abandon:
lacking restraint or control; feeling of extreme emotional intensity; unbounded enthusiasm | abandoned:
recklessly unrestrained; deserted; left to destruction |
abandonment:
giving up completely; freedom from constraint | abase:
humiliate; lower or depress in rank or esteem |
abash:
embarrass; make ashamed or uneasy; disconcert | abate:
subside; decrease; become less in amount or intensity |
abbreviate:
make shorter; reduce to shorter form intended to represent full form, as for word or phrase | abdicate:
give up, renounce, abandon, lay down, or withdraw from, as a right or claim |
aberrant:
abnormal; markedly different from an accepted norm | abet:
aid, usually in doing something wrong; encourage |
abeyance:
suspended action; temporary cessation or suspension | abhor:
fill with horror and loathing; horrify; hate |
abide:
endure; put up with; bear; tolerate | abiding:
lasting for a long time; enduring; permanent |
abjure:
renounce upon oath; abandon forever | ablution:
washing or cleansing of the body, especially as part of religious rite |
abnegate:
give up or surrender; deny something to oneself | abnegation:
repudiation; self-sacrifice; renouncing your own interests in favor of interests of others |
abolish:
cancel; put an end to; destroy completely | abolition:
ending; act of abolishing; act of doing away with |
abominable:
detestable; extremely unpleasant; very bad | aboriginal:
being the first of its kind in a region; primitive; native |
abortive:
unsuccessful; failing to accomplish an intended objective; fruitless | abrade:
wear away by friction; scrape; erode |
abrasive:
rubbing away; tending to grind down | abridge:
condense; shorten; reduce length of written text |
abrogate:
abolish, do away with, or annul, especially by authority | abscond:
leave quickly and secretly and hide oneself, often to avoid arrest or prosecution |
absent:
go away or leave ; missing; not present | absenteeism:
habitual not to appear, especially for work or other regular duty |
abstain:
refrain; hold oneself back voluntarily from an action or practice | abstemious:
sparing or moderation in eating and drinking; temperate |
abstruse:
obscure; profound; difficult to understand. | abundant:
plentiful; possessing riches or resources |
abundantly:
in great numbers; in a plentiful or sufficient degree; plentifully | abut:
border upon; adjoin; touch or end at one end or side; lie adjacent |
abysmal:
bottomless; very profound; limitless; very bad | accede:
agree; give consent, often at insistence of another; concede |
accelerating:
increasing in speed | acceleration:
faster rate of improvement; rate of change of velocity with respect to time |
accentuate:
emphasize; stress; pronounce with a stress or accent; mark with an accent | accessible:
easily approached or entered; obtainable; easy to talk to or get along with |
accident:
event that takes place without one's foresight or expectation; sudden, and unexpected event | accidentally:
inadvertently; by chance; casually; fortuitously; not essentially or intrinsically |
acclaim:
applaud; announce with great approval | acclimate:
accustom or become accustomed to a new environment or situation; adapt |
acclivity:
upward slope, as of hill | accolade:
award of merit; expression of approval; praise |
accommodate:
do a favor or service for; provide for; supply with; make suitable; adapt; allow for | accommodating:
helpful in bringing about a harmonious adaptation |
accomplish:
succeed in doing; bring to pass; achieve; reach the end of; complete | accost:
approach and speak to boldly or aggressively, as with demand or request |
accouter:
equip; provide with military equipment | accretion:
growth or increase in size by gradual external addition, fusion, or inclusion |
accrue:
increase, accumulate, or come about as a result of growth; accumulate over time | accumulation:
increase by natural growth or addition; concentration |
accusation:
indictment; charge of wrongdoing that is made against a person or other party | accustomed:
habitual to; used to; frequently practiced, used, or experienced; customary |
acerbity:
bitterness of speech and temper; sourness or acidness of taste, character, or tone | acetic:
having properties of vinegar; sour |
achieve:
gain with effort; accomplish; fulfill | achievement:
feat; accomplishment; award for completing a particular task or meeting an objective |
acidulous:
slightly sour in taste or in manner; sharp; caustic | acoustics:
science of sound; quality that makes a room easy or hard to hear in |
acquaint:
inform about; cause to come to know personally; make familiar | acquainted:
known by or familiar with another; informed or familiar |
acquiesce:
assent; agree without protesting | acquire:
gain through experience or effort; gain possession of; locate with tracking system |
acrid:
unpleasantly sharp or bitter to taste or smell; bitterly pungent | acrimonious:
bitter and sharp in language, tone, or manner |
acrophobia:
fear of heights; abnormal fear of high places | actively:
energetically; vigorously; in an active manner; voluntarily, not passively |
actuarial:
calculating; pertaining to insurance statistics | actuate:
put into motion or action; activate |
acuity:
sharpness; acuteness of vision or perception; keenness | acumen:
mental keenness; quickness of perception |
adaptable:
flexible; becoming or being made suitable to particular situation or use | adaptive:
having a capacity for adaptation; capable of adapting |
addendum:
something added or to be added, especially a supplement to a book | additional:
further; extra; supplemental or added to |
addle:
muddle; drive crazy; become confused | adept:
expert at; very skilled; having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude |
adherent:
person who adheres; one who follows or upholds a leader, party, cause | adhesive:
glue; paste ; substance that unites or bonds surfaces together |
adjoin:
be next to; be contiguous to; border on | adjudicate:
hear and settle a case by judicial procedure |
adjunct:
something added on or attached generally nonessential or inferior | adjure:
appeal to or entreat earnestly; command or enjoin solemnly, as under oath |
administer:
govern; supervise; give or apply medications | admiration:
favorable judgment; feeling of pleasure, wonder, and approval |
admittedly:
doubtlessly; in an acknowledged manner; confessedly | admonish:
warn; counsel someone against something to be avoided |
admonition:
gentle or friendly reproof; cautionary advice or warning | adorn:
enhance or decorate with or as if with ornaments |
adornment:
embellishment; decoration; something that beautifies or adorns; ornament | adroit:
skillful and adept under pressing conditions |
adulation:
excessive flattery or admiration; unmerited praise | adulterate:
make impure by adding inferior or tainted substances |
adumbrate:
give hint or indication of something; disclose partially or guardedly; overshadow; shade | advance:
proceed; move forward; improve; moving forward |
advanced:
improved; highly developed or complex; ahead of the times; progressive | advent:
coming or arrival, especially of something extremely important |
adventitious:
accidental; casual; not inherent but added extrinsically | adverse:
in opposing direction; harmful or unfavorable; acting or serving to oppose |
advocacy:
support; active pleading on behalf of something | aerie:
nest of bird, such as eagle, built on a cliff or other high place |
aesthetic:
elegant or tasteful; of or concerning appreciation of beauty or good taste | affable:
easily approachable; warmly friendly |
affect:
have an emotional or cognitive impact upon | affection:
fondness; tender feeling toward another; fondness |
affectionate:
having affection or warm regard; loving; fond; kindly inclined; zealous | affinity:
natural attraction, liking, or feeling of kinship; relationship by marriage |
affirmation:
positive assertion; confirmation; solemn pledge by one who refuses to take an oath | affix:
fasten; append; add on; secure to something |
affluence:
abundance; a plentiful supply of material goods; wealth | affluent:
having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value |
affront:
insult; offense; intentional act of disrespect | agenda:
items of business at a meeting; list or program of things to be done or considered |
agglomeration:
collection; heap; act or process of gathering into a mass | aggrandize:
increase scope of; extend; intensify; make greater in power, influence, stature, or reputation |
aggravating:
irritating; annoying; making worse or more heinous | aggregate:
gather into a mass, sum, or whole; amount to |
aggressive:
making assaults; unjustly attacking; combative; hostile; tending to spread quickly | aggressiveness:
feeling of hostility that arouses thoughts of attack; quality of being bold and enterprising |
aghast:
struck by shock, terror, or amazement | agility:
mentally quick; moving quickly and lightly |
agitate:
cause to move with violence or sudden force; upset; disturb | agitation:
anxiety; extreme emotional disturbance |
agnostic:
one who is skeptical of existence of a god or any ultimate reality | agrarian:
pertaining to land or its cultivation; relating to agricultural or rural matters |
ajar:
half-open; slightly turned or opened | alacrity:
cheerful promptness or willingness; eagerness; speed or quickness |
alchemy:
medieval chemistry; magical or mysterious power or process of transforming | alcove:
nook; small, recessed section of a room |
algorithm:
established procedure for solving problem | alien:
dissimilar, inconsistent, or opposed in nature; very different place, society, or person |
alimentary:
providing nourishment; concerned with food, nutrition, or digestion | allay:
calm; pacify; reduce the intensity of; relieve |
allege:
state without proof; assert to be true | allegory:
symbolic representation of abstract ideas or principles in narrative, dramatic, or pictorial form |
alliteration:
repetition of beginning sound in poetry | allocate:
assign; distribute according to plan |
allude:
refer casually or indirectly, or by suggestion | allusion:
indirect reference; symbolical reference or comparison; metaphor |
aloft:
in or into a high place; high or higher up | alternate:
happening or following in turns; succeeding each other continuously; substitute |
altitude:
elevation especially above sea level; height | altruistic:
unselfishly generous; concerned for others |
amalgamate:
combine; unite in one body; mix or alloy a metal with mercury | amass:
collect; gather for oneself, as for one's pleasure or profit |
ambidextrous:
capable of using either hand with equal ease | ambience:
particular environment or surrounding influence; atmosphere of environment |
ambiguous:
unclear or doubtful in meaning | ambivalence:
state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes, such as love and hate |
amble:
moving at an easy pace; walk slowly or leisurely | ambulatory:
able to walk; formed or adapted for walking; not stationary |
ameliorate:
make or become better; improve; grow better | amenable:
responsive to advice or suggestion; responsible to higher authority; willing to comply with; agreeable |
amenities:
convenient features; courtesies | amiable:
good-natured and likable; lovable; warmly friendly |
amicable:
exhibiting friendliness or goodwill; not quarrelsome | amid:
in the middle of; among; surrounded by |
amity:
friendship; peaceful relations, as between nations | amorous:
moved by sexual love; loving |
amorphous:
formless; lacking shape or definition | amphibian:
able to live both on land and in water |
amphitheater:
oval building with tiers of seats from central open space or arena | amplify:
broaden or clarify by expanding; intensify; make larger or more powerful; increase |
amputate:
cut off part of body, especially by surgery; prune | anachronistic:
having time error in story; erroneous in date; in wrong time |
analgesic:
serving to reduce sensibility to pain without loss of consciousness | analogous:
comparable; similar or alike |
anarchist:
person who seeks to overturn established government; advocate of abolishing authority | anathema:
solemn curse; someone or something regarded as a curse |
ancestor:
forefather; forebear; forerunner or predecessor | ancestry:
family descent; series or line of ancestors; lineage |
ancillary:
serving as aid or accessory; auxiliary | anecdotal:
having the character of an anecdote; of short story of interesting or humorous incident |
angular:
sharp-cornered; consisting of an angle or angles; stiff in manner | animate:
endowed with life; alive; living; animated |
animated:
having life or vigor or spirit; filled with activity; in form of cartoon | animus:
feeling of enmity or ill will; attitude that informs one's actions; disposition |
annals:
chronological record of the events of successive years | annihilate:
destroy completely; reduce to nonexistence |
annotate:
comment; make explanatory notes | announce:
herald; give out; proclaim; make known publicly |
announcement:
formal public statement; act of making known publicly | annoy:
disturb, especially by minor irritations; irritate |
annuity:
annual payment of allowance or income; periodical payment, amounting to a fixed sum in each year | annul:
make or declare void or invalid; reduce to nothing |
anodyne:
source of relaxation or comfort; medicine that relieves pain | anoint:
apply oil or similar substance to; put oil on during religious ceremony as a sign of sanctification or consecration. |
anomalous:
deviating from normal or common order, form, or rule | anomaly:
irregularity; person or something that is unusual; departure from normal or common order |
anonymous:
having no name; having unknown or unacknowledged name | antagonism:
active resistance; condition of being an opposing principle, force, or factor |
antecede:
precede; go before in time, and sometimes in place, rank, or logical order | antecedents:
preceding events or circumstances that influence what comes later; ancestors or early background |
antediluvian:
antiquated; extremely old and ancient; belonging to very ancient times | anthology:
book of literary selections by various authors |
anthropocentric:
regarding human beings as the center of the universe | anthropoid:
manlike; resembling a human, especially in shape or outward appearance |
anthropomorphic:
having human form or characteristics | anticlimax:
letdown in thought or emotion; decline viewed in disappointing contrast with previous rise |
antipathy:
strong feeling of aversion; dislike | antithesis:
contrast; direct contrast; opposition |
anxious:
eager; keen; worried; uneasy and apprehensive about an uncertain event or matter | apathy:
lack of caring; indifference |
aperture:
opening; diameter of such an opening; hole | apex:
highest point; vertex; summit; climax |
aphasia:
loss of speech due to injury or illness | aphorism:
definition or concise statement of principle; tersely phrased statement of truth or opinion |
apiary:
place where bees and beehives are kept, especially where bees are raised for their honey | aplomb:
poise; self-confident assurance |
apocryphal:
untrue; of questionable authorship or authenticity; erroneous; fictitious | apogee:
the highest point; point in orbit most distant from the body being orbited |
apolitical:
having aversion or lack of concern for political affairs | apologist:
person who argues in defense or justification of something, such as doctrine, policy, or institution |
apostate:
one who abandons his religious faith or political beliefs | apotheosis:
elevation to godhood; fact or action of becoming a god; an ideal example of something |
appall:
depress or discourage with fear; grow faint or become weak | apparition:
ghostly figure; sudden or unusual sight; appearance; state of being visible |
appellation:
name; title; act of naming; act of appealing for aid, sympathy | append:
attach; add as supplement or appendix |
appliance:
durable goods for home or office use; device or instrument for household use | apply:
exert; put into service; avail oneself to; |
apportion:
distribute; allot; give out as one's portion or share | apposite:
strikingly appropriate and relevant; well-suited |
appraise:
estimate value of; evaluate, especially in official capacity | apprehension:
fearful or uneasy anticipation of the future; act of seizing or capturing; understanding |
apprenticeship:
term during which one learns a trade from skilled worker; service or legal condition of an apprentice | apprise:
inform; give notice to; make aware |
approaching:
impending; of the relatively near future; coming closer to another | approbation:
expression of warm approval; praise |
appropriation:
funding; money set aside for a specific purpose | apropos:
with reference or regard; in respect |
aptly:
in a competent capable manner; in an apt or suitable manner | aquatic:
consisting of, relating to, or being in water |
aquiline:
curved or hooked like an eagle's beak | arable:
fit for growing crops, as by plowing |
arbiter:
person with power to decide a dispute; judge | arboretum:
place where different tree varieties are exhibited |
arcane:
secret; mysterious; known only to the initiated | archaeology:
study of artifacts and relics of early mankind |
archaic:
no longer current or applicable; antiquated | archetype:
prototype; original model or type after which other similar things are patterned |
archipelago:
group of closely located islands | architecture:
art and science of designing and erecting buildings; buildings and other large structures |
ardent:
displaying or by strong enthusiasm or devotion; passionate | arduous:
demanding great effort or labor; difficult |
arid:
dry; lacking moisture, especially having insufficient rainfall to support trees or plants | aristocracy:
hereditary nobility; privileged class |
armada:
a fleet of warships; a large group of moving things | aroma:
fragrance; scent; pleasant characteristic odor, as of a plant, spice, or food |
aromatic:
fragrant or sweet-smelling; caused by fragrant odor | arousal:
act of awaking from sleep; arousing from what is like sleep |
arouse:
excite; stimulate; awaken from or as if from sleep | arraign:
officially charge someone in a court of law |
arrears:
being in debt; unpaid, overdue debt or an unfulfilled obligation | arrogate:
claim without justification; claim for oneself without right |
arroyo:
deep gully; a dry gulch; brook or creek; watercourse | arthritis:
inflammation of a joint or joints |
article:
essay; editorial; individual thing or element of a class | articulate:
expressing oneself easily in clear and effective language |
artifice:
subtle but base deception; trickery; cleverness or skill; ingenuity | artisan:
manually skilled worker; craftsman, as opposed to artist |
artless:
free of artificiality; natural; open and honest | ascendancy:
superiority or decisive advantage; domination |
ascetic:
leading a life of self-discipline and self-denial; austere | ascribe:
inscribe or dedicate; attribute to a specified cause, source, or origin; assign as a quality |
aseptic:
preventing infection; having cleansing effect | ashen:
ash-colored; very pale; consisting of ashes |
askance:
with sideways or indirect look; Turned to side, especially of eyes | askew:
turned or twisted toward one side; at an angle |
aspect:
distinct feature or element in a problem; a way in which something can be viewed by the mind | asperity:
sharpness of temper; roughness or harshness, as of surface, sound, or climate |
aspirant:
one who aspires, as to advancement, honors, or a high position | assail:
assault; attack with or as if with violent blows |
assay:
analyze; evaluate; examine by trial or experiment; put to test | assembly:
gathering; meeting; a group of persons gathered together for common reason |
assent:
express agreement to what is alleged or proposed; accept | assiduous:
constant in application or attention; diligent; unceasing or persistent |
assimilate:
incorporate and absorb into mind; make similar; cause to resemble | assist:
give help or support to, especially as a subordinate |
assistant:
helper; person who assists or helps someone else | assuage:
ease or lessen pain; satisfy or appease |
astigmatism:
eye defect that prevents proper focus | astringent:
causing contraction; having the effect of drawing tissue together; stern or austere |
astronomical:
enormously large or extensive; relating to astronomy | asunder:
into separate parts or pieces; apart |
asymmetric:
not identical on both sides of a dividing central line | atavism:
resemblance to remote ancestors rather than to parents; deformity returning after passage of two or more generations |
atavistic:
displaying characteristics of previous cultural era or of previous ancestral form | atheistic:
denying existence of God; godless |
atrocity:
brutal deed; atrocious condition, quality, or behavior; monstrousness | atrophy:
wasting away; decrease in size; reduction in the functionality of an organ caused by disease |
attach:
fasten; annex; be in contact with | attached:
fastened together; joined by wall, especially by sharing a wall with another building; not freestanding |
attainment:
something, such as an accomplishment or achievement; achievement | attenuate:
make slender, fine, or small; weaken; lessen density of |
attorney:
lawyer; one who is appointed by another to act in his place or stead; proxy | attract:
draw to, or cause to tend to; engage or fix, as the mind, attention; invite or allure |
attribute:
essential quality; reputation; honor | attrition:
gradual decrease in numbers; reduction in work force without firing employees; wearing away of opposition by means of harassment |
atypical:
not normal; unusual or irregular; not representative of a group, class, or type | audacious:
fearlessly, often recklessly daring; bold |
audit:
examination of accounts; adjustment or correction of accounts | auditory:
of or relating to hearing, the organs of hearing, or the sense of hearing |
auger:
hand tool for boring holes; hollow drill used to take core samples of soil, ice | augment:
make greater, as in size, extent, or quantity |
augury:
sign of something coming; art or practice of foretelling events by signs or omens | aureole:
the outermost region of the sun's atmosphere; halo |
auroral:
characteristic of dawn; dawning, eastern, like new beginning; relating to the atmospheric phenomenon auroras | auspicious:
attended by favorable circumstances; marked by success; prosperous |
austere:
strict or severe in discipline; severely simple and unornamented | authenticate:
prove genuine; establish authenticity of |
authoritarian:
expecting absolute obedience; completely dominating another's will | authoritative:
having weight of authority; peremptory and dictatorial |
authority:
jurisdiction; power to enforce laws, exact obedience, command, determine, or judge; government | authorize:
empower; give permission for; sanction |
autocrat:
dictator; ruler having unlimited power | autocratic:
having absolute, unchecked power; dictatorial |
automaton:
mechanism that imitates actions of humans | autonomous:
self-governing; not controlled by others or by outside forces; independent |
autonomy:
independence; self-government or the right of self-government; self-determination | auxiliary:
helper, additional or subsidiary |
avalanche:
great mass of falling snow and ice | avarice:
greediness for wealth; insatiable desire of gain |
aver:
declare to be true; affirm | averse:
reluctant; disinclined; turned away or backward; unwilling |
aversion:
firm dislike; turning away; avoidance of a thing, situation, or behavior because of dislike | aviary:
large cage, building, or enclosure in which birds are reared or kept |
aviation:
art or science of flying; flight; aeronautics | avid:
greedy; eager for; marked by keen interest and enthusiasm |
avocation:
activity taken up in addition to one's regular work or profession, usually for enjoyment | avoidance:
keeping away from or preventing from happening |
avow:
declare openly; acknowledge openly, boldly, and unashamedly | avuncular:
in manner of uncle, pertaining to uncle; kind, genial, benevolent or tolerant |
awkwardly:
in an uncomfortable, nervous or embarrassed way | awry:
in a position that is turned toward one side; away from correct course |
axiom:
self-evident truth requiring no proof | azure:
sky blue; light purplish-blue |
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