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1545 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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obfuscate
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v. confuse; muddle; cause confusion; make needlessly complex.
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obituary
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n. death notice.
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objective
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adj. not influenced by emotions; fair. n. goal; aim.
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obligatory
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adj. binding; required.
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oblique
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adj. indirect; slanting (deviating from the perpendicular or from a straight line).
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obliterate
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v. destroy completely.
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oblivion
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n. obscurity; forgetfulness.
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oblivious
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adj. inattentive or unmindful; wholly absorbed.
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obloquy
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n. slander; disgrace; infamy.
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obnoxious
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adj. offensive.
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obscure
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adj. dark; vague; unclear. v. darken; make unclear.
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obsequious
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adj. slavishly attentive; servile; sycophantic.
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obsequy
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n. funeral ceremony.
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obsessive
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adj. relating to thinking about something constantly; preoccupying.
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obsidian
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n. black volcanic rock.
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obsolete
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adj. outmoded.
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obstetrician
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n. physician specializing in delivery of babies.
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obstinate
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adj. stubborn; hard to control or treat.
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obstreperous
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adj. boisterous; noisy.
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obtrude
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v. push (oneself or one's ideas) forward or intrude; butt in; stick out or extrude.
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obtuse
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adj. blunt; stupid.
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obviate
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v. make unnecessary; get rid of.
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Occident
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n. the West.
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occlude
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v. shut; close.
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occult
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adj. mysterious; secret; supernatural.
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oculist
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n. physician who specializes in treatment of the eyes.
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odious
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adj. hateful; vile.
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odium
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n. detestation; hatefulness; disrepute.
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odoriferous
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adj. giving off an odor.
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odorous
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adj. having an odor.
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odyssey
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n. long, eventful journey.
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offensive
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adj. attacking; insulting; distasteful.
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offhand
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adj. casual; done without prior thought.
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officious
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adj. meddlesome; excessively pushy in offering one's services.
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ogle
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v. look at amorously; make eyes at.
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olfactory
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adj. concerning the sense of smell.
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oligarchy
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n. government by a privileged few.
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ominous
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adj. threatening.
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omnipotent
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adj. all-powerful.
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omnipresent
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adj. universally present; ubiquitous.
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omniscient
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adj. all-knowing.
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omnivorous
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adj. eating both plant and animal food; devouring everything.
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onerous
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adj. burdensome.
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onomatopoeia
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n. words formed in imitation of natural sounds.
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onslaught
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n. vicious assault.
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onus
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n. burden; responsibility.
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opalescent
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adj. iridescent; lustrous.
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opaque
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adj. dark; not transparent.
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opiate
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n. medicine to induce sleep or deaden pain; something that relieves emotions or causes inaction.
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opportune
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adj. timely; well-chosen.
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opportunist
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n. individual who sacrifices principles for expediency by taking advantage of circumstances.
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opprobrium
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n. infamy; vilification.
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optician
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n. maker and seller of eyeglasses.
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optimist
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n. person who looks on the bright side.
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optimum
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adj. most favorable.
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optional
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adj. not compulsory; left to one's choice.
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optometrist
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n. one who fits glasses to remedy visual defects.
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opulence
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n. extreme wealth; luxuriousness; abundance.
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opus
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n. work.
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oracular
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adj. prophetic; uttered as if with divine authority; mysterious or ambiguous.
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orator
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n. public speaker.
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oratorio
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n. dramatic poem set to music.
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ordain
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v. decree or command; grant holy orders; predestine.
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ordeal
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n. severe trail or affliction.
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ordinance
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n. decree.
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ordination
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n. ceremony conferring holy orders.
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orgy
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n. wild, drunken revelry; unrestrained indulgence.
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orient
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v. get one's bearings; adjust.
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orientation
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n. act of finding oneself in society.
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orifice
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n. mouthlike opening; small opening.
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ornate
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adj. excessively or elaborately decorated.
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ornithologist
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n. scientific student of birds.
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orthodox
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adj. traditional; conservative in belief.
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orthography
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n. correct spelling.
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oscillate
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v. vibrate pendulumlike; waver.
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osseous
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adj. made of bone; bony.
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ossify
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v. change or harden into bone.
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ostensible
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adj. apparent; professed; pretended.
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ostentatious
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adj. showy; pretentious; trying to atttract attention.
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ostracize
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v. exclude from public favor; ban.
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oust
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v. expel; drive out.
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outlandish
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adj. bizzare; peculiar; unconventional.
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outmoded
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adj. no longer stylish; old-fashioned.
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outskirts
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n. fringes; outer borders.
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outspoken
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adj. candid; blunt.
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outstrip
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v. surpass; outdo.
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outwit
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v. outsmart; trick.
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ovation
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n. enthusiastic applause.
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overbearing
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adj. bossy; arrogant; decisively important.
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overt
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adj. open to view.
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overweening
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adj. presumptuous; arrogant.
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overwrought
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adj. extremely agitated; hysterical.
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ovoid
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adj. egg-shaped.
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pachyderm
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n. thick-skinned animal.
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pacifist
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n. one opposed to force; antimilitarist.
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pacify
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v. soothe; make calm or quiet; subdue.
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paean
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n. song of praise or joy.
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painstaking
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adj. showing hard work; taking great care.
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palatable
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adj. agreeable; pleasing to the taste.
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palate
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n. roof of the mouth; sense of taste.
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palatial
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adj. magnificent.
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paleontology
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n. study of prehistoric life.
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palette
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n. board on which a painter mixes pigments.
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palimpsest
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n. parchment used for second time after original writing has been erased.
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pall
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v. grow tiresome.
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pallet
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n. small, poor bed.
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palliate
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v. ease pain; make less severe or offensive.
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pallid
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adj. pale; wan.
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palpable
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adj. tangible; easily perceptible.
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palpitate
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v. throb; flutter.
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paltry
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adj. insignificant; petty; trifling.
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pan
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v. criticize harshly.
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panacea
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n. cure-all; remedy for all diseases.
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panache
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n. flair; flamboyance.
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pandemic
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adj. widespread; affecting the majority of people.
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pandemonium
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n. wild tumult.
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pander
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v. cater to the low desires of others.
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panegyric
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n. formal praise.
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panoramic
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adj. denoting an unobstructed and comprehensive view.
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pantomime
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n. acting without dialogue.
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papyrus
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n. ancient paper made from stem of papyrus plant.
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parable
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n. short, simple story teaching a moral.
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paradigm
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n. model; example; pattern.
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paradox
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n. something apparently contradictory in nature; statement that looks false but is actually correct.
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paragon
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n. model of perfection.
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parallelism
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n. state of being parallel; similarity.
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parameter
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n. limit; independent variable.
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paramount
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adj. foremost in importance; supreme.
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paramour
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n. illicit lover.
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paranoia
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n. psychosis marked by delusions of grandeur or persecution.
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paraphernalia
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n. equipment; odds and ends.
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paraphrase
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v. restate a passage in one's own words while retaining thought of author.
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parasite
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n. animal or plant living on another; toady; sycophant.
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parched
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adj. extremely dry; very thirsty.
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paraiah
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n. social outcast.
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parity
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n. equality; close resemblance.
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parlance
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n. language; idiom.
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parley
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n. conference.
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parochial
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adj. narrow in outlook; provincial; related to parishes.
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parody
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n. humorous imitation; spoof; takeoff; travesty.
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paroxysm
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n. fit or attack of pain, laughter, rage.
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parquet
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n. floor made of wood strips inlaid in a mosaic-like pattern.
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parry
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v. ward off a blow; deflect.
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parismony
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n. stinginess; excessive frugality.
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partial
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adj. incomplete; having a liking for something.
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partiality
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n. inclination; bias.
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partisan
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adj. one-sided; prejudiced; committed to a party.
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partition
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v. divide into parts.
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passe
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adj. old-fashioned; past the prime.
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passive
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adj. not active; acted upon.
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pastiche
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n. imitation of another's style in musical composition or in writing.
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pastoral
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adj. rural.
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patent
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adj. open for the public to read; obvious.
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pathetic
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adj. causing sadness, compassion, pity; touching.
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pathological
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adj. pertaining to disease.
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pathos
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n. tender sorrow; pity; quality in art or literature that produces these feelings.
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patina
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n. green crust on old bronze works; tone slowly taken by varnished painting.
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patois
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n. local or provincial dialect.
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patriarch
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n. father and ruler of a family or tribe.
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patrician
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adj. noble; aristocratic.
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patronize
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v. support; act superior toward; to be a customer of.
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paucity
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n. scarcity.
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pauper
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n. very poor person.
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peccadillo
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n. slight offense.
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pecuniary
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adj. pertaining to money.
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pedagogue
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n. techer.
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pedagogy
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n. teaching; art of education.
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pedant
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n. scholar who overemphasizes book learning or technicalities.
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pedantic
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adj. showing off learning; bookish.
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pedestrian
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adj. ordinary; unimaginative.
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pediatrician
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n. physician specializing in children's diseases.
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peerless
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adj. having no equal; incomparable.
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pejorative
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adj. negative in connotation; having a belittling effect.
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pell-mell
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adv. in confusion; disorderly.
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pellucid
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adj. transparent; limpid; easy to understand.
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penance
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n. self-imposed punishment for sin.
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penchant
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n. strong inclination; liking.
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pendant
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adj. hanging down from something. n. organement (hanging from a necklace, etc.).
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pendulous
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adj. hanging; suspended.
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penitent
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adj. repentant.
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pensive
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adj. dreamily thoughtful; thoughtful with a hint of sadness; contemplative.
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penumbra
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n. partial shadow (in an eclipse).
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penury
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n. extreme want; poverty; destitution.
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peon
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n. landless agricultural worker; bond servant.
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perceptive
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adj. insightful; aware; wise.
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precussion
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adj. striking one object against another sharply.
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perdition
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n. damnation; complete ruin.
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peregrination
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n. journey.
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peremptory
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adj. demanding and leaving no choice.
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perennial
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n. something long-lasting.
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perfidious
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adj. trecherous; disloyal.
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perforate
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v. pierce; put a hole through.
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perfunctory
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adj. superficial; not thorough; lacking interest, care, or enthusiasm.
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perigee
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n. point of moon's orbit when it is nearest the earth.
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perimeter
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n. outer boundary.
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peripatetic
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adj. walking about; moving.
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peripheral
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adj. marginal; outer.
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periphery
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n. edge, especially of a round surface.
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perjury
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n. false testimony while under oath.
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permeable
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adj. penetrable; porous; allowing liquids or gas to pass through.
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pernicious
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adj. very destructive.
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peroration
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n. conclusion of an oration.
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perpetrate
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v. commit an offense.
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perpetual
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adj. everlasting.
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perpetuate
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v. make something last; preserve from extinction.
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perquisite
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n. any gain above stipulated salary.
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personable
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adj. attractive.
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perspicacious
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adj. having insight.
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perspicuity
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n. clearness of expression; freedom from ambiguity.
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perspicuous
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adj. plainly expressed.
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pert
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adj. impertinent; forward.
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pertinacious
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adj. stubborn; persistent.
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pertinent
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adj. suitable; to the point.
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perturb
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v. disturb greatly.
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peruse
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v. read with care.
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pervasive
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adj. spread throughout.
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perverse
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adj. stubbornly wrongheaded; wicked and unacceptable.
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perversion
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n. corruption; turning from right to wrong.
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pessimism
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n. belief that life is basically bad or evil; gloominess.
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pestilential
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adj. causing plague; baneful.
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pestle
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n. tool for mashing or grinding substances in a hard bowl.
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petrify
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adj. turn to stone.
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petty
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adj. trivial; unimportant; very small.
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petulant
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adj. touchy; peevish.
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pharisaical
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adj. pertaining to Pharisees, who paid scrupulous attention to tradition; self-righteous; hypocritical.
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phenomena
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n, pl. observable facts; subjects of scientific investigation.
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philander
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n. faithless lover; flirt.
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philanthropist
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n. lover of mankind; doer of good.
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philatelist
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n. stamp-collector.
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philistine
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n. narrow-minded person, uncultured and exclusively interested in material gain.
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philology
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n. study of language.
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phlegmatic
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adj. calm; not easily disturbed.
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phobia
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n. morbid fear.
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phoenix
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n. symbol of immortality or rebirth.
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phylum
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n. major classification, second to kingdom, of plants and animals; division.
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physiognomy
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n. face.
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physiological
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adj. pertaining to the science of the function of living organisms.
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piebald
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adj. of different colours; mottled; spotted.
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piecemeal
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adj. one part at a time; gradually.
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pied
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adj. variegated; multicoloured.
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piety
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n. devoutness; reverence for God.
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pigment
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n. coloring matter.
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pillage
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v. plunder.
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pillory
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v. punish by placing in a wooden frame; subject to criticism and ridicule.
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pine
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v. languish, decline; long for; yearn.
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pinion
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v. restrain.
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pinnacle
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n. peak.
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pious
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daj. devout; religious.
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piquant
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adj. pleasantly tart-tasting; stimulating.
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pique
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n. irritation; resentment. v. provoke or arouse; annoy.
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piscatorial
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adj. pertaining to fishing.
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pitfall
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n. hidden danger; concealed trap.
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pith
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n. core or marrow; essense; substance.
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pithy
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adj. concise; meaningful; substantial; meaty.
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pittance
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n. a small allowance or wage.
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pivotal
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adj. central; critical.
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placate
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v. pacify; conciliate.
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placebo
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n. harmless substance prescribed as a dummy pill.
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placid
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adj. peaceful; calm.
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plagiarize
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v. steal another's ideas and pass them off as one's own.
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plaintive
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adj. mournful.
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plait
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v. braid; interwine.
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plasticity
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n. ability to be molded.
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platitude
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n. trite remark; commonplace statement.
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platonic
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adj. purely spiritual; theoretical; without sensual desire.
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plaudit
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n. enthusiastic approval; round of applause.
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plausible
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adj. having a show of truth but open to doubt; specious.
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plebeian
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adj. common; pertaining to the common people.
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plenary
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adj. complete; full.
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plenitude
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n. abundance; completeness.
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plethora
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n. excess; overabundance.
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pliable
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adj. flexible; yielding; adaptable.
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pliant
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adj. flexible; easily influenced.
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plight
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n. condition, state (especially a bad state or condition); predicament.
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pluck
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n. courage.
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plumage
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n. feathers of a bird.
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plumb
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v. examine critically in order to understand; measure depth (by sounding). adj. vertical.
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plummet
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v. fall sharply.
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plutocracy
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n. society ruled by the wealthy.
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podiatrist
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n. doctor who treats ailments of feet.
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podium
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n. pedestal; raised platform.
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poignancy
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n. quality of being deeply moving; keenness of emotion.
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polarize
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v. split into opposite extremes or camps.
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polemic
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n. controversy; argument in support of point of view.
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polemical
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adj. aggressive in verbal attack; disputatious.
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politic
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adj. expedient; prudent; well devised.
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polity
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n. form of government of nation or state.
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polygamist
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n. one who has more than one spouse at a time.
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polyglot
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adj. speaking several languages.
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pomposity
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n. self-important behaviour; acting like a stuffed shirt.
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ponderous
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adj. weighty; unwieldy.
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pontifical
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adj. pertaining to a bishop or pope; pompous or pretentious.
|
|
|
pore
|
v. study industriously; ponder; scrutinize.
|
|
|
porous
|
adj. full of pores; like a sieve.
|
|
|
portend
|
v. fortell; presage.
|
|
|
portent
|
n. sign; omen; forewarning.
|
|
|
portly
|
adj. stout; corpulent.
|
|
|
poseur
|
n. person who pretends to be sophisticated, elegant, etc., to impress others.
|
|
|
posterity
|
n. descendants; future generations.
|
|
|
posthumous
|
adj. after death (as of child born after father's death or book published after author's death).
|
|
|
postulate
|
n. self-evident truth.
|
|
|
posture
|
v. assume an affected pose; act artificially.
|
|
|
potable
|
adj. suitable for drinking.
|
|
|
potent
|
adj. powerful; persuasive; greatly influential.
|
|
|
potentate
|
n. monarch; sovereign.
|
|
|
potential
|
adj. expressing possibility; latent.
|
|
|
potion
|
n. dose (of liquid).
|
|
|
potpourri
|
n. heterogeneous mixture; medley.
|
|
|
poultice
|
n. soothing application applied to sore and inflamed portions of the body.
|
|
|
practicable
|
adj. feasible.
|
|
|
practical
|
adj. based on experience; useful.
|
|
|
pragmatic
|
adj. practical (as opposed to idealistic); concerned with the practical worth or impact of something.
|
|
|
pragmatist
|
n. practical person.
|
|
|
prate
|
v. speak foolishly; boast idly.
|
|
|
prattle
|
v. babble.
|
|
|
preamble
|
n. introductory statement.
|
|
|
precarious
|
adj. uncertain; risky.
|
|
|
precedent
|
n. something preceding in time that may be used as an authority or guide for future action; an earlier occurence. adj. preceding in time, rank, etc.
|
|
|
precept
|
n. practical rule guiding conduct.
|
|
|
precipice
|
n. cliff; dangerous position.
|
|
|
precipitant
|
n. something that causes a substance in a chemical solution to separate out in solid form.
|
|
|
precipitate
|
adj. rash; premature; hasty; sudden. v. throw headlong; hasten.
|
|
|
precipitous
|
adj. steep; overhasty.
|
|
|
precis
|
n. concise summing up of main points.
|
|
|
precise
|
adj. exact.
|
|
|
preclude
|
v. make impossible; eliminate.
|
|
|
precocious
|
adj. advanced in development.
|
|
|
precursor
|
n. forerunner.
|
|
|
predator
|
n. creature that seizes and devours another animal; person who robs or exploits others.
|
|
|
predecessor
|
n. former occupant of a post.
|
|
|
predetermine
|
v. predestine; settle or decide beforehand; influence markedly.
|
|
|
predicament
|
n. tricky or dangerous situation; dilemma.
|
|
|
predilection
|
n. partiality; preference.
|
|
|
predispose
|
v. give an inclination toward; make susceptible to.
|
|
|
preeminent
|
adj. outstanding; superior.
|
|
|
preempt
|
v. head off; forestall by acting first; appropriate for oneself; supplant.
|
|
|
preen
|
v. make oneself tidy in appearance; feel self-satisfaction.
|
|
|
prefatory
|
adj. introductory.
|
|
|
prehensile
|
adj. capable of grasping or holding.
|
|
|
prelate
|
n. church dignitary.
|
|
|
prelude
|
n. introduction; forerunner.
|
|
|
premeditate
|
v. plan in advance.
|
|
|
premise
|
n. assumption; postulate.
|
|
|
premonition
|
n. forewarning.
|
|
|
premonitory
|
adj. serving to warn.
|
|
|
preponderance
|
n. superiority of power, quantity, etc.
|
|
|
preposterous
|
adj. absurd; ridiculous.
|
|
|
prerogative
|
n. privilege; unquestionable right.
|
|
|
presage
|
v. foretell.
|
|
|
prescience
|
n. ability to foretell the future.
|
|
|
presentiment
|
n. feeling something will happen; anticipatory fear; premonition.
|
|
|
prestige
|
n. impression produced by achievements or reputation.
|
|
|
presumptuous
|
adj. arrogant; talking liberties.
|
|
|
pretentious
|
adj. ostentatious; pompous; making unjustified claims; overambitious.
|
|
|
preternatural
|
adj. beyond that which is normal in nature.
|
|
|
pretext
|
n. excuse.
|
|
|
prevail
|
v. induce; triumph over.
|
|
|
prevalent
|
adj. widespread; generally accepted.
|
|
|
prevaricate
|
v. lie.
|
|
|
prey
|
n. target of a hunt; victim.
|
|
|
prim
|
adj. very precise and formal; exceedingly proper.
|
|
|
primogeniture
|
n. seniority by birth.
|
|
|
primordial
|
adj. existing at the beginning (of time); rudimentary.
|
|
|
primp
|
v. groom oneself with care; adron oneself.
|
|
|
pristine
|
adj. characteristic of earlier times; primitive, unspoiled.
|
|
|
privation
|
n. hardship; want.
|
|
|
privy
|
adj. secret; hidden; not public.
|
|
|
probe
|
v. explore with tools.
|
|
|
probity
|
n. uprightness; incorruptibility.
|
|
|
problematic
|
adj. doubtful; unsettled; questionable; perplexing.
|
|
|
proclivity
|
n. inclination; natural tendency.
|
|
|
procrastinate
|
v. postpone; delay or put off.
|
|
|
procurement
|
n. obtaining.
|
|
|
prod
|
v. poke; stir up; urge.
|
|
|
prodigal
|
adj. wasteful; reckless with money.
|
|
|
prodigious
|
adj. marvelous; enormous.
|
|
|
prodigy
|
n. highly gifted child; marvel.
|
|
|
profane
|
v. violate; desecrate; treat unworthily.
|
|
|
profligate
|
adj. dissipated; wasteful; wildly immoral.
|
|
|
profound
|
adj. deep; not superficial; complete.
|
|
|
profusion
|
n. overabundance; lavish expenditure; excess.
|
|
|
progenitor
|
n. ancestor.
|
|
|
progeny
|
n. children; offspring.
|
|
|
prognosis
|
n. forecasted course of a disease; prediction.
|
|
|
prognosticate
|
v. predict.
|
|
|
prohibitive
|
adj. tending to prevent the purchase or use of something; inclined to prevent or forbid.
|
|
|
projectile
|
n. missile.
|
|
|
proletarian
|
n. member of the working class; blue collar guy.
|
|
|
proliferate
|
v. grow rapidly; spread; multiply.
|
|
|
prolific
|
adj. abundantly fruitful.
|
|
|
prolixity
|
n. tedious wordiness; verbosity.
|
|
|
prologue
|
n. introduction (to a poem or play).
|
|
|
prolong
|
v. extend; draw out; lengthen.
|
|
|
prominent
|
adj. conspicuous; notable; protruding.
|
|
|
promiscuous
|
adj. mixed indiscriminately; haphazard; irregular, particularly sexually.
|
|
|
promontory
|
n. a high point of land extending into a body of water, headland; cliff.
|
|
|
promote
|
v. help to flourish; advance in rank; publicize.
|
|
|
prompt
|
v. cause; provoke; provide a cue for an actor.
|
|
|
promulgate
|
v. proclaim a doctrine or law; make known by official publication.
|
|
|
prone
|
adj. inclined to; prostrate.
|
|
|
propagate
|
v. multiply; spread.
|
|
|
propellant
|
n. substance that propels or drives forward.
|
|
|
propensity
|
n. natural inclination.
|
|
|
prophetic
|
adj. having to do with predicting the future.
|
|
|
prophylactic
|
adj. used to prevent disease.
|
|
|
propinquity
|
n. nearness; kinship.
|
|
|
propitiate
|
v. appease.
|
|
|
propitious
|
adj. favorable; fortunate; advantageous.
|
|
|
proponent
|
n. supporter; backer; opposite of opponent.
|
|
|
propound
|
v. put forth for analysis.
|
|
|
propriety
|
n. fitness; correct conduct.
|
|
|
propulsive
|
adj. driving forward.
|
|
|
prosaic
|
adj. dull and unimaginative; matter-of-fact; factual.
|
|
|
proscenium
|
n. part of stage in front of curtain.
|
|
|
proscribe
|
v. ostracize; banish; outlaw.
|
|
|
proselytize
|
v. induce someone to convert to a religion or belief.
|
|
|
prosody
|
n. the art of versification.
|
|
|
prosperity
|
n. good fortune; financial success; physical well-being.
|
|
|
prostrate
|
v. stretch out full on ground.
|
|
|
protean
|
adj. versatile; able to take on many forms.
|
|
|
protege
|
n. person receiving protection and support from a patron.
|
|
|
protocol
|
n. diplomatic etiquette.
|
|
|
prototype
|
n. original work used as a model by others.
|
|
|
protract
|
v. prolong.
|
|
|
protrude
|
v. stick out.
|
|
|
protuberance
|
n. protrusion; bulge.
|
|
|
provenance
|
n. origin or source of something.
|
|
|
provender
|
n. dry food; fodder.
|
|
|
provident
|
adj. displaying foresight; thrifty; preparing for emergencies.
|
|
|
provincial
|
adj. pertaining to a province; limited in out-look; unsophisticated.
|
|
|
provisional
|
adj. tentative.
|
|
|
proviso
|
n. stipulation.
|
|
|
provocative
|
adj. arousing anger or interest; annoying.
|
|
|
prowess
|
n. extraordinary ability; military bravery.
|
|
|
proximity
|
n. nearness.
|
|
|
proxy
|
n. authorized agent.
|
|
|
prude
|
n. excessively modest or proper person.
|
|
|
prudent
|
adj. cautious; careful.
|
|
|
prune
|
v. cut away; trim.
|
|
|
prurient
|
adj. having or causing lustful thoughts and desires.
|
|
|
pry
|
v. inquire impertinently; use leverage to raise or open something.
|
|
|
pseudonym
|
n. pen name.
|
|
|
psyche
|
n. soul; mind.
|
|
|
psychiatrist
|
n. a doctor who treats mental diseases.
|
|
|
psychopathic
|
adj. pertaining to mental derangement.
|
|
|
psychosis
|
n. mental disorder.
|
|
|
pterodactyl
|
n. extinct flying reptile.
|
|
|
puerile
|
adj. childish.
|
|
|
pugilist
|
n. boxer.
|
|
|
pugnacity
|
n. combativeness; disposition to fight.
|
|
|
puissant
|
adj. powerful; strong; potent.
|
|
|
pulchritude
|
n. beauty; comeliness.
|
|
|
pulmonary
|
adj. pertaining to the lungs.
|
|
|
pulsate
|
v. throb.
|
|
|
pulverize
|
v. crush or grind into very small particles.
|
|
|
pummel
|
v. beat or pound with fists.
|
|
|
punctilious
|
adj. stressing niceties of conduct or form; minutely attentive (perhaps too much so) to fine points.
|
|
|
pundit
|
n. authority on a subject; learned person; expert.
|
|
|
pungent
|
adj. stinging; sharp in taste or smell; caustic.
|
|
|
punitive
|
adj. punishing.
|
|
|
puny
|
adj. insignificant; tiny; weak.
|
|
|
purchase
|
n. firm grasp or footing.
|
|
|
purgatory
|
n. place of spiritual expiation.
|
|
|
purge
|
v. remove or get rid of something unwanted; free from blame or guilt; cleanse or purify.
|
|
|
purport
|
n. intention; meaning.
|
|
|
purported
|
adj. alleged; claimed; reputed or rumored.
|
|
|
purse
|
v. pucker; contract into wrinkles.
|
|
|
purveyor
|
n. furnisher of foodstuffs; caterer.
|
|
|
pusillanimous
|
adj. cowardly; fainthearted.
|
|
|
putative
|
adj. supposed; reputed.
|
|
|
putrid
|
adj. foul; rotten; decayed.
|
|
|
pylon
|
n. marking post to guide aviators; steel tower supporting cables or telephone lines.
|
|
|
pyromaniac
|
n. person with an insane desire to set things on fire.
|
|
|
quack
|
n. charlatan; impostor.
|
|
|
quadruped
|
n. four-footed animal.
|
|
|
quaff
|
v. drink with relish.
|
|
|
quagmire
|
n. soft, wet, boggy land; complex or dangerous situation from which it is difficult to free oneself.
|
|
|
quail
|
v. cower; lose heart.
|
|
|
quaint
|
adj. odd; old-fashioned; picturesque.
|
|
|
qualified
|
adj. limited; restricted.
|
|
|
qualms
|
n. misgivings; uneasy fears, especially about matters of conscience.
|
|
|
quandary
|
n. dilemma.
|
|
|
quarantine
|
n. isolation of a person, place, or ship to prevent spread or infection.
|
|
|
quarry
|
n. victim; object of a hunt. v. dig into.
|
|
|
quash
|
v. subdue; crush; squash.
|
|
|
quay
|
n. dock; landing place.
|
|
|
queasy
|
adj. easily nauseated; squeamish.
|
|
|
quell
|
v. extinguish; put down; quiet.
|
|
|
quench
|
v. douse or extinguish; assauge or satisfy.
|
|
|
querulous
|
adj. fretful; whining.
|
|
|
query
|
n. inquiry; question.
|
|
|
queue
|
n. line
|
|
|
quibble
|
n. minor objection or complaint.
|
|
|
quiescent
|
adj. at rest; dormant; temporarily inactive.
|
|
|
quietude
|
n. tranquility.
|
|
|
quintessence
|
n. purest and highest embodiment.
|
|
|
quip
|
n. taunt.
|
|
|
quirk
|
n. startling twist; caprice.
|
|
|
quisling
|
n. traitor who aids invaders.
|
|
|
quiver
|
n. case for arrows. v. tremble; shake.
|
|
|
quixotic
|
adj. idealistic but impractical.
|
|
|
quizzical
|
adj. teasing; bantering; mocking; curious.
|
|
|
quorum
|
n. number of members necessary to conduct a meeting.
|
|
|
quotidian
|
adj. daily; commonplace; customary.
|
|
|
rabid
|
adj. like a fanatic; furious.
|
|
|
raconteur
|
n. story-teller.
|
|
|
ragamuffin
|
n. person wearing tattered clothes.
|
|
|
rail
|
v. scold; rant.
|
|
|
raiment
|
n. clothing.
|
|
|
rakish
|
adj. stylish; sporty.
|
|
|
rally
|
v. call up or summon (forces, vital powers, etc.); revive or recuperate.
|
|
|
ramble
|
v. wander aimlessly (physically or mentally).
|
|
|
ramification
|
n. branching out; subdivision.
|
|
|
ramify
|
v. divide into branches or subdivisions.
|
|
|
ramp
|
n. slope; inclined plane.
|
|
|
rampant
|
adj. growing in profusion; unrestrained.
|
|
|
rampart
|
n. defensive mound of earth.
|
|
|
ramshackle
|
adj. rickety; falling apart.
|
|
|
rancid
|
adj. having the odor of stale fat.
|
|
|
rancor
|
n. bitterness; hatred.
|
|
|
random
|
adj. without definite purpose, plan, or aim; haphazard.
|
|
|
rankle
|
v. irritate; fester.
|
|
|
rant
|
v. rave; talk excitedly; scold; make grandiloquent speech.
|
|
|
rapacious
|
adj. excessively grasping; plundering.
|
|
|
rapport
|
n. emotional closeness; harmony.
|
|
|
rapt
|
adj. absorbed; enchanted.
|
|
|
rarefied
|
adj. made less dense [of a gas].
|
|
|
raspy
|
adj. grating; harsh.
|
|
|
ratify
|
v. approve formally; confirm; verify.
|
|
|
ratiocination
|
n. reasoning; act of drawing conclusions from premises.
|
|
|
rationale
|
n. fundamental reason or justification; grounds for an action.
|
|
|
rationalize
|
v. give a plausible reason for an action in place of a true, less admirable one; offer an excuse.
|
|
|
raucious
|
adj. harsh and shrill; disorderly and boisterous.
|
|
|
ravage
|
v. plunder; despoil.
|
|
|
rave
|
n. overwhelmingly favorable review.
|
|
|
ravel
|
v. fall apart into tangles; unravel or untwist; entengle.
|
|
|
ravenous
|
adj. extremely hungry.
|
|
|
ravine
|
n. narrow valley with steep sides.
|
|
|
raze
|
v. destroy completely.
|
|
|
reactionary
|
adj. opposing progress; politically ultraconservative.
|
|
|
realm
|
n. kingdom; field or sphere.
|
|
|
reaper
|
n. one who harvests grain.
|
|
|
rebate
|
n. discount.
|
|
|
rebuff
|
v. snub; beat back.
|
|
|
rebuke
|
v. scold harshly; criticize severely.
|
|
|
rebus
|
n. puzzle in which pictures stand for words.
|
|
|
rebuttal
|
n. refutation; response with contrary evidence.
|
|
|
recalcitrant
|
adj. obstinately stubborn; determined to resist authority; unruly.
|
|
|
recant
|
v. disclaim or disavow; retract a previous statement; openly confess error.
|
|
|
recapitulate
|
v. summarize.
|
|
|
recast
|
v. reconstruct (a sentence, story, etc.); fashion against.
|
|
|
receptive
|
adj. quick or willing to receive ideas, suggestions, etc.
|
|
|
recession
|
n. withdrawal; retreat; time of low economic activity.
|
|
|
recidivism
|
n. habitual return to crime.
|
|
|
recipient
|
n. receiver.
|
|
|
reciprocal
|
adj. mutual; exchangeable; interacting.
|
|
|
reciprocate
|
v. repay in kind.
|
|
|
recluse
|
n. hermit; loner.
|
|
|
reconcile
|
v. correct inconsistencies; become friendly after a quarrel.
|
|
|
recondite
|
adj. abstruse; profound; secret.
|
|
|
reconnaissance
|
n. survey of enemy by soldiers.
|
|
|
recount
|
v. narrate or tell; count over again.
|
|
|
recourse
|
n. resorting to help when in trouble.
|
|
|
recrimination
|
n. countercharges.
|
|
|
rectify
|
v. set right; correct.
|
|
|
rectitude
|
n. uprightness; moral virtue; correctness of judgement.
|
|
|
recumbent
|
adj. reclining; lying down completely or in part.
|
|
|
recuperate
|
v. recover.
|
|
|
recurrent
|
adj. occuring again and again.
|
|
|
redolent
|
adj. fragrant; odorous; suggestive of an odor.
|
|
|
redoubtable
|
adj. formidable; causing fear.
|
|
|
redress
|
n. remedy; compensation.
|
|
|
redundant
|
adj. superfluous; repetitious; excessively wordy.
|
|
|
reek
|
v. emit (odor).
|
|
|
refectory
|
n. dining hall.
|
|
|
refraction
|
n. bending of a ray of light.
|
|
|
refractory
|
adj. stubborn; unmanageable.
|
|
|
refrain
|
v. abstain from; resist. n. chorus.
|
|
|
refulgent
|
adj. brightly shining; gleaming.
|
|
|
refurbish
|
v. renovate; make bright by polishing.
|
|
|
refute
|
v. disprove.
|
|
|
regal
|
adj. royal.
|
|
|
regale
|
v. entertain.
|
|
|
regatta
|
n. boat or yacht race.
|
|
|
regeneration
|
n. spiritual rebirth.
|
|
|
regicide
|
n. murder of a king or queen.
|
|
|
regime
|
n. method or system of government.
|
|
|
regimen
|
n. prescribed diet and habits.
|
|
|
rehabilitate
|
v. restore to proper condition.
|
|
|
reimburse
|
v. repay.
|
|
|
reiterate
|
v. repeat.
|
|
|
rejoinder
|
n. retort; comeback; reply.
|
|
|
rejuvenate
|
v. make young again.
|
|
|
relegate
|
v. banish to an inferior position; delegate; assign.
|
|
|
relent
|
v. give in.
|
|
|
relevant
|
adj. pertinent; referring to the case in hand.
|
|
|
relic
|
n. surviving remnant; memento.
|
|
|
relinquish
|
v. give up something with reluctance; yield.
|
|
|
relish
|
v. savor; enjoy.
|
|
|
remediable
|
adj. reparable.
|
|
|
reminiscence
|
n. recollection.
|
|
|
remiss
|
adj. negligent.
|
|
|
remission
|
n. temporary moderation of disease symptomps; cancellation of a debt; forgiveness or pardon.
|
|
|
remnant
|
n. remainder.
|
|
|
remonstrance
|
n. protest; objection.
|
|
|
remorse
|
n. guilt; self-reproach.
|
|
|
remunerative
|
adj. compensating; rewarding.
|
|
|
rend
|
v. split; tear apart.
|
|
|
render
|
v. deliver; provide; represent.
|
|
|
rendezvous
|
n. meeting place.
|
|
|
rendition
|
n. translation; artistic interpretation of a song, etc.
|
|
|
renegade
|
n. deserter; traitor.
|
|
|
renege
|
v. deny; go back on.
|
|
|
renounce
|
v. abandon; disown; repudiate.
|
|
|
renovate
|
v. restore to good condition; renew.
|
|
|
renown
|
n. fame.
|
|
|
rent
|
n. rip; split.
|
|
|
reparable
|
adj. capable of being repaired.
|
|
|
reparation
|
n. amends; compensation.
|
|
|
repartee
|
n. clever reply.
|
|
|
repast
|
n. meal; feast; banquet.
|
|
|
repeal
|
v. revoke; annul.
|
|
|
repel
|
v. drive away; disgust.
|
|
|
repellent
|
adj. driving away; unattractive.
|
|
|
repercussion
|
n. rebound; reverberation; reaction.
|
|
|
repertoire
|
n. list of works of music, drama, etc., a performer is prepared to present.
|
|
|
repine
|
v. fret, complain.
|
|
|
replenish
|
v. fill up again.
|
|
|
replete
|
adj. filled to the brim or to the point of being stuffed; abundantly supplied.
|
|
|
replica
|
n. copy.
|
|
|
replicate
|
v. reproduce; duplicate.
|
|
|
repository
|
n. storehouse.
|
|
|
reprehensible
|
adj. deserving blame.
|
|
|
repress
|
v. restrain; crush; oppress.
|
|
|
reprieve
|
n. temporary stay.
|
|
|
reprimand
|
n. stroke rebuke; formal reproof; scolding.
|
|
|
reprisal
|
n. retaliation.
|
|
|
reprise
|
n. musical repetition; repeat performance; recurrent action.
|
|
|
reproach
|
v. express disapproval or disappointment.
|
|
|
reprobate
|
n. person hardened in sin, devoid of a sense of decency.
|
|
|
reprobation
|
n. severe disapproval.
|
|
|
reprove
|
v. censure; rebuke.
|
|
|
repudiate
|
v. disown; disavow.
|
|
|
repugnance
|
n. loathing.
|
|
|
repulsion
|
n. distaste; act of driving back.
|
|
|
reputable
|
adj. respectable
|
|
|
reputed
|
adj. supposed.
|
|
|
requiem
|
n. mass for the dead; dirge.
|
|
|
requisite
|
n. necessary requirement.
|
|
|
requite
|
v. repay; revenge.
|
|
|
rescind
|
v. cancel.
|
|
|
resentment
|
n. indignation; bitterness; displeasure.
|
|
|
reserve
|
n. self-control; formal but distant manner.
|
|
|
residue
|
n. remainder; balance.
|
|
|
resignation
|
n. patient submissiveness; statement that one is quitting a job.
|
|
|
resilient
|
adj. elastic; having the power of springing back.
|
|
|
resolution
|
n. determination.
|
|
|
resolve
|
n. determination; firmness of purpose. v. decide; settle solve.
|
|
|
resonant
|
adj. echoing; resounding; deep and full in sound.
|
|
|
respiration
|
n. breathing; exhalation.
|
|
|
respite
|
n. interval of relief; time for rest; delay in punishment.
|
|
|
resplendent
|
adj. dazzling; glorious; brilliant.
|
|
|
responsiveness
|
n. state of reacting readily to appeals, orders, etc.
|
|
|
restitution
|
n. reparation; indemnification.
|
|
|
restive
|
adj. restlessly impatient; obstinately resisting control.
|
|
|
restraint
|
n. moderation or self-control; controlling force; restriction.
|
|
|
resumption
|
n. taking up again; recommencement.
|
|
|
resurge
|
v. rise again; flow to and frow.
|
|
|
resuscitate
|
v. revive.
|
|
|
retain
|
v. keep; employ.
|
|
|
retaliation
|
v. repayment in kind (usually for bad treatment).
|
|
|
retentive
|
adj. holding; having a good memory.
|
|
|
reticent
|
adj. reserved; uncommunicative; inclined to silence.
|
|
|
retinue
|
n. following; attendants.
|
|
|
retiring
|
adj. modest; shy.
|
|
|
retort
|
n. quick, sharp reply.
|
|
|
retract
|
v. withdraw; take back.
|
|
|
retrench
|
v. cut down; economize.
|
|
|
retribution
|
n. vengeance; compensation; punishment for offenses.
|
|
|
retrieve
|
v. recover; find and bring in.
|
|
|
retroactive
|
adj. taking effect before its enactment (as a law) or impsition (as a tax).
|
|
|
retrograde
|
v. go backwards; degenerate.
|
|
|
retrospective
|
adj. looking back on the past.
|
|
|
revelry
|
n. boisterous merrymaking.
|
|
|
reverberate
|
v. echo; resound.
|
|
|
reverent
|
adj. respectful; worshipful.
|
|
|
reverie
|
n. daydream; musing.
|
|
|
revert
|
v. relapse; backslide; turn back to.
|
|
|
revile
|
v. attack with abusive language; vilify.
|
|
|
revoke
|
v. cancel; retract.
|
|
|
revulsion
|
n. sudden violent change of feeling; negative reaction.
|
|
|
rhapsodize
|
v. to speak or write in an exaggeratedly enthusiastic manner.
|
|
|
rhetoric
|
n. art of effective communication; insincere or grandiloquent language.
|
|
|
ribald
|
adj. wanton; profane.
|
|
|
riddle
|
v. pierce with holes; permeate or spread throughout.
|
|
|
rider
|
n. amendment or clause added to a legislative bill.
|
|
|
rife
|
adj. abundant; current.
|
|
|
rift
|
n. opening; break.
|
|
|
rig
|
v. fix or manipulate.
|
|
|
rigid
|
adj. stiff and unyielding; strict; hard and unbending.
|
|
|
rigor
|
n. severity.
|
|
|
rile
|
v. vex; irritate; muddy.
|
|
|
riveting
|
adj. absorbing; engrossing.
|
|
|
rivulet
|
n. small stream.
|
|
|
robust
|
adj. vigorous; strong.
|
|
|
rococo
|
adj. ornate; highly decorated.
|
|
|
roil
|
v. make liquids murky by stirring up sediment; to disturb.
|
|
|
roseate
|
adj. rosy; optimistic.
|
|
|
roster
|
n. list.
|
|
|
rostrum
|
n. platform for speech-making; pulpit.
|
|
|
rote
|
n. repetition.
|
|
|
rotunda
|
n. circular building or hall covering with a dome.
|
|
|
rotundity
|
n. roundness; sonorousness of speech.
|
|
|
rousing
|
adj. lively; stirring.
|
|
|
rout
|
v. stampede; drive out.
|
|
|
rubble
|
n. fragments.
|
|
|
rubric
|
n. title or heading (in red print); directions for religious ceremony; protocol.
|
|
|
ruddy
|
adj. reddish; healthy-looking.
|
|
|
rudimentary
|
adj. not developed; elementary; crude.
|
|
|
rue
|
v. regret; lament; mourn.
|
|
|
ruffian
|
n. bully; scoundrel.
|
|
|
ruminate
|
v. chew over and over (mentally or, like cows, physically); mull over; ponder.
|
|
|
rummage
|
v. ransack; throughly search.
|
|
|
runic
|
adj. mysterious; set down in ancient alphabet.
|
|
|
ruse
|
n. trick; stratagem.
|
|
|
rustic
|
adj. pertaining to country people; uncouth.
|
|
|
rusticate
|
v. banish to the country; dwell in the country.
|
|
|
ruthless
|
adj. pitiless; cruel.
|
|
|
saboteur
|
n. one who commits sabotage; destroyer of property.
|
|
|
saccharine
|
adj. cloyingly sweet.
|
|
|
sacrilegious
|
adj. desecrating; profane.
|
|
|
sacrosanct
|
adj. most sacred; inviolable.
|
|
|
sadistic
|
adj. inclined to cruelty.
|
|
|
saga
|
n. Scandinavian myth; any legend.
|
|
|
sagacious
|
adj. perceptive; shrewd; having insight.
|
|
|
sage
|
n. person celebrated for wisdom.
|
|
|
salacious
|
adj. lascivious; lustful.
|
|
|
salient
|
adj. prominent.
|
|
|
saline
|
adj. salty.
|
|
|
sallow
|
adj. yellowish; sickly in colour.
|
|
|
salubrious
|
adj. healthful.
|
|
|
salutary
|
adj. tending to improve; beneficial; wholesome.
|
|
|
salvage
|
v. rescue from loss.
|
|
|
sanctimonious
|
adj. displaying ostentatious or hypocritical devoutness.
|
|
|
sanction
|
v. approve; ratify.
|
|
|
sanctuary
|
n. refuge; shelter; shrine; holy place.
|
|
|
sanguinary
|
adj. bloody.
|
|
|
sanguine
|
adj. cheerful; hopeful.
|
|
|
sap
|
v. diminish; undermine.
|
|
|
sarcasm
|
n. scornful remark; stinging rebuke.
|
|
|
sardonic
|
adj. disdainful; sarcastic; cynical.
|
|
|
sartorial
|
adj. pertaining to tailors.
|
|
|
sate
|
v. satisfy to the full; cloy.
|
|
|
satellite
|
n. small body revolving around a larger one.
|
|
|
satiate
|
v. satisfy fully.
|
|
|
satire
|
n. form of literature in which irony, sarcasm, and ridicule are employed to attack vice and folly.
|
|
|
satirical
|
adj. mocking.
|
|
|
saturate
|
v. soak thoroughly.
|
|
|
saturnine
|
adj. gloomy.
|
|
|
satyr
|
n. half-human, half-bestial being in the court of Dionysus, portrayed as wanton and cunning.
|
|
|
saunter
|
v. stroll slowly.
|
|
|
savant
|
n. scholar.
|
|
|
savour
|
v. enjoy; have a distinctive flavour, smell or quality.
|
|
|
savoury
|
adj. tasty; pleasing, attractive, or agreeable.
|
|
|
scabbard
|
n. case for a sword blade; sheath.
|
|
|
scad
|
n. a great quantity.
|
|
|
scaffold
|
n. temporary platform for workers; bracing framework; platform for execution.
|
|
|
scale
|
v. climb up; ascend.
|
|
|
scanty
|
adj. meager; insufficient.
|
|
|
scapegoat
|
n. someone who bears the blame for others.
|
|
|
scavenge
|
v. hunt through discarded materials for usable items; search, especially for food.
|
|
|
scenario
|
n. plot outline; screenplay; opera libretto.
|
|
|
schematic
|
adj. relating to an outline or diagram; using a system or symbols.
|
|
|
schism
|
n. division; split.
|
|
|
scintilla
|
n. shred; least bit.
|
|
|
scintillate
|
v. sparkle; flash.
|
|
|
scoff
|
v. mock; ridicule.
|
|
|
scotch
|
v. stamp out; thwart; hinder.
|
|
|
scourge
|
n. lash; whip; severe punishment.
|
|
|
scruple
|
v. fret about; hesitate, for ethical reasons.
|
|
|
scrupulous
|
adj. conscientious; extremely thorough.
|
|
|
scrutinize
|
v. examine closely and critically.
|
|
|
scuffle
|
v. struggle confusedly; move off in a confused hurry.
|
|
|
scurrilous
|
adj. obscene; indecent.
|
|
|
scurry
|
v. move briskly.
|
|
|
scurvy
|
adj. despicable; contemptible.
|
|
|
scuttle
|
v. sink.
|
|
|
seamy
|
adj. sordid; unwholesome.
|
|
|
sear
|
v. char or burn; brand.
|
|
|
seasoned
|
adj. experienced.
|
|
|
secession
|
n. withdrawal.
|
|
|
seclusion
|
n. isolation; solitude.
|
|
|
secrete
|
v. hide away or cache; produce and release a substance into an organism.
|
|
|
sect
|
n. separate religious body; faction.
|
|
|
secular
|
adj. wordly; not pertaining to church matters; temporal.
|
|
|
sedate
|
adj. composed; grave.
|
|
|
sedentary
|
adj. requiring sitting.
|
|
|
sedition
|
n. resistance to authority; insubordination.
|
|
|
sedulous
|
adj. diligent.
|
|
|
seedy
|
adj. run-down; decrepit; disreputable.
|
|
|
seemly
|
adj. proper; appropriate.
|
|
|
seep
|
v. ooze; trickle.
|
|
|
seethe
|
v. be disturbed; boil.
|
|
|
seine
|
n. net for catching fish.
|
|
|
seismic
|
adj. pertaining to earthquakes.
|
|
|
semblance
|
n. outward appearance; guise.
|
|
|
seminal
|
adj. germinal; influencing future developments; related to seed or semen.
|
|
|
seminary
|
n. school for training future ministers; secondary school, especially for young women.
|
|
|
senility
|
n. old age; feeblemindedness of old age.
|
|
|
sensitization
|
n. process of being made sensitive or acutely responsive to an external agent or substance.
|
|
|
sensual
|
adj. devoted to the pleasures of the senses; carnal; voluptuous.
|
|
|
sensuous
|
adj. pertaining to the physical senses; operating through the senses.
|
|
|
sententious
|
adj. terse; concise; aphoristic.
|
|
|
sentient
|
adj. capable of sensation; aware; sensitive.
|
|
|
sentinel
|
n. sentry; lookout.
|
|
|
septic
|
adj. putrid; producing putrefaction.
|
|
|
sepulcher
|
n. tomb.
|
|
|
sequester
|
v. isolate; retire from public life; segregate; seclude.
|
|
|
sere
|
adj. parched; dry.
|
|
|
serendipity
|
n. gift for finding valuable or desirable things by accident; accidental good fortune or luck.
|
|
|
serenity
|
n. calmness, placidity.
|
|
|
serpentine
|
adj. winding; twisting.
|
|
|
serrated
|
adj. having a sawtoothed edge.
|
|
|
servile
|
adj. slavish; cringing.
|
|
|
servitude
|
n. slavery; compulsory labor.
|
|
|
sever
|
v. cut; separate.
|
|
|
severity
|
n. harshness; intensity; sternness; austerity.
|
|
|
sextant
|
n. navigation tool used to determine a ship's latitude and longitude.
|
|
|
shackle
|
v. chain; fetter.
|
|
|
sham
|
v. pretend.
|
|
|
shambles
|
n. wreck; mess.
|
|
|
shard
|
n. fragment, generally of pottery.
|
|
|
shaving
|
n. very thin piece, usually of wood.
|
|
|
sheaf
|
n. bundle of stalks of grain; any bundle of things tied together.
|
|
|
sheathe
|
v. place into a case.
|
|
|
sherbet
|
n. flavoured dessert ice.
|
|
|
shimmer
|
v. glimmer intermittently.
|
|
|
shirk
|
v. avoid (responsibility, work, etc.); malinger.
|
|
|
shoddy
|
adj. sham; not genuine; inferior.
|
|
|
shrew
|
n. scolding woman.
|
|
|
shrewd
|
adj. clever; astute.
|
|
|
shun
|
v. keep away from.
|
|
|
shunt
|
v. turn aside; divert; sidetrack.
|
|
|
shyster
|
n. lawyer using questionable methods.
|
|
|
sibling
|
n. brother or sister.
|
|
|
sibylline
|
adj. prophetic; oracular.
|
|
|
sidereal
|
adj. relating to the stars.
|
|
|
silt
|
n. sediment deposited by running water.
|
|
|
simian
|
adj. monkeylike.
|
|
|
simile
|
n. comparison of one thing with another, using the word like or as.
|
|
|
simper
|
v. smirk; smile affectedly.
|
|
|
simplistic
|
adj. oversimplified.
|
|
|
simulate
|
v. feign.
|
|
|
sinecure
|
n. well-paid position with little responsibility.
|
|
|
sinewy
|
adj. tough; strong and firm.
|
|
|
singular
|
adj. unique; extraordinary; odd.
|
|
|
sinister
|
adj. evil.
|
|
|
sinuous
|
adj. winding; bending in and out; not morally honest.
|
|
|
skeptic
|
n. doubter; person who suspends judgement until having examined the evidence supporting a point of view.
|
|
|
skiff
|
n. small, light sailboat or rowboat.
|
|
|
skimp
|
v. provide scantily; live very economically.
|
|
|
skinflint
|
n. stingy person; miser.
|
|
|
skirmish
|
n. minor fight.
|
|
|
skittish
|
adj. lively; frisky.
|
|
|
skulduggery
|
n. dishonest behaviour.
|
|
|
skulk
|
v. move furtively and secretly.
|
|
|
slacken
|
v. slow up; loosen.
|
|
|
slag
|
n. residue from smelting metal; dross; waste matter.
|
|
|
slake
|
v. quench; sate.
|
|
|
slander
|
n. defamation; utterance of false and malicious statements.
|
|
|
slapdash
|
adj. haphazard; careless; sloppy.
|
|
|
sleazy
|
adj. flimsy; unsubstantial.
|
|
|
sleeper
|
n. something originally of little value or importance that in time becomes very valuable.
|
|
|
sleight
|
n. dexterity.
|
|
|
slew
|
n. large quantity or number.
|
|
|
slight
|
n. insult to one's dignity; snub.
|
|
|
slipshod
|
adj. untidy or slovenly; shabby.
|
|
|
slither
|
v. slip or slide.
|
|
|
sloth
|
n. slow-moving tree-dwelling mammal.
|
|
|
slothful
|
adj. lazy.
|
|
|
slough
|
v. cast off.
|
|
|
slovenly
|
adj. untidy; careless in work habits.
|
|
|
sluggard
|
n. lazy person.
|
|
|
sluggish
|
adj. slow; lazy; lethargic.
|
|
|
sluice
|
n. artificial channel for directing or controlling the flow of water.
|
|
|
slur
|
n. insult to one's character or reputation; slander. v. speak indistinctly; mumble.
|
|
|
smattering
|
n. slight knowledge.
|
|
|
smelt
|
v. melt or blend ores, changing their chemical composition.
|
|
|
smirk
|
n. conceited smile.
|
|
|
smolder
|
v. burn without flame; be liable to break out at any moment.
|
|
|
snicker
|
n. half-stifled laugh.
|
|
|
snivel
|
v. run at the nose; snuffle; whine.
|
|
|
sobriety
|
n. moderation (especially regarding indulgence in alcohol); seriousness.
|
|
|
sodden
|
adj. soaked; dull, as if from drink.
|
|
|
sojourn
|
n. temporary stay.
|
|
|
solace
|
n. comfort in trouble.
|
|
|
solder
|
v. repair or make whole by using metal alloy.
|
|
|
solecism
|
n. construction that is flagrantly incorrect gramatically.
|
|
|
slemnity
|
n. seriousness; gravity.
|
|
|
solicit
|
v. request earnestly; seek.
|
|
|
solicitous
|
adj. worried, concerned.
|
|
|
soliloquy
|
n. talking to oneself.
|
|
|
solitude
|
n. state of being alone; seclusion.
|
|
|
solstice
|
n. point at which the sun is farthest from the equator.
|
|
|
soluble
|
adj. able to be dissolved; able to be worked out.
|
|
|
solvent
|
adj. able to pay all debts. n. substance that dissolves another.
|
|
|
somatic
|
adj. pertaining to the body; physical.
|
|
|
somber
|
adj. gloomy; depressing.
|
|
|
somnambulist
|
n. sleepwalker.
|
|
|
somnolent
|
adj. half asleep.
|
|
|
sonorous
|
adj. resonant; wordy or grandiloquent.
|
|
|
sophist
|
n. teacher of philosophy; quibbler; employer of fallacious reasoning.
|
|
|
sophisticated
|
adj. worldly wise and urbane; complex.
|
|
|
sophistry
|
n. seemingly plausible but fallacious reasoning.
|
|
|
sophomoric
|
adj. immature; half-baked, like a sophomore.
|
|
|
soporific
|
adj. sleep-causing; marked by sleepiness.
|
|
|
sordid
|
adj. filthy; base; vile.
|
|
|
spangle
|
n. small metallic piece sewn to clothing for ornamentation.
|
|
|
sparse
|
adj. not thick; thinly scattered; scanty.
|
|
|
spartan
|
adj. lacking luxury and comfort; sternly disciplined.
|
|
|
spasmodic
|
adj. fitful; periodic.
|
|
|
spat
|
n. squabble; minor dispute.
|
|
|
spate
|
n. sudden flood.
|
|
|
spatial
|
adj. relating to space.
|
|
|
spatula
|
n. broad-bladed intrument used for spreading or mixing.
|
|
|
spawn
|
v. lay eggs.
|
|
|
specious
|
adj. seemingly reasonable but incorrect; misleading (often intentionally).
|
|
|
spectral
|
adj. ghostly.
|
|
|
spectrum
|
n. coloured band produced when a beam of light passes through a prism.
|
|
|
spendthrift
|
n. someone who wastes money.
|
|
|
sphinx-like
|
adj. enigmatic; mysterious.
|
|
|
splice
|
v. fasten together; unite.
|
|
|
spontaneity
|
n. lack of premeditation; naturalness; freedom from constraint.
|
|
|
spoonerism
|
n. accidental transposition of sounds in successive words.
|
|
|
sporadic
|
adj. occurring irregularly.
|
|
|
sportive
|
adj. playful.
|
|
|
spruce
|
adj. neat and trim.
|
|
|
spry
|
adj. vigorously active; nimble.
|
|
|
spurious
|
adj. false; conterfeit; forged; illogical.
|
|
|
spurn
|
v. reject; scorn.
|
|
|
squabble
|
n. minor quarrel; bickering.
|
|
|
squalor
|
n. filth; degradation; dirty, neglected state.
|
|
|
squander
|
v. waste.
|
|
|
squat
|
adj. stocky; short and thick.
|
|
|
stoccato
|
adj. played in an abrupt manner; marked by abrupt, sharp sound.
|
|
|
stagnant
|
adj. motionless; stale; dull.
|
|
|
staid
|
adj. sober; sedate.
|
|
|
stalemate
|
n. deadlock.
|
|
|
stalwart
|
adj. strong, brawny; steadfast.
|
|
|
stamina
|
n. strength; staying power.
|
|
|
stanch
|
v. check flow of blood.
|
|
|
stanza
|
n. division of a poem.
|
|
|
static
|
adj. unchanging; lacking development.
|
|
|
statute
|
n. law enacted by the legislature.
|
|
|
statutory
|
adj. created by statute or legislative action.
|
|
|
steadfast
|
adj. loyal; unswerving.
|
|
|
stealth
|
n. slyness; sneakiness; secretiveness.
|
|
|
steep
|
v. soak; saturate.
|
|
|
stellar
|
adj. pertaining to the stars.
|
|
|
stem
|
v. check the flow.
|
|
|
stem from
|
v. arise from.
|
|
|
stentorian
|
adj. extremely loud.
|
|
|
stereotype
|
n. fixed and unvarying representation; standardized mental picture, often reflecting prejudice.
|
|
|
stickler
|
n. perfectionist; person who insists things be done exactly right.
|
|
|
stifle
|
v. suppress; extinguish; inhibit.
|
|
|
stigma
|
n. token of disgrace; brand.
|
|
|
stilted
|
adj. bombastic; spiffly pompous; stiff and artificially formal.
|
|
|
stint
|
v. be thrifty; set limits.
|
|
|
sting
|
n. supply; allotted amount; assigned portion of work.
|
|
|
stipend
|
n. pay for services.
|
|
|
stipple
|
v. paint or draw with dots.
|
|
|
stipulate
|
v. make express conditions, specify.
|
|
|
stock
|
adj. typical; standard; kept regularly in supply.
|
|
|
stockade
|
n. wooden enclusure or pen; fixed line of posts used as defensive barrier.
|
|
|
stodgy
|
adj. stuffy; boringly conservative.
|
|
|
stoic
|
adj. impassive; unmovaed by joy or grief.
|
|
|
stoke
|
v. stir up a fire; feed plentifully.
|
|
|
stolid
|
adj. dull; impassive.
|
|
|
stratagem
|
n. clever trick; deceptive scheme.
|
|
|
stratified
|
adj. divided into classes; arranged into strata.
|
|
|
stratum
|
n. layer of earth's surface; layer of society.
|
|
|
strew
|
v. spread randomly; sprinkle; scatter.
|
|
|
striated
|
adj. marked with parallel bands; grooved.
|
|
|
stricture
|
n. critical comments; severe and adverse criticism.
|
|
|
strident
|
adj. loud and harsh; insistent.
|
|
|
stringent
|
adj. binding; rigid.
|
|
|
strut
|
n. pompous walk; supporting bar.
|
|
|
studied
|
adj. unspontaneous; deliberate; thoughtful.
|
|
|
stultify
|
v. cause to appear or become stupid or inconsistent; frustrate or hinder.
|
|
|
stupefy
|
v. make numb; stun; amaze.
|
|
|
stupor
|
n. state of apathy; daze; lack of awareness.
|
|
|
stygian
|
adj. gloomy; hellish; deathly.
|
|
|
stymie
|
v. present an obstacle; stump.
|
|
|
suavaity
|
n. urbanity; polish.
|
|
|
subaltern
|
n. subordinate.
|
|
|
subdued
|
adj. less intense; quieter.
|
|
|
subjective
|
adj. occuring or taking place within the mind; unreal.
|
|
|
subjugate
|
v. conquer; bring under control.
|
|
|
sublimate
|
v. refine; purify.
|
|
|
sublime
|
adj. noble and majestic; impressive and awe-inspiring.
|
|
|
subliminal
|
adj. below the threshold.
|
|
|
submissive
|
adj. yielding; timid.
|
|
|
subordinate
|
adj. occupying a lower rank; inferior; submissive.
|
|
|
suborn
|
v. persuade to act unlawfully (especially to commit perjury).
|
|
|
subpoena
|
n. writ summoning a witness to appear.
|
|
|
subsequent
|
adj. following; later.
|
|
|
subservient
|
adj. behaving like a slave; servile; obsequious.
|
|
|
subside
|
v. settle down; descend; grow quiet.
|
|
|
subsidiary
|
adj. subordinate; secondary.
|
|
|
subsidy
|
n. direct financial aid by government, etc.
|
|
|
subsistance
|
n. existence; means of support; livelihood.
|
|
|
substantial
|
adj. ample; solid; essential or fundamental.
|
|
|
substantiate
|
v. establish by evidence; verify; support.
|
|
|
substantive
|
adj. essential; pertaining to the substance.
|
|
|
subsume
|
v. include; encompass.
|
|
|
subterfuge
|
n. pretense; evasion.
|
|
|
subtlety
|
n. perceptiveness; ingenuity; delicacy.
|
|
|
subversive
|
adj. tending to overthrow; destructive.
|
|
|
succinct
|
adj. brief; terse; compact.
|
|
|
succor
|
v. aid; assist; comfort.
|
|
|
succulent
|
adj. juicy; full of richness.
|
|
|
succumb
|
v. yield; give in; die.
|
|
|
suffragist
|
n. advocate of voting rights (for women).
|
|
|
suffuse
|
v. spread over.
|
|
|
sully
|
v. tarnish; soil.
|
|
|
sultry
|
adj. sweltering.
|
|
|
summation
|
n. act of finding the total; summary.
|
|
|
sumptuous
|
adj. lavish; rich.
|
|
|
sunder
|
v. separate; part.
|
|
|
sundry
|
adj. various; several.
|
|
|
superannuated
|
adj. retired or disqualified because of age.
|
|
|
supercilious
|
adj. arrogant; condescending; patronizing.
|
|
|
supererogatory
|
adj. superfluous; more than needed or demanded.
|
|
|
superficial
|
adj. trivial; shallow.
|
|
|
superfluous
|
adj. excessive; overabundant, unnecessary.
|
|
|
superimpose
|
v. place over something else.
|
|
|
supernumerary
|
n. person or thing in excess of what is necessary; extra.
|
|
|
supersede
|
v. cause to be set aside; replace; make obsolete.
|
|
|
supine
|
adj. lying on back.
|
|
|
supplant
|
v. replace; usurp.
|
|
|
supple
|
adj. flexible; pliant.
|
|
|
suppliant
|
adj. entreating; beseeching.
|
|
|
supplicate
|
v. petition humbly; pray to grant a favour.
|
|
|
supposition
|
n. hypothesis; surmise.
|
|
|
suppress
|
v. stifle; overwhelm; subdue; inhibit.
|
|
|
surfeit
|
v. satiate; stuff; indulge to excess in anything.
|
|
|
surly
|
adj. rude; cross.
|
|
|
surmise
|
v. guess.
|
|
|
surmount
|
v. overcome.
|
|
|
surpass
|
v. exceed.
|
|
|
surreptitious
|
adj. secret; furtive; sneaky; hidden.
|
|
|
surrogate
|
n. substitute.
|
|
|
surveillance
|
n. watching; guarding.
|
|
|
susceptible
|
adj. impressionable; easily influenced; having little resistance, as to a disease; receptive to.
|
|
|
sustain
|
v. experience; support; nourish.
|
|
|
sustenance
|
n. means of support, food, nourishment.
|
|
|
suture
|
n. stitches sewn to hold the cut edges of a wound or incision; material used in sewing.
|
|
|
swarthy
|
adj. dark; dusky.
|
|
|
swathe
|
v. wrap around; bandage.
|
|
|
swelter
|
v. be oppressed by heat.
|
|
|
swerve
|
v. deviate; turn aside sharply.
|
|
|
swill
|
v. drink greedily.
|
|
|
swindler
|
n. cheat.
|
|
|
sybarite
|
n. lover of luxury.
|
|
|
sycophant
|
n. servile flatterer; bootlicker; yes man.
|
|
|
syllogism
|
n. logical formula consisting of a major premise, a minor premise and a conclusion; deceptive or specious argument.
|
|
|
sylvan
|
adj. pertaining to the woods; rustic.
|
|
|
symbiosys
|
n. interdependent relationship (between groups, species), ofen mutually beneficial.
|
|
|
symmetry
|
n. arrangement of parts so that balance is obtained; congruity.
|
|
|
synchronous
|
adj. similarly timed; simultaneous with.
|
|
|
synoptic
|
adj. providing a general overview; summary.
|
|
|
synthesis
|
n. combining parts into a whole.
|
|
|
synthetic
|
adj. artificial; resulting from synthesis.
|
|
|
tacit
|
adj. understood; not put into words.
|
|
|
taciturn
|
adj. habitually silent; talking little.
|
|
|
tactile
|
adj. pertaining to the organs or sense of touch.
|
|
|
taint
|
v. contaminate; cause to lose purity; modify with a trace of something bad.
|
|
|
talisman
|
n. charm.
|
|
|
talon
|
n. claw of bird.
|
|
|
tangential
|
adj. peripheral; only slightly connected; digressing.
|
|
|
tangible
|
adj. able to be touched; real; palpable.
|
|
|
tanner
|
n. person who turns animal hides into leather.
|
|
|
tantalize
|
v. tease; torture with disappointment.
|
|
|
tantamount
|
adj. equivalent in effect or value.
|
|
|
tantrum
|
n. fit of petulance; caprice.
|
|
|
taper
|
n. candle.
|
|
|
tarantula
|
n. venomous spider.
|
|
|
tarry
|
v. delay; dawdle.
|
|
|
tatty
|
adj. worn and shabby; bedraggled.
|
|
|
taut
|
adj. tight; ready.
|
|
|
tautological
|
adj. needlessly repetitious.
|
|
|
tawdry
|
adj. cheap and gaudy.
|
|
|
taxonomist
|
n. specialist in classifying (animals, etc.).
|
|
|
tedium
|
n. boredom; weariness.
|
|
|
teetotalism
|
n. practice of abstaining totally from alcoholic drinks.
|
|
|
temerity
|
n. boldness; rashness.
|
|
|
temper
|
v. moderate; tone down or restrain; toughen (steel).
|
|
|
temperament
|
n. characteristic frame of mind; disposition; emotional excess.
|
|
|
temperate
|
adj. restrained; self-controlled; moderate in respect to temperature.
|
|
|
tempestuous
|
adj. stormy; impassioned; violent.
|
|
|
tempo
|
n. speed of music.
|
|
|
temporal
|
adj. not lasting forever; limited by time; secular.
|
|
|
temporize
|
v. act evasively to gain time; avoid committing oneself.
|
|
|
tenacious
|
adj. holding fast.
|
|
|
tenacity
|
n. firmness; persistence.
|
|
|
tendentious
|
adj. having an aim; biased; designed to further a cause.
|
|
|
tender
|
v. offer; extend.
|
|
|
tenet
|
n. doctrine; dogma.
|
|
|
tensile
|
adj. capable of being stretched.
|
|
|
tentative
|
daj. hesitant; not fully worked out or developed; experimental; not definite or positive.
|
|
|
tenuous
|
adj. thin; rare; slim.
|
|
|
tenure
|
n. holding an office; time during which such an office is held.
|
|
|
tepid
|
adj. lukewarm.
|
|
|
termination
|
n. end.
|
|
|
terminology
|
n. terms used in a science or art.
|
|
|
terminus
|
n. last stop of railroad.
|
|
|
terrestrial
|
adj. on or relating to the earth.
|
|
|
terse
|
adj. concise; abrupt; pithy.
|
|
|
tertiary
|
adj. third.
|
|
|
tesselated
|
adj. inlaid; mosaic.
|
|
|
testator
|
n. maker of a will.
|
|
|
testy
|
adj. irritable; short-tempered.
|
|
|
tether
|
v. tie with a rope.
|
|
|
thematic
|
adj. relating to a unifying motif or idea.
|
|
|
theocracy
|
n. government run by religious leaders.
|
|
|
theoretical
|
adj. not practical or applied; hypothetical.
|
|
|
therapeutic
|
adj. curative.
|
|
|
thermal
|
adj. pertaining to heat.
|
|
|
thespian
|
adj. pertaining to drama.
|
|
|
thrall
|
n. slave; bondage.
|
|
|
threadbare
|
adj. worn through till the threads show; shabby and poor.
|
|
|
thrifty
|
adj. careful about money; economical.
|
|
|
thrive
|
v. prosper; flourish.
|
|
|
throes
|
n. violent anguish.
|
|
|
throng
|
n. crowd.
|
|
|
throttle
|
v. strangle.
|
|
|
thwart
|
v. baffle; frustrate.
|
|
|
tightwad
|
n. excessively frugal person; miser.
|
|
|
tiller
|
n. handle used to move boat's rudder (to steer).
|
|
|
timbre
|
n. quality of a musical tone produced by a musical instrument.
|
|
|
timidity
|
n. lack of self-confidence or courage.
|
|
|
timorous
|
adj. fearful; demonstrating fear.
|
|
|
tipple
|
v. drink (alcoholic beverages) frequently.
|
|
|
tirade
|
n. extended scolding; denunciation; harangue.
|
|
|
titanic
|
adj. gigantic.
|
|
|
tithe
|
n. tax of one-tenth.
|
|
|
titillate
|
v. tickle.
|
|
|
title
|
n. right or claim to possession; mark of rank; name (of a book, film, etc.).
|
|
|
titter
|
n. nervous laugh.
|
|
|
titular
|
adj. having the title of an office without the obligations.
|
|
|
toady
|
n. servile flatterer; yes man.
|
|
|
toga
|
n. Roman outer robe.
|
|
|
tome
|
n. large volume.
|
|
|
tonsure
|
n. shaving of the head, especially by person entering religious orders.
|
|
|
topography
|
n. physical features of a region.
|
|
|
topor
|
n. lethargy; sluggishness; dormancy.
|
|
|
torque
|
n. twisting force; force producing rotation.
|
|
|
torrent
|
n. rushing stream; flood.
|
|
|
torrid
|
adj. passionate; hot or scorching.
|
|
|
torso
|
n. trunk of statue with head and limbs missing; human trunk.
|
|
|
tortuous
|
adj. winding; full of curves.
|
|
|
totter
|
v. move unsteadily; sway, as if about to fall.
|
|
|
touchstone
|
n. stone used to test the fineness of gold alloys; criterion.
|
|
|
touchy
|
adj. sensitive; irascible.
|
|
|
tout
|
v. publicize; praise excessively.
|
|
|
toxic
|
adj. poisonous.
|
|
|
tract
|
n. pamphlet; a region of indefinite size.
|
|
|
tractable
|
adj. docile; easily managed.
|
|
|
traduce
|
v. expose to slander.
|
|
|
trajectory
|
n. path taken by a projectile.
|
|
|
tranquility
|
n. calmness; peace.
|
|
|
transcendent
|
adj. surpassing; exceeding ordinary limits; superior.
|
|
|
transcribe
|
v. copy.
|
|
|
transfigure
|
v. transform outwardly, usually for the better; change in form or aspect.
|
|
|
transgression
|
n. violation of a law; sin.
|
|
|
transient
|
adj. momentary; temporary; staying for a short time.
|
|
|
transition
|
n. going from one state of action to another.
|
|
|
transitory
|
adj. impermanent; fleeting.
|
|
|
translucent
|
adj. partly transparent.
|
|
|
transmute
|
v. change; convert to something different.
|
|
|
transparent
|
adj. easily detected; permitting light to pass through freely.
|
|
|
transpire
|
v. be revealed; happen.
|
|
|
transport
|
n. strong emotion.
|
|
|
trappings
|
n. outward decorations; ornaments.
|
|
|
traumatic
|
adj. pertaining to an injury caused by violence.
|
|
|
travail
|
n. painful physical or mental labor; drudgery; torment.
|
|
|
traverse
|
v. go through or across.
|
|
|
travesty
|
n. harshly distorted imitation; parody; debased likeness.
|
|
|
treatise
|
n. article treating a subject systematically and thoroughly.
|
|
|
trek
|
n. travel; journey.
|
|
|
tremor
|
n. trembling; slight quiver.
|
|
|
tremulous
|
adj. trembling; wavering.
|
|
|
trenchant
|
adj. forceful and vigorous; cutting.
|
|
|
trepidation
|
n. fear; nervous apprehension.
|
|
|
tribulation
|
n. distress; suffering.
|
|
|
tribunal
|
n. court of justice.
|
|
|
tribute
|
n. tax levied by a ruler; mark of respect.
|
|
|
trident
|
n. three-pronged spear.
|
|
|
trifling
|
adj. trivial; unimportant.
|
|
|
trigger
|
v. set off.
|
|
|
trilogy
|
n. group of three works.
|
|
|
trinket
|
n. knicknack; bauble.
|
|
|
trite
|
adj. hackneyed; commonplace.
|
|
|
trivia
|
n. trifles; unimportant matters.
|
|
|
troth
|
n. pledge of good faith especially in betrothal.
|
|
|
trough
|
n. container for feeding farm animals; lowest point (of a wave, business cycle, etc.).
|
|
|
truculence
|
n. aggressiveness; ferocity.
|
|
|
truism
|
n. self-evident truth.
|
|
|
truncate
|
v. cut the top off.
|
|
|
tryst
|
n. meeting.
|
|
|
tumid
|
adj. swollen; pompous; bombastic.
|
|
|
tumult
|
n. commotion; riot; noise.
|
|
|
tundra
|
n. rolling, treeless plain in Siberia and arctic North America.
|
|
|
turbid
|
adj. muddy; having the sediment disturbed.
|
|
|
turbulence
|
n. state of violent agitation.
|
|
|
tureen
|
n. deep dish for serving soup.
|
|
|
turgid
|
adj. swollen; distended; tediously pompous or bombastic.
|
|
|
turmoil
|
n. great commotion and confusion.
|
|
|
turncoat
|
n. traitor.
|
|
|
turpitude
|
n. depravity.
|
|
|
tutelage
|
n. guardianship; training.
|
|
|
tutelary
|
adj. protective; pertaining to a guardianship.
|
|
|
tycoon
|
n. wealthy leader.
|
|
|
typhoon
|
n. tropical hurricane or cyclone.
|
|
|
tyranny
|
n. oppression; cruel government.
|
|
|
tyro
|
n. beginner; novice.
|
|
|
ubiquitous
|
adj. being everywhere; omnipresent.
|
|
|
ulterior
|
adj. situated beyond; unstated and often questionable.
|
|
|
ultimate
|
adj. final; not susceptible to further analysis.
|
|
|
ultimatum
|
n. last demand; warning.
|
|
|
umbrage
|
n. resentment; anger; sense of insult or injury.
|
|
|
unaccountable
|
adj. inexplicable; unreasonable or mysterious.
|
|
|
unanimity
|
n. complete agreement.
|
|
|
unassailable
|
adj. not subject to question; not open to attack.
|
|
|
unassauged
|
adj. unsatisfied; not soothed.
|
|
|
unassuming
|
adj. modest.
|
|
|
unbridled
|
adj. violent.
|
|
|
uncanny
|
adj. strange; mysterious.
|
|
|
unconscionable
|
adj. unscrupulous; excessive.
|
|
|
uncouth
|
adj. outlandish; clumsy; boorish.
|
|
|
unction
|
n. the act of anointing with oil.
|
|
|
unctuous
|
adj. oily; bland; insincerely suave.
|
|
|
underlying
|
adj. fundamental; lying below.
|
|
|
undermine
|
v. weaken; sap.
|
|
|
underscore
|
v. emphasize.
|
|
|
undulating
|
adj. moving with a wavelike motion.
|
|
|
unearth
|
v. dig up.
|
|
|
unearthy
|
adj. not earthly; weird.
|
|
|
unequivocal
|
adj. plain; obvious.
|
|
|
unerringly
|
adj. infallibly.
|
|
|
unexceptionable
|
adj. not offering any basis for criticism; entirely acceptable.
|
|
|
unfaltering
|
adj. steadfast.
|
|
|
unfeigned
|
adj. genuine; real.
|
|
|
unfettered
|
adj. liberated; freed from chains.
|
|
|
unfledged
|
adj. immature.
|
|
|
unfrock
|
v. strip a priest or minister of church authority.
|
|
|
ungainly
|
adj. awkward; clumsy; unwieldy.
|
|
|
unguent
|
n. ointment.
|
|
|
uniformity
|
n. sameness; monotony.
|
|
|
unilateral
|
adj. one-sided.
|
|
|
unimpeachable
|
adj. blameless and exemplary.
|
|
|
uninhibited
|
adj. unrepressed.
|
|
|
unintimidating
|
adj. unfrightening.
|
|
|
unique
|
adj. without an equal; single in kind.
|
|
|
unison
|
n. unity in pitch; complete accord.
|
|
|
universal
|
adj. characterizing or affecting all; present everywhere.
|
|
|
unkempt
|
adj. disheveled; uncared for in appearance.
|
|
|
unmitigated
|
adj. unrelieved or immoderate; absolute.
|
|
|
unobtrusive
|
adj. inconspicuous; not blatant.
|
|
|
unpalatable
|
adj. distasteful; disagreeable.
|
|
|
unprecedented
|
adj. novel; unparalleled.
|
|
|
unprepossessing
|
adj. unattractive.
|
|
|
unravel
|
v. disentangle; solve.
|
|
|
unrequited
|
adj. not reciprocated.
|
|
|
unruly
|
adj. disobedient; lawless.
|
|
|
unsavory
|
adj. distasteful; morally offensive.
|
|
|
unscathed
|
adj. unharmed.
|
|
|
unseemly
|
adj. unbecoming; indecent; in poor taste.
|
|
|
unsightly
|
adj. ugly.
|
|
|
unsullied
|
adj. untarnished.
|
|
|
untenable
|
adj. indefensible; not able to be maintained.
|
|
|
untoward
|
adj. unfortunate or unlucky; adverse; unexpected.
|
|
|
untrammeled
|
adj. without limits or restrictions; unrestrained.
|
|
|
unwarranted
|
adj. unjustified; groundless; undeserved.
|
|
|
unwieldy
|
adj. awkward; cumbersome; unmanageable.
|
|
|
unwitting
|
adj. unintentional; not knowing.
|
|
|
unwonted
|
adj. unaccustomed.
|
|
|
upbraid
|
v. severely scold; reprimand.
|
|
|
uproarious
|
adj. marked by commotion; extremely funny; very noisy.
|
|
|
upshot
|
n. outcome.
|
|
|
urbane
|
adj. suave; refined; elegant.
|
|
|
urchin
|
n. mischievous child (usually a boy).
|
|
|
ursine
|
adj. bearlike; pertaining to a bear.
|
|
|
usurp
|
v. seize another's power or rank.
|
|
|
utopia
|
n. ideal place, state, or society.
|
|
|
uxorious
|
adj. excessively devoted to one's wife.
|
|
|
vacillate
|
v. waver; fluctuate.
|
|
|
vacuous
|
adj. empty; lacking in ideas; stupid.
|
|
|
vagabond
|
n. wanderer; tramp.
|
|
|
vagary
|
n. caprice; whim.
|
|
|
vagrant
|
adj. stray; random. n. homeless wanderer.
|
|
|
vainglorious
|
adj. boastful; excessively conceited.
|
|
|
valediction
|
adj. pertaining to farewell.
|
|
|
valid
|
adj. logically convincing; sound; legally acceptable.
|
|
|
validate
|
v. confirm; ratify.
|
|
|
valor
|
n. bravery.
|
|
|
vampire
|
n. ghostly being that sucks the blood of the living.
|
|
|
vanguard
|
n. forerunners; advance forces.
|
|
|
vantage
|
n. position giving an advantage.
|
|
|
vapid
|
adj. dull and unimaginative; insipid and flavorless.
|
|
|
vaporize
|
v. turn into vapor (steam, gas, fog, etc.).
|
|
|
variegated
|
adj. many-colored.
|
|
|
vassal
|
n. in feudalism, one who held land of the superior lord.
|
|
|
vaunted
|
adj. boasted; bragged; highly publicized.
|
|
|
veer
|
v. change in direction.
|
|
|
vegetate
|
v. live in a monotonous way.
|
|
|
vehement
|
adj. forceful; intensely emotional; with marked vigor.
|
|
|
velocity
|
n. speed in a direction.
|
|
|
venal
|
adj. capable of being bribed.
|
|
|
vendetta
|
n. blood feud.
|
|
|
vendor
|
n. seller.
|
|
|
veneer
|
n. thin layer; cover.
|
|
|
venerable
|
adj. deserving high respect.
|
|
|
venerate
|
v. revere.
|
|
|
venial
|
adj. forgivable; trivial.
|
|
|
venison
|
n. the meat of a deer.
|
|
|
venom
|
n. poison; hatred.
|
|
|
vent
|
n. small opening; outlet. v. express; utter.
|
|
|
ventral
|
adj. abdominal.
|
|
|
ventriloquist
|
n. someone who can make his or her voice seem to come from another person or thing.
|
|
|
venture
|
v. risk; dare; undertake a risk.
|
|
|
venturesome
|
adj. bold.
|
|
|
venue
|
n. location.
|
|
|
veracious
|
adj. truthful.
|
|
|
veracity
|
n. truthfulness.
|
|
|
verbalize
|
v. put into words.
|
|
|
verbatim
|
adv. word for word.
|
|
|
verbiage
|
n. pompous array of words.
|
|
|
verbose
|
adj. wordy.
|
|
|
verdant
|
adj. green; lush in vegetation.
|
|
|
verdigris
|
n. green coating on copper that has been exposed to the weather.
|
|
|
verge
|
n. border; edge.
|
|
|
verisimilar
|
adj. probable or likely; having the appearance of truth.
|
|
|
verisimilitude
|
n. appearance of truth; likelihood.
|
|
|
veritable
|
adj. actual; being truely so; not false or imaginary.
|
|
|
verity
|
n. quality of being true; lasting truth or principle.
|
|
|
vernacular
|
n. living language; natural style.
|
|
|
vernal
|
adj. pertaining to spring.
|
|
|
versatile
|
adj. having many talents; capable of working in many fields.
|
|
|
vertex
|
n. summit.
|
|
|
vertigo
|
n. severe dizziness.
|
|
|
verve
|
n. enthusiasm; liveliness.
|
|
|
vestige
|
n. trace; remains.
|
|
|
vex
|
n. annoy; distress.
|
|
|
viable
|
adj. practical or workable; capable of maintaining life.
|
|
|
viand
|
n. food.
|
|
|
vicarious
|
adj. acting as a substitute; done by a deputy.
|
|
|
vicissitude
|
n. change of fortune.
|
|
|
victuals
|
n. food.
|
|
|
vie
|
v. contend; compete.
|
|
|
vigilant
|
adj. watchfully awake; alert to spot danger.
|
|
|
vigor
|
n. active strength.
|
|
|
vignette
|
n. picture; short literary sketch.
|
|
|
vilify
|
v. slander.
|
|
|
vindicate
|
v. clear from blame; exonerate; justify or support.
|
|
|
vindictive
|
adj. out for revenge; malicious.
|
|
|
vinter
|
n. winemaker; seller of wine.
|
|
|
viper
|
n. poisonous snake.
|
|
|
virile
|
adj. manly.
|
|
|
virtual
|
n. goodness; moral excellence; good quality.
|
|
|
virtuoso
|
n. highly skilled artist.
|
|
|
virulent
|
adj. extremely poisonous; hostile; bitter.
|
|
|
virus
|
n. disease communicator.
|
|
|
visage
|
n. face; appearance.
|
|
|
visceral
|
adj. felt in one's inner organs.
|
|
|
viscid
|
adj. adhesive; gluey.
|
|
|
viscous
|
adj. sticky, gluey.
|
|
|
vise
|
n. tool for holding work in place.
|
|
|
visionary
|
adj. produced by imagination; fanciful; mystical.
|
|
|
vital
|
adj. vibrant and lively; critical; living; breathing.
|
|
|
vitiate
|
v. spoil the effect of; make inoperative.
|
|
|
vitreous
|
adj. pertaining to or resembling glass.
|
|
|
vitriolic
|
adj. corrosive; sarcastic.
|
|
|
vituperative
|
adj. abusive; scolding.
|
|
|
vivacious
|
adj. lively or animated; sprightly.
|
|
|
vivisection
|
n. act of dissecting living animals.
|
|
|
vixen
|
n. female fox; ill-tempered woman.
|
|
|
vociferous
|
adj. clamorous; noisy.
|
|
|
vogue
|
n. popular fashion.
|
|
|
volatile
|
adj. changable; explosive; evaporating rapidly.
|
|
|
volition
|
n. act of making a conscious choice.
|
|
|
voluble
|
adj. fluent; glib; talkative.
|
|
|
voluminous
|
adj. bulky; large.
|
|
|
voracious
|
adj. ravenous.
|
|
|
vortex
|
n. whirlwind; whirlpool; center of turbulence; predicament into which one is inexorably plunged.
|
|
|
vouchsafe
|
v. grant condescendingly; guarantee.
|
|
|
voyeur
|
n. Peeping Tom.
|
|
|
vulnerable
|
adj. susceptible to wounds.
|
|
|
vulpine
|
adj. like a fox; crafty.
|
|
|
waffle
|
v. speak equivocally about an issue.
|
|
|
waft
|
v. moved gently by wind or waves.
|
|
|
waggish
|
adj. mischievous; humorous; tricky.
|
|
|
waif
|
n. homeless child or animal.
|
|
|
waive
|
v. give up temporarily; yield.
|
|
|
wake
|
n. trail of ship or other object through water; path of something that has gone before.
|
|
|
wallow
|
v. roll in; indulge in; become helpless.
|
|
|
wan
|
adj. having a pale or sickly color; pallid.
|
|
|
wanderlust
|
n. strong longing to travel.
|
|
|
wane
|
v. decrease in size or strength; draw gradually to an end.
|
|
|
wangle
|
v. wiggle out; fake.
|
|
|
wanton
|
adj. unrestrained; willfully malicious; unchaste.
|
|
|
warble
|
v. sing; babble.
|
|
|
warranted
|
adj. justified; authorized.
|
|
|
warranty
|
n. guarantee; assurance by seller.
|
|
|
warren
|
n. tunnels in which rabbits live; crowded conditions in which people live.
|
|
|
wary
|
adj. very cautious.
|
|
|
wastrel
|
n. profligate.
|
|
|
wax
|
v. increase; grow.
|
|
|
waylay
|
v. ambush; lie in wait.
|
|
|
wean
|
v. accustom a baby not to nurse; give up a cherished activity.
|
|
|
weather
|
v. endure the effects of weather or other forces.
|
|
|
welt
|
n. mark from a beating or whipping.
|
|
|
welter
|
n. turmoil; bewildering jumble. v. wallow.
|
|
|
wheedle
|
v. cajole; coax; deceive by flattery.
|
|
|
whelp
|
n. young wolf, dog, tiger, etc.
|
|
|
whet
|
v. sharpen; stimulate.
|
|
|
whiff
|
n. puff or gust (of air, scent, etc.); hint.
|
|
|
whimsical
|
n. capricious; fanciful.
|
|
|
whinny
|
v. neigh like a horse.
|
|
|
whit
|
n. smallest speck; shred; tiny bit.
|
|
|
whittle
|
v. pare; cut off bits.
|
|
|
whorl
|
n. ring of leaves around stem; ring.
|
|
|
willful
|
adj. intentional; headstrong.
|
|
|
wily
|
adj. cunning; artful.
|
|
|
wince
|
v. shrink back; flinch.
|
|
|
windfall
|
n. fallen fruit; unexpected lucky event.
|
|
|
winnow
|
v. sift; separate good parts from bad.
|
|
|
winsome
|
adj. agreeable; gracious; engaging.
|
|
|
wispy
|
adj. thin; slight; barely discernible.
|
|
|
wistful
|
adj. vaguely longing; sadly pensive.
|
|
|
withdrawn
|
adj. introverted; remote.
|
|
|
wither
|
v. shrivel; decay.
|
|
|
withhold
|
v. refuse to give; hold back.
|
|
|
withstand
|
v. stand up against; successfully resist.
|
|
|
witless
|
adj. foolish; idiotic.
|
|
|
witticism
|
n. witty saying; wisecrack.
|
|
|
wizardry
|
n. sorcery; magic.
|
|
|
wizened
|
adj. withered; shriveled.
|
|
|
woe
|
n. deep, inconsolable grief; affliction; suffering.
|
|
|
wont
|
n. custom; habitual procedure.
|
|
|
worldly
|
adj. engrossed in matters of this earth; not spiritual.
|
|
|
wrangle
|
v. quarrel; obtain through arguing; herd cattle.
|
|
|
wrath
|
n. anger; fury.
|
|
|
wreak
|
v. inflict.
|
|
|
wrench
|
v. pull; strain; twist.
|
|
|
wrest
|
v. pull away; take by violence.
|
|
|
writ
|
n. written command issued by a court.
|
|
|
writhe
|
v. twist in coils; contort in pain.
|
|
|
wry
|
adj. twisted; with a humorous twist.
|
|
|
xenophobia
|
n. fear or hatred of foreigners.
|
|
|
yen
|
n. longing; urge.
|
|
|
yeoman
|
n. man owning small estate; middle-class farmer.
|
|
|
yield
|
n. amount produced; crop income on investment. v. give in; surrender.
|
|
|
yoke
|
v. join together, unite; n. (figuratively) a burden, something which represses or restrains a person.
|
|
|
yokel
|
n. country bumpkin.
|
|
|
yore
|
n. time past.
|
|
|
zany
|
adj. crazy; comic.
|
|
|
zeal
|
n. eager enthusiasm.
|
|
|
zealot
|
n. fanatic; person who shows excessive zeal.
|
|
|
zenith
|
n. point directly overhead in the sky; summit.
|
|
|
zephyr
|
n. gentle breeze; west wind.
|
|
|
ab, abs
|
from, away from<br />ex. abduct, abjure
|
|
|
ad, ac, af, ag, an, ap, ar, as, at
|
to, forward<br />ex. adit, accord, affliction, aggregation, annexation, appease, arraignment, assumption, attendance
|
|
|
ambi
|
both<br />ex. ambiguous, ambivalent
|
|
|
an, a
|
without<br />ex. anarchy, amoral
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ante
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before<br />ex. antecedent, antediluvian
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anti
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against, opposite<br />ex. antipathy, antithetical
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arch
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chief, first<br />ex. archetype, archbishop
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be
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over, thoroughly<br />ex. bedaub, befuddle
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bi
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two<br />ex. bicameral, biennial
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cata
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down<br />ex. catastrophe, cataract, catapult
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circum
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around<br />ex. circumnavigate, circumspect, circumscribe
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com, co, col, con, cor
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with, together<br />ex. combine, coeditor, collateral, conference, corroborate
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contra, contro
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against<br />ex. contravene, controversy
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de
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down, away<br />ex. debase, decadence
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demi
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partly, half<br />ex. demigod
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di
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two<br />ex. dichotomy, dilemma
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dia
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across<br />ex. diagonal, diameter
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dis, dif
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not, apart<br />ex. discord, differ
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dys
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faulty, bad<br />ex. dyslexia, dyspepsia
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ex, e
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out<br />ex. expel, eject
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extra, extro
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beyond, outside<br />ex. extracurricular, extraterritorial, extrovert
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hyper
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above; excessively<br />ex. hyperbole, hyperventilate
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hypo
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beneath; lower<br />ex. hypoglycemia
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in, il, im, ir
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not; in, on, upon<br />ex. inefficient, inarticulate, illegible, impeccable, irrevocable; invite, illustration, impression, irradiate
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inter-
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between, among<br />ex. in
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intra, intro
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within<br />ex. intramural, introvert
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macro
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large, long<br />ex. macrobiotic, macrocosm
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mega
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great, million<br />ex. megalomania, megaton
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meta
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involving change<br />ex. metamorphosis
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micro
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small<br />ex. microcosm, microscopic
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mis
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bad, improper; hatred<br />ex. misdemeanor, mischance; misanthrope, misogynist
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mono
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one<br />ex. monarchy, monotheism
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multi
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many<br />ex. multifarious, multitudinous
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neo
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new<br />ex. neologism, neophyte
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non
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not<br />ex. noncommittal
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ob, oc, of, op
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against<br />ex. obloquy, occlude, offend, opponent
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olig
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few<br />ex. oligarchy
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pan
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all, every<br />ex. panacea, panorama
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para
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beyond, related<br />ex. parallel, paraphrase
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per
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through, completely<br />ex. permeable, pervade
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peri
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around, near<br />ex. perimeter, periphery
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poly
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many<br />ex. polyglot
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post
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after<br />ex. posthumous
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pre
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before<br />ex. preamble, premonition
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prim-
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first<br />ex. primordial, primogeniture
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pro
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forward, in favor of<br />ex. propulsive, proponent
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proto
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first<br />ex. prototype
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pseudo
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false<br />ex. pseudonym
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re
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again, back<br />ex. reiterate, reimburse
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retro
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backward<br />ex. retrospect, retroactive
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se
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away, aside<br />ex. sucede, seclude
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semi
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half, partly<br />ex. semiconscious
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sub, suc, suf, sug, sup, sus
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under, less<br />ex. subjugate, succumb, suffuse, suggest, suppress, suspend
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super, sur
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over, above<br />ex. supernatural, surtax
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syn, sym, syl, sys
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with, together<br />ex. synchronize, sympathize, syllogism, system
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tele
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far<br />ex. telegraphic
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trans
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across<br />ex. transport
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ultra
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beyond, excessive<br />ex. ultracritical
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un
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not<br />ex. unkempt
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under
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below<br />ex. underling
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uni
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one<br />ex. unison
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vice
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in place of<br />ex. viceroy
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with
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away, against<br />ex. withstand
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green
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adj. inexperienced
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piddling
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adj. insignificant, negligible, paltry, trivial, useless.
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picayune
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adj. petty, trivial.
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unfailing
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adj. inexhaustible; changeless; infallible.
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transmogrify
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v. to change in appearance or form, esp. strangely or grotesquely; transform.
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repose
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n. rest, sleep; quietness, easy; peace, calmness.
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torpid
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adj. unmoving, dormant or hibernating; lazy, lethargic or apathetic.
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plangent
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adj. having a loud, mournful sound.
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hidebound
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adj. stubborn; narrow-minded; niggardly; penurious
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hedge
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n. a non-committal or intentionally ambiguous statement.
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spleen
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n. a bad mood; spitefulness.
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