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barrons letter p
barrons letter p words
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| hysteria | excessive or uncontrollable excitement; N. hysteric: person suffering from hysteria; CF. hysterics: attack of hysteria |
| ovoid | egg-shaped; CF. ovum; CF. ovulate |
| pachyderm | thick-skinned animal |
| pacifist | one opposed to force; antimilitarist; ADJ. N. pacifism: opposition to war as a means of resolving disputes |
| pacify | soothe; make calm or quiet; subdue; bring peace to |
| paean | song of praise or joy; Ex. paeans celebrating the victory |
| painstaking | taking pains; showing hard work; taking great care; very careful and through |
| palatable | agreeable; pleasing to the taste |
| palate | roof of the mouth; sense of the taste |
| palatial | of or suitable for a palace; magnificent |
| paleontology | study of prehistoric life or fossils; CF. paleo-: ancient or prehistoric; Ex. paleography: study of ancient written documents |
| palette | board on which painter mixes pigments(coloring matters) |
| palimpsest | parchment or piece of writing material used for second time after original writing has been erased |
| parchment | writing material made from the skin of a sheep or goat |
| pall | become boring; grow tiresome |
| pallet | small poor bed; Ex. straw pallet |
| palliate | ease pain (without curing); make less severe or offensive (a crime or illness) |
| pallid | pale; wan; Ex. pallid complexion |
| palpable | tangible; (of something bad) easily perceptible; obvious; Ex. palpable blunder |
| palpitate | throb; beat rapidly; flutter; tremble; Ex. Her heart began to palpitate. |
| throb | (of a heart or machine) beat rapidly or violently; N. Ex. hearthrob: heartbeat; sweetheart |
| paltry | insignificant; petty; trifling; contemptible; Ex. paltry sum; CF. trash |
| pan | criticize harshly |
| panacea | cure-all; remedy for all diseases |
| panache | flair; manner of doing things without any difficulty (causing admiration); flamboyance; bunch of feathers (on a helmet); Ex. with great panache |
| pandemic | widespread; affecting the majority of people; N: pandemic disease; CF. all people |
| pandemonium | wild tumult(commotion); wild noisy disorder; CF. Paradise Lost |
| pander | cater to (the low desires of others) |
| cater | provide food and drink (for); cater to: try to satisfy (desires of a bad kind) |
| panegyric | formal praise; encomium; Ex. I don't deserve such panegyrics. |
| panoramic | denoting an unobstructed and comprehensive view; N. panorama: unbroken view of a wide area |
| pantomime | acting without dialogue; V. |
| papyrus | ancient paper made from stem of papyrus plant |
| parable | short simple story teaching a moral |
| paradigm | model; example that serves as a model; pattern; list of all the inflectional forms of a word |
| paradox | something apparently contradictory in nature (that may nonetheless be true); statement that looks false but is actually correct |
| paragon | model of perfection; Ex. paragon of virtue |
| parallelism | state of being parallel; similarity; analogy |
| parallel | similar; analogous; corresponding; N: parallel line; person or thing that is parallel (to another); similarity; Ex. know of no parallel to the case; Ex. without parallel; V: be similar to; make parallel; Ex. Your experience parallels mine; CF. unparallele |
| parameter | limit; independent variable; Ex. parameters of the problem; Ex. within the parameters of the budget |
| paramount | foremost in importance; supreme; CF. para-: beyond; above; Ex. paranormal |
| paramour | illicit lover |
| inamorata | woman whom a man loves |
| paranoia | psychosis marked by delusions of grandeur or persecution; N: ADJ: paranoid, paranoiac |
| paraphernalia | equipment; odds and ends used in a particular activity; personal belongings; Ex. photographic paraphernalia; CF. married woman's property exclusive of her dowry |
| dowry | money or property brought by a bride to her husband at marriage |
| paraphrase | restate a passage in one's own words while retaining thought of author; N: restatement of a text in other words |
| parasite | animal or plant living on another; toady; sycophant; CF. para-: beside |
| infest | inhabit in numbers large enough to be harmful; Ex. Mice infested the house; Ex. shark-infested waters |
| parched | extremely dry; very thirsty; V. parch: make or become extremely dry (by exposure to heat) |
| pariah | social outcast; Ex. Mariah the pariah |
| outcast | one that has been excluded from a society; ADJ. |
| parity | equality; close resemblance; CF. disparate |
| parlance | language; manner of speaking; idiom; Ex. in legal/common parlance |
| parley | conference (between opponents); CF. speak |
| parochial | narrow in scope or outlook; provincial; related to parishes |
| parish | area in the care of a single priest and served by one main church |
| outlook | point of view; view from a particular place; expectation for the future; prospect; Ex. outlook on life; Ex. pleasing outlook; Ex. weather outlook |
| parody | humorous imitation; spoof; takeoff; travesty; V. |
| spoof | parody |
| takeoff | burlesque; act of leaving the ground |
| paroxysm | fit or attack of pain, laughter, rage; sudden outburst |
| parquet | floor made of wood strips inlaid in a mosaic like matter; CF. strip: long narrow piece |
| parry | ward off a blow; deflect; Ex. He parried the unwelcome question very skillfully; N. |
| ward | administrative division of a city; division in a hospital or prison; incompetent person placed under the protection of a guardian; V: guard; ward off: avert |
| parsimony | stinginess; excessive frugality; ADJ. parsimonious |
| partial | incomplete; favoring one side over another; having a liking for something |
| partiality | state of being partial; inclination; favorable bias; special fondness; preference |
| partisan | one-sided; prejudiced; committed to a party (with dislike of any others); N: strong supporter of a party; guerrilla |
| parvenu | upstart; newly rich person |
| partition | divide into parts |
| pass\'e | old-fashioned; past the prime |
| passive | not active; acted upon; receiving an action without acting in return; accepting without resistance |
| pastiche | imitation of another's style in musical composition or in writing; work of art openly imitating the works of other artists |
| pastoral | rural; of rural life; idyllic; of a pastor |
| patent | obvious; easily seen; open for the public to read; of or protected by a patent; Ex. patent to everyone; N. |
| pathetic | causing sadness, compassion, pity; touching |
| touching | causing a feeling of pity or sympathy; pathetic; V. touch: cause to feel pity or sympathy; ADJ. touched |
| pathological | pertaining to disease; N. pathology: study of disease |
| pathos | tender sorrow; pity; quality in art or literature that produces these feelings; Ex. pathos that runs through the novel |
| patina | green crust on old bronze works or copper; tone slowly taken by varnished painting |
| varnish | paint used to coat a surface with a glossy film; glossy coating produced by using this substance; Ex. nail varnish; V. |
| patois | local or provincial dialect |
| patriarch | father and ruler of a family or tribe |
| patrician | noble; aristocratic; N: person of high rank; aristocrat; CF. member of the governing classes in ancient Rome; CF. plebian |
| patronize | support; act superior toward; treat in a condescending manner; be a customer of; N. patron: one that supports; regular customer; N. patronage; CF. boycott |
| paucity | scarcity; dearth |
| pauper | very poor person |
| peccadillo | slight offense or fault; CF. sin |
| swipe | hit with a sweeping motion; N. |
| pecuniary | pertaining to money |
| pedagogue | teacher; CF. child leader |
| pedagogy | teaching; art of education |
| pedant | scholar who overemphasizes book learning, trivial details of learning, or technicalities |
| pedantic | bookish; showing off learning; marked by an excessive ostentatious concern for book learning; N. pedantry |
| bookish | fond of books and reading |
| studious | given to diligent study |
| pedestrian | ordinary; dull; unimaginative(lacking in imagination); going on foot; Ex. pedestrian prose; N. |
| precinct | division of a city for election or police purposes; precincts: space that surrounds a building; Ex. precincts of the college |
| pedigree | ancestry; lineage |
| pediatrician | physician specializing in children's diseases; N. pediatrics |
| peerless | having no equal; incomparable |
| peer | one who has equal standing with another; nobleman; V: look intently; N. peerage; CF. peeress |
| pejorative | (of a word or phrase) suggesting that someone is of little value; negative in connotation; having a belittling effect; Ex. Many women now considers ``housewife'' a pejorative expression, because it patronized them. |
| pell-mell | in confusion; disorderly; Ex. dash pell-mell |
| pellucid | transparent; limpid(crystal clear); clear in meaning; easy to understand |
| penance | self-imposed punishment for sin; Ex. do penance for one's sins; CF. penitent |
| penchant | strong inclination; strong liking (esp. for something that is disapproved of by other people); Ex. penchant for fast cars |
| pendant(pendent) | hanging down from something; pending; N: ornament (hanging from a necklace etc.) |
| pending | not yet decided or settled; impending; Ex. pending decision; PREP. while awaiting; until; Ex. delay the decision pending his return |
| pendulous | hanging; suspended |
| suspend | cause to stop for a period; interrupt; hold in abeyance; defer; hang from above; exclude for a period from a position; Ex. suspended state; Ex. suspend judgment; Ex. suspended from the team; N. suspension |
| suspense | state of being undecided; anxiety or apprehension resulting from uncertainty |
| penitent | repentant; N. |
| pensive | dreamily or deeply thoughtful; sadly thoughtful; thoughtful with a hint of sadness; contemplative; CF. think over |
| penumbra | partial shadow (in an eclipse); CF. almost shadow |
| penury | extreme poverty; stinginess; ADJ. penurious: very poor; stingy |
| peon | landless agricultural worker; bond servant; menial worker; N. peonage |
| perceptive | insightful; showing a good ability at perceiving and understanding; aware; wise; of perception |
| percussion | striking one object against another sharply; Ex. percussion instrument; N: striking together of two bodies; sound caused by percussion |
| perdition | damnation; complete ruin; hell |
| damn | condemn; criticize severely; condemn to everlasting punishment; doom; bring to ruin; N. damnation |
| doom | condemnation to a severe penalty; ruin; fate (esp. a tragic or ruinous one); V. |
| peregrination | journey; V. peregrinate |
| peremptory | demanding and leaving no choice; imperative; Ex. peremptory decree/knock |
| perennial | something long-lasting; perennial plant; ADJ: lasting through the year or many years; lasting for a long time; enduring |
| perfidious | treacherous; disloyal; N. perfidy: treachery |
| perforate | pierce; put a hole through |
| perfunctory | done routinely and with little care; superficial; not thorough; lacking interest, care, or enthusiasm; Ex. perfunctory kiss |
| perigee | point of moon's orbit when it is nearest the earth; CF. apogee |
| perimeter | outer boundary; length of the outer boundary; circumference |
| bound | leap or spring; limit or confine; constitute the limit of; Ex. bounded by Canada; N: leap or jumping; boundary; ADJ: certain; having a duty to do something (legally or morally); confined by bonds; Ex. We are bound to be late; Ex. I am bound |
| peripatetic | walking about from place to place (to work); moving; Ex. peripatetic school of philosophy |
| peripheral | of a periphery; marginal; outer; of minor importance; not central; Ex. peripheral nerve/interest |
| periphery | outside edge especially of a round surface; perimeter; Ex. periphery of the town |
| perjury | false testimony while under oath; V. perjure oneself: testify falsely under oath |
| permeable | that can be permeated; penetrable; porous; allowing liquids or gas to pass through; V. permeate: spread or flow throughout; charge |
| pernicious | very harmful; deadly; very destructive; Ex. pernicious effect/anemia |
| peroration | conclusion of an oration; perorating; V. perorate: conclude a speech; speak at great length |
| perpetrate | commit an offense; do (something wrong) |
| perpetual | everlasting |
| perpetuate | make perpetual; make something last for a long time; preserve from extinction; N. perpetuity |
| perquisite(perk) | any gain above stipulated salary; Ex. perquisites such as free meals and a car |
| personable | attractive (in personality or appearance) |
| perspicacious | (of someone) having insight; penetrating; astute |
| perspicuity | clearness of expression; freedom from ambiguity |
| perspicuous | (of something) plainly expressed; easy to understand; Ex. perspicuous comments |
| pert | (esp. of a girl or young woman) impertinent; forward; trim; jaunty; Ex. pert young miss/hat |
| forward | presumptuous or bold |
| pertinacious | holding tenaciously to an action; stubborn; persistent |
| pertinent | suitable; to the point; relevant |
| perturb | disturb greatly |
| peruse | read through with care; N. perusal |
| pervasive | spread throughout; V. pervade: (of smells, ideas, feelings) spread throughout; charge; permeate |
| perverse | purposely continuing to do something wrong; stubbornly wrongheaded; perverted; directed away from what is right; wicked and unacceptable; Ex. perverse satisfaction; Ex. Hannibal Lecter in a perverse mood; N. perversity |
| perversion | corruption; turning from right to wrong |
| pervert | corrupt; turn from right to wrong; misuse; Ex. perverted sexual desire/scientific knowledge; N: person whose sexual behavior is not natural |
| wrongheaded | stubbornly wrong |
| pessimism | belief that life is basically bad or evil; gloominess; tendency to take the gloomiest possible view of a situation; ADJ. pessimistic |
| pestilential(pestilent) | causing plague; tending to cause death; baneful; N. pestilence: fatal epidemic disease (esp. bubonic plague) |
| pestle | tool for mashing or grinding substances in a hard bowl or mortar |
| mortar | vessel in which substances are crushed with a pestle |
| mash | crush into mash; convert into mash; N: mixture of ground grain and nutrients fed to livestock and fowl |
| petrify | turn to stone; cause to become stonelike; stun or paralyze |
| petty | trivial; unimportant; very small; small-minded; petty-minded |
| petulant | touchy; peevish; ill-tempered |
| phalanx | formation of infantry carrying overlapping shields and long spears; group of men packed together (for attack or defense) |
| pharisaical | pertaining to the Pharisees, who paid scrupulous attention to tradition; self-righteous; hypocritical |
| pharisee | Pharisee: member of an ancient Jewish group that emphasized strict observance of the Mosaic law (considering themselves very holy); hypocritical self-righteous person |
| self-righteous | sure of one's own righteousness; moralistic |
| phenomena | observable facts; subjects of scientific investigation; SG. phenomenon: observable fact; very unusual person, thing, or event; marvel; wonder; CF. phenomenons; ADJ. phenomenal: very unusual; extraordinary; of a phenomenon; Ex. phenomenal strength |
| philanderer | faithless lover; flirt |
| philanthropist | lover of mankind; doer of good; N. philanthropy |
| philatelist | stamp-collector; N. philately: stamp collecting |
| philistine | narrow-minded person, uncultured and exclusively interested in material gain; uncultured person who is indifferent to artistic and cultural values; member of an ancient people in Palestine; OP. aesthete |
| philology | study of language or words |
| phlegmatic | calm and unexcitable; not easily disturbed; CF. phlegm: sticky mucus produced in the respiratory tract |
| phobia | morbid fear |
| phoenix | symbol of immortality or rebirth; Ex. phoenix rising from its ashes |
| phylum | major classification, second to kingdom, of plants and animals; category ranking below a kingdom and above a class; division |
| physiognomy | face (as showing the character and the mind); art of judging human character from facial features |
| physiological | pertaining to the science of the function of living organisms; N. physiology |
| piebald | of different colors; mottled; spotted in different colors (esp. in black and white); Ex. piebald horse; CF. pie+bald |
| piecemeal | one part at a time; gradually; in stages; Ex. read a novel piecemeal |
| pied | piebald; variegated(many-colored); multicolored |
| piety | devoutness; reverence for God; ADJ. pious |
| pigment | coloring matter (usually powder to be mixed with water or oil) |
| pillage | plunder |
| pillory | punish by placing in a wooden frame or pillory; subject or expose to criticism and ridicule; N. |
| pine | long for; yearn; languish from longing or grief; decline |
| pinion | restrain or immobilize by binding the wings or legs; N: bird's wing |
| pinnacle | peak; highest point; acme; Ex. pinnacle of fame |
| pious | devout; religious; N. piety |
| piquant | pleasantly tart-tasting; spicy; pleasantly stimulating; Ex. piquant situation when my old enemy asked for my help |
| tart | sharp to the taste; acid-tasting; caustic; sarcastic; Ex. tart apple/reply |
| sour | having a sharp or acid taste; acid; tart; bad-tempered; V. |
| pique | irritation; resentment from wounded pride (eg. loss in a contest); V: provoke; arouse; annoy; cause to feel resentment; Ex. pique her curiosity |
| piscatorial | pertaining to fishing; CF. Pisces |
| pitfall | hidden danger; concealed trap |
| beware | be cautious (of) |
| pith | core or marrow; spongelike substance in the center of stems; essence; substance |
| marrow | soft fatty tissue that fills most bone cavities and is the source of blood cells |
| pithy | concise and meaningful; substantial; meaty |
| pittance | small amount (of money); small allowance or wage |
| pivotal | of a pivot; central; critical; crucial |
| placate | pacify; bring peace to; conciliate; appease |
| placebo | harmless substance prescribed as a dummy pill |
| tablet | small round piece of medicine; flat piece of stone or metal bearing an inscription; Ex. stone tablet on the wall |
| placid | peaceful; calm; Ex. placid child/lake |
| plagiarize | steal another's ideas or writings and pass them off as one's own; Ex. ideas plagiarized from my article; N. plagiarism; CF. kidnap |
| plaintive | expressing sorrow; mournful; Ex. plaintive song |
| plait | braid; interwine; interweave strands or lengths of; make by weaving strands together; Ex. plaited hair; N: braided length as of hair o fabric; CF. pigtail, ponytail |
| plasticity | ability to be molded; ADJ. plastic: capable of being shaped or molded; Ex. plastic material such as clay |
| platitude | trite remark; commonplace statement; ADJ. platitudinous |
| commonplace | ordinary; N: something ordinary or common; trite remark |
| commonwealth | nation governed by the people; republic; people of a nation |
| platonic | purely spiritual; theoretical; without sensual desire |
| plaudit | praise; enthusiastic approval; round(succession or series) of applause; ADJ. plauditory; CF. applaud |
| plausible | conceivably true; having a show of truth but open to doubt; specious |
| plebeian | common; vulgar; pertaining to the common people; N: common people in ancient Rome; CF. patrician |
| plebiscite | direct vote by the entire electorate (on an important issue) |
| referendum | direct vote by all the people |
| plenary | (of power) complete; full; fully attended by all qualified members; Ex. plenary power |
| plenitude | abundance; plenty; great amount; completeness; fullness; CF. plenary, plenty |
| plethora | excess; overabundance; Ex. a plethora of excuses |
| pliable | flexible; easily influenced; yielding; adaptable |
| pliant | flexible; easily influenced |
| plight | difficult condition; condition or state (esp. a bad state or condition); predicament |
| pluck | courage; V: pull off or out; pull out the hair or feathers of; ADJ. plucky: courageous; brave |
| plumage | feathers of a bird; |
| plumb | exactly vertical; N: weight on the end of a line; V: examine very carefully or critically in order to understand; measure depth (by sounding); Ex. plumb the depth of |
| plumber | one who installs and repairs pipes and plumbing(pipes) |
| plummet | fall sharply; fall straight down; Ex. Stock prices plummeted. |
| plutocracy | society ruled by the wealthy |
| podiatrist | doctor who treats ailments of the feet; chiropodist; N. podiatrics |
| podium | pedestal; raised platform |
| pedestal | support or base as for a pillar or statue |
| poignancy | quality of being deeply moving; keenness of emotion; ADJ. poignant: touching; deeply moving; (of sorrow, grief, etc.) painful; keenly distressing to the mind; Ex. poignant memory/anxiety; CF. prick |
| polarize | split into opposite extremes or camps |
| polarity | state of having two opposite qualities |
| polar | of a pole; characterized by opposite extremes; Ex. polar opposites |
| camp | group sharing a common cause or opinion |
| polemic | attack or defense of an opinion; controversy or refutation; argument in support of point of view; N. polemics: art of debate or controversy |
| polemical(polemic) | aggressive in verbal attack; disputatious (rather than simply expressing opinions) |
| politic | prudent; judicious; well judged; expedient; well devised |
| polity | (particular form of) political organization; form of government of nation or state; Ex. student polity |
| polygamist | one who has more than one spouse at a time; CF. bigamy; CF. polyandry |
| polyglot | speaking several languages; multilingual; Ex. polyglot person/society; N. |
| pomposity | self-important behavior; acting like a stuffed shirt(pompous person); ADJ. pompous: self-important |
| ponderous | having great weight; weighty; unwieldy; lacking lightness; dull; Ex. ponderous body/style of writing |
| pontifical | pertaining to a bishop or pope; pompous or pretentious; CF. pontiff: pope; bishop |
| pore | study industriously; ponder; scrutinize; Ex. pore over the book; N. |
| porous | full of pores; like a sieve |
| interstice | narrow space between things |
| portend | foretell; presage; be a sign or warning of; N. portent: sign; omen; forewarning |
| soothsayer | one who foretells the future |
| portly | stout; corpulent |
| stout | rather fat; strong in body; sturdy; resolute; determined; strong in determination; Ex. stout stick/supporter |
| poseur | person who pretends to be sophisticated, elegant, etc., to impress others; person who poses; CF. pose |
| pose | assume a particular posture; put forward; present; affect a particular attitude (to impress others); Ex. pose a threat; N. |
| posterity | descendants; future generations; Ex. go down to posterity; CF. posterior, anterior |
| posthumous | after death (as of child born after father's death or book published after author's death); coming or occurring after one's death; Ex. posthumous fame/novel |
| postmortem | autopsy; ADJ: occurring after death; of a postmortem |
| postulate | self-evident truth; something assumed without proof; V: assume the truth of (as a basis of an argument) |
| posture | assume an affected pose; act artificially; N: pose; attitude |
| potable | suitable for drinking; drinkable |
| potent | powerful; convincing; persuasive; greatly influential |
| potentate | monarch; sovereign |
| potential | expressing possibility; latent; N: capacity for growth |
| potion | dose (of liquids); liquid dose |
| potpourri | heterogeneous mixture; medley; mixture of dried flower petals a pot (to give a pleasant smell to a room) |
| poultice | soothing application applied to sore and inflamed portions of the body |
| practicable | feasible |
| practical | based on experience; of or acquired through practice (rather than theory); useful; Ex. practical man |
| pragmatic | practical (as opposed to idealistic); concerned with practical worth or impact of something; Ex. pragmatic test of the skill |
| pragmatist | practical person; N. pragmatism: pragmatic way of dealing with things |
| prance | move about in a spirited manner (proudly and confidently) |
| prate | talk idly; speak foolishly; boast idly |
| prattle | talk idly; babble; N. CF. prate |
| idle | not working; not employed or busy; lazy; without purpose; useless; lacking substance; baseless; not based on truth; Ex. idle worker; Ex. talk idly; V. |
| preamble | introductory statement |
| precarious | unsafe; lacking in stability; uncertain; risky; Ex. precarious living |
| precedent | something preceding in time which may be used as an authority or guide for future action; V. precede; CF. unprecedented |
| precedent | preceding (in time, rank, etc.) |
| precept | practical rule guiding conduct; Ex. mother's precept |
| precipice | cliff; dangerous position; Ex. on the edge of the precipice |
| brink | edge (at the top of a cliff); Ex. on the brink of the Grand Canyon |
| precipitant | something that causes a substance in a chemical solution to separate out in solid form; OP. solvent |
| precipitate | hurl downward; throw headlong; hasten; cause to happen sooner; condense and fall as rain or snow; cause (a solid substance) to be separated from a solution; ADJ. hasty; rash; premature; sudden |
| precipitous | steep; overhasty; precipitate |
| pr\'ecis | abstract; concise summing up of main points; concise summary of a text |
| precise | exact |
| preclude | make impossible; prevent; exclude; eliminate |
| precocious | advanced in development; N. precocity |
| precursor | forerunner; predecessor |
| predator | predatory animal or bird; predatory person; creature that seizes and devours another animal; person who robs or exploits others; ADJ. predatory: living by preying on other organisms; plundering; N. predation |
| predecessor | former occupant of a post |
| predetermine | determine in advance; predestine; settle or decide beforehand; influence markedly |
| predicament | difficult situation; tricky or dangerous situation; dilemma |
| predilection | preference; partiality |
| predispose | give an inclination toward (in advance); make susceptible to; Ex. predispose people to certain cancer; N. predisposition |
| preeminent | outstanding; superior |
| preempt | prevent in advance; head off(forestall); forestall by acting first; appropriate for oneself before others; supplant; take the place of; displace; Ex. preempt any attempts; ADJ. preemptive |
| preen | make oneself tidy in appearance; feel self-satisfaction or pride; (of a bird) smooth or clean (feathers) with the beak; Ex. preen oneself on; CF. prune |
| prefatory | introductory; of a preface |
| prehensile | capable of grasping or holding (esp. by wrapping around); Ex. prehensile tails |
| prelate | church dignitary; priest of high position in the church (esp. bishop) |
| prelude | introduction; introductory performance or event; forerunner |
| premeditate | plan in advance; Ex. premeditated murder |
| premise | assumption; postulate; proposition upon which an argument is based |
| premonition | forewarning; presentiment; foreboding |
| premonitory | serving to warn |
| preponderance | superiority of power, quantity, etc.; V. preponderate: be greater in power, weight, or importance; ADJ. preponderant |
| preposterous | absurd; completely unreasonable; ridiculous |
| prerogative | privilege; unquestionable right; CF. ask before |
| presage | foretell; be a warning or sign of; N: presentiment; foreboding; omen |
| prescience | ability to foretell the future; knowledge of actions before they occur; ADJ. prescient |
| presentiment | premonition; foreboding; feeling something will happen; anticipatory fear |
| prestige | respect or admiration; impression produced by achievements or reputation; ADJ: causing admiration; ADJ. prestigious: having prestige |
| presumptuous | going beyond what is right; excessively forward; arrogant; taking liberties |
| presume | take for granted; assume; act overconfidently; take liberties; presume on/upon: take unfair advantage of (someone's kindness or connection); N. presumption |
| pretentious | ostentatious; showy; pompous; making unjustified claims; overambitious; Ex. pretentious films that claim to be art |
| pretend | feign; pretend to: claim to possess; make pretensions to; Ex. I don't pretend to much expertise; N. pretense |
| pretension | pretentiousness; claim (without foundation); Ex. I make no pretensions to skill as an artist. |
| preternatural | beyond what is normal in nature; supernatural; Ex. preternatural strength/forces |
| pretext | excuse |
| prevail | be widespread; triumph over; gain victory; prevail on: persuade; induce; Ex. Justice has prevailed; Ex. prevail on someone to do something |
| prevalent | widespread; generally accepted |
| prevaricate | lie; hide the truth (by equivocating) |
| prey | target of a hunt; victim; V: hunt and eat as prey; victimize; Ex. Cats prey on mice. |
| prim | proper to the point of affectation; very precise and formal; exceedingly proper |
| primogeniture | seniority by birth; state of being the first-born child; right of the eldest child (to inherit the entire property of one or both parents) |
| primordial | existing at the beginning (of time); rudimentary |
| primp | groom oneself with care; adorn oneself |
| pristine | unspoiled; remaining in a pure state; characteristic of earlier times; primitive; Ex. an old book in pristine condition |
| privation | lack of the basic necessities or comforts of life; hardship; want; CF. deprive |
| privy | secret; hidden; not public; made a participant in something secret; Ex. privy chamber government; Ex. be privy to a discussion; CF. private |
| probe | explore with a probe or tools; investigate; N: slender instrument used to explore a wound or body cavity; device designed to investigate an unknown region; thorough investigation; Ex. space probe |
| probity | uprightness; honesty; incorruptibility |
| defalcate | embezzle |
| problematic | causing a problem; open to doubt; doubtful; unsettled; questionable; Ex. Whether the arena will ever be completed is problematic. |
| proclivity | inclination; natural tendency (esp. towards something bad) |
| procrastinate | postpone; delay or put off |
| procurement | obtaining; V. procure: obtain by effort; obtain (a prostitute) for another |
| prod | poke (with a pointed object); stir up; urge; goad to action; N: pointed object used to prod; prodding |
| prodigal | wasteful; reckless with money; profuse; Ex. a mind prodigal of ideas; N. prodigality |
| prodigious | enormous; marvelous; extraordinary; Ex. prodigious amount/memory |
| prodigy | highly gifted child; person with exceptional talents; marvel; wonder |
| profane | violate; desecrate (something holy); treat unworthily; be profane for; ADJ: secular; nonreligious; irreverent for holy things |
| profligate | wasteful (of money); dissipated; wildly immoral; dissolute; N: profligate person; N. profligacy |
| profound | deep; not superficial; complete; Ex. profound thinker/remark/silence/deafness; N. profundity |
| profusion | great amount; plenty; overabundance; excess; lavish expenditure; Ex. profusion of choices; ADJ. profuse: plentiful; copious; giving or given abundantly; extravagant |
| progenitor | ancestor |
| progeny | children; offspring; descendants |
| prognosis | forecasted course of a disease; prediction; CF. prognostic |
| prognosticate | predict (according to present indications) |
| prohibitive | so high as to prohibit purchase or use; tending to prevent the purchase or use of something; prohibiting; inclined to prevent or forbid; Ex. prohibitive tax |
| projectile | missile; fired or thrown object (such as stone or bullet) |
| proletarian | member of the working class; blue collar guy; N. proletariat: working class (who have to work for wages) |
| proliferate | grow rapidly (in numbers); spread; multiply; N. proliferation |
| prolific | producing offspring or fruit in abundance; fertile; fecund; abundantly fruitful; producing abundant works; Ex. prolific writer |
| prolixity | tedious wordiness; verbosity; ADJ. prolix: wordy; verbose; diffuse |
| prologue | introduction (to a poem or play) |
| feud | bitter prolonged quarrel (usually between two peoples or families); V. CF. Romeo and Juliet; CF. feudal, feudalism |
| prolong | lengthen; extend; draw out |
| prominent | protruding(sticking out); conspicuous; notable; eminent |
| promiscuous | mixed indiscriminately; indiscriminate; not choosing carefully; indiscriminate in the choice of sexual partners; irregular, particularly sexually; Ex. promiscuous life/girl; N. promiscuity |
| promontory | headland |
| promote | advance in rank; advance; help to flourish; advocate; help actively in forming; publicize or popularize; Ex. Milk promotes health; Ex. promote a match/bill; Ex. promote a new product |
| prompt | cause; urge; provoke; provide a cue (for an actor); ADJ: done without delay; done at the right time; punctual; on time; N: reminder or cue |
| cue | word or signal (as in a play to prompt another actor's speech or entrance); reminder or hint; V: give a cue to |
| promulgate | announce; proclaim a doctrine or law; make known by official publication |
| prone | inclined to; likely to (suffer); prostrate; lying with the front downward; Ex. prone to disease/make mistakes; Ex. accident-prone |
| propagate | increase in number by producing young; multiply; spread; Ex. Most plants propagate by seed; Ex. newspaper propagating their ideas |
| propellant(propellent) | substance which propels or drives forward (such as an explosive charge or a rocket fuel) |
| propensity | natural inclination |
| prophetic | of a prophet or prophecy; having to do with predicting the future; N. prophecy; V. prophesy; N. prophet |
| prophylactic | used to prevent disease; N: something prophylactic; condom; N. prophylaxis: prevention of disease |
| propinquity | nearness (in space or relationship); proximity; kinship |
| propitiate | appease; conciliate; make peaceful; ADJ. propitiatory |
| propitious | favorable; auspicious; advantageous; fortunate; Ex. propitious day/sign |
| horoscope | diagram of the positions of stars at a given moment (eg. of a person's birth) used by astrologers |
| proponent | supporter; backer; opposite of opponent |
| propound | put forth for consideration or analysis; set forth; Ex. propound a problem/theory |
| propriety | fitness; quality of being proper; correct conduct; conformity to prevailing customs and usages; CF. proprietor, proprietary |
| usage | act or manner of using; accepted practice; way in which words are actually used |
| propulsive | driving forward; N. propulsion |
| prosaic | lacking in imagination; dull and unimaginative; matter-of-fact(concerned with facts, not imagination or feelings); factual; CF. prose |
| proscenium | part of stage in front of curtain; front arch of a stage |
| proscribe | prohibit; ostracize; banish; outlaw |
| outlaw | fugitive from the law (excluded from legal protection); V: declare (someone) to be an outlaw; deprive of the protection of the law; declare illegal; Ex. Drinking has been outlawed. |
| proselytize | (induce someone to) convert to a religion or belief; N. proselyte: new convert to a doctrine or religion |
| prosody | art of versification; study of the metrical structure of verse |
| metrical | metric; written in the form of poetry; Ex. metrical translation of Homer |
| meter | arrangement of words in the form of poetry (by accentual rhythm) |
| prosperity | good fortune and financial success; physical well-being |
| prosper | become successful (esp. financially); thrive; grow well; Ex. children prospering under his care |
| prosperous | successful; rich; affluent; well-to-do; well-off |
| prostrate | stretch out full on ground; make prostrate; enervate; Ex. prostrating illness; ADJ: lying face down; having lost all strength |
| protean | able to take on many forms; versatile; CF. Proteus: sea god to change his shape at will |
| prot\'eg\'e | person receiving protection and support from a patron |
| protocol | diplomatic etiquette; ceremony and etiquette observed by diplomats; first copy of a treaty before its ratification; Ex. Protocol demands that the queen meet him at the airport. |
| prototype | original work used as a model by others |
| protract | prolong; lengthen in time; draw out |
| protrude | stick out; jut; project; Ex. protruding teeth |
| protuberance | protrusion; swelling; bulge |
| bulge | protruding part; swelling of a surface; Ex. The apple made a bulge in his pocket; V: swell outward; protrude |
| provenance | place of origin; origin or source of something; Ex. Gunpowder is of Chinese provenance; CF. come |
| provender | dry food for livestock; fodder |
| provident | providing for future needs; displaying foresight; thrifty; preparing for emergencies; OP. improvident |
| providence | quality of being provident; divine care; god's care; Providence: god; Ex. It seemed like providence that the doctor happened to be there; ADJ. providential: of divine providence; fortunate |
| provincial | pertaining to a province; limited in outlook; narrow; unsophisticated |
| provisional | tentative; temporary |
| proviso | stipulation; condition in an agreement; provision |
| provision | act of providing; something provided; preparatory measure; provisions: necessary supplies (esp. food); stipulation; condition in an agreement; Ex. According to the provisions of the agreement |
| provocative | arousing anger or sexual interest; annoying; Ex. provocative in tight jeans; V. provoke: incite to anger; cause (an unpleasant action or feeling); N. provocation |
| prowess | extraordinary ability; military bravery; Ex. prowess in battle |
| proximity | nearness; ADJ. proximate |
| proxy | authorized agent; authority to act for another |
| prude | excessively modest or proper person (who is easily shocked by improper things, esp. of a sexual nature); N. prudery; ADJ. prudish: excessively concerned with propriety |
| prudent | cautious; careful; prudential |
| prune | cut away; trim |
| prurient | having or causing lustful desires and thoughts; arousing immoderate sexual desire |
| pry | inquire impertinently (someone else's private affairs); use leverage to raise or open something; prize; N. pries: tool for prying |
| prize | pry; move with a lever; value highly; esteem; Ex. his most prized possession; N: something captured during war-time (esp. an enemy ship) |
| pseudonym | pen name; fictitious name assumed by an author; ADJ. pseudonymous |
| psyche | soul; mind |
| psychiatrist | doctor who treats mental diseases |
| psychic | of psyche; mental; of or possessing extraordinary mental powers |
| psychopathic | pertaining to mental dearrangement; N. psychopath: person with an antisocial personality disorder |
| psychosis | mental disorder; ADJ. N. psychotic |
| psychosomatic | of the influence of the mind on the body (esp. with respect to disease) |
| pterodactyl | extinct flying reptile; CF. wing+finger |
| puerile | childish; immature; CF. puer: boy |
| pugilist | boxer; CF. pugilism: boxing |
| pugnacity | combativeness; disposition to fight; ADJ. pugnacious: (of people) belligerent; combative in nature |
| puissant | powerful; strong; potent; N. puissance: power |
| pulchritude | beauty; comeliness; ADJ. pulchritudinous |
| pulmonary | pertaining to the lungs |
| pulsate | throb; beat regularly; vibrate regularly |
| pulse | rhythmical throbbing of arteries; brief sudden change in a normally constant quantity; V: pulsate |
| pulverize | crush or grind into very small particles |
| pummel | pommel; beat or pound with fists |
| punctilious | minutely attentive (perhaps too much so) to fine points; stressing niceties of conduct or form; N. punctilio, punctiliousness: careful attention payed to every small exact detail |
| pundit | authority on a subject; expert; learned person |
| pungent | stinging; acrid; sharp in taste or smell; (of speech or writing) caustic; N. pungency |
| punitive | punishing; Ex. punitive measures |
| puny | tiny; weak; insignificant |
| purchase | secure grasp or hold; firm grasp or footing |
| purgatory | place of spiritual expiation; temporary state or place in which the souls must expiate their sins |
| purge | remove or get rid of something or someone unwanted; eliminate; free from blame or guilt; cleanse or purify (esp. of sin, guilt, or defilement); N. |
| purport | intention; purpose; meaning; V: claim; profess; Ex. order which purports to be signed by the general |
| purported | alleged; claimed; reputed or rumored; Ex. purported Satanists |
| rooster | cock; adult male chicken |
| rabble | mob; noisy crowd |
| purse | pucker; contract (lips) into wrinkles; N: wallet |
| pucker | gather into wrinkles or folds; N: wrinkle or fold |
| purveyor | furnisher of foodstuffs; caterer; V. purvey: supply (eg. food); furnish; CF. provide |
| pusillanimous | cowardly; lacking courage; fainthearted |
| putative | supposed; reputed; generally regarded as such; Ex. putative father of the child |
| putrid | decayed and foul-smelling; foul; rotten; decayed; N. putridity |
| putrefy | make or become putrid; N. putrefaction |
| putrescent | becoming putrid; putrefying |
| gangrene | decay of body tissue caused by insufficient blood supply (usually following injury); ADJ. gangrenous |
| pyromaniac | person with an insane desire to set things on fire |
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imrajat
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