v. improve and prepare, as by plowing or fertilizing, for raising crops; promote the growth of
E.g. I think probably the most popular habit we writers cultivate is having coffee to hand.
a. heavy; difficult to handle because of weight or bulk
E.g. He was burdened down with cumbersome parcels.
a. increasing by successive addition
E.g. Vocabulary building is a cumulative process: as you go through your flash cards, you will add new words to your vocabulary, one by one.
n. course; program
E.g. While these arguments about evolution are in their infancy in the UK, a Government minister has said that says that Intelligent Design is not included in the national curriculum and should not be taught in schools.
v. cut short or reduce; cut off end or tail, or any part
E.g. When Herb asked Diane for a date, she said she was really sorry she couldn't go out with him, her dad had ordered her to curtail her social life.
n. curator; guardian
E.g. Every veteran has his or her own war, and each is custodian of a unique story and memories.
n. standstill resulting from opposition of two forces or factions; stalemate
E.g. Because negotiations had reached a deadlock, some of the delegates had begun to mutter about breaking off the talks.
n. scarcity; shortage of food; famine from failure or loss of crops
E.g. The dearth of skilled labor compelled the employers to open trade schools.
v. decay
E.g. Unless the plastic is specially designed to decompose in the soil, such materials can last a very long time.
v. lessen; reduce; make a quantity smaller
E.g. Can I increase or decrease the sum insured under the council home contents insurance policy ?
a. weakened, worn out, or broken down by old age, illness, or hard use
E.g. The decrepit car blocked traffic on the highway.
v. lead forth; reach a conclusion by reasoning; trace the origin or derivation of
E.g. Our investors deduce from the figures that the report shows.
v. lead forth or out; take away, separate, or remove, in numbering, estimating, or calculating; subtract
E.g. I will deduct tax from your salary.
v. decide; judge; sentence; condemn
E.g. I am simply going to keep looking forward and do what I deem is right.
n. failure to act; an option that is selected automatically
E.g. When the visiting team failed to show up for the big game, they lost the game by default.
v. delay till later; put off; hold back to a later time
E.g. I would again defer to responsible judgment when we're dealing with these kind of things.
n. refusal to yield; readiness to contend or resist
E.g. Now I feel by imperceptible signs, which I cannot yet interpret but will later, that his defiance is about to thaw.
v. pollute; make dirty or spotty
E.g. The hoodlums defile the church with their scurrilous writing.
v. reduce from an inflated condition; release contained air or gas from
E.g. His goal must be to deflate the opposition, not to encourage it.
v. turn aside; draw someone's attention away from something
E.g. No one believed that his life was saved because his cigarette case could deflect the bullet.
v. deprive of some right, interest, or property, by a deceitful device
E.g. Are you saying that Socialism Welfare states don't defraud, mislead, and embezzle?
a. quick and skillful; neat in action or performance
E.g. The deft waiter uncorked the champagne without spilling a drop.
v. reduce level; lower grade of something
E.g. To reduce in worth or value: degrade a currency.
a. delightful; delicious; extremely pleasing to the sense of taste
E.g. We thanked our host for a most delectable meal.
n. person authorized to act as representative for another; deputy
E.g. Some religious groups are boycotting the event, but one delegate told the BBC that it was vital to work with the Americans to get Iraq up and running again.
n. failure or omission of duty; fault; misdeed; offense or crime
E.g. Significant increases in delinquency rates have in some cases led to unexpected increases in credit losses.
n. mental disorder marked by confusion
E.g. In his delirium, the drunkard saw pink panthers and talking pigs.
v. deceive mind or judgment of; lead from truth or into error; frustrate or disappoint
E.g. His mistress may delude herself into believing that he would leave his wife and marry her.
n. great flood; heavy downpour; any overflowing of water
E.g. When we advertised the position, we received a deluge of applications.
v. raze; destroy; do away with completely; put an end to
E.g. Authorities plan to demolish many buildings left weakened by the quake which are threatening to fall.
n. class, society, or collection of individuals called by the same name; specifically, a religious sect
E.g. Every denomination is experiencing tension, and Southern Baptists are no exception.
v. indicate; signify directly; refer to specifically
E.g. The word “sex” is simply that—a word to denote whether a person is male or female.
v. represent in a picture or sculpture; portray in words; describe
E.g. Here, we can see how the author to depict Beatle John Lennon as a drug-crazed neurotic.
v. decrease fullness of; use up or empty out
E.g. We must wait until we deplete our present inventory before we order replacements.
n. act of emptying, reducing, or exhausting
E.g. Freshwater depletion is especially worrisome in Egypt, Libya, and several Persian Gulf states.
v. feel or express strong disapproval of; condemn; express sorrow or grief over; regret
E.g. Although I deplore the vulgarity of your language, I defend your right to express yourself freely.
v. lower in spirits; press down
E.g. There are hopes that this could help to revive the internet and technology sector which has shown to depress since the dotcom crash of 2000.
a. left and abandoned; negligent in performing a duty
E.g. As a former South Chicago community organizer, the President knows all about schools in derelict areas.
v. obtain or receive from a source; trace the origin or development of
E.g. For I knew Diana and Mary would derive more pleasure from seeing again the old homely tables than from the spectacle of the smartest innovations.
v. move downward and lower; come from; be connected by a relationship of blood
E.g. You could see a rough path descend like a steep stair into the plain.