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143 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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abaft
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(adv.) on or toward the rear of a ship
The passengers moved abaft of the ship so as to escape the fire in the front of the ship. |
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abase
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(v.) to degrade; humiliate; disgrace
The mother's public reprimand abased the girl. The insecure father, after failing to achieve his own life-long goals, abased his children whenever they failed. |
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abdicate
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(v.) to reject, renounce, or abandon
Due to his poor payment record, it may be necessary to abdicate our relationship with the client. |
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aberrant
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(adj.) abnormal; straying from the normal or usual path
The aberrant flight pattern of the airplane alarmed the air traffic controllers. His aberrant behavior led his friends to worry the divorce had taken its toll. |
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abeyance
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(n.) a state of temporary suspension or inactivity
Since the power failure, the town has been in abeyance. |
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abhor
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(v.) to hate
By the way her jaw tensed when he walked in, it is easy to see that she abhors him. The dog abhorred cats, chasing and growling at them whenever he had the opportunity. |
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abject
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(adj.) of the worst or lowest degree
The Haldemans lived in abject poverty, with barely a roof over their heads. |
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abjure
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(v.) to give up
The losing team may abjure to the team that is winning. |
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abnegation
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(n.) a denial
The woman's abnegation of her loss was apparent when she began to laugh. |
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abridge
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(v.) to shorten; to limit
The editor abridged the story to make the book easier to digest. |
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abaft
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(adv.) on or toward the rear of a ship
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abandon
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(v.; n) to leave behind; to give something up; freedom; enthusiasm; impetuosity
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abase
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(v.) to degrade; humiliate; disgrace
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abbreviate
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(v.) to shorten; compress; diminish
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abdicate
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(v.) to reject, renounce, or abandon
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aberrant
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(adj.) abnormal; straying from the normal or usual path
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abeyance
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(n.) a state of temporary suspension or inactivity
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abhor
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(v.) to hate
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abject
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(adj.) of the worst or lowest degree
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abjure
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(v.) to give up
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abnegation
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(n.) a denial
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abominate
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(v.) to loathe; to hate
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abridge
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(v.) to shorten; to limit
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abrogate
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(v.) to cancel by authority
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abrupt
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(adj.) happening or ending unexpectedly
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abscond
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(v.) to go away hastily or secretly; to hide
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absolve
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(v.) to forgive; to acquit
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abstemious
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(adj.) sparing in use of food or drinks
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abstinence
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(n.) the act or process of voluntarily refraining from any action or practice; self-control; chastity
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abstruse
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(adj.) hard to understand; deep; recondite
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abysmal
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(adj.) very deep
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accede
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(v.) to comply with; to consent to
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acclaim
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(n.) loud approval; applause
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accolade
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(n.) approving or praising mention; a sign of approval or respect
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accomplice
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(n.) co-conspirator; partner; partner-in-crime
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accretion
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(n.)growth by addition; a growing together by parts
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accrue
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(v.) a natural growth; a periodic increase
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acerbic
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(adj.) tasting sour; harsh in language or temper
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acquiesce
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(v.) to agree without protest
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acrid
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(adj.) sharp; bitter; foul smelling
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acrimony
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(n.) sharpness or bitterness in language or manner.
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adage
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(n.) an old saying now accepted as being truthful
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adamant
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(adj.) not yielding, firm
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addled
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(adj.) rotten
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adept
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(adj.) skilled; practiced
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adjure
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(v.) solemnly ordered
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adroit
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(adj.) expert or skillful
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adulation
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(n.) praise in excess
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adulterate
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(v.) to corrupt, debase, or make impure
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adversary
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(n.) an enemy; foe
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adverse
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(adj.) negative; hostile; antagonistic; inimical
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advocate
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(v.; n.) to plead in favor of; supporter; defender
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aesthetic
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(adj.) of beauty; pertaining to taste in art and beauty
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affable
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(adj.) friendly; amiable; good-natured
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affiliate
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(v.) to connect or associate with; to accept as a member
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affinity
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(n.) a connection; similarity of structure
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aggrandize
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(v.) to make more powerful
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aghast
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(adj.) astonished; amazed; horrified; terrified; appalled
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agrarian
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(adj.) of the land
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alacrity
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(n.) eager readiness or speed
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alchemist
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(n.) a person who studies chemistry
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alchemy
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(n.) any mysterious change of substance or nature
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allegory
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(n.) a symbolic description
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alleviate
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(v.) to lessen or make easier
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allocate
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(v.) set aside; designate; assign
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allude
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(v.) to refer indirectly to something
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allure
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(v.; n.) to attract; entice; attraction; temptation; glamour
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allusion
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(n.) an indirect reference (often literary); a hint
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aloof
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(adj.) distant in interest; reserved; cool
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altercation
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(n.) controversy; dispute
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altruism
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(n.) unselfish devotion to the welfare of others
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altruistic
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(adj.) unselfish
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amalgam
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(n.) a mixture or combination (often of metals)
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amalgamate
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(v.) to mix, merge, combine
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amass
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(v.) to collect together; accumulate
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ambiguous
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(adj.) not clear; uncertain; vague
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ambivalent
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(adj.) undecided
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ameliorate
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(v.) to improve or make better
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amendment
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(n.) a positive change
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amiable
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(adj.) friendly
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amiss
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(adj.; adv.) wrong; awry; wrongly; in a defective manner
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amity
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(n.) friendly relations
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amorphous
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(adj.) with no shape; unorganized; having no determinate form
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amortize
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(v.) to put money into a fund at fixed intervals
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anachronism
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(n.) something out of place in time (e.g., an airplane in 1492)
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analogy
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(n.) similarity; correlation; parallelism
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anaphylaxis
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(n.) an allergic reaction
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anarchist
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(n.) one who believes that a formal government is unnecessary
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anchorage
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(n.) something that can be relied on
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anecdote
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(n.) a short account of happenings
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animosity
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(n.) a feeling of hatred or ill will
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anoint
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(v.) to crown; ordain;
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anomaly
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(n.) an oddity, inconsistency; a deviation from the norm
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anonymous
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(adj.) nameless; unidentified
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antagonism
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(n.) hostility; opposition
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antipathy
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(n.) a strong dislike or repugnance
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apathy
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(n.) lack of emotion or interest
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apocalyptic
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(adj.) pertaining to a discovery or new revelation
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apocryphal
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(adj.) counterfeit; of doubtful authorship or authenticity
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appease
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(v.) to satisfy; to calm
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apposite
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(adj.) suitable; apt; relevant
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apprehensive
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(adj.) fearful; aware; conscious
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approbatory
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(adj.) approving or sanctioning
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arable
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(adj.) suitable (as land) for plowing
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arbiter
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(n.) one who is authorized to judge or decide
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arbitrary
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(adj.) based on one's preference or judgment
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arcane
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(adj.) obscure; secret; mysterious
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archetype
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(n.) original pattern or model; prototype
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ardent
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(adj.) with passionate or intense feelings
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arduous
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(adj.) laborious, difficult; strenuous
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arid
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(adj.) extremely dry, parched; barren, unimaginative
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aromatic
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(adj.) having a smell which is sweet or spicy
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arrogant
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(adj.) acting superior to others; conceited
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arrogate
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(v.) to claim or demand unduly
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articulate
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(v.; adj.) to utter clearly and distinctly; clear, distinct; expressed with clarity; skillful with words
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artifice
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(n.) skill in a craft
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ascetic
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(n.; adj.) one who leads a simple life of self-denial; rigorously abstinent
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aseptic
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(adj.) germ free
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askance
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(adv.) a sideways glance of disapproval
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asperity
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(n.) harshness
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aspersion
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(n.) slanderous statement; a damaging or derogatory criticism
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aspirant
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(n.) a person who goes after high goals
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assay
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(n.) to determine the quality of a substance.
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assess
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(v.) to estimate the value of
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assiduous
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(adj.) carefully attentive; industrious
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assuage
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(v.) to relieve; ease; make less severe
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astringent
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(n.; adj.) a substance that contracts bodily tissues; causing contraction; tightening; stern, austere
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astute
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(adj.) cunning; sly; crafty
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atrophy
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(v.; n.) to waste away, as from lack of use; to wither; failure to grow
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attenuate
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(v.) to thin out; to weaken
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atypical
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(adj.) something that is abnormal
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audacious
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(adj.) fearless; bold
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augment
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(v.) to increase or add to; to make larger
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august
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(adj.) to be imposing or magnificent
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auspicious
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(adj.) being of a good omen; successful
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austere
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(adj.) having a stern look; having strict self-discipline
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authentic
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(adj.) real; genuine; trustworthy
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authoritarian
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(n.; adj.) acting as a dictator; demanding obedience
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autocracy
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(n.) an absolute monarchy; government where one person holds power
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autocrat
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(n.) an absolute ruler
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avarice
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(n.) inordinate desire for gaining and possessing wealth
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aver
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(v.) to affirm as true
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awry
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(adj; adv.) crooked(ly); uneven(ly); wrong; askew
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