abbreviate |
v |
To shorten; to make smaller. |
abdication |
n |
A formal giving up of control or authority. |
aberrant |
adj |
Abnormal or deviant. |
abhor |
v |
To detest; to hate; to loathe. |
abolish |
v |
To cancel; to put an end to; to eradicate. |
aboriginal |
adj |
Primitive; original; native. |
abrasive |
adj |
Rubbing away; causing irritation; harmful. |
abscission |
n |
A cutting off; a separation. |
abstain |
v |
To refrain from use; to withdraw from participation. |
abstinence |
n |
Restraint from pleasurable things or experiences. |
abusive |
adj |
Insulting; physically or psychologically harmful. |
accessible |
adj |
Easy to approach; obtainable; within reach. |
accessory |
n |
An additional object; a useful but not essential component of a whole. |
acclimate |
v |
To adjust to a climate or environment; to adapt to a new area, situation, conditions, etc. |
accolade |
n |
An award of merit; praise; approval. |
accommodate |
v |
To help someone; to oblige; to bring into harmony; to adapt. |
accomplice |
n |
A partner in crime. |
accountable |
adj |
Responsible; honorable and honest. |
accrue |
v |
To accumulate over time; come about by addition. |
acidulous |
adj |
Sour in attitude; sharp; bitter. |
acoustics |
n |
The science of sound; the sound characteristics of a singular room or venue. |
acquittal |
n |
A verdict by a jury that a person is not guilty. |
acrid |
adj |
Bitter; sharp; biting. |
acrophobia |
n |
The fear of heights. |
acute |
adj |
Sharp; biting; quickly perceptive; keen. |
adamant |
adj |
Inflexible; unwilling to change; hard. |
addendum |
n |
An addition; something that is added. |
addiction |
n |
A compulsive, often habitual need; a feeling of necessity for an item that is not strictly required to maintain health and longevity. |
address |
v |
To speak to; to focus ones attention on; to deal with and to contemplate. |
adjoin |
adj |
To be next to. |
adulterate |
v |
To make impure; to reduce the quality of by the introduction of something inferior. |
adversary |
n |
An opponent; the enemy; someone or something that offers opposition. |
adverse |
adj |
Going against; opposing; unfavorable. |
advocate |
v |
To speak in favor of; to support; to encourage. |
aerate |
v |
To put air into; to expose to fresh air; to supply with air. |
aesthetic |
adj |
Artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciating the beautiful; appealing to the sense of sight. |
affirmation |
n |
An assertion in the positive; a confirmation. |
affliction |
n |
A condition of distress; a disease; the cause of suffering. |
affluence |
n |
Abundance; wealth. |
agenda |
n |
The items or list of items to be covered during a meeting; the plan of action. |
aggrandize |
v |
To make more great; to increase in power, wealth, rank, etc. |
aggravate |
v |
To make worse; to irritate. |
agility |
n |
The ability to move in a coordinated and quick manner. |
agitate |
v |
To stir up; disturb; to cause to move from a place of rest or peace. |
agnostic |
adj |
Being skeptical of the existence of a god or any supreme being. |
agrarian |
adj |
Pertaining to land or its cultivation. |
agronomy |
n |
The broad science of crop rotation and crop maintenance, including soil management, cultivation, fertilization, irrigation, etc. |
alcove |
n |
A nook; a cranny; a recess; an enclosed space. |
alimony |
n |
Payments made on a regular basis, most often to a spouse of a former engagement or marriage. |
allegiance |
n |
Support; a sense of loyalty; duty towards an individual or specific cause. |
allergy |
n |
A condition where a person is very sensitive to certain chemicals or substances in the environment; an exaggerated immune response to otherwise harmless stimuli. |
alliteration |
n |
A poetry term referring to the repetition of beginning sounds of two or more words; the commencement of two or more words of a word group with the same letter. |
allocate |
v |
To assign; to set aside for a particular purpose. |
allude |
v |
To refer indirectly to; to imply. |
allure |
v |
To entice; attract; to tempt; to entice. |
altercation |
n |
A noisy fight; a heated argument that involves yelling. |
amalgam |
n |
A combination of different things; a mixture of metals. |
amalgamate |
v |
To combine; to form into a clump; to unite. |
amass |
v |
To collect over time; to gather in large amounts. |
amazon |
n |
A female warrior; the jungle region in South America in the vicinity of the river by the same name. |
ambidextrous |
adj |
Able to use the left hand or the right hand equally well; equally skilled. |
ambience |
n |
The environment; the atmosphere; the mood. |
ambiguous |
adj |
Uncertain; hard to understand. |
ambush |
n |
A sudden attack made from a concealed position. |
amend |
v |
To correct; to make a positive change; to right a wrong. |
amenities |
n |
Niceties; features or components that help to make life pleasurable and easier. |
amiable |
adj |
Agreeable; friendly; lovable. |
amicable |
adj |
peaceful; friendly. |
amnesia |
n |
Loss of memory. |
amnesty |
n |
A time when a criminal is exempt from punishment; an official pardon that is mandated by a government and usually extended to political offenders. |
amoral |
adj |
Without morals; unable to distinguish between right and wrong. |
ample |
adj |
Enough; abundant; sizable; opportune. |
amplify |
v |
To increase in size, effect, volume, etc. to expand; to broaden or clarify. |
amputate |
v |
To cut off part of a body; to prune. |
amulet |
n |
A charm or talisman; an object that is worn to protect against evil or to shun away bad luck. |
analogous |
adj |
Comparable; having a similar form or shape. |
anatomy |
n |
The scientific study of the structure of animals; the dissection and study of the body. |
ancestry |
n |
Family descent; inherited properties that are shared among people with a past common family member. |
anecdote |
n |
A short story of an amusing event; a quick tale meant to entertain or to invoke laughter. |
anesthetic |
n |
Something that causes the loss of sensation. |
annuity |
n |
A yearly or periodic allowance or payment. |
anoint |
v |
To consecrate; to pour oil onto as part of a religious ceremony. |
anomalous |
adj |
Abnormal; irregular; unexpected. |
anomaly |
n |
An irregularity; something that is out of place. |
anonymity |
n |
State or condition of not having a name or identity. |
anthology |
n |
A collection of various pieces of writing, all from different authors. |
anthropomorphic |
adj |
Possessing human characteristics. |
antibiotic |
n |
A drug, ointment, or medicine that destroys bacteria or pathogens. |
antibody |
n |
An immune body; something that prevents or blocks another; a protein produced as an immune response to a specific virus or bacteria. |
anticipate |
v |
To act in advance; to prevent; to predict; to realize beforehand. |
antidote |
n |
A remedy; a magic potion; something that counteracts a disease or poison. |
antipathy |
adj |
Strong aversion; dislike. |
antiquated |
adj |
Obsolete, outdated, run-down. |
antique |
n |
Something from a previous time; something made previously which is now of great worth. |
antithesis |
n |
The direct opposite; opposition; contrast. |
apathy |
n |
A lack of caring or interest; indifference; a lack of concern or interest in important affairs. |
aperture |
n |
An opening; a hole; the adjustable opening in a camera that limits the amount of light that can enter. |
apex |
n |
To top; the summit; the ultimate goal; a climax. |
apocalyptic |
adj |
Prophetic; pertaining to revelations of disaster. |
apologist |
n |
A person who writes in defense of a cause or institution. |
appall |
v |
To shock; to disgust; to dismay. |
apparent |
adj |
Evident; easily perceived. |
appease |
adj |
To make quiet; to soothe; to calm. |
appreciate |
v |
To be understanding of; to be thankful; to be conscious of. |
aptitude |
n |
Fitness; talent. |
arbitrate |
v |
To act as judge; to preside over. |
arboretum |
n |
A place where different types of trees and shrubs are studied and exhibited; a place where a large variety of woody plants are kept for ornamental purposes. |
archaic |
adj |
Antiquated; out of date; no longer used; of or belonging to the past. |
archaism |
n |
A word or phrase that is no longer in use; an archaic expression; something that is outdated. |
archetype |
n |
A prototype; a primitive pattern; something that is the first and original. |
archives |
n |
Public records; a place where public records are maintained. |
arduous |
adj |
Hard; strenuous; labor-intensive; difficult. |
arduous |
adj |
Difficult; steep; laborious; requiring great effort. |
arid |
adj |
Dry; barren; unproductive; forgotten. |
aristocracy |
n |
A form of government in which nobility and power is based on heredity only; the privileged class. |
armada |
n |
A fleet of navy warships. |
aromatic |
adj |
Fragrant; sweet smelling. |
arrogance |
n |
Proud superior mannerisms; behavior that is snobbish. |
arsenal |
n |
A storage place for military equipment; the available military weapons at one's disposal. |
artery |
n |
A large blood-vessel; a main blood vessel in the body. |
ascend |
v |
To go up; to climb. |
ascertain |
v |
To find out; to make certain; to clarify and finalize. |
aseptic |
adj |
Preventing infection; having a cleansing effect. |
assertive |
adj |
Having and expressing strong opinions; exhibiting a confident belief in one's own abilities. |
assimilate |
v |
To absorb; to take in; to grasp and to make one's own; to fully understand. |
assort |
v |
To classify into different sorts; to arrange: to match. |
assorted |
adj |
Of various types; matched; of many origins; not of the same variety. |
assurance |
n |
A promise or a pledge; a statement of authenticity; certainty. |
astigmatism |
n |
A defect in the eye which prevents proper focus. |
astonish |
v |
To astound; to surprise. |
astral |
adj |
Of or pertaining to the stars, related to the stars. |
astronomical |
adj |
Enormously large; gigantic. |
astute |
adj |
Shrewd, wise, and keen. |
asylum |
n |
A refuge or a shelter; political protection. |
atheistic |
adj |
Denying the existence of God or of a supreme being. |
atrophy |
n |
The wasting away of tissue, an organ, or any part of a living organism due to a lack of food. |
attentive |
adj |
Alert; listening carefully; at full attention; considerate. |
attest |
v |
To swear and testify; to bear witness to. |
attribute |
n |
A quintessential component; an essential quality. |
atypical |
adj |
Not normal; out of the ordinary. |
audacious |
adj |
Daring and bold. |
augment |
v |
To increase; to add to; to compound. |
authenticate |
v |
To verify as genuine; to prove. |
autocratic |
adj |
Having absolute unchecked power; like an absolute dictator. |
autonomous |
adj |
Not needing support; being able to function without outside influence or help; self-governing. |
autopsy |
n |
An examination of a dead body; the identification of the case of death. |
auxiliary |
adj |
Additional; secondary; in a supportive role. |
avalanche |
n |
A great mass of falling snow and ice. |
aversion |
n |
A strong dislike; a hatred for. |
avid |
adj |
Eager; very willing. |