 | Term | Definition |
| |
WORD |
DEFINITION |
| |
abacus |
frame with balls for calculating |
| |
abate |
to lessen to subside |
| |
abdication |
giving up control authority |
| |
aberration |
straying away from what is normal |
| |
abet |
help/encourage smb (in doing wrong) |
| |
abeyance |
suspended action |
| |
abhor |
to hate to detest |
| |
abide |
be faithful to endure |
| |
abjure |
promise or swear to give up |
| |
abraded |
rubbed off worn away by friction |
| |
abrogate |
repeal or annul by authority |
| |
abscond |
to go away suddenly (to avoid arrest) |
| |
abstruse |
difficult to comprehend obscure |
| |
abut |
border on |
| |
abysmal |
bottomless extreme |
| |
acarpous |
effete no longer fertile worn out |
| |
acclaimed |
welcomed with shouts and approval |
| |
accolade |
praise approval |
| |
accretion |
the growing of separate things into one |
| |
adamant |
kind of stone inflexible |
| |
admonitory |
containing warning |
| |
adorn |
add beauty decorate |
| |
adulteration |
making unpure poorer in quality |
| |
affable |
polite and friendly |
| |
affinity |
close connection relationship |
| |
aggravate |
make worse irritate |
| |
agile |
active quick-moving |
| |
agog |
eager/excited |
| |
ail |
trouble be ill |
| |
alacrity |
eager and cheerful readiness |
| |
alcove |
recess/partially enclosed place |
| |
allegiance |
duty support loyalty |
| |
alleviate |
make (pain) easier to bear |
| |
alloy |
to debase by mixing with something inferior |
| |
aloof |
reserved indifferent |
| |
amalgamate |
mix combine unite societies |
| |
ambidextrous |
able to use the left hand or the right equally well |
| |
ambiguous |
doubtful uncertain |
| |
ambivalent |
having both of two contrary meanings |
| |
ameliorate |
improve make better |
| |
amortize |
end (a debt) by setting aside money |
| |
anguish |
severe suffering |
| |
animosity |
strong dislike |
| |
antidote |
medicine used against a poison or a disease |
| |
antithetical |
direct opposing |
| |
apartheid |
brutal racial discrimination |
| |
aplomb |
self-confidence |
| |
apostate |
one who abandons long-held religious or political convictions |
| |
apotheosis |
deification glorification to godliness |
| |
appease |
make quiet or calm |
| |
apprehensive |
grasping understanding fear unhappy feeling about future |
| |
apprise |
give notice to inform |
| |
approbation |
approval |
| |
apropos |
appropriate to the situation apt |
| |
apt |
well-suited quick-witted |
| |
arabesque |
a complex ornate design |
| |
arboreal |
of connected with trees |
| |
ardor |
enthusiasm |
| |
arduous |
steep difficult ascent laborious |
| |
argot |
jargon slang |
| |
arrant |
in the highest degree |
| |
arrogance |
proud superior manner of behaviour |
| |
articulate |
speak distinctly connect by joints |
| |
ascend |
go or come up |
| |
ascertain |
get to know |
| |
ascetic |
practicing self-denial austere stark |
| |
ascribe |
consider to be the origin of or belonging to |
| |
aseptic |
surgically clean |
| |
asperity |
roughness harshness ill temper irritability |
| |
aspersion |
slander |
| |
assail |
with attack violently |
| |
assiduous |
diligent hard-working sedulous |
| |
assuage |
make smth (pain desire) less |
| |
asterisk |
the mark * (e.g.. omitted letters) |
| |
astringent |
substance that shrinks |
| |
astute |
clever quick at seeing to get an advantage |
| |
atonement |
repayment death of Jesus |
| |
attenuate |
make thin. weaken enervate |
| |
attune |
bring into harmony |
| |
audacious |
daring foolishly bold impudent |
| |
augury |
omen sign |
| |
august |
majestic venerable |
| |
auspicious |
favorable successful prosperous |
| |
austere |
severely moral and strict simple and plain |
| |
auxiliary |
helping supporting |
| |
aver |
affirm assert prove justify |
| |
aversion |
strong dislike |
| |
avid |
eager greedy |
| |
avow |
admit. Declare openly |
| |
baleful |
harmful ominous causing evil |
| |
balk |
obstacle purposely to get on the way of |
| |
baneful |
causing harm or ruin pernicious destructive |
| |
barrage |
artificial obstacle built across a river |
| |
barren |
not good enough unable to have young ones without value |
| |
bask |
in enjoy warmth and light |
| |
beatify |
to bless make happy or ascribe a virtue to |
| |
bedizen |
to adorn especially in a cheap showy manner |
| |
belabor |
beat hard |
| |
bellicose |
belligerent pugnacious warlike |
| |
belligerent |
(person nation) waging war |
| |
benefactor |
person who has given help |
| |
benevolence |
wish or activity in doing good |
| |
benign |
kind and gentle mild (climate) |
| |
bequest |
arrangement to give smth at death |
| |
berate |
scold sharply |
| |
bereft |
rob or dispossess of smth (material) |
| |
bewilder |
puzzle confuse |
| |
bigot |
stubborn narrow-minded person |
| |
bilge |
bulge the protuberance of a cask |
| |
blandishment |
flattery coaxing |
| |
blandness |
polite manner comforting uninteresting |
| |
blatant |
noisy and rough |
| |
blithe |
cheerful casual carefree |
| |
bogus |
sham counterfeit not genuine |
| |
boisterous |
loud noisy rough lacking restraint |
| |
bolster |
give greatly needed support |
| |
boorish |
crude offensive rude |
| |
brash |
hasty rush cheeky saucy |
| |
brass |
yellow metal (mixing copper and zinc) |
| |
brazen |
made of brass |
| |
breach |
opening broken place breaking |
| |
brittle |
easily broken |
| |
broach |
bring up announce begin to talk about |
| |
brook |
to tolerate endure |
| |
buoyant |
able to float light-hearted |
| |
burgeon |
grow forth send out buds |
| |
burnish |
to polish rub to a shine |
| |
cabal |
a scheme or plot a group of plotters |
| |
cadge |
to beg to get by begging |
| |
cajole |
use flattery or deceit to persuade |
| |
calipers |
metal supports attached to the legs measuring instrument |
| |
calumny |
slander aspersion |
| |
candid |
frank straight-forward |
| |
cant |
insincere talk/jargon |
| |
cantankerous |
bad-tempered/quarrelsome |
| |
canvass |
discuss thoroughly sort of touting |
| |
castigate |
to chastise correct by punishing |
| |
castigation |
severe punishment |
| |
catalyst |
substance that causes speeding up |
| |
caustic |
biting sarcastic |
| |
censure |
expression of blame or disapproval a rebuke |
| |
centurion |
leader of a unit of 100 soldiers |
| |
chary |
cautious wary |
| |
chastened |
corrected punished |
| |
chastisement |
punishment |
| |
chauvinist |
a blindly devoted patriot |
| |
chicanery |
legal trickery/false argument |
| |
chisel |
steel tool for shaping materials |
| |
churl |
bad-tempered person |
| |
clamor |
shout complain with a lot of noise |
| |
clientele |
customers |
| |
clinch |
come to grips/settle conclusively |
| |
cling |
to resist separation |
| |
clot |
half-solid lump formed from liquid |
| |
cloture |
closing device (in Parliament) to end a debate by voting |
| |
coagulation |
change to a thick and solid state |
| |
coalescing |
coming together and uniting into one substance |
| |
coax |
get smb to do smth by kindness |
| |
coda |
passage that completes a piece of music |
| |
coddle |
treat with care and tenderness |
| |
coerce |
compel to force to make obedient |
| |
coeval |
of the same period coexisting |
| |
cogent |
strong convincing |
| |
cogitate |
think deeply mediate |
| |
cognizant |
being fully aware of |
| |
colander |
bowl-shaped vessel with many holes used to drain off water |
| |
collusion |
secret agreement for a deceitful purpose |
| |
combustion |
process of burning |
| |
commemorate |
keep the memory of |
| |
commodious |
having plenty of space for what is needed |
| |
commuter |
person who travels regularly |
| |
complaisance |
tending to comply obliging willingness to please |
| |
compunction |
feeling of regret for one's action |
| |
conceal |
hide keep secret |
| |
conceit |
over-high opinion of too much pride |
| |
conciliatory |
reconciling soothing comforting mollifying |
| |
concord |
agreement or harmony |
| |
concur |
agree in opinion happen together |
| |
condense |
increase in density strength make laconic |
| |
condone |
forgive |
| |
congeal |
make or become stiff and solid |
| |
conjoin |
to join together |
| |
connoisseur |
a person with good judgement (e.g.. in art) |
| |
connotation |
suggestion in addition to |
| |
consequential |
pompous self important |
| |
console |
give comfort or sympathy to |
| |
conspicuous |
easily seen remarkable |
| |
consternation |
surprise and fear dismay |
| |
constrain |
compel |
| |
constrict |
make tight or smaller |
| |
consume |
get to the end of |
| |
consummate |
perfect/make perfect/complete |
| |
contemn |
to scorn or despise |
| |
contentious |
argumentative pugnacious combative quarrelsome |
| |
contiguous |
touching neighboring near |
| |
contrite |
filled with deep sorrow for wrongdoing |
| |
contumacious |
insubordinate rebellious |
| |
conundrum |
a riddle dilemma enigma |
| |
conviction |
convincing firm belief |
| |
convoke |
call together summon |
| |
convoluted |
complicated coiled twisted |
| |
cordial |
warm and sincere |
| |
cordon |
line (of police acting as a guard) |
| |
cornucopia |
abundant supply |
| |
corporeal |
physical of or for the body |
| |
correlate |
have a mutual relation |
| |
corroboration |
additional strengthening evidence |
| |
countenance |
to favor or approve of |
| |
counterfeit |
forgery |
| |
countervail |
counterbalance |
| |
covert |
disguised |
| |
covetous |
eagerly desirous |
| |
cower |
crouch shrink back |
| |
coy |
shy/modest (esp of a girl) |
| |
crass |
very great (es. stupidity) |
| |
cravat |
piece of linen worn as a necktie |
| |
craven |
cowardly |
| |
crease |
line made by crushing white line on the ground in cricket |
| |
credulity |
too great a readiness to believe things |
| |
credulous |
ready to believe things |
| |
crush |
press lose shape subdue overwhelm |
| |
cryptic |
secret with a hidden meaning |
| |
cumbersome |
burdensome heavy and awkward to carry |
| |
curmudgeon |
bad-tempered person |
| |
curriculum |
course of study |
| |
cursory |
quick hurried |
| |
curtail |
make shorter then was planned |
| |
dainty |
pretty/delicate(food)/difficult to please |
| |
daunt |
intimidate make fearful |
| |
dawdler |
person who is slow waste of time |
| |
dearth |
shortage |
| |
debacle |
a breakup overthrow sudden disaster |
| |
decorum |
propriety properness |
| |
decree |
order given by authority |
| |
decry |
disapprove of |
| |
defer |
postpone give way (to show respect) |
| |
deferential |
showing respect |
| |
defiance |
open disobedience or resistance |
| |
delineate |
to portray depict sketch out |
| |
deluge |
great flood heavy rush of water |
| |
demagogue |
person appealing not to reasons |
| |
demur |
to hesitate raise objections |
| |
denigrate |
blacken belittle sully defame |
| |
denouement |
an outcome or solution the unraveling of a plot |
| |
deplete |
use until none remains |
| |
deposition |
dethronement depositing |
| |
deprave |
make morally bad corrupt |
| |
deprecate |
protest against express disapproval of |
| |
dereliction |
deserting and leaving to fall into ruins |
| |
derision |
ridicule mockery deriding |
| |
derivative |
unoriginal obtained from another source |
| |
derogatory |
insulting tending to damage |
| |
descry |
catch sight of see smth in the distance |
| |
desiccant |
substance used to absorb moisture |
| |
desuetude |
cessation of use disuse |
| |
desultory |
aimless haphazard digressing at random |
| |
deter |
discourage hinder |
| |
detraction |
slandering verbal attack aspersion |
| |
detumescence |
diminishing or lessening of swelling |
| |
deviance |
being different in moral standards (from normal) |
| |
dexterity |
skill (esp. in handling) |
| |
diaphanous |
transparent gauzy |
| |
diatribe |
bitter and violent attack in words |
| |
diffidence |
shyness |
| |
dilate |
speak comprehensively become wider large |
| |
disallow |
refuse to allow or accept as a correct |
| |
discern |
see with an effort but clearly |
| |
discomfit |
confuse embarrass |
| |
disconcert |
upset the self-possession of |
| |
discountenance |
refuse to approve of |
| |
discourse |
speech lecture |
| |
discredit |
refuse to believe |
| |
discreet |
careful/prudent |
| |
discrete |
individually distinct |
| |
disdain |
look on with contempt |
| |
disencumber |
free from encumbrance |
| |
disheveled |
untidy |
| |
disingenuous |
sophisticated artful trying to deceive cunning |
| |
disinter |
dig up from the earth |
| |
dislodge |
move force from the place occupied |
| |
dismal |
sad gloomy miserable |
| |
disparate |
essentially different |
| |
disproof |
proof to the contrary |
| |
dissemble |
speak or behave so as to hide smth (in mind) |
| |
disseminate |
distribute (esp. ideas) |
| |
dissent |
have a different opinion refuse to assent |
| |
dissolution |
disintegration looseness in morals |
| |
distraught |
distracted violently upset in mind |
| |
divergence |
getting farther apart from a point |
| |
divestiture |
taking off getting rid of giving up |
| |
divulge |
make known smth secret |
| |
doggerel |
trivial poorly constructed verse |
| |
dogmatic |
positive certain arbitrary without room for discussion |
| |
dolt |
stupid fellow |
| |
dormant |
in a state of inactivity but awaiting development |
| |
dote |
show much fondness center one's attention |
| |
drawl |
slow way of speaking |
| |
droll |
jesting |
| |
drone |
male bee person who isn't self-employed |
| |
drowsiness |
feeling sleepy half asleep |
| |
dubious |
feeling doubt |
| |
dud |
no use person smth that fails |
| |
dulcet |
melodious harmonious |
| |
dupe |
cheat make a fool of |
| |
duplicity |
deliberate deception |
| |
duress |
threats to compel smb |
| |
dwarf |
person or smb much below the usual size |
| |
dynamo |
a generator something that produces electric current |
| |
earthenware |
dishes made of baked clay |
| |
ebullience |
exuberance outburst of feeling |
| |
ebullient |
overflowing with enthusiasm showing excitement |
| |
ecumenical |
representing the whole Christian world |
| |
edacious |
voracious devouring |
| |
eddy |
circular or spiral movement (e.g.. of wind) |
| |
edible |
fit to be eaten/not poisonous |
| |
effete |
infertile worn out weak |
| |
efficacy |
production of a desired result |
| |
effluvia |
outflow in a stream of particles a noxious odor or vapor |
| |
effrontery |
boldness impudence arrogance |
| |
egress |
way out exit |
| |
elaborate |
worked out with much care in great detail |
| |
elegy |
a lament a melancholy composition |
| |
elicit |
draw out |
| |
eloquence |
fluent speaking skillful use of language |
| |
emaciate |
make thin and weak |
| |
embellish |
make beautiful |
| |
embezzle |
use in a wrong way for one's own benefit |
| |
emote |
stir up excite |
| |
empirical |
relying on experiment |
| |
encapsulate |
enclose in capsule |
| |
encomium |
warm or glowing praise eulogy panegyric |
| |
encumbrance |
burden things that get on the way of |
| |
endearing |
making dear or liked |
| |
endemic |
epidemic |
| |
endorse |
write one's name on the back of |
| |
enduring |
lasting |
| |
enervate |
weaken deprive of strength attenuate |
| |
engender |
cause produce give rise to |
| |
engrave |
impress deeply |
| |
engrossing |
taken up all the time or attention writing in large or formal |
| |
engulf |
swallow up |
| |
enigma |
smth that is puzzling |
| |
enmity |
hatred being an enemy |
| |
ensign |
flag/badge |
| |
entangle |
put into difficulties |
| |
enthral |
please greatly/enslave (fig) |
| |
entice |
tempt or persuade |
| |
entreat |
ask earnestly |
| |
enunciate |
pronounce (words)/express a theory |
| |
enzyme |
catalyst |
| |
epicurean |
devoted to pleasure (sensuous enjoyment) |
| |
epistle |
letter |
| |
epithet |
adjective |
| |
epitome |
brief summary representative example a typical model |
| |
equable |
steady regular |
| |
equanimity |
calmness of temperament |
| |
equilibrium |
state of being balanced |
| |
equipoise |
equal distribution of weight equilibrium |
| |
equivocal |
having a double or doubtful meaning suspicious |
| |
equivocate |
try to deceive by equivocal language |
| |
eradicate |
get rid of pull up by the roots |
| |
erratic |
irregular in behaviour or opinion |
| |
erudite |
learned scholarly |
| |
eschew |
avoid |
| |
esoteric |
abstruse intended only for a small circle of |
| |
espouse |
marry give one's support to |
| |
eulogy |
formal praise panegyric |
| |
euphoria |
elation state of pleasant excitement |
| |
euthanasia |
easy and painless death |
| |
evasive |
tending to evade |
| |
evince |
to show clearly to indicate |
| |
evoke |
call up bring out |
| |
excoriation |
severe criticism |
| |
exculpate |
to clear from a charge of guilt |
| |
exhaustive |
complete thorough |
| |
exigency |
emergency an urgent situation |
| |
exoneration |
set smb clear free (e.g.. from blame) |
| |
exorbitant |
much too high or great |
| |
expatiate |
to roam wander freely |
| |
expedient |
likely to be useful for a purpose |
| |
expiation |
ending expiring |
| |
