| Term | Definition |
|---|
| rabble | mob; noisy crowd |
| rabid | of or suffering rabies; like a fanatic; extremely zealous; furious; CF. rabies: hydrophobia |
| rabies | disease passed on by the bite of an infected animal (causing madness and death) |
| raconteur | story-teller; one who tells stories with wit and skill |
| raffle | lottery; V: award as a prize in a raffle; Ex. raffle off a new car |
| rag | scrap of cloth; ADJ. ragged: old and torn; seeming unfinished and imperfect; Ex. ragged debut/performance |
| ragamuffin | dirty child in torn clothes; person wearing tattered clothes |
| rail | complain bitterly; scold; rant; Ex. the weaker railing against injustices |
| raiment | clothing; garments; Ex. I have no raiment fit to wear. |
| rake | immoral or dissolute person |
| rakish | jaunty; stylish; sporty; morally corrupt; dissolute; Ex. He wore his hat at a rakish and jaunty angle. |
| rally | come or bring together; call up or summon (forces, vital powers, etc.); revive or recuperate (after illness or difficulty); N: act of rallying; mass gathering |
| ram | male sheep; V. strike or drive against with a heavy impact |
| ramble | wander aimlessly (physically or mentally); digress |
| ramification | branching out; subdivision; one branch of a system; one of the results following from an action or decision; Ex. ramifications of a business/the decision |
| ramify | branch out; divide into branches or subdivisions |
| ramp | slope; inclined plane or roadway (connecting two levels) |
| rampant | growing or spreading uncontrollably; growing in profusion; unrestrained; Ex. rampant lawlessness/weed |
| rampart | defensive mound of earth |
| ramshackle | (of a building or vehicle) poorly constructed; rickety; falling apart |
| rancid | having the odor of stale or decomposing fat; rank |
| rancor | long-lasting hatred; bitterness; Ex. negotiation without rancor; ADJ. rancorous |
| random | without definite purpose, plan, or aim; haphazard; Ex. random shots; Ex. chosen at random |
| rank | offensive in odor or flavor |
| rankle | irritate; fester; annoy |
| ransack | search thoroughly; pillage (going through a place); Ex. Enemy soldiers ransacked the town. |
| rant | speak violently or excitedly; rave; talk excitedly showing anger; scold; make a grandiloquent speech; Ex. The priest ranted about the devil. |
| rapacious | voracious; ravenous; taking everything one can; excessively grasping; plundering; subsisting on live prey; Ex. rapacious birds |
| rapport | close relationship; emotional closeness; harmony |
| rapt | engrossed; absorbed; enchanted; Ex. rapt listener |
| rapture | great joy and delight; ecstasy; ADJ. rapturous |
| rare | (of air) thin in density; rarefied; Ex. rare air of the mountains |
| rarefied | made less dense (of a gas); V. rarefy: make less dense; N. rarefaction |
| rasp | (of a sound) grate on (eg. nerves); make a harsh noise; have an unpleasant effect; rub with something rough; Ex. The cat's tongue rasped my hand. |
| raspy | making a harsh noise; grating; harsh |
| ratify | approve formally; confirm; verify |
| ratiocination | reasoning; act of drawing conclusions from premises; V. ratiocinate: reason logically |
| ration | fixed portion; V: distribute as rations |
| rational | (of a person) having reason; (of ideas) based on reason; logical |
| rationale | fundamental reason or principle (on which a system or principle is based); fundamental reason or justification; grounds for an action |
| rationalize | make rational; devise false reasons for (one's behavior); offer an excuse; give a plausible reason for an action in place of a true, less admirable ones; N. rationalization |
| raucous | (of voice) harsh and unpleasant; (of people) disorderly and boisterous; Ex. raucous shouts |
| ravage | devastate; plunder; despoil; Ex. crops ravaged by storms |
| rave | overwhelmingly favorable review; V: talk wildly as if mad; Ex. raving lunatic |
| ravel | fall apart into tangles; entangle; unravel or untwist |
| ravenous | extremely hungry; voracious |
| ravine | narrow valley with steep sides; gorge; CF. gully, canyon |
| raze | destroy completely; Ex. raze the city to the ground |
| reactionary | strongly opposed to social or political change; opposing progress; politically ultraconservative; N. OP. radical |
| realm | kingdom; field or sphere; Ex. not within the realms of possibility |
| reaper | one who harvests grain; Ex. the Grim Reaper; V. reap: cut and gather (crop); harvest a crop |
| rebate | return of part of a payment; discount; V. |
| rebuff | reject bluntly; snub; beat back; Ex. She rebuffed his invitation; N. |
| rebuke | scold harshly; criticize severely |
| rebus | representation of words in the form of pictures or symbols; puzzle in which pictures or letters stand for words; Ex. ``R U 18'' is a rebus for ``Are you 18''. |
| rebuttal | refutation; response with contrary evidence; V. rebut: refute; disprove |
| recalcitrant | disobedient or resisting authority even after being punished; obstinately stubborn; determined to resist authority; unruly; Ex. recalcitrant child |
| recant | disclaim or disavow; retract a previous statement; openly confess error; Ex. recant one's faith/a statement |
| recapitulate | summarize |
| recast | reconstruct (a sentence, story, statue, etc.); fashion again |
| receptive | quick or willing to receive (ideas, suggestions, etc.); Ex. receptive to the proposal |
| recess | pause; temporary cessation; alcove; secret inner place; Ex. parliament in recess; V. CF. recessive |
| recession | withdrawal; retreat; time of low economic activity |
| recidivism | habitual return to crime (even after being punished); N. recidivist |
| recipient | receiver |
| reciprocal | mutual; given and received in return; exchangeable; interacting; Ex. reciprocal trade agreement |
| reciprocate | do or give something in return; repay in kind; give or take mutually; interchange; move |
| recital | act of reciting publicly; detailed account; performance of music or dance (by a solo performer) |
| recite | repeat aloud (something learned); describe; Ex. recite his complaints; N. recitation |
| reckon | count; calculate; regard as; think; suppose |
| recline | lie down |
| recluse | hermit; loner; ADJ. reclusive |
| reconcile | make friendly again (after quarrel); make consistent (two ideas in opposition); correct inconsistencies; Ex. reconcile one's political principles with one's religious beliefs |
| recondite | abstruse; not easily understood; profound; secret |
| reconnaissance | survey of enemy by soldiers; reconnoitering; V. reconnoiter: make a preliminary inspection of (esp. to gather military information) |
| recount | narrate or tell (a story); count over again |
| recourse | resorting to help when in trouble; Ex. without recourse to |
| recreant | disloyal; cowardly; N: disloyal and cowardly person |
| recrimination | countercharges; V. recriminate |
| rectify | set right; correct; CF. rect-: right |
| rectitude | moral correctness; moral uprightness; moral virtue; correctness of judgment |
| recumbent | reclining; lying down completely or in part |
| recuperate | recover; return to health; regain; Ex. recuperate losses |
| recurrent | occurring again and again |
| redolent | odorous; fragrant; suggestive (of an odor); Ex. redolent of onions/mystery |
| redoubtable | formidable; causing fear |
| redress | remedy; compensation; Ex. seek redress for the damage to your car; V: put right; remedy or rectify (a wrong); make amends for |
| reduce | diminish; bring to a weaker or more difficult condition; demote; lower in rank; separate into components by analysis; Ex. reduced to the ranks; Ex. reduce the house to rubble; N. reduction |
| redundant | superfluous; more than is necessary; verbose; excessively wordy; repetitious |
| reek | emit (an unpleasant odor or smoke); give off an unpleasant odor; give out smoke; Ex. reeking chimney; N: unpleasant odor; stench |
| refectory | dining hall; room where meals are served (in a school) |
| referendum | direct vote by all the people |
| refraction | bending of a ray of light |
| refractory | unmanageable; disobedient and stubborn; Ex. refractory horse |
| refrain | abstain from; resist; forbear; N: chorus |
| refulgent | effulgent; brilliant; brightly shining; gleaming; Ex. refulgent moon |
| refurbish | renovate; make clean, bright, or fresh (make new) again; make bright by polishing; Ex. refurbish an old theater; CF. furbish: polish |
| refuse | anything discarded or rejected as worthless; trash |
| refute | disprove; prove to be false; N. refutation |
| regal | royal; of a monarch; Ex. regal manner |
| regale | entertain |
| regatta | boat or yacht race |
| regeneration | spiritual rebirth; Ex. regeneration of the prisoners; V. regenerate: give or obtain new life; reform spiritually |
| regent | a person who governs in place of a ruler who is ill, absent, or still a child; ADJ. Ex. the Prince regent |
| regicide | murder of a king or queen |
| regime | method of system or government |
| regimen | prescribed course of diet or exercise; prescribed diet and habits; Ex. daily regimen of a dancer |
| regiment | military unit; V: subject to strict order; Ex. regimented society |
| rehabilitate | restore to proper condition (health or useful life); restore the former rank of |
| reimburse | repay; pay back |
| reinstate | restore to a previous condition or position |
| reiterate | repeat |
| rejoinder | reply; retort; comeback; V. rejoin: say in reply |
| rejuvenate | make young again |
| relapse | return to a former state (esp. after improvement); N. |
| relegate | put into a lower or worse place; banish to an inferior position; delegate; assign; Ex. relegate the old furniture to the children's room; Ex. relegated to the second division |
| relent | become less severe; give in(surrender); ADJ. relentless: unyielding; continuously severe |
| relevant | having importance; pertinent; referring to the case in hand; N. relevance, relevancy |
| relic | surviving remnant (from an extinct culture); memento; keepsake; relics: corpse; Ex. ancient relics; Ex. relics of his travel; Ex. His relics are buried at X. |
| religious | of religion; (of a person) pious; having reverence for a deity |
| relinquish | give up something (with reluctance); yield; release; Ex. relinquish power/the claim to the land/his hold on my arm |
| relish | enjoy; savor; N: enjoyment; zest |
| remediable | reparable |
| reminiscence | recollection; V. reminisce: recollect the past |
| reminiscent | suggestive of something (in the past); of reminiscence |
| remiss | negligent; careless about a duty |
| remission | temporary moderation (of disease symptoms); remitting of a debt or punishment; cancelation of a debt; pardon; Ex. The disease went into remission; Ex. Christians pray for the remission of sins. |
| remit | transmit (money) in payment; free someone from a debt or punishment |
| remittance | remitting of money; amount of money remitted |
| remnant | remainder |
| remonstrate | protest; objection; V. remonstrate: say in protest |
| remorse | deep regret for wrongdoing; guilt; self-reproach |
| remunerative | (of work) compensating; rewarding; profitable; well-paid; V. remunerate: reward; pay (someone) for work or trouble |
| rend | split; tear apart; N. rent; CF. heartrending: causing deep sorrow |
| render | give; deliver; provide; represent in verbal or artistic form; depict; perform; make; translate; Ex. render the song beautifully |
| rendezvous | meeting place; meeting at a set time or place; V. |
| rendition | rendering; translation; artistic interpretation of a song, etc |
| renegade | deserter; traitor; ADJ. |
| renege | break a promise; deny; go back on; Ex. renege on the contract/paying off the debt |
| renounce | abandon; give up (by formal announcement); disown; repudiate; Ex. renounce one's claim to the property/one's religion; N. renunciation |
| renovate | restore to good condition; renew |
| renown | fame; ADJ. renowned |
| rent | tear made by rending; rip; split |
| reparable | capable of being repaired |
| reparation | compensation (for loss or wrong); amends; Ex. make reparation for the damage; CF. repair |
| repartee | quick clever reply |
| repast | meal; feast; banquet |
| repeal | revoke; annul |
| repel | drive away; disgust; Ex. repel the attack/moisture; Ex. repelled by the dirty room; CF. repulsion |
| repellent | driving away; disgusting; offensive; repulsive; unattractive; N. |
| repercussion | rebound; reaction; reverberation; Ex. serious repercussion |
| repertoire | list of works of music, drama, etc., a performer is prepared to present; CF. repertory |
| repine | fret; complain; be annoyed; Ex. repine over the undone work |
| replenish | fill up again |
| replete | fully filled; filled to the brim or to the point of being stuffed; abundantly supplied; Ex. report replete with errors |
| replica | copy |
| replicate | reproduce; duplicate |
| repose | resting; state of being at rest; calmness; V: lie at rest; relax; put or place; Ex. repose our hopes in a single man |
| repository | storehouse |
| reprehensible | deserving blame; blameworthy; V. reprehend: blame |
| representational | (of a style of art) showing things as they actually appear in real life |
| repress | hold back (the natural expression of); restrain; crush; oppress; Ex. repressed child; Ex. repress a laugh/rebellion |
| reprieve | postponement or cancelation of a punishment; temporary stay; V: postpone or cancel the punishment of |
| reprimand | reprove severely; rebuke; N. |
| reprisal | retaliation |
| reprise | musical repetition; repeating of a piece of music; repeat performance; recurrent action; Ex. reprise in the finale; Ex. constant reprises |
| reproach | blame (not angrily but sadly); express disapproval or disappointment; N. ADJ. reproachful |
| reprobate | morally disapproved person; person hardened in sin, devoid of a sense of decency; CF. disapproved by God ? |
| reprobation | severe disapproval; CF. approbation |
| reprove | censure; rebuke; N. reproof |
| repudiate | disown; disavow; deny |
| repugnance | disgust; strong dislike; loathing; ADJ. repugnant: arousing disgust; repulsive |
| repulse | reject with rudeness or coldness (an offer or friendship); drive back (an enemy attack); CF. repulse $\neq$ cause repulsion |
| repulsion | distaste; disgust; act of driving back; ADJ. repulsive: causing disgust; tending to drive away; V. repel (not `repulse') |
| reputable | respectable; having a good reputation |
| reputed | supposed; Ex. reputed father of the child; V. repute: consider; N. repute: reputation; esteem |
| requiem | mass for the dead; dirge |
| requisite | necessary requirement; something required; ADJ: required; necessary |
| requisition | formal demand or request; Ex. requisition for more computing equipment; V. |
| requite | make return for; repay; reciprocate; revenge; N. requittal |
| rescind | repeal; annul; cancel (a law, decision, or agreement) |
| resentment | indignation; bitterness; displeasure; V. resent: feel anger about |
| reserve | self-control; self-restraint; formal but distant manner; reticence; Ex. without reserve: freely and openly; ADJ. reserved: shy and uncommunicative |
| residual | remaining; left over; of a residue; N: residue |
| residue | remainder; balance |
| resign | give up (a position, right, or claim); submit (oneself) passively |
| resignation | patiently submissiveness; statement that one is quitting a job; ADJ. resigned: acquiescent |
| resilient | elastic; having the power of springing back; able to recover quickly (as from misfortune) |
| resolution | determination; resoluteness; ADJ. resolute: firm or determined in purpose |
| resolve | decide; settle; solve; separate; make a determined decision; N. resolution |
| resonant | (of a sound) echoing; resounding(sounding loudly); deep and full in sound; producing resonance; Ex. resonant voice; N. resonance |
| resort | turn to for help; Ex. resort to violence; N. |
| resound | (of a place) be filled with sound; (of a sound) sound loudly; sound back; echo; Ex. hall resounded with laughter |
| resourceful | clever and imaginative (in dealing with difficult situations); N. resource, resourcefulness |
| respiration | breathing; exhalation; ADJ. respiratory |
| respite | time for rest; interval of relief; delay in punishment; reprieve |
| resplendent | brilliant; splendid in appearance; dazzling; glorious |
| responsiveness | state of reacting readily to appeals, orders, etc.; ADJ. responsive: readily reacting; Ex. responsive to treatment |
| restitution | returning something (lost or stolen) to the rightful owner; reparation; indemnification; compensation for loss, damage, or injury |
| restive | impatiently restless (induced by external coercion or restriction); restlessly impatient; obstinately resisting control; Ex. restive horses because of wolves; CF. not a general synonym for `restless' |
| restraint | moderation or self-control; controlling force; restriction |
| resumption | taking up again; recommencement; V. resume: begin or take up again; take or occupy again; Ex. Kindly resume your seats. |
| resurge | rise again; flow to and fro; N. resurgence; ADJ. resurgent: (of ideas or beliefs) experiencing revival; surging again |
| resurrect | revive |
| resuscitate | revive; bring back to life or consciousness; Ex. resuscitate the drowned child |
| retain | keep; maintain possession of; employ (esp. a lawyer or advisor); N. retainer: servant; fee paid to retain an advisor |
| retaliate | repay in kind (usually for bad treatment); V. retaliate |
| retard | delay (in development); ADJ. retarded: (as of a child) slower in development |
| retentive | holding; able to retain things (esp. facts in the mind); having a good memory |
| reticent | inclined to silence; uncommunicative; reserved; Ex. He was reticent about the reasons; N. reticence |
| retinue | following; attendants |
| retiring | shy and reserved (of a person); modest; Ex. her retiring personality |
| retort | quick sharp reply; V. |
| retract | withdraw; take back; draw back; Ex. retract a statement/an offer/claws; N. retraction; CF. retractile |
| retrench | cut down; cut down expenses; economize |
| retribution | deserved punishment for wrongdoing; punishment for offenses; compensation; vengeance; CF. pay back |
| retrieve | recover; put right; find and bring in; regain; Ex. retrieve the situation |
| retroactive | taking effect before its enactment (as a law) or imposition (as a tax); (of a law) having effect on the past as well as the future |
| retrograde | go backwards; recede; degenerate; deteriorate; ADJ. |
| retrospective | looking back on the past; N. retrospection; V. retrospect |
| revelry | boisterous merrymaking; V. revel: engage boisterous festivities; enjoy greatly; N: boisterous festivity or celebration |
| reverberate | echo repeatedly; resound; Ex. The thunder reverberated across the valley. |
| reverend | deserving reverence; N: priest |
| reverent | respectful; worshipful; V. revere: regard with reverence; N. reverence: profound respect |
| reverie | daydream; abstracted musing |
| revert | relapse; backslide; turn back to; return to the former owner; N. reversion |
| revile | attack with abusive language; vilify(slander) |
| revoke | cancel; retract; CF. irrevocable |
| revulsion | sudden strong feeling of disgust; sudden violent change of feeling; negative reaction; Ex. revulsion from the scenes of torture |
| rhapsodize | speak or write in an exaggeratedly enthusiastic manner; Ex. rhapsodize over the beauty of the scenery |
| rhapsody | excessively enthusiastic expression of feeling; musical composition of irregular form (as if made up as one plays it) |
| rhetoric | art of effective communication; art of using language effectively and persuasively; style of speaking or writing; grandiloquent language; Ex. political rhetoric; ADJ. rhetorical; CF. rhetorical question: question to which no answer is expected as |
| ribald | marked by vulgar lewd humor; wanton; profane; N. ribaldry: ribald language or joke |
| rickety | (of buildings) likely to break or fall apart; of rickets; CF. rickets; CF. vitamin D |
| riddle | pierce with holes; permeate or spread throughout; Ex. The gunman riddled the car with bullets; Ex. The whole report is riddled with errors; N. large sieve (separating earth from stone) |
| rider | amendment or clause added to a legislative bill |
| rife | (of something bad) widespread; abundant; current |
| rift | narrow opening in a large mass; break in a friendly relation; Ex. through a rift in the clouds; OP. reconcilation |
| rig | arrangement of masts and sails; V: equip (a ship) with rigging; ADJ. rigging: ropes that hold up a ship's sails |
| righteous | morally upright; just |
| rightful | legally correct; Ex. rightful owner |
| rigid | hard and unbending; stiff and unyielding; fixed in behavior or views; strict; rigorous; Ex. rigid rule |
| rigor | severity; Ex. rigors of the Russian winter |
| rile | irritate; vex; muddy |
| rip | tear or be torn quickly and violently; Ex. The sail ripped under the force of the wind; N. |
| rivet | metal pin used for fastening metal plates together; V: fasten with a rivet; engross |
| riveting | holding one's attention; absorbing; engrossing |
| rivulet | small stream; CF. rill < rivulet < river |
| robust | strong; vigorous |
| rococo | ornate; highly decorated; N. CF. 18th century |
| roil | make liquids murky by stirring up sediment; disturb |
| rolling | (of land) rising and falling in long gentle slopes; happening continuously by stages; Ex. rolling devolution of power to local governments |
| romp | play or frolic boisterously; gambol; N. |
| rooster | cock; adult male chicken |
| roseate | rosy; optimistic; Ex. roseate views |
| roster | list (of names) |
| rostrum | raised platform for speech-making; pulpit |
| rote | repetition; memorization through repetition without understanding; Ex. learn poetry by rote |
| rotund | (of a person) fat and round |
| rotunda | circular building or hall covered with a dome |
| rotundity | roundness; sonorousness of speech |
| rou\'e | lecherous man |
| rousing | lively; inducing excitement; stirring; V. rouse: waken; arouse from sleep or depression; excite; stir up |
| rout | put to rout; stampede; drive out; N: complete defeat and disorderly retreat |
| rubble | fragments (esp. from a destroyed building) |
| rubric | title or heading (in red print); directions for religious ceremony; protocol |
| ruddy | reddish; (of the face) reddish and healthy-looking |
| rudimentary | elementary; not developed; crude; N. rudiment: fundamental element or principle; Ex. rudiments of the language |
| rue | regret; lament; mourn; Ex. He will rue the day; N. ADJ. rueful |
| ruffian | violent scoundrel; bully |
| rumble | make or move with a deep rolling sound (as thunder or stomach) |
| ruminant | animal that ruminates; ADJ. |
| ruminate | chew over and over (mentally or, like cows, physically); mull over(ponder) |
| rummage | ransack; thoroughly search |
| run-down | (of a place) dilapidated; in a bad condition; (of a person) weak or exhausted |
| runic | mysterious; set down in an ancient alphabet; N. rune: one of the letters of an alphabet used by ancient Germanic peoples (cut on stone or wood); magic charm |
| ruse | trick to deceive; stratagem |
| rustic | pertaining to country people; unsophisticated; simple; crude; uncouth; (of furniture) rough with the bark left on; N. rural person; rustic person |
| rusticate | banish to the country; dwell in the country |
| rustle | make slight sounds like silk moving or being rubbed together |
| ruthless | pitiless; merciless; cruel |
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