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barrons letter v
barrons letter v words
Term | Definition |
---|---|
vacillate | waver (in opinion); fluctuate; sway to and fro; N. vacillation |
vacuous | empty; lacking in ideas; inane; stupid; Ex. vacuous expression; N. vacuity |
vagabond | wanderer (without a permanent home); tramp |
tramp | walk with a heavy step; travel on foot; N: vagrant; one who travels aimlessly about; long walk; sound of heavy walking |
trample | step heavily with the feet; crush under the feet |
tread | walk; trample; N: grooved face of a tire; horizontal part of a step |
vagary | capricious happening; caprice; whim; CF. wander |
vagrant | wandering from place to place; roving; stray; moving in a random fashion; Ex. vagrant thoughts; N. vagrancy |
vagrant | homeless wanderer |
vainglorious | boastful; excessively conceited; N. vainglory: great vanity |
valedictory | pertaining to farewell; N: farewell address (esp. at graduation exercises) |
valediction | saying farewell; expression of leave-taking |
leave-taking | farewell or departure |
valid | logically convincing; sound; legally acceptable; effective; Ex. valid reasoning/passport |
sound | in good condition; showing good judgment or good sense; thorough; complete; Ex. sound mind/investment/training |
validate | make valid; confirm; ratify |
valor | bravery; ADJ. valiant: possessing valor; brave |
vampire | ghostly being that sucks the blood of the living |
vanguard | forerunners; foremost position of an army; advance forces; foremost position in a trend or movement; CF. rearguard |
avantgarde | group of artists whose work is based on the newest ideas and methods; CF. vanguard |
vantage | position giving an advantage (such as a strategic point); CF. vantagepoint |
vapid | lacking liveliness; dull and unimaginative; insipid and flavorless; Ex. vapid lecture |
vaporize | turn into vapor (steam, gas, fog, etc.) |
variegated | (esp. of a flower or leaf) many-colored |
variegate | change the appearance of (by marking with different colors) |
vassal | in feudalism, one who held land of a superior lord; subordinate or dependent |
vaunted | boasted; bragged; highly publicized; V. vaunt: boast; brag |
veer | change in direction; swerve |
vegetate | live in a monotonous way (without interests or activity); CF. vegetation: plants of an area; CF. vegetarian; CF. vegan |
vehement | forceful; intensely emotional; with marked vigor; strong; N. vehemence |
velocity | speed |
venal | capable of being bribed; corrupt; CF. vernal |
vendetta | blood feud (esp. between two families); CF. Nina Williams |
vendor | seller |
veneer | thin surface layer (of good quality wood, glued to a base of inferior material); cover; surface show; fa\c{c}ade; V. |
venerable | deserving high respect; commanding respect; CF. command: deserve and get |
venerate | revere; treat with great respect |
venial | (of a fault or sin) forgivable; trivial |
venison | meat of a deer; CF. cow: beef; CF. pig: pork, ham, bacon; CF. calf: veal; CF. sheep: mutton; CF. lamb: lamb |
venom | poison (of an animal); hatred; Ex. remarks full of venom; ADJ. venomous |
vent | small opening; outlet (as of fumes or a gas); Ex. He gave vent to his anger by kicking the chair. |
vent | release or discharge through a vent; express (esp. unfairly); utter; Ex. He vented his wrath on his family. |
ventilate | admit fresh air into to replace stale air |
ventral | abdominal |
ventriloquist | someone who can make his or her voice seem to come from another person or thing (without moving lips or jaws); N. ventriloquism, ventriloquy |
venture | risk; expose to risk; dare; undertake a risk; N. |
brave | face courageously; Ex. brave the storm |
venturesome | (of a person) bold; adventurous; daring; (of an action) risky |
venue | location; place (of a crime, trial, gathering, etc.); CF. come |
veracious | (of a person) truthful |
veracity | truthfulness; adherence to the truth |
verbalize | put into words; ADJ. verbal: of words; spoken rather than written; oral; of a verb |
verbatim | word for word; in the same words; repeating the actual words exactly |
verbiage | pompous array of words; too many unnecessary words; wordiness |
verbose | wordy; N. verbosity |
verdant | green; covered with green plants or grass; lush in vegetation; Ex. verdant meadows |
lush | (of a plant or grass) growing very well |
verdigris | green coating or patina on copper which has been exposed to the weather |
verge | border; edge, rim, or margin; Ex. on the verge of: very near to; V: border on |
verisimilar | having the appearance of truth or reality; probable or likely to be true; plausible |
verisimilitude | appearance of truth; quality of appearing to be true or real; likelihood; Ex. verisimilitude of her performance as Lady Macbeth |
veritable | being truly so; real or genuine; actual; not false or imaginary |
verity | quality of being true; lasting truth or principle; Ex. the verity of his testimony; Ex. one of the eternal verities |
vernacular | living language (as compared to the official language); language spoken in a country or region; natural style; Ex. lapse into the vernacular |
vernal | pertaining to spring |
versatile | having many talents; capable of working in many fields; having many uses or functions; N. versatility |
vertex | summit; highest point; PL. vertices |
vertigo | severe dizziness; giddiness |
verve | enthusiasm (as in artistic performance or composition); liveliness; vigor |
vestige | trace; remains; Ex. vestiges of some ancient religion |
veto | vested power to reject a bill; exercise of this right; V: prevent or forbid by exercising the power of veto |
vex | annoy; distress |
viable | capable of maintaining life; feasible; practical or workable; Ex. viable scheme |
viand | food; CF. live |
vicarious | experienced as if one were taking part in the experience of another; done by a deputy for other people; acting as a substitute; Ex. vicarious thrill at the movies; Ex. the vicarious sufferings of Christ |
vicar | parish priest; representative |
vicissitude | change (esp. from good to bad); change of fortune; CF. the last emperor of China |
victuals | food; provisions; V. victual: provide with food |
vie | contend; compete |
vigilant | watchful; on the alert; watchfully awake; alert to spot danger; N. vigilance |
vigil | keeping watch (during normal sleeping hours); Ex. all-night vigil |
vigilante | one who without authority assumes law enforcement powers |
vigor | active strength; energy; enthusiasm; ADJ. vigorous |
vignette | small drawing placed at the beginning or end of a chapter; picture; short literary sketch; short written description of a character or scene |
vilify | slander; speak evil of; N. vilification |
vindicate | clear from blame; free from blame or accusation (with supporting proof); exonerate; substantiate; justify or support; avenge; Ex. vindicate one's client; Ex. vindicate one's claim; CF. vindicator |
vindictive | disposed to revenge; vengeful; out for revenge; spiteful; intended to cause harm; malicious; Ex. vindictive streak |
vintner | wine merchant; winemaker; seller of wine |
viper | poisonous snake |
virile | manly; having masculine spirit or strength; full of strength |
virtual | in essence; existing in essence though not in actual form; for practical purposes; Ex. virtual ruler/space |
virtue | goodness; moral excellence; good quality; advantage; Ex. by virtue of; Ex. make a virtue of necessity |
virtuoso | highly skilled artist (esp. in music); Ex. piano virtuoso |
virulent | (of a disease or poison) extremely harmful or poisonous; (of a feeling) hostile; bitter; N. virulence; CF. virus; CF. venom |
virus | disease communicator |
visage | face; appearance |
visceral | felt in one's inner organs; N. viscera: internal body organs; CF. eviscerate |
viscid | adhesive; gluey |
viscous | (of a liquid) thick and sticky; gluey; viscid; CF. consistency |
vise | vice; tool for holding work in place; clamping device |
visionary | produced by imagination; fanciful; mystical; showing foresight; N: one having foresight; one given to speculative impractical ideas |
vision | eyesight; foresight; mental image produced by the imagination; experience of seeing the supernatural |
vital | full of life; animated; vibrant and lively; critical; of great importance; necessary to stay alive; of life; living; breathing; N. vitality; V. vitalize |
vibrant | full of vigor or energy; vibrating |
vitiate | spoil the effect of; make inoperative; corrupt morally |
vitreous | of glass; pertaining to or resembling glass; V. vitrify: change into glass; CF. petrify |
vitriolic | causing sharp pain to the mind; caustic; corrosive; sarcastic; of vitriol; N. vitriol: sulphuric acid (which burns flesh deeply); bitterly abusive expression; caustic expression; CF. glass |
vituperative | abusive; scolding; V. vituperate: berate; scold; rail against abusively |
vivacious | lively or animated; sprightly |
sprightly | lively |
vivisection | act of dissecting living animals |
vixen | female fox; ill-tempered woman; CF. shrew |
vociferous | clamorous; noisy; V. vociferate: cry out loudly (when complaining) |
vogue | popular fashion; Ex. Jeans became the vogue. |
volatile | changeable; of a quickly changing nature (as of temper); mercurial; tending to violence; evaporating rapidly; Ex. volatile character/situation in the street |
volition | act of using one's will; act of making a conscious choice; Ex. She selected this dress of her own volition. |
voluble | fluent; talkative; glib; N. volubility |
volley | simultaneous discharge of a number of shots; V. |
voluminous | having great volume (as of a garment or container); bulky; large |
bulk | size or volume (esp. when very large); main part; Ex. The bulk of the work has already been done; ADJ. bulky: having great size |
voodoo | religion practiced chiefly in Haiti |
voracious | ravenous; eating large quantities of food; exceedingly eager; insatiable; Ex. voracious animal/reader |
vortex | whirlwind; whirlpool; center of turbulence; predicament into which one is inexorably plunged |
vouchsafe | grant condescendingly; guarantee; Ex. vouchsafe your fair return on your investment |
vouch | give a personal guarantee; Ex. I can vouch for his integrity; N. voucher |
voyeur | Peeping Tom; person who derives sexual gratification from observing the sexual acts of others |
vulnerable | susceptible to wounds or attack; N. vulnerability |
vulpine | like a fox; crafty |
craft | skill (esp. with one's hands); skill in deceiving people; guile; ADJ. crafty: cleverly deceitful; cunning |
vulture | carrion-eating birds |
vying | contending; CF. vie |