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312 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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azure
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(adj.) the clear blue color of the sky
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baleful
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(adj.) harmful, malign, detrimental
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banal
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(adj.) trite; without freshness or originality
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baneful
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(adj.) deadly or causing distress, death
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baroque
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(adj.) extravagant; ornate; embellished
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bastion
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(n.) a fortified place or strong defense
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batten
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(v.) to gain
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bauble
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(n.) a showy yet useless thing
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beget
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(v.) to bring into being
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beholden
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(adj.) indebted to
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behoove
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(v.) to be advantageous; to be necessary
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belittle
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(v.) to make small; to think lightly of
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bellicose
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(adj.) quarrelsome; warlike
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bemuse
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(v.) to preoccupy in thought
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benefactor
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(n.) one who helps others; a donor
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beneficent
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(adj.) conferring benefits; kindly; doing good
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benevolent
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(adj.) kind; generous
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benign
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(adj.) mild; harmless
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berate
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(v.) scold; reprove; reproach; criticize
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bereft
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(v.; adj.) to be deprived of; to be in a sad manner; hurt by someone's death
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beseech
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(v.) to ask earnestly
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besmirch
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(v.) to dirty or discolor
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bestial
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(adj.) having the qualities of a beast; brutal
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betroth
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(v.) to promise or pledge in marriage
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biased
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(adj.) prejudiced; influenced; not neutral
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biennial
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(adj.; n.) happening every two years; a plant which blooms every two years
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bilateral
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(adj.) pertaining to or affecting both sides or two sides; having two sides
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blasphemous
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(adj.) irreligious; away from acceptable standards; speaking ill of using profane language
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blatant
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(adj.) obvious; unmistakable; crude; vulgar
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blighted
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(adj.) causing frustration or destruction
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blithe
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(adj.) happy; cheery; merry; a cheerful disposition
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bode
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(v.) to foretell something
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bombast
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(n.) pompous speech; pretentious words
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bombastic
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(adj.) pompous; wordy; turgid
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boor
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(n.) a rude person
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breadth
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(n.) the distance from one side to another
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brevity
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(n.) briefness; shortness
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brindled
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(adj.) mixed with a darker color
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broach
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(v.) to introduce into conversation
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brusque
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(adj.) abrupt in manner or speech
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bucolic
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(adj.) having to do with shepherds or the country
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bumptious
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(adj.) arrogant
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bungler
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(n.) a clumsy person
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burgeon
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(v.) to grow or develop quickly
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burlesque
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(v.; n.) to imitate in a non-serious manner; a comical imitation
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burly
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(adj.) strong; bulky; stocky
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burnish
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(v.) to polish by rubbing
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cabal
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(n.) a group of persons joined by a secret
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cache
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(n.) stockpile; store; heap; hiding place for goods
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cacophonous
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(adj.) sounding jarring
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cacophony
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(n.) a harsh, inharmonious collection of sounds; dissonance
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cajole
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(v.) to coax with insincere talk
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calamity
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(n.) disaster
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caliber
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(n.) quality
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callow
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(adj.) being young or immature
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calumny
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(n.) slander
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canard
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(n.) a false statement or rumor
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candid
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(adj.) honest; truthful; sincere
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cant
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(n.) insincere or hypocritical statements of high ideals; the jargon of a particular group or occupations
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caprice
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(n.) a sudden, unpredictable or whimsical change
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capricious
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(adj.) changeable; fickle
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captious
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(adj.) disposed to find fault
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carte blanche
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(n.) unlimited authority
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cascade
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(n; v.) waterfall; pour; rush; fall
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castigate
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(v.) to punish through public criticism
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cataclysm
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(n.) an extreme natural force
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catalyst
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(n.) anything which creates a situation in which change can occur
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catharsis
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(n.) a purging or relieving of the body or soul
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caustic
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(adj.) eating away at; sarcastic words
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cavil
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(v.) to bicker
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censor
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(v.) to examine and delete objectionable material
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censure
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(n.; v.) a disapproval; an expression of disapproval; to criticize or disapprove of
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ceremonious
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(adj.) very formal or proper
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cessation
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(n.)ceasing; a stopping
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chafe
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(v.) to annoy, to irritate; to wear away or make sore by rubbing
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chaffing
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(n.) banter; teasing
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chagrin
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(n.) a feeling of embarrassment due to failure or disappointment
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charisma
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(n.) appeal; magnetism; presence
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charlatan
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(n.) a person who pretends to have knowledge; an impostor; fake
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chary
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(adj.) cautious; being sparing in giving
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chaste
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(adj.) virtuous; free of obscenity
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chastise
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(v.) to punish; discipline; admonish
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cherish
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(v.) to feel love for
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chicanery
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(n.) trickery or deception
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chimera
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(n.) an impossible fancy
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choleric
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(adj.) cranky; cantankerous; easily moved to feeling displeasure
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chortle
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(v.) to make a gleeful, chuckling sound
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churlishness
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(n.) crude or surly behavior; behavior of a peasant
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circumlocution
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(n.) a roundabout or indirect way of speaking; not to the point
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circumlocutory
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(adj.) being too long, as in a description or expression; a roundabout, indirect, or ungainly way of expressing something
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circumspect
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(adj.) considering all circumstances
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citadel
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(n.) a fortress set up high to defend a city
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clandestine
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(adj.) secret
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clemency
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(n.) mercy toward an offender; mildness
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cloture
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(n.) a parliamentary procedure to end debate and begin to vote
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cloying
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(adj.) too sugary; too sentimental or flattering
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coagulate
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(v.) to become a semisolid, soft mass; to clot
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coalesce
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(v.) to grow together
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coda
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(n.) in music, a concluding passage
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coddle
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(v.) to treat with tenderness
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codify
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(v.) to organize laws or rules into a systematic collection
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coffer
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(n.) a chest where money or valuables are kept
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cogent
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(adj.) to the point; clear; convincing in its clarity and presentation
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cogitate
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(v.) to think hard; ponder; meditate
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cognate
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(adj.; n.) having the same family; a person related through ancestry
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cognitive
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(adj.) possessing the power to think or meditate; meditative; capable of perception
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cognizant
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(adj.) aware of; perceptive
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coherent
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(adj.) sticking together; connected; logical; consistent
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cohesion
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(n.) the act of holding together
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cohort
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(n.) a group; band
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collaborate
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(v.) to work together; cooperate
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colloquial
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(adj.) having to do with conversation; informal speech
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collusion
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(n.) secret agreement for an illegal purpose
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comeliness
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(n.) beauty; attractiveness in appearance or behavior
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commiserate
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(v.) to show sympathy for
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commodious
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(adj.) spacious and convenient; roomy
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communal
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(adj.) shared or common ownership
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compatible
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(adj.) in agreement with; harmonious
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complacent
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(adj.) content; self-satisfied; smug
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complaisance
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(n.) the quality of being agreeable or eager to please
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compliant
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(adj.) complying; obeying; yielding
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comport
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(v.) fitting in
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comprehensive
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(adj.) all-inclusive; complete; thorough
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compromise
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(v.) to settle by mutual adjustment
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concede
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(v.) to acknowledge; admit; to surrender; to abandon one's position
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conceit
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(n.) an exaggerated personal opinion
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conciliation
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(n.) an attempt to make friendly or placate
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conciliatory
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(adj.) to reconcile
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concise
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(adj.) in few words; brief; condensed
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conclave
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(n.) any private meeting or closed assembly
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condescend
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(v.) to come down from one's position or dignity
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condone
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(v.) to overlook; to forgive
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confluence
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(n.) a thing which is joined together
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confound
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(v.) to lump together, causing confusion; to damn
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conglomeration
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(n.) a collection or mixture of various things
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conjoin
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(v.) to combine
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conjure
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(v.) to call upon or appeal to; to cause to be, appear, come
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connivance
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(n.) secret cooperation in wrongdoing
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connoisseur
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(n.) expert; authority (usually refers to a wine or food expert)
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connotative
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(adj.) containing associated meanings in addition to the primary one
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consecrate
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(v.) to declare sacred; to dedicate
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consequential
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(adj.) following as an effect; important
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consort
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(n.; v.) a companion, spouse; to associate
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conspicuous
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(adj.) easy to see; noticeable
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consternation
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(n.) amazement or terror that causes confusion
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constrain
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(v.) to force, compel; to restrain
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consummation
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(n.) the completion; finish
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contemporary
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(adj.) living or happening at the same time; modern
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contempt
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(n.) scorn; disrespect
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contentious
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(adj.) quarrelsome
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contest
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(v.) to attempt to disprove or invalidate
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contiguous
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(adj.) touching; or adjoining and close, but not touching
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contravene
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(v.) to act contrary to; to oppose or contradict
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contrite
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(adj.) regretful; sorrowful; having repentance
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contumacious
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(adj.) resisting authority
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contusion
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(n.) a bruise; an injury where the skin is not broken
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conundrum
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(n.) a puzzle or riddle
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conventional
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(adj.) traditional; common; routine
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converge
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(v.) to move toward one point (opposite: diverge)
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conviviality
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(n.) a fondness for festiveness or joviality
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convoke
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(v.) a call to assemble
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copious
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(adj.) abundant; in great quantities
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corpulence
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(n.) obesity
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correlate
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(v.) to bring into mutual relation
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corroborate
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(v.) to confirm the validity
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coterie
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(n.) a clique; a group who meet frequently, usually socially
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covenant
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(n.) a binding and solemn agreement
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covetous
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(adj.) greedy; very desirous
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cower
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(v.) to huddle and tremble
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