 | Term | Definition |
| |
abase |
to humiliate; to lower in esteem or dignity; to humble |
| |
abet |
to support or encourage someone especially someone who as done something wrong |
| |
abeyance |
suspension; temporary cessation ; obey |
| |
abjure |
to repudiate; to take back; to refrain from |
| |
abomination |
something despised or abhorred; extreme loathing |
| |
aboriginal |
native; dating back to the very beginning |
| |
abound |
to be very numerous |
| |
abrogate |
to abolish or repeal formally; to set aside; to nullify |
| |
accede |
to give in; to yeild; to agree |
| |
accentuate |
to emphasize; to accent; to highlight |
| |
access |
the right or ability to approach enter or use |
| |
acclaim |
to praise publicly and enthusiastically |
| |
accord |
to agree; to be in harmony; to grant or bestow |
| |
accouterments |
personal clothing accessories or equipment; trappings |
| |
accrue |
to accumulate over time |
| |
acquisitive |
seeking or tending to acquire; |
| |
acquit |
to find not guilty; to bahave or conduct oneself |
| |
acronym |
a word made up of the initials of other words adage a traditional saying; a proverb |
| |
adduce |
to bring forward as an example or as proof; to cite |
| |
adjourn |
to suspend until another time |
| |
adjunct |
something added to or connected with something else; an assistant |
| |
ad-lib |
to improvise; speak or act spontanesously |
| |
advent |
arrival; coming; beginning |
| |
adventitious |
accidnetal; connected to but nonetheless unrelated; irrelevant |
| |
advocate |
a person who argues in favor of a position |
| |
affidavit |
a sworn written statement made before an official |
| |
affiliate |
to become closely associated with |
| |
affliction |
misery; illness;great suffering; a source of misery or great suffering |
| |
afford |
to give; to supply; to confer upon |
| |
affront |
insult; a deliberate act of disrespect |
| |
aftermath |
consequence; events following some occurrence or calamity |
| |
aggrandize |
to exaggerate; to cause to appear greater; to increasesomething in power reputation wealth etc |
| |
aggrieve |
to mistreat; to do grievous injury to; to distress |
| |
aghast |
terrified shocked |
| |
alchemy |
a seemingly magical process of transformation |
| |
alienate |
to estrange; to cause to feel unwelcome or unloved; to make hostile |
| |
allegiance |
loyalty |
| |
allegory |
a story in which the characters are symbols with moral or spiritual meanings |
| |
allot |
to apportion allocate or assign allocate |
| |
altercation |
a heated fight argument or quarrel |
| |
amass |
to pile up; to accumulate; to collect for one's own use |
| |
amid |
in the middle of |
| |
anathema |
something or someone loathe or detested |
| |
ancillary |
subordinate; providing assistance |
| |
angst |
anxiety; fear; dread |
| |
annex |
to add or attach |
| |
annuity |
an annual allowance or income; the annual interest payment on an investment; any regular allowance or income |
| |
antedate |
to be older than; to have come before |
| |
anterior |
situated in front |
| |
anthology |
a collection especially of literary works |
| |
antipodal |
situated on opposite sides of the earth; exactly opposite |
| |
antiquity |
ancientness; ancient times |
| |
aperture |
an opening chasm |
| |
apex |
highest point |
| |
apogee |
the most distant point in the orbit of the moon or of an artificial satellite |
| |
apoplexy |
stroke that is numbness and paralysis resulting from the sudden loss of blood flow to the brain |
| |
apostasy |
abandonment or rejection of faith or loyalty |
| |
appalling |
causing horror or consternation ; appellate- compell- |
| |
apparition |
a ghost or ghostly object |
| |
appellation |
a name |
| |
appendage |
something added on to something else; a supplement |
| |
apportion |
to distribute properionally; to divide into portions |
| |
apposite |
distinctly suitable; pertinent |
| |
appraise |
to estimate the value or quality of; to judge |
| |
apprise |
to give notice to; to inform |
| |
appurtenance |
something extra; an appendage; an accessory |
| |
apropos |
appropriate; coming at the right time |
| |
apt |
appropriate; having a tendency to; likely apposite apropos |
| |
archipelago |
a large group of islands |
| |
archives |
a place where historical documents or materials are stored; the documents or materials them |
| |
arid |
very dry; lacking life interest or imagination |
| |
armament |
implement of war; the process of arming for war |
| |
armistice |
truce |
| |
arraign |
to bring to court to answer an indictment; to accuse |
| |
arrant |
utter; unmitigated; very bad |
| |
arrears |
the state of being in debt; unpaid debts |
| |
arsenal |
a collection of armaments; a facility for storing or producing armament; a supply of anything useful |
| |
articulate |
to pronounce clearly; to express clearly |
| |
artisan |
a person skilled in a craft |
| |
ascertain |
to determine with certainty; to find out definitely |
| |
ascribe |
to credit to or assign; to attribute |
| |
askance |
with suspicion or disapproval |
| |
aspersion |
a slanderous or damning remark |
| |
assail |
to attack vigorously |
| |
assert |
to claim strongly; to affirm |
| |
assess |
to evaluate; to estimate; to appraise |
| |
astringent |
harsh; severe; withering stringent- contingent- |
| |
asylum |
a mental hospital or similar institution; refuge; a place of safety |
| |
atone |
to make amends |
| |
atrophy |
to wither away; to decline from disuse |
| |
attest |
to give proof of; to declare to be true or correct; to give testimony |
| |
attribute |
to credit to or assign; to ascribe |
| |
augur |
to serve as an omen or be a sign; to predict or foretell |
| |
august |
inspiring admiration or awe |
| |
auspices |
protection; support; sponsorship |
| |
auxiliary |
secondary; additional; giving assistance of aid |
| |
avail |
to help; to be of use; to serve |
| |
aversion |
a strong feeling of dislike |
| |
avert |
to turn away; to prevent |
| |
avid |
eager; enthusiastic avarice; arid- |
| |
bacchanal |
a party animal; a drunken reveler; a drunken revelry or orgy |
| |
baleful |
menacing; threatening |
| |
balk |
to abruptly refuse to do something; ti stop short |
| |
ballyhoo |
sensational advertising or promotion; uproar |
| |
balm |
something that heals or soothes |
| |
bandy |
to toss back and forth; to exchange |
| |
banter |
an exchange of good-humored or mildly teasing remarks |
| |
baroque |
extravagantly ornate; flamboyant in style |
| |
barrage |
a concentrated outpouring of artillery fire or of anything else |
| |
bauble |
a gaudy trinket; a small inexpensive on ornament |
| |
bedlam |
noisy uproar and chaos; |
| |
begrudge |
to envy another's possession or enj0yment of something; to be reluctant to give or to give grudgingly ; wistful |
| |
behest |
command; order |
| |
bemoan |
to mourn about; to lament |
| |
benediction |
a blessing; an utterance of good wishes |
| |
benighted |
ignorant; unenlightened |
| |
bestow |
to present as a gift; to confer |
| |
bilious |
ill-tempered; cranky irasible choleric |
| |
bivouac |
a temporary encampment especially of soldiers |
| |
blanch |
to turn pale; to cause to turn pale |
| |
bland |
mild; tasteless; dull; unlively |
| |
blandishment |
flattery |
| |
bliss |
perfect contentment; extreme joy |
| |
bluster |
to roar; to be loud; to be tumultous |
| |
bombast |
pompous or pretentious speech of writing |
| |
bon vivant |
a person who enjoys good food good drink and luxirious living |
| |
bona fide |
sincere done or made in good faith; authentic; genuine |
| |
boon |
a blessing; a benefit |
| |
boor |
a rude or churlish person |
| |
booty |
goods taken from an enemy in war; plunder; stolen or confiscated goods |
| |
botch |
to bungle; to ruin through poor of clumsy effort |
| |
bracing |
invigorating galvanize |
| |
brandish |
to wave or display threateningly |
| |
bravado |
a false show or ostentatious show of bravery or defiance |
| |
brawn |
big muscles; great strength |
| |
brazen |
impudent; bold |
| |
breach |
a violation; a gap or break |
| |
brink |
edge |
| |
bristle |
to stiffen with anger; to appear in some way similar to hair standing on end |
| |
bromide |
a dull obvious overfamilar saying; a cliche |
| |
brouhaha |
uproar; hubbub |
| |
brusque |
abrupt in manner; blunt |
| |
buffoon |
a joker especially one who is coarse of acts like an ass |
| |
bulwark |
a wall used as a defensive fortification; anything used as the main defense against anything else |
| |
cabal |
a group of conspirators; the acts of such a group; a clique |
| |
cache |
a hiding place; the things hidden in a secret place |
| |
calamity |
a disaster |
| |
callous |
insensitive; emotionally hardened |
| |
calumny |
slander; a maliciously false statement |
| |
canon |
a rule of law especially a religious one; a body of rules of laws; |
| |
cant |
insincere of hypocritical speech |
| |
canvass |
to seek votes or opinions; to conduct a survey |
| |
capacious |
spacious; roomy; commodious |
| |
captivate |
to fascinate; to enchant; to enrapture |
| |
carcinogenic |
causing cancer |
| |
cardinal |
most import; chief |
| |
careen |
to swerve; to move rapidly without control; to lean to one side |
| |
cartography |
the art of making maps and charts |
| |
cascade |
a waterfall; anything resembling a waterfall |
| |
cataclysm |
a violent upheaval; an earthquake; a horrible flood |
| |
cavalier |
arrogant; haughty; carefree; casual |
| |
cavil |
to quibble; to raise trivial objections |
| |
chaff |
worthless stuff |
| |
chameleon |
a highly changeable person |
| |
champion |
to defend; to support |
| |
channel |
to direct; to cause to follow a certain path |
| |
chaste |
pure and unadorned; abstaining from sex |
| |
cherub |
a supercute chubby-cheeked child; a kind of angel |
| |
chortle |
to chuckle with glee |
| |
churl |
a rude person; a boor |
| |
chutzpah |
brazenness; audacity |
| |
cipher |
zero; a nobody; a code; the solution to a code |
| |
circumnavigate |
to sail or travel all the way around |
| |
citadel |
a fortress defending a city; a stronghold; a bulwark |
| |
clandestine |
concealed or secret usually for an evil or subversive purpose |
| |
classic |
top-notch; highest quality; serving as a standard or model |
| |
cleave |
to cling; to split rent |
| |
climatic |
having to do with the climate |
| |
cloister |
a covered walk with columns on one side that runs along the perimeter of a courtyard especially in a convent or monastery; a convent or monastery; a tranquil secluded place |
| |
clone |
an exact duplicate; an organism genetically identical to another |
| |
clout |
a blow; influence |
| |
cloy |
to cause to feel too full especially when indulging in something Overly sweet; to become wearisome through excess |
| |
coddle |
to baby |
| |
cogitate |
to ponder; to meditate; to think carefully; ruminate deliberate |
| |
cohort |
a group |
| |
commemorate |
to honor the memory of; to serve as a memorial to |
| |
commiserate |
to express sorrow or sympathy for; to sympathize with; to pity |
| |
commodious |
spacious; roomy; capacious |
| |
compatible |
harmonious; capable of functioning working or living together in harmony; consistent |
| |
competent |
capable; qualified |
| |
compile |
to gather together; to gather together into a book |
| |
comply |
to act or be in accordance with |
| |
composed |
calm; tranquil |
| |
compromise |
a settlement of differences in which each side gives up something |
| |
compunction |
remorse a feeling of uneasiness at doing something wrong |
| |
concave |
curved inward like the inside of a circle or a shpere |
| |
concede |
to acknowledge as true or right; to grant or yield |
| |
concentric |
having the same center |
| |
concert |
combined action; agreement |
| |
concoct |
to create by mixing ingredients; to devise |
| |
concomitant |
following from; accompanying; going along with |
| |
confederate |
an ally; an accomplice |
| |
confer |
to exchange ideas; to consult with; to bestow |
| |
confidant |
a person with whom secrets or private thoughts are shared |
| |
configuration |
arrangement |
| |
conflagration |
a large fire |
| |
confluence |
a flowing together |
| |
confound |
to bewilder; to amaze; to throw into |
| |
congeal |
to solidify; to jell |
| |
conjugal |
having to do with marriage |
| |
connive |
to conspire; to aid or encourage a wrong |
| |
conservatory |
a greenhouse usually one attached to another structure; a music or drama school |
| |
consign |
to hand over; to assign; to entrust; to banish |
| |
consolidate |
to combine or bring together; to solidify; to strengthen |
| |
conspicuous |
easily seen; impossible to miss |
| |
consternation |
sudden confusion |
| |
constituency |
the group of voters represented by a politician; a group of supporters for anything ; constitute |
| |
contempt |
disdain; disgrace |
| |
continuum |
a continuous whole without clear division into parts |
| |
contraband |
smuggled goods |
| |
contretemps |
an embracing occurrence; a mishap |
| |
contumely |
rudeness; insolence; arrogance |
| |
conundrum |
a puzzle or problem without a solution |
| |
convene |
to gather together; to assemble; to meet |
| |
conversant |
familiar; experienced |
| |
converse |
the opposite |
| |
convey |
to transport; to conduct; to communicate |
| |
conviction |
strong belief; a determination of guilt |
| |
convolution |
a twist or trun; the act of twisting or turning |
| |
copious |
abundant; plentiful |
| |
cordial |
gracious; warm; sincere loyalty |
| |
corollary |
a proposition that follows easily |
| |
corporeal |
material; tangible; having substance like the body |
| |
correlation |
a mutual relation between two or more things |
| |
corrosive |
eating away; destructive |
| |
corrugated |
shaped with folds or waves |
| |
coterie |
a group of close associates; a circleof freinds or associates |
| |
cower |
to shrink away or huddle up in fear |
| |
crass |
extremely unrefined; gross; stupid |
| |
craven |
cowardly |
| |
crescendo |
a gradual increase in the volume of a sound; a gradual increase in the intensity of anything |
| |
crestfallen |
dejected; dispirited |
| |
crevice |
a narrow split crack or fissure |
| |
cringe |
to shrink back with fear; to cower; to be servile or suck up in a horrible way |
| |
critique |
a critical review |
| |
crux |
the central point; the essence |
| |
cuisine |
a style of cooking |
| |
cull |
to pick out from among many; to select; to collect |
| |
curb |
to restrain or control |
| |
curmudgeon |
a difficult bad-tempered person |
| |
cursory |
quick and unthorough; hasty; superficial |
| |
debase |
to lower in quality or value; to degrade |
| |
debunk |
to expose the nonsense of |
| |
decree |
an official order usually having the force of law |
| |
decry |
to put down; to denounce |
| |
deem |
to judge; to consider |
| |
deficit |
a shortage especially of money |
| |
defile |
to make filthy or foul; to desecrate desecrateconsecrate |
| |
deft |
skillful |
| |
defunct |
no longer in effect; no longer in existence 1. deceased; 2. demise |
| |
degrade |
to lower in dignity or status; to corrupt; to deteriorate |
| |
deign |
to condescend; to think it in accordance with one's dignity ~ condescend |
| |
deity |
a god or goddness |
| |
dejected |
depressed; disheartened |
| |
delectable |
delightful; delicious ; deleterous |
| |
delinquent |
neglecting a duty or law; late in payment lazy guilty |
| |
delve |
to search or study intensively |
| |
demeanor |
behavior; manner behavior |
| |
demise |
death defunct |
| |
demography |
the statistical study of characteristics of populations |
| |
demur |
to object; to take exception |
| |
demure |
shy; reserved; sedate |
| |
denomination |
a classfication; a category name |
| |
denote |
to signify; to indicate; to mark |
| |
denounce |
to condemn |
| |
depict |
to portray especially in a picture; to describe |
| |
deplete |
to decrease the supply of; to exhaust; to use up |
| |
deplore |
to regret; to condemn; to lament lamnet mourn |
| |
deploy |
to station soldiers or armaments strategically; to arrange strategically |
| |
depose |
to remove from office or position of power ;abdicate |
| |
depredate |
to prey upon; to plunder |
| |
derelict |
neglectful; delinquent; deserted; abandoned |
| |
desist |
to stop doing something; renounce |
| |
devout |
deeply religious; fervent devote |
| |
diatribe |
a bitter abusive denunciation |
| |
dichotomy |
division into two parts especially contradictory ones |
| |
diffuse |
to cause to spread out; to cause to disperse; |
| |
dilapidated |
broken-down; fallen into ruin devastate |
| |
dilate |
to make larger; to become larger; to speak or write at length |
| |
dilemma |
a situation in which one must choose between two equally attractive choices; any problem or predicament |
| |
diminution |
the act or process of diminishing; reduction diminish |
| |
dire |
disastrous; desperate |
| |
dirge |
a funeral song |
| |
disaffect |
to cause to lose affection; to estrange; to alienate; disgruntle |
| |
disarray |
disorder; confusion |
| |
disclaim |
to deny any claim to; to renounce |
| |
discomfit |
to frustrate; to confuse ;frustrate; confuged |
| |
disconcert |
to upset; to ruffle; to perturb |
| |
discourse |
spoken or written expression in words; conversation |
| |
discrepancy |
difference; inconsistency |
| |
discursive |
rambling from one topic to another usually aimlessly |
| |
disgruntle |
to make sulky and dissatisfied; to discontent |
| |
dismal |
dreary; causing gloom; causing dread |
| |
dismay |
to fill with dread; to discourage greatly to perturb |
| |
dispassionate |
unaffected by passion; impartial; calm indifferent |
| |
disperse |
to scatter; to spread widely; to disseminate |
| |
dispirit |
to discourage; to dishearten; to lose spirit |
| |
disposition |
characteristic attitude; state of mind; inclination; arrangement |
| |
disproportionate |
out of proportion; too much or too little |
| |
disquiet |
to make uneasy |
| |
dissemble |
to conceal the real nature of; to act or speak falsely in order to |
| |
dissent |
to disagree; to withhold approval |
| |
disservice |
a harmful action; an ill turn |
| |
dissident |
a person who disagrees or dissents |
| |
dissuade |
to persuade not to |
| |
distinct |
separate; different; clear and unmistakable |
| |
diurnal |
occurring overy day; occurring during the daytime |
| |
divine |
to intuit; to prophesy |
| |
divulge |
to reveal especially to reveal something that has been a screat |
| |
document |
to support with evidence especially written evidence |
| |
doldrums |
low spirits; a state of inactivity |
| |
doleful |
sorrowful; filled with frief |
| |
dolt |
a stupid person; a dunce |
| |
dotage |
senility; foolish affection |
| |
dour |
forbidding; severe; gloomy |
| |
downcast |
directed downward; dejected; depressed |
| |
downplay |
to minimize; to represent as being insignificant; to play down |
| |
draconian |
harsh; sever; cruel |
| |
droll |
humorous; amusing in an odd often understated way |
| |
dross |
worthless stuff especially worthless stuff arising |
| |
duress |
coercion; compulsion by force or threat |
| |
ebb |
to diminish; to recede |
| |
ecclesiastical |
having to do with the church |
| |
eclipse |
to block the light of; to overshadow; to reduce the significance of; |
| |
edict |
an official decree |
| |
edifice |
a big imposing building |
| |
effectual |
effective; adequate |
| |
efficacy |
effectiveness |
| |
effigy |
a likeness of someone especially one used in expressing hatred for the person of whom it is a likeness |
| |
elation |
a feeling of great joy |
| |
electorate |
the body of people entitled to vote in an election; the voters |
| |
elegy |
a mournful poem or other piece of writing; a mournful piece of music |
| |
elite |
the best or most select group |
| |
elocution |
the art of public speaking |
| |
emaciate |
to make extremely thin through starvation or illness |
| |
emanate |
to come forth; to issue |
| |
emancipate |
to liberate; to free from bondage or restraint |
| |
embargo |
a government order suspending foreign trade; a government order suspending the movement of freight-carrying ships in and out of the country's ports |
| |
embellish |
to adorn; to beautify by adding ornaments; to add fanciful or fictitious embody to personify; to give physical form to |
| |
embroil |
to involve in conflict; to throw into disorder |
| |
embryonic |
undeveloped; rudimentary |
| |
emissary |
a messenger of representative sent to represent another |
| |
empathy |
identification with the feelings or thoughts of another |
| |
empower |
to give power or authority to; to enable |
| |
endear |
to make dear; to make beloved |
| |
engaging |
charming; pleasing; attractive |
| |
enmity |
deep hatred; animosity; ill will |
| |
ennui |
boredom; listless lack of interest |
| |
ensue |
to follow immediately afterward; to result |
| |
entail |
to have as a necessary consequence; to involve |
| |
entity |
something that exists; a distinct thing |
| |
entreat |
to ask earnestly; to beg; to plead |
| |
entrepreneur |
an independent business person; |
| |
enumerate |
to name one by one; to list |
| |
envision |
to imagine; to foresee |
| |
epicure |
a person with refined taste in wine and food |
| |
epilogue |
an afterword; a short concluding chapter of a book; a short speech at the end of a play |
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