abandon | lacking restraint or control; feeling of extreme emotional intensity; unbounded enthusiasm |
abandoned | recklessly unrestrained; deserted; left to destruction |
abandonment | giving up completely; freedom from constraint |
abase | humiliate; lower or depress in rank or esteem |
abash | embarrass; make ashamed or uneasy; disconcert |
abate | subside; decrease; become less in amount or intensity |
abbreviate | make shorter; reduce to shorter form intended to represent full form, as for word or phrase |
abdicate | give up, renounce, abandon, lay down, or withdraw from, as a right or claim |
aberrant | abnormal; markedly different from an accepted norm |
abet | aid, usually in doing something wrong; encourage |
abeyance | suspended action; temporary cessation or suspension |
abhor | fill with horror and loathing; horrify; hate |
abide | endure; put up with; bear; tolerate |
abiding | lasting for a long time; enduring; permanent |
abjure | renounce upon oath; abandon forever |
ablution | washing or cleansing of the body, especially as part of religious rite |
abnegate | give up or surrender; deny something to oneself |
abnegation | repudiation; self-sacrifice; renouncing your own interests in favor of interests of others |
abolish | cancel; put an end to; destroy completely |
abolition | ending; act of abolishing; act of doing away with |
abominable | detestable; extremely unpleasant; very bad |
aboriginal | being the first of its kind in a region; primitive; native |
abortive | unsuccessful; failing to accomplish an intended objective; fruitless |
abrade | wear away by friction; scrape; erode |
abrasive | rubbing away; tending to grind down |
abridge | condense; shorten; reduce length of written text |
abrogate | abolish, do away with, or annul, especially by authority |
abscond | leave quickly and secretly and hide oneself, often to avoid arrest or prosecution |
absent | go away or leave ; missing; not present |
absenteeism | habitual not to appear, especially for work or other regular duty |
abstain | refrain; hold oneself back voluntarily from an action or practice |
abstemious | sparing or moderation in eating and drinking; temperate |
abstruse | obscure; profound; difficult to understand. |
abundant | plentiful; possessing riches or resources |
abundantly | in great numbers; in a plentiful or sufficient degree; plentifully |
abut | border upon; adjoin; touch or end at one end or side; lie adjacent |
abysmal | bottomless; very profound; limitless; very bad |
accede | agree; give consent, often at insistence of another; concede |
accelerating | increasing in speed |
acceleration | faster rate of improvement; rate of change of velocity with respect to time |
accentuate | emphasize; stress; pronounce with a stress or accent; mark with an accent |
accessible | easily approached or entered; obtainable; easy to talk to or get along with |
accident | event that takes place without one's foresight or expectation; sudden, and unexpected event |
accidentally | inadvertently; by chance; casually; fortuitously; not essentially or intrinsically |
acclaim | applaud; announce with great approval |
acclimate | accustom or become accustomed to a new environment or situation; adapt |
acclivity | upward slope, as of hill |
accolade | award of merit; expression of approval; praise |
accommodate | do a favor or service for; provide for; supply with; make suitable; adapt; allow for |
accommodating | helpful in bringing about a harmonious adaptation |
accomplish | succeed in doing; bring to pass; achieve; reach the end of; complete |
accost | approach and speak to boldly or aggressively, as with demand or request |
accouter | equip; provide with military equipment |
accretion | growth or increase in size by gradual external addition, fusion, or inclusion |
accrue | increase, accumulate, or come about as a result of growth; accumulate over time |
accumulation | increase by natural growth or addition; concentration |
accusation | indictment; charge of wrongdoing that is made against a person or other party |
accustomed | habitual to; used to; frequently practiced, used, or experienced; customary |
acerbity | bitterness of speech and temper; sourness or acidness of taste, character, or tone |
acetic | having properties of vinegar; sour |
achieve | gain with effort; accomplish; fulfill |
achievement | feat; accomplishment; award for completing a particular task or meeting an objective |
acidulous | slightly sour in taste or in manner; sharp; caustic |
acoustics | science of sound; quality that makes a room easy or hard to hear in |
acquaint | inform about; cause to come to know personally; make familiar |
acquainted | known by or familiar with another; informed or familiar |
acquiesce | assent; agree without protesting |
acquire | gain through experience or effort; gain possession of; locate with tracking system |
acrid | unpleasantly sharp or bitter to taste or smell; bitterly pungent |
acrimonious | bitter and sharp in language, tone, or manner |
acrophobia | fear of heights; abnormal fear of high places |
actively | energetically; vigorously; in an active manner; voluntarily, not passively |
actuarial | calculating; pertaining to insurance statistics |
actuate | put into motion or action; activate |
acuity | sharpness; acuteness of vision or perception; keenness |
acumen | mental keenness; quickness of perception |
adaptable | flexible; becoming or being made suitable to particular situation or use |
adaptive | having a capacity for adaptation; capable of adapting |
addendum | something added or to be added, especially a supplement to a book |
additional | further; extra; supplemental or added to |
addle | muddle; drive crazy; become confused |
adept | expert at; very skilled; having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude |
adherent | person who adheres; one who follows or upholds a leader, party, cause |
adhesive | glue; paste ; substance that unites or bonds surfaces together |
adjoin | be next to; be contiguous to; border on |
adjudicate | hear and settle a case by judicial procedure |
adjunct | something added on or attached generally nonessential or inferior |
adjure | appeal to or entreat earnestly; command or enjoin solemnly, as under oath |
administer | govern; supervise; give or apply medications |
admiration | favorable judgment; feeling of pleasure, wonder, and approval |
admittedly | doubtlessly; in an acknowledged manner; confessedly |
admonish | warn; counsel someone against something to be avoided |
admonition | gentle or friendly reproof; cautionary advice or warning |
adorn | enhance or decorate with or as if with ornaments |
adornment | embellishment; decoration; something that beautifies or adorns; ornament |
adroit | skillful and adept under pressing conditions |
adulation | excessive flattery or admiration; unmerited praise |
adulterate | make impure by adding inferior or tainted substances |
adumbrate | give hint or indication of something; disclose partially or guardedly; overshadow; shade |
advance | proceed; move forward; improve; moving forward |
advanced | improved; highly developed or complex; ahead of the times; progressive |
advent | coming or arrival, especially of something extremely important |
adventitious | accidental; casual; not inherent but added extrinsically |
adverse | in opposing direction; harmful or unfavorable; acting or serving to oppose |
advocacy | support; active pleading on behalf of something |
aerie | nest of bird, such as eagle, built on a cliff or other high place |
aesthetic | elegant or tasteful; of or concerning appreciation of beauty or good taste |
affable | easily approachable; warmly friendly |
affect | have an emotional or cognitive impact upon |
affection | fondness; tender feeling toward another; fondness |
affectionate | having affection or warm regard; loving; fond; kindly inclined; zealous |
affinity | natural attraction, liking, or feeling of kinship; relationship by marriage |
affirmation | positive assertion; confirmation; solemn pledge by one who refuses to take an oath |
affix | fasten; append; add on; secure to something |
affluence | abundance; a plentiful supply of material goods; wealth |
affluent | having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value |
affront | insult; offense; intentional act of disrespect |
agenda | items of business at a meeting; list or program of things to be done or considered |
agglomeration | collection; heap; act or process of gathering into a mass |
aggrandize | increase scope of; extend; intensify; make greater in power, influence, stature, or reputation |
aggravating | irritating; annoying; making worse or more heinous |
aggregate | gather into a mass, sum, or whole; amount to |
aggressive | making assaults; unjustly attacking; combative; hostile; tending to spread quickly |
aggressiveness | feeling of hostility that arouses thoughts of attack; quality of being bold and enterprising |
aghast | struck by shock, terror, or amazement |
agility | mentally quick; moving quickly and lightly |
agitate | cause to move with violence or sudden force; upset; disturb |
agitation | anxiety; extreme emotional disturbance |
agnostic | one who is skeptical of existence of a god or any ultimate reality |
agrarian | pertaining to land or its cultivation; relating to agricultural or rural matters |
ajar | half-open; slightly turned or opened |
alacrity | cheerful promptness or willingness; eagerness; speed or quickness |
alchemy | medieval chemistry; magical or mysterious power or process of transforming |
alcove | nook; small, recessed section of a room |
algorithm | established procedure for solving problem |
alien | dissimilar, inconsistent, or opposed in nature; very different place, society, or person |
alimentary | providing nourishment; concerned with food, nutrition, or digestion |
allay | calm; pacify; reduce the intensity of; relieve |
allege | state without proof; assert to be true |
allegory | symbolic representation of abstract ideas or principles in narrative, dramatic, or pictorial form |
alliteration | repetition of beginning sound in poetry |
allocate | assign; distribute according to plan |
allude | refer casually or indirectly, or by suggestion |
allusion | indirect reference; symbolical reference or comparison; metaphor |
aloft | in or into a high place; high or higher up |
alternate | happening or following in turns; succeeding each other continuously; substitute |
altitude | elevation especially above sea level; height |
altruistic | unselfishly generous; concerned for others |
amalgamate | combine; unite in one body; mix or alloy a metal with mercury |
amass | collect; gather for oneself, as for one's pleasure or profit |
ambidextrous | capable of using either hand with equal ease |
ambience | particular environment or surrounding influence; atmosphere of environment |
ambiguous | unclear or doubtful in meaning |
ambivalence | state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes, such as love and hate |
amble | moving at an easy pace; walk slowly or leisurely |
ambulatory | able to walk; formed or adapted for walking; not stationary |
ameliorate | make or become better; improve; grow better |
amenable | responsive to advice or suggestion; responsible to higher authority; willing to comply with; agreeable |
amenities | convenient features; courtesies |
amiable | good-natured and likable; lovable; warmly friendly |
amicable | exhibiting friendliness or goodwill; not quarrelsome |
amid | in the middle of; among; surrounded by |
amity | friendship; peaceful relations, as between nations |
amorous | moved by sexual love; loving |
amorphous | formless; lacking shape or definition |
amphibian | able to live both on land and in water |
amphitheater | oval building with tiers of seats from central open space or arena |
amplify | broaden or clarify by expanding; intensify; make larger or more powerful; increase |
amputate | cut off part of body, especially by surgery; prune |
anachronistic | having time error in story; erroneous in date; in wrong time |
analgesic | serving to reduce sensibility to pain without loss of consciousness |
analogous | comparable; similar or alike |
anarchist | person who seeks to overturn established government; advocate of abolishing authority |
anathema | solemn curse; someone or something regarded as a curse |
ancestor | forefather; forebear; forerunner or predecessor |
ancestry | family descent; series or line of ancestors; lineage |
ancillary | serving as aid or accessory; auxiliary |
anecdotal | having the character of an anecdote; of short story of interesting or humorous incident |
angular | sharp-cornered; consisting of an angle or angles; stiff in manner |
animate | endowed with life; alive; living; animated |
animated | having life or vigor or spirit; filled with activity; in form of cartoon |
animus | feeling of enmity or ill will; attitude that informs one's actions; disposition |
annals | chronological record of the events of successive years |
annihilate | destroy completely; reduce to nonexistence |
annotate | comment; make explanatory notes |
announce | herald; give out; proclaim; make known publicly |
announcement | formal public statement; act of making known publicly |
annoy | disturb, especially by minor irritations; irritate |
annuity | annual payment of allowance or income; periodical payment, amounting to a fixed sum in each year |
annul | make or declare void or invalid; reduce to nothing |
anodyne | source of relaxation or comfort; medicine that relieves pain |
anoint | apply oil or similar substance to; put oil on during religious ceremony as a sign of sanctification or consecration. |
anomalous | deviating from normal or common order, form, or rule |
anomaly | irregularity; person or something that is unusual; departure from normal or common order |
anonymous | having no name; having unknown or unacknowledged name |
antagonism | active resistance; condition of being an opposing principle, force, or factor |
antecede | precede; go before in time, and sometimes in place, rank, or logical order |
antecedents | preceding events or circumstances that influence what comes later; ancestors or early background |
antediluvian | antiquated; extremely old and ancient; belonging to very ancient times |
anthology | book of literary selections by various authors |
anthropocentric | regarding human beings as the center of the universe |
anthropoid | manlike; resembling a human, especially in shape or outward appearance |
anthropomorphic | having human form or characteristics |
anticlimax | letdown in thought or emotion; decline viewed in disappointing contrast with previous rise |
antipathy | strong feeling of aversion; dislike |
antithesis | contrast; direct contrast; opposition |
anxious | eager; keen; worried; uneasy and apprehensive about an uncertain event or matter |
apathy | lack of caring; indifference |
aperture | opening; diameter of such an opening; hole |
apex | highest point; vertex; summit; climax |
aphasia | loss of speech due to injury or illness |
aphorism | definition or concise statement of principle; tersely phrased statement of truth or opinion |
apiary | place where bees and beehives are kept, especially where bees are raised for their honey |
aplomb | poise; self-confident assurance |
apocryphal | untrue; of questionable authorship or authenticity; erroneous; fictitious |
apogee | the highest point; point in orbit most distant from the body being orbited |
apolitical | having aversion or lack of concern for political affairs |
apologist | person who argues in defense or justification of something, such as doctrine, policy, or institution |
apostate | one who abandons his religious faith or political beliefs |
apotheosis | elevation to godhood; fact or action of becoming a god; an ideal example of something |
appall | depress or discourage with fear; grow faint or become weak |
apparition | ghostly figure; sudden or unusual sight; appearance; state of being visible |
appellation | name; title; act of naming; act of appealing for aid, sympathy |
append | attach; add as supplement or appendix |
appliance | durable goods for home or office use; device or instrument for household use |
apply | exert; put into service; avail oneself to; |
apportion | distribute; allot; give out as one's portion or share |
apposite | strikingly appropriate and relevant; well-suited |
appraise | estimate value of; evaluate, especially in official capacity |
apprehension | fearful or uneasy anticipation of the future; act of seizing or capturing; understanding |
apprenticeship | term during which one learns a trade from skilled worker; service or legal condition of an apprentice |
apprise | inform; give notice to; make aware |
approaching | impending; of the relatively near future; coming closer to another |
approbation | expression of warm approval; praise |
appropriation | funding; money set aside for a specific purpose |
apropos | with reference or regard; in respect |
aptly | in a competent capable manner; in an apt or suitable manner |
aquatic | consisting of, relating to, or being in water |
aquiline | curved or hooked like an eagle's beak |
arable | fit for growing crops, as by plowing |
arbiter | person with power to decide a dispute; judge |
arboretum | place where different tree varieties are exhibited |
arcane | secret; mysterious; known only to the initiated |
archaeology | study of artifacts and relics of early mankind |
archaic | no longer current or applicable; antiquated |
archetype | prototype; original model or type after which other similar things are patterned |
archipelago | group of closely located islands |
architecture | art and science of designing and erecting buildings; buildings and other large structures |
ardent | displaying or by strong enthusiasm or devotion; passionate |
arduous | demanding great effort or labor; difficult |
arid | dry; lacking moisture, especially having insufficient rainfall to support trees or plants |
aristocracy | hereditary nobility; privileged class |
armada | a fleet of warships; a large group of moving things |
aroma | fragrance; scent; pleasant characteristic odor, as of a plant, spice, or food |
aromatic | fragrant or sweet-smelling; caused by fragrant odor |
arousal | act of awaking from sleep; arousing from what is like sleep |
arouse | excite; stimulate; awaken from or as if from sleep |
arraign | officially charge someone in a court of law |
arrears | being in debt; unpaid, overdue debt or an unfulfilled obligation |
arrogate | claim without justification; claim for oneself without right |
arroyo | deep gully; a dry gulch; brook or creek; watercourse |
arthritis | inflammation of a joint or joints |
article | essay; editorial; individual thing or element of a class |
articulate | expressing oneself easily in clear and effective language |
artifice | subtle but base deception; trickery; cleverness or skill; ingenuity |
artisan | manually skilled worker; craftsman, as opposed to artist |
artless | free of artificiality; natural; open and honest |
ascendancy | superiority or decisive advantage; domination |
ascetic | leading a life of self-discipline and self-denial; austere |
ascribe | inscribe or dedicate; attribute to a specified cause, source, or origin; assign as a quality |
aseptic | preventing infection; having cleansing effect |
ashen | ash-colored; very pale; consisting of ashes |
askance | with sideways or indirect look; Turned to side, especially of eyes |
askew | turned or twisted toward one side; at an angle |
aspect | distinct feature or element in a problem; a way in which something can be viewed by the mind |
asperity | sharpness of temper; roughness or harshness, as of surface, sound, or climate |
aspirant | one who aspires, as to advancement, honors, or a high position |
assail | assault; attack with or as if with violent blows |
assay | analyze; evaluate; examine by trial or experiment; put to test |
assembly | gathering; meeting; a group of persons gathered together for common reason |
assent | express agreement to what is alleged or proposed; accept |
assiduous | constant in application or attention; diligent; unceasing or persistent |
assimilate | incorporate and absorb into mind; make similar; cause to resemble |
assist | give help or support to, especially as a subordinate |
assistant | helper; person who assists or helps someone else |
assuage | ease or lessen pain; satisfy or appease |
astigmatism | eye defect that prevents proper focus |
astringent | causing contraction; having the effect of drawing tissue together; stern or austere |
astronomical | enormously large or extensive; relating to astronomy |
asunder | into separate parts or pieces; apart |
asymmetric | not identical on both sides of a dividing central line |
atavism | resemblance to remote ancestors rather than to parents; deformity returning after passage of two or more generations |
atavistic | displaying characteristics of previous cultural era or of previous ancestral form |
atheistic | denying existence of God; godless |
atrocity | brutal deed; atrocious condition, quality, or behavior; monstrousness |
atrophy | wasting away; decrease in size; reduction in the functionality of an organ caused by disease |
attach | fasten; annex; be in contact with |
attached | fastened together; joined by wall, especially by sharing a wall with another building; not freestanding |
attainment | something, such as an accomplishment or achievement; achievement |
attenuate | make slender, fine, or small; weaken; lessen density of |
attorney | lawyer; one who is appointed by another to act in his place or stead; proxy |
attract | draw to, or cause to tend to; engage or fix, as the mind, attention; invite or allure |
attribute | essential quality; reputation; honor |
attrition | gradual decrease in numbers; reduction in work force without firing employees; wearing away of opposition by means of harassment |
atypical | not normal; unusual or irregular; not representative of a group, class, or type |
audacious | fearlessly, often recklessly daring; bold |
audit | examination of accounts; adjustment or correction of accounts |
auditory | of or relating to hearing, the organs of hearing, or the sense of hearing |
auger | hand tool for boring holes; hollow drill used to take core samples of soil, ice |
augment | make greater, as in size, extent, or quantity |
augury | sign of something coming; art or practice of foretelling events by signs or omens |
aureole | the outermost region of the sun's atmosphere; halo |
auroral | characteristic of dawn; dawning, eastern, like new beginning; relating to the atmospheric phenomenon auroras |
auspicious | attended by favorable circumstances; marked by success; prosperous |
austere | strict or severe in discipline; severely simple and unornamented |
authenticate | prove genuine; establish authenticity of |
authoritarian | expecting absolute obedience; completely dominating another's will |
authoritative | having weight of authority; peremptory and dictatorial |
authority | jurisdiction; power to enforce laws, exact obedience, command, determine, or judge; government |
authorize | empower; give permission for; sanction |
autocrat | dictator; ruler having unlimited power |
autocratic | having absolute, unchecked power; dictatorial |
automaton | mechanism that imitates actions of humans |
autonomous | self-governing; not controlled by others or by outside forces; independent |
autonomy | independence; self-government or the right of self-government; self-determination |
auxiliary | helper, additional or subsidiary |
avalanche | great mass of falling snow and ice |
avarice | greediness for wealth; insatiable desire of gain |
aver | declare to be true; affirm |
averse | reluctant; disinclined; turned away or backward; unwilling |
aversion | firm dislike; turning away; avoidance of a thing, situation, or behavior because of dislike |
aviary | large cage, building, or enclosure in which birds are reared or kept |
aviation | art or science of flying; flight; aeronautics |
avid | greedy; eager for; marked by keen interest and enthusiasm |
avocation | activity taken up in addition to one's regular work or profession, usually for enjoyment |
avoidance | keeping away from or preventing from happening |
avow | declare openly; acknowledge openly, boldly, and unashamedly |
avuncular | in manner of uncle, pertaining to uncle; kind, genial, benevolent or tolerant |
awkwardly | in an uncomfortable, nervous or embarrassed way |
awry | in a position that is turned toward one side; away from correct course |
axiom | self-evident truth requiring no proof |
azure | sky blue; light purplish-blue |
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