Gre - Barron

Front 1

abase

Back 1

lower; degrade; humiliate; make humble; make (oneself) lose self-respect

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abash

Back 2

(v) to make ashamed; to embarrass

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abate

Back 3

subside or moderate

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abbreviate

Back 4

shorten

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abdicate

Back 5

renounce, give up

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aberrant

Back 6

abnormal or deviant, not typical; N. aberration

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abeyance

Back 7

suspended action

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abhor

Back 8

(v) to hate very, very much; to detest

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abject

Back 9

(of a condition) wretched; as low as possible; lacking pride; very humble; showing lack of self-respect; Ex. abject apology

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abjure

Back 10

renounce upon oath; N. abjuration

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ablution

Back 11

washing

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abnegate

Back 12

(v) to deny oneself things; to reject; to renounce

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abolish

Back 13

cancel; put an end to

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abominate

Back 14

(v) to loathe; to hate, to detest

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aboriginal

Back 15

being the first of its kind in a region; primitive; native; indigenous; N. aborigine

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abortive

Back 16

unsuccessful; fruitless

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abridge

Back 17

(v) to shorten; to condense

Front 18

abrogate

Back 18

abolish

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abscission

Back 19

cutting off; separation

Front 20

abscond

Back 20

depart secretly and hide

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absolute

Back 21

complete; totally unlimited; having complete power; certain; not relative; Ex. absolute honesty/ruler; Cf. absolutism

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absolve

Back 22

(v) to forgive or free from blame; to free from sin; to free from an obligation

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abstemious

Back 23

sparing in eating and drinking; temperate

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abstinent

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(adj) voluntarily not doing something; restrain from pleasant things, esp. eating or drinking; V. abstain; N. abstinence; Cf. abstention: act of abstaining from vote

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abstract

Back 25

(adj) theoretical, impersonal

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abstruse

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(adj) hard to understand

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abusive

Back 27

coarsely insulting; physically harmful

Front 28

abut

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border upon; adjoin

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abysmal

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(adj) extremely hopeless or wretched; bottomless

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abyss

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(=abysm) enormous chasm; vast bottomless pit

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academic

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related to a school; not practical or directly useful

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accede

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agree

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accelerate

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move faster

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accessible

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easy to approach; obtainable

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accessory

Back 35

additional object; useful but not essential thing

Front 36

acclimate

Back 36

adjust to climate or environment; adapt

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acclivity

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sharp upslope of a hill; Op. declivity

Front 38

accolade

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award of merit; strong praise and approval

Front 39

accommodate

Back 39

oblige or help someone; adjust or bring into harmony; adapt; make enough space for; Adj. accommodative; Cf. accommodating: helpful and obliging

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accomplice

Back 40

partner in crime

Front 41

accord

Back 41

agreement

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accost

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(v) to approach and speak to someone

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accoutre

Back 43

equip; N. accoutrement

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accretion

Back 44

growth or increase in size by gradual addition; growth; increase; increase by natural growth; Ex. towers and other accretions of the castle; V. accrete

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accrue

Back 45

come to one as a gain; accumulate over time; come about by addition; Ex. benefits that accrue from scientific research; Ex. interest accruing in a bank account; N. accrual

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acerbity

Back 46

bitterness of speech and temper; Adj. acerbic: bitter; acrid (in taste, manner, or tone)

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acetic

Back 47

vinegary

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acidulous

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slightly sour (in taste or manner); sharp; caustic

Front 49

acknowledge

Back 49

recognize; admit

Front 50

acme

Back 50

peak; pinnacle; highest point

Front 51

acoustics

Back 51

science of sound; quality that makes a room easy or hard to hear in

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acquiesce

Back 52

(v) to accept; to assent; to agree;

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acquittal

Back 53

deliverance from a charge; V. acquit: free from a charge or accusation; discharge from a duty; conduct (oneself) in a specified manner

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acrid

Back 54

bitter (to the taste or smell); sharp; bitterly pungent

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acrimonious

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stinging; caustic; bitter in words or manner; N. acrimony: bitter ill-natured animosity in speech or behavior

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acrophobia

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fear of heights

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actuary

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someone who advises insurance companies; Adj. actuarial: calculating, pertaining to insurance statistics

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actuate

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motivate; activate; cause to act

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acuity

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sharpness (of mind or senses of sight or hearing)

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acumen

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mental keenness; sharpness of judgment; ability to judge quickly and well; Ex. business acumen

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acute

Back 61

(adj) quickly perceptive; keen; brief and severe

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adage

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wise saying; proverb

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adamant

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(adj) stubborn; completely inflexible

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adapt

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make or become suitable for a specific use; alter; modify; adjust; N. adaptation: act of adapting; composition recast into a new form; Ex. The play is an adaptation of a short novel.

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addendum

Back 65

addition; appendix to book; something that is added (as at the end of a speech or book)

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addiction

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compulsive habitual need

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addle

Back 67

make or become confused; muddle; drive crazy; become rotten (egg)

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address

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(v) to speak to;

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adept

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expert at; very skilled

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adhere

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stick fast; be a devoted follower; N. adhesion: adhering; devotion; loyalty

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adherent

Back 71

(n) follower; supporter; believer

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adjacent

Back 72

adjoining; neighboring; close by

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adjuration

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solemn urging; V. adjure: entreat earnestly; enjoin solemnly

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adjutant

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staff officer assisting the commander; assistant

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admonish

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warn or speak to with gentle disapproval; reprove

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adorn

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decorate

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adroit

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(adj) skillful; clever; social at ease;

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adulation

Back 78

(n) excessive admiration; v. adulate

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adulterate

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(v) to contaminate; to make impure; Adj. Adulterant; N. adulteration

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advent

Back 80

arrival

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adventitious

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accidental; casual; happening by chance

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adversary

Back 82

opponent; enemy

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adverse

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unfavorable; hostile; N. adverseness

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adversity

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great hardship or affliction; misfortune; calamitous event

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advert

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(v) to refer (to)

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advocacy

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support; active pleading on behalf of someone or something

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aegis

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shield; protection; defense

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aerie

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(=aery, eyrie, eyry) nest of a large bird of prey

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aesthetic

Back 89

artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciating the beautiful (of a person or building); Cf. aesthete; Cf. aesthetics

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affable

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(adj) easy to talk to; friendly; N. affability

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affectation

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(n) unnatural or artificial behavior, usually intend to impress

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affected

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artificial; pretended

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affidavit

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written statement made under oath (for use as proof in a court of law)

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affiliation

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joining; associating with

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affinity

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feeling of kinship; similarity; Ex. strong affinity for her; Ex. many affinities between two languages

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affirmation

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positive assertion; confirmation; solemn pledge by one who refuses to take an oath; V. affirm; Adj. affirmative; Cf. affirmative action: positive discrimination

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affliction

Back 97

state of distress; trial; cause of distress or suffering; V. afflict: inflict grievous suffering on

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affluent

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(adj) rich; prosperous; abundant; wealthy; N. affluence

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affront

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insult; offense; intentional act of disrespect; V: insult or hurt the feelings of intentionally

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agape

Back 100

openmouthed

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agenda

Back 101

items of business at a meeting

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agglomeration

Back 102

collection; heap; V. agglomerate: gather into a rounded mass; N. agglomerate: jumbled mass; heap

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aggrandize

Back 103

make greater; increase in power, wealth, rank, or honor; N. aggrandizement

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aggregate

Back 104

sum; total; Adj. V: gather into a mass or whole; accumulate; add up to; Ex. aggregate 100 dollars

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aghast

Back 105

filled with great surprise or fear; horrified

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agility

Back 106

nimbleness; ability to move quickly

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agitate

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stir up; disturb

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agnostic

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one who is skeptical of the existence or knowability of a god or any ultimate reality

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agog

Back 109

highly excited; intensely curious

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agrarian

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(adj) relating to land; relating to the management of farming of land

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alacrity

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cheerful promptness without reluctance, eagerness

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alchemy

Back 112

medieval chemistry

Front 113

alias

Back 113

an assumed name esp. by a criminal (usually to mislead people); Adv.

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alienate

Back 114

make unfriendly or hostile; estrange; separate; change the ownership of

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alimentary

Back 115

supplying nourishment

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alimony

Back 116

payments made regularly to an ex-spouse after divorce

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allay

Back 117

calm; pacify

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allege

Back 118

state without proof

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allegiance

Back 119

loyalty

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allegory

Back 120

story, play, or picture in which characters are used as symbols; fable

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alliteration

Back 121

repetition of beginning sound in poetry

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allocate

Back 122

assign; set apart for a particular purpose

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alloy

Back 123

(n) a mixture as of metals

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allude

Back 124

refer indirectly; N. allusion: indirect reference

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allure

Back 125

entice; attract; tempt

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alluvial

Back 126

pertaining to soil deposits left by running water

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aloft

Back 127

upward; high up in the air

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aloof

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apart; not open in one's relationship with other people; reserved; Adv.

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altercation

Back 129

noisy quarrel

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altruism

Back 130

(n) selflessness; generosity; devotion to the interests of others; unselfish concern for others; Adj. altruistic; m. altruist; Op. egoism

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amalgam

Back 131

combination of different things; mixture of metals (containing mercury) used for filling holes in teeth

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amalgamate

Back 132

(of societies or groups) combine; unite in one body

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amass

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collect (gradually, in a very large amount)

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amazon

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female warrior

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ambidextrous

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capable of using either hand with equal ease

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ambience

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(n) atmosphere; mood; feeling; (adj) ambient: surrounding, circulating

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ambiguous

Back 137

unclear or doubtful in meaning; having more than one possible interpretation

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ambivalence

Back 138

the state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes or opinions

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ambrosia

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food of the gods

Front 140

ambulatory

Back 140

able to walk

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ameliorate

Back 141

improve

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amenable

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readily managed or willing to be led; answerable or accountable legally

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amend

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correct; change; generally for the better

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amenities

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(n) convenient features; courtesies

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amiable

Back 145

agreeable; lovable; warmly friendly

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amicable

Back 146

peaceful; politely friendly; not quarrelsome; Ex. amicable settlement

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amiss

Back 147

wrong; faulty; Ex. something amiss; Adv.

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amity

Back 148

friendship; peaceful relationship as between nations

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amnesia

Back 149

loss of memory

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amnesty

Back 150

pardon (allowed by government to political criminals)

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amok

Back 151

(=amuck) in a state of rage; Ex. run amok

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amoral

Back 152

(adj) lacking a sense of right and wrong; neither good nor bad, neither moral nor immoral; without moral feeling

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amorous

Back 153

moved by sexual love; loving; of sexual love; Ex. amorous advances

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amorphous

Back 154

formless; lacking shape or definition

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amphibian

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(adj) able to live both on land and in water; N.

Front 156

amphitheater

Back 156

oval building with tiers of seats; Cf. arena

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ample

Back 157

enough; abundant; spacious; large in size; Ex. ample opportunity/garden; N. amplitude: quality of being ample; abundance; largeness of space

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amplify

Back 158

increase in size or effect; expand; broaden or clarify by expanding; intensify; make stronger; Ex. amplify one's remarks with a graph

Front 159

amputate

Back 159

cut off part of body; prune (a limb)

Front 160

amulet

Back 160

charm; talisman; an object worn believed to protect against evil, bad luck

Front 161

anachronism

Back 161

something or someone misplaced in time

Front 162

analgesic

Back 162

causing insensitivity to pain; N.

Front 163

analogy

Back 163

(adj) similarity; parallelism; Adj. analogous

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anarchist

Back 164

person who seeks to overturn the established government; advocate of abolishing authority

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anarchy

Back 165

absence of governing body; state of disorder

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anathema

Back 166

solemn curse; someone or something regarded as a curse; V. anathematize

Front 167

ancestry

Back 167

family descent; Adj. ancestral

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ancillary

Back 168

serving as an aid or accessory; auxiliary; N.

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anecdote

Back 169

(n) a short of a humorous or revealing incident;

Front 170

anemia

Back 170

(=anaemia) condition in which blood lacks red corpuscles; Adj. anemic

Front 171

anesthetic

Back 171

(=anaesthetic) substance that removes sensation with or without loss of consciousness; N. anesthesia

Front 172

anguish

Back 172

(n) agonizing physical or mental pain.

Front 173

angular

Back 173

sharp-cornered; having an angle; not rounded (body); bony; lean; gaunt; stiff in manner

Front 174

animadversion

Back 174

critical remark; V. animadvert: comment critically with disapproval

Front 175

animated

Back 175

lively; spirited

Front 176

animus

Back 176

(=animosity) hostile feeling or intent; hostility; disposition; resentment

Front 177

annals

Back 177

records arranged in yearly parts; history

Front 178

anneal

Back 178

reduce brittleness and improve toughness by heating and cooling (metal or glass)

Front 179

annex

Back 179

attach; add to a large thing; take possession of; incorporate (territory) into a larger existing political unit (by force); N: building added to a large one

Front 180

annihilate

Back 180

destroy

Front 181

annotate

Back 181

comment; make explanatory notes

Front 182

annuity

Back 182

yearly allowance

Front 183

annul

Back 183

make void

Front 184

anodyne

Back 184

drug that relieves pain or trouble; opiate; Adj. Ex. anodyne statement

Front 185

anoint

Back 185

consecrate; put oil on (in a religious ceremony)

Front 186

anomalous

Back 186

abnormal; irregular; N. anomaly

Front 187

anonymity

Back 187

state of being nameless; anonymousness; Adj. anonymous

Front 188

antagonism

Back 188

hostility; active opposition; V. antagonize: cause to become an enemy; N. antagonist: person who is opposed to another; opponent; adversary; principal character in opposition to the protagonist

Front 189

antecede

Back 189

precede

Front 190

antecedent

Back 190

(n) someone or something that went before; preceding events that influence what comes later; ancestors or early background; Adj.

Front 191

antediluvian

Back 191

antiquated; extremely ancient

Front 192

anthem

Back 192

song of praise or patriotism; Ex. national anthem

Front 193

anthology

Back 193

book of literary selections by various authors; Cf. omnibus

Front 194

anthropoid

Back 194

manlike; resembling a human being; N.

Front 195

anthropologist

Back 195

student of the history and science of humankind

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anthropomorphic

Back 196

having human form or characteristics

Front 197

anticlimax

Back 197

letdown in thought or emotion; something unexciting, ordinary, or disappointing coming after something important or exciting

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antidote

Back 198

remedy to counteract a poison or disease; Ex. antidote to the economic troubles

Front 199

antipathy

Back 199

aversion; dislike or opposition

Front 200

antiquated

Back 200

obsolete; old-fashioned; outdated

Front 201

antiseptic

Back 201

substance that prevents infection in a wound; Adj.

Front 202

antithesis

Back 202

(n) the direct opposite

Front 203

anvil

Back 203

iron block used in hammering out metals

Front 204

apartheid

Back 204

a policy or practice of separating or segregating groups

Front 205

apathy

Back 205

lack of caring; indifference; lack of concern or interest in important matters; Ex. He was sunk in apathy after his failure; Adj. apathetic

Front 206

ape

Back 206

imitate or mimic (a person's behavior or manner)

Front 207

aperture

Back 207

opening; hole; adjustable opening in a camera that limits the amount of light

Front 208

apex

Back 208

tip; summit; climax; highest point

Front 209

aphasia

Back 209

loss of speech due to injury or illness

Front 210

aphorism

Back 210

pithy maxim or saying; Adj. aphoristic

Front 211

apiary

Back 211

a place where bees are kept

Front 212

aplomb

Back 212

poise; composure in difficult situations; assurance; self-confidence

Front 213

apocalypse

Back 213

(n) a prophetic revelation, especially one concerning the end of the world; Adj. Apocalyptic

Front 214

apocalyptic

Back 214

prophetic; pertaining to revelations especially of disaster; N. apocalypse

Front 215

apocryphal

Back 215

(n) of dubious authenticity; fictitious; spurious;

Front 216

apogee

Back 216

highest point; the point farthest from the earth; Op. perigee

Front 217

apolitical

Back 217

having an aversion or lack of concern for political affairs

Front 218

apologist

Back 218

one who writes in defense of a cause or institution; N. apologia

Front 219

apoplexy

Back 219

stroke; loss of consciousness caused by too much blood in the brain

Front 220

apothecary

Back 220

druggist; pharmacist

Front 221

apothegm

Back 221

(apophthegm) pithy, compact saying

Front 222

apotheosis

Back 222

(n) elevation to divine status; the perfect example of something.

Front 223

appall

Back 223

dismay; shock deeply

Front 224

apparition

Back 224

ghost; phantom

Front 225

appease

Back 225

pacify or soothe; Ex. appease a crying baby; N. appeasement

Front 226

appellation

Back 226

name; title

Front 227

append

Back 227

attach

Front 228

application

Back 228

diligent attention; diligence; V. apply oneself

Front 229

apposite

Back 229

appropriate; fitting

Front 230

appraise

Back 230

estimate value of; N. appraisal

Front 231

appreciate

Back 231

be thankful for; increase in worth; be thoroughly conscious of; Adj. appreciable: enough to be felt; Ex. appreciable difference

Front 232

apprehend

Back 232

arrest (a criminal); dread; perceive; N. apprehension

Front 233

apprehensive

Back 233

(adj) worried; anxious;

Front 234

apprise

Back 234

inform

Front 235

approbation

Back 235

approval

Front 236

appropriate

Back 236

(v) acquire; take possession of for one's own use without permission; set aside for a particular purpose; allocate; Cf. misappropriate

Front 237

appurtenances

Back 237

subordinate possessions; something added to a more important thing

Front 238

apropos

Back 238

with reference to; regarding; Ex. remarks apropos (of) the present situation; Adj.

Front 239

aptitude

Back 239

ability; fitness; talent

Front 240

aquiline

Back 240

curved; hooked; of or like an eagle; Ex. aquiline nose

Front 241

arable

Back 241

fit for growing crops; Ex. arable land

Front 242

arbiter

Back 242

person with power to decide a matter in dispute; judge who is in a position to make influential judgments; Ex. supreme arbiter of fashion in beachwear

Front 243

arbitrary

Back 243

(adj) random; capricious

Front 244

arbitrate

Back 244

act as judge (at the request of both sides)

Front 245

arboretum

Back 245

place where different trees and shrubs are studied and exhibited

Front 246

arcane

Back 246

esoteric; secret; mysterious; known only to the initiated; Ex. arcane ritual; Ex. arcane process closed to the uninitiated listener

Front 247

archaeology

Back 247

study of artifacts and relics of early mankind

Front 248

archaic

Back 248

antiquated; no longer used; belonging to the past; N.

Front 249

archetype

Back 249

(n) an original model or pattern

Front 250

archipelago

Back 250

group of closely located islands

Front 251

archives

Back 251

public records; place where public records are kept

Front 252

ardor

Back 252

heat; passion; zeal; Adj. ardent

Front 253

arduous

Back 253

hard; strenuous; Ex. arduous work

Front 254

argot

Back 254

slang; speech spoken by only a small group of people

Front 255

Aria

Back 255

operatic solo; a song sung by one person in an opera or oratorio

Front 256

arid

Back 256

(of land) dry; barren; unproductive

Front 257

aristocracy

Back 257

hereditary nobility; privileged class; government by nobility; N. aristocrat

Front 258

aristocratic

Back 258

(adj) of noble birth; snobbish

Front 259

armada

Back 259

fleet of warships

Front 260

aromatic

Back 260

fragrant; having a sweet smell; N. aroma: strong pleasant smell

Front 261

arraign

Back 261

charge in court; indict

Front 262

array

Back 262

marshal; draw up in order; arrange in order; clothe splendidly; adorn; N: fine clothes; ordered group; Ex. in battle array

Front 263

arrears

Back 263

being in debt; money that should have been paid; work that should have been done

Front 264

arrhythmic

Back 264

lacking rhythm or regularity; N. arrhythmia

Front 265

arrogance

Back 265

pride; haughtiness; Adj. arrogant: unpleasantly self-important (with a strong confidence in one's own importance and a lack of respect for other people)

Front 266

arroyo

Back 266

gully; narrow channel formed by rainwater

Front 267

arsenal

Back 267

storage place for military equipment

Front 268

artful

Back 268

(adj) crafty; wily; sly

Front 269

articulate

Back 269

effective; distinct; expressing ideas clearly; having clear sounds; having joints; Ex. articulate speech; V: express thoughts and feeling clearly; pronounce clearly; unite by joints

Front 270

artifacts

Back 270

(=artefact) object made by human beings, either handmade or mass-produced

Front 271

artifice

Back 271

deception; trickery

Front 272

artisan

Back 272

a manually skilled worker

Front 273

artless

Back 273

without guile; open and honest

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ascendancy

Back 274

(n) supremacy; domination

Front 275

ascertain

Back 275

find out for certain; make certain

Front 276

ascetic

Back 276

practicing self-denial; avoiding physical pleasures and comforts; austere; Ex. ascetic life of Buddhist monks; N. asceticism

Front 277

ascribe

Back 277

refer; attribute; assign

Front 278

aseptic

Back 278

preventing infection; having a cleansing effect

Front 279

ashen

Back 279

ash-colored; deadly pale

Front 280

asinine

Back 280

stupid; Ex. asinine remarks

Front 281

askance

Back 281

with a sideways or indirect look (with disapproval or distrust); Ex. look askance at

Front 282

asperity

Back 282

sharpness; roughness; severity (of temper or weather); Ex. asperities of a Russian winter

Front 283

aspersion

Back 283

slanderous remark; Ex. cast aspersions on

Front 284

aspire

Back 284

seek to attain (position or status); long for; Ex. aspire to become president; Ex. aspire to/after the leadership

Front 285

assail

Back 285

assault

Front 286

assay

Back 286

analyze (to discover what materials are present); evaluate (soil or ore)

Front 287

assert

Back 287

state strongly or positively; demand recognition of (rights, claims, etc.); make a claim to (by forceful action); Ex. assert one's independence

Front 288

assiduous

Back 288

diligent

Front 289

assimilate

Back 289

(v) to take in; to absorb; to learn thoroughly; Adj. Assimilated; N. assimilation

Front 290

assuage

Back 290

make less severe; ease or lessen (pain); satisfy (hunger); soothe (anger)

Front 291

assumption

Back 291

something taken for granted; the taking over or taking possession of; Ex. her assumption of power; V. assume

Front 292

assurance

Back 292

firm statement that something is certainly true; promise or pledge; certainty; confidence in one's own ability; self-confidence; Ex. In spite of all his assurances, he did not come back; Ex. assurance of his loyalty; Ex. The teacher lacked assurance in front of his class; V. assure; tell firmly with confidence; ensure; make (something) certain to happen; make (someone) feel sure; give confidence to; Adj. assured: self-assured; confident in one's own ability; showing certainty

Front 293

asteroid

Back 293

small planet

Front 294

astigmatism

Back 294

eye defect which prevents proper focus; Op. stigmatism

Front 295

astral

Back 295

relating to the stars

Front 296

astringent

Back 296

binding; causing contraction (stopping bleeding); harsh or severe; stringent; Ex. astringent criticism

Front 297

astronomical

Back 297

enormously large or extensive

Front 298

astute

Back 298

wise; shrewd; keen; seeing quickly something that is to one's advantage

Front 299

asunder

Back 299

into parts; apart; V. sunder

Front 300

asylum

Back 300

place of refuge or shelter; protection (religious or political)

Front 301

asymmetric

Back 301

not identical on both sides of a dividing central line

Front 302

atavism

Back 302

resemblance to remote ancestors rather than to parents; reversion to an earlier type; throwback; Adj. atavistic

Front 303

atheistic

Back 303

denying the existence of God; N. atheism

Front 304

atone

Back 304

make amends for; pay for; Ex. atone for

Front 305

atrocity

Back 305

brutal deed; Adj. atrocious

Front 306

atrophy

Back 306

wasting away; V: weaken and lose flesh and muscle (through lack of blood or lack of use)

Front 307

attentive

Back 307

alert and watchful; listening carefully; paying attention; considerate; thoughtful; politely helpful; Ex. attentive audience; Ex. He was attentive to the old lady; N. attentions: act of courtesy and consideration

Front 308

attenuate

Back 308

make thin; weaken

Front 309

attest

Back 309

testify; bear witness

Front 310

attribute

Back 310

essential quality; V: ascribe; explain

Front 311

attrition

Back 311

rubbing away by friction; gradual decrease in numbers or strength; reduction in the work force without firing employees; wearing away of opposition by means of harassment; Ex. a war of attrition

Front 312

atypical

Back 312

not normal; not typical

Front 313

audacious

Back 313

daring; bold; fearless; N. audacity

Front 314

augment

Back 314

(v) to make bigger; to add to; to increase; N. augmentation

Front 315

augury

Back 315

omen; prophecy; sign of coming events; V. augur: predict; foretell; be a sign of (something in future)

Front 316

august

Back 316

impressive; majestic

Front 317

aureole

Back 317

(=aureola) sun's corona; halo; bright circle of light

Front 318

auroral

Back 318

pertaining to the aurora borealis; Cf. aurora australis

Front 319

auspicious

Back 319

(adj) favorable; pointing to a good result;

Front 320

austere

Back 320

forbiddingly stern; ascetic; without comfort or enjoyment; severely simple and unornamented; Ex. a monk's austere life; Ex. austere grandeur of the cathedral; N. austerity

Front 321

authenticate

Back 321

prove genuine

Front 322

authoritarian

Back 322

subordinating the individual to the state; completely dominating another's will; Ex. authoritarian regime/father

Front 323

authoritative

Back 323

having the weight of authority; regarded as providing knowledge that can be trusted; reliable; peremptory and dictatorial; Ex. authoritative dictionary/manner; Cf. definitive

Front 324

autocratic

Back 324

(adj) ruling with absolute authority; extremely bossy; arbitrary N. autocrat; N. autocracy

Front 325

automaton

Back 325

mechanism that imitates actions of humans; machine that works by itself

Front 326

autonomous

Back 326

self-governing; N. autonomy

Front 327

autopsy

Back 327

examination of a dead body; postmortem; V.

Front 328

auxiliary

Back 328

offering or providing help; additional or subsidiary; N: helper; assistant

Front 329

avalanche

Back 329

great mass of falling snow and ice

Front 330

avarice

Back 330

greediness for wealth

Front 331

avenge

Back 331

take vengeance for something or on behalf of someone; Ex. They avenged his death by burning the village; Ex. He swore to avenge his brother; Ex. They avenged themselves on their enemy.

Front 332

aver

Back 332

state confidently; declare as true

Front 333

averse

Back 333

reluctant; disinclined; not liking or opposed; Ex. averse to cats/doing the house work

Front 334

aversion

Back 334

firm dislike

Front 335

avert

Back 335

prevent; avoid; turn away (eyes or thought); Ex. An accident was averted by his quick thinking; Ex. She averted her eyes from the terrible sight.

Front 336

aviary

Back 336

enclosure for birds; large cage

Front 337

avocation

Back 337

secondary or minor occupation

Front 338

avow

Back 338

declare openly; N. avowal

Front 339

avuncular

Back 339

(adj) like an uncle, especially a nice uncle.

Front 340

awl

Back 340

pointed tool used for piercing

Front 341

awry

Back 341

distorted; crooked; bent; Ex. Our plans have gone awry.

Front 342

axiom

Back 342

self-evident truth requiring no proof

Front 343

azure

Back 343

sky blue

Front 344

babble

Back 344

chatter idly or foolishly; make continuous sounds like water running gently over rounded stone; N.

Front 345

bacchanalian

Back 345

drunken

Front 346

badinage

Back 346

teasing conversation; banter; joking talk

Front 347

baffle

Back 347

frustrate; perplex

Front 348

bait

Back 348

harass; tease; torment; Ex. badger baiting; N: food or other lure used to catch fish or trap animals

Front 349

baleful

Back 349

evil; malignant in intent or effect; deadly; having a malign influence; portending evil; ominous; threatening; Ex. baleful look

Front 350

balk

Back 350

stop short, as if faced with an obstacle, and refuse to continue; foil; stop or get in the way of; frustrate

Front 351

ballast

Back 351

heavy substance used to add stability or weight; V. supply with ballast

Front 352

balm

Back 352

something that relieves pain; oily liquid with a pleasant smell from trees

Front 353

balmy

Back 353

soft and mild (of air); fragrant

Front 354

banal

Back 354

hackneyed; commonplace; trite; lacking originality;

Front 355

bandy

Back 355

discuss lightly or glibly; discuss in a frivolous manner; exchange (words) heatedly; quarrel; Ex. bandy words with

Front 356

bane

Back 356

(n) poison; cause of harm; Adj. Baneful

Front 357

bantering

Back 357

joking talk; good-naturedly ridiculing; N. V. banter

Front 358

barb

Back 358

sharp projection from fishhook, arrow, or other object; openly cutting remark

Front 359

bard

Back 359

poet

Front 360

barefaced

Back 360

shameless and noticeable; blatant; bold; unconcealed; having no covering on the face; Ex. barefaced lie

Front 361

baroque

Back 361

highly ornate

Front 362

barrage

Back 362

barrier laid down by artillery fire; overwhelming profusion; large number of questions or statements; Ex. a barrage of criticism

Front 363

barrister

Back 363

counselor-at-law or lawyer in the higher court of law; Cf. bar

Front 364

barterer

Back 364

trader; V. barter: trade; exchange good for other goods rather than money

Front 365

bask

Back 365

luxuriate; take pleasure in warmth

Front 366

bastion

Back 366

stronghold; something seen as a source of protection; Ex. the last bastion of male chauvinism

Front 367

bate

Back 367

let down; lessen the force of; moderate; restrain; Ex. with bated breath; Cf. abate

Front 368

bawdy

Back 368

indecent; obscene; about sex in a rude funny way; Cf. bawd

Front 369

beatific

Back 369

giving or showing bliss; blissful

Front 370

beatitude

Back 370

blessedness; state of great happiness

Front 371

bedizen

Back 371

dress with vulgar finery

Front 372

bedraggle

Back 372

wet thoroughly; Adj. bedraggled: draggled

Front 373

beeline

Back 373

direct quick route

Front 374

befuddle

Back 374

confuse thoroughly

Front 375

beget

Back 375

(v) to give birth to; to create; to lead to; to cause;

Front 376

beguile

Back 376

deceive; mislead or delude; cheat; pass time pleasantly; charm or attract; Ex. beguiling smile

Front 377

behemoth

Back 377

huge creature; something of monstrous size or power

Front 378

beholden

Back 378

obligated; indebted; owing thanks; obliged or indebted from gratitude

Front 379

behoove

Back 379

(=behove) be suited to; be incumbent upon; be right and necessary; Ex. It behooves one to do.

Front 380

belabor

Back 380

harp on; dwell on tediously; explain or go over excessively or to a ridiculous degree; assail verbally; beat severely; attack physically

Front 381

belated

Back 381

delayed

Front 382

beleaguer

Back 382

(v) to surround; to besiege; to harass.

Front 383

belie

Back 383

contradict; give a false impression; disguise; Ex. The poor sales belied our high hopes; Ex. Her smile belies her true feeling of displeasure.

Front 384

belittle

Back 384

(v) to make to seem little; to put someone down

Front 385

bellicose

Back 385

warlike

Front 386

belligerent

Back 386

(adj) combative; quarrelsome; waging war

Front 387

bemoan

Back 387

lament; moan for; express sorrow or disapproval of

Front 388

bemused

Back 388

(adj) confused; bewildered; N. bemusement

Front 389

benediction

Back 389

blessing

Front 390

benefactor

Back 390

(n) one who provides help, especially in the form of a gift or donation;

Front 391

beneficent

Back 391

kindly; doing good

Front 392

beneficial

Back 392

helpful; useful; advantageous

Front 393

beneficiary

Back 393

person entitled to benefits or proceeds of an insurance policy or will

Front 394

benevolent

Back 394

(adj) generous; kind; doing good deeds.; N. benevolence

Front 395

benign

Back 395

(adj) gentle; not harmful; kind; mind; N. benignancy

Front 396

benison

Back 396

blessing

Front 397

bent

Back 397

determined; Ex. bent on advancing in the business; N: natural talent or inclination

Front 398

bequeath

Back 398

leave to someone by means of a will; hand down in his will; N. bequest

Front 399

berate

Back 399

scold strongly

Front 400

bereavement

Back 400

state of being deprived of something valuable or someone beloved; state of being bereaved or bereft

Front 401

bereft

Back 401

deprived of (something valuable); lacking

Front 402

berserk

Back 402

mad with violent anger; frenzied; madly excited

Front 403

beseech

Back 403

beg; plead with

Front 404

beset

Back 404

(v) to harass; to surround;

Front 405

besiege

Back 405

surround with armed forces; harass (with requests); annoy continually

Front 406

besmirch

Back 406

soil; defile; make dirty

Front 407

bestial

Back 407

beastlike; brutal; inhuman; very cruel

Front 408

bestow

Back 408

confer

Front 409

betoken

Back 409

signify; indicate; be a sign of

Front 410

betray

Back 410

be unfaithful; reveal (unconsciously or unwillingly); Ex. Her trembling hands betray her anxiety.

Front 411

betroth

Back 411

become engaged to marry

Front 412

bevy

Back 412

large group; Ex. a bevy of starlets

Front 413

bicameral

Back 413

two-chambered as a legislative body

Front 414

bicker

Back 414

quarrel

Front 415

biennial

Back 415

every two years

Front 416

bifurcated

Back 416

divided into two branches; forked

Front 417

bigotry

Back 417

stubborn intolerance

Front 418

bilious

Back 418

suffering from indigestion; sick from having too much bile; irritable; easily irritated

Front 419

bilk

Back 419

swindle; cheat

Front 420

billowing

Back 420

swelling out in waves; surging

Front 421

bivouac

Back 421

temporary encampment; camp without tents; V.

Front 422

bizarre

Back 422

fantastic; violently contrasting; noticeably odd; strikingly unconventional

Front 423

blanch

Back 423

bleach; whiten; make white or pale

Front 424

blandishment

Back 424

flattery

Front 425

blare

Back 425

loud or harsh roar or screech; dazzling blaze of light

Front 426

blasphemy

Back 426

(n) irreverent; on insult to something held sacred; profanity. v. blaspheme; Adj. blasphemous

Front 427

blatant

Back 427

extremely (offensively) obvious; loudly offensive; Ex. blatant lie; N. blatancy

Front 428

bleak

Back 428

cold or cheerless; frigid; unlikely to be favorable; depressing

Front 429

blighted

Back 429

suffering from a disease; destroyed

Front 430

blithe

Back 430

(=blithesome) gay; joyous

Front 431

bloated

Back 431

(unpleasantly) swollen or puffed as with water or air

Front 432

blowhard

Back 432

talkative boaster; braggart

Front 433

bludgeon

Back 433

club; heavy-headed weapon; V.

Front 434

bluff

Back 434

pretense (of strength); deception; high cliff; Adj: rough but good-natured

Front 435

blunder

Back 435

error; stupid mistake

Front 436

blurt

Back 436

utter impulsively from nervousness or excitement

Front 437

bluster

Back 437

blow in heavy gusts; threaten emptily; bully; speak in a noisy or bullying manner; Cf. breeze, gust, gale

Front 438

bode

Back 438

foreshadow; portend

Front 439

bogus

Back 439

counterfeit; not authentic; intentionally false; Ex. bogus interview

Front 440

bohemian

Back 440

unconventional (in an artistic way)

Front 441

boisterous

Back 441

violent; rough; noisy

Front 442

bolster

Back 442

support; reinforce

Front 443

bolt

Back 443

door bar; fastening pin or screw; length of fabric; large roll of cloth; V: dash or dart off; fasten (a door), gobble down

Front 444

bombardment

Back 444

attack (as with missiles or bombs); V. bombard

Front 445

bombastic

Back 445

pompous; using inflated language

Front 446

boon

Back 446

blessing; benefit; something very helpful

Front 447

boorish

Back 447

rude; insensitive

Front 448

bouillon

Back 448

clear beef (or meat) soup

Front 449

bountiful

Back 449

generous; graciously generous; showing bounty

Front 450

bourgeois

Back 450

middle class; selfishly materialistic; too interested in material possessions

Front 451

bovine

Back 451

cowlike; placid and dull; slow-thinking; calm

Front 452

bowdlerize

Back 452

expurgate; Cf. Thomas Bowdler

Front 453

boycott

Back 453

a form of protest in which individuals avoid or refuse to buy certain products and services

Front 454

brackish

Back 454

somewhat saline

Front 455

braggadocio

Back 455

boasting

Front 456

braggart

Back 456

boaster; bragger

Front 457

brandish

Back 457

wave around (a weapon); flourish

Front 458

bravado

Back 458

swagger; assumed air of defiance; false show of bravery

Front 459

brawn

Back 459

human muscle; muscular strength; sturdiness

Front 460

brazen

Back 460

insolent; without shame; bold; Ex. brazen lie; V: face with bold self-assurance or with unashamed confidence

Front 461

breach

Back 461

breaking of contract or duty; fissure or gap; opening; V.

Front 462

breadth

Back 462

width; extent

Front 463

brevity

Back 463

conciseness; shortness of duration

Front 464

brindled

Back 464

tawny or grayish with streaks or spots (of animals)

Front 465

bristling

Back 465

rising like bristles; showing irritation

Front 466

brittle

Back 466

hard but easily broken; difficult; unstable; Ex. brittle situation

Front 467

broach

Back 467

introduce as a subject; moot; open up

Front 468

brocade

Back 468

rich, figured (patterned) fabric

Front 469

brochure

Back 469

pamphlet

Front 470

brooch

Back 470

ornamental clasp; pin

Front 471

brook

Back 471

tolerate; endure; Ex. brook no interference; N: small stream

Front 472

browbeat

Back 472

bully; intimidate

Front 473

browse

Back 473

graze; feed on growing grass; skim or glance at casually

Front 474

brunt

Back 474

main impact or shock (of an attack or blow); Ex. brunt of the argument

Front 475

brusque

Back 475

blunt; abrupt; curt; not wanting to waste time being nice

Front 476

buccaneer

Back 476

pirate

Front 477

bucolic

Back 477

rustic; pastoral

Front 478

buffet

Back 478

strike forcefully; slap; batter; knock out; N: table with food set out for people to server themselves; meal at which people help themselves to food that's been set

Front 479

buffoonery

Back 479

clowning

Front 480

bugaboo

Back 480

bugbear; object of baseless terror

Front 481

bullion

Back 481

gold and silver in the form of bars

Front 482

bulwark

Back 482

strong wall built for defense; earthwork or other strong defense; person who defends

Front 483

bungle

Back 483

mismanage; blunder; botch; blow; spoil by clumsy behavior

Front 484

buoyant

Back 484

able to float; cheerful and optimistic; N. buoyancy; Ex. buoyancy of wood/water/American market

Front 485

burgeon

Back 485

grow rapidly; grow forth; send out buds; Ex. burgeoning computer industry; Cf. bludgeon

Front 486

burlesque

Back 486

give an imitation that ridicules; imitate mockingly

Front 487

burnish

Back 487

make shiny by rubbing; polish

Front 488

burst

Back 488

(n) refer type of discharge that is short and possibly explosive

Front 489

buttress

Back 489

support; prop up; N. stationary structure to support wall; Ex. flying buttress

Front 490

buxom

Back 490

full-bosomed; plump; jolly

Front 491

bystander

Back 491

(n) spectator; someone who is watching an event or activity rather than participating in it

Front 492

cabal

Back 492

small group of persons secretly united to promote their own interests

Front 493

cache

Back 493

hiding place; V.

Front 494

cacophonous

Back 494

discordant; inharmonious; N. cacophony: unpleasant mixture of loud sounds; Cf. euphony

Front 495

cadaver

Back 495

corpse; dead human body; Adj. cadaverous: like a corpse, pale

Front 496

cadence

Back 496

rhythmic rise and fall (of words or sounds); beat; regular beat of sound; rhythm

Front 497

cajole

Back 497

(v) to persuade someone to do something he or she doesn't want to do

Front 498

calamity

Back 498

disaster; misery

Front 499

calculated

Back 499

deliberately planned; likely

Front 500

caldron

Back 500

(=cauldron) large kettle

Front 501

caliber

Back 501

ability; quality; diameter of the inside of a round cylinder; Ex. work of very high caliber

Front 502

calligraphy

Back 502

beautiful writing; excellent penmanship

Front 503

callous

Back 503

hardened; unfeeling; without sympathy for the sufferings of others; unkind; N. callousness: insensitivity; having no feelings for others or being indifferent to the feelings or thoughts of others

Front 504

callow

Back 504

(adj) immature; inexperienced and unsophisticated

Front 505

calorific

Back 505

(=caloric) heat-producing; N. calorie

Front 506

calumny

Back 506

malicious misrepresentation; slander

Front 507

camaraderie

Back 507

good-fellowship; Cf. comrade

Front 508

cameo

Back 508

shell or jewel carved in relief; star's special appearance in a minor role in a film

Front 509

canard

Back 509

unfounded false rumor; exaggerated false report

Front 510

candor

Back 510

(n) truthfulness; sincere honesty; Adj. candid

Front 511

canine

Back 511

related to dogs; doglike

Front 512

canker

Back 512

any ulcerous sore; ulcer; any evil; Cf. cancer

Front 513

canny

Back 513

shrewd in money matters; thrifty

Front 514

cant

Back 514

insincere speech or expression of piety; jargon of thieves; special words used by a particular group of people; slanting surface, bevel;

Front 515

cantankerous

Back 515

ill-humored; irritable

Front 516

cantata

Back 516

story set to music to be sung by a chorus (shorter than an oratorio)

Front 517

canter

Back 517

slow gallop; V. Cf. trot

Front 518

canto

Back 518

division of a long poem

Front 519

canvass

Back 519

determine or seek opinions, votes, etc.; go through (a region) to solicit votes or orders; conduct a survey; N.

Front 520

capacious

Back 520

spacious

Front 521

capacity

Back 521

mental or physical ability; role; position or duty; ability to accommodate; Ex. in my capacity as president

Front 522

capillary

Back 522

having a very fine bore; resembling a hair; fine and slender; Ex. capillary attraction; N: very fine hairlike tube; Cf. capillarity

Front 523

capitalism

Back 523

(n) free enterprise; an economic system in which businesses are owned by private citizens.

Front 524

capitulate

Back 524

(v) to surrender; to give up or give in

Front 525

capricious

Back 525

unpredictable; fickle, whimsical; N. caprice

Front 526

caption

Back 526

title; chapter heading; text under illustration

Front 527

captious

Back 527

faultfinding; too critical

Front 528

carafe

Back 528

glass water bottle; decanter

Front 529

carapace

Back 529

shell covering the back (of a turtle, tortoise, crab, etc.)

Front 530

carat

Back 530

(= karat) unit of weight for precious stones; measure of the purity of gold

Front 531

carcinogenic

Back 531

causing cancer; N. carcinogen

Front 532

cardiologist

Back 532

doctor specializing in ailments of the heart

Front 533

careen

Back 533

lurch; sway from side to side; move with irregular swinging movement; stagger

Front 534

caricature

Back 534

(n) a portrait or description that is purposely distorted or exaggerated, often to prove some point about its subject. V.

Front 535

carillon

Back 535

a set of bells (often in a tower) capable of being played

Front 536

carnage

Back 536

destruction of life; slaughter; killing of large numbers of people or animals

Front 537

carnal

Back 537

fleshly; sensual; concerning the desires of the body

Front 538

carousal

Back 538

drunken revel; V. carouse

Front 539

carping

Back 539

petty criticism; fault-finding; fretful complaining; quibble

Front 540

carrion

Back 540

rotting flesh of a dead body; Cf. vulture

Front 541

cartographer

Back 541

map-maker

Front 542

cascade

Back 542

small waterfall

Front 543

caste

Back 543

one of the hereditary classes in Hindu society; social stratification; prestige

Front 544

castigation

Back 544

(n) punishment, severe criticism; V. castigate

Front 545

casualty

Back 545

serious or fatal accident; person killed or wounded in an accident or battle

Front 546

cataclysm

Back 546

deluge; upheaval; earthquake; violent and sudden event or change

Front 547

catalyst

Back 547

(=catalyzator) agent which brings about a chemical change while it remains unaffected and unchanged; Cf. catalysis

Front 548

catapult

Back 548

slingshot; hurling machine; V: fire from catapult

Front 549

cataract

Back 549

great waterfall; eye abnormality (causing a gradual loss of eyesight)

Front 550

catastrophe

Back 550

calamity; disaster

Front 551

catcall

Back 551

shout of disapproval or displeasure (made at the theater or a sports match); boo; V.

Front 552

catechism

Back 552

book for religious instruction in question-and-answer form; religious instruction by question and answer; V. catechize

Front 553

categorical

Back 553

(adj) unconditional; absolute

Front 554

categorical

Back 554

without exceptions; made without any doubt in mind; unqualified; absolute

Front 555

catharsis

Back 555

(n) purification that brings emotional relief or renewal; Adj. Cathartic

Front 556

cathartic

Back 556

purgative; medicine that causes the bowels to empty; Adj.

Front 557

catholic

Back 557

(adj) universal; embracing everything

Front 558

caucus

Back 558

private meeting of a group of people in a political party to select officers or determine policy; Cf. the Caucus club of Boston

Front 559

causal

Back 559

implying a cause-and-effect relationship; N. causality

Front 560

caustic

Back 560

burning; corrosive; able to burn by chemical action; sarcastically biting; (of remarks) intended to hurt; bitter; harmful; Op. harmless

Front 561

cauterize

Back 561

burn (a wound or snakebite, etc.) with hot iron or caustic substance to stop bleeding and prevent infection

Front 562

cavalcade

Back 562

procession of riders or horse-drawn carriages; parade; Cf. cavalry

Front 563

cavalier

Back 563

casual and offhand; arrogant; N: knight

Front 564

cavil

Back 564

quibble; make frivolous objections; find fault unnecessarily

Front 565

cede

Back 565

yield (title or territory) to (esp. after losing a war); surrender formally; N. cession

Front 566

celerity

Back 566

speed; rapidity

Front 567

celibacy

Back 567

(n) abstinence from sex; v. celibate

Front 568

celibate

Back 568

abstaining from sexual intercourse; unmarried; N. celibacy

Front 569

censor

Back 569

(in ancient Rome) overseer of morals (also taking the census); person who eliminates inappropriate matter; V.

Front 570

censorious

Back 570

severely critical

Front 571

censure

Back 571

blame; criticize; express strong disapproval; N: severe criticism; strong disapproval

Front 572

centaur

Back 572

mythical figure, half man and half horse

Front 573

centigrade

Back 573

denoting a widely used temperature scale (basically same as Celsius)

Front 574

centrifugal

Back 574

radiating; departing from the center

Front 575

centrifuge

Back 575

machine that separates substances by whirling them

Front 576

centripetal

Back 576

tending toward the center

Front 577

centurion

Back 577

Roman army officer (commanding a company of about 100 soldiers)

Front 578

cerebral

Back 578

pertaining to the brain or intellect; intellectual rather than emotional; Cf. cerebrum

Front 579

cerebration

Back 579

thought; working of the brain

Front 580

ceremonious

Back 580

marked by formality; extremely formal and polite; Cf. ceremony: conventional social courtesy

Front 581

certitude

Back 581

certainty

Front 582

cessation

Back 582

stoppage

Front 583

chafe

Back 583

warm by rubbing; make sore by rubbing; N.

Front 584

chaff

Back 584

worthless products of an endeavor; husk (outer seed cover) separated from grain; Ex. separate the wheat from the chaff; bantering, joking

Front 585

chagrin

Back 585

annoyance and disappointment; vexation (caused by humiliation or injured pride)

Front 586

chalice

Back 586

goblet; consecrated cup

Front 587

chameleon

Back 587

lizard that changes color in different situations

Front 588

champion

Back 588

support militantly; fight for; N: person who fights for or supports strongly (a principle, movement, person, etc.)

Front 589

chaotic

Back 589

in utter disorder; N. chaos

Front 590

charisma

Back 590

(n) divine gift; great popular charm or appeal; Adj. charismatic

Front 591

charlatan

Back 591

quack; pretender to knowledge (esp. in medicine)

Front 592

chary

Back 592

cautious; unwilling to take risks; sparing or restrained about giving; Op. bold

Front 593

chase

Back 593

ornament a metal surface by indenting; follow rapidly to catch

Front 594

chasm

Back 594

abyss; very deep crack

Front 595

chassis

Back 595

framework and working parts of an automobile; framework to which components are attached

Front 596

chaste

Back 596

morally pure; virginal; abstaining from illicit sexual acts; modest; simple (of a style of writing); not highly decorated; austere

Front 597

chasten

Back 597

discipline; punish in order to correct; Cf. castigate

Front 598

chastise

Back 598

punish as by beating; criticize severely

Front 599

chauvinist

Back 599

blindly devoted patriot; zealous adherent of a group, cause, or sex; Adj. chauvinistic; Cf. chauvinism; Nicolas Chauvin

Front 600

check

Back 600

stop motion; curb or restrain

Front 601

checkered

Back 601

(=chequered) marked by great changes in fortune; with many changes of fortune; Cf. checked: having a pattern of squares

Front 602

cherubic

Back 602

angelic; innocent-looking; N. cherub; Cf. seraph: winged angel of the highest order

Front 603

chicanery

Back 603

trickery; deception

Front 604

chide

Back 604

scold; rebuke (someone who has done wrong)

Front 605

chimerical

Back 605

fantastically improbable; highly unrealistic; N. chimera: unreal fancy; fire-breathing female creature

Front 606

chisel

Back 606

swindle or cheat; N: wedgelike tool for cutting

Front 607

chivalrous

Back 607

courteous; faithful; brave; N. chivalry

Front 608

choleric

Back 608

hot-tempered; bad-tempered; irritable; easily angered; Cf. cholera

Front 609

choreography

Back 609

art of representing dances in written symbols; arrangement of dances

Front 610

chortle

Back 610

chuckle with delight; N.

Front 611

chronic

Back 611

long established as a disease

Front 612

chronicle

Back 612

report; record (in chronological order)

Front 613

churlish

Back 613

boorish; rude; N. churl: boor; yahoo

Front 614

ciliated

Back 614

having minute hairs; Cf. cilium; Cf. cilia: eyelash

Front 615

cipher

Back 615

nonentity; worthless person or thing; zero; secret code; V.

Front 616

circlet

Back 616

small ring; band of gold, silver, jewel, etc. (worn on the head, arms, or neck as decoration)

Front 617

circuitous

Back 617

(adj) roundabout;

Front 618

circumlocution

Back 618

(n) an indirect expression

Front 619

circumscribe

Back 619

(v) to draw a line around; to set the limit; to define; to restrict;

Front 620

circumspect

Back 620

(adj) cautions

Front 621

circumvent

Back 621

outwit; defeat by behaving more cleverly; outsmart; baffle; avoid; get around

Front 622

cistern

Back 622

reservoir or water tank

Front 623

citadel

Back 623

fortress

Front 624

cite

Back 624

quote; commend; Ex. cited for bravery in an official record

Front 625

civil

Back 625

(adj) polite; civilized; courteous

Front 626

clairvoyant

Back 626

having foresight; fortuneteller; N. clairvoyance

Front 627

clamber

Back 627

climb by crawling with difficulties; scramble

Front 628

clamor

Back 628

loud continuous noise; continuous demand or complaint made by a large number of people; V: make a clamor; express (a demand) continually and loudly; Adj. clamorous

Front 629

clandestine

Back 629

secret

Front 630

clangor

Back 630

loud resounding noise; sound of repeated clanging

Front 631

clapper

Back 631

striker (tongue) of a bell

Front 632

clarion

Back 632

shrill, trumpetlike sound; kind of trumpet used in former times

Front 633

claustrophobia

Back 633

fear of being locked in

Front 634

cleave

Back 634

split or sever; cling to; remain faithful to; N. cleavage; Adj. cloven

Front 635

cleft

Back 635

(n) split

Front 636

clemency

Back 636

(n) mercy; forgiveness; mildness

Front 637

cliché

Back 637

phrase dulled in meaning by repetition; platitude; Adj. clichéd

Front 638

clientele

Back 638

body of customers

Front 639

climactic

Back 639

(adj) relating to the highest point; N. climax; Cf. climatic

Front 640

clime

Back 640

region; climate

Front 641

clique

Back 641

(n) an exclusive group bound together by some shared quality or interest

Front 642

cloister

Back 642

monastery or convent

Front 643

cloudburst

Back 643

a sudden, brief rainstorm

Front 644

clout

Back 644

great influence (especially political or social); hard blow with fist

Front 645

cloying

Back 645

distasteful (because excessive); excessively sweet or sentimental; V. cloy: become unpleasant through too much sweetness or excess

Front 646

coagulate

Back 646

congeal; thicken; clot; N. coagulant

Front 647

coalesce

Back 647

combine; fuse; N. coalescence

Front 648

coalition

Back 648

partnership; league; union of separate political parties

Front 649

coda

Back 649

concluding section of a musical or literary composition

Front 650

coddle

Back 650

treat gently; indulge excessively; pamper; mollycoddle; baby; cook in water just below boiling point; Ex. coddled eggs

Front 651

codicil

Back 651

supplement to the body of a will; later addition to a will

Front 652

codify

Back 652

arrange (laws or rules) as a code; classify; N. code: system of words used instead of ordinary writing; collection of laws, rules, established social customs

Front 653

coercion

Back 653

use of force to get someone to object; compelling; V. coerce

Front 654

coeval

Back 654

(adj) living at the same time as; existing during the same period of time; contemporary; of the same age

Front 655

cog

Back 655

tooth projecting from a wheel

Front 656

cogent

Back 656

convincing

Front 657

cogitate

Back 657

think over; ponder

Front 658

cognate

Back 658

having a common origin; related linguistically; allied by blood; similar or akin in nature; Ex. cognate languages; N.

Front 659

cognitive

Back 659

having to do with knowing or perceiving related to the mental processes; N. cognition: the mental process of knowing

Front 660

cognizance

Back 660

knowledge; Adj. cognizant; having knowledge; aware

Front 661

cohabit

Back 661

live together

Front 662

cohere

Back 662

stick together

Front 663

cohesion

Back 663

tendency to keep together

Front 664

cohorts

Back 664

group of people who share some common quality; armed band; a group of between 300 and 600 soldiers under one commander (in the ancient Rome)

Front 665

coiffure

Back 665

hairstyle

Front 666

coin

Back 666

make coins; invent or fabricate (a word or phrase); N. coinage: word or phrase recently invented

Front 667

coincidence

Back 667

the chance occurrence, at the same time, of two or more seemingly connected events; V. coincide: happen at the same time; be in agreement; Cf. coincident; Cf. coincidental

Front 668

colander

Back 668

(=cullender) utensil with perforated bottom used for straining

Front 669

collaborate

Back 669

work together; cooperate treasonably with the enemy

Front 670

collage

Back 670

work of art put together from fragments

Front 671

collate

Back 671

examine and compare in order to verify authenticity; arrange in order (the sheets of a book before they are bound)

Front 672

collateral

Back 672

security given for loan; Adj: secondary; descended from the same person but through different sons or daughters

Front 673

collation

Back 673

a light meal; collating

Front 674

colloquial

Back 674

pertaining to conversational or common speech; informal; N. colloquialism: colloquial expression

Front 675

colloquy

Back 675

informal discussion; conversation

Front 676

collusion

Back 676

conspiring in a fraudulent scheme to cheat or deceive others; V. collude

Front 677

colossal

Back 677

huge

Front 678

colossus

Back 678

gigantic statue; person or thing of great size or importance

Front 679

comatose

Back 679

in a coma; extremely sleepy

Front 680

combustible

Back 680

easily burned; N. Cf. combustion

Front 681

comely

Back 681

attractive; agreeable; having a pleasing appearance

Front 682

comestible

Back 682

something fit to be eaten

Front 683

comeuppance

Back 683

deserts; well-deserved punishment or misfortune; rebuke

Front 684

comity

Back 684

courtesy; civility; Ex. comity of nations

Front 685

commandeer

Back 685

take (private property) for military use without needing permission or giving payment; draft for military purposes

Front 686

commemorative

Back 686

remembering; honoring the memory of; Ex. commemorative stamp

Front 687

commensurate

Back 687

equal in extent; of the same size

Front 688

commiserate

Back 688

feel or express pity or sympathy for

Front 689

commodious

Back 689

spacious and comfortable

Front 690

communal

Back 690

held in common; public; of a group of people; of a commune

Front 691

companionship

Back 691

(n) fellowship; friendliness; camaraderie

Front 692

compatible

Back 692

harmonious; in harmony with; able to exist together

Front 693

compelling

Back 693

overpowering; irresistible in effect; holding one's attention; that compels one to do something; Ex. a compelling adventure story; V. compel

Front 694

compendium

Back 694

brief, comprehensive summary; Adj. compendious

Front 695

compensatory

Back 695

making up for; repaying

Front 696

compilation

Back 696

listing of information in tabular or book form; compiling

Front 697

complacency

Back 697

self-satisfaction; smugness; Adj. complacent

Front 698

complaisant

Back 698

trying to please; obliging; willing to please others

Front 699

complement

Back 699

complete; consummate; make perfect; Adj. complementary; N.

Front 700

compliance

Back 700

conformity in fulfilling requirements; readiness to yield; disposition to yield to others; V. comply; Adj. compliant

Front 701

complicity

Back 701

participation; involvement (in a questionable act or a crime)

Front 702

component

Back 702

element; ingredient

Front 703

comport

Back 703

bear one's self; behave; Ex. comport oneself; N. comportment

Front 704

composition

Back 704

decay; V. decompose: decay; break and separate into simple parts

Front 705

composure

Back 705

mental calmness

Front 706

compound

Back 706

combine; produce by combining; increase; make worse by adding to or increasing; exacerbate; Ex. compound an error; Adj: consisting of two or more parts; N: combination of two or more parts; area enclosed by a wall containing a group of buildings; Ex. factory compound; Cf. complex

Front 707

comprehensive

Back 707

broad; including a lot or everything; thorough; inclusive

Front 708

compress

Back 708

force into less space; squeeze; contract; put into fewer words; N: thick mass of cloth pressed to part of the body to stop bleeding or swelling, reduce fever, etc.

Front 709

comprise

Back 709

include; consist of

Front 710

compunction

Back 710

remorse; strong uneasiness caused by guilt

Front 711

compute

Back 711

reckon; calculate

Front 712

concatenate

Back 712

link as in a chain

Front 713

concave

Back 713

hollow; curved inwards; Op. convex

Front 714

concede

Back 714

admit; acknowledge as being true (often reluctantly); yield; grant; Ex. concede a goal

Front 715

conceit

Back 715

vanity or self-love; too high opinion of one's own value; extravagant metaphor (in poetry)

Front 716

concentric

Back 716

having a common center

Front 717

concerted

Back 717

mutually agreed on; done together by agreement; Ex. concerted effort; Cf. in concert: working together

Front 718

concession

Back 718

an act of yielding; conceding; something conceded; point, right, etc. given unwillingly; privilege of maintaining a business in a certain place; Ex. oil concessions in the North sea; Cf. concessionaire

Front 719

conciliatory

Back 719

reconciling; soothing; V. conciliate: reconcile; soothe; win the friendly feelings (by removing anger)

Front 720

concise

Back 720

brief and compact

Front 721

conclave

Back 721

private secret meeting

Front 722

conclusive

Back 722

decisive; ending all debate

Front 723

concoct

Back 723

prepare by mixing or combining; make up in concert; devise (something false) so as to deceive; Ex. concoct an elaborate excuse for being late; N. concoction

Front 724

concomitant

Back 724

that which accompanies; Ex. Deafness is a frequent concomitant of old age; Adj: existing or happening together with something else

Front 725

concord

Back 725

harmony; accord

Front 726

concur

Back 726

(v) agree; coincide; happen at the same time; Adj. concurrent

Front 727

condescend

Back 727

(derog.) bestow courtesies with a superior air; descend to the level of one considered inferior

Front 728

condign

Back 728

adequate; (of punishment) severe and well deserved

Front 729

condiments

Back 729

seasonings; spices

Front 730

condole

Back 730

express condolences; N. condolence: sympathy for someone who has experienced great sorrow

Front 731

condone

Back 731

overlook; forgive; give tacit approval; excuse

Front 732

conducive

Back 732

helpful; contributive; V. conduce; Ex. conduce to/towards

Front 733

conduit

Back 733

aqueduct; passageway for fluids

Front 734

confess

Back 734

(v) to admit or reveal something

Front 735

confessor

Back 735

(n) a spiritual advisor

Front 736

confidant

Back 736

trusted friend (to whom one tells one's secret); confidante

Front 737

confine

Back 737

shut in an enclosed space; restrict; keep within limits; N. confinement

Front 738

confiscate

Back 738

seize; take possession of (private property) by official order (usu. as a punishment); commandeer

Front 739

conflagration

Back 739

great fire

Front 740

confluence

Back 740

flowing together; the place where two rivers flow together; crowd; gathering together

Front 741

conformity

Back 741

harmony; agreement with established rules or customs; similarity; Ex. behave in conformity with; V. conform: be similar; act in agreement; comply; Ex. conform to the rule; Cf. conformance

Front 742

confound

Back 742

confuse; puzzle

Front 743

congeal

Back 743

freeze; coagulate

Front 744

congenial

Back 744

pleasant; friendly; in agreement with one's tastes and nature; Ex. congenial weather

Front 745

congenital

Back 745

existing at birth

Front 746

conglomeration

Back 746

mass of material sticking together

Front 747

congruent

Back 747

(=congruous) in agreement; harmonious; corresponding; coinciding exactly; N. congruence (=congruity)

Front 748

conifer

Back 748

pine tree (usu. evergreen); cone-bearing tree; Adj. coniferous; Cf. deciduous; Cf. evergreen

Front 749

conjugal

Back 749

pertaining to marriage

Front 750

conjure

Back 750

cause to appear by magic; summon (a devil or a spirit) by magical power; practice magic (esp. by very quick movement of the hands); evoke; conjure up: bring into the mind; Ex. The magician conjured a rabbit out of his hat.

Front 751

connivance

Back 751

pretense of ignorance of something wrong; assistance; permission to offend; V. connive: feign ignorance (of a wrong); cooperate secretly in an illegal action; conspire

Front 752

connoisseur

Back 752

person competent to act as a judge of art, etc. (whose judgments are respected); a lover of an art

Front 753

connotation

Back 753

suggested or implied meaning of an expression; V. connote

Front 754

connubial

Back 754

pertaining to marriage or the matrimonial state

Front 755

consanguinity

Back 755

kinship; relationship by birth

Front 756

conscientious

Back 756

scrupulous; through and careful; Ex. conscientious worker

Front 757

conscript

Back 757

draftee; person forced into military service; V.

Front 758

consecrate

Back 758

dedicate; sanctify; declare as sacred; Ex. consecrate one's life to helping the poor

Front 759

consensus

Back 759

general agreement; opinion reached by a group

Front 760

consequential

Back 760

self-important; significant; consequent; following as a result; Ex. consequential air; Cf. subsequent

Front 761

conservatory

Back 761

(=conservatoire) school of the fine arts (especially music or drama); glass-enclosed area; Cf. conservancy

Front 762

consign

Back 762

send to a person or place for sale; deliver officially; entrust; put into the care of another; set apart (for a special purpose); N. consignment; Cf. consignor, consignee

Front 763

consistency

Back 763

absence of contradictions; uniformity; degree of thickness or firmness; Ex. consistency of thick cream; Cf. viscous

Front 764

console

Back 764

lessen sadness or disappointment; give comfort; allay the sorrow of; N. consolation

Front 765

consolidation

Back 765

unification; process of becoming firmer or stronger; V. consolidate: merge; strengthen

Front 766

consonance

Back 766

harmony; agreement

Front 767

consort

Back 767

associate with; keep company; N: husband or wife (or a ruler)

Front 768

conspiracy

Back 768

treacherous plot; secret plan against the law (by two or more people)

Front 769

constituent

Back 769

supporter; voter; member of a constituency; component

Front 770

constraint

Back 770

restraint; compulsion; repression of feelings; reticence; V. constrain: hold back; restrain; compel; oblige; confine forcibly; imprison

Front 771

construe

Back 771

explain; interpret; Ex. construe her silence as meaning that she agreed; Cf. misconstrue

Front 772

consummate

Back 772

complete; V.

Front 773

contagion

Back 773

infection (by contact); Adj. contagious; Cf. infectious: that can be passed by infection in the air

Front 774

contaminate

Back 774

pollute

Front 775

contempt

Back 775

scorn; disdain; Adj. contemptuous; Cf. contemptible

Front 776

contention

Back 776

assertion; claim; statement; thesis; struggling; competition; V. contend

Front 777

contentious

Back 777

quarrelsome; controversial; likely to cause arguments

Front 778

contest

Back 778

dispute; argue about the rightness of; compete for; try to win; Ex. contest the election results; Ex. contest a seat in Parliament; N.

Front 779

context

Back 779

writings preceding and following the passage quoted; circumstance in which an event occurs

Front 780

contiguous

Back 780

adjacent to; touching upon

Front 781

continence

Back 781

self-restraint; sexual chastity; sexual abstinence; voluntary control over bladder and bowel functions; Adj. continent

Front 782

contingent

Back 782

dependent on something uncertain or in the future; conditional; happening by chance; accidental; N: a group of soldiers, ships to a larger force; Cf. contingency: future event that may or may not occur; possibility; Ex. prepare for every contingency

Front 783

contortions

Back 783

twistings; distortions; V. contort: twist violently out of shape; Cf. contortionist

Front 784

contraband

Back 784

illegal trade; smuggling; smuggled goods; Adj.

Front 785

contravene

Back 785

contradict; oppose; violate (a rule, law, or custom); N. contravention

Front 786

contrite

Back 786

penitent; repentant; N. contrition

Front 787

contrived

Back 787

unnatural and forced; artificial; not spontaneous; Ex. The ending was rather contrived.

Front 788

controvert

Back 788

oppose with arguments; attempt to refute; contradict; Adj. controversial; N. controversy

Front 789

contumacious

Back 789

stubborn and disobedient; resisting authority (esp. disobedient to an order made by a court)

Front 790

contusion

Back 790

bruise

Front 791

conundrum

Back 791

riddle; difficult problem

Front 792

convene

Back 792

come together; assemble; call to meet; Ex. convene the council

Front 793

convention

Back 793

social or moral custom; established practice; formal meeting; international agreement

Front 794

conventional

Back 794

ordinary; typical; not nuclear; Ex. conventional weapons

Front 795

converge

Back 795

approach; tend to meet; come together

Front 796

conversant

Back 796

familiar with; having knowledge of

Front 797

converse

Back 797

opposite; Adj.

Front 798

convert

Back 798

one who has adopted a different religion or opinion; V: change into another form; (persuade to) adopt a particular religion or belief

Front 799

convex

Back 799

curving outward

Front 800

conviction

Back 800

judgment that someone is guilty of a crime; strongly held belief

Front 801

convivial

Back 801

pleasantly merry; festive; joyous; gay; characterized by joviality; jovial

Front 802

convoke

Back 802

call together; Ex. convoke Parliament; N. convocation

Front 803

convoluted

Back 803

coiled around; twisted; involved; complicated; intricate; complex; N. convolution: twist; one of the convex folds of the surface of the brain

Front 804

copious

Back 804

plentiful

Front 805

coquette

Back 805

flirt; flirtatious woman; woman who tries to attract the admiration of men without sincere feelings; V.

Front 806

cordial

Back 806

warmly friendly; gracious; heartfelt; Ex. cordial welcome

Front 807

cordon

Back 807

extended line of men or fortifications to prevent access or egress; V.

Front 808

cornice

Back 808

projecting molding on building (usually above columns or pillars);

Front 809

cornucopia

Back 809

horn (or horn-shaped container) overflowing with fruit and grain; symbol of abundance; horn of plenty

Front 810

corollary

Back 810

natural consequence (which naturally follows from something else)

Front 811

corporeal

Back 811

bodily (rather than spiritual); of a bodily form; material; tangible

Front 812

corpulent

Back 812

very fat; N. corpulence

Front 813

correlation

Back 813

mutual relationship

Front 814

corroborate

Back 814

confirm; support; strengthen

Front 815

corrode

Back 815

destroy or wear away gradually by chemicals or disease; Adj. corrosive

Front 816

corrugated

Back 816

wrinkled; ridged

Front 817

cosmic

Back 817

pertaining to the universe; vast

Front 818

countenance

Back 818

approve; support; tolerate; Ex. countenance his rude behavior; N: face; appearance

Front 819

countermand

Back 819

cancel; revoke (an order)

Front 820

counterpart

Back 820

thing that completes another; things very much alike; thing that has the same purpose in a different system

Front 821

couple

Back 821

join; unite; Op. uncouple

Front 822

courier

Back 822

messenger

Front 823

covenant

Back 823

binding agreement between two groups or people; compact; V: enter into a covenant; promise

Front 824

covert

Back 824

secret; hidden; implied; Op. overt

Front 825

covetous

Back 825

avaricious; desirous of (someone else's possessions); V. covet: desire eagerly (someone else's possessions)

Front 826

cow

Back 826

terrorize; intimidate

Front 827

coy

Back 827

shy (flirtatiously); showing a (pretended) lack of self-confidence; modest; coquettish; Cf. job offer

Front 828

cozen

Back 828

cheat; hoodwink; swindle

Front 829

crabbed

Back 829

sour; bad-tempered; peevish; difficult to read as handwriting

Front 830

crass

Back 830

very unrefined; grossly insensible; crude and undiscriminating; Ex. crass behavior

Front 831

craven

Back 831

cowardly

Front 832

credence

Back 832

belief

Front 833

credo

Back 833

creed

Front 834

credulity

Back 834

belief on slight evidence; gullibility; Adj. credulous

Front 835

creed

Back 835

system of religious or ethical belief

Front 836

crescendo

Back 836

increase in the volume or intensity as in a musical passage; climax; Cf. crescent

Front 837

crestfallen

Back 837

dejected; dispirited

Front 838

crevice

Back 838

crack; fissure

Front 839

crib

Back 839

(n) a special bed where a baby sleeps

Front 840

cringe

Back 840

shrink back as if in fear; cower

Front 841

cripple

Back 841

injure lastingly; disable;

Front 842

crippling

Back 842

the action of stopping or impairing normal activity

Front 843

criteria

Back 843

standards used in judging; Cf. criterion

Front 844

crone

Back 844

hag; ugly old woman

Front 845

crotchety

Back 845

(of someone old) eccentric; odd; whimsical; bad-tempered; N. crotchet: odd or whimsical notion

Front 846

crux

Back 846

essential or main point; Ex. the crux of the problem; Adj. crucial: of deciding importance

Front 847

crypt

Back 847

secret recess or vault usually used for burial; underground room (under a church)

Front 848

cryptic

Back 848

mysterious; hidden; secret

Front 849

cubicle

Back 849

small chamber used for sleeping or work

Front 850

cuisine

Back 850

style of cooking; Ex. French cuisine

Front 851

culinary

Back 851

(n) relating to cooking or kitchen

Front 852

cull

Back 852

pick out from others (to kill the weakest members); reject; select; collect (information); N.

Front 853

culmination

Back 853

highest point; climax; V. culminate in: reach the highest point in; end in; Ex. a series of minor clashes culminating in war

Front 854

culpable

Back 854

deserving blame; blameworthy

Front 855

culvert

Back 855

artificial channel for water; drain crossing under a road

Front 856

cumbersome

Back 856

heavy and awkward to carry or wear; burdensome; Ex. cumbersome parcel/uniform

Front 857

cumulative

Back 857

growing by addition; accumulative

Front 858

cupidity

Back 858

greed (for wealth); Cf. cupid; Cf. Cupid

Front 859

curator

Back 859

superintendent; manager (in charge of a museum or a library)

Front 860

curmudgeon

Back 860

churlish, miserly individual; bad-tempered old person

Front 861

cursive

Back 861

(of writing) flowing; running; having the successive letters joined

Front 862

cursory

Back 862

casual; hastily done with little attention to detail

Front 863

curtail

Back 863

shorten; reduce

Front 864

cynical

Back 864

skeptical or distrustful of human motives; N. cynicism; Cf. cynic: person who believes all people are motivated by selfishness

Front 865

cynosure

Back 865

object of general attention; person or thing that is a center of attention; Cf. Ursa Minor

Front 866

dabble

Back 866

work at in a nonserious fashion; splash around; move noisily in a liquid

Front 867

dais

Back 867

raised platform for speakers or other important people

Front 868

dally

Back 868

trifle with; toy with; treat without the necessary seriousness; procrastinate; waste time

Front 869

dank

Back 869

damp; unpleasantly wet

Front 870

dapper

Back 870

neat and trim (in appearance); (of small men) neat in appearance and quick in movements; neat; spry

Front 871

dappled

Back 871

spotted

Front 872

daub

Back 872

smear (as with paint); cover with something sticky; Ex. daub one's clothes with mud/paint; N: small bit of sticky substance; Ex. a daub of paint

Front 873

daunt

Back 873

intimidate; frighten; discourage; dishearten

Front 874

dauntless

Back 874

bold; fearless

Front 875

dawdle

Back 875

loiter; hang around; waste time doing nothing

Front 876

deadlock

Back 876

standstill resulting from the opposition of two unrelenting forces; stalemate

Front 877

deadpan

Back 877

wooden; impassive; with no show of feeling; with an expressionless face

Front 878

dearth

Back 878

scarcity

Front 879

debacle

Back 879

sudden disastrous downfall or defeat; complete disaster

Front 880

debase

Back 880

degrade; reduce in quality or value; degenerate; lower in esteem; disgrace; N. debasement

Front 881

debauch

Back 881

corrupt morally; seduce from virtue; N. debauchery: wild behavior (with sex and alcohol)

Front 882

debilitate

Back 882

weaken (esp. through heat, hunger, illness); enfeeble

Front 883

debonair

Back 883

(of men) friendly, charming, and fashionably dressed; aiming to please; Cf. of good disposition

Front 884

debris

Back 884

rubble; wreckage; scattered remains of something broken or destroyed

Front 885

debunk

Back 885

expose as false, exaggerated, worthless, etc.; ridicule

Front 886

debutante

Back 886

young woman making formal entrance into society

Front 887

decadence

Back 887

decay; fall to a lower level (of morality, civilization, or art); Adj. decadent

Front 888

decant

Back 888

pour off gently (wine or liquid)

Front 889

decapitate

Back 889

behead

Front 890

decelerate

Back 890

slow down

Front 891

deciduous

Back 891

falling off at a specific season or stage of growth as of leaves; Ex. deciduous tree/teeth

Front 892

decimate

Back 892

kill (usually one out of ten or every tenth man); destroy or kill a large part of

Front 893

decipher

Back 893

decode; Cf. indecipherable

Front 894

declivity

Back 894

downward slope

Front 895

decorous

Back 895

proper (in behavior, conduct, appearance, manner or taste); N. decorum

Front 896

decoy

Back 896

lure or bait; V.

Front 897

decrepitude

Back 897

state of collapse or weakness caused by illness or old age

Front 898

decry

Back 898

express strong disapproval of; condemn openly (something dangerous to the public); disparage; Ex. decry the violence of modern films

Front 899

deducible

Back 899

derived by reasoning; V. deduce: infer; derive by reasoning

Front 900

deface

Back 900

mar; disfigure

Front 901

defame

Back 901

harm someone's reputation; malign; speak evil of; slander; N. defamation; Adj. defamatory

Front 902

default

Back 902

(n) failure to act; failure to perform a task or be present; V.

Front 903

defeatist

Back 903

resigned to defeat or failure; accepting defeat or failure as a natural outcome; N. Cf. defeatism

Front 904

defection

Back 904

desertion

Front 905

defer

Back 905

give in respectfully; submit; delay till later; exempt temporarily; N. deferment (=deferral); Cf. show respect, comply with, courteous

Front 906

deference

Back 906

courteous regard for another's wish; courteous yielding to another's wish or opinion (showing respect); Adj. deferential; Op. effrontery

Front 907

defiance

Back 907

refusal to yield; resistance; V. defy; Adj. defiant

Front 908

deficient

Back 908

(adj) not having an adequate or proper supply or amount.

Front 909

defile

Back 909

pollute; make filthy or dirty; corrupt morally; profane; desecrate; N: narrow passage or gorge through mountains

Front 910

definitive

Back 910

most reliable; authorative and complete; that cannot be improved; conclusive; decisive; definite; Ex. definitive decision by the supreme court

Front 911

deflect

Back 911

turn aside; turn away from a straight course

Front 912

defoliate

Back 912

destroy leaves; deprive of leaves (by the use of chemicals); N. defoliant

Front 913

defray

Back 913

provide for the payment of; undertake the payment of; pay

Front 914

defrock

Back 914

strip a priest or minister of church authority; unfrock

Front 915

deft

Back 915

neat; skillful

Front 916

defunct

Back 916

dead; no longer in use or existence

Front 917

degenerate

Back 917

become worse in quality; deteriorate; Adj: having become worse; Ex. a degenerate species; N: depraved or corrupt person

Front 918

degradation

Back 918

humiliation; debasement; degeneration; V. degrade: debase; disgrace; degenerate; reduce (something) in worth; demote (someone); reduce in rank

Front 919

dehydrate

Back 919

remove water from; dry out

Front 920

deify

Back 920

turn into a god; make a god of; idolize; Ex. Kings were deified; Cf. deity

Front 921

delete

Back 921

erase; strike out

Front 922

deleterious

Back 922

harmful

Front 923

deliberate

Back 923

consider; ponder; Adj: done on purpose; slow

Front 924

delineate

Back 924

portray; depict; sketch; describe; N. delineation

Front 925

delirium

Back 925

mental disorder marked by confusion; uncontrolled excitement; Adj. delirious

Front 926

delta

Back 926

flat plain of mud or sand between branches of a river

Front 927

delude

Back 927

deceive

Front 928

deluge

Back 928

flood; rush; V.

Front 929

delusion

Back 929

false belief; deception; hallucination; deluding; Ex. delusions of grandeur; Ex. under the delusion that; Adj. delusive

Front 930

delve

Back 930

dig; search deeply; investigate

Front 931

demagogue

Back 931

person who appeals to people's prejudice; false leader of people; Cf. demagoguery

Front 932

demean

Back 932

disgrace; humiliate; debase in dignity; behave

Front 933

demeanor

Back 933

behavior; bearing

Front 934

demented

Back 934

insane

Front 935

demise

Back 935

death

Front 936

demographic

Back 936

related to population balance; N. demography: statistical study of human population

Front 937

demolition

Back 937

destruction; V. demolish

Front 938

demoniac

Back 938

(=demoniacal) fiendish; cruel; N. demon: evil supernatural being; devil

Front 939

demotic

Back 939

of or pertaining to the people

Front 940

demur

Back 940

object (because of doubts, scruples); raise an objection (showing qualms); hesitate; Ex. demur at the idea of working on Sunday

Front 941

denigrate

Back 941

blacken; defame

Front 942

denizen

Back 942

(animal, person, or plant) inhabitant or resident of a particular place; regular visitor

Front 943

denotation

Back 943

meaning; distinguishing by name; V. denote: indicate; refer to directly; mean; Cf. connotation

Front 944

denouement

Back 944

final outcome; final development of the plot of a play or other literary work; the end of a story when everything is explained

Front 945

denounce

Back 945

condemn; criticize; N. denunciation

Front 946

depict

Back 946

portray

Front 947

deplete

Back 947

reduce; exhaust

Front 948

deplore

Back 948

regret; express sorrow and severe disapproval for something bad; Ex. deplore their violent behavior; Adj. deplorable: very bad; deserving severe disapproval; Ex. deplorable living condition

Front 949

deploy

Back 949

spread out (troops) in an extended though shallow battle line; distribute (persons or forces) systematically or strategically

Front 950

deposition

Back 950

testimony under oath; dethroning, removal from office; V. depose

Front 951

depravity

Back 951

extreme corruption; wickedness; V. deprave

Front 952

deprecate

Back 952

express disapproval of; deplore; protest against; belittle; Adj. deprecatory

Front 953

depreciate

Back 953

lessen in value; belittle; represent as of little value

Front 954

depredation

Back 954

plundering; destruction

Front 955

deranged

Back 955

insane

Front 956

derelict

Back 956

negligent; (of someone) neglectful of duty; (of something) deserted by an owner; abandoned; N: abandoned property; homeless or vagrant person

Front 957

deride

Back 957

ridicule; treat with contempt; make fun of; Op. respect; N. derision;

Front 958

derivative

Back 958

unoriginal; obtained from another source; Ex. derivative prose style; N.

Front 959

dermatologist

Back 959

one who studies the skin and its diseases

Front 960

derogatory

Back 960

expressing a low opinion; disparaging; V. derogate: detract; disparage

Front 961

desecrate

Back 961

profane; violate the sanctity of

Front 962

desiccate

Back 962

dry up

Front 963

desolate

Back 963

(of a place) deserted; unpopulated; (of a person) lonely; forlorn; joyless

Front 964

desolate

Back 964

make desolate; forsake; abandon and desert

Front 965

desperado

Back 965

reckless, desperate outlaw

Front 966

despise

Back 966

look on with scorn; regard as worthless or distasteful; Adj. despicable: contemptible

Front 967

despoil

Back 967

plunder; sack; Ex. despoil the village

Front 968

despondent

Back 968

without hope and courage; depressed; gloomy; N. despondency: loss of hope with gloom; dejection

Front 969

despot

Back 969

tyrant; harsh, authoritarian ruler; Cf. despotism

Front 970

destitute

Back 970

extremely poor; lacking means of subsistence; utterly lacking; devoid; Ex. destitute of any experience

Front 971

desultory

Back 971

aimless; haphazard; digressing at random

Front 972

detached

Back 972

emotionally removed; free from emotional involvement; calm and objective; physically separate; N. detachment; Cf. attachment

Front 973

determination

Back 973

resolve; firmness of purpose; measurement or calculation; decision

Front 974

deterrent

Back 974

something that discourages or deters

Front 975

detonation

Back 975

explosion

Front 976

detraction

Back 976

slandering; aspersion; detracting; Cf. detractor

Front 977

detrimental

Back 977

harmful; damaging; N. detriment

Front 978

deviate

Back 978

turn away from (a principle, norm); move away from an accepted standard; swerve; depart; diverge; N. deviation; Ex. deviation of the path of light by a prism

Front 979

devious

Back 979

roundabout; erratic; deviating from the straight course; not straightforward; not completely honest; Ex. devious route

Front 980

devise

Back 980

think up; invent; plan; bequeath; N: bequest

Front 981

devoid

Back 981

empty; lacking

Front 982

devolve

Back 982

deputize; pass or be passed to others (power, work, or property); Ex. devolve on/upon/to

Front 983

devotee

Back 983

enthusiastic follower; enthusiast; Ex. devotee of Bach

Front 984

devout

Back 984

pious; deeply religious; sincere; earnest; Ex. my devout hope

Front 985

diabolical

Back 985

diabolic; devilish; fiendish

Front 986

diadem

Back 986

crown

Front 987

dialectical

Back 987

relating to the art of debate; mutual or reciprocal; Ex. dialectical situation; N. dialectic: art of arriving at the truth by the exchange of logical arguments

Front 988

diaphanous

Back 988

sheer; transparent

Front 989

diatribe

Back 989

bitter scolding or denunciation; invective; abuse

Front 990

dichotomy

Back 990

division into two opposite parts; split; branching into two parts (especially contradictory ones)

Front 991

dictum

Back 991

authoritative and weighty statement (made by a judge in court); saying; maxim; Cf. obiter dictum: incidental, nonbinding remark (something said in passing)

Front 992

didactic

Back 992

(of speech or writing) intended to teach a moral lesson; teaching; instructional; N. didacticism

Front 993

die

Back 993

metal block used for shaping metal or plastic; device for stamping or impressing; mold; Cf. dice

Front 994

diffidence

Back 994

shyness; lack of self-confidence; timidity; Adj. diffident

Front 995

diffuse

Back 995

wordy; verbose; rambling; spread out (like a gas); V: spread out in all directions; disperse; N. diffusion; Cf. suffuse

Front 996

digression

Back 996

wandering away from the subject; V. digress

Front 997

dilapidated

Back 997

falling to pieces; in a bad condition; ruined because of neglect; Ex. dilapidated old car/castle; N. dilapidation

Front 998

dilate

Back 998

expand; dilate on/upon: speak or write at length on (a subject)

Front 999

dilatory

Back 999

delaying; tending to delay

Front 1000

dilemma

Back 1000

situation that requires a choice between equally unfavorable options; problem; choice of two unsatisfactory alternatives

Front 1001

dilettante

Back 1001

aimless follower of an art or a field of knowledge (not taking it seriously); amateur; dabbler; Cf. delight

Front 1002

diligence

Back 1002

steadiness of effort; persistent hard work

Front 1003

dilute

Back 1003

make (a liquid) less concentrated; reduce in strength; Ex. dilute the influence of the president

Front 1004

diminution

Back 1004

lessening; reduction in size; V. diminish

Front 1005

din

Back 1005

continued loud noise; V: make a din; instill by wearying repetition

Front 1006

dinghy

Back 1006

small boat (often ship's boat)

Front 1007

dingy

Back 1007

(of things and place) dirty and dull; Ex. dingy street/curtain

Front 1008

dint

Back 1008

means; effort; Ex. by dint of hard work

Front 1009

diorama

Back 1009

life-size, three-dimensional scene from nature or history; three-dimensional scene with modeled figures against a painted background

Front 1010

dire

Back 1010

warning of disaster; disastrous; (of needs and dangers) very great; urgent; Ex. dire prediction/need of food

Front 1011

dirge

Back 1011

funeral song; slow mournful piece of music (sung over a dead person)

Front 1012

disabuse

Back 1012

correct a false impression; undeceive; free from a wrong belief

Front 1013

disaffected

Back 1013

disloyal; lacking loyalty; V. disaffect: cause to lose affection or loyalty

Front 1014

disapprobation

Back 1014

disapproval; condemnation

Front 1015

disarray

Back 1015

state of disorder; a disorderly or untidy state; Ex. with her clothes in disarray

Front 1016

disavowal

Back 1016

denial; disclaiming; repudiating; disowning; V. disavow; Cf. disclaim

Front 1017

disband

Back 1017

dissolve; disperse; (of a group) break up and separate; Ex. The club has disbanded.

Front 1018

disburse

Back 1018

pay out (as from a fund); N. disbursement; Cf. purse

Front 1019

discernible

Back 1019

distinguishable; perceivable; Ex. discernible improvement

Front 1020

discerning

Back 1020

mentally quick and observant; having insight; perceptive; able to make good judgments; V. discern: perceive

Front 1021

disclose

Back 1021

reveal; N. disclosure

Front 1022

discombobulated

Back 1022

discomposed; confused

Front 1023

discomfit

Back 1023

frustrate; put to rout; defeat; disconcert; embarrass; perturb

Front 1024

disconcert

Back 1024

confuse; upset; embarrass; perturb

Front 1025

disconsolate

Back 1025

hopelessly sad (at the loss of something)

Front 1026

discord

Back 1026

conflict; lack of harmony; dissonance (when musical notes are played); Adj. discordant

Front 1027

discount

Back 1027

disregard; regard (a story or news) as unimportant; deduct from a cost

Front 1028

discourse

Back 1028

serious speech, writing, or conversation; formal discussion (either written or spoken); conversation; V.

Front 1029

discredit

Back 1029

defame; disgrace; destroy confidence in; disbelieve; N. Cf. discreditable: causing discredit; shameful

Front 1030

discrepancy

Back 1030

lack of consistency or agreement as between facts; difference; Ex. discrepancy between two descriptions

Front 1031

discrete

Back 1031

separate; unconnected

Front 1032

discretion

Back 1032

prudence; ability to adjust actions to circumstances; freedom of action or judgment; Adj. discreet; Cf. discretionary

Front 1033

discriminating

Back 1033

able to see differences; discerning; prejudiced; N. discrimination

Front 1034

discursive

Back 1034

(of a person or writing) digressing; rambling (without any clear plan)

Front 1035

disdain

Back 1035

treat with scorn or contempt

Front 1036

disembark

Back 1036

debark; go ashore (from a ship); unload cargo from a ship; Cf. embark

Front 1037

disenfranchise

Back 1037

disfranchise; deprive of a civil right; Op. enfranchise

Front 1038

disengage

Back 1038

uncouple; separate; disconnect; stop fighting; Op. engage

Front 1039

disfigure

Back 1039

mar the appearance of; spoil

Front 1040

disgorge

Back 1040

surrender something (stolen); eject; vomit; Op. gorge

Front 1041

disgruntle

Back 1041

make discontented

Front 1042

dishearten

Back 1042

discourage

Front 1043

disheveled

Back 1043

untidy (of hair or clothing); V. dishevel

Front 1044

disinclination

Back 1044

unwillingness

Front 1045

disingenuous

Back 1045

not naive; not candid; sophisticated; worldly wise; Op. ingenuous

Front 1046

disinter

Back 1046

dig up; unearth; Op. inter

Front 1047

disinterested

Back 1047

unprejudiced; free from bias and self-interest; objective

Front 1048

disjointed

Back 1048

disconnected; lacking coherence; V. disjoint: disconnect; disjoin

Front 1049

disjunction

Back 1049

act or state of separation; disunity; Cf. disjunctive: expressing a choice between two ideas; Cf. conjunction; Cf. conjunctive

Front 1050

dislodge

Back 1050

remove (forcibly); force out of a position; Ex. dislodge the food caught in his throat; Cf. lodge

Front 1051

dismantle

Back 1051

take apart; disassemble

Front 1052

dismember

Back 1052

cut into small parts; cut (a body) apart limb from limb

Front 1053

dismiss

Back 1053

eliminate from consideration; no longer consider; put out of court without further hearing; reject; discharge from employment; direct to leave; Adj. dismissive; N. dismissal

Front 1054

disparage

Back 1054

belittle

Front 1055

disparate

Back 1055

basically different; impossible to compare; unrelated

Front 1056

disparity

Back 1056

difference; condition of inequality; Op. parity

Front 1057

dispassionate

Back 1057

calm; impartial; not influenced by personal feelings

Front 1058

dispatch

Back 1058

speediness; prompt execution; message sent with all due speed; V: send to a specified destination; finish promptly; kill

Front 1059

dispel

Back 1059

scatter; drive away; cause to vanish

Front 1060

disperse

Back 1060

scatter; Ex. disperse the cloud/crowd

Front 1061

dispirited

Back 1061

lacking in spirit

Front 1062

disport

Back 1062

amuse; Ex. disport oneself; Cf. divert

Front 1063

disputatious

Back 1063

argumentative; fond of argument

Front 1064

disquietude

Back 1064

uneasiness; anxiety; V. disquiet: make anxious

Front 1065

disquisition

Back 1065

formal systematic inquiry; explanation of the results of a formal inquiry; long formal speech or written report

Front 1066

dissection

Back 1066

analysis; cutting apart in order to examine

Front 1067

dissemble

Back 1067

disguise; hide the real nature of; pretend

Front 1068

disseminate

Back 1068

distribute; spread; scatter (like seeds)

Front 1069

dissent

Back 1069

disagreement; opposition; protest

Front 1070

dissertation

Back 1070

formal essay; treatise

Front 1071

dissident

Back 1071

dissenting (with an opinion, a group, or a government); rebellious; N.

Front 1072

dissimulate

Back 1072

pretend; conceal by feigning; dissemble

Front 1073

dissipate

Back 1073

squander; waste foolishly; scatter

Front 1074

dissolution

Back 1074

disintegration; reduction to a liquid form; looseness in morals; sensual indulgence; debauchery; Adj. dissolute: lacking in moral restraint; leading an immoral life

Front 1075

dissuade

Back 1075

persuade not to do; discourage; N. dissuasion

Front 1076

distant

Back 1076

reserved or aloof; cold in manner; Ex. distant greeting; Adv. distantly

Front 1077

distend

Back 1077

expand; swell out

Front 1078

distill

Back 1078

refine (a liquid by evaporating and subsequent condensation); concentrate; separate the most important parts from; Ex. distill fresh water from sea water; Cf. brew

Front 1079

distinction

Back 1079

honor; excellence; difference; contrast; discrimination; Ex. graduated with distinction; Ex. a writer of real distinction

Front 1080

distort

Back 1080

twist out of shape; give a false account of; misrepresent; N. distortion

Front 1081

distrait

Back 1081

absentminded; distracted

Front 1082

distraught

Back 1082

upset; distracted by anxiety; very anxious and troubled almost to the point of madness; Ex. distraught with grief/worry

Front 1083

distressing

Back 1083

(n) alarming; disturbing; troubling

Front 1084

diurnal

Back 1084

daily; occurring during the daytime

Front 1085

diva

Back 1085

operatic singer; prima Donna

Front 1086

diverse

Back 1086

differing in some characteristics (from each other); various;

Front 1087

diversion

Back 1087

act of turning aside; pastime; V. divert: turn aside from a course; distract; amuse

Front 1088

diversity

Back 1088

variety; dissimilitude; lack of resemblance

Front 1089

divest

Back 1089

strip (as of clothes); deprive (as of rights); dispossess; N. divestiture (divestment)

Front 1090

divine

Back 1090

perceive intuitively (by or as if by magic); foresee the future; foretell; dowse; Adj. N. divination

Front 1091

divulge

Back 1091

reveal

Front 1092

docile

Back 1092

obedient; easily managed; submissive

Front 1093

docket

Back 1093

program as for trial; book where such entries are made; list of things to be done; agenda; label fixed to a package listing contents or directions; V: describe in a docket

Front 1094

doctrinaire

Back 1094

unable to compromise about points of doctrine; dogmatic; unyielding; marked by inflexible attachment to a doctrine without regard to its practical difficulties

Front 1095

doctrine

Back 1095

teachings in general; particular principle (religious, legal, etc.) taught; dogma; tenet; Adj. doctrinal

Front 1096

document

Back 1096

provide written evidence (for a claim); record with documents; N.

Front 1097

doddering

Back 1097

shaky; infirm from old age; V. dodder

Front 1098

doff

Back 1098

take off; Op. don

Front 1099

dogged

Back 1099

determined; stubborn; stubbornly persevering; tenacious; Ex. Inspector Javert's dogged pursuit of Jean Valjean

Front 1100

doggerel

Back 1100

poor verse

Front 1101

dogmatic

Back 1101

opinionated; holding stubbornly to one's opinion; arbitrary; doctrinal

Front 1102

doldrums

Back 1102

blues; listlessness (lack of spirit or energy); slack (inactive) period; period of stagnation; ocean area near the equator where ships cannot move because there is no wind; Ex. in the doldrums

Front 1103

dolorous

Back 1103

sorrowful; N. dolor

Front 1104

dolt

Back 1104

slow-thinking stupid person; Cf. dull

Front 1105

domicile

Back 1105

home; V. Adj. domiciled: having one's domicile; Ex. He is domiciled in US.

Front 1106

domineer

Back 1106

rule over tyrannically

Front 1107

don

Back 1107

put on; Op. doff

Front 1108

dormant

Back 1108

sleeping; temporarily inactive; lethargic; latent

Front 1109

dormer

Back 1109

window projecting upright from roof; Cf. sleeping room

Front 1110

dorsal

Back 1110

relating to the back of an animal; Ex. dorsal fin

Front 1111

dossier

Back 1111

file of documents on a subject or person; file; Cf. bundle of papers labeled on the back

Front 1112

dotage

Back 1112

senility; feeblemindedness of old age; Ex. In one's dotage

Front 1113

dote

Back 1113

be excessively fond of; show signs of mental decline

Front 1114

dour

Back 1114

sullen; gloomy; stubborn

Front 1115

douse

Back 1115

plunge into water or liquid; dip; immerse; drench; wet thoroughly; extinguish; throw water over; dowse

Front 1116

dowdy

Back 1116

untidy (of a woman or clothes); slovenly; dressed in an unattractive way; shabby; Cf. unattractive woman

Front 1117

downcast

Back 1117

disheartened; dejected; sad; directed downward

Front 1118

drab

Back 1118

dull; lacking color; cheerless; Ex. drab coat/life

Front 1119

draconian

Back 1119

(=draconic) extremely severe; Ex. draconian punishment; Cf. Draco: Athenian politician

Front 1120

dregs

Back 1120

sediment in a liquid; lees; worthless residue

Front 1121

drivel

Back 1121

nonsense; foolishness; V: talk nonsense

Front 1122

droll

Back 1122

queer and amusing

Front 1123

drone

Back 1123

talk dully; buzz or murmur like a bee; N.

Front 1124

dross

Back 1124

waste matter; worthless impurities

Front 1125

drought

Back 1125

(n) dry weather, especially when so long continued as to cause vegetation to wither.

Front 1126

drudgery

Back 1126

hard unpleasant work; menial work

Front 1127

dubious

Back 1127

questionable; (of something) causing doubt; (of someone) filled with doubt; N. dubiety

Front 1128

ductile

Back 1128

malleable; pliable; (of metals) easily pulled into shape; flexible; (of someone) easily influenced or controlled

Front 1129

dulcet

Back 1129

sweet sounding; pleasing to the ear; melodious

Front 1130

dumbfound

Back 1130

(=dumfound) astonish (making dumb); Adj. dumbfounded, dumfounded, dumbstruck

Front 1131

dupe

Back 1131

someone easily fooled or deceived; V: deceive

Front 1132

duplicity

Back 1132

double-dealing; hypocrisy; being dishonest and deceitful; Adj. duplicitous

Front 1133

duration

Back 1133

length of time something lasts

Front 1134

duress

Back 1134

forcible restraint, especially unlawfully; coercion by threat; illegal coercion; Ex. a promise made under duress

Front 1135

dutiful

Back 1135

(=duteous) (of people or their behavior) respectful; obedient (filled with a sense of duty)

Front 1136

dwindle

Back 1136

shrink; reduce gradually

Front 1137

dynamic

Back 1137

energetic; vigorously active

Front 1138

dyspeptic

Back 1138

suffering from indigestion; N. dyspepsia: indigestion; difficulty in digesting food

Front 1139

earthy

Back 1139

unrefined; coarse; of earth; Ex. earthy remarks; Op. ethereal

Front 1140

eavesdrop

Back 1140

(v) to listen to someone else surreptitiously

Front 1141

ebullient

Back 1141

showing excitement; overflowing with enthusiasm; boiling; N. ebullience; N. ebullition: state of boiling

Front 1142

eccentric

Back 1142

irregular; odd; unconventional; whimsical; bizarre; not concentric

Front 1143

eccentricity

Back 1143

oddity; idiosyncrasy

Front 1144

ecclesiastic

Back 1144

ecclesiastical; pertaining to the church; N: minister; priest; cleric; clergyman

Front 1145

eclectic

Back 1145

selective; composed of elements drawn from disparate sources; selecting individual elements from a variety of sources; N. eclecticism

Front 1146

eclipse

Back 1146

darken; extinguish; outshine; surpass; cause an eclipse

Front 1147

ecologist

Back 1147

person concerned with the interrelationship between living organisms and their environment; person concerned with the detrimental effects of human civilization on the environment; Cf. ecology

Front 1148

economy

Back 1148

efficiency or conciseness in using something; thrifty management of resources

Front 1149

ecstasy

Back 1149

rapture; very strong feeling of joy and happiness; any overpowering emotion; Adj. ecstatic: causing or experiencing ecstasy

Front 1150

eddy

Back 1150

swirling current of water, air, etc.; V.

Front 1151

edict

Back 1151

decree (especially one issued by a sovereign); official command

Front 1152

edify

Back 1152

instruct; correct morally

Front 1153

eerie

Back 1153

(=eery) weird; causing fear because strange

Front 1154

efface

Back 1154

rub out; remove the surface of

Front 1155

effectual

Back 1155

able to produce a desired effect; valid

Front 1156

effervescence

Back 1156

inner excitement or exuberance; showing high spirits; emitting bubbles forming inside; bubbling from fermentation or carbonation; Adj. effervescent; V. effervesce

Front 1157

effete

Back 1157

having lost one's original power; barren; worn out; exhausted

Front 1158

efficacy

Back 1158

power to produce desired effect; Adj. efficacious: effectual

Front 1159

effigy

Back 1159

dummy; likeness of a person made of wood, paper, or stone; Ex. burn an effigy of the President

Front 1160

effluvium

Back 1160

noxious (harmful) smell

Front 1161

effrontery

Back 1161

rudeness without any sense of shame; shameless boldness; presumptuousness; nerve; cheek

Front 1162

effusion

Back 1162

pouring forth; unrestrained outpouring of feeling; V. effuse: pour out; Adj. effusive: pouring forth; gushing

Front 1163

egoism

Back 1163

excessive interest in one's self; belief that one should be interested in one's self rather than in others; selfishness; Adj. egoistic (=egoistical)

Front 1164

egotistical

Back 1164

egotistic; excessively self-centered (egocentric); self-important; conceited

Front 1165

egregious

Back 1165

notorious; conspicuously bad or shocking

Front 1166

egress

Back 1166

exit; opening for going out; act of going out; Op. ingress

Front 1167

ejaculation

Back 1167

exclamation; abrupt ejection (to discharge sperm); V. ejaculate

Front 1168

elaboration

Back 1168

addition of details; intricacy

Front 1169

elegy

Back 1169

poem or song expressing lamentation (for the dead); Adj. elegiacal, elegiac

Front 1170

elicit

Back 1170

draw out fact or information (by discussion or from someone)

Front 1171

elixir

Back 1171

cure-all; panacea; something invigorating

Front 1172

ellipsis

Back 1172

omission of words from a text; mark used to indicate an omission (when the meaning can be understood without them); PL. ellipses

Front 1173

elliptical

Back 1173

elliptic; oval; of an ellipse; containing an ellipsis; ambiguous either purposely or because key words have been left out

Front 1174

elucidate

Back 1174

explain; make clear; clarify; enlighten; Cf. lucid

Front 1175

elusive

Back 1175

evasive; not frank; baffling; hard to grasp, catch, or understand; V. elude: escape from; escape the understanding or grasp of; Ex. elude the hunter; Ex. His name eludes me.

Front 1176

elysian

Back 1176

relating to paradise; blissful

Front 1177

emaciated

Back 1177

thin and wasted (from hunger or illness)

Front 1178

emanate

Back 1178

issue forth; come out

Front 1179

emancipate

Back 1179

set free; liberate

Front 1180

embargo

Back 1180

ban on commerce or other activity; V.

Front 1181

embark

Back 1181

commence; go on board a boat; begin a journey

Front 1182

embellish

Back 1182

adorn; ornament; enhance as a story (by adding fictitious details)

Front 1183

embezzlement

Back 1183

taking for one's own use in violation of trust; stealing (of money placed in one's care)

Front 1184

emboss

Back 1184

produce a design in raised relief; decorate with a raised design

Front 1185

embrace

Back 1185

hug; clasp with the arms; adopt or espouse; accept readily; encircle; include; Ex. embrace the cause/socialism; Ex. all-embracing; Cf. brace; Cf. bracelet

Front 1186

embroider

Back 1186

decorate with needlework; ornament (a story) with fancy or fictitious details; embellish

Front 1187

embroil

Back 1187

throw into confusion; involve in strife, dispute, or quarrel; entangle; Cf. imbroglio

Front 1188

embryonic

Back 1188

undeveloped; rudimentary; N. embryo: organism in the early stage of development

Front 1189

emend

Back 1189

correct (usually a text); N. emendation: correction of errors; improvement

Front 1190

emetic

Back 1190

substance causing vomiting; Adj.

Front 1191

eminent

Back 1191

rising above others; high; lofty; distinguished; Ex. eminent position

Front 1192

emissary

Back 1192

agent (sent on a mission to represent another); messenger

Front 1193

emollient

Back 1193

soothing or softening remedy (for the skin); Adj.

Front 1194

emolument

Back 1194

salary; payment for an office; compensation

Front 1195

empathy

Back 1195

ability to identify with another's feelings, ideas, etc.; identification with and understanding of another's feelings; V. empathize; Cf. sympathy

Front 1196

empirical

Back 1196

based on experience

Front 1197

emulate

Back 1197

imitate; rival; try to equal or excel (through imitation)

Front 1198

enamored

Back 1198

in love; Ex. enamored of his own beauty; V. enamor: inspire with love

Front 1199

encipher

Back 1199

encode; convert a message into code; put into cipher

Front 1200

enclave

Back 1200

territory enclosed within an alien land

Front 1201

encomiastic

Back 1201

praising; eulogistic; N. encomium: very high praise; eulogy

Front 1202

encroachment

Back 1202

gradual intrusion; Ex. I resent all these encroachments on my valuable time; V. encroach: take another's possessions or right gradually or stealthily; intrude; Ex. encroach on/upon

Front 1203

encumber

Back 1203

burden; N. encumbrance

Front 1204

endearment

Back 1204

fond word or act; expression of affection

Front 1205

endemic

Back 1205

prevailing among a specific group of people or in a specific area or country; peculiar to a particular region or people; Cf. pandemic

Front 1206

endue

Back 1206

provide with some quality; endow

Front 1207

enduring

Back 1207

lasting; surviving; V. endure: bear (pain or suffering) for a long time; remain alive (in spite of difficulties); last; survive

Front 1208

energize

Back 1208

invigorate; give energy to; make forceful and active

Front 1209

enervate

Back 1209

weaken; take away energy from

Front 1210

enfranchise

Back 1210

admit to the rights of citizenship (especially the right to vote); Cf. franchise

Front 1211

engage

Back 1211

attract; employ; hire; pledge oneself; confront; fight; enter into confliction; interlock; lock together; participate; N. engagement: agreement to marry; arrangement to meet someone or to do something; battle

Front 1212

engender

Back 1212

cause; produce; give rise to

Front 1213

engross

Back 1213

occupy fully; absorb

Front 1214

enhance

Back 1214

increase; make greater (as in value, reputation, or usefulness); improve

Front 1215

enigma

Back 1215

puzzle; mystery; Adj. enigmatic: obscure; puzzling

Front 1216

enjoin

Back 1216

command; order; forbid

Front 1217

enmity

Back 1217

ill will; hatred; hostility

Front 1218

ennui

Back 1218

boredom; listlessness and dissatisfaction resulting from lack of interest; Cf. annoy

Front 1219

enormity

Back 1219

hugeness (in a bad sense); excessive wickedness; Ex. enormity of the crime; Adj. enormous

Front 1220

enrapture

Back 1220

(=enravish) please intensely; fill with rapture and delight

Front 1221

ensconce

Back 1221

settle comfortably; place comfortably (in a secure place)

Front 1222

ensue

Back 1222

follow (as a result)

Front 1223

entail

Back 1223

make necessary; require; necessitate; involve; limit the inheritance of (property) to a specified succession of heirs; Ex. entail A on/upon B

Front 1224

enterprising

Back 1224

full of initiative; showing enterprise

Front 1225

enthrall

Back 1225

capture; enslave; captivate; hold the complete attention of (as if magic); hold spellbound

Front 1226

entice

Back 1226

lure; persuade to do (something wrong); attract; tempt

Front 1227

entity

Back 1227

real being

Front 1228

entomology

Back 1228

study of insects

Front 1229

entrance

Back 1229

(v) put under a spell (condition caused by magical power); carry away (fill with strong feeling) with emotion; put into a trance; fill with delight

Front 1230

entreat

Back 1230

plead; ask earnestly

Front 1231

entrepreneur

Back 1231

businessperson (who assumes the risk of a business venture); contractor; Adj. entrepreneurial

Front 1232

enumerate

Back 1232

list; mention one by one

Front 1233

enunciate

Back 1233

announce; proclaim; utter or speak, especially distinctly; pronounce clearly; articulate; Ex. This theory was first enunciated by him.

Front 1234

environ

Back 1234

enclose; surround; N. environs: surrounding area (as of a city)

Front 1235

eon

Back 1235

(=aeon) long period of time; an age; longest division of geologic time containing two or more eras

Front 1236

epaulet

Back 1236

(=epaulette) ornament worn on the shoulder (of a uniform, etc.)

Front 1237

ephemeral

Back 1237

(=ephemerous) short-lived; fleeting

Front 1238

epic

Back 1238

long heroic poem, novel, or similar work of art (celebrating the feats of a hero); Adj: (of stories or events) resembling an epic; grand

Front 1239

epicure

Back 1239

connoisseur of food and drink; gourmet; Adj. epicurean; Cf. Epicurus

Front 1240

epigram

Back 1240

witty thought or saying, usually short

Front 1241

epilogue

Back 1241

short speech at conclusion of dramatic work

Front 1242

episodic

Back 1242

(of a story or play) loosely connected; made up of separate and loosely connected parts; N. episode: incident in the course of an experience

Front 1243

epistemologist

Back 1243

philosopher who studies the nature of knowledge; N. epistemology

Front 1244

epitaph

Back 1244

inscription in memory of a dead person (as on a tombstone)

Front 1245

epithet

Back 1245

word or phrase characteristically used to describe a person or thing; descriptive phrase to characterize a person (often contemptuous)

Front 1246

epitome

Back 1246

perfect example or embodiment; brief summary; Ex. epitome of good manners; V. epitomize: make an epitome of; be an epitome of; embody

Front 1247

epoch

Back 1247

period of time

Front 1248

equable

Back 1248

tranquil; of even calm temper; (of temperature) steady; uniform

Front 1249

equanimity

Back 1249

calmness of temperament; composure

Front 1250

equestrian

Back 1250

rider on horseback; Adj.

Front 1251

equilibrium

Back 1251

balance of opposing forces; balance of the mind; equanimity

Front 1252

equine

Back 1252

resembling a horse; Ex. equine face

Front 1253

equipoise

Back 1253

balance; balancing force; equilibrium

Front 1254

equitable

Back 1254

fair; impartial; Op. inequitable; N. equitableness, equity

Front 1255

equivocal

Back 1255

(of words or statements) ambiguous; intentionally misleading; (of behavior) questionable; Op. unequivocal; V. equivocate

Front 1256

erode

Back 1256

eat away; wear away gradually by abrasion; Ex. The sea erodes the rocks.

Front 1257

erotic

Back 1257

pertaining to passionate love or sexual love

Front 1258

errant

Back 1258

wandering (esp. in search of adventure); straying from proper moral standards; Ex. knight-errant

Front 1259

erratic

Back 1259

odd; irregular in movement or behavior; unpredictable

Front 1260

erroneous

Back 1260

mistaken; wrong; incorrect

Front 1261

erudite

Back 1261

(of a person or book) learned; full of learning; scholarly; N. erudition

Front 1262

escapade

Back 1262

prank; flighty conduct; reckless adventure that disobeys rules

Front 1263

eschew

Back 1263

avoid habitually; Ex. eschew alcoholic drinks

Front 1264

esoteric

Back 1264

(=esoterical) hard to understand; known only to the chosen few, esp. initiates

Front 1265

espionage

Back 1265

spying

Front 1266

espouse

Back 1266

adopt; support (an idea or aim); marry; N. espousal

Front 1267

esteem

Back 1267

respect; value; judge; N.

Front 1268

estranged

Back 1268

separated; alienated; V. estrange: alienate (people in a family); N. estrangement

Front 1269

ethereal

Back 1269

like a spirit or fairy; unearthly light; heavenly; unusually refined; Ex. She has an ethereal beauty; Cf. ether: upper air

Front 1270

ethnic

Back 1270

relating to races

Front 1271

ethnology

Back 1271

study of humankind; study of the different races of human beings; Cf. anthropology

Front 1272

ethos

Back 1272

underlying character of a culture, group, etc.; character or ideas peculiar to a specific person, group, or culture; Ex. the company ethos

Front 1273

etymology

Back 1273

study of word parts; study of the origins of words

Front 1274

eugenic

Back 1274

pertaining to the improvement of race; N. eugenics: study of hereditary improvement of the human race

Front 1275

eulogy

Back 1275

expression of praise, often on the occasion of someone's death; V. eulogize; Adj. eulogistic (eulogistical)

Front 1276

euphemism

Back 1276

mild expression in place of an unpleasant one; Adj. euphemistic

Front 1277

euphony

Back 1277

sweet sound; Adj. euphonious

Front 1278

euphoria

Back 1278

(=euphory) feeling of exaggerated or unfounded (ungrounded; baseless) well-being; feeling of great happiness or well-being (when unreasonable); Adj. euphoriaric

Front 1279

euthanasia

Back 1279

mercy killing

Front 1280

evanescent

Back 1280

fleeting; vanishing; soon disappearing; V. evanesce

Front 1281

evasive

Back 1281

not frank; trying to hide the truth; eluding; evading; V. evade: avoid (a duty or responsibility) or escape from by deceit

Front 1282

evince

Back 1282

show clearly

Front 1283

evocative

Back 1283

tending to call up (emotions, memories)

Front 1284

evoke

Back 1284

call forth (memory or feeling); Ex. That old film evoked memories of my childhood; N. evocation

Front 1285

ewe

Back 1285

female sheep

Front 1286

exacerbate

Back 1286

worsen; aggravate; embitter

Front 1287

exacting

Back 1287

extremely demanding; Ex. exacting standard of safety

Front 1288

exalt

Back 1288

raise in rank or dignity; praise highly; inspire; Ex. exalt the imagination; Adj. exalted; N. exaltation

Front 1289

exasperate

Back 1289

vex; annoy or make angry (by testing the patience)

Front 1290

exceptionable

Back 1290

objectionable; likely to cause dislike; offensive; Cf. unexceptionable: entirely acceptable

Front 1291

excerpt

Back 1291

selected passage (written or musical) taken from a longer work; V.

Front 1292

exchequer

Back 1292

treasury; Ex. Chancellor of the exchequer

Front 1293

excise

Back 1293

cut away; cut out; N: government tax on good produced and used inside a country; N. excision

Front 1294

exclaim

Back 1294

cry out suddenly; N. exclamation; Adj. exclamatory

Front 1295

excoriate

Back 1295

scold with biting harshness; censure strongly; strip the skin off

Front 1296

exculpate

Back 1296

clear from blame or guilt

Front 1297

execrable

Back 1297

very bad; detestable

Front 1298

execrate

Back 1298

curse; express abhorrence for; detest

Front 1299

execute

Back 1299

put into effect; carry out; kill as a lawful punishment; N. execution

Front 1300

exegesis

Back 1300

explanation, especially of biblical (of the bible) passages

Front 1301

exemplify

Back 1301

show by example; furnish an example; serve as an example of; Ex. His pictures exemplify that sort of painting.

Front 1302

exempt

Back 1302

not subject to a duty or obligation; free from a duty; V.

Front 1303

exertion

Back 1303

effort; expenditure of much physical work; V. exert oneself: make a great effort

Front 1304

exhilarating

Back 1304

(=exhilarant) invigorating and refreshing; cheering; V. exhilarate: make cheerful and excited; Ex. exhilarated by the ride in the sports car

Front 1305

exhort

Back 1305

urge (by strong argument or advice); Ex. The general exhorted his men to fight bravely; N. exhortation

Front 1306

exhume

Back 1306

dig out of the ground; remove from a grave

Front 1307

exigency

Back 1307

urgent situation; Adj. exigent

Front 1308

exiguous

Back 1308

small in amount; minute

Front 1309

existential

Back 1309

pertaining to existence; pertaining to the philosophy of existentialism

Front 1310

exodus

Back 1310

departure (of a large number of people)

Front 1311

exonerate

Back 1311

acquit; exculpate; free from blame or guilt

Front 1312

exorbitant

Back 1312

(of costs or demands) excessive; exceeding reasonable bounds

Front 1313

exorcise

Back 1313

drive out evil spirits

Front 1314

exotic

Back 1314

not native; from another part of the world; strange; intriguingly unusual; Ex. exotic flower/dress

Front 1315

expansive

Back 1315

(of a person) outgoing and sociable; broad and extensive; able to increase in size

Front 1316

expatiate

Back 1316

talk at length; speak or write in detail

Front 1317

expatriate

Back 1317

exile; someone who has withdrawn from his native land; V: exile; banish; leave one's country

Front 1318

expedient

Back 1318

suitable (for a particular purpose although not necessarily morally correct); practical; politic (prudent); N: something expedient

Front 1319

expedite

Back 1319

hasten; make go faster

Front 1320

expenditure

Back 1320

payment or expense; expending; something expended; output; Ex. receipt for the expenditure; Ex. expenditure of all the energy

Front 1321

expertise

Back 1321

specialized knowledge (in a particular field); expert skill

Front 1322

expiate

Back 1322

make amends for (a sin)

Front 1323

expletive

Back 1323

meaningless word; interjection; profane oath; swear-word

Front 1324

explicate

Back 1324

explain in detail; interpret; clarify; Cf. explicable

Front 1325

explicit

Back 1325

totally clear; definite; outspoken

Front 1326

exploit

Back 1326

(n) brave and successful act; deed or action, particularly a brave deed; Cf. crossing the Atlantic ocean

Front 1327

exploit

Back 1327

(v) to make use of, sometimes unjustly; N. exploitation

Front 1328

expostulation

Back 1328

protest; remonstrance; reasoning with someone to correct or dissuade; V. expostulate

Front 1329

exposure

Back 1329

risk, particularly of being exposed to disease or to the elements; unmasking; act of laying something open; Ex. exposure of governmental corruption

Front 1330

expound

Back 1330

explain

Front 1331

expropriate

Back 1331

take possession of (often for public use and without payment)

Front 1332

expunge

Back 1332

cancel; remove a word or name (from a book or list); erase

Front 1333

expurgate

Back 1333

clean; remove offensive parts of a book

Front 1334

extant

Back 1334

(of something written or painted) still in existence

Front 1335

extemporaneous

Back 1335

not planned; impromptu; extempore

Front 1336

extenuate

Back 1336

weaken; mitigate; lessen the seriousness of (bad behavior)

Front 1337

extirpate

Back 1337

root up; uproot; destroy completely

Front 1338

extol

Back 1338

praise very highly; glorify

Front 1339

extort

Back 1339

wring from; get money by threats, etc.; obtain by force or threats; Cf. extortionate: exorbitant

Front 1340

extradition

Back 1340

surrender of prisoner by one state to another; Ex. extradition treaty; V. extradite

Front 1341

extraneous

Back 1341

not essential; irrelevant; superfluous; external; coming from the outside; Ex. extraneous details/noise/to the subject

Front 1342

extrapolation

Back 1342

projection; conjecture; V. extrapolate: infer (unknown information) from known information

Front 1343

extricate

Back 1343

free from an entanglement or difficulty; disentangle

Front 1344

extrinsic

Back 1344

external; not essential or inherent; extraneous; Op. intrinsic

Front 1345

extrovert

Back 1345

person interested mostly in external objects and actions

Front 1346

extrude

Back 1346

force or push out; thrust out; shape (plastic or metal) by forcing through a die

Front 1347

exuberance

Back 1347

overflowing abundance; joyful enthusiasm; flamboyance; lavishness; Adj. exuberant: high-spirited and lively; growing abundantly and strongly

Front 1348

exude

Back 1348

flow out slowly; discharge (gradually); give forth; N. exudation

Front 1349

exult

Back 1349

rejoice

Front 1350

fabricate

Back 1350

build; lie; make up (a story) in order to deceive; Ex. fabricate the whole story; Cf. fabric: underlying structure; Ex. fabric of society

Front 1351

fabulous

Back 1351

(adj) incredible

Front 1352

facade

Back 1352

front or face (of building); superficial or false appearance

Front 1353

facet

Back 1353

small plane surface (of a gem (precious stone)); a side

Front 1354

facetious

Back 1354

joking (often inappropriately); unserious; humorous

Front 1355

facile

Back 1355

easily accomplished; ready or fluent; superficial; not deep; Ex. facile solution to a complex problem; Ex. facile speaker; N. facility: ability to do something easily and well; ease in doing resulting from skill or aptitude; something that facilitates an action; amenity; Ex. with great facility

Front 1356

facilitate

Back 1356

help bring about; make less difficult

Front 1357

facsimile

Back 1357

copy

Front 1358

faction

Back 1358

party; clique (within a large group); dissension; Adj. factious

Front 1359

factitious

Back 1359

artificial; produced artificially; sham; false; Ex. factitious tears

Front 1360

factotum

Back 1360

handyman; person who does all kinds of work; Cf. do everything

Front 1361

faculty

Back 1361

mental or bodily powers; teaching staff

Front 1362

fallible

Back 1362

liable to err

Front 1363

fallow

Back 1363

(of land) plowed but not sowed (to improve the quality); uncultivated

Front 1364

falter

Back 1364

hesitate; weaken in purpose or action; walk or move unsteadily through weakness; N.

Front 1365

fanaticism

Back 1365

excessive zeal; extreme devotion to a belief or cause; N. fanatic; Adj. fanatic

Front 1366

fancied

Back 1366

imagined; unreal

Front 1367

fancier

Back 1367

breeder or dealer of animals; one who has a special interest, as for raising specific plant or animal

Front 1368

fanciful

Back 1368

whimsical; visionary; imaginary; produced by imagination; Ex. fanciful scheme

Front 1369

fanfare

Back 1369

call by bugles or trumpets; showy display; spectacular public display

Front 1370

farce

Back 1370

broad comedy; mockery; humorous play full of silly things happening; Adj. farcical

Front 1371

fastidious

Back 1371

difficult to please; squeamish; fussy; finicky

Front 1372

fatalism

Back 1372

belief that events are determined by forces or fates beyond one's control; Adj. fatalistic; Cf. fatal: causing death

Front 1373

fathom

Back 1373

comprehend; investigate; determine the depth of; N. unit of measurement for the depth of water

Front 1374

fatuous

Back 1374

smugly and unconsciously foolish; inane; silly; N. fatuity, fatuousness

Front 1375

fauna

Back 1375

animals of a period or region; Cf. flora

Front 1376

fawning

Back 1376

courting favor by cringing and flattering; V. fawn: exhibit affection as a dog; seek favor or attention by obsequiousness

Front 1377

faze

Back 1377

disconcert; dismay; embarrass

Front 1378

feasible

Back 1378

practical; able to be carried out; practicable

Front 1379

febrile

Back 1379

(adj) feverish

Front 1380

fecundity

Back 1380

fertility; fruitfulness; Adj. Fecund: very productive of crops or young

Front 1381

feign

Back 1381

pretend

Front 1382

feint

Back 1382

trick; shift; sham blow; feigned attack to draw away defensive action;

Front 1383

felicitous

Back 1383

(of a word or remark) apt; suitably expressed; well chosen; N. felicity

Front 1384

felicity

Back 1384

happiness; appropriateness (of a remark, choice, etc.); quality of being felicitous

Front 1385

fell

Back 1385

(adj) cruel; (of a disease) deadly

Front 1386

fell

Back 1386

(v) cut or knock down (a tree or a person); bring down (with a missile)

Front 1387

felon

Back 1387

person convicted of a grave crime; Cf. felony: serious crime

Front 1388

ferment

Back 1388

agitation; commotion (noisy and excited activity); unrest (of a political kind); V. produce by fermentation; undergo fermentation; cause (a state of trouble)

Front 1389

ferret

Back 1389

drive or hunt out of hiding; hunt with ferrets; drive out (as from a hiding place); expel; uncover or discover by searching; Ex. ferret out the secret; N. small fierce animal which catches rats and rabbits by going into their holes

Front 1390

fertility

Back 1390

fruitfulness

Front 1391

fervor

Back 1391

glowing ardor; intensity of feeling; quality of being fervent or fervid; zeal; intense heat; Adj. fervent, fervid

Front 1392

fester

Back 1392

rankle; produce irritation or resentment; (of a cut or wound) generate pus or rot; Ex. His insult festered in my mind for days.

Front 1393

festive

Back 1393

joyous; celebratory; relating to a feast or festival

Front 1394

fetid

Back 1394

(=foetid) malodorous; foul

Front 1395

fetter

Back 1395

shackle; restrict the freedom of; N. chain or shackle for the foot of a prisoner; Cf. foot

Front 1396

fiasco

Back 1396

total failure; Cf. bottle

Front 1397

fiat

Back 1397

command; arbitrary order; Ex. presidential fiat; Cf. let it be done

Front 1398

fickle

Back 1398

changeable (in affections or friendship); faithless

Front 1399

fictitious

Back 1399

imaginary; non-existent; purposely invented to deceive; untrue; Ex. fictitious name/boyfriend; Cf. fictional

Front 1400

fidelity

Back 1400

loyalty; accuracy

Front 1401

figment

Back 1401

invention; something invented; imaginary thing; Ex. figment of your imagination

Front 1402

figurative

Back 1402

not literal but metaphorical; using a figure (impression) of speech

Front 1403

figurine

Back 1403

small ornamental statuette (very small statue)

Front 1404

filch

Back 1404

steal (things of small value)

Front 1405

filial

Back 1405

pertaining to or befitting a son or daughter; Ex. filial respect

Front 1406

filibuster

Back 1406

block legislation or prevent action in a lawmaking body by making very slow long speeches; N: freebooter

Front 1407

filigree

Back 1407

delicate ornamental lacelike metalwork

Front 1408

filing

Back 1408

particle removed by a file

Front 1409

finale

Back 1409

conclusion; concluding part

Front 1410

finesse

Back 1410

delicate skill; V: handle with finesse

Front 1411

finicky

Back 1411

too particular; fussy; difficult to please; too concerned with unimportant details or quality; Ex. finicky about her food

Front 1412

finite

Back 1412

limited

Front 1413

firebrand

Back 1413

piece of burning wood; hothead; troublemaker; person who stirs up trouble

Front 1414

fissure

Back 1414

crevice; crack

Front 1415

fitful

Back 1415

spasmodic; intermittent; irregular

Front 1416

flaccid

Back 1416

flabby; lacking firmness; weak; Ex. flaccid muscles

Front 1417

flag

Back 1417

droop; grow feeble; decline in vigor or strength; Adj. flagging; Cf. unflagging

Front 1418

flagrant

Back 1418

conspicuously wicked, bad, or offensive; blatant; outrageous

Front 1419

flail

Back 1419

beat with or as if with a flail; move wildly; thresh grain by hand; strike or slap; toss about; N: threshing tool consisting of a stick swinging from the end of a long handle

Front 1420

flair

Back 1420

talent

Front 1421

flamboyant

Back 1421

ornate; highly elaborate; richly colored; ostentatious; showy; Cf. flame

Front 1422

flaunt

Back 1422

display ostentatiously; Ex. "Honey, if you've got it, flaunt it!"

Front 1423

flay

Back 1423

strip off skin; plunder; remove the skin from; criticize harshly

Front 1424

fleck

Back 1424

spot; mark with flecks; N: small mark or spot

Front 1425

fledgling

Back 1425

(=fledgeling) inexperienced; N: young bird that has acquired wing feathers and is learning to fly; inexperienced person

Front 1426

fleece

Back 1426

wool coat of a sheep; V: shear the fleece from; rob by a trick; swindle; plunder

Front 1427

fleeting

Back 1427

short-lived; ephemeral

Front 1428

flick

Back 1428

light stroke as with a whip; V: move with a light quick blow; strike with a light quick blow (as from a whip); Ex. flick the switch

Front 1429

flinch

Back 1429

hesitate; shrink back (in fear of something unpleasant); Ex. She did not flinch in the face of danger

Front 1430

flippant

Back 1430

lacking proper seriousness; Ex. flippant remarks about death; N. flippancy

Front 1431

flit

Back 1431

fly; fly or move lightly or quickly; dart lightly; pass swiftly by; Ex. a bee flitting from flower to flower

Front 1432

float

Back 1432

the act of staying on top of the water

Front 1433

floe

Back 1433

flat mass of floating ice

Front 1434

flood

Back 1434

abundant production of works of art

Front 1435

flora

Back 1435

plants of a region or era

Front 1436

florid

Back 1436

ruddy; (of a complexion) reddish; flowery; very ornate; Cf. rose

Front 1437

flotsam

Back 1437

drifting wreckage

Front 1438

flounder

Back 1438

struggle and thrash about; proceed clumsily or falter (as in water, mud, snow, etc.); proceed in confusion

Front 1439

flourish

Back 1439

grow well; prosper; make sweeping gestures; wave; brandish; Ex. The trees flourished in the sun. N: showy movement or gesture; embellishment or ornamentation (esp. in handwriting)

Front 1440

flout

Back 1440

reject; mock; show contempt for; scorn; Ex. flout the rules

Front 1441

fluctuate

Back 1441

waver; shift; rise and fall as if in waves; change or vary irregularly

Front 1442

fluency

Back 1442

smoothness of speech; Adj. fluent

Front 1443

fluke

Back 1443

unlikely occurrence; stroke of fortune; accidental stroke of good luck; Adj. fluky

Front 1444

fluster

Back 1444

confuse; make nervous and confused; N.

Front 1445

fluted

Back 1445

having vertical parallel grooves (as in a pillar); V. flute: make long parallel inward curves in; N. flute: long rounded groove incised on the shaft of a column

Front 1446

flux

Back 1446

flowing; series of changes; fluctuation; Ex. in a state of flux

Front 1447

fodder

Back 1447

coarse food for cattle, horses, etc.; feed for livestock; Cf. food

Front 1448

foible

Back 1448

small weakness of character; slight fault; Cf. feeble

Front 1449

foil

Back 1449

defeat; frustrate; prevent from being successful; thwart; Cf. fail

Front 1450

foist

Back 1450

insert improperly; impose upon another by coercion; palm off; pass off as genuine or worthy; Cf. fist

Front 1451

foliage

Back 1451

masses of leaves; Cf. defoliate

Front 1452

foment

Back 1452

stir up; incite; instigate; promote the growth of (something evil or unpleasant)

Front 1453

foolhardy

Back 1453

rash; reckless; foolishly daring

Front 1454

foppish

Back 1454

vain about dress and appearance; N. fop: man who takes too much interest in his clothes and appearance

Front 1455

foray

Back 1455

raid; sudden raid or military advance; V.

Front 1456

forbearance

Back 1456

patience; forgiveness; V. forbear: refrain from (in a generous and forgiving way); be patient; Ex. forbear to send him to prison

Front 1457

ford

Back 1457

place where a river can be crossed on foot; V.

Front 1458

forebears

Back 1458

(=forbears) ancestors

Front 1459

foreboding

Back 1459

premonition of evil; feeling of coming evil; V. forebode: be a warning of (something unpleasant)

Front 1460

forensic

Back 1460

suitable to debate or courts of law; of or used in legal proceedings and the tracking of criminals; Ex. forensic science/medicine

Front 1461

foreshadow

Back 1461

give an indication beforehand; be a sign of (what is coming); portend; prefigure

Front 1462

foresight

Back 1462

ability to foresee future happenings; prudence in providing for the future

Front 1463

forestall

Back 1463

prevent by taking action in advance

Front 1464

forgo

Back 1464

(=forego) give up; do without

Front 1465

forlorn

Back 1465

sad and lonely; wretched; desolate

Front 1466

formality

Back 1466

ceremonious quality; ceremonious adherence to rules; something done just for form's sake; Ex. mere formality

Front 1467

formidable

Back 1467

menacing; arousing fear; threatening; difficult to defeat; Ex. formidable foe/question

Front 1468

forsake

Back 1468

desert; abandon; renounce

Front 1469

forswear

Back 1469

renounce under oath; abandon; make a solemn promise to give up; Cf. abjure

Front 1470

forte

Back 1470

strong point or special talent in a person's character

Front 1471

forthright

Back 1471

straightforward; direct; frank

Front 1472

fortitude

Back 1472

bravery; courage; strength of mind

Front 1473

fortuitous

Back 1473

accidental; by chance; N. fortuity

Front 1474

foster

Back 1474

rear; bring up (for a certain period only); encourage; promote the development of (feelings or ideas); Ex. help foster friendly relations; Adj: giving parental care although not related by blood; Ex. foster parents

Front 1475

founder

Back 1475

(v) to fail completely; sink; Cf. flounder

Front 1476

founder

Back 1476

(n) person who establishes (an organization or business)

Front 1477

fracas

Back 1477

brawl (noisy quarrel or fight) in which a number of people take part; melee

Front 1478

fractious

Back 1478

unruly; peevish; cranky; bad-tempered; Ex. fractious horse

Front 1479

frail

Back 1479

weak; N. frailty

Front 1480

franchise

Back 1480

right or privilege granted by authority; right to vote; license to sell a product in a particular territory

Front 1481

frantic

Back 1481

wild; distraught as from fear or worry; Ex. frantic with fear

Front 1482

fraudulent

Back 1482

cheating; deceitful; Ex. fraudulent means; N. fraud: deception; swindle

Front 1483

fraught

Back 1483

filled (with something unpleasant); full; Ex. fraught with danger and difficulties; Cf. freight

Front 1484

fray

Back 1484

brawl; fight; V: wear away or unravel by rubbing; have loose threads developing; cause to become worn out (a person's temper or nerves); Cf. rub

Front 1485

frenetic

Back 1485

(=phrenetic) frenzied; frantic

Front 1486

frenzied

Back 1486

madly excited; N. frenzy: violent wild excitement

Front 1487

fresco

Back 1487

painting on wet plaster (usually fresh)

Front 1488

fret

Back 1488

be annoyed or vexed; Ex. fret over your poor grades; N: irritation of mind; Adj. fretful

Front 1489

friction

Back 1489

clash or conflict in opinion; rubbing against

Front 1490

frieze

Back 1490

ornamental horizontal band on a wall

Front 1491

frigid

Back 1491

intensely cold; cold in manner; Ex. frigid zone

Front 1492

fritter

Back 1492

waste (time or money on unimportant things)

Front 1493

frivolous

Back 1493

lacking in seriousness; flippant; self-indulgently carefree; unworthy of serious attention; relatively unimportant; trivial

Front 1494

frond

Back 1494

fern leaf; palm or banana leaf

Front 1495

fructify

Back 1495

bear fruit; produce fruit

Front 1496

frugality

Back 1496

thrift; economy; Adj. frugal: practicing economy; costing little; inexpensive

Front 1497

fruition

Back 1497

bearing of fruit; fulfillment; realization; Ex. come to/be brought to fruition

Front 1498

frustrate

Back 1498

thwart; defeat; prevent from accomplishing a purpose

Front 1499

fugitive

Back 1499

fleeting or transitory; lasting only a short time; roving (wandering); running away or fleeing as from the law; N: one who flees; Ex. fugitives at large

Front 1500

fulcrum

Back 1500

support on which a lever rests or pivots

Front 1501

fulminate

Back 1501

thunder; explode; issue a severe denunciation

Front 1502

fulsome

Back 1502

disgustingly excessive; offensively flattering; Ex. fulsome praise/expressions of admire

Front 1503

fumble

Back 1503

move the fingers and hands awkwardly (in search of something); mishandle or drop a ball that is in play; bungle; botch; spoil by mishandling; N.

Front 1504

functionary

Back 1504

official (who performs a particular function)

Front 1505

fundamental

Back 1505

basic; primary; essential

Front 1506

funereal

Back 1506

sad; solemn; suitable for a funeral

Front 1507

furor

Back 1507

frenzy; great anger and excitement; Cf. fury

Front 1508

furtive

Back 1508

stealthy; quiet and secret (trying to escape notice); sneaky; Ex. furtive glance

Front 1509

fusillade

Back 1509

simultaneous firing or outburst (of missiles, questions, etc.)

Front 1510

fusion

Back 1510

union; coalition; V. fuse

Front 1511

futile

Back 1511

useless; hopeless; ineffectual

Front 1512

gadfly

Back 1512

animal-biting fly; irritating person

Front 1513

gaffe

Back 1513

social blunder

Front 1514

gainsay

Back 1514

deny

Front 1515

gait

Back 1515

manner of walking or running; speed

Front 1516

galaxy

Back 1516

large isolated system of stars, such as the Milky Way; collection of brilliant personalities

Front 1517

gale

Back 1517

windstorm; gust of wind; emotional outburst (laughter, tears); Ex. gale of laughter

Front 1518

gall

Back 1518

annoy; exasperate; chafe; N: skin sore caused by rubbing (as on the skin of a horse); exasperation

Front 1519

gall

Back 1519

bitterness of feeling; nerve; effrontery; (bile); Cf. gall bladder

Front 1520

galleon

Back 1520

large three-masted sailing ship

Front 1521

galvanize

Back 1521

stimulate or shock by an electric current; stimulate by shock; shock into action; stir up; coat with rust-resistant zinc by using electricity

Front 1522

gambit

Back 1522

opening in chess in which a piece is sacrificed; action made to produce a future advantage

Front 1523

gambol

Back 1523

romp; skip about; leap about playfully; frolic; N.

Front 1524

gamely

Back 1524

in a spirited manner; with courage; Ex. fight gamely against a superior boxer; Adj. game

Front 1525

gamut

Back 1525

entire range

Front 1526

gape

Back 1526

open widely; open the mouth wide; stare wonderingly with the mouth open; Cf. agape

Front 1527

garbled

Back 1527

mixed up; jumbled; distorted; V. garble: mix up or distort (a message) to such an extent as to make misleading or unintelligible

Front 1528

gargantuan

Back 1528

huge; enormous; gigantic; Cf. the hero of Gargantua and Pantagruel

Front 1529

gargoyle

Back 1529

waterspout carved in grotesque figures on a building

Front 1530

garish

Back 1530

overbright in color; unpleasantly bright; gaudy

Front 1531

garner

Back 1531

gather; store up; amass; V.

Front 1532

garnish

Back 1532

decorate; add a garnish to; decorate (food or drink) with small items such as lemon slices; N.

Front 1533

garrulous

Back 1533

loquacious; wordy; talkative; N. garrulity

Front 1534

gastronomy

Back 1534

art and science of preparing and serving good food; Cf. gastronome

Front 1535

gauche

Back 1535

clumsy (in social behavior); coarse and uncouth

Front 1536

gaudy

Back 1536

flashy; showy

Front 1537

gaunt

Back 1537

lean and angular; thin and bony; emaciated; barren

Front 1538

gavel

Back 1538

hammerlike tool; mallet (wooden hammer) used by a presiding officer or an auctioneer; V.

Front 1539

gawk

Back 1539

stare foolishly; look in open-mouthed awe

Front 1540

gazette

Back 1540

official periodical publication; newspaper

Front 1541

genealogy

Back 1541

record of descent; lineage; ancestry; study of ancestry

Front 1542

generality

Back 1542

vague statement; general statement which is not detailed; quality of being general; greater part; most; Ex. generality of people

Front 1543

generate

Back 1543

cause; produce; create

Front 1544

generic

Back 1544

characteristic of an entire class or species; of a genus

Front 1545

genesis

Back 1545

beginning; origin

Front 1546

geniality

Back 1546

cheerfulness; kindliness; sympathy; Adj. genial: cheerful and good-tempered

Front 1547

genre

Back 1547

particular variety of art or literature

Front 1548

genteel

Back 1548

well-bred; elegant; striving to convey an appearance of refinement; Ex. genteel poverty

Front 1549

gentility

Back 1549

those of gentle birth; high social class; refinement; quality of being genteel

Front 1550

gentry

Back 1550

people of standing (rank or position); people of good family or high social position; class of people just below nobility

Front 1551

genuflect

Back 1551

bend the knee as in worship

Front 1552

germane

Back 1552

pertinent; bearing upon (having connection with) the case at hand; appropriate

Front 1553

germinal

Back 1553

pertaining to a germ; creative; Ex. germinal idea

Front 1554

germinate

Back 1554

cause to sprout; sprout

Front 1555

gerontocracy

Back 1555

government ruled by old people

Front 1556

gerrymander

Back 1556

change voting district lines in order to favor a political party; N. Cf. Elbridge Gerry + (sala)mander

Front 1557

gestate

Back 1557

evolve as in prenatal growth; N. gestation: period of development from conception until birth

Front 1558

gesture

Back 1558

(n) a movement or action of the hands or face, expressive of some idea or emotion

Front 1559

ghastly

Back 1559

horrible; terrifying; resembling ghosts; Cf. aghast

Front 1560

gibberish

Back 1560

nonsense; nonsensical or unintelligible talk or writing; babbling

Front 1561

gibe

Back 1561

mock; make jeering remarks; N: jeering remarks

Front 1562

giddy

Back 1562

light-hearted; not serious; frivolous; dizzy; causing dizziness; Ex. giddy youth; Ex. giddy climb/height

Front 1563

gingerly

Back 1563

very carefully; Adj.

Front 1564

girth

Back 1564

distance around something; circumference

Front 1565

gist

Back 1565

essence; main point; substance

Front 1566

glacial

Back 1566

like a glacier; of an ice age; extremely cold; Ex. glacial epoch; Cf. iceberg

Front 1567

glaring

Back 1567

(of something bad) highly conspicuous; harshly bright; shining intensely and blindingly

Front 1568

glaze

Back 1568

cover with a thin and shiny surface; apply a glaze to; N: thin, smooth, shiny coating (as for pottery); Ex. unglazed pottery

Front 1569

glean

Back 1569

gather leavings; gather grain left behind by reapers; gather bit by bit (facts or information) often with difficulty

Front 1570

glib

Back 1570

fluent (with insincerity or superficiality); facile; slick

Front 1571

glimmer

Back 1571

shine erratically; twinkle; N: dim or unsteady light; faint indication; Ex. glimmer of hope

Front 1572

gloat

Back 1572

express evil satisfaction; look at or think about with evil satisfaction; view malevolently; Ex. The thief gloated over the stolen jewels.

Front 1573

gloss over

Back 1573

explain away with the intention of deceiving or hiding faults

Front 1574

glossary

Back 1574

brief explanation of words used in the text

Front 1575

glossy

Back 1575

smooth and shining; N. gloss: shiny brightness on a surface; superficially attractive appearance; Ex. gloss of good manners

Front 1576

glower

Back 1576

scowl; glare; look or stare angrily

Front 1577

glut

Back 1577

overstock; fill beyond capacity (with food); fill to excess; N: oversupply

Front 1578

glutinous

Back 1578

sticky; viscous; gluey

Front 1579

glutton

Back 1579

someone who eats too much; Adj. gluttonous: given to gluttony; greedy; Cf. gluttony: habit of eating too much

Front 1580

gnarled

Back 1580

twisted

Front 1581

gnome

Back 1581

dwarf; underground spirit who guards treasure hoards

Front 1582

goad

Back 1582

urge on; drive with a goad; cause (someone) to do something by continued annoyance; Ex. They goaded him into doing it by saying he was a coward; N: sharp-pointed stick for driving cattle; stimulus; Cf. annoy continually

Front 1583

gorge

Back 1583

narrow canyon; steep rocky cleft; ravine (made by a stream which runs through it)

Front 1584

gory

Back 1584

bloody; N. gore: blood (from a wound)

Front 1585

gossamer

Back 1585

(=gossamery) sheer; very light; like cobwebs; N: soft and sheer fabric; cobweb

Front 1586

gouge

Back 1586

overcharge (with high price); extort from; Ex. gouge the public; Cf. usury

Front 1587

gouge

Back 1587

tear out; cut out (as if with a gouge); Ex. gouge his eyes out; N: chisel for cutting out hollow areas in wood

Front 1588

gourmand

Back 1588

epicure; person who takes excessive pleasure in food and drink

Front 1589

gourmet

Back 1589

connoisseur of food and drink; epicure

Front 1590

graduated

Back 1590

arranged by degrees (of height, difficulty, etc.)

Front 1591

granary

Back 1591

storehouse for grain

Front 1592

grandiloquent

Back 1592

(of a person or speech) using high sounding or important-sounding language; pompous; bombastic

Front 1593

grandiose

Back 1593

affectedly grand; pretentious; high-flown; ridiculously exaggerated; impressive; great in size or scope; grand; Ex. grandiose ideas

Front 1594

granulate

Back 1594

form into grains or granules; N. granule: grain or particle

Front 1595

graphic

Back 1595

pertaining to the art of delineating; vividly described

Front 1596

grapple

Back 1596

wrestle; come to grips with; take hold of and struggle with; Ex. grapple with the burglar

Front 1597

grate

Back 1597

make a harsh noise; have an unpleasant effect; shred by rubbing against a rough surface; Ex. grated cheese N: framework of metal bars to hold fuel in a fireplace

Front 1598

gratify

Back 1598

please; satisfy; Ex. gratify a desire

Front 1599

gratis

Back 1599

free; without charge; Adj.

Front 1600

gratuitous

Back 1600

given freely; unwarranted; uncalled for; done without good reason; Ex. gratuitous comment

Front 1601

gratuity

Back 1601

tip

Front 1602

gregarious

Back 1602

sociable; (of an animal) tending to form a group

Front 1603

grievance

Back 1603

cause of complaint; complaint

Front 1604

grill

Back 1604

question severely; cook on a grill; broil; N: cooking surface of parallel metal bars

Front 1605

grimace

Back 1605

facial distortion to show feeling such as pain, disgust, etc; V.

Front 1606

grisly

Back 1606

ghastly; horrifying; Ex. grisly remains of the bodies

Front 1607

grotesque

Back 1607

fantastic; comically hideous; strange and unnatural (causing fear or amusement)

Front 1608

grotto

Back 1608

small cavern

Front 1609

grouse

Back 1609

complain; fuss; grumble; grouch; N: plump chickenlike game bird

Front 1610

grovel

Back 1610

crawl or creep on ground; remain prostrate; behave in a servile manner

Front 1611

grudging

Back 1611

unwilling; reluctant; stingy (giving reluctantly)

Front 1612

gruel

Back 1612

thin liquid porridge

Front 1613

grueling

Back 1613

exhausting; Ex. grueling marathon race

Front 1614

gruesome

Back 1614

grisly; horrible

Front 1615

gruff

Back 1615

(=gruffy) rough-mannered; (of a voice) rough; hoarse

Front 1616

guffaw

Back 1616

boisterous laughter; V.

Front 1617

guile

Back 1617

deceit; duplicity; wiliness; cunning; Ex. persuade her by guile

Front 1618

guileless

Back 1618

without deceit

Front 1619

guise

Back 1619

outward appearance; costume; Ex. in a new guise

Front 1620

gull

Back 1620

trick; deceive; hoodwink; N: person who is easily tricked; dupe

Front 1621

gullible

Back 1621

easily deceived

Front 1622

gustatory

Back 1622

affecting or relating to the sense of taste

Front 1623

gusto

Back 1623

enjoyment; enthusiasm

Front 1624

gusty

Back 1624

windy

Front 1625

guy

Back 1625

cable or chain attached to something that needs to be braced or steadied; Cf. guide

Front 1626

habituate

Back 1626

accustom or familiarize; addict

Front 1627

hackles

Back 1627

hairs on back and neck, especially of a dog; Ex. make someone's hackles rise

Front 1628

hackneyed

Back 1628

commonplace; trite

Front 1629

haggard

Back 1629

wasted away; gaunt; Ex. haggard faces of the rescued miners

Front 1630

haggle

Back 1630

argue about prices (in an attempt to bargain)

Front 1631

halcyon

Back 1631

calm; peaceful; Ex. halcyon days

Front 1632

hale

Back 1632

healthy

Front 1633

hallowed

Back 1633

blessed; consecrated; Ex. hallowed ground; V. hallow: set apart as holy

Front 1634

hallucination

Back 1634

delusion; false idea; false perception of objects with a compelling sense of their reality; objects so perceived; V. hallucinate; Adj. hallucinatory

Front 1635

halting

Back 1635

hesitant; faltering; not fluent; Ex. halting steps/voice; V. halt: proceed or act with uncertainty; falter; hesitate; waver; stop

Front 1636

hamper

Back 1636

obstruct; prevent the free movement of; N:

Front 1637

hap

Back 1637

chance; luck

Front 1638

haphazard

Back 1638

random; by chance; happening in an unplanned manner; Ex. haphazard growth of the town

Front 1639

hapless

Back 1639

unfortunate; luckless

Front 1640

harangue

Back 1640

long, passionate, and vehement speech; V.

Front 1641

harass

Back 1641

annoy by repeated attacks

Front 1642

harbinger

Back 1642

forerunner (which foreshadows what is to come)

Front 1643

harbor

Back 1643

give protection (by giving food and shelter); provide a refuge for; hide; keep in mind (thoughts or feelings); Ex. harbor a grudge/criminal; N: place of shelter; refuge

Front 1644

hardy

Back 1644

(of people or animals) sturdy; robust; (of plants) able to stand inclement (stormy) weather

Front 1645

harping

Back 1645

tiresome dwelling on a subject; V. harp: dwell on (think or speak a lot about) tediously

Front 1646

harrowing

Back 1646

agonizing; distressing; traumatic; V. harrow: break up and level (soil) with a harrow; inflict great distress on; agonize; N: farming machine to break up the earth

Front 1647

harry

Back 1647

harass, annoy, torment (by repeated attacks); raid

Front 1648

hatch

Back 1648

deck opening; lid covering a deck opening; V: emerge from an egg; produce (young) from an egg

Front 1649

haughtiness

Back 1649

pride; arrogance; Adj. haughty

Front 1650

haven

Back 1650

place of safety; refuge; harbor; Ex. tax haven

Front 1651

hazardous

Back 1651

dangerous; random

Front 1652

hazy

Back 1652

slightly obscure; misty; unclear; N. haze: light mist or smoke; confused state of mind

Front 1653

headlong

Back 1653

hasty; rash; headfirst; Adv.

Front 1654

headstrong

Back 1654

willful; stubborn; unyielding; determined to have one's own way

Front 1655

heckler

Back 1655

person who verbally harasses others; V. heckle: verbally harass as with gibes (by interrupting a speaker or speech)

Front 1656

hedonist

Back 1656

one who believes that pleasure is the sole aim in life; Cf. hedonism: practice of living one's life purely for pleasure

Front 1657

heedless

Back 1657

not noticing; disregarding

Front 1658

hegemony

Back 1658

dominance especially of one nation over others

Front 1659

heinous

Back 1659

atrocious; wicked; hatefully bad; Ex. heinous crime

Front 1660

herbivorous

Back 1660

grain-eating; Cf. herbivore

Front 1661

heresy

Back 1661

opinion contrary to popular belief; opinion contrary to accepted religion; Adj. heretical; Cf. heretic

Front 1662

hermetic

Back 1662

concerning alchemy or magic; obscure and mysterious; occult

Front 1663

hermetic

Back 1663

sealed by fusion so as to be airtight; airtight

Front 1664

hermitage

Back 1664

home of a hermit

Front 1665

herpetologist

Back 1665

one who studies reptiles; Cf. herpetology: branch of zoology that deals with reptiles and amphibians

Front 1666

heterodox

Back 1666

(of beliefs) against accepted opinion; unorthodox; unconventional

Front 1667

heterogeneous

Back 1667

dissimilar; mixed; not homogeneous; consisting of dissimilar elements or plants

Front 1668

hew

Back 1668

cut to pieces with ax or sword; chop; N.

Front 1669

heyday

Back 1669

time of greatest success or power; prime

Front 1670

hiatus

Back 1670

gap; pause; gap or interruption in space or time; break

Front 1671

hibernal

Back 1671

wintry; wintery; of or like winter

Front 1672

hibernate

Back 1672

sleep throughout the winter; N. hibernation

Front 1673

hierarchy

Back 1673

arrangement by rank or standing; authoritarian body divided into ranks; body of persons having authority

Front 1674

hieroglyphic

Back 1674

picture writing; Adj.

Front 1675

hilarity

Back 1675

boisterous mirth (merriment; laughter); Adj. hilarious: full of laughter

Front 1676

hindmost

Back 1676

furthest behind; farthest to the rear

Front 1677

hindrance

Back 1677

block; obstacle; V. hinder

Front 1678

hinterlands

Back 1678

back country; inner part of a country; Op. foreland

Front 1679

hireling

Back 1679

one who serves for hire (usually used contemptuously); one who works solely for compensation; Ex. hireling politician

Front 1680

hirsute

Back 1680

hairy; having a lot of hair

Front 1681

histrionic

Back 1681

theatrical; excessively dramatic or emotional; affected; of actors or acting; N. histrionics: histrionic behavior

Front 1682

hoard

Back 1682

stockpile; accumulate for future use; N: supply stored for future use

Front 1683

hoary

Back 1683

white with age

Front 1684

hoax

Back 1684

trick which makes someone take action; practical joke; Ex. hoax mail; V.

Front 1685

holocaust

Back 1685

destruction by fire; Cf. burnt whole; Cf. Holocaust

Front 1686

holster

Back 1686

leather pistol case (that hangs on a belt around the waist)

Front 1687

homage

Back 1687

honor; tribute; great respect; Ex. pay/do homage to

Front 1688

homeostasis

Back 1688

tendency of a system or organism to maintain relative stability or internal equilibrium; Cf. homeo-: constant; Ex. homeotherm

Front 1689

homespun

Back 1689

domestic; made at home; spun or woven at home; simple and ordinary; Ex. homespun philosophy

Front 1690

homily

Back 1690

sermon; tedious moralizing lecture; serious warning; Adj. homiletic

Front 1691

homogeneous

Back 1691

of the same kind; uniform in composition throughout

Front 1692

hone

Back 1692

sharpen (a tool); N: whetstone for sharpening a tool

Front 1693

hoodwink

Back 1693

deceive; delude

Front 1694

horde

Back 1694

crowd; swarm

Front 1695

hortatory

Back 1695

encouraging; exhortive; marked by exhortation; Cf. exhort

Front 1696

horticultural

Back 1696

pertaining to cultivation of gardens; N. horticulture: science or art of cultivating fruits, vegetables, or ornamental plants; Cf. agriculture: science or art of farming or growing crops

Front 1697

hovel

Back 1697

shack; small wretched house

Front 1698

hover

Back 1698

hang about; (of birds or aircraft) stay in the air in one place; (of people) wait nearby; stay around one place; waver; be in an uncertain state

Front 1699

hubbub

Back 1699

confused uproar; loud noise; din

Front 1700

hubris

Back 1700

arrogance; excessive self-conceit

Front 1701

hue

Back 1701

color; aspect; Ex. opinions of every hue

Front 1702

hue and cry

Back 1702

outcry; loud cry or clamor; strong protest; Ex. hue and cry against the new rule

Front 1703

humane

Back 1703

marked by kindness or consideration; kind and compassionate; humanitarian

Front 1704

humanitarian

Back 1704

one devoted to the promotion of human welfare; Cf. humanism

Front 1705

humdrum

Back 1705

dull; monotonous

Front 1706

humid

Back 1706

damp, wet; N. humidity

Front 1707

humility

Back 1707

humbleness of spirit

Front 1708

hummock

Back 1708

small hill; hillock

Front 1709

humus

Back 1709

substance or rich soil formed by decaying vegetable matter; Cf. soil

Front 1710

hurtle

Back 1710

crash; rush; move with great speed; Ex. hurtling runaway train

Front 1711

husband

Back 1711

use sparingly; conserve; save; Ex. husband one's energy; Cf. house holder

Front 1712

husbandry

Back 1712

frugality; thrift; economy; agriculture; farming; Ex. animal husbandry; Cf. husbandman

Front 1713

hybrid

Back 1713

mongrel; mixed breed; V. hybridize

Front 1714

hydrophobia

Back 1714

fear of water; rabies

Front 1715

hyperbole

Back 1715

exaggeration; overstatement; Adj. hyperbolic: of hyperbole; of a hyperbola

Front 1716

hypercritical

Back 1716

excessively exacting; too critical (without noticing good qualities)

Front 1717

hypochondriac

Back 1717

person unduly worried about his health; worrier without cause about illness; Adj. Cf. hypochondria: neurosis that one is or is becoming ill; Cf. abdomen

Front 1718

hypocritical

Back 1718

pretending to be virtuous; deceiving; N. hypocrisy: profession of beliefs one does not possess; Cf. hypocrite

Front 1719

hypothetical

Back 1719

based on assumptions or hypotheses; supposed; N. hypothesis

Front 1720

ichthyology

Back 1720

study of fish; Cf. ichthyo-: fish

Front 1721

icon

Back 1721

(=ikon) religious image; idol; image or representation

Front 1722

iconoclastic

Back 1722

attacking cherished traditions; N. iconoclast: one who attacks traditional ideas; one who destroys sacred images

Front 1723

ideology

Back 1723

system of ideas characteristic of a group or culture

Front 1724

idiom

Back 1724

expression whose meaning as a whole differs from the meanings of its individual words; distinctive style (of expression); Ex. idiom of the modern popular music; Adj. idiomatic

Front 1725

idiosyncrasy

Back 1725

individual trait usually odd in nature; behavioral peculiarity; eccentricity; attitude, behavior, or opinion peculiar to a person; anything highly individual or eccentric; Adj. idiosyncratic

Front 1726

idolatry

Back 1726

worship of idols; excessive admiration or devotion; Adj. idolatrous

Front 1727

idyllic

Back 1727

charmingly carefree; simple and happy; Ex. idyllic scene

Front 1728

igneous

Back 1728

produced by fire; of fire; volcanic; (of rocks) formed from lava; Ex. igneous meteorite

Front 1729

ignite

Back 1729

kindle; light; catch fire or set fire to

Front 1730

ignoble

Back 1730

unworthy; not noble; dishonorable; Ex. ignoble deed

Front 1731

ignominy

Back 1731

deep disgrace; shame or dishonor; Adj. ignominious; Ex. ignominious defeat

Front 1732

illicit

Back 1732

illegal

Front 1733

illimitable

Back 1733

infinite; limitless

Front 1734

illuminate

Back 1734

brighten; clear up or make understandable; enlighten; enable to understand; Ex. illuminating remarks

Front 1735

illusion

Back 1735

misleading vision or visual image; false idea or belief; Cf. delusion

Front 1736

illusive

Back 1736

deceiving; based on illusion; causing illusion; deceptive

Front 1737

illusory

Back 1737

illusive; deceptive; not real

Front 1738

imbalance

Back 1738

lack of balance or symmetry; disproportion

Front 1739

imbibe

Back 1739

drink in

Front 1740

imbroglio

Back 1740

complicated situation (as in a play); painful or complex misunderstanding (as in a play); entanglement; confused mass (as of papers); V. embroil

Front 1741

imbue

Back 1741

(=imbrue) saturate (soak thoroughly); fill; Ex. imbue someone with feelings

Front 1742

immaculate

Back 1742

spotless; flawless; absolutely clean

Front 1743

imminent

Back 1743

impending; near at hand

Front 1744

immobility

Back 1744

state of being immovable

Front 1745

immolate

Back 1745

offer or kill as a sacrifice (by fire)

Front 1746

immune

Back 1746

resistant to; free or exempt from; N. immunity

Front 1747

immure

Back 1747

imprison; shut up in confinement; Cf. wall

Front 1748

immutable

Back 1748

unchangeable

Front 1749

impair

Back 1749

injure; hurt; damage

Front 1750

impale

Back 1750

pierce (with a sharp point); Ex. impaled by the spear

Front 1751

impalpable

Back 1751

imperceptible (not easily understood); intangible; Op. palpable: tangible; easily perceptible

Front 1752

impartial

Back 1752

not biased; fair; N. impartiality

Front 1753

impassable

Back 1753

not able to be traveled or crossed

Front 1754

impasse

Back 1754

predicament (dangerous condition) from which there is no escape; situation allowing for no further progress

Front 1755

impassive

Back 1755

without feeling; expressionless; imperturbable; stoical; Ex. impassive face

Front 1756

impeach

Back 1756

charge (a public official) with crime in office; raise doubts about; indict; Ex. impeach a witness's credibility

Front 1757

impecunious

Back 1757

without money

Front 1758

impede

Back 1758

hide; retard or obstruct the progress of; block

Front 1759

impediment

Back 1759

hindrance; stumbling-block; speech defect preventing clear articulation; Ex. speech impediment

Front 1760

impel

Back 1760

drive or force onward; drive to take action; urge to action

Front 1761

impending

Back 1761

nearing; approaching; about to happen

Front 1762

impenetrable

Back 1762

not able to be pierced or entered; beyond understanding; impossible to understand; Ex. impenetrable mystery

Front 1763

impenitent

Back 1763

not repentant

Front 1764

imperative

Back 1764

absolutely necessary; crucial; that must be done; critically important; expressing command; Ex. It is imperative that; N: something that must be done

Front 1765

imperceptible

Back 1765

unnoticeable; impossible to perceive; undetectable

Front 1766

imperial

Back 1766

like an emperor; related to an empire; Cf. imperialism

Front 1767

imperious

Back 1767

domineering; too commanding; haughty; Cf. imperial/emperor

Front 1768

impermeable

Back 1768

impervious; not permitting passage through its substance; impossible to permeate

Front 1769

impertinent

Back 1769

insolent; rude; not pertinent; N. impertinence

Front 1770

imperturbable

Back 1770

unshakably calm; placid

Front 1771

impervious

Back 1771

impenetrable; incapable of being damaged or distressed; incapable of being affected (in one's opinions); Ex. impervious to water/criticism

Front 1772

impetuous

Back 1772

violent; hasty; rash; impulsive; without careful thought; Ex. impetuous decision

Front 1773

impetus

Back 1773

moving force; momentum; force of a moving body; incentive; stimulus; impulse

Front 1774

impiety

Back 1774

irreverence; lack of respect for God or piety

Front 1775

impinge

Back 1775

infringe; encroach; influence; touch; collide with; Ex. The effects are impinging on every aspect of our lives.

Front 1776

impious

Back 1776

irreverent

Front 1777

implacable

Back 1777

incapable of being pacified; impossible to appease; Ex. implacable enemy

Front 1778

implausible

Back 1778

unlikely (to be true); unbelievable; Ex. implausible alibi

Front 1779

implement

Back 1779

put into effect; enforce; carry out; supply with tools; Ex. implement the plan/suggestion; N: tool or instrument

Front 1780

implication

Back 1780

something hinted at or suggested; implying; implicating

Front 1781

implicit

Back 1781

understood but not stated; implied; unquestioning and complete; Ex. implicit trust

Front 1782

implode

Back 1782

burst inward; Cf. vacuum tube

Front 1783

implore

Back 1783

beg

Front 1784

imply

Back 1784

suggest a meaning not expressed; signify

Front 1785

impolitic

Back 1785

(=unpolitic) not wise; not expedient; not politic

Front 1786

imponderable

Back 1786

weightless; that cannot undergo precise evaluation; Cf. pound

Front 1787

import

Back 1787

significance; importance; meaning

Front 1788

importunate

Back 1788

urging; always demanding; troublesomely urgent or persistent

Front 1789

importune

Back 1789

beg persistently; make repeated requests (in an annoying way)

Front 1790

imposture

Back 1790

assuming a false identity; masquerade; Cf. impostor

Front 1791

impotent

Back 1791

weak; ineffective; lacking in physical strength or power

Front 1792

imprecation

Back 1792

curse; swearword

Front 1793

impregnable

Back 1793

invulnerable; impossible to capture or enter by force; Ex. impregnable fort/argument; Cf. take

Front 1794

impromptu

Back 1794

without previous preparation; off the cuff (end of a sleeve); on the spur of the moment

Front 1795

impropriety

Back 1795

improperness; unsuitableness

Front 1796

improvident

Back 1796

thriftless; not providing for the future

Front 1797

improvise

Back 1797

compose on the spur of the moment

Front 1798

imprudent

Back 1798

lacking caution; not prudent; injudicious

Front 1799

impudence

Back 1799

impertinence; insolence

Front 1800

impugn

Back 1800

dispute or contradict (often in an insulting way); attack as false or questionable; challenge; gainsay; Cf. fight

Front 1801

impuissance

Back 1801

powerlessness; feebleness

Front 1802

impunity

Back 1802

freedom from punishment or harm; Cf. punish

Front 1803

impute

Back 1803

attribute; ascribe; charge; N. imputation

Front 1804

inadvertently

Back 1804

unintentionally; by oversight; carelessly

Front 1805

inalienable

Back 1805

not to be taken away; nontransferable; Ex. inalienable rights

Front 1806

inane

Back 1806

silly; senseless; Ex. inane remarks; N. inanity

Front 1807

inanimate

Back 1807

lifeless; not animate

Front 1808

inarticulate

Back 1808

speechless; producing indistinct speech; not articulate; not expressing oneself clearly

Front 1809

inaugurate

Back 1809

begin formally; install in office; induct into office by a formal ceremony; N. inauguration; Adj. inaugural

Front 1810

incandescent

Back 1810

strikingly bright; shining with intense heat; emitting visible light when heated; Ex. incandescent light bulb; Cf. candle

Front 1811

incantation

Back 1811

singing or chanting of magic spells; magical formula; (the saying of) words used in magic; Cf. enchant

Front 1812

incapacitate

Back 1812

disable; N. incapacity: lack of capacity

Front 1813

incarcerate

Back 1813

imprison

Front 1814

incarnate

Back 1814

endowed with flesh; invested with bodily form; personified; Ex. devil incarnate; V: give bodily form to; embody

Front 1815

incarnation

Back 1815

act of assuming a human body and human nature; one who personifies something; personification; Ex. previous incarnation/reincarnation

Front 1816

incendiary

Back 1816

arsonist; Adj: causing fire; of arson; Ex. incendiary bomb

Front 1817

incense

Back 1817

enrage; infuriate (make furious); make extremely angry; outrage; N: aromatic substance burned to produce a pleasant odor

Front 1818

incentive

Back 1818

spur; motive; something which encourages one to greater activity

Front 1819

inception

Back 1819

start; beginning

Front 1820

incessant

Back 1820

uninterrupted; unceasing

Front 1821

inchoate

Back 1821

(of desire, wish, plan) recently begun; not explicit; at the beginning of development; rudimentary; elementary; Ex. inchoate mass

Front 1822

incidence

Back 1822

rate of occurrence; particular occurrence; Ex. high incidence of infant mortality

Front 1823

incidental

Back 1823

not essential; minor; N: something incidental

Front 1824

incipient

Back 1824

beginning; in an early stage

Front 1825

incisive

Back 1825

(appreciatively) cutting; sharp; Ex. incisive remarks; V. incise: make a cut into

Front 1826

incite

Back 1826

arouse to action; goad; motivate; induce to exist; Ex. incite a riot/the crowd to rebellion

Front 1827

inclement

Back 1827

stormy; unkind; unmerciful; Cf. clement

Front 1828

incline

Back 1828

slope; slant; Ex. steep incline

Front 1829

inclined

Back 1829

tending or leaning toward; bent; V. incline: slant; dispose; be disposed; tend

Front 1830

inclusive

Back 1830

tending to include all; all-inclusive; Ex. inclusive charge

Front 1831

incognito

Back 1831

with identity concealed; using an assumed name; Adj.

Front 1832

incoherent

Back 1832

unintelligible; muddled; unable to express one's thoughts in an orderly manner; illogical; lacking cohesion; not coherent

Front 1833

incommodious

Back 1833

not spacious; inconvenient

Front 1834

incompatible

Back 1834

inharmonious; N. incompatibility

Front 1835

incongruity

Back 1835

(=incongruousness/incongruence) lack of harmony; absurdity; Adj. incongruous: lacking in harmony; inappropriate

Front 1836

inconsequential

Back 1836

insignificant; unimportant

Front 1837

inconsistency

Back 1837

state of being self-contradictory; lack of uniformity or steadiness; Adj. inconsistent: displaying a lack of consistency; erratic; contradictory; incompatible

Front 1838

incontinent

Back 1838

lacking self-restraint; not continent; licentious

Front 1839

incontrovertible

Back 1839

indisputable; impossible to dispute; not open to question; unquestionable

Front 1840

incorporate

Back 1840

introduce something into a larger whole; include; embody; give material form to; Adj.

Front 1841

incorporeal

Back 1841

without a material body; insubstantial

Front 1842

incorrigible

Back 1842

uncorrectable

Front 1843

incredulous

Back 1843

withholding belief; skeptical; showing disbelief; N. incredulity

Front 1844

incriminate

Back 1844

accuse of or implicate in a crime; serve as evidence against; cause to seem or make guilty of a crime; Ex. incriminating evidence

Front 1845

incrustation

Back 1845

hard coating or crust; V. incrust: encrust; cover with a crust

Front 1846

incubate

Back 1846

hatch; warm (eggs) with the body to promote hatching; maintain at optimal environment conditions for development; be holding in one's body an infection which is going to develop into a disease; N. incubation; Cf. incubation: disease

Front 1847

incubus

Back 1847

burden; very worrying problem; mental care; nightmare; male devil; Cf. succubus

Front 1848

inculcate

Back 1848

teach (ideas or principles); instill

Front 1849

incumbent

Back 1849

obligatory; imposed as an obligation; currently holding an office; N: person who holds an office

Front 1850

incur

Back 1850

bring upon oneself

Front 1851

incursion

Back 1851

temporary invasion; Cf. excursion: short journey

Front 1852

indefatigable

Back 1852

tireless; untiring; showing no sign of getting tired

Front 1853

indelible

Back 1853

not able to be erased

Front 1854

indemnify

Back 1854

make secure against damage or loss; compensate for damage or loss; Cf. make uninjured

Front 1855

indentation

Back 1855

notch; deep recess; V. indent; Cf. tooth

Front 1856

indenture

Back 1856

bind as servant or apprentice to master; bind by indenture; N: contract binding one party into the service of another for a specified time (as between an apprentice and his master)

Front 1857

indeterminate

Back 1857

uncertain; not clearly fixed; indefinite

Front 1858

indicative

Back 1858

suggestive; implying; serving to indicate

Front 1859

indices

Back 1859

signs; indications; Ex. indices of a student's potential; Cf. index: something that reveals or indicates; sign; Ex. cost-of-living index

Front 1860

indifferent

Back 1860

unmoved or unconcerned by; having no interest in; mediocre; neither good nor bad

Front 1861

indigence

Back 1861

poverty; Adj. indigent

Front 1862

indigenous

Back 1862

native; Ex. plant indigenous to the New World

Front 1863

indignation

Back 1863

anger at an injustice; Ex. righteous indignation; Adj. indignant

Front 1864

indignity

Back 1864

treatment or situation that causes shame or loss of dignity, respect; offensive or insulting treatment; humiliating or degrading treatment; Ex. I suffered the indignity of having to say that in front of them.

Front 1865

indiscriminate

Back 1865

choosing at random; confused; not based on careful distinctions

Front 1866

indisputable

Back 1866

too certain to be disputed; beyond doubt

Front 1867

indissoluble

Back 1867

permanent; impossible to dissolve or disintegrate

Front 1868

indite

Back 1868

write; compose

Front 1869

indolent

Back 1869

lazy

Front 1870

indubitable

Back 1870

unable to be doubted; which cannot be doubted; unquestionable

Front 1871

induce

Back 1871

persuade; lead to do something; bring about; N. inducement

Front 1872

indulgent

Back 1872

humoring; yielding; lenient; showing indulgence

Front 1873

industrious

Back 1873

diligent; hard-working; N. industry

Front 1874

inebriated

Back 1874

habitually intoxicated; drunk; N. inebriety

Front 1875

ineffable

Back 1875

unutterable; not to be uttered; taboo; that cannot be expressed in speech; indescribable; unspeakable; inexpressible; Ex. ineffable name/joy

Front 1876

ineffectual

Back 1876

not effective; not having a desired effect; weak

Front 1877

ineluctable

Back 1877

irresistible; not to be escaped; unavoidable

Front 1878

inept

Back 1878

unsuited; inappropriate; lacking skill; incompetent; Cf. inapt: (of statements or ideas) inappropriate

Front 1879

inequity

Back 1879

unfairness; Adj. inequitable

Front 1880

inerrancy

Back 1880

infallibility

Front 1881

inert

Back 1881

inactive; lacking power to move; unable to move or act; Ex. chemically inert; N. inertia: state of being inert; force which keeps a thing in the position or state

Front 1882

inevitable

Back 1882

unavoidable

Front 1883

inexorable

Back 1883

relentless; unyielding; implacable; not capable of being changed by entreaty or efforts; Ex. inexorable price rises

Front 1884

infallible

Back 1884

unerring; never making mistakes

Front 1885

infamous

Back 1885

notoriously bad; notorious; well known for being bad; Ex. infamous behavior; N: infamy: infamous act; evil fame or reputation

Front 1886

infantile

Back 1886

childish; infantlike

Front 1887

infer

Back 1887

deduce; conclude; N. inference

Front 1888

infernal

Back 1888

pertaining to hell; devilish; N. inferno: place of fiery heat or destruction

Front 1889

infidel

Back 1889

unbeliever (with respect to a particular religion)

Front 1890

infiltrate

Back 1890

pass into or through; penetrate or enter (an organization) sneakily; Ex. infiltrate the troops into enemy territory; Cf. infiltrator

Front 1891

infinitesimal

Back 1891

very small

Front 1892

infirmity

Back 1892

weakness

Front 1893

inflated

Back 1893

exaggerated; pompous; enlarged (with air or gas)

Front 1894

influx

Back 1894

flowing into

Front 1895

infraction

Back 1895

violation (of a rule or regulation); breach

Front 1896

infringe

Back 1896

violate (a law); encroach (the right of another person)

Front 1897

ingenious

Back 1897

marked by inventive skill; clever; resourceful; N. ingenuity

Front 1898

ingenuous

Back 1898

naive and trusting; young; unsophisticated; candid

Front 1899

ingrained

Back 1899

deeply established; firmly rooted; Ex. ingrained dirt/prejudice

Front 1900

ingrate

Back 1900

ungrateful person (not expressing thanks)

Front 1901

ingratiate

Back 1901

become popular with; bring (oneself) in favor of another; Ex. ingratiate himself with the boss

Front 1902

inherent

Back 1902

firmly established by nature or habit; intrinsic

Front 1903

inhibit

Back 1903

restrain; prohibit; retard or prevent; N. inhibition

Front 1904

inimical

Back 1904

(of someone) unfriendly; hostile; (of something) harmful; detrimental; Cf. enemy

Front 1905

inimitable

Back 1905

matchless; not able to be imitated

Front 1906

iniquitous

Back 1906

wicked; immoral; unrighteous; N. iniquity; Ex. den of iniquity

Front 1907

initiate

Back 1907

begin; originate; receive into a group; introduce to a new field or activity; Ex. initiate someone into the mysteries of a secret religion; N: one who has been initiated

Front 1908

inject

Back 1908

(v) to introduce, as a fluid, by injection

Front 1909

injurious

Back 1909

harmful; causing injury

Front 1910

inkling

Back 1910

hint; slight indication

Front 1911

innate

Back 1911

inborn

Front 1912

innocuous

Back 1912

harmless

Front 1913

innovation

Back 1913

change; something newly introduced; introduction of something new; V. innovate: begin or introduce (something new); be creative; Adj. innovative

Front 1914

innuendo

Back 1914

indirect or subtle (derogatory) hint; insinuation; Ex. sexual innuendo

Front 1915

inopportune

Back 1915

untimely; inappropriate or ill-timed; poorly chosen

Front 1916

inordinate

Back 1916

beyond reasonable limits; unrestrained; excessive; Ex. inordinate demands

Front 1917

inquisitor

Back 1917

questioner (especially harsh); investigator; person making an inquisition

Front 1918

insalubrious

Back 1918

unwholesome; not healthful; Ex. insalubrious place

Front 1919

insatiable

Back 1919

not easily satisfied; unquenchable; Ex. insatiable appetite

Front 1920

inscrutable

Back 1920

difficult to understand; impenetrable; not readily understood; mysterious

Front 1921

insensate

Back 1921

without feeling; lacking sense; foolish

Front 1922

insensible

Back 1922

unconscious; unresponsive; insensitive; unaware; imperceptible; Ex. insensible of his danger/to pain; Ex. insensible change; Cf. not the opposite of sensible

Front 1923

insightful

Back 1923

discerning; perceptive

Front 1924

insinuate

Back 1924

hint; imply; suggest indirectly; creep in; introduce or insert (oneself) by artful means; Ex. insinuate himself into the boss's favor; Cf. ingratiate

Front 1925

insipid

Back 1925

lacking in flavor; lacking interest; dull; Ex. insipid food/character

Front 1926

insolence

Back 1926

impudent disrespect; haughtiness; Adj. insolent; Cf. haughty + rude

Front 1927

insolvent

Back 1927

bankrupt; lacking money to pay; N. insolvency

Front 1928

insomnia

Back 1928

wakefulness; inability to sleep

Front 1929

insouciant

Back 1929

without concern or care; unconcerned; indifferent

Front 1930

inspire

Back 1930

Stimulate; influent

Front 1931

instigate

Back 1931

start; urge; provoke; incite; Ex. instigate a search/quarrel

Front 1932

insubordination

Back 1932

disobedience; rebelliousness; Adj. insubordinate

Front 1933

insubstantial

Back 1933

lacking substance; insignificant; frail; immaterial

Front 1934

insularity

Back 1934

narrow-mindedness; isolation; Adj. insular: of an island; isolated; narrow-minded; Cf. peninsula

Front 1935

insuperable

Back 1935

insurmountable; unbeatable; Ex. insuperable difficulties

Front 1936

insurgent

Back 1936

rebellious; N.

Front 1937

insurmountable

Back 1937

overwhelming; unbeatable; insuperable

Front 1938

insurrection

Back 1938

rebellion; uprising

Front 1939

intangible

Back 1939

not able to be perceived by touch; vague

Front 1940

integral

Back 1940

complete; necessary for completeness; Ex. integral part

Front 1941

integrate

Back 1941

make whole; combine; make into one unit

Front 1942

inter

Back 1942

bury; N. interment

Front 1943

interdict

Back 1943

prohibit; forbid; N.

Front 1944

interim

Back 1944

meantime; Ex. in the interim; Adj. taking place during an interim; Ex. interim paper

Front 1945

interloper

Back 1945

intruder; one who interferes

Front 1946

interminable

Back 1946

endless

Front 1947

intermittent

Back 1947

periodic; on and off; stopping and starting at intervals

Front 1948

internecine

Back 1948

mutually destructive

Front 1949

interpolate

Back 1949

insert between

Front 1950

interregnum

Back 1950

period between two successive reigns or governments

Front 1951

interrogate

Back 1951

question closely; cross-examine; cross-question

Front 1952

intervene

Back 1952

come between; interfere; Ex. intervened to prevent a fight; N. intervention

Front 1953

intimate

Back 1953

hint; suggest; imply; Adj: marked by close relationship; familiar; private; personal; Ex. intimate knowledge/thoughts in the diary; N: close friend or confidant; Cf. intimacy

Front 1954

intimidate

Back 1954

frighten; N. intimidation

Front 1955

intractable

Back 1955

unruly; difficult to manage; Ex. intractable problem/child

Front 1956

intransigence

Back 1956

(=intransigeancy) refusal of any compromise; stubbornness; Adj. intransigent: uncompromising

Front 1957

intrepid

Back 1957

fearless

Front 1958

intrinsic

Back 1958

essential; inherent; built-in

Front 1959

introspective

Back 1959

looking within oneself; N. introspection: self-examination

Front 1960

introvert

Back 1960

one who is introspective or inclined to think more about oneself; Adj. introverted

Front 1961

intrude

Back 1961

put or force in without being asked; trespass; enter as an uninvited person; Ex. intrude one's own opinion into the report; Cf. thrust in

Front 1962

intuition

Back 1962

immediate insight; power of knowing without reasoning; Adj. intuitive; V. intuit: know by intuition

Front 1963

inundate

Back 1963

flood; overflow; submerge; cover completely; Ex. inundated with work

Front 1964

inured

Back 1964

accustomed; hardened; Ex. inured to the Alaskan cold; V. inure: make used to something undesirable; harden; Cf. unfeeling

Front 1965

invective

Back 1965

(n) abuse

Front 1966

inveigh

Back 1966

denounce; utter censure or invective; Ex. inveigh against the evils of drink

Front 1967

inveigle

Back 1967

deceive; lead astray by deception; wheedle (cajole); Ex. inveigle her into joining the club; Cf. interest dishonestly

Front 1968

inverse

Back 1968

opposite

Front 1969

invert

Back 1969

turn upside down or inside out; reverse the position or condition of

Front 1970

inveterate

Back 1970

deep-rooted; habitual; Cf. grow old

Front 1971

invidious

Back 1971

designed to create ill will or envy; tending to rouse ill will or envy; Ex. invidious comparison

Front 1972

invincible

Back 1972

unconquerable

Front 1973

invoke

Back 1973

call and bring into use (a right or law); call on/upon (a higher power or god) for help; ask for; beg for; conjure (a spirit); Ex. invoke the veto power; Ex. invoke one's advisor/God; N. invocation

Front 1974

invulnerable

Back 1974

incapable of injury; impossible to damage or injure

Front 1975

iota

Back 1975

very small quantity

Front 1976

irascible

Back 1976

irritable; easily angered

Front 1977

irate

Back 1977

angry; Cf. ire: anger; wrath

Front 1978

iridescent

Back 1978

exhibiting rainbowlike colors; Ex. iridescent oil slick; N. iridescence

Front 1979

irksome

Back 1979

annoying; tedious; V. irk: annoy

Front 1980

irony

Back 1980

hidden sarcasm or satire; use of words that seem to mean the opposite of what they actually mean; use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning; Adj. ironic

Front 1981

irreconcilable

Back 1981

impossible to reconcile; incompatible; not able to be resolved

Front 1982

irrelevant

Back 1982

not applicable; unrelated

Front 1983

irremediable

Back 1983

incurable; uncorrectable; impossible to remedy

Front 1984

irreparable

Back 1984

not able to be corrected or repaired; impossible to repair

Front 1985

irrepressible

Back 1985

unable to be restrained or held back; impossible to hold back

Front 1986

irreproachable

Back 1986

beyond reproach; blameless; impeccable; Ex. irreproachable conduct

Front 1987

irresolute

Back 1987

uncertain how to act; weak; lacking in resolution; indecisive; N. irresolution

Front 1988

irretrievable

Back 1988

impossible to recover or regain; Cf. retrieve

Front 1989

irreverence

Back 1989

lack of proper respect or reverence; Adj. irreverent

Front 1990

irrevocable

Back 1990

unalterable; irreversible; impossible to revoke

Front 1991

isotope

Back 1991

varying from of an element

Front 1992

isthmus

Back 1992

narrow neck of land connecting two larger bodies of land

Front 1993

itinerant

Back 1993

wandering; traveling from place to place (to perform work); Ex. itinerant preacher

Front 1994

itinerary

Back 1994

plan of a trip; record of a trip

Front 1995

jabber

Back 1995

chatter rapidly or unintelligibly

Front 1996

jaded

Back 1996

tired or uninterested by surfeit; fatigued; surfeited; worn out; wearied; Ex. jaded appetite

Front 1997

jargon

Back 1997

language used by special group; technical terminology; gibberish; nonsensical or incoherent talk

Front 1998

jaundiced

Back 1998

yellowed; prejudiced (envious, hostile, or resentful) from long and disappointing experience of human affairs; Ex. with a jaundiced eye

Front 1999

jaunt

Back 1999

trip; short journey

Front 2000

jaunty

Back 2000

cheerful and pleased with life; lighthearted; animated; easy and carefree; dapper in appearance; Ex. jaunty person/hat