 | Term | Definition |
| |
n nadir |
lowest point; point on the celestial sphere diametrically opposite the zenith |
| |
naivet\'e(naivety) |
quality of being unsophisticated; simplicity; artlessness; gullibility; ADJ. naive(na\"ive): ingenuous; lacking worldliness; simple; credulous |
| |
narcissist |
conceited person; N. narcissism; CF. narcissus |
| |
narrative |
related to telling a story; N: narrated account; story; V. narrate: tell (a story); CF. narration |
| |
n nascent |
incipient; coming into being or existence; Ex. nascent ability in music |
| |
natation |
swimming |
| |
n natty |
neatly or smartly dressed; dapper; smart; Ex. natty dresser |
| |
s smart |
intelligent; quick and energetic; fashionable; Ex. smart pace/restaurant; V: cause or feel a sharp pain; N: smarting pain |
| |
nauseate |
cause to become sick; fill with disgust; fill nausea |
| |
s nausea |
feeling of sickness and desire to vomit; disgust; CF. seasickness |
| |
s nauseous |
causing nausea; feeling nausea |
| |
nautical |
pertaining to ships or navigation |
| |
n navigable |
(of a body of water) wide and deep enough to allow ships to pass through; (of a ship or aircraft) able to be steered |
| |
n nebulous |
vague; hazy; cloudy; of a nebula; Ex. nebulous proposal |
| |
s nebula |
diffuse mass of interstellar dust or gas; galaxy |
| |
n necromancy |
black magic; sorcery; dealings with the dead; art that professes to communicate with the spirits of the dead so as to predict the future; CF. necromancer; CF. necro+divination; CF. necro-: death; Ex. necropolis |
| |
n nefarious |
very wicked |
| |
negate |
cancel out; nullify; cause to have no effect; deny; N. negation |
| |
negligence |
neglect; failure to take reasonable care; ADJ. negligent: neglectful; lax; not taking enough care |
| |
negligible |
so small, trifling, or unimportant as to be easily disregarded |
| |
nemesis |
someone seeking revenge; source of downfall or ruin; CF. Nemesis |
| |
n neologism |
new or newly coined word or phrase |
| |
n neophyte |
recent convert; new member of a religious group; beginner; CF. plant |
| |
n nepotism |
favoritism (to a relative); CF. nephew |
| |
s favoritism |
display of partiality toward a favored person |
| |
n nether |
lower; Ex. nether garments/regions |
| |
n nettle |
irritate; annoy; vex; ADJ. nettlesome |
| |
n nexus |
connection |
| |
n nib |
beak(bill); pen point |
| |
n nicety |
precision; accuracy; minute distinction or difference; Ex. to a nicety: exactly; precisely; Ex. distinguish between niceties |
| |
n niggardly |
meanly stingy; parsimonious; N. niggard: stingy person |
| |
n niggle |
spend too much time on minor points (esp. when finding fault); find fault; Ex. niggle over details; ADJ. niggling |
| |
n nihilist |
one who considers traditional beliefs to be groundless and existence meaningless; absolute skeptic; revolutionary terrorist; CF. nihilism: belief that nothing has meaning or value; belief that destruction of existing political or social institutions is necessary for future improvement |
| |
n nip |
snip off; stop something's growth or development; bite; make numb with cold; Ex. nip the plan; Ex. A guard dog nipped the postman; Ex. fingers nipped by the extreme chill |
| |
s snip |
short quick cut with scissors; V: cut with scissors |
| |
s pinch |
squeeze between the thumb and a finger, or other edges; Ex. I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. N: amount that can be held between the thumb and a finger |
| |
n nirvana |
in Buddhist teachings, the ideal state in which the individual loses himself in the attainment of an impersonal beatitude |
| |
s impersonal |
not being a person; not showing personal feelings; Ex. impersonal force/manner/organization |
| |
nocturnal |
done or active at night; Ex. nocturnal animals/raids; CF. nocturne |
| |
n noisome |
foul smelling; very unpleasant; unwholesome |
| |
nomadic |
wandering; N. nomad: tribe who migrates from place to place |
| |
nomenclature |
terminology(system of specialized words); system of names or naming things |
| |
nominal |
in name only; of a name; trifling; (of a sum of money) very small; CF. nominate: propose as a candidate; appoint |
| |
n nonchalance |
indifference; lack of concern; composure; ADJ. nonchalant: unconcerned; cool; indifferent; Ex. nonchalant attitude to his debts |
| |
noncommittal |
neutral; refusing commitment to a particular opinion; unpledged; undecided |
| |
n nondescript |
undistinctive; ordinary; ordinary-looking; Ex. nondescript fellow in a crowd |
| |
nonentity |
person of no importance; nonexistence |
| |
n nonplus |
put at a loss; bring to a halt by confusion; perplex; CF. no more |
| |
nostalgia |
homesickness; longing for the past; Ex. nostalgia for the clothes of 1920s; ADJ. nostalgic |
| |
n nostrum |
questionable medicine; quack medicine; CF. our (remedy) |
| |
notable |
conspicuous; worthy of note; remarkable; important; distinguished; noted |
| |
notoriety |
disrepute; ill fame |
| |
s nova |
star that suddenly becomes much brighter and then returns to its original brightness |
| |
n novelty |
something new; newness; ADJ. novel: new; original |
| |
novice |
beginner |
| |
noxious |
harmful; CF. obnoxious |
| |
n nuance |
shade of slight difference in meaning or color; subtle distinction |
| |
s shade |
slight difference in degree; nuance; degree of color; Ex. shades of meaning/grey |
| |
s gradation |
series of gradual stages; degree in such a progression |
| |
n nubile |
marriageable; of marriageable age; CF. connubial |
| |
n nugatory |
worthless; futile |
| |
nullify |
make invalid; make null; invalidate |
| |
n numismatist |
person who collects coins; N. numismatics: study or collection of money, coins, and medals |
| |
n nuptial |
related to marriage or the wedding ceremony; N. nuptials: wedding ceremony |
| |
n nurture |
nourish; feed; educate; rear; care for while it is growing or developing; foster; cultivate; N: something that nourishes; rearing |
| |
n nutrient |
nourishing substance; ADJ: providing nourishment |
| |
s nutrition |
process of nourishing or being nourished; CF. malnutrition |
| |
s nutritious |
providing nourishment |
| |
s nourish |
provide with food necessary for life and growth |
| |
s nourishment |
something that nourishes; food |
| |
n oaf |
stupid awkward person; CF. elf |
| |
obdurate |
stubborn; refusing to change one's belief |
| |
obeisance |
bow (to show respect and obedience) |
| |
obelisk |
tall column tapering(becoming gradually narrower toward the end) and ending in a pyramid |
| |
obese |
excessively fat; N. obesity |
| |
n obfuscate |
confuse; muddle; cause confusion; make needlessly complex; make so confused as to be difficult to understand |
| |
n obituary |
death notice (esp. in a newspaper); ADJ. |
| |
objective |
not influenced by emotions; fair; N: goal; aim |
| |
obligatory |
binding; required; compulsory; V. oblige: constrain; make grateful; do a favor; accommodate |
| |
oblique |
indirect; slanting (deviating from the perpendicular or from a straight line); Ex. oblique reference |
| |
obliterate |
destroy completely; wipe out; Ex. obliterate the village |
| |
oblivion |
obscurity; condition of being completely forgotten; forgetfulness |
| |
n oblivious |
inattentive or unmindful; unaware; wholly absorbed; forgetful(having the habit of forgetting) |
| |
obloquy |
slander; disgrace; infamy |
| |
n obnoxious |
offensive; disagreeable; Ex. obnoxious smell |
| |
obscure |
dark; vague; unclear; not well known; Ex. obscure meaning/village; V: darken; cover; make unclear; Ex. obscure the moon/meaning |
| |
obsequious |
slavishly attentive; servile; full of servile compliance; sycophantic |
| |
s slavish |
of or like a slave; servile; showing no originality; copied very closely; Ex. slavish devotion/copy of the original |
| |
obsequy |
funeral ceremony |
| |
obsessive |
related to thinking about something constantly; of an obsession; preoccupying; N. obsession: compulsive preoccupation with a fixed idea; compulsive idea; V. obsess: preoccupy the mind of excessively |
| |
obsidian |
black volcanic rock |
| |
s scion |
detached plant shoot used in grafting; descendant |
| |
obsolete |
outmoded; no longer used |
| |
obstetrician |
physician specializing in delivery(assisting in giving birth) of babies; N. obstetrics; CF. midwife |
| |
obstinate |
stubborn; hard to control or treat; Ex. obstinate cough; N. obstinacy |
| |
obstreperous |
boisterous; noisy and uncontrollable |
| |
n obtrude |
push (oneself or one's ideas) forward or intrude; impose (oneself or one's ideas) on others; butt in; stick out or extrude; thrust out; Ex. obtrude A on B; ADJ. obtrusive; N. obtrusion; CF. unobtrusive |
| |
obtuse |
blunt; not sharp; stupid; slow in understanding |
| |
obviate |
make unnecessary; get rid of; Ex. obviate the need |
| |
Occident |
the West |
| |
n occlude |
shut; close; obstruct; Ex. A blood clot occluded an artery. |
| |
occult |
mysterious; secret; supernatural; beyond human comprehension; CF. mysterious to human ?; OP. bare |
| |
oculist |
physician who specializes in treatment of the eyes |
| |
n odious |
arousing strong dislike; hateful(causing hatred); vile |
| |
n odium |
detestation; quality of being odious; hatefulness; disrepute (resulting from hateful conduct) |
| |
n odoriferous |
giving off an odor |
| |
odorous |
having an odor |
| |
n odyssey |
long, eventful, adventurous journey |
| |
offensive |
attacking; insulting; distasteful; V. offend: violate; hurt the feelings of; N. offense: offending; violating of a moral or social code; crime; attack; Ex. first offense |
| |
offhand |
casual; done without prior thought or preparation |
| |
n officious |
meddlesome; excessively pushy in offering one's services; overly eager in offering unwanted services or advices; Ex. officious bellboy |
| |
s pushy |
disagreeably aggressive |
| |
n ogle |
look at amorously; make eyes at; Ex. old men ogling young girls |
| |
n olfactory |
concerning the sense of smell |
| |
oligarchy |
government by a privileged few |
| |
ominous |
threatening; of an evil omen |
| |
s threat |
sign or warning (of coming danger); Ex. threat of rain; V: express a threat; give warning of (something bad); Ex. The cloud threatens rain. |
| |
omnipotent |
all-powerful; having unlimited power |
| |
omnipresent |
universally present; ubiquitous |
| |
omniscient |
all-knowing |
| |
omnivorous |
eating both plant and animal food; devouring everything |
| |
n onerous |
burdensome |
| |
n onomatopoeia |
words formed in imitation of natural sounds |
| |
s rustle |
make slight sounds like silk moving or being rubbed together |
| |
onslaught |
vicious assault; fierce attack; Ex. unexpected onslaught of the enemy |
| |
s slaughter |
killing of animals for food; massacre; V: butcher (animals) for food; kill in large numbers |
| |
n onus |
burden; responsibility |
| |
s spare |
give; use; refrain from harming; save from experiencing; exempt; Ex. spare me 5 minutes; Ex. Take this money and spare my life; Ex. The emperor was spared the onus; ADJ: kept in reserve; free for other use; unoccupied; Ex. spare time |
| |
n opalescent |
iridescent; lustrous; like an opal; N. opalescence |
| |
opaque |
dark; not transparent; N. opacity |
| |
opiate |
medicine to induce sleep or deaden pain; something that relieves emotions or causes inaction; sleep-producing drug containing opium |
| |
opportune |
timely; well-chosen |
| |
opportunist |
individual who sacrifices principles for expediency by taking advantage of circumstances; N. opportunism |
| |
n opprobrium |
infamy; disgrace arising from shameful conduct; vilification(slander); scorn; contempt; Ex. opprobrium hurled against him; ADJ. opprobrious: expressing contempt; shameful or infamous |
| |
optician |
maker and seller of eyeglasses |
| |
optimist |
person who looks on the bright side; N. optimism |
| |
optimum |
most favorable; optimal; N: most favorable condition |
| |
optional |
not compulsory; left to one's choice; N. option: act of choosing; choice; freedom or power to choose; something available as a choice; Ex. have no option; Ex. two options |
| |
optometrist |
one who fits glasses to remedy visual defects |
| |
opulence |
extreme wealth; luxuriousness; abundance; ADJ. opulent: possessing great wealth; abundant |
| |
n opus |
work (esp. musical composition); Ex. magnum opus: masterpiece; CF. opera |
| |
n oracular |
of an oracle; prophetic; uttered as if with divine authority; mysterious or ambiguous; hard to understand; N. oracle: wiser person; prophecy made by an oracle |
| |
orator |
public speaker |
| |
oratorio |
dramatic poem set to music; long musical work with singing but without acting; CF. cantata |
| |
n ordain |
decree or command; grant holy orders; predestine; install as a minister, priest, or rabbi; N. ordainment; CF. ordination |
| |
ordeal |
severe trial or affliction; difficult experience; trial(test of patience or endurance); affliction |
| |
ordinance |
decree; authoritative order |
| |
n ordination |
ceremony conferring holy orders; ceremony of ordaining a priest |
| |
n orgy |
wild drunken revelry; unrestrained indulgence in an activity; Ex. orgy of shopping |
| |
orient |
get one's bearings; adjust; make familiar with a situation; orientate |
| |
orientation |
act of finding oneself in society; orienting |
| |
n orifice |
mouthlike opening; small opening (esp. to a cavern or passage of the body); CF. mouth |
| |
ornate |
excessively or elaborately decorated |
| |
n ornithologist |
scientific student of birds; N. ornithology: scientific study of birds |
| |
orthodox |
traditional; (of someone) conservative in belief; adhering to an established doctrine |
| |
n orthography |
correct spelling; CF. ortho-: straight; correct; Ex. orthodontics |
| |
oscillate |
vibrate pendulumlike; waver |
| |
n osseous |
made of bone; bony |
| |
n ossify |
change or harden into bone; become hard and unchanging in one's ideas |
| |
ostensible |
apparent; appearing as such; professed(pretended); pretended; Ex. ostensible purpose of the expedition |
| |
s apparent |
evident; easily seen or understood; appearing as such; Ex. apparent improvement |
| |
n ostentatious |
showy; trying to attract attention; pretentious; N. ostentation: showy display |
| |
n ostracize |
banish from a group; exclude from public favor; ban; Ex. His friends ostracized him. N. ostracism |
| |
s blackball |
vote against (an applicant); ostracize; N: negative vote |
| |
n oust |
expel; drive out; force out; N. ouster: ousting |
| |
outlandish |
bizzare; peculiar; unconventional |
| |
outmoded |
no longer in fashion or use; no longer stylish; old-fashioned |
| |
n outskirts |
fringes; outer borders (as of a city); Ex. outskirts of Boston |
| |
outspoken |
candid; blunt |
| |
s blunt |
having a dull edge; abrupt and frank in speech or manner; brusque; V: make or become blunt |
| |
n outstrip |
outrun; surpass; outdo |
| |
outwit |
outsmart; defeat by behaving more cleverly |
| |
n ovation |
enthusiastic applause |
| |
overbearing |
bossy; domineering and arrogant; decisively important; Ex. overbearing manner/importance; V. overbear: dominate |
| |
overt |
open to view; public; not secret; CF. covert |
| |
n overweening |
arrogant; presumptuous |
| |
n overwrought |
nervous or excited; extremely agitated; hysterical; wrought-up; CF. wrought: made or done |
| |
s hysteria |
excessive or uncontrollable excitement; N. hysteric: person suffering from hysteria; CF. hysterics: attack of hysteria |
| |
ovoid |
egg-shaped; CF. ovum; CF. ovulate |
| |
pachyderm |
thick-skinned animal |
| |
pacifist |
one opposed to force; antimilitarist; ADJ. N. pacifism: opposition to war as a means of resolving disputes |
| |
pacify |
soothe; make calm or quiet; subdue; bring peace to |
| |
n paean |
song of praise or joy; Ex. paeans celebrating the victory |
| |
n painstaking |
taking pains; showing hard work; taking great care; very careful and through |
| |
n palatable |
agreeable; pleasing to the taste |
| |
n palate |
roof of the mouth; sense of the taste |
| |
n palatial |
of or suitable for a palace; magnificent |
| |
n paleontology |
study of prehistoric life or fossils; CF. paleo-: ancient or prehistoric; Ex. paleography: study of ancient written documents |
| |
palette |
board on which painter mixes pigments(coloring matters) |
| |
n palimpsest |
parchment or piece of writing material used for second time after original writing has been erased |
| |
s parchment |
writing material made from the skin of a sheep or goat |
| |
n pall |
become boring; grow tiresome |
| |
n pallet |
small poor bed; Ex. straw pallet |
| |
n palliate |
ease pain (without curing); make less severe or offensive (a crime or illness) |
| |
n pallid |
pale; wan; Ex. pallid complexion |
| |
palpable |
tangible; (of something bad) easily perceptible; obvious; Ex. palpable blunder |
| |
n palpitate |
throb; beat rapidly; flutter; tremble; Ex. Her heart began to palpitate. |
| |
s throb |
(of a heart or machine) beat rapidly or violently; N. Ex. hearthrob: heartbeat; sweetheart |
| |
n paltry |
insignificant; petty; trifling; contemptible; Ex. paltry sum; CF. trash |
| |
n pan |
criticize harshly |
| |
panacea |
cure-all; remedy for all diseases |
| |
n panache |
flair; manner of doing things without any difficulty (causing admiration); flamboyance; bunch of feathers (on a helmet); Ex. with great panache; CF. ÀÜ ¾Æ·¡·Î õÀ» »©³»´Â ¼Ø¾¾ |
| |
pandemic |
widespread; affecting the majority of people; N: pandemic disease; CF. all people |
| |
pandemonium |
wild tumult(commotion); wild noisy disorder; CF. Paradise Lost |
| |
n pander |
cater to (the low desires of others) |
| |
s cater |
provide food and drink (for); cater to: try to satisfy (desires of a bad kind) |
| |
n panegyric |
formal praise; encomium; Ex. I don't deserve such panegyrics. |
| |
panoramic |
denoting an unobstructed and comprehensive view; N. panorama: unbroken view of a wide area |
| |
pantomime |
acting without dialogue; V. |
| |
papyrus |
ancient paper made from stem of papyrus plant |
| |
n parable |
short simple story teaching a moral |
| |
paradigm |
model; example that serves as a model; pattern; list of all the inflectional forms of a word |
| |
paradox |
something apparently contradictory in nature (that may nonetheless be true); statement that looks false but is actually correct |
| |
paragon |
model of perfection; Ex. paragon of virtue |
| |
parallelism |
state of being parallel; similarity; analogy |
| |
s parallel |
similar; analogous; corresponding; N: parallel line; person or thing that is parallel (to another); similarity; Ex. know of no parallel to the case; Ex. without parallel; V: be similar to; make parallel; Ex. Your experience parallels mine; CF. unparalleled |
| |
n parameter |
limit; independent variable; Ex. parameters of the problem; Ex. within the parameters of the budget |
| |
paramount |
foremost in importance; supreme; CF. para-: beyond; above; Ex. paranormal |
| |
paramour |
illicit lover |
| |
s inamorata |
woman whom a man loves |
| |
paranoia |
psychosis marked by delusions of grandeur or persecution; N: ADJ: paranoid, paranoiac |
| |
paraphernalia |
equipment; odds and ends used in a particular activity; personal belongings; Ex. photographic paraphernalia; CF. married woman's property exclusive of her dowry |
| |
s dowry |
money or property brought by a bride to her husband at marriage |
| |
paraphrase |
restate a passage in one's own words while retaining thought of author; N: restatement of a text in other words |
| |
parasite |
animal or plant living on another; toady; sycophant; CF. para-: beside |
| |
s infest |
inhabit in numbers large enough to be harmful; Ex. Mice infested the house; Ex. shark-infested waters |
| |
n parched |
extremely dry; very thirsty; V. parch: make or become extremely dry (by exposure to heat) |
| |
n pariah |
social outcast; Ex. Mariah the pariah |
| |
s outcast |
one that has been excluded from a society; ADJ. |
| |
parity |
equality; close resemblance; CF. disparate |
| |
n parlance |
language; manner of speaking; idiom; Ex. in legal/common parlance |
| |
n parley |
conference (between opponents); CF. speak |
| |
n parochial |
narrow in scope or outlook; provincial; related to parishes |
| |
s parish |
area in the care of a single priest and served by one main church |
| |
s outlook |
point of view; view from a particular place; expectation for the future; prospect; Ex. outlook on life; Ex. pleasing outlook; Ex. weather outlook |
| |
parody |
humorous imitation; spoof; takeoff; travesty; V. |
| |
s spoof |
parody |
| |
s takeoff |
burlesque; act of leaving the ground |
| |
paroxysm |
fit or attack of pain, laughter, rage; sudden outburst |
| |
n parquet |
floor made of wood strips inlaid in a mosaic like matter; CF. strip: long narrow piece |
| |
parry |
ward off a blow; deflect; Ex. He parried the unwelcome question very skillfully; N. CF. ¸·´Â´Ù´Â °³³äÀÌ ¾Æ´Ô |
| |
s ward |
administrative division of a city; division in a hospital or prison; incompetent person placed under the protection of a guardian; V: guard; ward off: avert |
| |
parsimony |
stinginess; excessive frugality; ADJ. parsimonious |
| |
partial |
incomplete; favoring one side over another; having a liking for something |
| |
partiality |
state of being partial; inclination; favorable bias; special fondness; preference |
| |
n partisan |
one-sided; prejudiced; committed to a party (with dislike of any others); N: strong supporter of a party; guerrilla |
| |
s parvenu |
upstart; newly rich person |
| |
partition |
divide into parts |
| |
n pass\'e |
old-fashioned; past the prime |
| |
passive |
not active; acted upon; receiving an action without acting in return; accepting without resistance |
| |
n pastiche |
imitation of another's style in musical composition or in writing; work of art openly imitating the works of other artists |
| |
pastoral |
rural; of rural life; idyllic; of a pastor |
| |
patent |
obvious; easily seen; open for the public to read; of or protected by a patent; Ex. patent to everyone; N. |
| |
pathetic |
causing sadness, compassion, pity; touching |
| |
s touching |
causing a feeling of pity or sympathy; pathetic; V. touch: cause to feel pity or sympathy; ADJ. touched |
| |
pathological |
pertaining to disease; N. pathology: study of disease |
| |
n pathos |
tender sorrow; pity; quality in art or literature that produces these feelings; Ex. pathos that runs through the novel |
| |
n patina |
green crust on old bronze works or copper; tone slowly taken by varnished painting |
| |
s varnish |
paint used to coat a surface with a glossy film; glossy coating produced by using this substance; Ex. nail varnish; V. |
| |
n patois |
local or provincial dialect |
| |
patriarch |
father and ruler of a family or tribe |
| |
n patrician |
noble; aristocratic; N: person of high rank; aristocrat; CF. member of the governing classes in ancient Rome; CF. plebian |
| |
patronize |
support; act superior toward; treat in a condescending manner; be a customer of; N. patron: one that supports; regular customer; N. patronage; CF. boycott |
| |
paucity |
scarcity; dearth |
| |
pauper |
very poor person |
| |
n peccadillo |
slight offense or fault; CF. sin |
| |
s swipe |
hit with a sweeping motion; N. |
| |
pecuniary |
pertaining to money |
| |
pedagogue |
teacher; CF. child leader |
| |
pedagogy |
teaching; art of education |
| |
n pedant |
scholar who overemphasizes book learning, trivial details of learning, or technicalities |
| |
n pedantic |
bookish; showing off learning; marked by an excessive ostentatious concern for book learning; N. pedantry |
| |
s bookish |
fond of books and reading |
| |
s studious |
given to diligent study |
| |
n pedestrian |
ordinary; dull; unimaginative(lacking in imagination); going on foot; Ex. pedestrian prose; N. |
| |
s precinct |
division of a city for election or police purposes; precincts: space that surrounds a building; Ex. precincts of the college |
| |
s pedigree |
ancestry; lineage |
| |
pediatrician |
physician specializing in children's diseases; N. pediatrics |
| |
peerless |
having no equal; incomparable |
| |
s peer |
one who has equal standing with another; nobleman; V: look intently; N. peerage; CF. peeress |
| |
n pejorative |
(of a word or phrase) suggesting that someone is of little value; negative in connotation; having a belittling effect; Ex. Many women now considers ``housewife'' a pejorative expression, because it patronized them. |
| |
n pell-mell |
in confusion; disorderly; Ex. dash pell-mell |
| |
n pellucid |
transparent; limpid(crystal clear); clear in meaning; easy to understand |
| |
n penance |
self-imposed punishment for sin; Ex. do penance for one's sins; CF. penitent |
| |
n penchant |
strong inclination; strong liking (esp. for something that is disapproved of by other people); Ex. penchant for fast cars |
| |
pendant(pendent) |
hanging down from something; pending; N: ornament (hanging from a necklace etc.) |
| |
s pending |
not yet decided or settled; impending; Ex. pending decision; PREP. while awaiting; until; Ex. delay the decision pending his return |
| |
n pendulous |
hanging; suspended |
| |
s suspend |
cause to stop for a period; interrupt; hold in abeyance; defer; hang from above; exclude for a period from a position; Ex. suspended state; Ex. suspend judgment; Ex. suspended from the team; N. suspension |
| |
s suspense |
state of being undecided; anxiety or apprehension resulting from uncertainty |
| |
penitent |
repentant; N. |
| |
n pensive |
dreamily or deeply thoughtful; sadly thoughtful; thoughtful with a hint of sadness; contemplative; CF. think over |
| |
n penumbra |
partial shadow (in an eclipse); CF. almost shadow |
| |
penury |
extreme poverty; stinginess; ADJ. penurious: very poor; stingy |
| |
n peon |
landless agricultural worker; bond servant; menial worker; N. peonage |
| |
perceptive |
insightful; showing a good ability at perceiving and understanding; aware; wise; of perception |
| |
n percussion |
striking one object against another sharply; Ex. percussion instrument; N: striking together of two bodies; sound caused by percussion |
| |
n perdition |
damnation; complete ruin; hell |
| |
s damn |
condemn; criticize severely; condemn to everlasting punishment; doom; bring to ruin; N. damnation |
| |
s doom |
condemnation to a severe penalty; ruin; fate (esp. a tragic or ruinous one); V. |
| |
peregrination |
journey; V. peregrinate |
| |
n peremptory |
demanding and leaving no choice; imperative; Ex. peremptory decree/knock |
| |
perennial |
something long-lasting; perennial plant; ADJ: lasting through the year or many years; lasting for a long time; enduring |
| |
perfidious |
treacherous; disloyal; N. perfidy: treachery |
| |
perforate |
pierce; put a hole through |
| |
perfunctory |
done routinely and with little care; superficial; not thorough; lacking interest, care, or enthusiasm; Ex. perfunctory kiss |
| |
perigee |
point of moon's orbit when it is nearest the earth; CF. apogee |
| |
perimeter |
outer boundary; length of the outer boundary; circumference |
| |
s bound |
leap or spring; limit or confine; constitute the limit of; Ex. bounded by Canada; N: leap or jumping; boundary; ADJ: certain; having a duty to do something (legally or morally); confined by bonds; Ex. We are bound to be late; Ex. I am bound to say my opinion; CF. bounce, rebound |
| |
n peripatetic |
walking about from place to place (to work); moving; Ex. peripatetic school of philosophy |
| |
n peripheral |
of a periphery; marginal; outer; of minor importance; not central; Ex. peripheral nerve/interest |
| |
n periphery |
outside edge especially of a round surface; perimeter; Ex. periphery of the town |
| |
perjury |
false testimony while under oath; V. perjure oneself: testify falsely under oath |
| |
permeable |
that can be permeated; penetrable; porous; allowing liquids or gas to pass through; V. permeate: spread or flow throughout; charge |
| |
n pernicious |
very harmful; deadly; very destructive; Ex. pernicious effect/anemia |
| |
n peroration |
conclusion of an oration; perorating; V. perorate: conclude a speech; speak at great length |
| |
n perpetrate |
commit an offense; do (something wrong) |
| |
perpetual |
everlasting |
| |
perpetuate |
make perpetual; make something last for a long time; preserve from extinction; N. perpetuity |
| |
n perquisite(perk) |
any gain above stipulated salary; Ex. perquisites such as free meals and a car |
| |
n personable |
attractive (in personality or appearance) |
| |
perspicacious |
(of someone) having insight; penetrating; astute |
| |
perspicuity |
clearness of expression; freedom from ambiguity |
| |
perspicuous |
(of something) plainly expressed; easy to understand; Ex. perspicuous comments |
| |
n pert |
(esp. of a girl or young woman) impertinent; forward; trim; jaunty; Ex. pert young miss/hat |
| |
s forward |
presumptuous or bold |
| |
pertinacious |
holding tenaciously to an action; stubborn; persistent |
| |
pertinent |
suitable; to the point; relevant |
| |
perturb |
disturb greatly |
| |
n peruse |
read through with care; N. perusal |
| |
pervasive |
spread throughout; V. pervade: (of smells, ideas, feelings) spread throughout; charge; permeate |
| |
n perverse |
purposely continuing to do something wrong; stubbornly wrongheaded; perverted; directed away from what is right; wicked and unacceptable; Ex. perverse satisfaction; Ex. Hannibal Lecter in a perverse mood; N. perversity |
| |
perversion |
corruption; turning from right to wrong |
| |
s pervert |
corrupt; turn from right to wrong; misuse; Ex. perverted sexual desire/scientific knowledge; N: person whose sexual behavior is not natural |
| |
s wrongheaded |
stubbornly wrong |
| |
pessimism |
belief that life is basically bad or evil; gloominess; tendency to take the gloomiest possible view of a situation; ADJ. pessimistic |
| |
n pestilential(pestilent) |
causing plague; tending to cause death; baneful; N. pestilence: fatal epidemic disease (esp. bubonic plague) |
| |
n pestle |
tool for mashing or grinding substances in a hard bowl or mortar |
| |
s mortar |
vessel in which substances are crushed with a pestle |
| |
s mash |
crush into mash; convert into mash; N: mixture of ground grain and nutrients fed to livestock and fowl |
| |
n petrify |
turn to stone; cause to become stonelike; stun or paralyze |
| |
petty |
trivial; unimportant; very small; small-minded; petty-minded |
| |
n petulant |
touchy; peevish; ill-tempered |
| |
s phalanx |
formation of infantry carrying overlapping shields and long spears; group of men packed together (for attack or defense) |
| |
n pharisaical |
pertaining to the Pharisees, who paid scrupulous attention to tradition; self-righteous; hypocritical |
| |
s pharisee |
Pharisee: member of an ancient Jewish group that emphasized strict observance of the Mosaic law (considering themselves very holy); hypocritical self-righteous person |
|
