear out 2) overcharge |
| gourmand | epicure; person who takes excessive pleasure in food and drink |
| gourmet | connoisseur of food and drink |
| graduated | arranged by degrees (of height, difficulty, etc.) |
| granary | storehouse for grain |
| grandeur | impressiveness; stateliness; majesty |
| grandiloquent | pompous; bombastic; using high-sounding language |
| grandiose | pretentious; high-flown; ridiculously exaggerated; impressive |
| granulate | form into grains |
| graphic | pertaining to the art of delineating; vividly described |
| grapple | wrestle; come to grips with |
| grate | make a harsh noise; having an unpleasant effect; shred |
| gratify | please |
| gratis | free |
| gratuitous | given freely; unwarranted; uncalled for |
| gratuity | tip |
| gravity | seriousness |
| gregarious | sociable |
| grievance | cause of complaint |
| grill | question severely |
| grimace | a facial distortion to show feeling such as pain, disgust, etc. |
| grin | smile broadly, showing teeth |
| grisly | ghastly |
| grotesque | fantastic; comically hideous |
| grotto | small cavern |
| grouse | complain; fuss |
| grovel | crawl or creep on ground; remain prostrate |
| grudging | unwilling; reluctant; stingy |
| gruel | thin, liquid porridge |
| grueling | exhausting |
| gruesome | grisly; horrible |
| gruff | rough-mannered |
| guffaw | boisterous laughter |
| guile | deceit; duplicity; wiliness; cunning |
| guileless | without deceit |
| guise | appearance; costume |
| gull | trick; hoodwink |
| gullible | easily deceived |
| gustatory | affecting the sense of taste |
| gusto | enjoyment; enthusiasm |
| gusty | windy |
| guy | a rope, chain, or rod attached to something to steady or guide it |
| gyroscope | apparatus used to maintain balance, ascertain direction, etc |
| habituate | accustom or familiarize; addict |
| hackles | hairs on back and neck, especially of a dog |
| hackneyed | commonplace; trite |
| haggard | wasted away; gaunt |
| haggle | argue about price |
| halcyon | calm; peaceful |
| hale | healthy |
| hallowed | blessed; consecrated |
| hallucination | delusion |
| halting | hesitant; faltering |
| hamper | obstruct |
| hap | chance; luck |
| haphazard | random; by chance |
| hapless | unfortunate |
| harangue | long, passionate, and |
| harass | annoy by repeated attacks |
| harbinger | forerunner; indication |
| harbor | provide a refuge for; hide |
| hardy | sturdy; robust; able to stand inclement weather |
| harping | tiresome dwelling on a subject |
| harrowing | agonizing; distressing; traumatic |
| harry | harass, annoy, torment; raid |
| hatch | deck opening; lid covering a deck opening |
| haughtiness | pride; arrogance |
| haven | place of safety; refuge |
| hazardous | dangerous |
| hazy | slightly obscure |
| headlong | hasty; rash |
| headstrong | stubborn; willful; unyielding |
| heckler | person who verbally harasses others |
| hedonist | one who believes that pleasure is the sole aim in life |
| heedless | not noticing; disregarding |
| hegemony | dominance, especially of one nation over others |
| heinous | atrocious; hatefully bad |
| herbivorous | grain-eating |
| heresy | opinion contrary to popular belief; opinion contrary to accepted religion |
| hermetic | 1) sealed by fusion so as to be airtight 2) obscure and mysterious; occult |
| hermitage | home of a hermit |
| herpetologist | one who studies reptiles |
| heterodox | unorthodox; unconventional |
| heterogeneous | dissimilar; mixed |
| hew | cut to pieces with ax or sword |
| heyday | time of greatest success; prime |
| hiatus | gap; pause |
| hibernal | wintry |
| hibernate | sleep throughout the winter |
| hierarchy | arrangement by rank or standing; authoritarian body divided into ranks |
| hieroglyphic | picture writing |
| hilarity (adj.) hilarious | boisterous mirth |
| hindmost | furthest behind |
| hindrance | block; obstacle |
| hinterlands | back country |
| hireling | one who serves for hire (usually used contemptuously) |
| hirsute | hairy |
| histrionic | theatrical |
| hoard | stockpile; accumulate for future use |
| hoary | white with age |
| hoax | trick; practical joke |
| holocaust | destruction by fire |
| holster | pistol case |
| homage | honor; tribute |
| homeostasis | tendency of a system to maintain relative stability |
| homespun | domestic; made at home |
| homily | sermon; serious warning |
| homogeneous | of the same kind |
| hone | sharpen |
| hoodwink | deceive; delude |
| horde | crowd |
| hortatory | encouraging; exhortive |
| horticulture | pertaining to cultivation of gardens |
| hostility | unfriendliness; hatred |
| hovel | shack; small, wretched house |
| hover | hang about; wait nearby |
| hubbub | confused uproar |
| hubris | arrogance; excessive self-conceit |
| hue | color; aspect |
| hue and cry | outcry |
| humane | marked by kindness or consideration |
| humdrum | dull; monotonous |
| humid | damp |
| humility | humbleness of spirit |
| hummock | small hill |
| humus | substance formed by decaying vegetable matter |
| hurtle | crash; rush; to move swiftly and with great force |
| husband (v) | use sparingly; conserve; save |
| husbandry | frugality; thrift; agriculture |
| hybrid | mongrel (<-- crossbred); mixed breed |
| hydrophobia | fear of water; rabies |
| hyperbole | exaggeration; overstatement |
| hypercritical | excessively exacting |
| hypochondriac | person unduly worried about his health; worrier without cause about illness |
| hypocritical | pretending to be virtuous; deceiving |
| hypothetical | based on assumptions or hypotheses; supposed |
| ichthyology | study of fish |
| icon | religious image; idol |
| iconoclastic | attacking cherished traditions |
| ideology | system of ideas characteristic of a group or culture |
| idiom | expression whose meaning as a whole differs from the meanings of its individual words; |
| idiosyncrasy | individual trait, usually odd in nature; eccentricity |
| idolatry | worship of idols; excessive admiration |
| idyllic | charmingly carefree; simple |
| igneous | produced by fire; volcanic |
| ignite | kindle; light |
| ignoble | unworthy; not noble |
| ignominy | deep disgrace; shame or dishonor |
| illicit | illegal |
| illimitable | infinite |
| illuminate | brighten; clear up or make understandable; enlighten |
| illusion | misleading vision |
| illusive | deceiving |
| illusory | deceptive; not real |
| imbalance | lack of balance or symmetry; disproportion |
| imbecility | weakness of mind |
| imbibe | drink in |
| imbroglio | complicated situation; painful or complex misunderstanding; entanglement; confused mass |
| imbue | saturate, fill |
| immaculate | spotless; flawless; absolutely clean |
| imminent | near at hand; impending |
| immobility | state of being immovable |
| immolate | offer as a sacrifice |
| immune | resistant to; free or exempt from |
| immure | imprison; shut up in confinement |
| immutable | unchangeable |
| impair | injure; hurt |
| impale | pierce |
| impalpable | imperceptible; intangible |
| impartial | not biased; fair |
| impassable | not able to be traveled or crossed |
| impasse | predicament from which there is no escape |
| impassive | without feeling; imperturbable; stoical |
| impeach | charge with crime in office; indict |
| impeccable | faultless |
| impecunious | without money |
| impede | hinder; block |
| impediment | hindrance; stumbling-block |
| impel | drive or force onward |
| impending | nearing; approaching |
| impenetrable | not able to be pierced or entered; beyond understanding |
| impenitent | not repentant |
| imperative | absolutely necessary; critically important |
| imperceptible | unnoticeable; undetectable |
| imperial | like an emperor; related to an empire |
| imperious | domineering; haughty |
| impermeable | impervious; not permitting passage through its substance |
| impertinent | 1) having no connection with a given matter; 2) insolent; rude |
| imperturbable | calm; placid |
| impervious | impenetrable; *incapable of being damaged or distressed* |
| impetuous | violent; hasty; rash |
| impetus | moving force; incentive; stimulus |
| impiety | irreverence; lack of respect for God |
| impinge | 1) infringe; 2) touch; collide with |
| impious | irreverent |
| implacable | incapable of being pacified |
| implausible | unlikely; unbelievable |
| implement | put into effect; supply with tools |
| implicate | incriminate; show to be involved |
| implication | something hinted at or suggested |
| implicit | understood but not stated |
| implode | burst inward |
| implore | beg |
| imply | suggest a meaning not expressed; signify |
| impolitic | not wise |
| imponderable | weightless |
| import | significance |
| importunate | urging; demanding |
| importune | beg persistently |
| imposture | assuming a false identity; masquerade |
| impotent | weak; ineffective |
| imprecation | curse |
| impregnable | invulnerable |
| impromptu | without previous preparation; off the cuff; on the spur of the moment |
| impropriety | improperness; unsuitableness |
| improvident | thriftless |
| improvise | compose on the spur of the moment |
| imprudent | lacking caution; injudicious |
| impudence | impertinence; insolence |
| impugn | dispute or contradict (often in an insulting way); challenge; gainsay |
| impuissance | powerlessness; feebleness |
| impunity | freedom from punishment or harm |
| impute | *attribute; ascribe* |
| inadvertently | unintentionally; by oversight; carelessly |
| inalienable | not to be taken away; nontransferable |
| inane | silly; senseless |
| inanimate | lifeless |
| inarticulate | speechless; producing indistinct speech |
| inaugurate | begin formally; install in office |
| incandescent | strikingly bright; shining with intense heat |
| incantation | singing or chanting of magic spells; magical formula |
| incapacitate | disable |
| incarcerate | imprison |
| incarnate | endowed with flesh; personified |
| incarnation | act of assuming a human body and human nature |
| incendiary | having to do with the wilful destruction of property by fire; arsonist |
| incense | 1) --- sticks 2) enrage; infuriate |
| incentive | spur; motive |
| inception | start; beginning |
| incessant | uninterrupted; unceasing |
| inchoate | recently begun; rudimentary; elementary |
| incidence | rate of occurrence; particular occurrence |
| incidental | not essential; minor |
| incipient | beginning; in an early stage |
| incisive | cutting; sharp |
| incite | arouse to action; goad; motivate; induce to exist |
| inclement | stormy; unkind |
| incline | slope; slant |
| inclined | tending or leaning toward; bent |
| inclusive | tending to include all |
| incognito | with identity concealed; using an assumed name |
| incoherent | unintelligible; muddled; illogical |
| incommodious | not spacious; inconvenient |
| incompatible | inharmonious |
| incongruity | lack or harmony; absurdity |
| inconsequential | insignificant; unimportant |
| inconsistency | state of being selfcontradictory; lack of uniformity or steadiness |
| incontinent | lacking self-restraint; licentious |
| incontrovertible | indisputable; not open to question |
| incorporate | introduce something into a larger whole; combine; unite |
| incorporeal | lacking a material body; insubstantial |
| incorrigible | uncorrectable |
| incredulity | a tendency to disbelief |
| incredulous | withholding belief; skeptical |
| increment | increase |
| incriminate | accuse; serve as evidence against |
| incrustation | hard coating or crust |
| incubate | hatch; *scheme* |
| incubus | burden; mental care; nightmare |
| inculcate | teach |
| incumbent | obligatory; currently holding an office |
| incur | bring upon oneself |
| incursion | temporary invasion |
| indefatigable | tireless |
| indelible | not able to be erased |
| indemnify | make secure against loss; compensate for loss |
| indentation | notch; deep recess |
| indenture | sealed agreement, esp. binding apprentice to master; bind in in--- es |
| indeterminate | uncertain; not clearly fixed; indefinite |
| indicative | suggestive, implying |
| indices | signs; indications |
| indict | accuse (esp. by legal process); charge |
| indifferent | unmoved or unconcerned by; mediocre |
| indigence | poverty |
| indigenous | native |
| indigent | poor; destitute |
| indignation | anger at an injustice |
| indignity | offensive or insulting treatment |
| indiscriminate | choosing at random; confused |
| indisputable | too certain to be disputed |
| indissoluble | permanent |
| indite | write; compose |
| indolent | lazy |
| indomitable | unconquerable; unyielding |
| indubitable | unable to be doubted; unquestionable |
| induce | persuade; bring about |
| inductive | pertaining to induction or proceeding from the specific to the general |
| indulgent | humoring; yielding; lenient |
| industrious | diligent; hard-working |
| inebriated | habitually intoxicated; drunk |
| ineffable | unutterable; cannot be expressed in speech |
| ineffectual | not effective; weak |
| ineluctable | inevitable; not to be escaped |
| inept | lacking skill; unsuited; incompetent |
| inequity | unfairness |
| inerrancy | infallibility |
| inert | inactive; lacking power to move |
| inevitable | unavoidable |
| inexorable | relentless; unyielding; implacable |
| infallible | unerring |
| infamous | notoriously bad |
| infantile | childish; infant like |
| infer | deduce; conclude |
| infernal | pertaining to hell; devilish |
| infidel | unbeliever |
| infiltrate | pass into or through; penetrate (an organization) sneakily |
| infinitesimal | very small |
| infirmity | weakness |
| inflated | exaggerated; pompous; enlarged (with air or gas) |
| influx | flowing into |
| infraction | violation (of a rule or regulation); breach |
| infringe | violate; encroach |
| ingenious | clever; resourceful |
| ingenious (2) | naïve and trusting; young; unsophisticated |
| ingrained | deeply established; firmly rooted |
| ingrate | ungrateful person |
| ingratiate | become popular with |
| inherent | firmly established by nature or habit |
| inhibit | restrain; retard or prevent |
| inimical | unfriendly; hostile; harmful; detrimental |
| inimitable | matchless; not able to be imitated |
| iniquitous | wicked; immoral; unrighteous |
| initiate | begin; originate; receive into a group |
| injurious | harmful |
| inkling | hint |
| innate | inborn |
| innocuous | harmless |
| innovation | change; introduction of something new |
| innuendo | hint; insinuation |
| inopportune | untimely; poorly chosen |
| inordinate | unrestrained; excessive |
| inquisitor | questioner (especially harsh); investigator |
| insalubrious | unwholesome; not healthful |
| insatiable | not easily satisfied; unquenchable; greedy |
| inscrutable | impenetrable; not readily understood; mysterious |
| insensate | without feeling |
| insensible | unconscious; unresponsive; lacking feeling |
| insidious | treacherous; stealthy; sly |
| insightful | discerning; perceptive |
| insinuate | hint; imply; creep in |
| insipid | lacking in flavor; dull |
| insolence | impudent disrespect; haughtiness |
| insolvent | bankrupt; lacking money to pay |
| insomnia | wakefulness; inability to sleep |
| insouciant | indifferent; without concern or care |
| instigate | urge; start; provoke |
| insubordination | disobedience; rebelliousness |
| insubstantial | lacking substance; insignificant; frail |
| insularity | narrow-mindedness; isolation |
| insuperable | insurmountable; unbeatable |
| insurgent | rebellious |
| insurmountable | overwhelming; unbeatable; insuperable |
| insurrection | rebellion; uprising |
| intangible | not able to be perceived by touch; *vague* |
| integral | complete; necessary for completeness |
| integrate | make whole; combine; make into one unit |
| integrity | uprightness; wholeness |
| intellect | higher mental powers |
| intelligentsia | intellectuals; members of the educated elite [often used derogatorily] |
| inter | bury |
| interdict | prohibit; forbid |
| interim | meantime |
| interloper | intruder |
| interminable | endless |
| intermittent | periodic; on and off |
| internecine | mutually destructive |
| interpolate | insert between |
| interregnum | period between two reigns |
| interrogate | question closely; crossexamine |
| intervene | come between |
| intimate | hint |
| intimidate | frighten |
| intractable | unruly; stubborn; unyielding |
| intransigence | refusal of any compromise; stubbornness |
| intrepid | not afraid; bold; fearless; dauntless; very brave |
| intrinsic | essential; inherent; built-in |
| introspective | looking within oneself |
| introvert | one who is introspective; inclined to think more about oneself |
| intrude | trespass; enter as an uninvited person |
| intuition | immediate insight; power of knowing without reasoning |
| inundate | overwhelm; flood; submerge |
| inured | accustomed; hardened |
| invalidate | weaken; destroy |
| invective | abuse; verbal attack |
| inveigh | denounce; utter censure or invective |
| inveigle | entice; tempt (into) |
| inverse | opposite |
| invert | turn upside down or inside out |
| inveterate | deep-rooted; habitual |
| invidious | designed to create ill will or envy |
| invincible | unconquerable |
| inviolable | secure from corruption, attack, or violation; unassailable |
| invocation | prayer for help; calling upon as reference or support |
| invoke | call upon; ask for |
| invulnerable | incapable of injury |
| iota | very small quantity |
| irascible | irritable; easily angered |
| irate | angry |
| iridescent | exhibiting rainbowlike colors |
| irksome | annoying; tedious |
| ironic | occurring in an unexpected and contrary manner |
| irony | hidden sarcasm or satire; use of words that seem to mean the opposite of what they actually |
| irreconcilable | incompatible; not able to be resolved |
| irrefutable | indisputable; incontrovertible; undeniable |
| irrelevant | not applicable; unrelated |
| irremediable | incurable; uncorrectable |
| irreparable | not able to be corrected or repaired |
| irrepressible | unable to be restrained or held back |
| irreproachable | blameless; impeccable |
| irresolute | uncertain how to act; weak |
| irretrievable | impossible to recover or regain; irreparable |
| irreverence | lack of proper respect |
| irrevocable | unalterable; irreversible |
| isotope | varying form of an element |
| isthmus | narrow neck of land connecting two larger bodies of land |
| itinerary | plan of a trip |
| jabber | chatter rapidly or unintelligibly |
| jaded | fatigued; surfeited |
| jargon | language used by special group; technical terminology; gibberish |
| jaundiced | *prejudiced* (envious, hostile, or resentful); yellowed |
| jaunt | trip; short journey |
| jaunty | lighthearted; animated; easy and carefree |
| jeopardize | endanger; imperil; put at risk |
| jettison | throw overboard |
| jibe | agree; be in harmony with |
| jingoist | extremely aggressive and militant patriot; warlike chauvinist |
| jocose | given to joking |
| jocular | said or done in jest |
| jocund | merry |
| jollity | gaiety; cheerfulness |
| jostle | shove; bump; to push roughly or hastily |
| jovial | good-natured; merry |
| jubilation | rejoicing |
| judicious | sound in judgment; wise |
| juggernaut | irresistible crushing force |
| juncture | crisis; joining point |
| junket | trip, especially one taken for pleasure by an official at public expense |
| junta | group of persons joined in political intrigue; cabal |
| jurisprudence | science of law |
| justification | good or just reason; defense; excuse |
| juxtapose | place side by side |
| kaleidoscope | tube in which patterns made by the reflection in mirrors of colored pieces of glass, etc., |
| ken | range of knowledge |
| kernel | central or vital part; whole seed; (as of corn) |
| killjoy | grouch; spoilsport |
| kindle | start a fire; inspire |
| kindred | related; similar in nature or character |
| kinetic | producing motion |
| kismet | fate |
| kleptomaniac | person who has a compulsive desire to steal |
| knave | untrustworthy person; rogue; scoundrel |
| knead | mix; work dough |
| knell | tolling of a bell, especially to indicate a funeral, disaster, etc.; sound of the funeral bell |
| knit | contract into wrinkles; grow together, as a broken bone |
| knoll | little, round hill |
| knotty | intricate; difficult; tangled |
| kudos | honor; glory; praise |
| labile | likely to change; unstable |
| laborious | demanding much work or care; tedious |
| labyrinth | maze |
| laceration | torn, ragged wound |
| lachrymose | producing tears |
| lackadaisical | lacking purpose or zest; halfhearted; languid |
| lackluster | dull |
| laconic | brief and to the point |
| laggard | slow; sluggish |
| lagoon | shallow body of water near a sea; lake |
| laity | laypersons; persons not connected with the clergy |
| lambaste | beat; thrash verbally or physically |
| lament | grieve; express sorrow |
| lampoon | ridicule |
| lancet | small surgical tool for making incisions |
| languid | weary; sluggish; listless |
| languish | lose animation or strength |
| languor | lassitude; depression |
| lank | long and thin |
| lap | take in food or drink with one's tongue; splash gently |
| larceny | theft |
| larder | pantry; place where food is kept |
| largess | generous gift |
| lascivious | lustful |
| lassitude | languor; weariness; disinclination to exert or interest oneself |
| latent | potential but undeveloped; dormant; hidden |
| lateral | coming from the side |
| latitude | freedom from narrow limitations |
| laud | praise |
| lavish | liberal; wasteful |
| lax | careless |
| leaven | cause to rise or grow lighter; enliven |
| lechery | gross lewdness; lustfulness |
| lectern | reading desk |
| leery | suspicious; cautious |
| leeway | room to move; margin |
| legacy | a gift made by a will |
| legend | explanatory list of symbols on a map |
| legerdemain | sleight of hand |
| leniency | mildness; permissiveness |
| leonine | like a lion |
| lethal | deadly |
| lethargic | drowsy; dull |
| levee | earthen or stone embankment to prevent flooding |
| levitate | float in the air (especially by magical means) |
| levity | lack of seriousness or steadiness; frivolity |
| levy | impose (a fine); collect (a payment) |
| lewd | lustful |
| lexicographer | compiler of a dictionary |
| lexicon | dictionary |
| liability | drawback; debts |
| liaison | contact that keeps parties in communication; go-between; secret love affair |
| libel (adj.->) libelous) | defamatory statement; act of writing something that smears a person's character |
| libertine | debauched person, roué |
| libidinous | lustful |
| libido | emotional urges behind human activity |
| libretto | text of an opera |
| licentious | amoral; lewd and lascivious; unrestrained |
| lien | legal claim on a property |
| ligneous | like wood |
| lilliputian | extremely small |
| limbo | region near heaven or hell where certain souls are kept; a prison (slang) |
| limn | draw; outline; describe |
| limpid | clear |
| lineage | descent; ancestry |
| lineaments | feature, especially of the face |
| linger | loiter or dawdle; continue or persist |
| linguistic | pertaining to language |
| lionize | treat as a celebrity |
| liquidate | settle accounts; clear up |
| list | tilt; lean over |
| listless | lacking in spirit or energy |
| litany | supplicatory prayer |
| lithe | flexible; supple |
| litigation | lawsuit |
| litotes | understatement for emphasis |
| livid | lead-colored; black and blue; ashen; enraged |
| loath | reluctant; disinclined |
| loathe | detest |
| lode | metal-bearing vein |
| lofty | very high |
| log | record of a voyage or flight; record of day-to-day activities |
| loiter | hang around; linger |
| loll | lounge about |
| longevity | long life |
| loom | appear or take shape (usually in an enlarged or distorted form) |
| loquacious | talkative |
| lout | clumsy person |
| low | moo |
| lucid | easily understood; clear; intelligible |
| lucrative | profitable |
| lucre | money |
| ludicrous | laughable; trifling |
| lugubrious | mournful |
| lull | moment of calm |
| lumber | move heavily or clumsily |
| lumen | unit of light energy (one candle's worth) |
| luminary | celebrity; dignitary |
| luminous | shining; issuing light |
| lunar | pertaining to the moon |
| lunge | make a quick forward dive or reach; thrust |
| lurid | wild; sensational; graphic; gruesome |
| lurk | stealthily lie in waiting; slink; exist unperceived |
| luscious | pleasing to taste or smell |
| luster | shine; gloss |
| lustrous | shining |
| luxuriant | abundant; rich and splendid; fertile |
| macabre | gruesome; grisly |
| mace | ceremonial staff; clublike medieval weapon |
| macerate | soften by soaking in liquid; waste away |
| Machiavellian | crafty; double-dealing |
| machinations | evil schemes or plots |
| maculated | spotted; stained |
| madrigal | pastoral song |
| maelstrom | whirlpool |
| magisterial | authoritative; imperious |
| magnanimity | generosity |
| magnate | person of prominence or influence |
| magniloquent | boastful, pompous |
| magnitude | greatness; extent |
| maim | mutilate; injure |
| maladroit | clumsy; bungling |
| malady | illness |
| malaise | uneasiness; vague feeling of ill health |
| malapropism | comic misuse of a word |
| malcontent | person dissatisfied with existing state of affairs |
| malediction | curse |
| malefactor | evildoer; criminal |
| malevolent | wishing evil |
| malfeasance | wrongdoing |
| malicious | hateful; spiteful |
| malign | speak evil of; bad-mouth; defame |
| malignant | injurious; tending to cause death; aggressively malevolent |
| malingerer | one who feigns illness to escape duty |
| malleable | capable of being shaped by pounding; impressionable |
| malodorous | foul-smelling |
| mammal | vertebrate animal whose female suckles its young |
| mammoth | gigantic; enormous |
| manacle | restrain; handcuff |
| mandate | order; charge |
| mandatory | obligatory |
| mangy | shabby; wretched |
| maniacal | raging mad; insane |
| manifest | evident; visible; obvious |
| manifestation | outward demonstration; indication |
| manifesto | declaration; statement of policy |
| manifold | numerous; varied |
| manipulate | operate with one's hands; control or play upon (people, forces, etc.) artfully |
| mannered | affected; not natural |
| manumit | emancipate; free from bondage |
| marital | pertaining to marriage |
| maritime | bordering on the sea; nautical |
| marked | noticeable; targeted for vengeance |
| marred | damaged; disfigured |
| marshal | put in order |
| marsupial | one of a family of mammals that nurse their offspring in a pouch |
| martial | warlike |
| martinet | strict disciplinarian |
| martyr | one who voluntarily suffers death for his or her religion or cause; great sufferer |
| masochist | person who enjoys his own pain |
| masticate | chew |
| materialism | preoccupation with physical comforts and things |
| maternal | motherly |
| matriarch | woman who rules a family or larger social group |
| matriculate | enroll (in college or graduate school) |
| matrix | *point of origin*; array of numbers or algebraic symbols; mold or die |
| maudlin | effusively sentimental |
| maul | handle roughly |
| mausoleum | monumental tomb |
| mauve | pale purple |
| maverick | rebel; nonconformist a person who takes an independent stand, as in politics, refusing to |
| mawkish | mushy and gushy; icky-sticky sentimental; maudlin |
| maxim | proverb; a truth pithily stated |
| mayhem | injury to body; any deliberate destruction or violence |
| meager | scanty; inadequate |
| mealy-mouthed | indirect in speech; hypocritical; evasive |
| meander | wind or turn in its course |
| meddlesome | interfering |
| mediate | settle a dispute through the services of an outsider |
| mediocre | ordinary; commonplace |
| meditation | reflection; thought |
| medium | element that is a creature's natural environment; nutrient setting in which microorganisms are |
| medium (2) | appropriate occupation or means of expression; channel of communication; compromise |
| medley | mixture |
| meek | submissive; patient and longsuffering |
| megalomania | mania for doing grandiose things |
| melancholy | gloomy; morose; blue |
| melee | fight |
| mellifluous | sweetly or smoothly flowing; melodious |
| memento | token; reminder |
| memorialize | commemorate |
| menagerie | collection of wild animals |
| mendacious | lying; habitually dishonest |
| mendicant | beggar |
| menial | suitable for servants; lowly; mean |
| mentor | counselor; teacher |
| mercantile | concerning trade |
| mercenary | motivated solely by money or gain |
| mercurial | capricious; changing; fickle |
| meretricious | flashy; tawdry |
| merger | combination (of two business corporations) |
| mesmerize | hypnotize |
| metallurgical | pertaining to the art of removing metals from ores |
| metamorphosis | change of form |
| metaphor | implied comparison |
| metaphysical | pertaining to speculative philosophy |
| mete | (v.)to measure; to distribute 2) (n.) a boundary mark or line |
| meteoric | swift; momentarily brilliant |
| methodical | systematic |
| meticulous | excessively careful; painstaking; scrupulous |
| metropolis | large city |
| mettle | courage; spirit |
| miasma | swamp gas; heavy, vaporous atmosphere, often emanating from decaying matter; pervasive . |
| microcosm | small world; the world in miniature |
| migrant | changing its habitat; wandering |
| migratory | wandering |
| milieu | environment; means of expression |
| militant | combative; bellicose |
| militate | work against |
| millennium | thousand-year period; period of happiness and prosperity |
| mimicry | imitation |
| minatory | menacing; threatening |
| mincing | affectedly dainty |
| minion | a servile dependent |
| miniscule | extremely small |
| minute | extremely small |
| minutiae | petty details |
| mirage | unreal reflection; optical illusion |
| mire | entangle; stick in swampy ground |
| mirth | merriment; laughter |
| misadventure | mischance; ill luck |
| misanthrope | one who hates mankind |
| misapprehension | error; misunderstanding |
| miscellany | mixture of writings on various subjects |
| mischance | ill luck |
| misconstrue | interpret incorrectly; misjudge |
| miscreant | wretch; villain |
| misdemeanour | minor crime |
| miserly | stingy; mean |
| misgivings | doubts |
| mishap | accident |
| misnomer | wrong name; incorrect designation |
| misogamy | hatred of marriage |
| misogynist | hater of women |
| missile | object to be thrown or projected |
| missive | letter |
| mite | very small object or creature; *small coin* |
| mitigate | appease; moderate |
| mnemonic | pertaining to memory |
| mobile | movable; not fixed |
| mock | ridicule; imitate, often in derision |
| mode | prevailing style; manner; way of doing something |
| modicum | limited quantity |
| modish | fashionable |
| modulate | tone down in intensity; regulate; change from one key to another |
| mogul | powerful person |
| molecule | the smallest particle (one or more atoms) of a substance that has all the properties of that mollify :: soothe |
| mollycoddle | pamper; indulge excessively |
| molt | shed or cast off hair or feathers |
| molten | melted |
| momentous | very important |
| momentum | quantity of motion of a moving body; impetus |
| monarchy | government under a single ruler |
| monastery | residence of community, usually of monks |
| monastic | related to monks or monasteries; removed from worldly concerns |
| monetary | pertaining to money |
| monochromatic | having only one colour |
| monolithic | solidly uniform; unyielding |
| monotheism | belief in God |
| monotony | sameness leading to boredom |
| monumental | massive |
| moodiness | fits of depression or gloom |
| moratorium | legal delay of payment |
| morbid | given to unwholesome thought; moody; characteristic of disease |
| mordant | biting; sarcastic; stinging |
| mores | conventions; moral standards; customs |
| moribund | dying |
| morose | ill-humoured; sullen; melancholy |
| mortician | undertaker |
| mortify | humiliate; punish the flesh |
| mosaic | picture made of small, colourful inlaid tiles |
| mote | a speck of dust or other tiny particle |
| motif | theme |
| motility | ability to move spontaneously |
| motley | multicoloured; mixed |
| mottled | blotched in colouring; spotted |
| mountebank | charlatan; boastful pretender |
| muddle | confuse; mix up |
| muggy | warm and damp |
| mulct | defraud a person of something |
| multifarious | varied; greatly diversified |
| multiform | having many forms |
| multilingual | having many languages |
| multiplicity | state of being numerous |
| mundane | worldly as opposed to spiritual; everyday |
| munificent | very generous |
| mural | wall painting |
| murky | dark and gloomy; thick with fog; vague |
| muse | ponder |
| musky | having the odour of musk |
| muster | gather; assemble |
| musty | stale; spoiled by age |
| mutability | ability to change in form; fickleness |
| muted | silent; muffled; toned down |
| mutilate | to cut off or damage a limb or other important part of (a person or animal); maim |
| mutinous | unruly; rebellious |
| myopic (n.->)myopia | nearsighted; lacking foresight |
| myriad | very large number |
| nadir | lowest point |
| naiveté | quality of being unsophisticated; simplicity; artlessness; gullibility |
| narcissist | conceited person |
| narrative | related to telling a story |
| nascent | incipient; coming into being |
| natation | swimming |
| natty | neatly or smartly dressed |
| nauseate | cause to become sick; fill with disgust |
| nautical | pertaining to ships or navigation |
| navigable | wide and deep enough to allow ships to pass through; able to be steered |
| nebulous | vague; hazy; cloudy |
| necromancy | black magic; dealings with the dead |
| nefarious | very wicked |
| negate | cancel out; nullify; deny |
| negligence | neglect; failure to take reasonable care |
| negligible | so small, trifling, or unimportant as to be easily disregarded |
| nemesis | someone seeking revenge |
| neologism | new or newly coined word or phrase |
| neophyte | recent convert; beginner |
| nepotism | favouritism (to a relative) |
| nether | lower |
| nettle | annoy; vex |
| nexus | connection |
| nib | beak; pen point |
| nicety | precision; minute distinction |
| niggardly | meanly stingy; parsimonious |
| niggle | spend too much time on minor points; carp |
| nihilist | one who considers traditional beliefs to be groundless and existence meaningless; absolute ; |
| nip | stop something's growth or development; snip off; bite; make numb with cold |
| nirvana | in Buddhist teachings, the ideal state in which the individual loses himself in the attainment of |
| nocturnal | done at night |
| noisome | 1) foul-smelling; unwholesome 2) injurious to health; harmful |
| nomadic | wandering |
| nomenclature | terminology; system of names |
| nominal | in name only; trifling |
| nonchalance | indifference; lack of concern; composure |
| noncommittal | neutral; unpledged; undecided |
| nondescript | indistinctive; ordinary |
| nonentity | person of no importance; non-existence |
| nonplus | bring to halt by confusion; perplex |
| nostalgia | homesickness; longing for the past |
| nostrum | questionable medicine |
| notable | conspicuous; important; distinguished |
| notoriety | disrepute; ill fame |
| novelty | something new; newness |
| novice | beginner |
| noxious | harmful |
| nuancet | shade of difference in meaning or colour; subtle distinction |
| nubile | marriageable: said of a young woman who seems mature; sexually attractive: said of a young |
| nugatory | futile; worthless |
| nullify | to make invalid |
| numismatist | person who collects coins |
| nuptial | related to marriage |
| nurture | nourish; educate; foster |
| nutrient | nourishing substance |
| oaf | stupid, awkward person |
| obdurate | stubborn |
| obeisance | bow |
| obelisk | tall column tapering and ending in a pyramid |
| obese | excessively fat |
| obfuscate | confuse; muddle; cause confusion; make needlessly complex |
| obituary | death notice |
| objective (adj.) | not influenced by emotions; fair |
| objective (n) | goal; aim |
| obligatory | binding; required |
| oblique | indirect; slanting (deviating from the perpendicular or from a straight line) |
| obliterate | destroy completely |
| oblivion | obscurity; forgetfulness |
| oblivious | inattentive or unmindful; wholly absorbed |
| obloquy | slander; disgrace; infamy |
| obnoxious | offensive |
| obscure | darken; make unclear |
| obsequious | slavishly attentive; servile; sycophantic |
| obsequy | funeral ceremony |
| obsessive | related to thinking about something constantly; preoccupying |
| obsidian | black volcanic rock |
| obsolete | outmoded |
| obstetrician | physician specializing in delivery of babies |
| obstinate | stubborn; hard to control or treat |
| obstreperous | boisterous; noisy |
| obtrude | push (oneself or one's ideas) forward or intrude; butt in; stick out or extrude |
| obtuse | blunt; stupid |
| obviate | make unnecessary; get rid of |
| Occident | the West |
| occlude | shut; close |
| occult | mysterious; secret; supernatural |
| oculist | physician who specializes in treatment of the eyes |
| odious | hateful; vile |
| odium | detestation; hatefulness; disrepute |
| odoriferous | giving off an odour |
| odorous | having an odour |
| odyssey | long, eventful journey |
| offensive | attacking; insulting; distasteful |
| offhand | casual; done without prior thought |
| officious | meddlesome; excessively pushy in offering one's services |
| ogle | look at amorously; make eyes at |
| olfactory | concerning the sense of smell |
| oligarchy | government by a privileged few |
| ominous | threatening |
| omnipotent | all-powerful |
| omnipresent | universally present; ubiquitous |
| omniscient | all-knowing |
| omnivorous | eating both plant and animal food; devouring everything |
| onerous | burdensome. |
| onomatopoeia | words formed in imitation of natural sounds. |
| onslaught | fierce attack; vicious assault |
| onus | burden; responsibility |
| opalescent | iridescent; lustrous |
| opaque | dark; not transparent |
| opiate | medicine to induce sleep or deaden pain; something that relieves emotions or causes inaction |
| opportune | timely; well-chosen |
| opportunist | individual who sacrifices principles for expediency by taking advantage of circumstances |
| opprobrium | infamy, vilification |
| optician | maker and seller of eyeglasses |
| optimist | person who looks on the bright side |
| optimum | most favourable |
| optional | not compulsory; left to one's choice |
| optometrist | one who fits glasses to remedy visual defects |
| opulence | extreme wealth; luxurious ness; abundance |
| opus | work |
| oracular | prophetic; uttered as if with divine authority; mysterious or ambiguous |
| orator | public speaker |
| oratorio | dramatic poem set to music |
| ordain | decree or command; grant holy orders; predestine |
| ordeal | severe trial or affliction |
| ordinance | decree |
| ordination | ceremony conferring holy orders |
| orgy | wild, drunken revelry; unrestrained indulgence |
| orient | get one's bearings; adjust |
| orientation | act of finding oneself in society |
| orifice | mouth like opening; small opening |
| ornate | excessively or elaborately decorated |
| ornithologist | scientific student of birds |
| orthodox | traditional; conservative in belief |
| orthography | correct spelling |
| oscillate | vibrate pendulum like; waver |
| osseous | made of bone; bony |
| ossify | change or harden into bone |
| ostensible | apparent; professed; pretended |
| ostentatious | showy; pretentious; trying to attract attention |
| ostracize | exclude from public favour; ban |
| oust | expel; drive out |
| outlandish | bizarre; peculiar; unconventional |
| outmoded | no longer stylish; old fashioned |
| outskirts | fringes; outer borders |
| outspoken | candid; blunt |
| outstrip | surpass; outdo |
| outwit | outsmart; trick |
| ovation | enthusiastic applause |
| overbearing | bossy; arrogant; decisively important |
| overt | open to view |
| overweening | presumptuous; arrogant |
| overwrought | extremely agitated; hysterical |
| ovoid | egg-shaped |
| pachyderm | thick-skinned animal |
| pacifist | one opposed to force; antimilitarist |
| pacify | soothe; make calm or quiet; subdue |
| paean | song of praise or joy |
| painstaking | showing hard work; taking great care |
| palatable | agreeable; pleasing to the taste |
| palate | roof of the mouth; sense of taste |
| palatial | *magnificent* |
| palaeontology | study of prehistoric life |
| palette | board on which a painter mixes pigments |
| palimpsest | parchment used for second time after original writing has been erased |
| pall | grow tiresome |
| pallet | small, poor bed |
| palliate | ease pain; make less severe or offensive |
| pallid | pale; wan |
| palpable | tangible; easily perceptible |
| palpitate | throb; flutter |
| paltry | insignificant; petty; trifling |
| pan | criticize harshly |
| panacea | cure-all; remedy for all diseases |
| panache | flair; flamboyance |
| pandemic | widespread; affecting the majority of people |
| pandemonium | wild tumult |
| pander | cater to the low desires of others |
| panegyric | formal praise |
| panoramic | denoting an unobstructed and comprehensive view |
| pantomime | acting without dialogue |
| papyrus | ancient paper made from stem of p---s plant |
| parable | short, simple story teaching a moral |
| paradigm | model; example; pattern |
| paradox | something apparently contradictory in nature; statement that looks false but is actually correct |
| paragon | model of perfection |
| parallelism | state of being parallel; similarity |
| parameter | limit; independent values |
| paramount | foremost in importance; supreme |
| paramour | illicit lover |
| paranoia | psychosis marked by delusions of grandeur or persecution; abnormal tendency to suspect and |
| paraphernalia | equipment; odds and ends |
| paraphrase | restate a passage in one's own words while retaining thought of author |
| parasite | animal or plant living on another; toady; sycophant |
| parched | extremely dry; very thirsty |
| pariah | social outcast |
| parity | equality; close resemblance |
| parlance | language; idiom |
| parley | conference |
| parochial | narrow in outlook; provincial; related to parishes |
| parody | humorous imitation; spoof; takeoff; travesty |
| paroxysm | fit or attack of pain, laughter, rage |
| parquet | floor made of wood strips inlaid in a mosaic like pattern |
| parry | ward off a blow; deflect; avoid (a question, etc.) |
| parsimony | stinginess; excessive frugality |
| partial | incomplete; having a liking for something |
| partiality | inclination; bias |
| partisan | one-sided; prejudiced; committed to a party |
| partition | divide into parts |
| passé | old-fashioned; past the prime |
| passive | not active; acted upon |
| pastiche | imitation of another's style in musical composition or in writing |
| pastoral | rural |
| patent | open for the public to read; obvious |
| pathetic | causing sadness, compassion, pity; touching |
| pathological | pertaining to disease |
| pathos | tender sorrow; pity; quality in art or literature that produces these feelings |
| patina | green crust on old bronze works; tone slowly taken by varnished painting |
| patois | local or provincial dialect |
| patriarch | father and ruler of a family or tribe |
| patrician | noble; aristocratic |
| patronize | support; act superior toward; be a customer of |
| paucity | scarcity |
| pauper | very poor person |
| peccadillo | slight offence |
| pecuniary | pertaining to money |
| pedagogue | teacher |
| pedagogy | teaching; art of education |
| pedant | scholar who overemphasizes book learning or technicalities |
| pedantic | showing off learning; bookish |
| pedestrian | ordinary; unimaginative |
| paediatrician | physician specializing in children's diseases |
| peerless | having no equal; incomparable |
| pejorative | negative in connotation; having a belittling effect |
| pell-mell | in confusion; disorderly |
| pellucid | transparent; limpid; easy to understand |
| penance | self-imposed punishment for sin |
| penchant | strong inclination; liking |
| pendant (adj.) | hanging down from something |
| pendant (n) | ornament (hanging from a necklace, etc.) |
| pendulous | hanging; suspended |
| penitent | repentant (anto.) unremorseful, imp----t |
| pensive | dreamily thoughtful; thoughtful with a hint of sadness; contemplative |
| penumbra | partial shadow (in an eclipse) |
| penury | severe poverty; stinginess |
| peon | landless agricultural worker; bond servant |
| perceptive | insightful; aware; wise |
| percussion | striking one object against another sharply |
| perdition | damnation; complete ruin |
| peregrination | journey |
| peremptory | demanding and leaving no choice |
| perennial | something long-lasting |
| perfidious | treacherous; disloyal |
| perforate | pierce; put a hole through |
| perfunctory | superficial; not thorough; *lacking interest, care, or enthusiasm* |
| perigee | point of moon's orbit when it is nearest the earth |
| perimeter | outer boundary |
| peripatetic | walking about; moving |
| peripheral | marginal; outer |
| periphery | edge, especially of a round surface |
| perjury | false testimony while under oath |
| permeable | penetrable; porous; allowing liquids or gas to pass through |
| pernicious | very destructive |
| peroration | conclusion of an oration |
| perpetrate | commit an offence |
| perpetual | everlasting |
| perpetuate | make something last; preserve from extinction |
| perquisite | any gain above stipulated salary |
| personable | attractive |
| perspicacious | having insight; penetrating; astute |
| perspicuity | clearness of expression; freedom from ambiguity |
| perspicuous | plainly expressed |
| pert | bold or impudent in speech or behaviour; impertinent; forward |
| pertinacious | stubborn; persistent |
| pertinent | suitable; to the point |
| perturb | disturb greatly |
| peruse | read with care |
| pervasive | spread throughout |
| perverse | stubbornly wrongheaded; wicked and unacceptable |
| perversion | corruption; turning from right to wrong |
| pessimism | belief that life is basically bad or evil; gloominess |
| pestilential | causing plague; baneful |
| pestle | tool for mashing or grinding substances in a hard bowl |
| petrify | paralyse with terror or astonishment; turn to stone |
| petty | trivial; unimportant; very small |
| petulant | touchy; peevish |
| pharisaical | pertaining to the Pharisees, who paid scrupulous attention to tradition; self-righteous; phenomena :: observable facts; subjects of scientific investigation |
| philanderer | faithless lover; flirt |
| philanthropist | lover of mankind; doer of good |
| philatelist | stamp-collector |
| philistine | narrow-minded person, uncultured and exclusively interested in material gain |
| philology | study of language |
| phlegmatic | calm; not easily disturbed |
| phobia | morbid fear |
| phoenix | symbol of immortality or rebirth |
| phylum | major classification, second to kingdom, of plants and animals; division |
| physiognomy | face |
| physiological | pertaining to the science of the function of living organisms |
| piebald | different colours; mottled; spotted |
| piecemeal | one part at a time; gradually |
| pied | variegated; multicoloured |
| piety (<-n) (adj.->) pious | devoutness; reverence for God |
| pigment | colouring mater |
| pillage | plunder |
| pillory | punish by placing in a wooden frame; subject to criticism and ridicule |
| pine | 1) languish, decline due to pain, longing ,etc.; 2) long for, and yearn |
| pinion | restrain |
| pinnacle | peak |
| pious | devout; religious |
| piquant | pleasantly tart-tasting; stimulating |
| pique (n) | irritation; resentment |
| pique (v) | provoke or arouse; annoy |
| pitfall | hidden danger; concealed trap |
| pith | core or marrow; essence; substance |
| pithy | concise; meaningful; substantial; meaty |
| pittance | a small allowance or wage |
| pivotal | central; critical |
| placate | pacify; conciliate |
| placebo | harmless substance prescribed as a dummy pill |
| placid | peaceful; calm |
| plagiarize | steal another's ideas and pass them off as one's own |
| plaintive | mournful |
| plait | braid( <- to interweave three or more strands of (hair, straw, etc.); intertwine |
| plasticity | ability to be molded |
| platitude | trite remark; commonplace statement |
| platonic | purely spiritual; theoretical; without sensual desire |
| plaudit | enthusiastic approval; round of applause |
| plausible | having a show of truth but open to doubt; specious |
| plebeian | common; pertaining to the common people |
| plenary | *complete; full* |
| plenitude | abundance; completeness |
| plethora | excess; overabundance |
| pliable | flexible; yielding; adaptable |
| pliant | flexible; easily influenced |
| plight | condition, state (especially a bad state or condition); predicament |
| pluck | courage |
| plumage | feathers of a bird |
| plumb (adj.) | vertical |
| plumb (v) | examine critically in order to understand; measure depth (by sounding) |
| plummet | fall sharply |
| plutocracy | society ruled by the wealthy |
| podiatrist | doctor who treats ailments of the feet |
| podium | pedestal; raised platform |
| poignancy | quality of being deeply moving; keenness of emotion |
| polarize | divide into two opposing group; split into opposite extremes or camps |
| polemic | controversial; argument in support or point of view |
| polemical | aggressive in verbal attack; disputatious |
| politic | expedient; prudent; well devised |
| polity | form of government of nation or state |
| polygamist | one who has more than one spouse at a time |
| polyglot | speaking several languages |
| pomposity | self-important behavior; acting like a stuffed shirt |
| pompous | showing self-importance |
| ponderous | weighty; unwieldy |
| pontifical | pertaining to a bishop or pope; *pompous or pretentious* |
| pore | study industriously; ponder; scrutinize |
| porous | full of pores; like a sieve |
| portend | foretell; presage |
| portent | sign; omen; forewarning |
| portly | stout; corpulent |
| poseur | person who pretends to be sophisticated, elegant, etc., to impress others |
| posterity | descendants; future generations |
| posthumous | after death (as of child born after father's death or book published after author's death) |
| postulate | self-evident truth |
| posture | assume an affected pose; act artificially |
| potable | suitable for drinking |
| potent | powerful; persuasive; greatly influential |
| potentate | monarch; sovereign |
| potential | expressing possibility; latent |
| potion | dose (of liquid) |
| potpourri | heterogeneous mixture; medley |
| poultice | soothing application applied to sore and inflamed portions of the body |
| practicable | feasible |
| practical | based on experience; useful |
| pragmatic | practical (as opposed to idealistic); concerned with the practical worth or impact of some |
| pragmatist | practical person |
| prate | speak foolishly; boast idly |
| prattle | babble |
| preamble | introductory statement |
| precarious | uncertain; risky |
| precedent (adj.) | preceding in time, rank, etc. |
| precedent (n) | something preceding in time that may be used as an authority or guide for future action; |
| precept | practical rule guiding conduct |
| precipice | cliff; dangerous position |
| precipitant | something that causes a substance in a chemical solution to separate out in solid form |
| precipitate | rash; premature; hasty; sudden |
| precipitous | steep; overhasty |
| précis | concise summing up of main points |
| preclude | make impossible; eliminate |
| precocious | advanced in development |
| precursor | forerunner |
| predator | creature that seizes and devours another animal; person who robs or exploits others |
| predecessor | former occupant of a post |
| predetermine | predestine; settle or decide beforehand; influence markedly |
| predicament | tricky or dangerous situation; dilemma |
| predilection | partiality; preference |
| predispose | give an inclination toward; make susceptible to |
| preeminent | outstanding; superior |
| preempt | head off; forestall by acting first; appropriate for oneself; supplant |
| preen | make oneself tidy in appearance; feel self-satisfaction |
| prefatory | introductory |
| prehensile | capable of grasping or holding |
| prelate | church dignitary |
| prelude | introduction; forerunner |
| premeditate | plan in advance |
| premise | assumption; postulate |
| premonition | forewarning |
| premonitory | serving to warn |
| preponderance | superiority of power, quantity, etc. |
| preposterous | absurd; ridiculous |
| prerogative | privilege; unquestionable right |
| presage | foretell |
| prescience | ability to foretell the future |
| presentiment | feeling something will happen; anticipatory fear; premonition |
| prestige | impression produced by achievements or reputation |
| presumptuous | arrogant; taking liberties |
| pretentious | ostentatious; pompous; making unjustified claims; overambitious |
| preternatural | beyond that which is normal in nature |
| pretext | excuse |
| prevail | induce; triumph over |
| prevalent | widespread; generally accepted |
| prevaricate | lie |
| prey | target of a hunt; victim |
| prim | very precise and formal; exceedingly proper |
| primogeniture | seniority by birth |
| primordial | existing at the beginning (of time); rudimentary; primeval |
| primp | groom oneself with care; adorn oneself |
| pristine | characteristic of earlier times; primitive, unspoiled |
| privation | hardship; want |
| privy | secret; hidden; not public |
| probe | explore with tools |
| probity | uprightness; incorruptibility |
| problematic | doubtful; unsettled; questionable; perplexing |
| proclivity | inclination; natural tendency |
| procrastinate | postpone; delay or put off |
| procurement | obtaining |
| prod | poke; stir up; urge |
| prodigal | wasteful; reckless with money |
| prodigious | marvelous; enormous |
| prodigy | highly gifted child; marvel |
| profane | violate; desecrate; treat unworthily |
| profligate | dissipated; wasteful; wildly immoral |
| profound | deep; not superficial; complete |
| profusion | overabundance; lavish expenditure; excess |
| progenitor | ancestor |
| progeny | children; offspring |
| prognosis | forecasted course of a disease; prediction |
| prognosticate | predict |
| prohibitive | tending to prevent the purchase or use of something; inclined to prevent or forbid |
| projectile | missile |
| proletarian | member of the working class; blue collar guy |
| proliferate | grow rapidly; spread; multiply |
| prolific | abundantly fruitful |
| prolixity | tedious wordiness; verbosity |
| prologue | introduction (to a poem or play) |
| prolong | extend; draw out; lengthen |
| prominent | conspicuous; notable; protruding |
| promiscuous | mixed indiscriminately; haphazard; irregular sexually |
| promontory | headland i.e. high land jutting out into sea |
| promote | help to flourish; advance in rank; publicize |
| prompt | cause; provoke; provide a cue for an actor |
| promulgate | proclaim a doctrine or law; make known to be official publication |
| prone | inclined to; *prostrate* |
| propagate | multiply; spread |
| propellant | substance that propels or drives forward |
| propensity | natural inclination |
| prophetic | having to do with predicting the future |
| prophylactic | used to prevent disease |
| propinquity | nearness; kinship |
| propitiate | appease |
| propitious | favorable; fortunate; advantageous |
| proponent | supporter; backer; opposite of opponent |
| propound | put forth for analysis |
| propriety | fitness; correct conduct |
| propulsive | driving forward |
| prosaic | dull and unimaginative; matter of- fact; factual |
| proscenium | part of stage in front of curtain |
| proscribe | ostracize; banish; outlaw |
| proselytize | induce someone to convert to a religion or belief |
| prosody | the art of versification |
| prosperity | good fortune; financial success; physical well-being |
| prostrate | stretch out full on ground |
| protean | versatile; able to take on many forms |
| protégé | person receiving protection and support from a patron |
| protocol | diplomatic etiquette |
| prototype | original work used as a model by others |
| protract | prolong |
| protrude | stick out |
| protuberance | protrusion; bulge |
| provenance | origin or source of something |
| provender | dry food; fodder |
| provident | displaying foresight; thrifty; preparing for emergencies |
| provincial | pertaining to a province; limited in out-look; unsophisticated |
| provisional | tentative |
| proviso | stipulation |
| provocative | arousing anger or interest; annoying |
| prowess | extraordinary ability; military bravery |
| proximity | nearness |
| proxy | authorized agent |
| prude | excessively modest or proper person |
| prudent | cautious; careful |
| prune | cut away; trim |
| prurient | having or causing lustful thoughts and desires |
| pry | 1) inquire impertinently; 2) use leverage to raise or open something |
| pseudonym | pen name |
| psyche | soul; mind |
| psychiatrist | a doctor who treats mental diseases |
| psychopathic | pertaining to mental derangement |
| psychosis | mental disorder |
| pterodactyl | extinct flying reptile |
| puerile | childish |
| pugilist | boxer |
| pugnacity | combativeness; disposition to fight |
| puissant | powerful; strong; potent |
| pulchritude | beauty; comeliness |
| pulmonary | pertaining to the lungs |
| pulsate | throb |
| pulverize | crush or grind into very small particles |
| pummel | beat or pound with fists |
| punctilious | very careful about every detail of behaviour, ceremony, etc. |
| pundit | authority on a subject; learned person; expert |
| pungent | stinging; sharp in taste or smell; caustic |
| punitive | punishing |
| puny | insignificant; tiny; weak |
| purchase | firm grasp or footing |
| purgatory | place of spiritual expiation |
| purge | remove or get rid of something unwanted; free from blame or guilt; cleanse or purify |
| purport | intention; meaning |
| purported | alleged; claimed; reputed or rumoured |
| purse | pucker; contract into wrinkles |
| purveyor | supplier; furnisher of foodstuffs; caterer |
| pusillanimous | cowardly; fainthearted |
| putative | supposed; reputed (<- supposed) |
| putrid | foul; rotten; decayed |
| pylon | marking post to guide aviators; steel tower supporting cables or telephone lines |
| pyromaniac | person with an insane desire to set things on fire |
| quack | charlatan; impostor |
| quadruped | four-footed animal |
| quaff | drink with relish |
| quagmire | soft, wet boggy land; complex or dangerous situation from which is difficult to free oneself |
| quail | cower; lose heart |
| quaint | unfamiliar or old-fashioned; daintily odd; picturesque |
| qualified | limited; restricted |
| qualms | misgivings; uneasy fears, especially about matters of conscience |
| quandary | dilemma |
| quarantine | isolation of a person, place, or ship to prevent spread of infection |
| quarry (n) | victim; object of a hunt |
| quarry (v) | dig into |
| quash | subdue; crush; squash |
| quay ( ki: ) | dock; landing place |
| queasy | easily nauseated; squeamish |
| quell | extinguish; put down; quiet |
| quench | douse or extinguish; assuage or satisfy |
| querulous | fretful; whining |
| query | inquiry; question |
| queue | line |
| quibble | minor objection or complaint; *evasion* |
| quiescent | at rest; dormant; temporarily inactive |
| quietude | tranquillity |
| quintessence | purest and highest embodiment |
| quip | taunt |
| quirk | startling twist; caprice |
| quisling | traitor who aids invaders |
| quiver (n) | case for arrows |
| quiver (v) | tremble; shake |
| quixotic | idealistic but impractical |
| quizzical | teasing; bantering; mocking; curious |
| quorum | number of members necessary to conduct a meeting |
| quotidian | daily; commonplace; customary |
| rabid | like a fanatic; furious |
| raconteur | story-teller |
| ragamuffin | person wearing tattered clothes |
| rail | scold; rant |
| raiment | clothing |
| rakish | stylish; sporty |
| rally | call up or summon (forces, vital powers etc.); * revive or recuperate * |
| ramble | wander aimlessly (physically or mentally) |
| ramification | branching out; subdivision |
| ramify | divide into branches or subdivisions |
| ramp | slope; inclined plane |
| rampant | growing in profusion; unrestrained |
| rampart | defensive mound of earth |
| rancid | having the odor or stale fat |
| rancor | bitterness; hatred |
| random | without definite purpose, plan, or aim; haphazard |
| rankle | cause persistent annoyance or pain or resentment; irritate; fester |
| rant | rave; talk excitedly; scold; make a grandiloquent speech |
| rapacious | excessively grasping; plundering |
| rapport | emotional closeness; harmony |
| rapt | absorbed; enchanted |
| rarefied | made less dense [of a gas] |
| raspy | grating; harsh |
| ratify | approve formally; confirm; verify |
| ratiocination | reasoning; act or drawing conclusions from premises |
| rationale | fundamental reason or justification; grounds for an action |
| rationalize | give a plausible reason for an action in place of a true, less admirable one; offer an excuse |
| raucous | harsh and shrill; disorderly and boisterous |
| ravage | plunder; despoil |
| rave | to talk incoherently or wildly, as in a delirious or demented state; overwhelmingly favorable review |
| ravel | fall apart into tangles; unravel or untwist; entangle |
| ravenous | extremely hungry |
| ravine | narrow valley with steep sides |
| raze | destroy completely |
| reactionary | opposing progress; politically ultraconservative |
| realm | kingdom; field or sphere |
| reaper | one who harvests grain |
| rebate | discount |
| rebuff | snub; beat back |
| rebuke | scold harshly; criticize severely |
| rebus | puzzle in which pictures stand for words |
| rebuttal | refutation; response with contrary evidence |
| recalcitrant | obstinately stubborn; determined to resist authority; unruly |
| recant | disclaim or disavow; retract a previous statement; openly confess error |
| recapitulate | summarize |
| recast | reconstruct (a sentence, story, etc.); fashion again |
| receptive | quick or willing to receive ideas, suggestions, etc |
| recession | withdrawal; retreat; time of low economic activity |
| recidivism | habitual return to crime |
| recipient | receiver |
| reciprocal | mutual; exchangeable; interacting |
| reciprocate | repay in kind |
| recluse | hermit; loner |
| reconcile | correct inconsistencies; become friendly after a quarrel |
| recondite | abstruse; profound; secret |
| reconnaissance | survey of enemy by soldiers; reconnoitring |
| recount | narrate or tell; count over again |
| recourse | resorting to help when in trouble |
| recrimination | counter charges |
| rectify | set right; correct |
| rectitude | uprightness; moral virtue; correctness of judgment |
| recumbent | reclining; lying down completely or in part |
| recuperate | recover |
| recurrent | occurring again and again |
| redolent | fragrant; odorous; suggestive of an odour |
| redoubtable | formidable; causing fear |
| redress | remedy; compensation |
| redundant | superfluous; repetitious; excessively wordy |
| reek | emit (odour) |
| refectory | dining hall |
| refraction | bending of a ray of light |
| refractory | stubborn; unmanageable |
| refrain | (v) abstain from; resist *(n->) chorus * |
| refulgent | brightly shining; gleaming |
| refurbish | renovate; make bright by polishing |
| refute | disprove |
| regal | royal |
| regale | entertain |
| regatta | boat or yacht race |
| regeneration | spiritual rebirth |
| regicide | murder of a king or queen |
| regime | method or system of government |
| regimen | a regulated system of diet, exercise, etc. for therapy or the maintenance or improvement of |
| rehabilitate | restore to proper condition |
| reimburse | repay |
| reiterate | repeat |
| rejoinder | retort; comeback; reply |
| rejuvenate | make young again |
| relegate | banish to an inferior position; delegate; assign |
| relent | give in; yield |
| relevant | pertinent; referring to the case in hand |
| relic | surviving remnant; memento |
| relinquish | give up something with reluctance yield |
| relish | savor; enjoy |
| remediable | reparable |
| reminiscence | recollection; account of things remembered, esp. in literary form |
| remiss | negligent |
| remission | temporary moderation of disease symptoms; cancellation of a debt; forgiveness or pardon |
| remnant | remainder |
| remonstrance | protest; objection |
| remorse | guilt; self-reproach |
| remunerative | compensating; rewarding |
| rend | split tear apart |
| render | deliver; provide; represent |
| rendezvous | meeting place |
| rendition | translation; artistic interpretation of a song, etc. |
| renegade | deserter of party or principles; traitor |
| renege | deny; go back on |
| renounce | abandon; disown; repudiate |
| renovate | restore to good condition; renew |
| renown | fame |
| rent | rip; split |
| reparable | capable of being repaired |
| reparation | amends; compensation |
| repartee | clever reply |
| repast | meal; feast; banquet |
| repeal | revoke; annul; cancel |
| repel | drive away; disgust |
| repellent | driving away; unattractive |
| repent | feel sorrow or regret for what one has done or left undone; think with regret or contrition of |
| repercussion | rebound; reverberation; reaction |
| repertoire | list of works of music, drama, etc., a performer is prepared to present |
| repine | fret; complain |
| replenish | fill up again |
| replete | filled to the brim or to the point of being stuffed; abundantly supplied |
| replica | copy |
| replicate | reproduce; duplicate |
| repository | storehouse |
| reprehensible | deserving blame |
| repress | keep under; put down; suppress |
| reprieve | temporary stay |
| reprimand | official rebuke; reprove |
| reprisal | retaliation |
| reprise | musical repetition; repeat performance; recurrent action |
| reproach | express disapproval or |
| reprobate | unprincipled or immoral person |
| reprobation | severe disapproval |
| reprove | censure; rebuke |
| repudiate | to refuse to have anything to do with; disown; disavow |
| repugnance | loathing |
| repulsion | distaste; act of driving back |
| reputable | respectable |
| reputed | supposed |
| Requiem | mass for the dead; dirge |
| requisite | necessary requirement |
| requite | to make return or repayment for (a benefit, service, etc., or an injury, wrong, etc.); revenge |
| rescind | cancel |
| resentment | indignation; bitterness; displeasure |
| reserve | self-control; formal but distant manner |
| residue | remainder; balance |
| resignation | patient submissiveness; statement that one is quitting a job |
| resilient | elastic; having the power of springing back |
| resolution | determination |
| resolve | determination; firmness of purpose |
| resonant | echoing; resounding; deep and full in sound |
| respiration | breathing; exhalation |
| respite | interval of relief; time for rest; delay in punishment |
| resplendent | dazzling; glorious; brilliant |
| responsiveness | state of reacting readily to appeals, orders, etc. |
| restitution | reparation; indemnification |
| restive | restlessly impatient; obstinately resisting control |
| restraint | moderation or self-control; controlling force; restriction |
| resumption | taking up again; recommencement |
| resurge | rise again; flow to and fro |
| resuscitate | revive |
| retain | keep; employ |
| retaliation | repayment in kind (usually for bad treatment) |
| retentive | holding; having a good memory |
| reticent | reserved; uncommunicative; inclined to silence |
| retinue | following; attendants |
| retiring | modest; shy |
| retort | quick, sharp reply |
| retract | withdraw; take back |
| retrench | cut down; economize |
| retribution | vengeance; compensation; punishment for offences |
| retrieve | recover; find and bring in |
| retroactive | taking effect before its enactment (as a law) or imposition (as a tax) |
| retrograde | go backwards; degenerate |
| retrospective | looking back on the past |
| revelry | boisterous merrymaking |
| reverberate | echo; resound |
| reverent | respect; worshipful |
| reverie | daydream; musing |
| revert | relapse; backslide; turn back to |
| revile | attack with abusive language; vilify |
| revoke | cancel; retract |
| revulsion | sudden violent change of feeling; negative reaction |
| rhapsodize | to speak or write in an exaggeratedly enthusiastic manner |
| rhetoric | art of effective communication; insincere or grandiloquent language |
| ribald | wanton; profane |
| riddle | pierce with holes; *permeate or spread throughout* |
| rider | amendment or clause added to a legislative bill |
| rife | abundant; current |
| rift | opening; break |
| rig | fix or manipulate |
| rigid | stiff and unyielding; strict; hard and unbending |
| rigor | severity |
| rile | vex; irritate; muddy |
| riveting | absorbing; engrossing |
| rivulet | small stream |
| robust | vigorous; strong |
| rococo | ornate; highly decorated |
| roil | to make liquids murky by stirring up sediment; to disturb |
| roseate | rosy; optimistic |
| roster | list |
| rostrum | platform for speech-making; pulpit |
| rote | repetition |
| rotunda | circular building or hall covered with a dome |
| rotundity | roundness; sonorous ness of speech |
| rousing | lively; stirring |
| rout | stampede; drive out |
| rubble | fragments |
| rubric | title or heading (in read print); directions for religious ceremony; protocol |
| ruddy | reddish; healthy-looking |
| rudimentary | not developed; elementary; crude |
| rue | regret; lament; mourn |
| ruffian | bully; scoundrel; a brutal, violent, lawless person; tough or hoodlum |
| ruminate | chew over and over (mentally or, like cows, physically); mull over; *ponder* |
| rummage | ransack; thoroughly search |
| runic | mysterious; set down in a ancient alphabet |
| ruse | trick; stratagem |
| rustic | pertaining to country people; uncouth |
| rusticate | banish to the country; dwell in the country |
| ruthless | pitiless; cruel |
| saboteur | one who commits sabotage; destroyer of property |
| saccharine | cloyingly sweet |
| sacrilegious | desecrating; profane |
| sacrosanct | most sacred; inviolable |
| sadistic | inclined to cruelty |
| saga | Scandinavian myth; any legend |
| sagacious | perceptive; shrewd; having insight |
| sage | person celebrated for wisdom |
| salacious | lascivious; lustful |
| salient | prominent |
| saline | salty |
| sallow | yellowish; sickly in color |
| salubrious | healthful |
| salutary | tending to improve; beneficial; wholesome |
| salvage | rescue from loss |
| sanctimonious | displaying ostentatious or hypocritical devoutness |
| sanction | approve; ratify |
| sanctuary | refuge; shelter; shrine; holy place |
| sanguinary | bloody |
| sanguine | cheerful; hopeful |
| sap | diminish; undermine |
| sarcasm | scornful remark; stinging rebuke |
| sardonic | disdainful; sarcastic; cynical |
| sartorial | pertaining to tailors |
| sate | satisfy to the full; cloy |
| satellite | small body revolving around a larger one |
| satiate | satisfy fully |
| satire | form of literature in which irony, sarcasm, and ridicule are employed to attack vice and folly |
| satirical | mocking |
| saturate | soak thoroughly |
| saturnine | gloomy |
| satyr | half-human, half-bestial being in the court of Dionysus, portrayed as wanton |
| saunter | stroll slowly |
| savant | scholar |
| savor | enjoy; have a distinctive flavor, smell, or quality |
| savory | tasty; pleasing, attractive, or agreeable |
| scabbard | case for a sword blade; sheath |
| scad | a great quantity |
| scaffold | temporary platform for workers; bracing framework; platform for execution |
| scale | climb up; ascend |
| scanty | meager; insufficient |
| scapegoat | someone who bears the blame for others |
| scavenge | hunt through discarded materials for usable items; search, especially for food |
| scenario | plot outline; screenplay; opera libretto |
| schematic | relating to an outline or diagram; using a system of symbols |
| schism | division; split |
| scintilla | shred; least bit |
| scintillate | sparkle; flash |
| scoff | mock; ridicule |
| scotch | stamp out; thwart; hinder |
| scourge | lash; whip; severe punishment |
| scruple | 1) fret about; hesitate, for ethical reasons 2) *a very small quantity, amount, or part * |
| scrupulous | conscientious; extremely thorough |
| scrutinize | examine closely and critically |
| scuffle | struggle confusedly; move off in a confused hurry |
| scurrilous | obscene; indecent |
| scurry | move briskly |
| scurvy | despicable; contemptible |
| scuttle | sink |
| seamy | sordid; unwholesome |
| sear | char or burn; brand |
| seasoned | experienced |
| secession | withdrawal |
| seclusion | isolation; solitude |
| secrete | *hide away or cache*; produce and release a substance into an organism |
| sect | separate religious body; faction |
| secular | worldly; not pertaining to church matters; temporal |
| sedate | composed; grave |
| sedentary | requiring sitting |
| sedition | the stirring up of discontent, resistance, or rebellion against the government in power; |
| sedulous | diligent |
| seedy | run-down; decrepit; disreputable |
| seemly | proper; appropriate |
| seep | ooze; trickle |
| seethe | be disturbed; boil |
| seine | net for catching fish |
| seismic | pertaining to earthquakes |
| semblance | outward appearance; guise |
| seminal | germinal; influencing future developments; related to seed or semen |
| seminary | school for training future ministers; secondary school, especially for young women |
| senility | old age; feeblemindedness of old age |
| sensitization | process of being made sensitive or acutely responsive to an external agent or substance |
| sensual | devoted to the pleasures of the senses; operating through the senses |
| sententious | terse; concise; aphoristic |
| sentient | that feels or is capable of feeling |
| sentinel | sentry; lookout |
| septic | putrid; producing putrefaction |
| sepulcher | tomb |
| sequester | isolate; retire from public life; segregate; seclude |
| sere | parched; dry |
| serendipity | gift for finding valuable or desirable things by accident; accidental good fortune or luck |
| serenity | calmness, placidity |
| serpentine | winding; twisting |
| serrated | having a sawtoothed edge |
| servile | slavish; cringing |
| servitude | slavery; compulsory labor |
| sever | cut; separate |
| severity | harshness; intensity; sternness; austerity |
| sextant | navigation tool used to determine a ship's latitude and longitude |
| shackle | chain; fetter |
| sham | pretend |
| shambles | wreck; mess; scene of great slaughter, bloodshed, or carnage |
| shard | fragment, generally of pottery |
| shaving | very thin piece, usually of wood |
| sheaf | bundle of stalks of grain; any bundle of things tied together |
| sheathe | place into a case |
| sherbet | flavored dessert ice |
| shimmer | glimmer intermittently |
| shirk | avoid (responsibility, work, etc.); malinger |
| shoddy | sham; not genuine; inferior |
| shrew | scolding woman |
| shun | keep away from |
| shunt | turn aside; divert; sidetrack |
| shyster | lawyer using questionable methods; pettifogger |
| sibling | brother or sister |
| sibylline | prophetic; oracular |
| sidereal | relating to the stars |
| silt | sediment deposited by running water |
| simian | monkeylike |
| simile | comparison of one thing with another, using the word 'like' or 'as' |
| simper | smirk; smile affectedly |
| simplistic | oversimplified |
| simulate | feign |
| sinecure | well-paid position with little responsibility |
| sinewy | tough; strong and firm |
| singular | unique; extraordinary; odd |
| sinister | evil |
| sinuous | winding; bending in and out;* not morally honest * |
| skeptic | doubter; person who suspends judgment until having examined the evidence supporting a point |
| skiff | small, light sailboat or rowboat |
| skimp | provide scantily; live very economically |
| skinflint | stingy person; miser |
| skirmish | minor fight |
| skittish | lively; frisky |
| skulduggery | dishonest behavior |
| skulk | move furtively and secretly |
| slacken | slow up; loosen |
| slag | residue from smelting metal; dross; waste matter |
| slake | quench; sate |
| slander | defamation; utterance of false and malicious statements |
| slapdash | haphazard; careless; sloppy |
| sleazy | flimsy; unsubstantial |
| sleeper | something originally of little value or importance that in time becomes very valuable |
| sleight | dexterity |
| slew | large quantity or number |
| slight | insult to one's dignity; snub |
| slipshod | untidy or slovenly; shabby |
| slither | slip or slide |
| sloth | slow-moving tree-dwelling mammal |
| slothful | lazy |
| slough | cast off |
| slovenly | untidy; careless in work habits |
| sluggard | lazy person |
| sluggish | slow; lazy; lethargic |
| sluice | artificial channel for directing or controlling the flow of water |
| slur (n) | insult to one's character or reputation; slander |
| slur (v) | speak indistinctly; mumble |
| smattering | slight knowledge |
| smelt | melt or blend ores, changing their chemical composition |
| smirk | conceited smile |
| smolder | burn without flame; be liable to break out at any moment |
| snicker | half-stifled laugh |
| snivel | run at the nose; snuffle; whine |
| sobriety | moderation (esp. regarding indulgence in alcohol); seriousness |
| sodden | soaked; dull, as if from drink |
| sojourn | temporary stay |
| solace | comfort in trouble |
| solder | repair or make whole by using a metal alloy |
| solecism | construction that is flagrantly incorrect grammatically |
| solicit | request earnestly; seek |
| solicitous | worried, concerned |
| soliloquy | talking to oneself |
| solitude | state of being alone; seclusion |
| solstice | point at which the sun is farthest from the equator |
| soluble | able to be dissolved; able to be worked out |
| solvent (adj.) | able to pay all debts |
| solvent (n) | substance that dissolves another |
| somatic | pertaining to the body; physical |
| somber | gloomy; depressing |
| somnambulist | sleepwalker |
| somnolent | half asleep |
| sonorous | resonant |
| sophist | teacher of philosophy; quibbler; employer of fallacious reasoning |
| sophisticated | worldly wise and urbane; complex |
| sophistry | use of false arguments, especially one meant to deceive |
| soporific | sleep-causing; marked by sleepiness |
| sordid | filthy; base; vile |
| spangle | small metallic piece sewn to clothing for ornamentation |
| sparse | not thick; thinly scattered; scanty |
| spartan | lacking luxury and comfort; sternly disciplined |
| spasmodic | fitful; periodic |
| spat | squabble; minor dispute |
| spate | sudden flood |
| spatial | relating to space |
| spatula | broad-bladed instrument used for spreading or mixing |
| spawn | lay eggs |
| specious | seemingly reasonable but incorrect; misleading (often intentionally) |
| spectral | ghostly |
| spectrum | colored band produced when a beam of light passes through a prism |
| spendthrift | someone who wastes money; wastrel; squanderer |
| sphinx-like | enigmatic; mysterious |
| splice | fasten together; unite |
| spontaneity | lack of premeditation; naturalness; freedom from constraint |
| spoonerism | accidental transposition of sounds in successive words |
| sporadic | occurring irregularly |
| sportive | playful |
| spruce | neat and trim |
| spry | vigorously active; *nimble* |
| spurious | false; counterfeit; forged; illogical |
| spurn | reject; scorn |
| squabble | minor quarrel; bickering |
| squalor | filth; degradation; dirty, neglected state |
| squander | waste |
| squat | stocky; short and thick |
| staccato | played in an abrupt manner; marked by abrupt, sharp sound |
| stagnant | motionless; stale; dull |
| staid | sober; sedate |
| stalemate | deadlock |
| stalwart | strong, brawny; steadfast |
| stamina | strength; staying power |
| stanch | check flow of blood |
| stanza | division of a poem |
| static | unchanging; lacking development |
| statute | law enacted by the legislature |
| statutory | created by statute or legislative action |
| steadfast | loyal; unswerving |
| stealth | slyness; sneakiness; secretiveness |
| steep | soak; saturate |
| stellar | pertaining to the stars |
| stem | check the flow |
| stem from | arise from |
| stentorian | extremely loud |
| stereotype | fixed and unvarying representation; standardized mental picture, often reflecting prejudice |
| stickler | perfectionist; person who insists |
| stifle | suppress; extinguish; inhibit |
| stigma | token of disgrace; brand |
| stilted | bombastic; stiffly pompous |
| stint (n) | supply; allotted amount; assigned portion of work |
| stint (v) | be thrifty; set limits |
| stipend | pay for services |
| stipple | paint or draw with dots |
| stipulate | make express conditions, specify |
| stock | *typical; standard*; kept regularly in supply |
| stockade | wooden enclosure or pen; fixed line of posts used as defensive barrier |
| stodgy | stuffy; boringly conservative |
| stoic | impassive; unmoved by joy or grief |
| stoke | stir up a fire; feed plentifully |
| stolid | dull; impassive |
| stratagem | clever trick; deceptive scheme |
| stratified | divided into classes; arranged into strata |
| stratum | layer of earth's surface; layer of society |
| strew | spread randomly; sprinkle; scatter |
| striated | marked with paralleled bands; grooved |
| stricture | critical comments; severe and adverse criticism. |
| strident | loud and harsh; insistent |
| stringent | binding; rigid |
| strut (1) | pompous walk |
| strut (2) | supporting bar |
| studied | unspontaneous; deliberate; thoughtful |
| stultify | make ineffective or useless; reduce to foolishness or absurdity |
| stupefy | make numb; stun; amaze |
| stupor | state of apathy; daze; lack of awareness |
| stymie | present an obstacle; stump |
| suavity | urbanity; polish |
| subaltern | subordinate |
| subdued | less intense; quieter |
| subjective | occurring or taking place within the mind; unreal |
| subjugate | conquer; bring under control |
| sublimal | below the threshold |
| sublimate | refine; purify |
| sublime | exalted; noble and uplifting; |
| subliminal | below the threshold of consciousness; too faint or rapid to be consciously perceived |
| submissive | yielding; timid |
| subordinate | occupying a lower rank; inferior; submissive |
| suborn | persuade to act unlawfully (especially to commit perjury) |
| subpoena | writ summoning a witness to appear |
| subsequent | following; later |
| subservient | behaving like a slave; servile; obsequious |
| subside | settle down; descend; grow quiet |
| subsidiary | subordinate; secondary |
| subsidy | direct financial aid by government, etc. |
| subsistence | existence; means of support; livelihood |
| substantial | ample; solid; essential or fundamental |
| substantiate | establish by evidence; verify; support |
| substantive | essential; pertaining to the substance |
| subsume | include; encompass |
| subterfuge | pretense; evasion |
| subtlety | perceptiveness; ingenuity; delicacy |
| subversive | tending to overthrow; destructive |
| succinct | brief; terse; compact |
| succor | aid; assist; comfort |
| succulent | juicy; full of richness |
| succumb | yield; give in; die |
| suffragist | advocate of voting rights (for women) |
| suffuse | spread over |
| sully | tarnish; soil |
| sultry | sweltering |
| summation | act of finding the total; summary |
| sumptuous | lavish; rich |
| sunder | separate; part |
| sundry | various; several |
| superannuated | retired or disqualified because of age |
| supercilious | arrogant; condescending; patronizing |
| supererogatory | superfluous; more than needed or demanded |
| superficial | trivial; shallow |
| superfluous | excessive; overabundant, unnecessary |
| superimpose | place over something else |
| supernumerary | person or thing in excess of what is necessary; extra |
| supersede | cause to be set aside; replace; make obsolete |
| supine | lying on back |
| supplant | replace; usurp |
| supple | flexible; pliant |
| suppliant | entreating; beseeching |
| supplicate | petition humble; pray to grant a favor |
| supposition | hypothesis; surmise |
| supposititious | assumed; *counterfeit*; hypothetical |
| suppress | stifle; overwhelm; subdue; inhibit |
| surfeit | too great an amount or supply; satiate; stuff; indulge to excess in anything |
| surly | rude; cross |
| surmise | guess |
| surmount | overcome |
| surpass | exceed |
| surreptitious | secret; furtive; sneaky; hidden |
| surrogate | substitute |
| surveillance | watching; guarding |
| susceptible | impressionable; easily influenced; having little resistance, as to a disease; receptive to |
| sustain | experience; support; nourish |
| sustenance | means of support, food, nourishment |
| suture | stitches sewn to hold the cut edges of a wound or incision; material used in sewing |
| swarthy | dark; dusky |
| swathe | wrap around; bandage |
| swelter | be oppressed by heat |
| swerve | deviate; turn aside sharply |
| swill | drink greedily |
| swindler | cheat |
| sybarite | lover of luxury |
| sycophant | servile flatterer; bootlicker; yes man |
| syllogism | logical formula consisting of a major premise, a minor premise and a conclusion; deceptive or |
| sylvan | pertaining to the woods; rustic |
| symbiosis | interdependent relationship (between groups, species) often mutually beneficial |
| symmetry | arrangement of parts so that |
| synchronous | similarly timed; simultaneous with |
| synoptic | providing a general overview; summary |
| synthesis | combining parts into a whole |
| synthetic | artificial; resulting from synthesis |
| tacit | understood; not put into words |
| taciturn | habitually silent; taking little |
| tactile | pertaining to the organs or sense of touch |
| taint | contaminate; cause to lose purity; modify with a trace of something bad |
| talisman | charm |
| talon | claw of bird |
| tangential | peripheral; only slightly connected; *digressing (<- go off the point)* |
| tangible | able to be touched; real; palpable |
| tanner | person who turns animal hides into leather |
| tantalize | tease; torture with disappointment |
| tantamount | equivalent in effect or value |
| tantrum | fit of petulance; caprice |
| taper | candle |
| tarry | delay; dawdle |
| taut | tight; ready, trim, tidy, welldisciplined, efficient, etc. |
| tautological | needlessly repetitious |
| tawdry | cheap and gaudy |
| taxonomist | specialist in classifying (animals, etc.) |
| tedium | boredom; weariness |
| teetotalism | practice of abstaining totally from alcoholic drinks |
| temerity | boldness; rashness |
| temper | moderate; tone down or restrain; toughen (steel) |
| temperament | characteristic frame of mind; disposition; emotional excess |
| temperate | restrained; self-controlled; moderate in respect to temperature |
| tempestuous | stormy; impassioned; violent |
| tempo | speed of music |
| temporal | not lasting forever; limited by time; secular |
| temporize | avoid committing oneself; gain time |
| tenacious | holding fast |
| tenacity | firmness; persistence |
| tendentious | having an aim; biased; designed to further a cause |
| tender | offer; extend |
| tenet | doctrine; dogma |
| tensile | capable of being stretched |
| tentative | hesitant; not fully worked out or developed, experimental; not definite or positive |
| tenuous | thin; rare; slim |
| tenure | holding of an office; time during which such an office is held |
| tepid | lukewarm |
| termination | end |
| terminology | terms used in a science or art |
| terminus | last stop of railroad |
| terrestrial | on or relating to the earth |
| terse | concise; abrupt; pithy |
| tertiary | third |
| tesselated | inlaid; mosaic |
| testator | maker of a will |
| testy | irritable; short-tempered |
| tether | tie with a rope |
| thematic | relating to a unifying motif or idea |
| theocracy | government run by religious leaders |
| theoretical | not practical or applied; hypothetical |
| therapeutic | curative |
| thermal | pertaining to heat |
| thespian | pertaining to drama |
| thrall | slave; bondage |
| threadbare | worn through till the threads show; shabby and poor |
| thrifty | careful about money; economical |
| thrive | prosper; flourish |
| throes | violent anguish |
| throng | crowd |
| throttle | strangle |
| thwart | baffle; frustrate |
| tightwad | excessively frugal person; miser |
| tiller | handle used to move boat's rudder (to steer) |
| timbre | quality of a musical tone produced by a musical instrument |
| timidity | lack of self-confidence or courage |
| timorous | fearful; demonstrating fear |
| tipple | drink (alcoholic beverages) frequently |
| tirade | extended scolding; denunciation; harangue |
| titanic (n->) titan | gigantic |
| tithe | tax of one-tenth |
| titillate | tickle |
| title | right or claim to possession; mark of rank; name (of a book, film, etc.) |
| titter | nervous laugh |
| titular | having the title of an office without the obligations |
| toady | servile flatterer; yes man |
| toga | Roman outer robe |
| tome | large volume; a book, esp. a large, scholarly or ponderous one |
| tonsure | shaving of the head, especially by a person entering religious orders |
| topography | physical features of a region |
| torpor | lethargy; sluggishness; dormancy |
| torque | twisting force; force producing rotation |
| torrent | rushing stream; flood |
| torrid | *passionate*; hot or scorching |
| torso | trunk of statue with head and limbs missing; human trunk |
| tortuous | winding; full of curves |
| totter | move unsteadily; sway, as if about to fall |
| touchstone | stone used to test the fineness of gold alloys; criterion |
| touchy | sensitive; irascible |
| tout | publicize; praise excessively |
| toxic | poisonous |
| tract | pamphlet; a region of indefinite size |
| tractable | docile; easily managed |
| traduce | expose to slander |
| traitor | person guilty of betrayal, one who acts disloyally |
| trajectory | path taken by a projectile |
| tranquility | calmness; peace |
| transcendent | surpassing; exceeding ordinary limits; superior |
| transcribe | copy |
| transgression | violation of a law; sin |
| transient | momentary; temporary; staying for a short time |
| transition | going from one state of action to another |
| transitory | impermanent; fleeting |
| translucent | partly transparent |
| transmute | change; convert to something different |
| transparent | easily detected; permitting light to pass through freely |
| transpire | be revealed; happen |
| transport | strong emotion |
| trappings | outward decorations; ornaments |
| traumatic | pertaining to an injury caused by violence |
| travail | painful labor |
| traverse | go through or across |
| travesty | comical parody; treatment aimed at making something appear ridiculous |
| treatise | article treating a subject systematically and thoroughly |
| trek | travel; journey |
| tremor | trembling; slight quiver |
| tremulous | trembling; wavering |
| trenchant | cutting; keen |
| trepidation | fear; nervous apprehension |
| tribulation | distress; suffering |
| tribute | * tax levied by a ruler *; mark of respect |
| trident | three-pronged spear |
| trifling | trivial; unimportant |
| trigger | set off |
| trilogy | group of three works |
| trinket | knickknack; bauble |
| trite | hackneyed; commonplace |
| trivia | trifles; unimportant matters |
| troth | pledge of good faith especially in betrothal |
| trough | * container for feeding farm animals *; lowest point (of a wave, business cycle, etc) |
| truculence | aggressiveness; ferocity |
| truism | self-evident truth |
| truncate | cut the top off |
| tryst | meeting |
| tumid | swollen; (of style etc.) pompous; bombastic |
| tumult | commotion; riot; noise |
| tundra | rolling, treeless plain in Siberia and Arctic North America |
| turbid | muddy; having the sediment disturbed |
| turbulence | state of violent agitation |
| tureen | deep dish for serving soup |
| turgid | swollen; distended |
| turmoil | great commotion and confusion |
| turncoat | traitor |
| turpitude | depravity (<-a depraved condition; corruption; wickedness) |
| tutelage | guardianship; training |
| tutelary | protective; pertaining to a guardianship |
| tycoon | wealthy leader |
| typhoon | tropical hurricane or cyclone |
| tyranny | oppression; cruel government |
| tyro | beginner; novice |
| ubiquitous | being everywhere; omnipresent |
| ulterior | situated beyond; unstated and often questionable |
| ultimate | final; not susceptible to further analysis |
| ultimatum | last demand; warning |
| umbrage | resentment; anger; sense of injury or insult |
| unaccountable | inexplicable; unreasonable or mysterious |
| unanimity | complete agreement |
| unassailable | not subject to question; not open to attack |
| unassuaged | unsatisfied; not soothed |
| unassuming | modest |
| unbridled | violent |
| uncanny | strange; mysterious |
| unconscionable | unscrupulous; excessive |
| uncouth | outlandish; clumsy; boorish |
| unction | the act of anointing with oil |
| unctuous | oily; bland; * insincerely suave* |
| underlying | fundamental; lying below |
| undermine | weaken; sap |
| underscore | emphasize |
| undulating | moving with a wavelike motion |
| unearth | dig up |
| unearthly | not earthly; weird |
| unequivocal | plain; obvious |
| unerringly | infallible |
| unexceptionable | not offering any basis for criticism; entirely acceptable |
| unfaltering | steadfast |
| unfeigned | genuine; real |
| unfettered | liberated; freed from chains |
| unfledged | immature |
| unfrock | to strip a priest or minister of church authority |
| ungainly | awkward; clumsy; unwieldy |
| unguent | ointment |
| uniformity | sameness; monotony |
| unilateral | one-sided |
| unimpeachable | blameless and exemplary |
| uninhibited | unrepressed |
| unintimidating | unfrightening |
| unique | without an equal; single in kind |
| unison | unity of pitch; complete accord |
| universal | characterizing or affecting all; present everywhere |
| unkempt | disheveled; uncared for in appearance |
| unmitigated | unrelieved or immoderate; *absolute* |
| unobtrusive | inconspicuous; not blatant |
| unprecedented | novel; unparalleled |
| unprepossessing | unattractive |
| unravel | disentangle; solve |
| unrequited | not reciprocated; unanswered |
| unruly | disobedient; lawless |
| unsavory | distasteful; morally offensive |
| unscathed | unharmed |
| unseemly | unbecoming; indecent; in poor taste |
| unsightly | ugly |
| unsullied | untarnished |
| untenable | indefensible; not able to be maintained |
| untoward | unfortunate or unlucky; adverse; unexpected |
| unwarranted | unjustified; groundless; undeserved |
| unwieldy | awkward; cumbersome; unmanageable |
| unwitting | unintentional; not knowing |
| unwonted | unaccustomed |
| upbraid | severely scold; reprimand |
| uproarious | marked by commotion; extremely funny; very noisy |
| upshot | the conclusion; result; outcome |
| urbane | suave; refined; elegant |
| urchin | mischievous child (usually a boy) |
| ursine | bearlike; pertaining to a bear |
| usurp | seize another's power or rank |
| usury | lending money at illegal rates of interest |
| utopia | ideal place, state, or society |
| uxorious | excessively devoted to one's wife |
| vacillate | waver; fluctuate |
| vacuous | empty; lacking in ideas; stupid |
| vagabond | wanderer; tramp |
| vagary | caprice; whim |
| vagrant (adj.) | wandering from place to place or living a wandering life; nomadic stray; random |
| vagrant (n) | homeless wanderer |
| vainglorious | boastful; excessively conceited |
| valedictory | pertaining to farewell |
| valid | logically convincing; sound; legally acceptable |
| validate | confirm; ratify |
| valor | bravery |
| vampire | ghostly being that sucks the blood of the living |
| vanguard | forerunners; advance forces |
| vantage | position giving an advantage |
| vapid | dull and unimaginative; insipid and flavourless |
| vaporize | turn into vapor (steam, gas, fog, etc.) |
| variegated | many-colored |
| vassal | humble dependent; (hist.) holder of land by feudal tenure |
| vaunted | boasted; bragged; highly publicized |
| veer | change in direction |
| vegetate | live in a monotonous way; 2) to grow as plants |
| vehement | forceful; intensely emotional; with marked vigor |
| velocity | speed |
| venal | capable of being bribed |
| vendetta | blood feud |
| vendor | seller |
| veneer | thin layer; cover |
| venerable | deserving high respect |
| venerate | revere |
| venial | forgivable; trivial |
| venison | the meat of a deer |
| venom | poison; hatred |
| vent | small opening; outlet |
| vent (v) | express; utter |
| ventral | abdominal |
| ventriloquist | someone who can make his or her voice seem to come from another person or thing |
| venture | risk; dare; undertake a risk |
| venturesome | bold |
| venue | location |
| veracious | truthful |
| veracity | truthfulness |
| verbalize | put into words |
| verbatim | word for a word |
| verbiage | pompous array of words |
| verbose | wordy |
| verdant | green; lush in vegetation; * inexperienced * |
| verdigris | green coating on copper which has been exposed to the weather |
| verge | border; edge |
| verisimilar | probable or likely; having the appearance of truth |
| verisimilitude | appearance of truth, likelihood |
| veritable | actual; being truly so; not false or imaginary |
| verity | quality of being true; lasting truth or principle |
| vernacular | living language; natural style |
| vernal | pertaining to spring |
| versatile | having many talents; capable of working in many fields |
| vertex | summit |
| vertigo | severe dizziness |
| verve | enthusiasm; liveliness |
| vestige | trace; remains |
| vex | annoy; distress |
| viable | practical or workable; capable of maintaining life |
| viand | food |
| vicarious | experienced imaginatively through another person; acting as a substitute; done by a deputy; |
| vicissitude | change of fortune |
| victuals | food |
| vie | contend; compete |
| vigilant | watchful awake; alert to spot danger |
| vignette | picture; short literary sketch |
| vigor | active strength |
| vilify | slander |
| vindicate | clear from blame; exonerate; justify or support |
| vindictive | out for revenge; malicious |
| vintner | winemaker; seller of wine |
| viper | poisonous snake |
| virile | manly |
| virtual | in essence; for practical purposes |
| virtue | goodness; moral excellence; good quality |
| virtuoso | highly skilled artist |
| virulent | extremely poisonous; hostile; bitter |
| virus | disease communicator |
| visage | face; appearance |
| visceral | felt in one's inner organs |
| viscid | adhesive; gluey |
| viscous | sticky, gluey |
| vise | tool for holding work in place |
| visionary | produced by imagination; fanciful; mystical |
| vital | *vibrant and lively*; critical; living, breathing |
| vitiate | spoil the effect of; make inoperative |
| vitreous | pertaining to or resembling glass |
| vitriolic | corrosive; sarcastic |
| vituperative | abusive; scolding |
| vivacious | lively or animated; sprightly |
| vivisection | act of dissecting living animals |
| vixen | female fox; ill-tempered woman |
| vociferous | clamorous; noisy |
| vogue | popular fashion |
| volatile | changeable; explosive; evaporating rapidly |
| volition | act of making a conscious choice; wish |
| voluble | fluent; glib; talkative |
| voluminous | bulky; large |
| voracious | ravenous |
| vortex | whirlwind; whirlpool; center of turbulence; predicament into which one is inexorably plunged |
| vouchsafe | grant condescendingly; guarantee |
| voyeur | Peeping Tom |
| vulnerable | susceptible to wounds |
| vulpine | like a fox; crafty |
| waffle | speak equivocally about an issue |
| waft | moved gently by wind or waves |
| waggish | mischievous; humorous; tricky |
| waif | homeless child or animal |
| waive | give up temporarily; yield |
| wake | trail of ship or other object through water; path of something that has gone before |
| wallow | roll in; indulge in; become helpless |
| wan | having a pale or sickly color; pallid |
| wanderlust | strong longing to travel |
| wane | decrease in size or strength; draw gradually to an end |
| wangle | wiggle out; fake |
| wanton | unrestrained; willfully malicious; unchaste |
| warble | sing; babble |
| warranted | justified; authorized |
| warranty | guarantee; assurance by seller |
| warren | tunnels in which rabbits live; crowded conditions in which people live |
| wary | very cautious |
| wastrel | profligate (<-extravagant) |
| wax | increase; grow |
| waylay | ambush; lie in wait |
| wean | accustom a baby not to nurse; *give up a cherished activity* |
| weather | endure the effects of weather or other forces |
| welt | mark from a beating or whipping |
| welter (n) | turmoil; bewildering jumble |
| welter (v) | wallow |
| wheedle | cajole; coax; deceive by flattery |
| whelp | young wolf, dog, tiger, etc. |
| whiff | puff or gust (of air, scent, etc.); hint |
| whimsical | capricious; fanciful |
| whinny | neigh like a horse |
| whit | smallest speck |
| whittle | pare; cut off bits |
| whorl | ring of leaves around stem; ring |
| willful | intentional; headstrong |
| wily | cunning; artful |
| wince | shrink back; flinch |
| windfall | fallen fruit; unexpected lucky event |
| winnow | sift; separate good parts from bad |
| winsome | agreeable; gracious; engaging |
| wispy | thin; slight; barely discernible |
| wistful | vaguely longing; sadly pensive |
| withdrawn | introverted; *remote* |
| wither | shrivel; decay |
| withhold | refuse to give; hold back |
| withstand | stand up against; successful resist |
| witless | foolish; idiotic |
| witticism | witty saying; wisecrack |
| wizardry | sorcery; magic |
| wizened | withered; shriveled |
| woe | deep, inconsolable grief; affliction; suffering |
| wont | custom; habitual procedure |
| worldly | engrossed matters of this earth; not spiritual |
| wrangle | quarrel; obtain through arguing; herd cattle |
| wrath | pull away; take by violence |
| writ | written command issued by a court |
| writhe | twist in coils; contort in pain |
| wry | twisted; with a humorous twist |
| xenophobia | fear or hatred of foreigners |
| yen | longing; urge |
| yeoman | man owning small estate; middle-class farmer |
| yield (n) | amount produced; crop; income on investment |
| yield (v) | give in; surrender |
| yoke | join together, unite |
| yokel | country bumpkin |
| yore | time long past |
| zany | crazy; comic |
| zeal | eager enthusiasm |
| zealot | fanatic; person who shows excessive zeal |
| zenith | point directly overhead in the sky; summit |
| zephyr | gentle breeze; west wind |
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