GRE 2
Order by
2,005 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 infringe | violate; encroach |
| ingenious | clever; resourceful |
| ingenuous | naive 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 me imitated |
| iniquitous | wicked; immoral; unrigheous |
| initiate | begin; orginiate; receive into a group |
| injurious | harmful |
| inkling | hit |
| innate | inborn |
| innocuous | harmless |
| innovation | change; introduction of something new |
| innuendo | hitn; insinuation |
| inopportune | untimely; pporly chosen |
| inordinate | unrestrained; excessive |
| inquisitor | questioner (especially harsh); investigator |
| insalubrious | unwholesome; not heafthful |
| insatiable | not easily satisfied; unquenchable |
| inscrutable | impenetrable; not readily understood; mysterious |
| insensate | without feeling |
| insensible | unconscious; unresponsive |
| insidious | treacherous; stealthy; sly |
| insightful | discerning; perceptive |
| insinuate | hint; imply; creep in |
| insipid | lacking in flavor; dull |
| insolence | impudent; disrespectful |
| 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; cross-examine |
| intervene | come between |
| intimate | hint |
| intimidate | frighten |
| intractable | unruly; stubborn; unyielding |
| intransigence | refusal of any compromise; stubbornness |
| intrepid | fearless |
| 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 |
| inveigh | denounce; utter censure or invective |
| inveigle | lead astray; wheedle |
| 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 a 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 mean |
| 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 |
| itinerant | wandering; traveling |
| itinerary | plan of a trip |
| jabber | chatter rapidly or unintelligibly |
| jaded | fatigued; surfeited |
| jargon | language used by a 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 |
| 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., produce interesting symmetrical effects |
| 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 |
| knit | contract into wrinkles; grow together |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 | defamatory statement; act of writing something that smears a person's character |
| libertine | debauched person, roue |
| 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 |
| limber | flexible |
| limbo | region near heaven or hell where certain souls are kept; a prison (slang) |
| limn | draw; outline; describe |
| limpid | clear |
| lineage | descent; ancestry |
| lineaments | features, 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) |
| lope | gallop slowly |
| loquacious | talkative |
| lout | clumsy person |
| low | moo |
| lucid | easily understood |
| 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 sate 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.) |
| 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 | a 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 |
| mawkish | mushy and gushy; icky-sticky sentimental; maudlin |
| maxim | proverb; a truth pithily stated |
| mayhem | injury to body |
| meager | scanty; inadequate |
| mealymouthed | indirect in speech; hypocritical; evasive |
| meander | wind or turn in its course |
| meddlesome | interfering |
| 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 cultivated |
| medium | appropriate occupation or means of expression; channel of communication; compromise |
| medley | mixture |
| meek | submissive; patient and long-suffering |
| 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 | measure; distribute |
| meteoric | swift; momentarily brilliant |
| methodical | systematic |
| meticulous | excessively careful; painstaking; scrupulous |
| metropolis | large city |
| mettle | courage; spirit |
| miasma | swamp gas; heavy; vaporous atmosphere |
| 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 |
| mimicry | imitation |
| minatory | menacing; threatening |
| mincing | affectedly dainty |
| minion | a servile dependent |
| minuscule | 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 |
| misdemeanor | 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 | lessen in intensity; moderate; appease |
| mnemonic | pertaining to memory |
| mobile | movable; not fixed |
| mock | ridicule; imitate, often in derision |
| mode | prevailing style; manner; way of doing something |
| modicum | limited quality |
| 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 substance |
| 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 |
| monastic | related to monks or monasteries; removed from worldly concerns |
| monetary | pertaining to money |
| monochromatic | having only one color |
| monolithic | solidly uniform; unyielding |
| monotheism | belief in one 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-humored; sullen; melancholy |
| mortician | undertaker |
| mortify | humiliate; punish the flesh |
| mosaic | picture made of small, colorful inlaid tiles |
| mote | small speck |
| motif | theme |
| motility | ability to move spontaneously |
| motley | multicolored; mixed |
| mottled | blotched in coloring; 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 odor of musk |
| muster | gather; assemble |
| musty | stale; spoiled by age |
| mutability | ability to change in form; fickleness |
| muted | silent; muffled; toned down |
| mutilate | maim |
| mutinous | unruly; rebellious |
| myopic | nearsighted; lacking foresight |
| myriad | very large number |
| nadir | lowest point |
| naivete | quality of being unsophisticated |
| 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 | favoritism (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 skeptic; revolutionary terrorist |
| `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 an impersonal beatitude |
| nocturnal | done at night |
| noisome | foul-smelling; unwholesome |
| nomadic | wandering |
| nomenclature | terminology; system of names |
| nominal | in name only; trifling |
| nonchalance | indifference; lack of concern; composure |
| noncommittal | neutral; unpledged; undecided |
| nondescript | undistinctive; ordinary |
| nonentity | person of no importance; nonexistence |
| nonplus | bring to a 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 |
| nuance | shade of difference in meaning or color; subtle distinction |
| nubile | marriageable |
| 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. | no 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 |
| oblivious | inattentive or unmindful; wholly absorbed |
| obloquy | slander; disgrace; infamy |
| obnoxious | offensive |
| obscure adj. | dark; vague; unclear |
| obscure v. | 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 |
| 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 odor |
| odorous | having an odor |
| 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 |
| omniscient | all-knowing |
| omnivorous | eating both plant and animal food; devouring everything |
| onerous | burdensome |
| onomatopoeia | words formed in imitation of natural sounds |
| onslaught | 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 favorable |
| optional | not compulsory; left to one's choice |
| optometrist | one who fits glasses to remedy visual defects |
| opulence | extreme wealth; luxuriousness; 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 | mouthlike opening; small opening |
| ornate | excessively or elaborately decorated |
| ornithologist | scientific student of birds |
| orthodox | tradition; conservative in belief |
| orthography | correct spelling |
| oscillate | vibrate pendulumlike; 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 favor; 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; anti-militarist |
| 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 |
| paleontology | 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 papyrus plant |
| parable | short, simple story teaching a moral |
| paradigm | model; example; pattern |
| paradox | something apparently contradictory |
| paragon | model of perfection |
| parallelism | state of being parallel; similarity |
| parameter | limit; independent variable |
| paramount | foremost in importance; supreme |
| paramour | illicit lover |
| paranoia | psychosis marked by delusions of grandeur or persecution |
| 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 |
| parquet | floor made of wood strips inlaid in a mosaic-like pattern |
| paroxysm | fit or attack of pain, laughter, rage |
| parry | ward off a blow; deflect |
| 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 |
| passe | 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 offense |
| 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 |
| pediatrician | 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 |
| 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 liquid or gas to pass through |
| pernicious | very destructive |
| peroration | conclusion of an oration |
| perpetrate | commit an offense |
| perpetual | everlasting |
| perpetuate | make something last; preserve from extinction |
| perquisite | any gain above stipulated salary |
| personable | attractive |
| perspicacious | having insight; penetrating |
| perspicuity | clearness of expression; freedom from ambiguity |
| perspicuous | plainly expressed |
| pert | 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 | turn to stone |
| petty | trivial; unimportant; very small |
| petulant | touch; peevish |
| pharisaical | pertaining to the Pharisees |
| phenomena | observable facts |
| 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 | of different colors; mottled; spotted |
| piecemeal | one part at a time; gradually |
| pied | variegated; multicolored |
| piety | devoutness; reverence for God |
| pigment | colorihttp://quizlet.com/2549561/edit/ng matter |
| pillage | plunder |
| pillory | punish by placing in a wooden frame; subject to criticism and ridicule |
| pine | languish, decline; long for; yearn |
| pinion | restrain |
| pinnacle | peak |
| pious | devout; religious |
| piquant | pleasantly tart-tasting; stimulating |
| pique | irritation; resentment |
| piscatorial | pertaining to fishing |
| 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; 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, v. | examine critically in order to understand; measure depth (by sounding) |
| plumb, adj. | vertical |
| plummet | fall sharply |
| plutocracy | society ruled by the wealthy |
| podiatrist | doctor who treats ailments of hte feet |
| podium | pedestal |
| poignancy | quality of being deeply moving; keenness of emotion |
| polarize | spirit into opposite extremes or camps |
| polemic | controversy; argument in support of 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 something |
| pragmatist | practical person |
| prate | speak foolishly; boast idly |
| prattle | babble |
| preamble | introductory statement |
| precarious | uncertain; riskly |
| precedent, n. | something preceding in time that may be used as an authority or guide for future action; an earlier occurrence |
| precedent, adj. | preceding in time, rank, etc. |
| 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, adj. | rash; premature; hasty; sudden |
| precipitate, v. | throw headlong; hasten |
| precipitous | steep; overhasty |
| precis | concise summing up of main points |
| precise | exact |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| presage | foretell |
| prescience | ability to foretell teh 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 |
| 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 | forcasted 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 | thttp://quizlet.com/2549561/edit/edious wordiness; verbosity |
| prologue | introduction (to a poem or play) |
| prolong | extend; draw out; lengthen |
| prominent | conspicuous; notable; protruding |
| promiscuous | mixed indiscriminately; haphazard; irregular, particulary sexually |
| promontory | headland |
| 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 by official publication |
| prone | inclined to; prostrate |
| propagate | multiply; spread |
| propellant | substance that propels or drives forward |
| propensity | natural inclination |
| prophetic | having to do wtih 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 tot take on many forms |
| protege | 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 outlook; 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 | inquire impertinently; use leverage to raise or open something |
| pseudonym | pen name |
| psyche | soul; mind |
| psychiatrist | 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 | stressing niceties of conduct or form; minutely attentive (perhaps too much so) to fine points |
| 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 rumored |
| purse | pucker; contract into wrinkles |
| purveyor | furnisher of foodstuffs; caterer |
| pusillanimous | cowardly; fainthearted |
| putative | supposed; reputed |
| 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 it is difficult to free oneself |
| quail | cower; lose heart |
| quanit | odd; old-fashioned; 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 | 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 |
| quiescent | at rest; dormant; temporarily inactive |
| quietude | tranquility |
| 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 |
| pampant | growing in profusion; unrestrained |
| rampart | defensive mound of earth |
| ramshackle | rickety; falling apart |
| rancid | having the odor of stale fat |
| rancor | bitterness; hatred |
| random | without definite purpose, plan, or aim; haphazard |
| rankle | irritate; fester |
| rant | rave; talk excitedly; scold; make a grandiloquent speech |
| rapacious | excessively grasping; plundering |
| rapport | emotional closeness; harmony |
| rapt | absorbed; enchant4ed |
| rarefied | made less dense (of a gas) |
| raspy | grating; harsh |
| ratify | approve formally; confirm; verify |
| ratiocination | reasoning; act of 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 | 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 |
| rebagte | 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 |
| 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; reconnoitering |
| 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 odor |
| redoubtable | formidable; causing fear |
| redress | remedy; compensation |
| redundant | superfluous; repetitious; excessively wordy |
| reek | emit (odor) |
| refectory | dining hall |
| refraction | bending of a ray of light |
| refractory | stubborn; unmanageable |
| refrain | abstain from; resist |
| 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 | prescribed diet and habits |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| renegade | deserter; 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 |
| repel | drive away; disgust |
| repellent | driving away; unattractive |
| repercussion | rebound; reverberation; reaction |
| repertoire | list of woks of music, drama, etc. |
| 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 | restrain; crush; oppress |
| reprieve | temporary stay |
| reprimand | strong rebuke; formal reproof; scolding |
| reprisal | retaliation |
| reprise | musical repetition; repeat performance; recurrent action |
| reproach | express disapproval or disappointment |
| reprobate | person hardened in sin, devoid of a sense of decency |
| reprobation | severe disapproval |
| reprove | censure; rebuke |
| repudiate | disown; disavow |
| repugnance | loathing |
| repulsion | distaste; act of driving back |
| reputable | respectable |
| reputed | supposed |
| requiem | mass for the dead; dirge |
| requisite | necessary requirement |
| requite | repay; 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, n. | determination; firmness of purpose |
| resolve, v. | decide; settle; solve |
| resonant | echoing; resounding; deep and full in sound |
| respiration | breathing; exhalation |
| respite | interval of relief; time for rest |
| 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 offenses |
| 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 | respectful; worshipful |
| reverie | daydream; musing |
| revert | relapse; backslide; turn back to |
| revile | attack with abusive language |
| 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; sonorousness of speech |
| rousing | lively; stirring |
| rout | stampede; drive out |
| rubble | fragments |
| rubric | title or heading (in red print); directions for religious ceremony; protocol |
| ruddy | reddish; healthy-looking |
| rudimentary | not developed; elementary; crude |
| rue | regret; lament; mourn |
| ruffian | bully; scoundrel |
| ruminate | chew over and over (mentally or, like cows, physically); mull over; ponder |
| rummage | ransack; thoroughly search |
| runic | mysterious; set down in an ancient alphabet |
| ruse | trick; stratagem |
| rustic | pertaining to country people; uncouth |
| rusticate | banish to the country; dwell in teh 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 and cunning |
| saunter | stroll slowly |
| savant | scholar |
| savor | enjoy; have a distinctive flavor, smell, or quality |
| savory | tasty; pleasing, attractive, or agreeabloe |
| 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 | fret about; hesitate for ethical reasons |
| 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 | resistance to authority; insubordination |
| 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; feeble-mindedness 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; carnal; voluptuous |
| sensuous | pertaining to the physical senses; operating through the senses |
| sententious | terse; concise; aphoristic |
| sentient | capable of sensation; aware; sensitive |
| 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 saw-toothed 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 |
| 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 |
| shrewd | clever; astute |
| shun | keep away from |
| shunt | turn aside; divert; sidetrack |
| shyster | lawyer using questionable methods |
| sibling | brother or sister |
| sibylline | prophetic; oracular |
| sidereal | relating to the stars |
| silt | sediment deposited by running water |
| simian | monkey-like |
| simile | comparison of one thing with another; using 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 of view |
| 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 | insult to one's character or reputation; slander |
| 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 (especially 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 |
| solemnity | seriousness; gravity |
| 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 tot 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 | seemingly plausible but fallacious reasoning |
| sophomoric | immature; half-baked, like a sophomore |
| 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 luxusry 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 of 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 |
| sphinx-like | enigmatic; mysterious |
| splice | fasten together; unit |
| 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 things be exactly right |
| stifle | suppress; extinguish; inhibit |
| stigma | token of disgrace; brand |
| stilted | bombastic; stiffly pompous |
| stint, v. | be thrifty; set limits |
| stint, n. | supply; allotted amount ; assigned portion of work |
| 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 parallel bands; grooved |
| stricture | critical comments; severe and adverse criticism |
| strident | loud and harsh; insistent |
| stringent | binding; rigid |
| strut, n. | n., pompous walk |
| strut | supporting bar |
| studied | unspontaneous; deliberate; thoughtful |
| stultify | cause to appear or become stupid or inconsistent; frustrate or hinder |
| stypefy | make numb; stun; amaze |
| stupor | state of apathy; daze; lack of awareness |
| stygian | gloomy; hellish; deathly |
| stymie | present an aobstacle; stumpt |
| suavity | urbanity; polish |
| subaltern | subordinate |
| subdued | less intense; quieter |
| subjective | occurring or taking place within the mind; unreal |
| subjugate | conquer; bring under control |
| sublimate | refine; purify |
| sublime | exalted; noble and uplifting; utter |
| subliminal | below the threshold |
| 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; verfy; 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 right s(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 humbly; pray to grant a favor |
| supposition | hypothesis; surmise |
| supposititious | assumed; counterfeit; hypothetical |
| suppress | stifle; overwhelm; subdue; inhibit |
| surfeit | 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 specious argument |
| sylvan | pertaining to the woods; rustic |
| symbiosis | interdependent relationship (between groups, species), often mutually beneficial |
| symmetry | arrangement of parts so that balance is obtained; congruity |
| 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; talking 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 |
| 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 |
| tarantula | venomous spider |
| tarry | delay; dawdle |
| tatty | torn and shabby; bedraggled |
| taut | tight; ready |
| 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 | act evasively to gain time; avoid committing oneself |
| 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 tor 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 | 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 |
| toga | Roman outer robe |
| tome | large volume |
| tonsure | shaving of the head, especially by 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 |
| toter | move unsteadily; sway, as if about to fall |
| touchstone | stone used to test the fineness of gold alloys; criterion |
| touchy | sensitive; irascible |
| tout | publicize;p praise excessively |
| toxic | poisonous |
| tract | pamphlet; a region of indefinite size |
| tractable | docile; easily managed |
| traduce | expose to slander |
| trajectory | path taken by a projectile |
| tranquility | calmness; peace |
| transcendent | surpassing; exceeding ordinary limits; superior |
| transcribe | copy |
| transfigure | transform outwardly, usually for the better; change in form or aspect |
| 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 |
| transpire | be revealed; happen |
| transport | strong emotion |
| trappings | outward decorations; ornaments |
| traumatic | pertaining to an injury caused by violence |
| travail | painful physical or mental labor; drudgery; torment |
| traverse | go through or across |
| travesty | harshly distorted imitation; parody; debased likeness |
| treatise | article treating a subject systematically and thoroughly |
| trek | travel; journey |
| tremor | trembling; slight quiver |
| tremulous | trembling; wavering |
| trenchant | forceful and vigorous; cutting |
| trepidation | fear; nervous apprehension |
| tribulation | distress; suffering |
| tribunal | court of justice |
| tribute | tax levied by a ruler; mark of respect |
| trident | three-pronged spear |
| trifling | trivial; unimportant |
| trilogy | group of three works |
| trinket | knickknack; bauble |
| trite | hackneyed; commonplace |
| trivia | trifles; unimportant matters |
| troth | pledge of good faith especially in betrothal |
| trigger | set off |
| 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; 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 |
| 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 | infallibly |
| 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 | not repressed |
| unintimidating | not frightening |
| unique | without an equal; single in kind |
| unison | unity of pitch; complete accord |
| universal | characterizing or affecting all; present everywhere |
| unkempt | disheveled |
| unmitigated | unrelieved or immoderate; absolute |
| unobtrusive | inconspicuous; not blatant |
| unpalatable | distasteful; disagreeable |
| unprecedented | novel; unparalleled |
| unprepossessing | unattractive |
| unravel | disentangle; solve |
| unrequired | not reciprocated |
| unruly | disobedient; lawless |
| unsavory | distasteful; morally offensive |
| unscathed | unharmed |
| unseemly | unbecoming; indecent; in poo taste |
| unsightly | ugly |
| unsullied | untarnished |
| untenable | indefensible; not able to be maintained |
| untoward | unfortunate or unlucky; adverse; unexpected |
| untrammeled | without limits or restrictions; unrestrained |
| 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 | 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 | stray; random |
| vagrant | homeless wanderer |
| vainglorious | boastful; excessively conceited |
| valedictory | pertaining to farewell |
| valid | logically convincing; sound;p 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 flavorless |
| vaporize | turn into vapor (steam, gas, fog, etc.) |
| variegated | many-colored |
| vassal | in feudalism, one who held land of a superior lord |
| vaunted | boasted; bragged; highly publicized |
| veer | change in direction |
| vegetate | live in a monotonous way |
| 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 | revere3 |
| venial | forgivable; trivial |
| venison | the meat of a deer |
| venom | poison; hatred |
| vent |