abate: v. subside; decrease; become less in amount or intensity | abduct: v. carry off by force; kidnap |
abhor: v. fill with horror and loathing; horrify; hate | abject: a. being of the most miserable kind; wretched; lacking pride; brought low in condition or status |
abominable: a. detestable; extremely unpleasant; very bad | abstain: v. refrain; hold oneself back voluntarily from an action or practice |
abstruse: a. obscure; profound; difficult to understand | absurdity: n. quality of being absurd or inconsistent with obvious truth, reason, or sound judgment; logical contradiction |
abyss: n. enormous chasm; vast bottomless pit; any deep, immeasurable space; hell | accommodation: n. living quarters provided for public convenience; something that meets a need; convenience |
accomplice: n. partner in crime; associate in wrongdoing | acquiesce: v. assent; agree without protesting |
acrid: a. unpleasantly sharp or bitter to taste or smell; bitterly pungent | adamant: a. extremely hard; inflexible; stubbornly unyielding |
admonish: v. warn; counsel someone against something to be avoided | adoration: n. act of playing honor to a divine being; worship paid to God; the act of addressing as a god |
adore: v. worship with profound reverence; pay divine honors to; regard with the utmost esteem and affection | adversary: n. the opponent in a contest; someone who offers opposition |
affable: a. easily approachable; warmly friendly | affirmative: a. confirmative; ratifying; giving assent or approval; confirming |
agency: n. a business that serves other businesses; an administrative unit of government | aghast: a. struck by shock, terror, or amazement |
agitate: v. cause to move with violence or sudden force; upset; disturb | agrarian: a. pertaining to land or its cultivation; relating to agricultural or rural matters |
aisle: n. passageway between rows of seats, as in an auditorium or an airplane; the wing of a building | alacrity: n. cheerful promptness or willingness; eagerness; speed or quickness |
albeit: ad. even though; although; notwithstanding | allegiance: n. loyalty to a nation, sovereign, or cause; fidelity to any person or thing; devotion |
alleviate: v. provide physical relief, as from pain; make easier; remove in part | alley: n. a narrow passage, especially a walk or passage in a garden or park, bordered by rows of trees or bushes |
allot: v. parcel out in parts or portions; distribute to each individual concerned; assign as a share or lot | ambiguous: a. unclear or doubtful in meaning |
ambush: n. disposition or arrangement of troops for attacking an enemy unexpectedly from a concealed station | amiable: a. good-natured and likable; lovable; warmly friendly |
amicable: a. exhibiting friendliness or goodwill; not quarrelsome | amiss: a. out of proper order; not in perfect shape; faulty |
amnesty: n. the general pardon granted by the government, especially for political offenses | amorous: a. moved by sexual love; loving |
amphitheater: n. oval building with tiers of seats from central open space or arena | anarchy: n. absence of governing body; state of disorder; political disorder and confusion |
animation: n. act of animating or giving life or spirit; state of being animate or alive | ankle: n. the joint which connects the foot with the leg; tarsus |
annals: n. a chronological record of the events of successive years | antagonism: n. active resistance; condition of being an opposing principle, force, or factor |
antagonist: n. one who contends with another, especially in combat; an adversary; opponent | apathy: n. lack of interest, or the attitude of not caring resulting from it; the indifference |
appalling: a. causing or fitted to cause dismay or horror; frightful | apparel: n. external clothing; vesture; garments; dress; a small ornamental piece |
apparition: n. ghostly figure; sudden or unusual sight; appearance; state of being visible | appease: v. bring peace, quiet, or calm to; satisfy or relieve |
appellation: n. name; title; the act of naming; the act of appealing for aid, sympathy | appraise: v. estimate value of; evaluate, especially in an official capacity |
apprehend: v. take into custody; arrest a criminal; grasp mentally; perceive | apprehensive: a. capable of knowing; conscious; relating to the faculty of apprehension; sensible; feeling; perceptive |
apprise: v. inform; give notice to; make aware | approbation: n. expression of warm approval; praise |
apron: n. an article of dress, of cloth or other stuff, worn on the forepart of the body, to keep the clothes clean | arable: a. fit for growing crops, as by plowing |
arrogance: n. overbearing pride; haughtiness; manifest feeling of personal superiority in rank, power, or estimation | arrogant: a. arising from feeling or assumption of one's superiority toward others |
ascending: a. climbing; rising; increasing in size or value | ascertain: v. find out for certain; discover with certainty; make sure of |
ascetic: a. leading a life of self-discipline and self-denial; austere | assail: v. assault; attack with or as if with violent blows |
assassination: n. act of assassinating; killing by treacherous violence; the murder of public figure by a surprise attack | assiduous: a. constant in application or attention; diligent; unceasing or persistent |
assign: v. appoint; allot; point out authoritatively or exactly | astray: a. away from the correct path or direction, either in a literal or in a figurative sense; wandering |
asunder: ad. into separate parts or pieces; apart | asylum: n. place of refuge or shelter; protection |
atone: v. make amends, as for sin or fault; pay for; turn away from sin | atrocity: n. brutal deed; atrocious condition, quality, or behavior; monstrousness |
attentive: a. alert and watchful; considerate; thoughtful | attic: n. story or room directly below the roof of a building, especially a house; |
audacious: a. fearlessly, often recklessly daring; bold | audacity: a. daring spirit, resolution, or confidence; venturesome; reckless daring |
auditory: a. of or relating to hearing, the organs of hearing, or the sense of hearing | august: a. impressive; majestic; inspiring awe or admiration |
auspicious: a. attended by favorable circumstances; marked by success; prosperous | austere: a. strict or severe in the discipline; severely simple and unornamented |
automaton: n. the mechanism that imitates actions of humans | avarice: n. greediness for wealth; the insatiable desire to gain |
avenge: v. take vengeance for something, or on behalf of someone | aver: v. declare to be true; affirm |
azure: a. sky blue; light purplish-blue | bacchanalian: a. drunken; relating to reveling and drunkenness |
bacon: n. back and sides of a pig salted and smoked | baffle: v. frustrate as by confusing or perplexing; impede force or movement of |
bait: v. harass; tease; lure, entice, or entrap | balcony: n. platform projecting from the wall of a building |
ballad: n. popular kind of narrative poem adapted for recitation or singing | bamboo: n. plant of the family of grasses, and genus Bambusa, growing in tropical countries |
banish: v. drive out; drive away; compel to depart; dispel | baron: n. title or degree of nobility |
bashful: a. abashed; daunted; very modest, or modest excess; constitutionally disposed to shrink from public notice | bathe: v. wash by immersion, as in a bath; subject to bath; lave; immerse or cover one's self |
beaver: n. amphibious rodent about two feet in length; fur of the beaver; tall hat, originally made from beaver fur | beckon: v. signal or summon, as by nodding or waving; attract because of inviting or enticing appearance |
bellicose: a. warlike or hostile in manner or temperament; showing or having the impulse to be combative | belligerent: a. inclined or eager to fight; aggressive |
belly: n. part of the human body which extends downward from breast to thighs, and contains bowels; womb | benefactor: n. gift giver; a person who gives people or institutions financial help |
beneficiary: n. a person entitled to benefits or proceeds of an insurance policy or will | benevolent: a. generous in providing aid to others; charitable |
bequeath: v. leave to someone by a will; hand down | berth: n. space for the ship to dock or anchor; allotted place; the place to sleep or stay; appointment or job |
beseech: v. beg; plead with; ask for or request earnestly | beset: v. attack from all sides; trouble persistently; hem in |
bicker: v. engage in a petty, bad-tempered quarrel | birch: n. tree of several species, constituting the genus Betula |
blatant: a. flagrant; conspicuously obvious; loudly offensive | blot: n. spot or stain, as of ink on paper; blur; a weak point or failing |
blunder: n. serious mistake typically caused by ignorance or confusion | bohemian: a. unconventional in an artistic way |
boisterous: a. rough and stormy; loud, noisy, and lacking in restraint or discipline | bolt: v. dash or dart off; move or jump suddenly |
bother: v. annoy; trouble; make agitated or nervous; fluster | bounty: n. goodness, kindness; virtue; liberality in giving |
bower: n. shady shelter or recess in a garden or woods; anchor carried at the bow of the ship; a muscle that bends a limb | brace: n. something which holds anything tightly or supports it firmly, as bandage, cord, or rod; |
brake: n. a piece of mechanism for retarding or stopping motion by friction | brand: n. a burning piece of wood; mark made by burning with a hot iron; distinctive mark upon in any way |
brazen: a. having loud, usually harsh, resonant sound; shameless | breakthrough: n. act of overcoming or penetrating an obstacle or restriction |
bribe: n. something serving to influence or persuade; reward or gift to prevent judgment | bridle: n. headgear with which a horse is directed and which carries a bit and reins |
brilliant: a. full of light; shining; bright; sharp and clear in tone | brink: n. edge, margin, or border of a steep place verge |
broach: v. introduce; bring up for discussion or debate; announce | brood: v. think long and anxiously; be in a state of gloomy, serious thought |
brutal: a. like a brute; savage; cruel; inhuman; merciless | buck: v. move quickly and violently; jump vertically; strive with determination |
bucket: n. vessel for drawing up water from a well; a vessel for hoisting and conveying coal, ore, grain | bully: n. noisy, blustering fellow; one who is threatening and quarrelsome; insolent, tyrannical fellow |
burial: n. grave or tomb; the ritual placing of a corpse in a grave; concealing something under the ground | butcher: n. one whose job is to kill animals for food; one who kills in large numbers; vendor, especially on a train or in theater |
buttress: v. support physically; prop up; support something or someone by supplying evidence | cable: n. solid thick rope made of twisted steel or metal wire |
cajole: v. influence or urge by gentle urging or flattering | calamity: n. the event that brings terrible loss, lasting distress, or severe affliction; disaster; misery |
calendar: n. the orderly arrangement as years, months, weeks, and days; a table showing months, weeks, and days | canon: n. law, rule, or constitution made by authority; books of the Bible officially accepted; a group of literary works |
canvass: v. determine votes; examine carefully or discuss thoroughly; scrutinize | cape: n. piece or point of land, extending beyond the adjacent coast into the sea or a lake; sleeveless outer garment |
caprice: n. sudden, unexpected fancy; impulsive change of mind | capricious: a. fickle; impulsive and unpredictable; apt to change opinions suddenly |
captivate: v. charm; enthrall; seize by force, as an enemy in war, or anything belonging to an enemy | carnage: n. destruction of life; the savage and excessive killing of many people |
carpenter: n. a skilled worker who makes, finishes, and repairs wooden objects and structures | caste: n. any of the hereditary social classes and subclasses of South Asian societies |
cataclysm: n. an event resulting in great loss and misfortune; deluge or overflowing of water | catalogue: n. list or enumeration of names; articles arranged methodically, often in alphabetical order |
caustic: a. capable of burning, corroding, dissolving, or eating away by chemical action | cavalier: a. offhand or casual; given to haughty disregard of others |
cement: n. any substances used for making bodies adhere to each other; bond of union; concrete pavement | cemetery: n. place or ground set apart for the burial of the dead; graveyard |
censor: n. overseer of morals; official responsible for removal of objectionable or sensitive content | censure: v. expression of strong disapproval or harsh criticism; blame |
certificate: n. the document attesting to the truth of certain stated facts; document issued to a person completing a course | cessation: n. bringing or coming to an end; cease |
champagne: n. light wine, of several kinds, originally made in the province of Champagne, in France | chant: v. utter with a melodious voice; celebrate in song; make melody with the voice |
chasm: n. deep opening in the earth surface | chicanery: n. mean or unfair artifice to obscure truth; deception by trickery or sophistry |
chide: v. scold mildly so as to correct or improve; express disapproval | chivalrous: a. having qualities of ideal knight; faithful; brave |
circus: n. public entertainment of performances by acrobats, clowns, and trained animals | clandestine: a. secret; conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods |
clasp: n. fastening device; firm grip | cleft: n. crack or crevice; a split or indentation between two parts, as of the chin |
cliche: n. obvious remark; overused expression or idea | client: n. someone who pays to get goods or services |
climax: n. upward movement; steady increase; the highest point; the greatest degree | closet: n. a small room or apartment; room for privacy |
clump: n. cluster or close group of bushes, trees; mass; the sound of heavy treading | comely: a. pleasing or attractive to the eye; handsome; graceful |
commence: v. have a beginning or origin; originate; start; begin | commend: v. commit, entrust, or give in charge for care or preservation; recommend as worthy of confidence or regard |
commotion: n. disturbed or violent motion; agitation; public disturbance; riot; excitement | compartment: n. one of parts or spaces into which an area is subdivided; separate room, section, or chamber |
compelling: a. overpowering; drivingly forceful; urgently requiring attention | composure: n. mental calmness; calm or tranquil state of mind |
conceit: n. overly high self-esteem; feelings of excessive pride | conceivable: a. capable of being conceived, imagined, or understood |
concession: n. act of yielding; point yielded; acknowledgment or admission | concoct: v. digest; convert into nourishment by the organs of nutrition |
concord: n. agreement of opinions; harmonious state of things | confidential: a. treated with confidence; trusted in; trustworthy; secret |
confiscate: v. seize as forfeited to the public treasury; appropriate to the public use | confound: v. cause to become confused or perplexed; fail to distinguish; mix up |
conjunction: n. state of being conjoined, united, or associated; union; association; league | console: v. cheer from distress or depression; alleviate grief and raise spirits of; relieve; comfort |
consummate: a. carried to the utmost extent or degree; of the highest quality; complete; perfect | contempt: n. state of being despised or dishonored; disgrace; disobedience to, or open disrespect of |
contemptible: a. worthy of contempt; deserving of scorn or disdain; mean | contemptuous: a. scornful; expressing contempt; showing a lack of respect |
contradiction: n. the assertion of contrary; denial of the truth of a statement; opposition, whether by argument or conduct | contribute: v. provide; bestow a quality on |
contrive: v. form by an exercise of ingenuity; invent or design | convey: v. carry from one place to another; bear or transport |
conveyance: n. act of conveying; tools of conveying, especially vehicle for transportation | copious: a. plentiful; containing plenty; affording ample supply |
cordial: a. gracious; showing warmth and friendliness | cork: n. lightweight elastic outer bark, used especially for bottle closures, insulation, floats |
corporal: a. belonging or relating to the body; bodily; noncommissioned officer, next below a sergeant | corporeal: a. bodily; of material nature; tangible |
corpulent: a. very fat; large in the body; overweight | correspondent: a. one who communicates information, especially, by letter or telegram to newspaper or periodical |
corroborate: v. establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts; support with evidence | covenant: n. mutual agreement of two or more persons or parties; contract; stipulation |
covert: a. secretive, not openly shown | cowardice: n. lack of courage to face danger; extreme timidity; base fear of danger or hurt; lack of spirit |
cradle: n. small low bed for an infant, often furnished with rockers; infancy, or very early life | crafty: a. relating to, or characterized by, skill; dexterous; skillful |
crave: v. ask with earnestness or importunity; ask with submission or humility; beg | crease: n. a line or long thin mark made by folding or doubling |
crisp: a. firm but easily broken or crumbled; brittle | crouch: v. bend down; stoop low; lie close to the ground with the legs bent, as an animal when waiting for prey or in fear |
crucial: a. of extreme importance; vital to the resolution of a crisis; of the greatest importance | cruise: v. sail back and forth on the ocean; sail as for the protection of commerce, in search of an enemy, or for pleasure |
cryptic: a. having hidden meaning; mystifying; using code or cipher | cumulative: a. increasing by successive addition |
curb: v. bend or curve; guide and manage, or restrain | curl: v. form into a coiled or spiral shape; twist into ringlets or coils; move in curve or spiral |
curt: a. having been shortened; effectively cut short; rudely brief or abrupt, as in speech or manner | curtail: v. cut short or reduce; cut off end or tail, or any part |
custody: n. keeping or guarding; care, watch, inspection, for keeping, preservation, or security | cynical: a. skeptical of motives of others; selfishly calculating; negative or pessimistic |
dangle: v. hang loosely, or with a swinging or jerking motion; swing, as something suspended loosely | deceit: n. attempt or disposition to deceive or lead into error; any declaration that misleads another to believe a false thing |
decipher: v. convert code into ordinary language; read with difficulty | declivity: n. downward slope, as of a hill |
dedicate: v. set apart for a deity or special purposes; devote; consecrate | deem: v. decide; judge; sentence; condemn |
define: v. determine the nature of; give a definition; describe the nature or basic qualities of; explain | defraud: v. deprive of some right, interest, or property, by a deceitful device |
defy: v. refuse to submit to or cooperate with; be unaffected by; resist or withstand | degenerate: v. become worse; decline; fall |
dejected: a. being in low spirits; depressed | deluge: n. great flood; heavy downpour; any overflowing of water |
delusion: n. false belief; mistaken or unfounded opinion | demise: n. end of existence or activity; termination |
denial: n. act of refusing or disowning; negation; refusal to admit the truth; refusal to grant; rejection of a request | deputy: n. one appointed as the substitute of another, and empowered to act for him; substitute in office |
derelict: a. left and abandoned; negligent in performing a duty | deride: v. ridicule; make fun of; laugh at with contempt |
descry: v. catch sight of; discover by careful observation or scrutiny | desecrate: v. violate with violence, especially to a sacred place |
desiccate: v. dry up thoroughly; make dry, dull, or lifeless; preserve foods by removing the moisture | desist: v. cease to proceed or act; stop; forbear |
destitute: a. extremely poor; utterly lacking; devoid | desultory: a. aimless; haphazard; at random; not connected with the subject |
detach: v. part; separate or disunite; disengage | detain: v. keep back or from; withhold; restrain from proceeding; stay or stop; delay |
deviate: v. turn away from a principle, norm; depart; diverge | devout: a. expressing devotion or piety; earnest in the religious field |
dexterity: n. right-handedness; readiness and grace in physical activity; skill and ease in using the hands; expertness in manual acts | dexterous: a. skillful in the use of the hands; having mental skill |
dingy: a. darkened with smoke and grime; dirty or discolored | dip: v. insert into a fluid and withdraw again; immerse for baptism; wet, as if by immersing; moisten |
disclose: v. unclose; open; remove a cover or envelope from; lay open or expose to view | discord: n. conflict; lack of agreement among persons, groups, or things |
discrepancy: n. lack of consistency; the difference | disdain: v. view with scorn or contempt; feel with aversion |
disparity: n. difference; condition or fact of being unequal, as in age, rank, or degree | dissolution: n. breaking of union; decomposition into fragments or parts; extinction of life; decay |
ditch: n. the trench made in the earth by digging; any long, narrow receptacle for water on the surface of the earth | diverge: v. vary; go in different directions from the same point |
divulge: v. reveal; make known to the public | dock: v. deprive someone of benefits; remove or shorten the tail of an animal |
dodge: v. avoid a blow by moving or shifting quickly aside; a shifty or ingenious trick | doleful: a. sorrowful; filled with or expressing grief; mournful |
dome: n. building or house, especially as the great hall, church, or temple; anything shaped like a cupola | dose: n. quantity of medicine given; sufficient quantity; portion |
downcast: a. low in spirits; depressed; directed downward | doze: v. slumber; sleep lightly; be in dull or stupefied condition, as if half asleep; be drowsy |
dreadfully: ad. terribly; with alarm; fearfully | drench: v. wet through and through; soak; put potion down the throat of; steep in moisture; wet thoroughly |
drown: v. kill by submerging and suffocating in water; overwhelm in water; deaden one's awareness of | dubious: a. questionable; filled with doubt |
duel: n. combat between two persons; fought with deadly weapons by agreement; | dumbfound: v. fill with astonishment and perplexity; confound |
dunce: n. backward in book learning; child or another person dull or weak in intellect; dullard or dolt | dwindle: v. shrink; reduce in size; become less |
ecology: n. science of the relationships between organisms and their environments | ecstasy: n. intense joy or delight; any overpowering emotion |
eddy: n. swirling current of water, air; flow in a circular current | editorial: a. of or pertaining to an editor; written or sanctioned by an editor |
eerie: a. suggestive of the supernatural; mysterious | efface: v. rub or wipe out; make indistinct as if by rubbing |
effectual: a. able to produce the desired effect; valid | elastic: a. springing back; having the power of rebounding; able to return quickly to a former state or condition |
elderly: a. somewhat old; advanced beyond middle age | electrical: a. pertaining to electricity; electric |
elucidate: v. make clear or plain, especially by explanation; clarify | elude: v. avoid cleverly; escape the perception of |
emanate: v. come or send forth from a source, used chiefly of an intangible thing, as light | embark: v. commence; go onboard a boat or airplane; begin a journey |
embassy: n. the diplomatic building where ambassadors live or work; diplomatic representatives headed by an ambassador | emerald: a. of precious stone of rich green color; of a rich green color |
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