abashed v. cause to be embarrassed; cause to feel self-conscious |
ably ad. with competence; in a competent capable manner |
aboveboard a. without concealment or deception; honest |
absence n. state of being absent; state of being away |
absolute a. perfect in quality or nature; complete; totally unlimited; certain |
absorption n. process of absorbing nutrients into the body after digestion; state of mental concentration |
abundant a. plentiful; possessing riches or resources |
accent n. the relative prominence of a syllable or musical note; distinctive manner of oral expression |
accentuate v. emphasize; stress; pronounce with a stress or accent; mark with an accent |
accidentally ad. inadvertently; by chance; casually; fortuitously; not essentially or intrinsically |
accommodation n. living quarters provided for public convenience; something that meets a need; convenience |
accompaniment n. act of accompanying someone or something |
achievement n. feat; accomplishment; award for completing a particular task or meeting an objective |
acquaintance n. personal knowledge or information about someone or something |
adage n. wise saying; brief familiar proverb; expression of popular wisdom |
administration n. management; supervision; people who are in charge for management; activity of government for powers and duties |
adolescent n. a juvenile between the onset of puberty and maturity; |
aegis n. kindly endorsement and guidance; armor plate that protects the chest |
aeronautics n. the theory and practice of navigation through air or space |
affability n. a disposition to be friendly and approachable, easy to talk to |
affront n. insult; offense; intentional act of disrespect |
afterthought n. an addition that was not included in the original plan; thinking again about a choice previously made |
agape n. a religious meal shared as a sign of love and fellowship; selfless love of one person for another without sexual implications |
aggressive a. making assaults; unjustly attacking; combative; hostile; tending to spread quickly |
agriculture n. practice of cultivating the land or raising stock |
alienable a. transferable to another owner; able to be transferred to new ownership |
allay v. calm; pacify; reduce the intensity of; relieve |
alliteration n. repetition of beginning sound in poetry |
amalgam n. a combination or blend of diverse things; an alloy of mercury with another metal, usually silver, used by dentists to fill cavities in teeth |
amateur a. nonprofessional; lacking the skill of a professional, as in an art |
ambassador n. authorized messenger or representative |
amenable a. responsive to advice or suggestion; responsible to higher authority; willing to comply with; agreeable |
analogous a. comparable in certain respects; similar or alike |
analysis n. study; investigation; process of breaking down a substance into its constituent parts |
analyze v. discover or reveal something through detailed examination; diagnose; examine |
animation n. act of animating, or giving life or spirit; state of being animate or alive. |
annexation n. the formal act of acquiring something by conquest or occupation; incorporation by joining or uniting |
annual a. occurring once every year; payable once every year |
anonymous a. having no name; having unknown or unacknowledged name |
aperture n. opening; diameter of such an opening; hole |
apparatus n. a group of parts that work together to perform given function; appliance or device for particular purpose |
application n. close attention; work of applying something; verbal or written request for assistance |
appropriate v. acquire; take possession of for one's own use; set apart for specific use |
appropriation n. funding; money set aside for a specific purpose |
approximately ad. nearly correct or exact; close in value or amount but not precise; about; roughly |
aquaplane n. a board that is pulled by a speedboat as a person stands on it and skims over the top of the water |
archbishop n. a bishop of highest rank |
ardently ad. very enthusiastically or passionately |
ardor n. intense feeling of love; feelings of great warmth and intensity |
arrangement n. composition; plans or preparations for a future event |
artisan n. manually skilled worker; craftsman, as opposed to artist |
ascend v. go up or climb; rise through the air; mount |
assertive a. positive; affirming confidently; affirmative; peremptory |
assess v. estimate value; judge worth of something |
association n. connection, whether of persons of things; union of persons in a company or society for some particular purpose |
athirst a. very eager to get something; extremely desirous |
auditory a. of or relating to hearing, the organs of hearing, or the sense of hearing |
axiom n. self-evident truth requiring no proof |
bailiwick n. the area over which a bailiff has jurisdiction; a branch of knowledge |
bane n. something causes misery or death; curse; fatal injury or ruin |
bankruptcy n. state of being unable to pay your debts |
banter n. good-humored, playful conversation |