abject
(of a condition) wretched; as low as possible; lacking pride; very humble; showing lack of self-respect; Ex. abject apology
absolute
complete; totally unlimited; having complete power; certain; not relative; Ex. absolute honesty/ruler; CF. absolutism
abstinence
restraint from pleasant things, esp. eating or drinking; CF. abstention: act of abstaining from vote
acclaim
applaud; praise; greet with great approval; announce with great approval; Ex. The new drung has been acclaimed as the most important discoveries for years; N: strong expression of approval and praise
accommodate
oblige or help someone; adjust or bring into harmony; adapt; make enough space for; ADJ. accommodative; CF. accomodating: helpful and obliging
accretion
growth or increase in size by gradual addition; growth; increase; increase by natural growth; Ex. towers and other accretions of the castle; V. accrete
accrue
come to one as a gain; accumulate over time; come about by addition; Ex. benefits that accrue from scientific research; Ex. interest accruing in a bank account; N. accrual
acquittal
deliverance from a charge; V. acquit: free from a charge or accusation; discharge from a duty; conduct (oneself) in a specified manner
acrimonious
stinging; caustic; bitter in words or manner; N. acrimony: bitter ill-natured animosity in speech or behavior
acumen
mental keenness; sharpness of judgment; ability to judge quickly and well; Ex. business acumen
acute
(of the senses) sharp; quickly perceptive; keen; penetrating; brief and severe; Ex. acute sense of smell/analysis/pain
proverb
adage; someone or something well known for notoriety; ADJ. proverbial: of a proverb; widely known; ADV. proverbially
adapt
make or become suitable for a specific use; alter; modify; adjust; N. adaptation: act of adapting; composition recast into a new form; Ex. The play is an adaption of a short novel.
address
direct a speech to; speak to; deal with or discuss; direct one's efforts or attention to; make with a destination; N: formal speech
aesthetic
artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciating the beautiful (of a person or building); CF. aesthete; CF. aesthetics
affinity
feeling of kinship; similarity; Ex. strong affinity for her; Ex. many affinities between two languages
affirmation
positive assertion; confirmation; solemn pledge by one who refuses to take an oath; V. affirm; ADJ. affirmative; CF. affirmative action: positive discrimination
affliction
state of distress; trial; cause of distress or suffering; V. afflict: inflict grievous suffering on
affront
insult; offense; intentional act of disrespect; V: insult or hurt the feelings of intentionally
agglomeration
collection; heap; V. agglomerate: gather into a rounded mass; N. aggolmeate: jumbled mass; heap
aggregate
sum; total; ADJ. V: gather into a mass or whole; accumulate; add up to; Ex. aggregate 100 dollars
alloy
mixture as of metals; something added that lowers in value or purity; V: mix; make less pure; lower in value or quality; spoil; CF. unalloyed: not in mixture with other maetals; pure; complete; unqualified; Ex. unalloyed happiness
altruistic
unselfishly generous; concerned for others; N. altiruism: unselfish concern for the welfare of others; unselfishness; OP. egoism
amalgam
combination of different things; mixture of metals (containing mercury) used for filling holes in teeth
ambience
environment; atmosphere; Ex. restraurant with a pleasant ambience; ADJ. ambient: completely surrounding; Ex. ambient temperature
amenable
obedient; compliant; readily managed; responsive; willing to be led; answerable or accountable legally; responsible; able to be tested by; Ex. amenable to sensible suggestions; Ex. He is very amenable; Ex. amenable to the usual tests
ample
enough; abundant; spacious; large in size; Ex. ample opportunity/garden; N. amplitude: quality of being ample; abundance; largeness of space
amplify
increase in size or effect; expand; broaden or clarify by expanding; intensify; make stronger; Ex. amplify one's remarks with a graph
anachronism
an error involving time in a story; something or someone misplaced in time; ADJ. anachronistic
annex
attach; add to a large thing; take possession of; incorporate (territory) into a larger existing political unit (by force); N: building added to a large one
antagonism
hostility; active opposition; V. antagonize: cause to become an enemy; N. antagonist: person who is opposed to another; opponent; adversary; principal character in oppostion to the protagonist
anticlimax
letdown in thought or emotion; something unexciting, ordinary, or disappointing coming after something important or exciting
apathy
lack of caring; indifference; lack of concern or interest in important matters; Ex. He was sunk in apathy after his failure; ADJ. apathetic
appreciate
be thankful for; increase in worth; be thoroughly conscious of; ADJ. appreciable: enough to be felt; Ex. appreciable difference
appropriate
acquire; take possession of for one's own use without permission; set aside for a particular purpose; allocate; CF. misappropriate
arbiter
person with power to decide a matter in dispute; judge who is in a position ot make influential judgments; Ex. supreme arbiter of fashion in beachware
arcane
esoteric; secret; mysterious; known only to the initiated; Ex. arcane ritual; Ex. arcane process closed to the uninitiated listener
array
marshal; draw up in order; arrange in order; clothe splendidly; adorn; N: fine clothes; ordered group; Ex. in battle array
arrogance
pride; haughtiness; ADJ. arrogant: unpleasantly self-important (with a strong confidence in one's own importance and a lack of respect for other people)
articulate
effective; distinct; expressing ideas clearly; having clear sounds; having joints; Ex. articulate speech; V: express thoughts and feeling clearly; pronounce clearly; unite by joints
ascetic
practicing self-denial; avoiding physical pleasures and comforts; austere; Ex. ascetic life of Buddhist monks; N. asceticism
aspire
seek to attain (position or status); long for; Ex. aspire to become president; Ex. aspire to/after the leadership
assert
state strongly or positively; demand recognition of (rights, claims, etc.); make a claim to (by forceful action); Ex. assert one's independence
assimilate
absorb; take (food) into the body and digest it; understand (knowledge) completely and be able to use properly; cause to become homogeneous (the people of a country or race in the wasy of behaving or thinking)
assumption
something taken for granted; the taking over or taking possession of; Ex. her assumption of power; V. assume
regent
a person who governs in place of a ruler who is ill, absent, or still a child; ADJ. Ex. the Prince regent
assurance
firm statement that something is certainly true; promise or pledge; certainty; confidence in one's own ability; self-confidence; Ex. In spite of all his assurances, he did not come back; Ex. assurance of his loyalty; Ex. The teacher lacked assurance in fron of his class; V. assure; tell firmly with confidence; ensure; make (something) certain to heappen; make (someone) feel sure; give confidence to; ADJ. assured: self-assured; confident in one's own ability; showing certainty
astringent
binding; causing contraction (stopping bleeding); harsh or severe; stringent; Ex. astringent criticism
atavism
resemblance to remote ancestors rather than to parents; reversion to an earlier type; throwback; ADJ. atavistic
attentive
alert and watchful; listening carefully; paying attention; considerate; thoughtful; politely helpful; Ex. attentive audience; Ex. He was attentive to the old lady; N. attentions: act of courtesy and consideration
attrition
rubbing away by friction; gradual decrease in numbers or strength; reduction in the work force without firing employees; wearing away of opposition by means of harassment; Ex. a war of attrition
augury
omen; prophecy; sign of coming events; V. augur: predict; foretell; be a sign of (something in future)
austere
forbiddingly stern; ascetic; without comfort or enjoyment; severely simple and unornamented; Ex. a monk's austere life; Ex. austere grandeur of the cathedral; N. austerity
authoritarian
subordinating the individual to the state; completely dominating another's will; Ex. authoritarian regime/father
authoritative
having the weight of authority; regarded as providing knowledge that can be trusted; reliable; peremptory and dictatorial; Ex. authoritative dictionary/manner; CF. definitive
avenge
take vengence for something or on behalf of someone; Ex. They avenged his death by burning the village; Ex. He swore to avenge his brother; Ex. They avenged themselves on their enemy.
avert
prevent; avoid; turn away (eyes or thought); Ex. An accident was averted by his quick thinking; Ex. She averted her eyes from the terrible sight.
babble
chatter idly or foolishly; make continuous sounds like water running gently over rounded stone; N.
badger
pester; annoy continually with demands; persuade by asking again and again; Ex. The children badgered me into taking them into the cinema; N: a kind of mountain animal
bait
harass; tease; torment; Ex. badger baiting; N: food or other lure used to catch fish or trap animals
baleful
evil; malignant in intent or effect; deadly; having a malign influence; portending evil; ominous; threatening; Ex. baleful look
balk
stop short, as if faced with an obstacle, and refuse to continue; foil; stop or get in the way of; frustrate
bandy
discuss lightly or glibly; discuss in a frivolous manner; exchange (words) heatedly; quarrel; Ex. bandy words with
barefaced
shameless and noticeable; blatant; bold; unconcealed; having no covering on the face; Ex. barefaced lie
barrage
barrier laid down by artillery fire; overwhelming profusion; large number of questions or statements; Ex. a barrage of criticism
bastion
stronghold; something seen as a source of protection; Ex. the last bastion of male chauvinism
beguile
deceive; mislead or delude; cheat; pass time pleasantly; charm or attract; Ex. beguiling smile
belabor
harp on; dwell on tediously; explain or go over excessively or to a ridiculous degree; assail verbally; beat severely; attack physically
belie
contradict; give a false impression; disguise; Ex. The poor sales belied our high hopes; Ex. Her smile belies her true feeling of displeasure.
benefit
advantage; anything that brings helpl, advantage, or profit; money provided by the government to the people; fund-raising public entertainment; Ex. unemployment benefit; V: receive benefits; be beneficial to; give benefits
bereavement
state of being deprived of something valuable or beloved; state of being bereaved or bereft
betray
be unfaithful; reveal (unconsciously or unwillingly); Ex. Her trembling hands betray her anxiety.
intolerant
not willing to accept ways of thinking different from one's own; CF. tolerant; CF. tolerate
blasphemy
irreverence; sacrilege; cursing; bad language about God or holy things; V. blasphem; ADJ. blasphemous; CF. sacrilege
bluster
blow in heavy gusts; threaten emptily; bully; speak in a noisy or bullying manner; CF. breeze, gust, gale
bolt
door bar; fastening pin or screw; length of fabric; large roll of cloth; V: dash or dart off; fasten (a door); gobble down
brazen
insolent; without shame; bold; Ex. brazen lie; V: face with bold self-assurance or with unshamed confidence
graze
(of an animal) feed on growing grass; cause (an animal) to feed on grass; scrape (esp. the skin) or touch lightly in passing; brush; Ex. We can't graze the cattle till summer; N: surface wound
skim
read or glance through quickly; touch lightly in passing; brush; remove from the surface of a liquid
buffet
strike forcefully; slap; batter; knock out; N: table with food set out for people to server themselves; meal at which people help themselves to food that's been set
buoyant
able to float; cheerful and optimistic; N. buoyancy; Ex. buoyancy of wood/water/American market
ulcer
sore place appearing on the skin inside or outside the body; Ex. stomach ulcer; ADJ. ulcerous; V. ulcerate
cant
insincere speech or expression of piety; jargon of thieves; special words used by a particular group of people
canvass
determine or seek opinions, votes, etc.; go through (a region) to solicit votes or orders; conduct a survey; N.
capacity
mental or physical ability; role; position or duty; ability to accommodate; Ex. in my capacity as president
capillary
having a very fine bore; resembling a hair; fine and slender; Ex. capillary attraction; N: very fine hairlike tube; CF. capillarity
cardinal
chief; most important; N: priest; cardinal number: number that shows quantity rather thatn order
casual
happening by chance; irregular; occasional; informal; showing or feeling little interest; Ex. casual reader/labor/remark
catalyst
agent which brings about a chemical change while it remains unaffected and unchanged; CF. catalysis
catechism
book for religious instruction in question-and-answer form; religious instruction by question and answer; V. catechize
catharsis
purging or cleansing of any passage of the body; purging and weakening of strong emotions as a result of experiencing a dramatic work of art
catholic
(of likings and interests) universal; general; broad; including many different parts; wide-ranging liberal; Ex. catholic opinions/tastes
caucus
private meeting of a group of people in a political party to select officers or determine policy; CF. the Caucus club of Boston
caustic
burning; corrosive; able to burn by chemical action; sarcastically biting; (of remarks) intended to hurt; bitter; harmful; OP. harmless
cauterize
burn (a wound or snakebite, etc.) with hot iron or caustic substance to stop bleeding and prevent infection
censor
(in ancient Rome) overseer of morals (also taking the census); person who eliminates inappropriate matter; V.
ceremonious
marked by formality; extremely formal and polite; CF. ceremony: conventional social courtesy
chaff
worthless products of an endeavor; husk(outer seed cover) separated from grain; Ex. separate the wheat from the chaff
champion
support militantly; fight for; N: person who fights for or supports strongly (a principle, movement, person, etc.)
chaste
morally pure; virginal; abstaining from illicit sexual acts; modest; simple (of a style of writing); not highly decorated; austere
chauvinist
blindly devoted patriot; zealous adherent of a group, cause, or sex; ADJ. chauvinistic; CF. chauvinism; Nicolas Chauvin
checkered (chequered)
marked by great changes in fortune; with many changes of fortuene; CF. checked: having a pattern of squares
chimerical
fantastically improbable; highly unrealistic; N. chimera: unreal fancy; fire-breathing female creature
chip
lose a small piece from the surface or edge; N: small piece broken off something; CF. French fry; Potato chip/crisp
circlet
small ring; band of gold, silver, jewel, etc. (worn on the head, arms, or neck as decoration)
circuit
closed circular line around an area; circumference; regularly repeated journey from place to place
circumlocution
indirect or roundabout expression (by using an uncecessarily large number of words esp. when trying to avoid answering a difficult question directly)
civil
having to do with citizens; not military or religious; courteous and polite; Ex. married in a civil ceremony; Ex. civil strife/disorder/law; N. civility; CF. civic
clamor
loud continous noise; continuous demand or complaint made by a large number of people; V: make a clamor; express (a demand) continually and loudly; ADJ. clamorous
clap
strike the palms of the hands together with a sudden explosive sound; come together suddenly with a sharp sound; put or send promptly; Ex. clap the thief in jail; N: clapping; loud or explosive sound; CF. applause
clemency
disposition to be lenient in deciding punishments; mildness as of the weather; ADJ. clement
cloying
distasteful (because excessive); excessively sweet or sentimental; V. cloy: become unpleasant through too much sweetness or excess
coddle
treat gently; indulge excessively; pamper; mollycoddle; baby; cook in water just below boiling point; Ex. coddled eggs
codify
arrange (laws or rules) as a code; classify; N. code: system of words used instead of ordinary writing; collection of laws, rules, established social customs
coeval
living at the same time as; existing during the same period of time; contemporary; of the same age
cognate
having a common origin; related linguistically; allied by blood; similar or akin in nature; Ex. cognate languages; N.
cognitive
having to do with knowing or perceiving related to the mental processes; N. cognition: the mental process of knowing
cohorts
group of people who share some common quality; armed band; a group of between 300 and 600 soldiers under one commander (in the ancient Rome)
coin
make coins; invent or fabricate (a word or phrase); N. coinage: word or phrase recently invented
coincidence
the chance occurrence, at the same time, of two or more seemingly connected events; V. coincide: happen at the same time; be in agreement; CF. coincident; CF. coincidental
scrap
small bit or fragment; discarded waste material; fight; Ex. a scrap of paper/cloth; V: break into parts for disposal; discard as worthless; fight; quarrel
collate
examine and compare in order to verify authenticity; arrange in order (the sheets of a book before they are bound)
collateral
security given for loan; ADJ: secondary; descended from the same person but through different sons or daughters
colloquial
pertaining to conversational or common speech; informal; N. colloquialism: colloquial expression
commandeer
take (private property) for military use without needing permission or giving payment; draft for military purposes
draught
current of air (through a room or to a fire); act of pulling roads; act of swallowing liquid or amount of liquid swallowed at a time
commemorate
honor the memory of; serve as a memorial to; Ex. commemorate the 100th anniversary/those who died in the war
commune
small (often rural) community whose members share work and income; V: exchange thoughts or feelings; Ex. commune with nature
compelling
overpowering; irresistible in effect; holding one's attention; that compels one to do something; Ex. a compelling adventure story; V. compel
compile
assemble; gather; accumulate; make (a report or a book) from facts and information found in various places; Ex. compile a dictionary
compliance
conformity in fulfilling requirements; readiness to yield; disposition to yield to others; V. comply
compliant
readily acting in accordance with a rule, order, or the wishes or others; yielding; comforming to requirements
compound
combine; produce by combining; increase; make worse by adding to or increasing; exacerbate; Ex. compound an error; ADJ: consisting of two or more parts; N: combination of two or more parts; area enclosed by a wall containing a group of buildings; Ex. factory compound; CF. complex
compress
force into less space; squeeze; contract; put into fewer words; N: thick mass of cloth pressed to part of the body to stop bleeding or swelling, reduce fever, etc.
compromise
adjust or settle by making mutual concessions; endanger the interests or reputation of; put into danger, disrepute, or a dishonorable position; Ex. compromise one's principle; N.
conception
beginning; forming of an idea; fertilization; V. conceive: form an idea in the mind; devise; become pregnant; CF. inception
concerted
mutually agreed on; done together by agreement; Ex. concerted effort; CF. in concert: working together
concession
an act of yielding; conceding; something conceded; point, right, etc. given unwillingly; privilege of maintaining a business in a certain place; Ex. oil concessions in the North sea; CF. concessionaire
conciliatory
reconciling; soothing; V. conciliate: reconcile; soothe; win the friendly feelings (by removing anger)
concoct
prepare by mixing or combining; make up in concert; devise (something false) so as to deceive; Ex. concoct an elaborate excuse for being late; N. concoction
concomitant
that which accompanies; Ex. Deafnes is a frequent concommitant of old age; ADJ: existing or happening together with something else
condescend
(derog.) bestow courtesies with a superior air; descend to the level of one considered inferior
confidence
self-assurance; calm unworried feeling based on a strong belief in one's abilities; strong belief in the ability of a person or plan; trust or faith in a person or thing; something confided; secret; Ex. confidence in your ability; Ex. I'm telling you this in confidence; Ex. exchange confidences about their boyfriends; ADJ. confident
confiscate
seize; take possession of (private property) by official order (usu. as a punishment); commandeer
conformity
harmony; agreement with established rules or customs; similarity; Ex. behave in conformity with; V. conform: be similar; act in agreement; comply; Ex. conform to the rule; CF. conformance
conglomerate
corporation made up of several different companies in diversified fields; mass of various material gathered together; rock consisting of small stones held together by clay; V.
conifer
pine tree (usu. evergreen); cone-bearing tree; ADJ. coniferous; CF. deciduous; CF. evergreen
conjure
cause to appear by magic; summon (a devil or a spirit) by magical power; practice magic (esp. by very quick movement of the hands); evoke; conjure up: bring into the mind; Ex. The magician conjured a rabbit out of his hat.
connivance
pretense of ignorance of something wrong; assistance; permission to offend; V. connive: feign ignorance (of a wrong); cooperate secretly in an illegal action; conspire
connoisseur
person competent to act as a judge of art, etc. (whose judgments are respected); a lover of an art
consequential
self-important; significant; consequent; following as a result; Ex. consequential air; CF. subsequent
conservatory(conservatoire)
school of the fine arts (especially music or drama); glass-enclosed area; CF. conservancy
consign
send to a person or place for sale; deliver officially; entrust; put into the care of another; set apart (for a special purpose); N. consignment; CF. consignor, consignee
consistency
absence of contradictions; uniformity; degree of thickness or firmness; Ex. consistency of thick cream; CF. viscous
consolidation
unification; process of becoming firmer or stronger; V. consolidate: merge; strengthen
conspire
take part in a conspiracy; (of events) work together; combine; Ex. Events conspired to produce great difficulties.
constituency
voters represented by an elected official; district so represented; group of supporters (or constituents)
constitution
constituting; system of laws; composition of something; physical makeup or structure of a person; Ex. men with strong constitutions
constraint
restraint; compulsion; repression of feelings; reticence; V. constrain: hold back; restrain; compel; oblige; confine forcibly; imprison
contagion
infection (by contact); ADJ. contagious; CF. infectious: that can be passed by infection in the air
contest
dispute; argue about the rightness of; compete for; try to win; Ex. contest the election results; Ex. contest a seat in Parliament; N.
continence
self-restraint; sexual chastity; sexual abstinence; voluntary control over bladder and bowel functions; ADJ. continent
contingent
dependent on something uncertain or in the future; conditional; happening by chance; accidental; N: a group of soldiers, ships to a larger force; CF. contingency: future event that may or may not occur; possibility; Ex. prepare for every contingency
contrive
invent or fabricate in a clever way (by improvisation); manage; Ex. contrive to attract his attention
contumacious
stubborn and disobedient; resisting authority (esp. disobedient to an order made by a court)
convert
one who has adopted a different religion or opinion; V: change into another form; (persuade to) adopt a particular religion or belief
convoluted
coiled around; twisted; involved; complicated; intricate; complex; N. convolution: twist; one of the convex folds of the surface of the brain
convulsion
violent uncontrollable shaking movement (caused by illness); V. convulse; ADJ. convulsive
coquette
flirt; flirtatious woman; woman who tries to attract the admiration of men without sincere feelings; V.
flirt
behave in a way that attracts (sexual) attention; deal triflingly with; N: one (or woman) given to flirting; ADJ. flirtatious
cornucopia
horn (or horn-shaped container) overflowing with fruit and grain; symbol of abundance; horn of plenty
counterpart
thing that completes another; things very much alike; thing that has the same purpose in a different system
coup
highly successful action or sudden attack; coup(s) d'\'etat; CF. coup de gr\^ace: deathblow or shot which kills
bargain
agreement between two groups or people; something for sale at a price advantageous to the buyer; V: negotiate; trade; Ex. bargaining power
covetous
avaricious; desirous of (someone else's possessions); V. covet: desire eagerly (someone else's possessions)
coy
shy (flirtatiously); showing a (pretended) lack of self-confidence; modest; coquettish; CF. job offer
overture
musical introduction to a long musical piece; first offer or proposal (to begin talks in the hope of reaching an agreement); Ex. overtures for peace
crotchety
(of someone old) eccentric; odd; whimsical; bad-tempered; N. crotchet: odd or whimsical notion
culmination
highest point; climax; V. culminate in: reach the highest point in; end in; Ex. a series of minor clashes culminating in war
cynical
skeptical or distrustful of human motives; N. cynicism; CF. cynic: person who believes all people are motivated by selfishness
dapper
neat and trim (in appearance); (of small men) neat in appearance and quick in movements; neat; spry
daub
smear (as with paint); cover with something sticky; Ex. daub one's clothes with mud/paint; N: small bit of sticky substance; Ex. a daub of paint
debonair
(of men) friendly, charming, and fashionably dressed; aiming to please; CF. of good disposition
deciduous
falling off at a specific season or stage of growth as of leaves; Ex. deciduous tree/teeth
decry
express strong disapproval of; condemn openly (something dangerous to the public); disparage; Ex. decry the violence of modern films
defeatist
resigned to defeat or failure; accepting defeat or failure as a natural outcome; N. CF. defeatism
defer
give in respectfully; submit; delay till later; exempt temporarily; N. deferment; CF. show respect, comply with, courteous
deference
courteous regard for another's wish; courteous yielding to another's wish or opinion (showing respect); ADJ. deferential; OP. effrontery
defile
pollute; make filthy or dirty; corrupt morally; profane; desecrate; N: narrow passage or gorge through mountains
definitive
most reliable; authorative and complete; that cannot be improved; conclusive; decisive; definite; Ex. definitive decision by the supreme court
degenerate
become worse in quality; deteriorate; ADJ: having become worse; Ex. a degenerate species; N: depraved or corrupt person
degradation
humiliation; debasement; degeneration; V. degrade: debase; disgrace; degenerate; reduce (something) in worth; demote (someone); reduce in rank
stoop
bend forward and down; lower or debase oneself; fall to a lower standard of behavior by doing something; condescend; Ex. stoop to lying
delusion
false belief; hallucination; deluding; Ex. delusions of grandeur; Ex. under the delusion that
demur
object (because of doubts, scruples); raise an objection (showing qualms); hesitate; Ex. demur at the idea of working on Sunday
denotation
meaning; distinguishing by name; V. denote: indicate; refer to directly; mean; CF. connotation
d\'enouement
final outcome; final development of the plot of a play or other literary work; the end of a story when everything is explained
deplore
regret; express sorrow and severe disapproval for something bad; Ex. deplore their violent behavior; ADJ. deplorable: very bad; deserving severe disapproval; Ex. deplorable living condition
deploy
spread out (troops) in an extended though shallow battle line; distribute (persons or forces) systematically or strategically
institution
instituting; (building for the) organization; established custom, practice, or relationship in a society; mental hospital; Ex. institution of marriage
derelict
negligent; (of someone) neglectful of duty; (of something) deserted by an owner; abandoned; N: abandoned property; homeless or vagrant person
desperate
having lost all hope; despairing; reckless and violent because of loss of hope or despair; undertaken as a last resort
despondent
without hope and courage; depressed; gloomy; N. despondency: loss of hope with gloom; dejection
destitute
extremely poor; lacking means of subsistence; utterly lacking; devoid; Ex. destitute of any experience
detached
emotionally removed; free from emotional involvement; calm and objective; physically separate; N. detachment; CF. attachment
determinate
having a fixed order of procedure; precisely defined; invariable; fixed; conclusive; final
deviate
turn away from (a principle, norm); move away from an accepted standard; swerve; depart; diverge; N. deviation; Ex. deviation of the path of light by a prism
devious
roundabout; erratic; deviating from the straight course; not straightforward; not completely honest; Ex. devious route
deputize
work or appoint as a deputy; N. deputy: person who has the power to take charge when the leading person is away
dialectical
relating to the art of debate; mutual or reciprocal; Ex. dialectical situation; N. dialectic: art of arriving at the truth by the exchange of logical arguments
dichotomy
division into two opposite parts; split; branching into two parts (especially contradictory ones)
dictum
authoritative and weighty statement (made by a judge in court); saying; maxim; CF. obiter dictum: incidental, nonbinding remark (something said in passing)
didactic
(of speech or writing) intended to teach a moral lesson; teaching; instructional; N. didacticism
die
metal block used for shaping metal or plastic; device for stamping or impressing; mold; CF. dice
diffuse
wordy; verbose; rambling; spread out (like a gas); V: spread out in all directions; disperse; N. diffusion; CF. suffuse
dilapidated
falling to pieces; in a bad condition; ruined because of neglect; Ex. dilapidated old car/castle; N. dilapidation
dilemma
situation that requires a choice between equally unfavorable options; problem; choice of two unsatisfactory alternatives
dilettante
aimless follower of an art or a field of knowledge (not taking it seriously); amateur; dabbler; CF. delight
dilute
make (a liquid) less concentrated; reduce in strength; Ex. dilute the influence of the president
dull
(of colors or surfaces) not bright; cloudy; overcast; boring; (of edge or sound) not sharp; not rapid; sluggish; slow in thinking and understanding; stupid; V.
diorama
life-size, three-dimensional scene from nature or history; three-dimensional scene with modeled figures against a painted background
dire
warning of disaster; disastrous; (of needs and dangers) very great; urgent; Ex. dire prediction/need of food
discerning
mentally quick and observant; having insight; perceptive; able to make good judgments; V. discern: perceive
discourse
serious speech, writing, or conversation; formal discussion (either written or spoken); conversation; V.
discredit
defame; disgrace; destroy confidence in; disbelieve; N. CF. discreditable: causing discredit; shameful
discrepancy
lack of consistency or agreement as between facts; difference; Ex. discrepancy between two descriptions
discretion
prudence; ability to adjust actions to circumstances; freedom of action or judgment; ADJ. discreet; CF. discretionary
disjunction
act or state of separation; disunity; CF. disjunctive: expressing a choice between two ideas; CF. conjunction; CF. conjunctive
dislodge
remove (forcibly); force out of a position; Ex. dislodge the food caught in his throat; CF. lodge
mantle
loose sleeveless outer garment; cloak; something that covers or envelops; the layer of the earth between the crust and the core
dismiss
eliminate from consideration; no longer consider; put out of court without further hearing; reject; discharge from employment; direct to leave; ADJ. dismissive; N. dismissal
maneuver(manoeuver)
strategic military or naval movement (done for training purposes); carefully planned process; stratagem; V: carry out a military maneuver; use maneuvers in gaining an end
dispatch
speediness; prompt execution; message sent with all due speed; V: send to a specified destination; finish promptly; kill
dispense
distribute; prepare and give out (medicines); N. dispensation: dispensing; religious system; official exemption from an obligation or a rule