v. defame; destroy confidence in; disbelieve
E.g. The campaign was highly negative in tone; each candidate tried to discredit the other.
n. lack of consistency; difference
E.g. The police noticed an obvious discrepancy in his description of the crime and did not believe him.
v. view with scorn or contempt; feel with aversion
E.g. In the film Funny Face, the bookish heroine used to disdain fashion models for their lack of intellectual interests.
a. unhappy; dissatisfied; frustrated
E.g. He says a number of cases involved very low-tech methods, such as disgruntled employees or temps simply stealing passwords and using them to break into the computer files.
v. fall apart; become reduced to components, fragments, or particles
E.g. Officers worry Iraqi Army will disintegrate after U.S. draws down.
a. prepared; inclined; be ready; being particular condition of body or of health
E.g. He is blessed, for he is wise, humble, and well disposed.
n. natural or acquired habit with tendency; act or means of getting rid of something
E.g. I was endeavoring in good earnest to acquire a more sociable and childlike disposition.
a. causing distress; painful; unpleasant
E.g. It's kind of distressing to see your pets like this, even though you know it's been for the best and they'll feel better soon.
a. differing in some characteristics; various
E.g. The professor suggested diverse ways of approaching the assignment and recommended that we choose one of them.
n. point or respect in which things differ; difference
E.g. Canadian society allows for diversity, and in the evolution of our national aims it is a central feature.
v. reveal; make known to public
E.g. Will update regarding the details, but all I can divulge is that it involves a really good-looking guy.
n. field; territory over which rule or control is exercised; networked computers that share a common address
E.g. Our cat knows who the queen of the domain is.
a. sleeping; not active but capable of becoming active
E.g. Her feelings of affection are dormant but easily awakened.
n. file of documents on a subject; a bundle of writings or documents relating to one matter or subject
E.g. This dossier is a result of intensive work over eight weeks that has drawn on many sources.
a. weak-minded; foolishly loving and indulgent
E.g. I think that the speaker might come off as unrealistic and totally doting.
a. gloomy; dismal; dark, colorless, or cheerless
E.g. Boston has had a fair share of cold, rainy and just plain dreary weather over the last couple of months
v. clean, deepen, or widen with scooping or suction devices, especially in harbor, waterway, and underwater mining
E.g. Outside he can dredge from a boat at his service; or swim and rest in the sun to go back invigorated into his laboratory.
a. abundantly covered or supplied with; completely wet
E.g. Too much conflict, too many days without food, too many nights drenched from the rain and you just have angry people.
v. fall in drops or small drops, or in a quick succession of drops
E.g. Water will dribble from the leaky faucet as long as it is raining.
a. queer; amusingly odd; comical
E.g. He was a popular guest because his droll anecdotes were always entertaining.
n. idle person; male bee; someone who takes more time than necessary
E.g. Content to let his wife support him, the would-be writer was in reality nothing but a drone.
a. expressing, or consisting of, the number two; belonging to two
E.g. I believe that book was published in dual editions for adult and teen readers; British publishers do that sort of thing a lot.
n. combat between two persons; fought with deadly weapons by agreement;
E.g. A fight-to-the-last-breath duel is often more compelling than merely a parade of highlight plays.
n. composition for two performers, whether vocal or instrumental
E.g. The solo over, a duet followed, and then a glee: a joyous conversational murmur filled up the intervals.
n. length of time something lasts
E.g. Because she wanted the children to make a good impression on the dinner guests, Mother promised them a treat if they'd behave for the duration of the meal.
n. forcible restraint, especially unlawfully
E.g. The hostages were held under duress until the prisoners' demands were met.
n. level or rank in an organization, profession, or society; formation of troops, ships
E.g. We have to get better to get to that top echelon, which is what our goal is.
v. darken; exceed in importance; outweigh
E.g. The new stock market high would eclipse the previous record set in 1995.
a. suggestive of the supernatural; mysterious
E.g. In that eerie setting, it was easy to believe in ghosts and other supernatural beings.
a. notorious; conspicuously bad or shocking
E.g. She was an egregious liar; we all knew better than to believe a word she said.
v. put out or expel from a place; discharge
E.g. This beveled design also helps automatically eject wood cuttings from the teeth while working.
a. vividly or movingly expressive; persuasive
E.g. My cousins, full of exhilaration, were so eloquent in narrative and comment, that their fluency covered him.
a. difficult to describe; difficult to detect or grasp by mind
E.g. Trying to pin down exactly when the contractors would be finished remodeling the house, Nancy was frustrated by their elusive replies.
n. stealing; fraudulent appropriation of property
E.g. It was later found guilty on a charge of embezzlement from the Pentagon.
n. act of embodying; state of being embodied
E.g. The flag is the embodiment, not of sentiment, but of history.
v. come into prominence; spring up; appear
E.g. New cases continue to emerge on an almost daily basis.
n. fame; high status importance owing to marked superiority; rise of ground; hill
E.g. The two great commanders sat at together on an eminence and conducted the field operations by orders delivered through aides-de-camp.
n. agent sent on a mission to represent or advance the interests of another
E.g. A native of Brazil, Bella considers herself a kind of emissary from the Brazilian community.
n. understanding and entering into another's feelings
E.g. You see, empathy is a code word for favoring criminal defendants, plaintiffs, labor and other groups which happen to match up with the liberal policy agenda.
a. having the power to enchant; charming
E.g. That icon is rather enchanting, although I'm sure that's not much of a comfort.