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Barron's 3500 GRE
Barron's 3500-Word Master Word List
Question | Answer |
---|---|
abase | lower; degrade; humiliate |
abash | embarrass |
abate | subside or moderate |
abbreviate | shorten |
abdicate | renounce; give up |
aberrant | abnormal or deviant |
aberration | abnormality |
abet | assist, usually in doing something wrong; encourage |
abeyance | suspend action |
abhor | detest; hate |
abject | wretched; lacking pride |
abjure | renounce upon oath; disavow |
ablution | washing |
abnegation | renunciation; self-sacrifice |
abolish | cancel; put an end to |
abominable | detestable; extremely unpleasant; very bad |
abominate | loathe; hate |
aboriginal | being the first of its kind in a region; primitive |
abortive | unsuccessful; fruitless |
abrasive | rubbing away; tending to grind down |
abridge | condense or shorten |
abrogate | abolish |
abscission | removal by cutting off, as in surgery; separation |
abscond | depart secretly and hide |
absolute | complete; totally unlimited; certain |
abstain | refrain; withhold from participation |
abstemious | sparing in eating and drinking; temperate |
abstinence | restraint from eating or drinking |
abstract | theoretical; not concrete; nonrepresentational |
abstruse | obscure; profound; difficult to understand |
abusive | coarsely insulting; physically harmful |
abut | border upon; adjoin |
abysmal | bottomless |
abyss | enormous chasm; vast, bottomless pit |
academic | related to a school; not practical or directly useful |
accede | agree |
accelerate | move faster |
accessible | easy to approach; obtainable |
accessory | additional object; useful but not essential thing |
acclaim | applaud; announce with great approval |
acclimate | adjust to climate or environment; adapt |
acclivity | sharp upslope of a hill |
accolade | award of merit |
accommodate | oblige or help someone; adjust or bring into harmony; adapt |
accomplice | partner in crime |
accord | agreement |
accost | approach and speak first to a person |
accoutre | equip |
accretion | growth; increase |
accrue | come about by addition |
acerbic | bitter or sour in nature; sharp and cutting |
acerbity | bitterness of speech and temper |
acetic | vinegary |
acidulous | slightly sour; sharp; caustic |
acknowledge | recognize; admit |
acme | peak; pinnacle; highest point |
acoustics | science of sound; quality that makes a room easy or hard to hear in |
acquiesce | assent; agree passively |
acquittal | deliverance from a charge |
acrid | sharp; bitterly pungent |
acrimonious | bitter in words or manner |
acrophobia | fear of heights |
actuarial | calculating; pertaining to insurance statistics |
actuate | motivate |
acuity | sharpness |
acumen | mental keenness |
acute | quickly perceptive; keen; brief and severe |
adage | wise saying; proverb |
adamant | hard; inflexible |
adapt | alter; modify |
addendum | addition; appendix to book |
addiction | compulsive, habitual need |
addle | muddle; drive crazy; become rotten |
address | direct a speech to; deal with or discuss |
adept | expert at |
adhere | stick fast |
adherent | supporter; follower |
adjacent | adjoining; neighboring; close by |
adjunct | something (generally nonessential or inferior) added on or attached |
adjuration | solemn urging |
adjutant | staff officer assisting the commander; assistant |
admonish | warn; reprove |
adorn | decorate |
adroit | skillful |
adulation | flattery; admiration |
adulterate | make impure by adding inferior or tained substances |
advent | arrival |
adventitious | accidental; causal |
adversary | opponent; enemy |
adverse | unfavorable; hostile |
adversity | poverty; misfortune |
advert | refer (to) |
advocacy | support; active pleading on behalf of someone or something |
advocate | urge; plead for |
aegis | nest of a large bird of prey |
aesthetic | artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciating the beautiful |
affable | easily approachable; warmly friendly |
affected | artificial; pretended; assumed in order to impress |
affidavit | written statement made under oath |
affiliation | joining; association with |
affinity | kinship |
affirmation | positive assertion; confirmation; solemn pledge by one who refuses to take an oath |
affix | attach or add on; fasten |
affliction | state of distress; cause of suffering |
affluence | abundance; wealth |
affront | insult; offense; intentional act of disrespect |
agape | openmouthed |
agenda | items of business at a meeting |
agglomeration | collection; heap |
aggrandize | increase or intensify; raise in power, wealth, rank or honor |
aggregate | gather; accumulate |
aggressor | attacker |
aghast | horrified; dumbfounded |
agility | nimbleness |
agitate | stir up; disturb |
agnostic | one who is skeptical of the existence of a god or any ultimate reality |
agog | highly excited; intensely curious |
agrarian | pertaining to land or its cultivation |
alacrity | cheerful promptness; eagerness |
alchemy | medieval form of speculative thought that aimed to transform base metals (lead or copper) into silver or gold and to discover the means of prolonging life |
alcove | nook; recess |
alias | an assumed name |
alienate | make hostile; separate |
alimentary | supplying nourishment |
alimony | payment made to an ex-spouse after divorce |
allay | calm; pacify |
allege | state without proof |
allegiance | loyalty |
allegory | story in which characters are used as symbols; fable |
alleviate | relieve |
alliteration | repetition of beginning sound in poetry |
allocate | assign |
alloy | a mixture as of metals |
alloy | mix; make less pure; lessen or moderate |
allude | refer indirectly |
allure | entice; attract |
allusion | indirect reference |
alluvial | pertaining to soil deposits left by running water |
aloof | apart; reserved |
aloft | upward |
altercation | noisy quarrel; heated dispute |
altruistic | unselfishly generous; concerned for others |
amalgamate | combine; unite in one body |
amass | collect |
amazon | female warrior |
ambidextrous | capable of using either hand with equal ease |
ambience | environment; atmosphere |
ambiguous | unclear or doubtful in meaning |
ambivalence | the state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes |
amble | moving at an easy pace |
ambrosia | food of the gods |
ambulatory | able to walk; not bedridden |
ameliorate | improve |
amenable | readily managed or willing to be led; answerable or accountable legally |
amend | correct; change, generally for the better |
amenities | convenient features; courtesies |
amiable | agreeable; lovable; warmly friendly |
amicable | politely friendly; not quarrelsome |
amiss | wrong; faulty |
amity | friendship |
amnesia | loss of memory |
amnesty | pardon |
amoral | nonmoral |
amorous | moved by sexual love; loving |
amorphous | formless; lacking shape or definition |
amphibian | able to live both on land and in water |
amphitheater | oval building with tiers of seats |
ample | abundant |
amplify | broaden or clarify by expanding; intensify; make stronger |
amputate | cut off part of body; prune |
amok (also amuck) | in a state of rage |
amulet | charm; talisman |
anachronism | something or someone misplaced in time |
analgesic | causing insensitivity to pain |
analogous | comparable |
analogy | similarity; parallelism |
anarchist | person who seeks to overturn the established government; advocate of abolishing authority |
anarchy | absence of governing body; state of disorder |
anathema | solemn curse; someone or something regarded as a curse |
ancestry | family descent |
anchor | secure or fasten firmly; be fixed in place |
ancillary | serving as an aid or accessory; auxiliary |
anecdote | short account of an amusing or interesting event |
anemia | condition in which blood lacks red corpuscles |
anesthetic | substance that removes sensation with or without loss of consciousness |
anguish | acute pain; extreme suffering |
angular | sharp-cornered; stiff in manner |
animadversion | critical remark |
animated | lively; spirited |
animosity | active enmity |
animus | hostile feeling or intent |
annals | records; history |
anneal | reduce brittleness and improve toughness by heating and cooling |
annex | attach; take possession of |
annihilate | destroy |
annotate | comment; make explanatory notes |
annuity | yearly allowance |
annul | make void |
anodyne | drug that relieves pain; opiate |
anoint | consecrate |
anomalous | abnormal; irregular |
anomaly | irregularity |
anonymity | state of being nameless; anonymousness |
antagonism | hostility; active resistance |
antecede | precede |
antecedents | preceding events or circumstances that influence what comes later; ancestors or early background |
antediluvian | antiquated; extremely ancient |
anthem | song of praise or patriotism |
anthology | book of literary selections by various authors |
anthropoid | manlike |
anthropologist | student of the history and science of humankind |
anthropomorphic | having human form or characteristics. |
antic | extravagantly odd |
anticlimax | letdown in thought or emotion |
antidote | remedy to counteract a poison or disease |
antipathy | aversion; dislike |
antiquated | obsolete; outdated |
antiseptic | substance that prevents infection |
antithesis | contrast; direct opposite of or to |
anvil | iron block used in hammering out metals |
apathy | lack of caring; indifference |
ape | imitate or mimic |
aperture | opening; hole |
apex | tip; summit; climax |
aphasia | loss of speech due to injury or illness |
aphorism | pithy maxim or saying |
apiary | a place where bees are kept |
aplomb | poise; assurance |
apocalyptic | prophetic; pertaining to revelations |
apocryphal | spurious; not authentic; invented rather than true |
apogee | highest point |
apolitical | having an aversion or lack of concern for political affairs |
apologist | one who writes in defense of a cause or institution |
apostate | one who abandons his religious faith or political beliefs |
apothecary | druggist |
apothegm | pithy, compact saying |
apotheosis | elevation to godhood; an ideal example of something |
appall | dismay; shock |
apparition | ghost; phantom |
appease | pacify or soothe; relieve |
appellation | name; title |
append | attach |
application | diligent attention |
apposite | appropriate; fitting |
appraise | estimate value of |
appreciate | be thankful for; increase in worth; be thoroughly conscious of |
apprehend | arrest (a criminal); dread; perceive |
apprehensive | fearful; discerning |
apprise | inform |
approbation | approval |
appropriate | acquire; take possession of for one's own use |
appurtenances | subordinate possessions |
apropos | to the point and timely |
aptitude | fitness; talent |
aquiline | curved, hooked |
arabesque | style of decoration involving intertwined plants and abstract curves; ballet position with one leg supporting weight of the body, while the other leg is extended in back |
arable | fit for growing crops |
arbiter | person with power to decide a matter in dispute; judge |
arbitrary | unreasonable or capricious; tyrannical |
arbitrate | act as judge |
arboretum | place where different varieties of trees and shrubs are studied and exhibited |
arcade | covered passageway, usually lined with shops |
arcane | secret; mysterious; known only to the initiated |
archaeology | study of artifacts and relics of early mankind |
archaic | antiquated |
archetype | prototype; primitive pattern |
archipelago | group of closely located islands |
archives | public records; place where public records are kept |
ardor | heat; passion; zeal |
arduous | hard; strenuous |
argot | slang |
aria | operatic solo |
arid | dry; barren |
aristocracy | hereditary nobility; privileged class |
armada | fleet of warships |
aromatic | fragrant |
arraign | charge in court; indict |
array | marshal; draw up in order |
array | clothe; adorn |
arrears | being in debt |
arrest | stop or check; seize or capture (the attention) |
arrhythmic | lacking rhythm or regularity |
arrogance | pride; haughtiness |
arroyo | gully |
arsenal | storage place for military equipment |
artful | cunning; crafty; sly |
articulate | effective; distinct |
artifact | object made by human beings, either handmade or mass-produced |
artifice | deception; trickery |
artisan | manually skilled worker; craftsman, as opposed to artist |
artless | without guile; open and honest |
ascendancy | controlling influence |
ascertain | find out for certain |
ascetic | practicing self-denial; austere |
ascribe | refer; attribute; assign |
aseptic | preventing infection; having a cleansing effect |
ashen | ash-colored; deadly pale |
asinine | stupid |
askance | with a sideways or indirect look |
askew | crookedly; slanted; at an angle |
asperity | sharpness (of temper) |
aspersion | slanderous remark |
aspirant | seeker after position or status |
aspire | seek to attain; long for |
assail | assault |
assay | analyze; evaluate |
assent | agree; accept |
assert | state strongly or positively; insist on or demand recognition of (rights, claims, etc) |
assessment | estimation; appraisal |
assiduous | diligent |
assimilate | absorb; cause to become homogenous |
assuage | ease or lessen (pain); satisfy (hunger); soothe (anger) |
assumption | something taken for granted; the taking over or taking possession of |
assurance | promise or pledge; certainty; self-confidence |
asteroid | small planet |
astigmatism | eye defect that prevents proper focus |
astral | relating to the stars |
astringent | binding; causing contraction; harsh or severe |
astronomical | enormously large or extensive |
astute | wise; shrewd; keen |
asunder | into parts; apart |
asylum | place of refuge or shelter; protection |
asymmetric | not identical on both sides of a dividing central line |
atavism | resemblance to remote ancestors rather than to parents; reversion to an earlier type; throwback |
atheist | one who denies the existence of God |
atone | make amends for; pay for |
atrocity | brutal deed |
atrophy | wasting away |
attentive | alter and watchful; considerate; thoughtful |
attenuate | make thinner; weaken or lessen (in density, force, degree) |
attest | testify; bear witness |
attribute | essential quality |
attribute | ascribe; explain |
attrition | gradual decrease in numbers; reduction in the work force without firing employees; wearing away of opposition by means of harassment |
atypical | not normal |
audacious | daring; bold |
audit | examination of accounts |
augment | increase; add to |
augury | omen; prophecy |
august | impressive; majestic |
aureole | sun's corona; halo |
auroral | pertaining to the aurora borealis |
auspicious | favoring success |
austere | forbiddingly stern; severely simple and unornamented |
authenticate | prove genuine |
authoritarian | subordinating the individual to the state; completely dominating another's will |
authoritative | having the weight of authority; peremptory and dictatorial |
autocratic | having absolute, unchecked power; dictatorial |
automaton | mechanism that imitate actions of humans |
autonomous | self-govering |
autopsy | examination of a dead body; postmortem |
auxiliary | offering or providing help; additional or subsidiary |
avalanche | great mass of falling snow and ice |
avarice | greediness for wealth |
avenge | take vengeance for something (or on behalf of someone) |
aver | assert confidently or declare; as used in law, state formally as a fact |
averse | reluctant; disinclined |
aversion | firm dislike |
avert | prevent; turn away |
aviary | enclosure for birds |
avid | greedy; eager for |
avocation | secondary or minor occupation |
avow | declare openly |
avuncular | like an uncle |
awe | solemn wonder |
awl | pointed tool used for piercing |
awry | distorted; crooked |
axiom | self-evident truth requiring no proof |
azure | sky blue |
babble | chatter idly |
bacchanalian | drunken |
badger | pester; annoy |
badinage | teasing conversation |
baffle | frustrate; perplex |
bait | harass; tease |
baleful | threatening; menacing; sinister; foreshadowing evil |
balk | stop short, as if faced with an obstacle, and refuse to continue |
ballast | heavy substance used to add stability or weight |
balm | something that relieves pain |
balmy | mild; fragrant |
banal | hackneyed; commonplace; trite; lacking originality |
bandy | discuss lightly or glibly; exchange (words) heatedly |
bane | curse; cause of ruin |
baneful | destructive; causing ruin or death |
bantering | good-naturedly ridiculing |
barb | sharp projection from fishhook or other object; openly cutting remark |
bard | poet |
barefaced | shameless; bold; unconcealed |
baroque | highly ornate |
barrage | barrier laid down by artillery fire; overwhelming profusion |
barrister | counselor-at-law |
barterer | trader |
bask | luxuriate; take pleasure in warmth |
bastion | stronghold; something seen as a source of protection |
bate | let down; restrain |
bauble | trinket; trifle |
bawdy | indecent; obscene |
beatific | showing or producing joy; blissful |
beatify | bless or sanctify; proclaim someone dead to be one of the blessed |
beatitude | blessedness; state of bliss |
bedizen | dress with vulgar finery |
bedraggle | wet thoroughly |
beeline | direct, quick route |
befuddle | confuse thoroughly |
beget | father; produce; give rise to |
begrudge | resent |
beguile | mislead or delude; cheat; pass time |
behemoth | huge creature; something of monstrous size or power |
beholden | obligated; indebted |
behoove | be necessary or proper for; be incumbent upon |
belabor | explain or go over excessively or to a ridiculous degree |
belated | delayed |
beleaguer | besiege or attack; harass |
belie | contradict; give a false impression |
belittle | disparage; deprecate |
bellicose | warlike; pugnacious; naturally inclined to fight |
belligerent | quarrelsome |
bemoan | lament; express disapproval of |
bemused | confused; lost in thought; preoccupied |
benediction | blessing |
benefactor | gift giver; patron |
beneficent | kindly; doing good |
beneficial | helpful; useful |
beneficiary | person entitled to benefits or proceeds of an insurance policy or will |
benevolent | generous; charitable |
benign | kindly; favorable; not malignant |
benison | blessing |
bent | determined; natural talent or inclination |
bequeath | leave to someone by means of a will; hand down |
berate | scold strongly |
bereavement | state of being deprived of something valuable or beloved |
bereft | deprived of; lacing |
berserk | frenzied |
beseech | beg; plead with |
beset | harass or trouble; hem in |
besiege | surround with armed forces; harass (with requests) |
besmirch | soil, defile |
bestial | beastlike; brutal; inhuman |
bestow | confer |
betoken | signify; indicate |
betray | be unfaithful; reveal (unconsciously or unwillingly) |
betroth | become engaged to marry |
bevy | large group |
bicameral | two-chambered, as a legislative body |
bicker | quarrel |
biennial | every two years |
bifurcated | divided into two branches; forked |
bigotry | stubborn intolerance |
bilious | suffering from a liver complaint; peevishly ill humored |
bilk | swindle; heat |
billowing | swelling out in waves; surging |
bivouac | temporary encampment |
bizarre | fantastic; violently contrasting |
blanch | bleach; whiten |
bland | soothing or mild; agreeable |
blandish | cajole; coax with flattery |
blandishment | flattery |
blare | loud, harsh roar or screech; dazzling blaze of light |
blasé | bored with pleasure or dissipation |
blasphemy | irreverence; sacrilege; cursing |
blatant | extremely obvious; loudly offensive |
bleak | cold or cheerless; unlikely to be favorable |
blighted | suffering from a disease; destroyed |
blithe | carefree and unconcerned (perhaps foolishly so); cheerful and gay |
bloated | swollen or puffed as with water or air |
blowhard | talkative boaster |
bludgeon | club; heavy-headed weapon |
bluff | rough but good-natured |
bluff | pretense (of strength); deception; high cliff |
blunder | error |
blurt | to utter impulsively |
bluster | blow in heavy gusts; threaten emptily; bully |
bode | foreshadow; portend |
bogus | counterfeit; not authentic |
bohemian | unconventional (in an artistic way) |
boisterous | violent; rough; noisy |
bolster | support; reinforce |
bolt | door bar; fastening pin or screw; length of fabric |
bolt | to dash or dart off; fasten (a door); gobble down |
bombardment | attack (as with missiles) |
bombastic | pompous; using inflated language |
boon | blessing; benefit |
boorish | rude; insensitive |
bouillon | clear beef soup |
bountiful | abundant; graciously generous |
bourgeois | middle class; selfishly materialistic; dully conventional |
bovine | cowlike; placid and dull |
bowdlerize | expurgate |
boycott | refrain from buying or using |
brackish | somewhat saline |
braggadocio | boasting |
braggart | boaster |
brandish | wave around; flourish |
bravado | swagger; assumed air of defiance |
brawn | muscular strength; sturdiness |
brazen | insolent |
breach | breaking of contract or duty |
breadth | width; extent |
brevity | conciseness |
brindled | tawny or grayish with streaks or spots |
bristling | rising like bristles; showing irritation |
brittle | easily broken; difficult |
broach | introduce; open up |
brocade | rich, figured fabric |
brochure | pamphlet |
brooch | ornamental clasp |
brook | tolerate; endure |
browbeat | bully; intimidate |
browse | graze; skim or glance at casually |
brunt | main impact or shock |
brusque | blunt; abrupt |
buccaneer | pirate |
bucolic | rustic; pastoral |
buffet | table with food set out for people to serve themselves; meal at which people help themselves to food that's been set out |
buffet | slap; batter; known about |
buffoonery | clowning |
bugaboo | bugbear; object of baseless terror |
bullion | gold and silver in the form of bars |
bulwark | earthwork or other strong defense; person who defends |
bungle | mismanage; blunder |
buoyant | able to float; cheerful and optimistic |
bureaucracy | overregulated administrative system marked by red tape |
burgeon | grow forth; send out buds |
burlesque | give an imitation that ridicules |
burnish | make shiny by rubbing; polish |
buttress | support; prop up |
buxom | full-bosomed; plump; jolly |
cabal | small group of persons secretly united to promote their own interests |
cache | hiding place |
cacophonous | discordant; inharmonious |
cadaver | corpse |
cadaverous | like a corpse; pale |
cadence | rhythmic rise and fall (of words or sounds) |
cadge | beg; mooch; panhandle |
cajole | coax; wheedle |
calamity | disaster; misery |
calculated | deliberately planned; likely |
cauldron | large kettle |
caliber | ability; quality |
calligraphy | beautiful writing; excellent penmanship |
callous | hardened; unfeeling |
callow | youthful; immature; inexperienced |
calorific | heat-producing |
calumny | malicious misrepresentation; slander |
camaraderie | good-fellowship |
cameo | shell or jewel carved in relief; star's special appearance in a minor role in a film |
camouflage | disguise; conceal |
canard | false or unfounded story; fabricated report |
candor | frankness; open honesty |
canine | related to dogs; doglike |
canker | any ulcerous sore; any evil |
canny | shrewd; thrifty |
canon | collection or authoritative list of books (e.g. by an author or accepted as scripture) |
canon | rule or principle, frequently religious |
cant | insincere expressions of piety; jargon of thieves |
cantankerous | ill-humored; irritable |
cantata | story set to music, to be sung by a chorus |
canter | slow gallop |
canto | division of a long poem |
canvass | determine or seek opinions, votes, etc. |
capacious | spacious |
capacity | mental or physical ability; role; ability to accommodate |
capillary | having a very fine bore |
capitulate | surrender |
caprice | whim |
capricious | unpredictable; fickle |
caption | title; chapter heading; text under illustration |
captious | faultfinding |
carafe | glass water bottle; decanter |
carapace | shell covering the back (of a turtle, crab, etc.) |
carat | unit of weight for precious stones; measure of fineness of gold |
carcinogenic | causing cancer |
cardinal | chief |
cardiologist | doctor specializing in ailments of the heart |
careen | lurch; sway from side to side |
caricature | distortion; burlesque |
carillon | a set of bells capable of being played |
carnage | destruction of life |
carnal | fleshly |
carnivorous | meat-eating |
carousal | drunken revel |
carping | petty criticism; fault-finding |
carrion | rotting flesh of a dead body |
cartographer | map-maker |
cascade | small waterfall |
caste | one of the hereditary classes in Hindu society, social stratification; prestige |
castigation | punishment; severe criticism |
casualty | serious or fatal accident |
cataclysm | deluge; upheaval |
catalyst | agent that influences the pace of a chemical reaction which it remains unaffected and unchanged; person or thing that causes action |
catapult | slingshot; hurling machine |
cataract | great waterfall; eye abnormality |
catastrophe | calamity; disaster |
catcall | shout of disapproval; boo |
catechism | book for religious instruction; instruction by question and answer |
categorical | without exceptions; unqualified; absolute |
catharsis | purging or cleansing of any passage of body |
cathartic | purgative |
catholic | universal; wide-ranging; liberal |
caucus | private meeting of members of a party to select officers or determine policy |
caulk | to make watertight (by plugging seams) |
causal | implying a cause-and-effect relationship |
caustic | burning; sarcastically biting |
cauterize | burn with hot iron or caustic |
cavalcade | procession; parade |
cavalier | casual and offhand; arrogant |
cavil | make frivolous objections |
cede | yield (title, territory) to; surrender formally |
celerity | speed; rapidity |
celestial | heavenly |
celibate | abstaining from sexual intercourse; unmarried |
censor | overseer of morals; person who eliminates inappropriate matter |
censorious | critical |
censure | blame; criticize |
centaur | mythic figure, half man and half horse |
centigrade | denoting a widely used temperature scale (basically same as Celsius) |
centrifugal | radiating; departing from the center |
centrifuge | machine that separates substance by whirling them |
centripetal | tending toward the center |
centurion | Roman army orfficer |
cerebral | pertaining to the brain or intellect |
cerebration | thought |
ceremonious | marked by formality |
certitude | certainty |
cessation | stoppage |
cession | yielding (something) to another; ceding |
chafe | warm by rubbing; make sore (by rubbing) |
chaff | worthless products of an endeavor |
chaffing | bantering; joking |
chagrin | vexation (caused by humiliation or injured pride); disappointment |
chalice | goblet; consecrated cup |
chameleon | lizard that changes color in different situations |
champion | support militantly |
chaotic | in utter disorder |
charisma | divine gift; great popular charm or appeal |
charlatan | quack; pretender to knowledge |
chary | cautious; sparing or restraint about giving |
chase | ornament a metal surface by indenting |
chasm | abyss |
chassis | framework and working parts of an automobile |
chaste | pure; virginal; modest |
chasten | correct by punishment or scolding; restrain |
chastened | humbled; subdued; rebuked |
chastise | punish or scold; reprimand |
chauvinist | blindly devoted patriot; zealous adherent of a group or cause |
check | stop motion; curb or restrain |
checkered | marked by changes in fortune |
cherubic | angelic; innocent-looking |
chicanery | trickery; deception |
chide | scold |
chimerical | fantastically improbable; highly unrealistic; imaginative |
chisel | wedgelike tool for cutting |
chisel | swindle or cheat; cut with a chisel |
chivalrous | courteous; faithful; brave |
choleric | hot-tempered |
choreography | art of representing dances in written symbols; arrangement of dances |
chortle | chuckle with delight |
chronic | long established, as a disease |
chronicle | report; record (in chronological order) |
churlish | boorish; rude |
ciliated | having minute hairs |
cipher | nonentity; worthless person or thing |
cipher | secret code |
circlet | small ring; band |
circuitous | roundabout |
circumlocution | unnecessarily wordy and indirect speech; evasive language |
circumscribe | limit narrowly; confine or restrict; define |
circumspect | prudent; cautious |
circumvent | outwit; baffle |
cistern | reservoir or water tank |
citadel | fortress |
cite | quote; commend |
civil | having to do with citizens or the state; courteous and polite |
clairvoyant | having foresight; fortuneteller |
clamber | climb by crawling |
clamor | noise |
clandestine | secret |
clangor | loud, resounding noise |
clapper | striker (tongue) of a bell |
clarion | shrill, trumpetlike sound |
claustrophobia | fear of being locked in |
clavicle | collarbone |
cleave | split or sever; cling to; remain faithful to |
cleft | split |
clemency | disposition to be lenient; mildness, as of the weather |
cliché | phrase dulled in meaning by repetition |
clientele | body of customers |
climactic | relating to the highest point |
clime | region; climate |
clique | small, exclusive group |
cloister | monastery or convent |
clout | great influence (especially political or social) |
cloying | distasteful (because excessive); excessively sweet or sentimental |
coagulate | thicken; congeal; clot |
coalesce | combine; fuse |
coalition | partnership; league; union |
coda | concluding section of a musical or literary composition; something that rounds out, summarizes, or concludes |
coddle | treat gently; pamper |
codicil | supplement to the body of a will |
codify | arrange (laws, rules) as a code; classify |
coercion | use of force to get someone to obey |
coeval | living at the same time as; contemporary |
cog | tooth projecting from a wheel |
cogent | convincing |
cogitate | think over |
cognate | related linguistically; allied by blood; similar or akin in nature |
cognitive | having to do with knowing or perceiving related to the mental processes |
cognizance | knowledge |
cohabit | live together |
cohere | stick together |
cohesion | tendency to keep together |
cohorts | armed band |
coiffure | hairstyle |
coin | make coins; invent or fabricate |
coincidence | the chance occurrence, at the same time of two or more seemingly connected events |
colander | utensil with perforated bottom used for straining |
collaborate | work together |
collage | work of art put together from fragments |
collate | examine in order to verify authenticity; arrange in order |
collateral | security given for loan |
collation | light meal |
colloquial | pertaining to conversational or common speech; informal |
colloquy | informal discussion |
collusion | conspiring in a fraudulent scheme |
colossal | huge |
colossus | gigantic statue |
comatose | in a coma; extremely sleepy |
combustible | easily burned |
comely | attractive; agreeable |
comestible | something fit to be eaten |
comeuppence | rebuke; deserts |
comity | courtesy; civility |
commandeer | to draft for military purposes; to take for public use |
commemorative | remembering; honoring |
commensurate | corresponding in extent, degree, amount, etc.; proportionate |
commiserate | feel or express pity or sympathy for |
commodious | spacious and comfortable |
communal | held in common; a group of people |
compact | agreement; contract |
compact | tightly packed; firm; brief |
compatible | harmonious; in harmony with |
compelling | overpowering; irresistible in effect |
compendium | brief, comprehensive summary |
compensatory | making up for; repaying |
compilation | listing of statistical information in tabular or book form |
compile | assemble; gather; accumulate |
complacency | self-satisfaction; smugness |
complaisant | trying to please; overly polite; obliging |
complement | complete; consummate; make perfect |
complementary | serving to complete something |
compliance | readiness to yield; conformity in fulfilling requirements |
complaint | yielding; conforming to requirements |
complicity | involvement in a crime; participation |
component | element; ingredient |
comport | bear one's self; behave |
composure | mental calmness |
compound | combine; constitute; pay interest; increase |
comprehensive | thorough; inclusive |
compress | squeeze or press together; make more compact |
comprise | include; consist of |
compromise | adjust or settle by making mutual concessions; endanger the interests or reputation of |
compunction | remorse |
compute | reckon; calculate |
concatenate | link as in a chain |
concave | hollow |
concede | admit; yield |
conceit | vanity or self-love; whimsical idea; extravagant metaphor |
concentric | having a common center |
conception | beginning; forming of an idea |
concerted | mutually agreed on; done together |
concession | an act of yielding |
conciliatory | reconciling; soothing |
concise | brief and compact |
conclave | private meeting |
conclusive | decisive; ending all debate |
concoct | prepare by combining; make up in concert |
concomitant | that which accompanies |
concord | harmony |
concur | agree |
concurrent | happening at the same time |
condescend | bestow courtesies with a superior air |
condign | appropriate; deserved (almost always, in the sense of deservedly severe) |
condiment | food seasoning; spice |
condole | overlook; forgive; give tacit approval; excuse |
conducive | helpful; contributive |
conduit | aqueduct; passageway for fluids |
confidant | trusted friend |
confine | shut in; restrict |
confiscate | seize; commandeer |
conflagration | great fire |
conflate | meld or fuse; confuse; combine into one |
confluence | flowing together; crowd |
conformity | harmony; agreement |
confound | confuse; puzzle |
congeal | freeze; coagulate |
congenial | pleasant; friendly |
congenital | existing at birth |
conglomeration | mass of material sticking together |
congruence | correspondence of parts; harmonious relationship |
congruent | in agreement; corresponding |
conifer | pine tree; cone-bearing tree |
conjecture | infer on the basis of insufficient data; surmise; guess |
conjugal | pertaining to marriage |
conjure | summon a devil; practice magic; imagine or invent |
connivance | pretense of ignorance of something wrong; assistance; permission to offend |
connoisseur | person competent to act as a judge of art, etc.; a lover of art |
connotation | suggested or implied meaning of an expression |
connubial | pertaining to marriage or matrimonial state |
consanguinity | kinship |
conscientious | scrupulous; careful |
conscript | draftee; person forced into military service |
consecrate | dedicate; sanctify |
consensus | general agreement; opinion reached by a group as a whole |
consequential | pompous; self-important |
conservatory | school of fine arts (especially music or drama) |
consign | deliver officially; entrust; set apart |
consistency | absence of contradictions; dependability; uniformity; degree of thickness |
console | lessen sadness or disappointment; give comfort |
consolidation | unification; process of becoming firmer or stronger |
consonance | harmony; agreement |
consort | associate with |
consort | husband or wife |
conspiracy | treacherous plot |
constituent | supporter |
constrain | compulsion; repression of feelings |
construe | explain; interpret |
consummate | wholly without flaw; supremely skilled; complete and utter |
contagion | infection |
contaminate | pollute |
contempt | scorn; disdain |
contend | struggle; compete; assert earnestly |
contention | claim; thesis |
contentious | quarrelsome |
contest | dispute |
context | writings preceding and following the passage quoted |
contiguous | adjacent to; touching upon |
continence | self-restraint; sexual chastity |
contingent | dependent on; conditional |
contingent | group that makes up part of a gathering |
contortions | twistings; distortions |
contraband | illegal trade; smuggling; smuggled goods |
contravene | contradict; oppose: infringe on or transgress |
contrite | penitent |
contrived | forced; artificial; not spontaneous |
controvert | oppose with arguments; attempt to refute; contradict |
contumacious | disobedient; resisting authority |
contusion | bruise |
conundrum | riddle; difficult problem |
convene | assemble |
convention | social or moral custom |
conventional | ordinary; typical |
converge | approach; tend to meet; come together |
conversant | familiar with |
converse | opposite |
convert | one who has adopted a different religion or opinion |
convex | curving outward |
conveyance | vehicle; transfer |
conviction | judgement that someone is guilty of a crime; strongly help belief |
convivial | festive; gay; characterized by joviality |
convoke | call together |
convoluted | coiled around; involved; intricate |
copious | plentiful |
coquette | flirt |
cordial | gracious; heartfelt |
cordon | extended line of men or fortifications to prevent access or egress |
cornice | projecting molding on building (usually above columns) |
cornucopia | horn overflowing with fruit and grain; symbol of abundance |
corollary | consequence; accompaniment |
corporeal | bodily; material |
corpulent | very fat |
correlation | mutual relationship |
corroborate | confirm; support |
corrode | destroy by chemical action |
corrosive | eating away by chemical action |
corrugated | wrinkled; ridged |
cosmic | pertaining to the universe; vast |
coterie | group the meets socially; select circle |
countenance | approve; tolerate |
countenance | face |
countermand | cancel; revoke |
counterpart | a thing that completes another; things very much alike |
coup | highly successful action or sudden attack |
couple | join; unite |
courier | messenger |
covenant | agreement |
covert | secret; hidden; implied |
covetous | avaricious; eagerly desirous of |
cow | terrorize; intimidate |
cower | shrink quivering, as from fear |
coy | shy; modest; coquettish |
cozen | cheat; hoodwink; swindle |
crabbed | sour; peevish |
crass | very unrefined; grossly insensible |
craven | cowardly |
credence | belief |
credo | creed |
credulity | belief on slight evidence; gullibility; naiveté |
creed | system of religious or ethical belief |
crescendo | increase in the volume or intensity, as in a musical passage; climax |
crestfallen | dejected; dispirited |
crevice | crack; fissure |
cringe | shrink back, as if in fear |
criteria | standards used in judging |
crone | hag |
crotchety | eccentric; whimsical |
crux | essential or main point |
crypt | secret recess or vault usually used for burial |
cryptic | mysterious; hidden; secret |
cubicle | small chamber used for sleeping |
cuisine | style of cooking |
cull | pick out; reject |
culmination | attainment of highest point |
culpable | deserving blame |
culvert | artificial channel for water |
cumbersome | heavy; hard to manage |
cumulative | growing by addition |
cupidity | greed |
curator | superintendent; manager |
curmudgeon | churlish; miserly individual |
cursive | flowing, running |
cursory | casual; hastily done |
curtail | shorten; reduce |
cynical | skeptical or distrustful of human motives |
cynosure | object of general attention |
dabble | work at in a nonserious fashion; splash around |
dais | raised platform for guests of honor |
dally | trifle with; procrastinate |
damp | lessen in intensity; diminish; mute |
dank | damp |
dapper | neat and trim |
dappled | spotted |
daub | smear (as with paint) |
daunt | intimidate; frighten |
dauntless | bold |
dawdle | loiter; waste time |
deadlock | standstill; stalemate |
deadpan | wooden; impassive |
dearth | scarcity |
debacle | sudden downfall; complete disaster |
debase | reduce the quality or value; lower in esteem; degrade |
debauch | corrupt; seduce from virtue |
debilitate | weaken; enfeeble |
debonair | urbane and suave; amiable; cheerful and carefree |
debris | rubble |
debunk | expose as false, exaggerated, worthless, etc.; ridicule |
debutante | young woman making formal entrance into society |
decadence | decay |
decant | pour off gently |
decapitate | behead |
decelerate | slow down |
deciduous | falling off, as of leaves |
decimate | kill, usually one out of ten |
decipher | decode |
declivity | downward slope |
décolleté | having a low-cut neckline |
decomposition | decay |
decorum | propriety; orderliness and good taste in manners |
decoy | lure or bait |
decrepitude | state of collapse caused by illness or old age |
decry | express strong disapproval of; disparage |
deducible | derived by reasoning |
deface | mar; disfigure |
defame | harm someone's reputation; malign; slander |
default | failure to act |
defeatist | resigned to defeat; accepting defeat as a natural outcome |
defection | desertion |
defer | delay till later; exempt temporarily |
defer | give in respectfully; submit |
deference | courteous regard for another's wish |
defiance | refusal to yield; resistance |
defile | pollute; profane |
definitive | most reliable or complete |
deflect | turn aside |
defoliate | destroy leaves |
defray | provide for the payment of |
defrock | to strip a priest or minister of church authority |
deft | neat; skillful |
defunct | dead; no longer in use or existence |
degenerate | become worse; deteriorate |
degradation | humiliation; debasement; degeneration |
dehydrate | remove water from; dry out |
deify | turn into a god; idolize |
deign | condescend; stoop |
delete | erase; strike out |
deleterious | harmful |
deliberate | consider; ponder |
delineate | portray; depict; sketch |
delirium | mental disorder marked by confusion |
delta | flat plain of mud or sand between branches of a river |
delude | deceive |
deluge | flood; rush |
delusion | false belief; hallucination |
delusive | deceptive; raising vain hopes |
delve | dig; investigate |
demagogue | person who appeals to people's prejudice; false leader |
demean | degrade; humiliate |
demeanor | behavior; bearing |
demented | insane |
demise | death |
demographic | related to population balance |
demolition | destruction |
demoniac | fiendish |
demotic | pertaining to people |
demur | objection; protest |
demur | object (because of doubts, scruples); hesitate |
demure | grave; serious; coy |
denigrate | blacken |
denizen | inhabitant or resident; regular visitor |
denotation | meaning; distinguishing by name |
denouement | outcome; final development of the plot of a play or other literary work |
denounce | condemn; criticize |
depict | portray |
deplete | reduce; exhaust |
deplore | regret |
deploy | spread out [troops] in an extended though shallow battle line |
depose | dethrone; remove from office |
deposition | testimony under oath |
depravity | extreme corruption; wickedness |
deprecate | express disapproval of; protest against; belittle |
depreciate | lessen in value |
depredation | plundering |
derange | make insane; disarrange |
derelict | abandoned; negligent |
deride | ridicule; make fun of |
derivative | unoriginal; obtained from another source |
dermatologist | one who studies the skin and its diseases |
derogatory | expressing a low opinion |
descry | catch sight of |
desecrate | profane; violate the sanctity of |
desiccate | dry up |
desolate | unpopulated; joyless |
desolate | rob of joy; lay waste to; forsake |
desperado | reckless outlaw |
despise | look on with scorn; regard as worthless or distateful |
despoil | strip of valuables; rob |
despondent | depressed; gloomy |
despot | tyrant; harsh, authoritarian ruler |
destitute | extremely poor |
desuetude | state of disuse |
desultory | aimless; haphazard; digressing at random |
detached | emotionally removed; calm and objective; physically separate |
determinate | having a fixed order of procedure; invariable |
determination | resolve; measurement or calculation; decision |
deterrent | something that discourages; hindrance |
detonation | explosion |
detraction | slandering; aspersion |
detrimental | harmful; damaging |
deviate | turn away from (a principle, norm); depart; diverge |
devious | roundabout; erratic; not straightforward |
devise | think up; invent; plan |
devoid | lacking |
devolve | be transferred to another; delegate to another; gradually worsen |
devotee | enthusiastic follower |
devout | pious |
dexterous | skillful |
diabolical | devilish |
diadem | crown |
dialectical | relating to the art of debate; mutual or reciprocal |
diaphanous | sheer; transparent |
diatribe | bitter scolding; invective |
dichotomy | split; branching into two parts (especially contradictory ones) |
dictum | authoritative and weight statement; saying; maxim |
didactic | teaching; instructional |
die | device for stamping or impressing; mold |
diffidence | shyness |
diffuse | wordy; rambling; spread out (like a gas) |
digression | wandering away from the subject |
dilapidated | ruined because of neglect |
dilate | expand |
dilatory | tending to delay; intentionally delaying |
dilemma | problem; choice of two unsatisfactory alternatives |
dilettante | aimless follower of the arts; amateur; dabbler |
diligence | steadiness of effort; persistent hard work |
dilute | make less concentrated; reduce in strength |
diminution | lessening; reduction in size |
din | continued loud noise |
dinghy | small boat (often ship's boat) |
dint | means; effort |
diorama | life-size, three-dimensional scene from nature of history |
dire | disastrous |
dirge | lament with music |
disabuse | correct a false impression; undeceive |
disaffected | disloyal |
disapprobation | disapproval; condemnation |
disarray | disorderly or untidy state |
disavowal | denial; disclaiming |
disband | dissolve; disperse |
disburse | pay out |
discernible | distinguishable; perceivable |
discerning | mentally quick and observant; having insight |
disclaim | disown; renounce claim to |
disclose | reveal |
discombobulated | confused; discomposed |
discomfit | put to rout; defeat; disconcert |
disconcert | confuse; upset; embarrass |
disconsolate | sad |
discord | conflict; lack of harmony |
discordant | not harmonious; conflicting |
discount | disregard |
discourse | formal discussion; conversation |
discredit | defame; destroy confidence in; disbelieve |
discrepancy | lack of consistency; difference |
discrete | separate; unconnected; consisting of distinct parts |
discretion | prudence in speech, actions; ability to decide responsibly; freedom to act on one's own |
discriminating | able to see differences; prejudiced |
discursive | digressing; rambling |
disdain | view with scorn or contempt |
disembark | go ashore; unload cargo from a ship |
disenfranchise | deprive of a civil right |
disengage | uncouple; separate; disconnect |
disfigure | mar the appearance of; spoil |
disgorge | surrender something; eject; vomit |
disgruntle | make discontented |
dishearten | discourage |
disheveled | untidy |
disinclination | unwillingness |
disingenuous | lacking genuine candor; insincere |
disinter | dig up; unearth |
disinterested | unprejudiced |
disjointed | lacking coherence; separated at the joints |
disjunction | act or state of separation; disunity |
dislodge | remove (forcibly) |
dismantle | take apart |
dismember | cut into small parts |
dismiss | eliminate from consideration; reject |
disparage | belittle |
disparate | basically different; unrelated |
disparity | difference; condition of inequality |
dispassionate | calm; impartial |
dispatch | speediness; prompt execution; message sent with all due speed |
dispel | scatter; drive away; cause to vanish |
disperse | scatter |
dispirited | lacking in spirit |
disport | amuse |
disputatious | argumentative; fond of arguing |
disquietude | uneasiness; anxiety |
disquisition | a formal systematic inquiry; an explanation of the results of a formal inquiry |
dissection | analysis; cutting apart in order to examine |
dissemble | disguise; pretend |
disseminate | distribute; spread; scatter (like seeds) |
dissent | disagree |
dissertation | formal essay |
dissident | dissenting; rebellious |
dissimulate | pretend; conceal by feigning |
dissipate | squander; waste; scatter |
dissolution | disintegration; looseness in morals |
dissonance | discord; opposite of harmony |
dissuade | persuade not to do; discourage |
distant | reserved or aloof; cold in manner |
distend | expand; swell out |
distill | purify; refine; concentrate |
distinction | honor; contrast; discrimination |
distort | twist out of shape |
distrait | inattentive; distracted; often by anxiety |
distraught | upset; distracted by anxiety |
diurnal | daily |
diva | operatic singer; prima donna |
diverge | vary; go in different directions from the same point |
divergent | differing; deviating |
diverse | differing in some characteristics; various |
diversion | act of turning aside; pastime |
diversity | variety; dissimilitude |
divest | strip; deprive |
divine | perceive intuitively; forsee the future |
divulge | reveal |
docile | obedient; easily managed |
docket | program as for trial; book where such entries are made |
doctrinaire | unable to compromise about points of doctrine; dogmatic; unyielding |
doctrine | teachings in general; particular principle (religious, legal, etc.) taught |
document | provide written evidence |
doddering | shaky; firm from old age |
doff | take off |
dogged | determined; stubborn |
doggerel | poor verse |
dogmatic | opinionated; arbitrary; doctrinal |
doldrums | blues; listlessness; slack period |
doleful | mournful; causing sadness |
dolorous | sorrowful |
dolt | stupid person; dunce |
domicile | home |
domineer | rule over tyrannically |
don | pute on |
dormant | sleeping; lethargic; latent |
dormer | window projecting from roof |
dorsal | relating to the back of an animal |
dossier | file of documents of a subject |
dotage | senility |
dote | be excessively fond of show signs of mental decline |
dour | sullen; stubborn |
douse | plunge into water; drench; extinguish |
dowdy | slovenly; untidy |
downcast | disheartened; sad |
drab | dull; lacking color; cheerless |
draconian | extremely severe |
dregs | sediment; worthless residue |
drivel | nonsense; foolishness |
droll | queer and amusing |
drone | idle person; male bee |
drone | talk dully; buss or murmur like a bee |
dross | waste matter; worthless impurities |
drudgery | menial work |
dubious | questionable; filled with doubt |
ductile | malleable; flexible; pliable |
dulcet | sweet sounding |
dumbfounded | astonish |
dupe | someone easily fooled |
duplicity | double-dealing; hypocrisy |
duration | length of time something lasts |
duress | forcible restraint, especially unlawfully |
dutiful | respectful; obedient |
dwindle | shrink; reduce |
dynamic | energetic; vigorously active |
dyspeptic | suffering from indigestion |
earthy | unrefined; coarse |
ebb | recede; lessen |
ebullient | showing excitement; overflowing with enthusiasm |
eccentric | irregular; odd; whimsical; bizarre |
eccentricity | oddity; idiosyncrasy |
ecclesiastic | pertaining to the church |
eclectic | selective; composed of elements drawn from disparate sources |
eclipse | darken; extinguish; surpass |
ecologist | person concerned with the interrelationship between living organisms and their environment |
economy | efficiency or conciseness in using something |
ecstasy | rapture; joy; any overpowering emotion |
eddy | swirling current of water, air, etc. |
edict | decree (especially one issued by a sovereign); official command |
edify | instruct; correct morally |
eerie | weird |
efface | rub out |
effectual | able to produce a desired effect; valid |
effeminate | having womanly traits |
effervescence | inner excitement or exuberance; bubbling from fermentation or carbonation |
effete | lacking vigor; worn out; sterile |
efficacy | power to produce desired effect |
effigy | dummy |
effluvian | noxious smell |
effrontery | impudence; shameless boldness; sheer nerve; presumptuousness |
effusion | pouring forth |
effusive | pouring forth; gushing |
egoism | excessive interest in one's self |
egotistical | excessively self-centered; self-important; conceited |
egregious | notorious; conspicuously bad or shocking |
egress | exit |
ejaculation | exclamation |
elaboration | addition of details; intricacy |
elated | overjoyed; in high spirits |
elegy | poem or song expressing lamentation |
elicit | draw out by discussion |
elixir | cure-all; something invigorating |
ellipsis | omission of words from a text |
elliptical | oval; ambiguous |
eloquence | expressiveness; persuasive speech |
elucidate | explain; enlighten |
elusive | evasive; baffling; hard to grasp |
elysian | relating to paradise; blissful |
emaciated | thin and wasted |
emanate | issue forth |
emancipate | set free |
embargo | ban on commerce or other activity |
embark | commence; go on board a boat; begin a journey |
embed | enclose; place in something |
embellish | adorn; ornament; enhance, as a story |
embezzlement | stealing |
emboss | produce a design in raised relief |
embrace | hug; adopt or espouse; accept readily; encircle; include |
embroider | decorate with needlework; ornament with fancy or fictitious details |
embroil | throw into confusion; involve in strife; entangle |
embryonic | undeveloped; rudimentary |
emend | correct, usually a text |
emendation | correction of errors; improvement |
emetic | substance causing vomiting |
eminent | high; lofty |
emissary | agent; messenger |
emollient | sooth or softening remedy |
emolument | salary; compensation |
empathy | ability to identify with another's feelings, ideas, etc. |
empirical | based on experience |
emulate | imitate; rival |
enamored | in love |
encipher | encode; convert a message into code |
enclave | territory enclosed within an alien land |
encomiastic | praising; eulogistic |
encomium | high praise; eulogy |
encompass | surround or encircle; enclose; include |
encroachment | gradual intrusion |
encumber | burden |
endearment | fond word or act |
endemic | prevailing among a specific group of people or in a specific area or country |
endorse | approve; support |
endue | provide with some quality; endow |
enduring | lasting; surviving |
energize | invigorate; make forceful and active |
enervate | weaken |
enfranchise | admit to the rights of citizenship (especially the right to vote) |
engage | attract; hire; pledge oneself; confront |
engaging | charming; attractive |
engender | cause; produce |
engross | occupy fully |
enhance | increase; improve |
enigma | puzzle; mystery |
enigmatic | obscure; puzzling |
enjoin | command; order; forbid |
enmity | ill will; hatred |
ennui | boredom |
enormity | hugeness (in a bad sense) |
enrapture | please intensely |
ensconce | settle comfortably |
ensue | follow as a consequence; result |
entail | require; necessitate; involve |
enterprising | full of initiative |
enthrall | capture; enslave |
entice | lure; attract; tempt |
entity | real being |
entomology | study of insects |
entrance | put under a spell; carry away with emotion |
entreat | plead; ask earnestly |
entree | entrance; a way in |
entrepreneur | businessperson; contractor |
enumerate | list; mention one by one |
enunciate | utter or speak, especially distinctly |
environ | enclose; surround |
eon | long period of time; an age |
epaulet | ornament worn on the shoulder (of a uniform, etc.) |
ephemeral | short-lived; fleeting |
epic | long heroic poem, novel, or similar work of art |
epicure | connoisseur of food and drink |
epigram | witty thought or saying, usually short |
epilogue | short speech at conclusion of dramatic work |
episodic | loosely connected |
epistemologist | philosopher who studies the nature of knowledge |
epitaph | inscription in memory of a dead person |
epithet | word or phrase characteristically used to describe a person or thing |
epitome | perfect example or embodiment |
epoch | period of time |
equable | tranquil; steady; uniform |
equanimity | calmness of temperament; composure |
equestrian | rider on horseback |
equilibrium | balance |
equine | resembling a horse |
equinox | period of equal days and nights; the beginning of spring and autumn |
equipoise | balance; balancing force; equilibrium |
equitable | fair; impartial |
equity | fairness; justice |
equivocal | ambiguous; intentionally misleading |
equivocate | lie; mislead; attempt to conceal the truth |
erode | eat away |
erotic | having to do with sex and sexuality |
errant | wandering |
erratic | odd; unpredictable |
erroneous | mistaken; wrong |
erudite | learned; scholarly |
escapade | prank; flighty conduct |
eschew | avoid |
esoteric | hard to understand; known only to the chosen few |
espionage | spying |
espouse | adopt; support |
essay | make an attempt at; test |
esteem | respect; value |
estimable | worthy of esteem; admirable |
estranged | separated; alienated |
ethereal | light; heavenly; unusually refined |
ethnic | relating to races |
ethnology | study of humankind |
ethos | underlying character of a culture, group, etc. |
etymology | study of word parts |
eugenic | pertaining to the improvement of race |
eulogistic | praising |
eulogy | expression of praise, often on the occasion of someone's death |
euphemism | mild expression in place of an unpleasant one |
euphony | sweet sound |
euphoria | feeling of exaggerated (or unfounded) well-being |
euthanasia | mercy killing |
evanescent | fleeting; vanishing |
evasive | not frank; eluding |
evince | show clearly |
evenhanded | impartial; fair |
evocative | tending to call up (emotions, memories) |
evoke | call forth |
ewe | female sheep |
exacerbate | worsen; embitter |
exact | require or demand, often forcibly; take |
exacting | extremely demanding |
exalt | raise in rank or dignity; praise |
exasperate | vex |
exceptionable | objectionable |
excerpt | elected passage (written or musical) |
excise | cut away; cut out |
exclaim | cry out suddently |
excoriate | scold with biting harshness; strip the skin off |
exculpate | clear from blame |
execrable | very bad |
execrate | curse; express abhorrence for |
execute | put into effect; carry out |
exegesis | explanation, especially of biblical passages |
exemplary | serving as a model; outstanding |
exemplify | show by example; furnish an example |
exempt | not subject to a duty or obligation |
exertion | effort; expenditure of much physical work |
exhilarating | invigorating and refreshing; cheering |
exhort | urge |
exhume | dig out of the ground; remove from the grave |
exigency | urgent situation; pressing needs or demands; state of requiring immediate attention |
exiguous | small; minute |
existential | pertaining to existence; pertaining to the philosophy of existentialism |
exodus | departure |
exonerate | acquit; exculpate |
exorbitant | excessive |
exorcise | drive out evil spirits |
exotic | not native; strange |
expansive | outgoing and sociable; broad and extensive; able to increase in size |
expatiate | talk at length |
expatriate | exile; someone who has withdrawn from his native land |
expedient | suitable; practical; politic |
expedite | hasten |
expenditure | payment or expense; output |
expertise | specialized knowledge; expert skill |
expiate | make amends for (a sin) |
expletive | interjection; profane oath |
explicate | explain; interpret; clarify |
explicit | totally clear; definite; outspoken |
exploit | deed or action, particularly a brave deed |
exploit | make use of, sometimes unjustly |
expository | explanatory; serving to explain |
expostulation | protest; remonstrance |
exposure | risk, particularly of being exposed to disease or to the elements; unmasking; act of laying something open |
expropriate | take possession of |
expunge | cancel; remove |
expurgate | clean; remove offensive parts of a book |
extant | still in existence |
extemporaneous | not planned; impromptu |
extenuate | weaken; mitigate |
extirpate | root up |
extol | praise; glorify |
extort | wring from; get money by threats, etc. |
extradition | surrender of prisoner by one state to another |
extraneous | not essential; superfluous |
extrapolation | projection; conjecture |
extricate | free; disentangle |
extrinsic | external; not essential; extraneous |
extrovert | person interested mostly in external objects and actions |
extrude | force or push out |
exuberance | overflowing abundance; joyful enthusiasm; flamboyance; lavishness |
exude | discharge; give forth |
exult | rejoice |
fabricate | build; lie |
facade | front (of building); superficial or false appearance |
facet | small plane surface of a gem; a side |
facetious | joking (often inappropriately); humorous |
facile | easily accomplished; ready or fluent; superficial |
facilitate | help bring about; make less difficult |
facsimile | copy |
faction | party; clique; dissension |
factious | inclined to form factions; causing dissension |
factitious | artificial; sham |
factotum | handyman |
faculty | mental or bodily powers; teaching staff |
fallacious | false; misleading |
fallacy | mistaken idea based on flawed reasoning; invalid argument |
fallible | liable to err |
fallow | plowed but not sowed; uncultivated |
falter | hesitate |
fanaticism | excessive zeal; extreme devotion to a belief or cause |
fancied | imagined; unreal |
fancier | breeder or dealer of animals |
fancy | notion; whim; inclination |
fanfare | call by bugles or trumpets; showy display |
farce | broad comedy; mockery |
fastidious | difficult to please; squeamish |
fatalism | belief that events are determined by forces beyond one's control |
fathom | comprehend; investigate |
fatuous | brainless; inane; foolish, yet smug |
fauna | animals of a period or region |
fawning | trying to please by behaving obsequiously, flattering, or cringing |
faze | disconcert; dismay |
feasible | practical |
febrile | feverish |
feckless | feeble and ineffective |
fecundity | fertility; fruitfulness |
feign | pretend |
feint | trick; shift; sham blow |
felicitous | apt; suitably expressed; well chosen |
felicity | happiness; appropriateness (of a remark, choice, etc.) |
fell | cruel; deadly |
fell | cut or knock down; bring down (with a missile) |
felon | person convicted of a grave crime |
feral | not domestic; wild |
ferment | agitation; commotion |
ferret | drive or hunt out of hiding |
fervent | ardent; hot |
fervid | ardent |
fervor | glowing ardor; intensity of feeling |
fester | rankle; produce irritation or resentment |
festive | joyous; celebratory |
fete | honor at a festival |
fetid | malodorous; foul-smelling |
fetter | shackle |
fiasco | total failure |
fiat | command; authorization |
fickle | changeable; faithless |
fictitious | imaginary |
fidelity | loyalty |
figment | invention; imaginary thing |
figurative | not literal, but metaphorical; using a figure of speech |
figurine | small ornamental statuette |
filch | steal |
filial | pertaining to a son or daughter |
filibuster | block legislation by making long speeches |
filigree | delicate lacelike metalwork |
filing | particle removed by a file |
finale | conclusion |
finesse | delicate skill |
finicky | too particular; fussy |
finite | limited |
firebrand | hothead; troublemaker |
fissure | crevice |
fitful | spasmodic; intermittent |
flaccid | flabby |
flag | droop; grow feeble |
flagrant | conspicuously wicked; blatant; outrageous |
flail | thresh grain by hand; strike or slap; toss about |
flair | talent |
flamboyant | ornate |
flaunt | display ostentatiously |
flay | strip off skin; plunder; whip; attack with harsh criticism |
fleck | spot |
fledgling | inexperienced |
fleece | wool coat of a sheep |
fleece | rob; plunder |
flick | light stroke as with a whip |
flinch | hesitate; shrink |
flippant | lacking proper seriousness |
flit | fly; dart lightly; pass swiftly by |
floe | mass of floating ice |
flora | plants of a region or era |
florid | ruddy; reddish; flowery |
flotsam | drifting wreckage |
flounder | struggle and thrash about; proceed clumsily or falter |
flourish | grow well; prosper; make sweeping gestures |
flout | reject; mock; show contempt for |
fluctuate | waver; shift |
fluency | smoothness of speech |
fluke | unlikely occurrence; stroke of fortune |
fluster | confuse |
fluted | having vertical parallel grooves (as in a pillar) |
flux | flowing; series of changes |
fodder | coarse food for cattle, horses, etc |
foible | weakness; slight fault |
foil | contrast |
foil | defeat; frustrate |
foist | insert improperly; palm off |
foliage | masses of leaves |
foment | stir up; instigate |
foolhardy | rash |
fop | dandy; man excessively preoccupied with his clothes |
foray | raid |
forbearance | patience |
ford | place where a river can be crossed on food |
forebears | ancestors |
foreboding | premonition of evil |
forensic | suitable to debate in courts of law |
foreshadow | give an indication beforehand; portend; prefigure |
foresight | ability to foresee future happenings; prudence |
forestall | prevent by taking action in advance |
forgo | give up; do without |
forlorn | sad and lonely; wretched |
formality | ceremonious quality; something done just for form's sake |
formidable | inspiring fear or apprehension; difficult; awe-inspiring |
forsake | desert; abandon; renounce |
forswear | renounce; abandon |
forte | strong point or special talent |
forthright | straightforward; direct; frank |
fortitude | bravery; courage |
fortuitous | accidental; by chance |
foster | rear; encourage |
founder | fail completely; sink |
founder | person who establishes (an organization, business) |
fracas | brawl, melee |
fractious | unruly; disobedient; irritable |
frail | weak |
franchise | right granted by authority; right to vote; license to sell a product in a particular territory |
frantic | wild |
fraudulent | cheating; deceitful |
fraught | filled or charged with; causing emotional distress |
fray | brawl |
frenetic | frenzied; frantic |
frenzied | madly excited |
fresco | painting on plaster (usually fresh) |
fret | be annoyed or vexed |
friction | clash in opinion; rubbing against |
frieze | ornamental band on a wall |
frigid | intensely cold |
fritter | waste |
frivolous | lacking in seriousness; self-indulgently carefree; relatively unimportant |
frolicsome | prankish; gay |
front | fern leaf; palm or banana leaf |
froward | stubbornly contrary; obstinately disobedient |
fructify | bear fruit |
frugality | thrift; economy |
fruition | bearing of fruit |
frustrate | thwart; defeat |
fugitive | fleeting or transitory; roving |
fulcrum | support on which a level rests |
fulminate | denounce thunderously; explode |
fulsome | disgustingly excessive |
functionary | official |
fundamental | basic; primary; essential |
funereal | sad; solemn |
furor | frenzy; great excitement |
furtive | stealthy; sneaky |
fusillade | simultaneous firing or outburst (of missiles, questions, etc.) |
fusion | union; blending; synthesis |
futile | useless; hopeless; ineffectual |
gadfly | animal-biting fly; an irritating person |
gaffe | social blunder |
gainsay | deny |
gait | manner of walking or running; speed |
galaxy | large, isolated system of stars, such as the Milky Way; a collection of brilliant personalities |
gale | windstorm; gust of wind; emotional outburst (laughter, tears) |
gall | bitterness; nerve |
gall | annoy; chafe |
galleon | large sailing ship |
galvanize | stimulate by shock; stir up; revitalize |
gambit | opening in chess in which a piece is sacrificed |
gambol | romp; skip about; leap playfully |
gamely | in a spirited manner; with courage |
gamut | entire range |
gape | open widely |
garbled | mixed up; jumbled; distorted |
gargantuan | huge; enormous |
gargoyle | waterspout carved in grotesque figures on a building |
garish | overbright in color; gaudy |
garner | gather; store up |
garnish | decorate |
garrulous | loquacious; wordy; talkative |
gastronomy | science of preparing and saving good food |
gauche | clumsy; coarse and uncouth |
gaudy | flashy; showy |
gaunt | lean and angular; barren |
gavel | hammerlike tool; mallet |
gawk | stare foolishly; loop in open-mouthed awe |
gazette | official periodical publication |
genealogy | record of descent; lineage |
generality | vague statement |
generate | cause; produce; create |
generic | characteristic of an entire class or species |
genesis | beginning; origin |
geniality | cheerfulness; kindliness; sympathy |
genre | particular variety of art or literature |
genteel | well-bred; elegant |
gentility | those of gentle birth; refinement |
gentry | people of standing; class of people just below nobility |
genuflect | bend the knee as in worship |
germane | pertinent; bearing upon the case at hand |
germinal | pertaining to a germ; creative |
germinate | cause to sprout; sprout |
gerontocracy | government ruled by old people |
gerrymander | change voting district lines in order to favor a political party |
gestate | evolve, as in prenatal growth |
gesticulation | motion; gesture |
ghastly | horrible |
gibberish | nonsense; babbling |
gibe | mock |
giddy | light-hearted; dizzy |
gingerly | very carefully |
girth | distance around something; circumference |
gist | essence |
glacial | like a glacier; extremely cold |
glaring | highly conspicuous; harshly bright |
glaze | cover with a thin and shiny surface |
glean | gather leavings |
glib | fluent; facile; slick |
glimmer | shine erratically; twinkle |
gloat | express evil satisfaction; view malevolently |
gloss over | explain away |
glossary | brief explanation of words used in the text |
glossy | smooth and shining |
glower | scowl |
glut | overstock; fill to excess |
glutinous | sticky; viscous |
glutton | someone who eats too much |
gnarled | twisted |
gnome | dwarf; underground spirit |
goad | urge on |
gorge | narrow canyon; steep, rocky cleft |
gorge | stuff oneself |
gory | bloody |
gossamer | sheer; like cobwebs |
gouge | tear out |
gouge | overcharge |
gourmand | epicure; person who takes excessive pleasure in food and drink |
gourmet | connoisseur of food and drink |
graduate | arranged by degrees (of height, difficulty, etc) |
granary | storehouse for grain |
grandeur | impressiveness; stateliness; majesty |
grandiloquent | pompous; bombastic; using high-sounding language |
grandiose | pretentious; high-flown; ridiculously exaggerated; impressive |
granulate | form into grains |
graphic | pertaining to the art of delineating; vividly described |
grapple | wrestle; come to grips with |
grate | make a harsh noise; have an unpleasant effect; shred |
gratify | please |
gratis | free |
gratuitous | given freely; unwarranted; uncalled for |
gratuity | tip |
gravity | seriousness |
gregarious | sociable |
grievance | cause of complaint |
grill | question severely |
grimace | facial distortion to show feeling such as pain, disgust, etc. |
grisly | ghastly |
grotesque | fantastic; comically hideous |
grotto | small cavern |
grouse | complain; fuss |
grovel | crawl or creep on ground; remain prostrate |
grudging | unwilling; reluctant; stingy |
gruel | thin, liquid porridge |
grueling | exhausting |
gruesome | grisly; horrible |
gruff | rough-mannered |
guffaw | boisterous laughter |
guile | deceit; duplicity; wiliness; cunning |
guileless | without deceit |
guise | appearance; costume |
gull | trick; hoodwink |
gullible | easily deceived |
gustatory | affecting the sense of taste |
gusto | enjoyment; enthusiasm |
gusty | windy |
guy | cable or chain attached to something that needs to be braced or steadied |
gyroscope | apparatus used to maintain balance, ascertain direction, etc |
habituate | accustom or familiarize; addict |
hackles | hairs on back and neck, especially of a dog |
hackneyed | commonplace; trite |
haggard | wasted away; gaunt |
haggle | argue about prices |
halcyon | calm; peaceful |
hale | healthy |
hallowed | blessed; consecrated |
hallucination | delusion |
halting | hesitant; faltering |
hamper | obstruct |
hap | chance; luck |
haphazard | random; by chance |
hapless | unfortunate |
harangue | long, passionate, and vehement speech |
harass | annoy by repeated attacks |
harbinger | forerunner |
harbor | provide refuge for; hide |
hardy | sturdy; robust; able to stand inclement weater |
harping | tiresome dwelling on a subject |
harrowing | agonizing; distressing; traumatic |
harry | harass, annoy, torment; raid |
hatch | deck opening; lid covering a deck opening |
haughtiness | pride; arrogance |
haven | place of safety; refuge |
hazardous | dangerous |
hazy | slightly obscure |
headlong | hasty; rash |
headstrong | stubborn; willful; unyielding |
heckler | person who verbally harasses others |
hedonist | one who believes that pleasure is the sole aim in life |
heedless | not noticing; disregarding |
hegemony | dominance, especially of one nation over others |
heinous | atrocious; hatefully bad |
herbivorous | grain-eating |
heresy | opinion contrary to popular belief; opinion contrary to accepted religion |
hermetic | sealed by fusion so as to be airtight |
hermetic | obscure and mysterious; occult |
hermitage | home of a hermit |
herpetologist | one who studies reptiles |
heterodox | unorthodox; unconventional |
heterogeneous | dissimilar; mixed |
hew | cut to pieces with ax or sword |
heyday | time of greatest success; prime |
hiatus | gap; pause |
hibernal | wintry |
hibernate | sleep throughout the winter |
hierarchy | arrangement by rank or standing; authoritarian body divided into ranks |
hieroglyphic | picture writing |
hilarity | boisterous mirth |
hindmost | furthest behind |
hindrance | block; obstacle |
hinterlands | back country |
hireling | one who serves for hire (usually used contemptuously) |
hirsute | hairy |
histrionic | theatrical |
hoard | stockpile; accumulate for future use |
hoary | with with age |
hoax | trick; practical joke |
holocaust | destruction by fire |
holster | pistol case |
homage | honor; tribute |
homeostasis | tendency of a system to maintain relative stability |
homespun | domestic; made at home |
homily | sermon; serious warning |
homogeneous | of the same kind |
hone | sharpen |
hoodwink | deceive; delude |
horde | crowd |
hortatory | encouraging; exhortive |
horticultural | pertaining to the cultivation of gardens |
hostility | unfriendliness; hatred |
hovel | shack; small, wretched house |
hover | hang about; wait nearby |
hubbub | confused uproar |
hubris | arrogance; excessive self-conceit |
hue | color; aspect |
hue and cry | outcry |
humane | marked by kindness or consideration |
humdrum | dull; monotonous |
humid | damp |
humility | humbleness of spirit |
hummock | small hill |
humus | substance formed by decaying vegetable matter |
hurtle | crash; rush |
husband | use sparingly; conserve; save |
husbandry | frugality; thrift; agriculture |
hybrid | mongrel; mixed breed |
hydrophobia | fear of water; rabies |
hyperbole | exaggeration; overstatement |
hypercritical | excessively exacting |
hypochondriac | person unduly worried about his health; worrier without cause about illness |
hypocritical | pretending to be virtuous; deceiving |
hypothetical | based on assumptions or hypotheses; supposed |
ichthyology | study of fish |
icon | religious image; idol |
iconoclastic | attacking cherished traditions |
ideology | system of ideas characteristic of a group or culture |
idiom | expression whose meaning as a whole differs from the meanings of its individual words; distinctive style |
idiosyncrasy | individual trait, usually odd in nature; eccentricity |
idolatry | worship of idols; excessive admiration |
idyllic | charmingly carefree; simple |
igneous | produced by fire; volcanic |
ignite | kindle; light |
ignoble | unworthy; not noble |
ignominy | deep disgrace; shame or dishonor |
illicit | illegal |
illimitable | infinite |
illuminate | brighten; clear up or make understandable; enlighten |
illusion | misleading vision |
illusive | deceiving |
illusory | deceptive; not real |
imbalance | lack of balance or symmetry; disproportion |
imbecility | weakness of mind |
imbibe | drink in |
imbroglio | complicated situation; painful or complex misunderstanding; entanglement; confused mass (as of papers) |
imbue | saturate, fill |
immaculate | spotless; flawless; absolutely clean |
imminent | near at hand; impending |
immobility | state of being immovable |
immolate | offer as a sacrifice |
immune | resistant to; free or exempt from |
immure | imprison; shut up in confinement |
immutable | unchangeable |
impair | injure; hurt |
impale | pierce |
impalpable | imperceptible; intangible |
impartial | not biased; fair |
impassable | not able to be traveled or crossed |
impasse | predicament from which there is no escape |
impassive | without feeling; imperturbable; stoical |
impeach | charge with crime in office; indict |
impeccable | faultless |
impecunious | without money |
impede | hinder; block |
impediment | hindrance; stumbling-block |
impel | drive or force onward |
impending | nearing; approaching |
impenetrable | not able to be pierced or entered; beyond understanding |
impenitent | not repentant |
imperative | absolutely necessary; critically important |
imperceptible | unnoticeable; undetectable |
imperial | like an emperor; related to an empire |
imperious | domineering; haughty |
impermeable | impervious; pot permitting passage through its substance |
impertinent | insolent; rude |
imperturbable | calm; placid |
impervious | impenetrable; incapable of being damaged or distressed |
impetuous | violent; hasty; rash |
impetus | moving force; incentive; stimulus |
impiety | irreverence; lack of respect for God |
impinge | infringe; touch; collide with |
impious | irreverent |
implacable | incapable of being pacified |
implausible | unlikely; unbelievable |
implement | put into effect; supply with tools |
implicate | incriminate; show to be involved |
implication | something hinted at or suggested |
implicit | understood but not stated |
implode | burst inward |
implore | beg |
imply | suggest a meaning not expressed; signify |
impolitic | not wise |
imponderable | weightless |
import | significance |
importunate | urging; demanding |
importune | beg persistently |
imposture | assuming a false identity; masquerade |
impotent | weak; ineffective |
imprecation | curse |
impregnable | invulnerable |
impromptu | without previous preparation; off the cuff; on the spur of the moment |
impropriety | improperness; unsuitableness |
improvident | thriftless |
improvise | compose on the spur of the moment |
imprudent | lacking caution; injudicious |
impudence | impertinence; insolence |
impugn | dispute or contradict (often in an insulting way); challenge; gainsay |
impuissance | powerlessness; feebleness |
impunity | freedom from punishment or harm |
impute | attribute; ascribe |
inadvertently | unintentionally; by oversight; carelessly |
inalienable | not to be taken away; nontransferable |
inane | silly; senseless |
inanimate | lifeless |
inarticulate | speechless; producing indistinct speech |
inaugurate | begin formally; install in office |
incandescent | strikingly bright; shining with intense heat |
incantation | singing or chanting of magic spells; magical formula |
incapacitate | disable |
incarcerate | imprison |
incarnate | endowed with flesh; personified |
incarnation | act of assuming a human body and human nature |
incendiary | arsonist |
incense | enrage; infuriate |
incentive | spur; motive |
inception | start; beginning |
incessant | uninterrupted; unceasing |
inchoate | recently begun; rudimentary; elementary |
incidence | rate of occurrence; particular occurence |
incidental | not essential; minor |
incipient | beginning; in an early stage |
incisive | cutting; sharp |
incite | arouse to action; goad; motivate; induce to exist |
inclement | stormy; unkind |
incline | slope; slant |
inclined | tending or leaning toward; bent |
inclusive | tending to include all |
incognito | with identity concealed; using an assumed name |
incoherent | unintelligible; muddled; illogical |
incommodious | not spacious; inconvenient |
incompatible | inharmonious |
incongruity | lack of harmony; absurdity |
inconsequential | insignificant; unimportant |
inconsistency | state of being self-contradictory; lack of uniformity or steadiness |
incontinent | lacking self-restraint; licentious |
incontrovertible | indisputable; not open to question |
incorporate | introduce something into a larger whole; combine; unite |
incorporeal | lacking a material body; insubstantial |
incorrigible | uncorrectable |
incredulity | tendency to disbelief |
incredulous | withholding belief; skeptical |
increment | increase |
incriminate | accuse; serve as evidence against |
incrustation | hard coating or crust |
incubate | hatch |
incubus | burden; mental care; nightmare |
inculcate | teach |
incumbent | obligatory; currently holding office |
incur | bring upon oneself |
incursion | temporary invasion |
indefatigable | tireless |
indelible | not able to be erased |
indemnify | make secure against loss; compensate for loss |
indentation | notch; deep recess |
indenture | bind as servant or apprentice to master |
indeterminate | uncertain; not clearly fixed; indefinite |
indicative | suggestive; implying |
indices | signs; indications |
indict | charge |
indifferent | unmoved or unconcerned by; mediocre |
indigence | poverty |
indigenous | native |
indigent | poor; destitute |
indignation | anger at an injustice |
indignity | offensive or insulting treatment |
indiscriminate | choosing at random; confused |
indisputable | too certain to be disputed |
indissoluble | permanent |
indite | write; compose |
indolent | lazy |
indomitable | unconquerable; unyielding |
indubitable | unable to be doubted; unquestionable |
induce | persuade; bring about |
inductive | pertaining to induction or proceeding from the specific to the general |
indulgent | humoring; yielding; lenient |
industrious | diligent; hard-working |
inebriated | habitually intoxicated; drunk |
ineffable | unutterable; cannot be expressed in speech |
ineffectual | not effective; weak |
ineluctable | irresistible; not to be escaped |
inept | lacking skill; unsuited; incompetent |
inequity | unfairness |
inerrancy | infallibility |
inert | inactive; lacking power to move |
inevitable | unavoidable |
inexorable | relentless |
infallible | unerring |
infamous | notoriously bad |
infantile | childish; infantlike |
infer | deduce; conclude |
infernal | pertaining to hell; devilish |
infidel | unbeliever |
infiltrate | pass into or through; penetrate (an organization) sneakily |
infinitesimal | very small |
infirmity | weakness |
inflated | exaggerated; pompous; enlarged (with air or gas) |
influx | flowing into |
infraction | violation (of a rule or regulation); breach |
infringe | violate; encroach |
ingenious | clever; resourceful |
ingenuous | naive and trusting; young; unsophisticated |
ingrained | deeply established; firmly rooted |
ingrate | ungrateful person |
ingratiate | become popular with |
inherent | firmly established by nature or habit |
inhibit | restrain; retard or prevent |
inimical | unfriendly; hostile; harmful; detrimental |
inimitable | matchless; not able to be imitated |
iniquitous | wicked; immoral; unrighteous |
initiate | begin; originate; receive into a group |
injurious | harmful |
inkling | hint |
innate | inborn |
innocuous | harmless |
innovation | change; introduction of something new |
innuendo | hint; insinuation |
inopportune | untimely; poorly chosen |
inordinate | unrestrained; excessive |
inquisitor | questioner (especially harsh); investigator |
insalubrious | unwholesome; not healthful |
insatiable | not easily satisfied; unquenchable; greedy |
inscrutable | impenetrable; not readily understood; mysterious |
insensate | without feeling |
insensible | unconscious; unresponsive |
insidious | treacherous; stealthy; sly |
insightful | discerning; perceptive |
insinuate | hint; imply; creep in |
insipid | lacking in flavor; dull |
insolence | impudent disrespect; haughtiness |
insolvent | bankrupt; lacking money to pay |
insomnia | wakefulness; inability to sleep |
insouciant | indifferent; without concern or care |
instigate | urge; start; provoke |
insubordination | disobedience; rebelliousness |
insubstantial | lacking substance; insignificant; frail |
insularity | narrow-mindedness; isolation |
insuperable | insurmountable; unbeatable |
insurgent | rebellious |
insurmountable | overwhelming; unbeatable; insuperable |
insurrection | rebellion; uprising |
intangible | not able to be perceived by touch; vague |
integral | complete; necessary for completeness |
integrate | make whole; combine; make into one unit |
integrity | uprightness; wholeness |
intellect | higher mental powers |
intelligentsia | intellectuals; members of the educated elite [often used derogatorily] |
inter | bury |
interdict | prohibit; forbid |
interim | meantime |
interloper | intruder |
interminable | endless |
intermittent | periodic; on and off |
internecine | mutually destructive |
interpolate | insert between |
interregnum | period between two reigns |
interrogate | question closely; cross-examine |
intervene | come between |
intimate | hint |
intimidate | frighten |
intractable | unruly; stubborn; unyielding |
intransigence | refusal to compromise; stubbornness |
intrepid | fearless |
introspective | looking within oneself |
introvert | one who is introspective; inclined to think more about oneself |
intrude | trespass; enter as an uninvited person |
intuition | immediate insight; power of knowing without reasoning |
inundate | overwhelm; flood; submerge |
inured | accustomed; hardened |
invalidate | weaken; destroy |
invective | abuse |
inveigh | denounce; utter censure or invective |
inveigle | lead astray; wheedle |
inverse | opposite |
invert | turn upside down or inside out |
inveterate | deep-rooted; habitual |
invidious | designed to create ill will or envy |
invincible | unconquerable |
inviolable | secure from corruption, attack, or violation; unassailable |
invocation | prayer for help; calling upon as a reference or support |
invoke | call upon; ask for |
invulnerable | incapable of injury |
iota | a very small quantity |
irascible | irritable; easily angered |
irate | angry |
iridescent | exhibiting rainbowlike colors |
irksome | annoying; tedious |
ironic | occurring in an unexpected and contrary manner |
irony | hidden sarcasm or satire; use of words that seem to mean the opposite of what they actually mean |
irreconcilable | incompatible; not able to be resolved |
irrefutable | indisputable; incontrovertible; undeniable |
irrelevant | not applicable; unrelated |
irremediable | incurable; uncorrectable |
irreparable | not able to be corrected or repaired |
irrepressible | unable to be restrained or held back |
irreproachable | blameless; impeccable |
irresolute | uncertain how to act; weak |
irretrievable | impossible to recover or regain; irreparable |
irreverence | lack of proper respect |
irrevocable | unalterable; irreversible |
isotope | varying form of an element |
isthmus | narrow neck of land connecting two larger bodies of land |
itinerant | wandering; traveling |
itinerary | plan of a trip |
jabber | chatter rapidly or unintelligibly |
jaded | fatigued; surfeited |
jargon | language used by a special group; technical terminology; gibberish |
jaundiced | prejudiced (envious, hostile or resentful); yellowed |
jaunt | trip; short journey |
jaunty | light-hearted; animated; easy and carefree |
jeopardize | endanger; imperil; put at risk |
jettison | throw overboard |
jibe | agree; be in harmony with |
jingoist | extremely aggressive and militant patriot |
jocose | given to joking |
jocular | said or done in jest |
jocund | merry |
jollity | gaiety; cheerfulness |
jostle | shove; bump |
jovial | good-natured; merry |
jubilation | rejoicing |
judicious | sound in judgement; wise |
juggernaut | irresistible crushing force |
juncture | crisis; joining point |
junket | trip, especially one taken fro pleasure by an official at public expense |
junta | group of persons joined in political intrigue; cabal |
jurisprudence | science of law |
justification | good or just reason; defense; excuse |
juxtapose | place side by side |
kaleidoscope | tube in which patterns made by the reflection in mirrors of colored pieces of glass, etc., produce interesting symmetrical effects |
ken | range of knowledge |
kernel | central or vital part; whole seed (as of corn) |
killjoy | grouch; spoilsport |
kindle | start a fire; inspire |
kindred | related; similar in nature or character |
kinetic | producing motion |
kismet | fate |
kleptomaniac | person who has a compulsive desire to steal |
knave | untrustworthy person; rogue; scoundrel |
knead | mix; work dough |
knell | tolling of a bell, especially to indicate a funeral, disaster, etc.; sound of the funeral bell |
knit | contract into wrinkles; grow together |
knoll | little, round hill |
knotty | intricate; difficult; tangled |
kudos | honor; glory; praise |
labile | likely to change; unstable |
laborious | demanding much work or care; tedious |
labyrinth | maze |
laceration | torn, ragged wound |
lachrymose | producing tears |
lackadaisical | lacking purpose or zest; halfhearted; languid |
lackluster | dull |
laconic | brief and to the point |
laggard | slow; sluggish |
lagoon | shallow body of water near a sea; lake |
laity | laypersons; persons not connected with the clergy |
lambaste | beat; thrash verbally or physically |
lament | grieve; express sorrow |
lampoon | ridicule |
lancet | small surgical tool for making incisions |
languid | weary; sluggish; listless |
languish | lose animation or strength |
languor | lassitude; depression |
lank | long and thin |
lap | take in food or drink with one's tongue; splash gently |
larceny | theft |
larder | pantry; place where food is kept |
largess | generous gift |
lascivious | lustful |
lassitude | languor; weariness |
latent | potential but undeveloped; dormant; hidden |
lateral | coming from the side |
latitude | freedom from narrow limitations |
laud | praise |
lavish | liberal; wasteful |
lax | careless |
leaven | cause to rise or grow lighter; enliven |
lechery | gross lewdness; lustfulness |
lectern | reading desk |
leery | suspicious; cautious |
leeway | room to move; margin |
legacy | gift made by a will |
legend | explanatory list of symbols on a map |
legerdemain | sleight of hand |
leniency | mildness; permissiveness |
leonine | like a lion |
lethal | deadly |
lethargic | drowsy; dull |
levee | earthen or stone embankment to prevent flooding |
levitate | float in air (especially by magical means) |
levity | lack of seriousness or steadiness; frivolity |
levy | impose (a fine); collect (a payment) |
lewd | lustful |
lexicographer | compiler of a dictionary |
lexicon | dictionary |
liability | drawback; debts |
liaison | contact that keeps parties in communication; go-between; secret love affair |
libel | defamatory statement; act of writing something that smears a person's character |
libertine | debauched person, roué |
libidinous | lustful |
libido | emotional urges behind human activity |
libretto | text of an opera |
licentious | amoral; lewd and lascivious; unrestrained |
lien | legal claim on a property |
ligneous | like wood |
lilliputian | extremely small |
limber | flexible |
limbo | region near heave or hell where certain souls are kept; a prison (slang) |
limn | draw; outline; describe |
limpid | clear |
lineage | descent; ancestry |
lineaments | features; especially of the face |
linger | loiter or dawdle; continue or persist |
linguistic | pertaining to language |
lionize | treat as a celebrity |
liquidate | settle accounts; clear up |
list | tilt; lean over |
listless | lacking in spirit or energy |
litany | supplicatory prayer |
lithe | flexible; supple |
litigation | lawsuit |
litotes | understatement for emphasis |
livid | lead-colored; black and blue; ashen; enraged |
loath | reluctant; disinclined |
loathe | detest |
lode | metal-bearing vein |
lofty | very high |
log | record of a voyage or flight; record of day-to-day activities |
loiter | hang around; linger |
loll | lounge about |
longevity | long life |
loom | appear or take shape (usually in an enlarged or distorted form) |
lope | gallop slowly |
loquacious | talkative |
lout | clumsy person |
low | moo |
lucid | easily understood; clear; intelligible |
lucrative | profitable |
lucre | money |
ludicrous | laughable; trifling |
lugubrious | mournful |
lull | moment of calm |
lumber | move heavily or clumsily |
lumen | unit of light energy (one candle's worth) |
luminary | celebrity; dignitary |
luminous | shining; issuing light |
lunar | pertaining to the moon |
lunge | make a quick forward dive or reach; thrust |
lurid | wild; sensational; graphic; gruesome |
lurk | stealthily lie in waiting; slink; exist unperceived |
luscious | pleasing to taste or smell |
luster | shine; gloss |
lustrous | shining |
luxuriant | abundant; rich and splendid; fertile |
macabre | gruesome; grisly |
mace | ceremonial staff; clublike medieval weapon |
macerate | soften by soaking in liquid; waste away |
Machiavellian | crafty; double-dealing |
machinations | evil schemes or plots |
maculated | spotted; stained |
madrigal | pastoral song |
maelstrom | whirlpool |
magisterial | authoritative; imperious |
magnanimity | generosity |
magnate | person of prominence or influence |
magniloquent | boastful, pompous |
magnitude | greatness; extent |
maim | mutilate; injure |
maladroit | clumsy; bungling |
malady | illness |
malaise | uneasiness; vague feeling of ill health |
malapropism | comic misuse of a word |
malcontent | person dissatisfied with existing state of affairs |
malediction | curse |
malefactor | evildoer; criminal |
malevolent | wishing evil |
malfeasance | wrongdoing |
malicious | hateful; spiteful |
malign | speak evil of; bad-mouth; defame |
malignant | injurious; tending to cause death; aggressively malevolent |
malingerer | one who feigns illness to escape duty |
malleable | capable of being shaped by pounding; impressionable |
malodorous | foul-smelling |
mammal | vertebrate animal whose female suckles its young |
mammoth | gigantic; enormous |
manacle | restrain; handcuff |
mandate | order; charge |
mandatory | obligatory |
mangy | shabby; wretched |
maniacal | raging mad; insane |
manifest | evident; visible; obvious |
manifestation | outward demonstration; indication |
manifesto | declaration; statement of policy |
manifold | numerous; varied |
manipulate | operate with one's hands; control or play upon (people, forces, etc.) artfully |
mannered | affected; not natural |
manumit | emancipate; free from bondage |
marital | pertaining to marriage |
maritime | bordering on the sea; nautical |
marked | noticeable; targeted for vengeance |
marred | damaged; disfigured |
marshal | put in order |
marsupial | one of a family of mammals that nurse their offspring in a pouch |
martial | warlike |
martinet | a strict disciplinarian |
martyr | one who voluntarily suffers death for his or her religion or cause; great sufferer |
masochist | person who enjoys his own pain |
masticate | chew |
materialism | preoccupation with physical comforts and things |
maternal | motherly |
matriarch | woman who rules a family or larger social group |
matriculate | enroll (in college or graduate school) |
matrix | point of origin; array of numbers or algebraic symbols; mold or die |
maudlin | effusively sentimental |
maul | handle roughly |
mausoleum | monumental tomb |
mauve | pale purple |
maverick | revel; nonconformist |
mawkish | mushy and gushy; icky-sticky sentimental; maudlin |
maxim | proverb; a truth pithily stated |
mayhem | injury to body |
meager | scanty; inadequate |
mealymouthed | indirect in speech; hypocritical; evasive |
meander | wind or turn in its course |
meddlesome | interfering |
mediate | settle a dispute through the services of an outsider |
mediocre | ordinary; commonplace |
meditation | reflection; thought |
medium | element that is a creature's natural environment; nutrient setting in which microorganisms are cultivated |
medium | appropriate occupation or means of expression; channel of communication; compromise |
medley | mixture |
meek | submissive; patient and long-suffering |
megalomania | mania for doing grandiose things |
melancholy | gloomy; morose; blue |
melee | fight |
mellifluous | sweetly or smoothly flowing; melodious |
memento | token; reminder |
memorialize | commemorate |
menagerie | collection of wild animals |
mendacious | lying; habitually dishonest |
mendicant | beggar |
menial | suitable for servants; lowly; mean |
mentor | counselor; teacher |
mercantile | concerning trade |
mercenary | motivated solely by money or gain |
mercurial | capricious; changing; fickle |
meretricious | flashy; tawdry |
merger | combination (of two business corporations) |
mesmerize | hypnotize |
metallurgical | pertaining to the art of removing metals from ores |
metamorphosis | change of form |
metaphor | implied comparison |
metaphysical | pertaining to speculative philosophy |
mete | measure; distribute |
meteoric | swift; momentarily brilliant |
methodical | systematic |
meticulous | excessively careful; painstaking; scrupulous |
metropolis | large city |
mettle | courage; spirit |
miasma | swamp gas; heavy, vaporous atmosphere, often emanating from decaying matter; pervasive corrupting influence |
microcosm | small world; the world in miniature |
migrant | changing its habitat; wandering |
migratory | wandering |
milieu | environment; means of expression |
militant | combative; bellicose |
militate | work against |
millennium | thousand-year period; period of happiness and prosperity |
mimicry | imitation |
minatory | menacing; threatening |
mincing | affectedly dainty |
minion | a servile dependent |
minuscule | extremely small |
minute | extremely small |
minutiae | petty details |
mirage | unreal reflection; optical illusion |
mire | entangle; stick in swampy ground |
mirth | merriment; laughter |
misadventure | mischance; ill luck |
misanthrope | one who hates mankind |
misapprehension | error; misunderstanding |
miscellany | mixture of writings on various subjects |
mischance | ill luck |
misconstrue | interpret incorrectly; misjudge |
miscreant | wretch; villain |
misdemeanor | minor crime |
miserly | stingy; mean |
misgivings | doubts |
mishap | accident |
misnomer | wrong name; incorrect designation |
misogamy | hatred of marriage |
misogynist | hater of women |
missile | object to be thrown or projected |
missive | letter |
mite | very small object or creature; small coin |
mitigate | lessen in intensity; moderate; appease |
mnemonic | pertaining to memory |
mobile | movable; not fixed |
mock | ridicule; imitate, often in derision |
mode | prevailing style; manner; way of doing something |
modicum | limited quantity |
modish | fashionable |
modulate | tone down in intensity; regulate; change from one key to another |
mogul | powerful personal |
molecule | the smallest particle (one or more atoms) of a substance that has all the properties of that substance |
mollify | soothe |
mollycoddle | pamper; indulge excessively |
molt | shed or cast off hair or feathers |
molten | melted |
momentous | very important |
momentum | quantity of motion of a moving body; impetus |
monarchy | government under a single ruler |
monastic | related to monks or monasteries; removed from worldly concerns |
monetary | pertaining to money |
monochromatic | having only one color |
monolithic | solidly uniform; unyielding |
monotheism | belief in one God |
monotony | sameness leading to boredom |
monumental | massive |
moodiness | fits of depression or gloom |
moratorium | legal delay of payment |
morbid | given to unwholesome thought; moody; characteristic of disease |
mordant | biting; sarcastic; stinging |
mores | conventions; moral standards; customs |
moribund | dying |
morose | ill-humored; sullen; melancholy |
mortician | undertaker |
mortify | humiliate; punish the flesh |
mosaic | picture made of small, colorful inlaid tiles |
mote | small speck |
motif | theme |
motility | ability to move spontaneously |
motley | multicolored; mixed |
mottled | blotched in coloring; spotted |
mountebank | charlatan; boastful pretender |
muddle | confuse; mix up |
muggy | warn and damp |
mulct | defraud a person of something |
multifarious | varied; greatly diversified |
multiform | having many forms |
multilingual | having many languages |
multiplicity | state of being numerous |
mundane | worldly as opposed to spiritual; everyday |
munificent | very generous |
mural | wall painting |
murky | dark and gloomy; thick with fog; vague |
muse | ponder |
musky | having the odor of musk |
muster | father; assemble |
musty | stale; spoiled by age |
mutability | ability to change in form; fickleness |
muted | silent; muffled; toned down |
mutilate | maim |
mutinous | unruly; rebellious |
myopic | nearsighted; lacking foresight |
myriad | very large number |
nadir | lowest point |
naiveté | quality of being unsophisticated; simplicity; artlessness; gullibility |
narcissist | conceited person |
narrative | related to telling a story |
nascent | incipient; coming into being |
natation | swimming |
natty | neatly or smartly dressed |
nauseate | cause to become sick; fill with disgust |
nautical | pertaining to ships or navigation |
navigable | wide and deep enough to allow ships to pass through; able to be steered |
nebulous | vague; hazy; cloudy |
necromancy | black magic; dealings with the dead |
nefarious | very wicked |
negate | cancel out; nullify; deny |
negligence | neglect; failure to take reasonable care |
negligible | so small, trifling, or unimportant as to be easily disregarded |
nemesis | someone seeking revenge |
neologism | new or newly coined word or phrase |
neophyte | recent convert; beginner |
nepotism | favoritism (to a relative) |
nether | lower |
nettle | annoy; vex |
nexus | connection |
nib | beak; pen point |
nicety | precision; minute distinction |
niggardly | meanly stingy; parsimonious |
niggle | spend too much time on minor points; carp |
nihilist | one who considers traditional beliefs to be groundless and existence meaningless; absolute skeptic; revolutionary terrorist |
nip | stop something's growth or development; snip off; bite; make numb with cold |
nirvana | In Buddhist teachings, the ideal state in which the individual loses himself in the attainment of an impersonal beatitude |
nocturnal | done at night |
noisome | foul-smelling; unwholesome |
nomadic | wandering |
nomenclature | terminology; system of names |
nominal | in name only; trifling |
nonchalance | indifference; lack of concern; composure |
noncommittal | neutral; unpledged; undecided |
nondescript | undistinctive; ordinary |
nonentity | person of no importance; nonexistence |
nonplus | bring to a halt by confusion; perplex |
nostalgia | homesickness; longing for the past |
nostrum | questionable medicine |
notable | conspicuous; important; distinguished |
notoriety | disrepute; ill fame |
novelty | something new; newness |
novice | beginner |
noxious | harmful |
nuance | shade of difference in meaning or color; subtle distinction |
nubile | marriageable |
nugatory | futile; worthless |
nullify | to make invalid |
numismatist | person who collects coins |
nuptial | related to marriage |
nurture | nourish; educate; foster |
nutrient | nourishing substance |
oaf | stupid, awkward person |
obdurate | stubborn |
obeisance | bow |
obelisk | tall column tapering and ending in a pyramid |
obese | excessively fat |
obfuscate | confuse; muddle; cause confusion; make needlessly complex |
obituary | death notice |
objective | not influenced by emotions; fair |
objective | goal; aim |
obligatory | binding; required |
oblique | indirect; slanting (deviating from the perpendicular or from a straight line) |
obliterate | destroy completely |
oblivion | obscurity; forgetfulness |
oblivious | inattentive or unmindful; wholly absorbed |
obloquy | slander; disgrace; infamy |
obnoxious | offensive |
obscure | dark; vague; unclear |
obscure | darken; make unclear |
obsequious | slavish attentive; servile; sycophantic |
obsequy | funeral ceremony |
obsessive | related to thinking about something constantly; pre-occupying |
obsidian | black volcanic rock |
obsolete | outmoded |
obstetrician | physician specializing in delivery of babies |
obstinate | stubborn; hard to control or treat |
obstreperous | boisterous; noisy |
obtrude | push (oneself or one's ideas) forward or intrude; butt in; stick out or extrude |
obtuse | blunt; stupid |
obviate | make unnecessary; get rid of |
Occident | the West |
occlude | shut; close |
occult | mysterious; secret; supernatural |
oculist | physician who specializes in treatment of the eyes |
odious | hateful; vile |
odium | detestation; hatefulness; disrepute |
odoriferous | giving off an odor |
odorous | having an odor |
odyssey | long, eventful journey |
offensive | attacking; insulting; distasteful |
offhand | casual; done without prior thought |
officious | meddlesome; excessively pushy in offering one's services |
ogle | look at amorously; make eyes at |
olfactory | concerning the sense of smell |
oligarchy | government by a privileged few |
ominous | threatening |
omnipotent | all-powerful |
omnipresent | universally present; ubiquitous |
omniscient | all-knowing |
omnivorous | eating both plant and animal food; devouring everything |
onerous | burdensome |
onomatopoeia | words formed in imitation of natural sounds |
onslaught | vicious assault |
onus | burden; responsibility |
opalescent | iridescent; lustrous |
opaque | dark; not transparent |
opiate | medicine to induce sleep or deaden pain; something that relieves emotions or causes inaction |
opportune | timely; well-chosen |
opportunist | individual who sacrifices principles for expediency by taking advantage of circumstances |
opprobrium | infamy; vilification |
optician | maker and seller of eyeglasses |
optimist | person who looks on the bright side |
optimum | most favorable |
optional | not compulsory; left to one's choice |
optometrist | one who fits glasses to remedy visual defects |
opulence | extreme wealth |
opus | work |
oracular | prophetic; uttered as if with divine authority; mysterious or ambiguous |
orator | public speaker |
oratorio | dramatic poem set to music |
ordain | decree or command; grant holy orders; predestine |
ordeal | severe trial or affliction |
ordinance | decree |
ordination | ceremony conferring holy orders |
orgy | wild; drunken revelry; unrestrained indulgence |
orient | get one's bearings; adjust |
orientation | act of finding oneself in society |
orifice | mouthlike opening; small opening |
ornate | excessively or elaborately decorated |
ornithologist | scientific study of birds |
orthodox | traditional; conservative in belief |
orthography | correct spelling |
oscillate | vibrate pendulumlike; waver |
osseous | mode of bone; bony |
ossify | change or harden into bone |
ostensible | apparent; professed; pretended |
ostentatious | showy; pretentious; trying to attract attention |
ostracize | exclude from public favor; ban |
oust | expel; drive out |
outlandish | bizarre; peculiar; unconventional |
outmoded | no longer stylish; old-fashioned |
outskirts | fringes; outer borders |
outspoken | candid; blunt |
outstrip | surpass; outdo |
outwit | outsmart; trick |
ovation | enthusiastic applause |
overbearing | bossy; arrogant; decisively important |
overt | open to view |
overweening | presumptuous; arrogant |
overwrought | extremely agitated; hysterical |
ovoid | egg-shaped |
pachyderm | thick-skinned animal |
pacifist | one opposed to force; antimilitarist |
pacify | soothe; make calm or quiet; subdue |
paean | song of praise or joy |
painstaking | showing hard work; taking great care |
palatable | agreeable; pleasing to the taste |
palate | roof of the mouth; sense of taste |
palatial | magnificent |
paleontology | study of prehistoric life |
palette | board on which a painter mixes pigments |
palimpset | parchment used for second time after original writing has been erased |
pall | grow tiresome |
pallet | small, poor bed |
palliate | ease pain; make less severe or offensive |
pallid | pale; wan |
palpable | tangible; easily perceptible |
palpitate | throb; flutter |
paltry | insignificant; petty; trifling |
pan | criticize harshly |
panacea | cure-all; remedy for all disease |
panache | flair; flamboyance |
pandemic | widespread; affecting the majority of people |
pandemonium | wild tumult |
pander | cater to the low desires of others |
panegyric | formal praise |
panoramic | denoting an unobstructed and comprehensive view |
pantomime | acting without dialogue |
papyrus | ancient paper made from stem of papyrus plant |
parable | short, simple story teaching a moral |
paradigm | model; example; pattern |
paradox | something apparently contradictory in nature; statement that looks false but is actually correct |
paragon | model of perfection |
parallelism | state of being parallel; similarity |
parameter | limit; independent variable |
paramount | foremost in importance; supreme |
paramour | illicit lover |
paranoia | psychosis marked by delusions of grandeur or persecution |
paraphernalia | equipment; odds and ends |
paraphrase | restate a passage in one's own words while retaining thought of author |
parasite | animal or plant living on another; toady; sycophant |
parched | extremely dry; very thirsty |
pariah | social outcast |
parity | equality; close resemblance |
parlance | language; idiom |
parley | conference |
parochial | narrow in outlook; provincial; related to parishes |
parody | humorous imitation; spoof; takeoff; travesty |
paroxysm | fit or attack of pain, laughter, rage |
parquet | floor made of wood strips inlaid in a mosaic-like pattern |
parry | ward off a blow; deflect |
parsimony | stinginess; excessive frugality |
partial | incomplete; having a liking for something |
partiality | inclination; bias |
partisan | one-sided; prejudiced; committed to a party |
partition | divide into parts |
passé | old-fashioned; past the prime |
passive | not active; acted upon |
pastiche | imitation of another's style in musical composition or in writing |
pastoral | rural |
patent | open for the public to read; obvious |
pathetic | causing sadness, compassion, pity; touching |
pathological | pertaining to disease |
pathos | tender sorrow; pity; quality in art or literature that produces these feelings |
patina | green crust on old bronze works; tone slowly taken by varnished painting |
patois | local or provincial dialect |
patriarch | father and ruler of a family or tribe |
patrician | noble; aristocratic |
patronize | support; act superior toward; be a customer of |
paucity | scarcity |
pauper | very poor person |
peccadillo | slight offense |
pecuniary | pertaining to money |
pedagogue | teacher |
pedagogy | teaching; art of education |
pedant | scholar who overemphasizes book learning or technicalities |
pedantic | showing off learning; bookish |
pedestrian | ordinary; unimaginative |
pediatrician | physician specializing in children's diseases |
peerless | having no equal; incomparable |
pejorative | negative in connotation; having a belittling effect |
pell-mell | in confusion; disorderly |
pellucid | transparent; limpid; easy to understand |
penance | self-imposed punishment for sin |
penchant | strong inclination; liking |
pendant | hanging down from something |
pendant | ornament (hanging from a necklace, etc.) |
pendulous | hanging; suspended |
penitent | repentant |
pensive | dreamily thoughtful; thoughtful with a hint of sadness; contemplative |
penumbra | partial shadow (in an eclipse) |
penury | severe poverty; stinginess |
peon | landless agricultural worker; bond servant |
perceptive | insightful; aware; wise |
percussion | striking one object against another sharply |
perdition | damnation; complete ruin |
peregrination | journey |
peremptory | demanding and leaving no choice |
perennial | something long-lasting |
perfidious | treacherous; disloyal |
perforate | pierce; put a hole through |
perfunctory | superficial; not thorough; lacking interest, care, or enthusiasm |
perigee | point of moon's orbit when it is nearest the earth |
perimeter | outer boundary |
peripatetic | walking about; moving |
peripheral | marginal; outer |
periphery | edge, especially of a round surface |
perjury | false testimony |
permeable | penetrable; porous, allowing liquids or gas to pass through |
pernicious | very destructive |
peroration | conclusion of an oration |
perpetrate | commit an offense |
perpetual | everlasting |
perpetuate | make something last; preserve from extinction |
perquisite | any gain above stipulated salary |
personable | attractive |
perspicacious | having insight; penetrating; astute |
perspicuity | clearness of expression; freedom from ambiguity |
perspicuous | plainly expressed |
pert | impertinent; forward |
pertinacious | stubborn; persistent |
pertinent | suitable; to the point |
perturb | disturb greatly |
peruse | read with care |
pervasive | spread throughout |
perverse | stubbornly wrongheaded; wicked and unacceptable |
perversion | corruption; turning from right to wrong |
pessimism | belief that life is basically bad or evil; gloominess |
pestilential | causing plague; baneful |
pestle | tool for mashing or grinding substance in a hard bowl |
petrify | turn to stone |
petty | trivial; unimportant; very small |
petulant | touchy; peevish |
pharisaical | pertaining to the Pharisees, who paid scrupulous attention to tradition; self-righteous; hypocritical |
phenomena | observable facts; subjects of scientific investigation |
philanderer | faithless lover; flirt |
philanthropist | lover of mankind; doer of good |
philatelist | stamp-collector |
philistine | narrow-minded person, uncultured and exclusively interested in material gain |
philology | study of language |
phlegmatic | calm; not easily disturbed |
phobia | morbid fear |
phoenix | symbol of immortality or rebirth |
phylum | major classification, second to kingdom, of plants and animals; division |
physiognomy | face |
physiological | pertaining to the science of the function of living organisms |
piebald | of different colors; mottled; spotted |
piecemeal | one part at a time; gradually |
pied | variegated; multicolored |
piety | devoutness; reverence for God |
pigment | coloring matter |
pillage | plunder |
pillory | punish by placing in a wooden frame; subject to criticism and ridicule |
pine | languish, decline; long for; yearn |
pinion | restrain |
pinnacle | peak |
pious | devout; religious |
piquant | pleasantly tart-tasting; stimulating |
pique | irritation; resentment |
piscatorial | pertaining to fishing |
pitfall | hidden danger; conceal trap |
pith | core or marrow; essence; substance |
pithy | concise; meaningful; substantial; meaty |
pittance | a small allowance or wage |
pivotal | central; critical |
placate | pacify; conciliate |
placebo | harmless substance prescribed as a dummy pill |
placid | peaceful; calm |
plagiarize | steal another's ideas and pass them off as one's own |
plaintive | mournful |
plait | braid; intertwine |
plasticity | ability to be molded |
platitude | trite remark; commonplace statement |
platonic | purely spiritual; theoretical; without sensual desire |
plaudit | enthusiastic approval; round of applause |
plausible | having a show of truth but open to doubt; specious |
plebeian | common; pertaining to the common people |
plenary | complete; full |
plenitude | abundance; completeness |
plethora | excess; overabundance |
pliable | flexible; easily influenced |
plight | condition, state (especially a bad state or condition); predicament |
pluck | courage |
plumage | feathers of a bird |
plumb | examine critically in order to understand; measure depth (by sounding) |
plummet | fall sharply |
plutocracy | society ruled by the wealthy |
podiatrist | doctor who treats ailments of the feet |
podium | pedestal; raised platform |
poignancy | quality of being deeply moving; keenness of emotion |
polarize | split into opposite extremes or camps |
polemic | controversy; argument in support of a point of view |
polemical | aggressive in verbal attack; disputatious |
politic | expedient; prudent; well devised |
polity | form of government of nation or state |
polygamist | one who has more than one spouse at a time |
polyglot | speaking several languages |
pomposity | self-important behavior; acting like a stuffed shirt |
ponderous | weighty; unwieldy |
pontifical | pertaining to a bishop or pope; pompous or pretentious |