abandon | n. lacking restraint or control; feeling of extreme emotional intensity; unbounded enthusiasm |
abduction | n. the criminal act of capturing and carrying away by force |
abject | a. being of the most miserable kind; wretched; lacking pride; brought low in condition or status |
abrasive | a. rubbing away; tending to grind down |
absolute | a. perfect in quality or nature; complete; totally unlimited; certain |
absolve | v. pronounce clear of guilt or blame; grant remission of sin to; acquit |
absorb | v. assimilate or incorporate; suck or drink up; occupy full attention |
abstinence | n. restraint from eating or drinking; refraining from indulging appetite or desire |
abstract | a. theoretical; not concrete; not applied or practical; difficult to understand |
abusive | a. coarsely insulting; physically harmful; characterized by improper or wrongful use |
abyss | n. enormous chasm; vast bottomless pit; any deep, immeasurable space; hell |
academic | a. related to school; not practical or directly useful; relating to the scholarly organization; based on formal education |
accelerate | v. move faster; cause to develop or progress more quickly; occur sooner than expected |
accessible | a. easily approached or entered; obtainable; easy to talk to or get along with |
accessory | n. additional object; useful but not essential thing; subordinate or supplementary item |
accommodate | v. do a favor or service for; provide for; supply with; make suitable; adapt; allow for |
accomplice | n. partner in crime; associate in wrongdoing |
accord | n. settlement or compromise of conflicting opinions; written agreement between two states |
acknowledge | v. declare to be true or admit; express obligation, thanks |
acme | n. the highest point or level, as of achievement or development; maturity or perfection of animal |
acquire | v. gain through experience or effort; gain possession of; locate with a tracking system |
acquittal | n. state of being found or proved not guilty; judgment of not guilty |
acute | a. quickly perceptive; keen; having a sharp point or tip; extremely sharp or severe |
adage | n. wise saying; brief familiar proverb; expression of popular wisdom |
adamant | a. extremely hard; inflexible; stubbornly unyielding |
adapt | v. make fit for; change to suit a new purpose |
addiction | n. the compulsive physiological and psychological need for a substance; being abnormally dependent on something |
address | v. make a formal speech to; deal with or discuss; direct efforts or attention of |
adept | a. expert at; very skilled; having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude |
adhere | v. stick fast; stick to firmly; be compatible or in accordance with |
adjacent | a. adjoining; neighboring; close to; lying near |
administration | n. management; supervision; people who are in charge of management; the activity of government for powers and duties |
adolescence | n. state of growing up from childhood to manhood or womanhood; transitional period between youth and maturity |
adversary | n. the opponent in a contest; someone who offers opposition |
adverse | a. in opposing direction; harmful or unfavorable; acting or serving to oppose |
adversity | n. state of misfortune, hardship, or affliction; misfortune |
advocate | v. speak, plead, or argue in favor of; plead for; push for something |
aesthetic | a. elegant or tasteful; of or concerning the appreciation of beauty or good taste |
affected | a. speaking or behaving in an artificial way; emotionally stirred or moved; infected or attacked |
affidavit | n. written statement made under oath |
affiliation | n. partnership; alliance; association in the same family or society |
affliction | n. cause or condition of pain, suffering, or distress |
aftermath | n. outcome; consequence, especially of a disaster or misfortune |
agenda | n. items of business at a meeting; list or program of things to be done or considered |
agent | n. one that acts on behalf of other persons or organizations |
aggressor | n. one that engages in aggression; a person who first attacks |
alias | n. assumed name; another name; a name that has been assumed temporarily |
alien | a. dissimilar, inconsistent, or opposed in nature; very different place, society, or person |
alienate | v. cause to become unfriendly or hostile; transfer property or ownership; isolate or dissociate emotionally |
alimony | n. payment by a husband to his divorced wife, or vice versa |
allegiance | n. loyalty to a nation, sovereign, or cause; fidelity to any person or thing; devotion |
alleviate | v. provide physical relief, as from pain; make easier; remove in part |
alloy | n. mixture; a combination of diverse things |
allure | v. attract with something desirable; be highly, often subtly attractive |
aloof | a. apart; remote in manner; distant physically or emotionally; reserved and remote |
altercation | n. a noisy quarrel; contention in words; dispute carried on with heat or anger; controversy |
amend | v. change for the better; improve; remove faults or errors |
amiss | a. out of proper order; not in perfect shape; faulty |
ammunition | n. military stores or provisions; articles used in weapons, as powder, balls, shot, shells |
amnesia | n. partial or total loss of memory, usually resulting from shock or illness |
amnesty | n. the general pardon granted by the government, especially for political offenses |
amoral | a. lacking moral sensibility; not caring about right and wrong |
ample | a. more than enough in size or scope or capacity; relatively large |
amulet | n. object worn, especially around the neck, as a charm against evil or injury; charm |
analogy | n. the similarity in some respects; comparison based on similarity |
anarchy | n. absence of governing body; state of disorder; political disorder and confusion |
anchor | v. secure or fasten firmly; be fixed in place; narrate or coordinate |
anecdote | n. a short account of the amusing or interesting event; short narrative; a secret story of history or biography |
anemia | n. condition in which blood lacks red corpuscles; deficiency of red blood cells; lack of vitality |
anesthetic | n. a substance that causes loss of sensation; producing temporary loss or impairment of feeling |
anguish | n. agonizing physical or mental pain; extreme suffering |
animated | a. having life or vigor or spirit; filled with activity; in the form of cartoon |
animosity | n. bitter hostility; active hatred; hostile feeling or act |
annex | v. append or attach; take possession of; incorporate into an existing political unit |
anomaly | n. irregularity; a person or something unusual; departure from the normal or common order |
anonymity | n. state of being nameless; one that is unknown or unacknowledged |
anonymous | a. having no name; having an unknown or unacknowledged name |
anthem | n. song of praise or patriotism; the song of devotion or loyalty |
anthropologist | n. one who studies history and science of mankind |
antidote | n. medicine to counteract a poison or disease; an agent that relieves or counteracts |
antiquated | a. too old to be fashionable, suitable, or useful; obsolete; aged |
antiseptic | n. a substance that prevents infection; a substance that restricts the growth of disease-causing microorganisms |
ape | v. imitate; mimic, as an ape imitates human actions |
apocalyptic | a. prophetic; involving or portending widespread devastation |
apparatus | n. a group of parts that work together to perform a given function; appliance, or device for a particular purpose |
appease | v. bring peace, quiet, or calm to; satisfy or relieve |
application | n. close attention; work of applying something; verbal or written request for assistance |
appreciate | v. be thankful for; increase in worth; be thoroughly conscious of |
apprehend | v. take into custody; arrest a criminal; grasp mentally; perceive |
appropriate | v. acquire; take possession of for one's own use; set apart for specific use |
aptitude | n. inherent ability; quickness in learning and understanding |
arbitrary | a. randomly chosen; determined by chance or impulse, and not by reason or principle |
arbitrator | n. someone chosen to judge and decide the disputed issue; one having the power to make authoritative decisions |
arcade | n. covered passageway, usually lined with shops; simple arched opening in a wall; vault or vaulted place |
archives | n. public records; place where public records are kept |
aria | n. operatic solo; a solo vocal piece with instrumental accompaniment |
array | v. set out for display or use; place in orderly arrangement |
arrest | v. stop or slow down; catch someone's attention; take into custody |
arrogance | n. overbearing pride; haughtiness; manifest feeling of personal superiority in rank, power, or estimation |
arrogant | a. arising from feeling or assumption of one's superiority toward others |
arsenal | n. storage place for military equipment; a stock of weapons |
articulate | a. expressing oneself easily in clear and effective language |
artifact | n. the object made by human beings; inaccurate observation, effect, or result |
ascertain | v. find out for certain; discover with certainty; make sure of |
asinine | a. utterly stupid or silly; inanely foolish |
aspire | v. seek to attain; long for; strive toward an end |
assert | v. declare or state with confidence; put oneself forward boldly |
assessment | n. act of judging or assessing; amount determined as payable |
assumption | n. something taken for accepted as true without proof; taking over or taking possession of |
assurance | n. promise or pledge; certainty; self-confidence; freedom from doubt |
asteroid | n. small planet; any small celestial bodies that revolve around the sun |
astral | a. relating to stars; star-shaped |
astronomical | a. enormously large or extensive; relating to astronomy |
astute | a. wise or keen; shrewd; with sharp intelligence |
asylum | n. place of refuge or shelter; protection |
atlas | n. a bound volume of maps, charts, or tables |
atone | v. make amends, as for sin or fault; pay for; turn away from sin |
attain | v. achieve or accomplish; gain |
attentive | a. alert and watchful; considerate; thoughtful |
attest | v. testify; authenticate, affirm to be true |
attribute | n. essential quality; reputation; honor |
audit | v. examine, verify, or correct the financial accounts of |
auditorium | n. area of theater or concert hall where the audience sits |
august | a. impressive; majestic; inspiring awe or admiration |
authoritative | a. weighting authority; peremptory and dictatorial |
autopsy | n. examination of dead body; post-mortem |
auxiliary | a. helper, additional or subsidiary |
avail | v. turn to the advantage of; be of service to; profit; promote |
avalanche | n. a great mass of falling snow and ice |
avenge | v. take vengeance for something, or on behalf of someone |
aversion | n. firm dislike; turning away; avoidance of a thing, situation, or behavior because of dislike |
avert | v. prevent; turn or cause to turn off or away |
avid | a. greedy; eager for; marked by keen interest and enthusiasm |
awe | n. mixed emotion of reverence, respect, dread, and wonder; fear, as of something evil |
babble | v. talk foolishly or idly; utter meaningless confusion of words or sounds |
badger | v. pester; annoy persistently; persuade through constant efforts |
bait | v. harass; tease; lure, entice, or entrap |
balm | n. something that relieves pain |
balmy | a. mild and pleasant; fragrant |
bane | n. something causes misery or death; curse; fatal injury or ruin |
barb | n. sharp projection from fishhook; openly cutting remark |
barren | a. desolate; fruitless and unproductive; lacking |
beam | n. ray of light; a long piece of metal or wood; long piece fixed or movable in structure, machine, or tool |
begrudge | v. resent; give or expend with reluctance; be envious of |
belittle | v. disparage or depreciate; put down |
benefactor | n. gift giver; a person who gives people or institutions financial help |
beneficial | a. helpful; tending to promote physical well-being |
beneficiary | n. a person entitled to benefits or proceeds of an insurance policy or will |
benevolent | a. generous in providing aid to others; charitable |
benign | a. kindly; favorable; not malignant |
bent | a. determined to do or have |
berserk | a. mentally or emotionally upset; deranged; excessively agitated |
beseech | v. beg; plead with; ask for or request earnestly |
bestow | v. give as a gift; present |
betray | v. be unfaithful; reveal unconsciously or unwillingly |
biased | a. favoring one person or side over another; prejudiced |
bizarre | a. fantastic; violently contrasting; strangely unconventional in style or appearance |
bland | a. lacking stimulating or mild; agreeable |
blasphemy | n. act of claiming for oneself the attributes and rights of God; utterance or writing concerning God |
blatant | a. flagrant; conspicuously obvious; loudly offensive |
bleak | a. cold or cheerless; unlikely to be favorable |
bloated | a. swollen or puffed as with water or air |
bluff | n. the pretense of strength; mislead or deceive |
blunt | a. having a dull edge or end; not sharp; lacking in feeling; insensitive |
blurt | v. utter suddenly and impulsively |
bode | v. foreshadow; indicate by signs; be an omen of; predict |
bogus | a. counterfeit or fake; not authentic; not genuine |
bolt | v. dash or dart off; move or jump suddenly |
booming | a. deep and resonant; flourishing; thriving |
boundless | a. being without boundaries or limits; infinite; vast |
bourgeois | a. middle class; selfishly materialistic; dully conventional |
boycott | v. refrain from buying or using |
bravado | n. defiant or swaggering behavior; the pretense of courage; false show of bravery |
brazen | a. having loud, usually harsh, resonant sound; shameless |
breach | n. breaking of contract or duty; breaking of waves or surf; fissure or gap |
brittle | a. easily broken; having little elasticity |
brochure | n. pamphlet; small book usually having a paper cover |
brooch | n. ornamental clasp; decorative pin worn by women |
browse | v. graze; skim or glance at casually |
buffet | n. table with food set out for people to serve themselves; meal at which people help themselves to food that's been set out |
bureaucracy | n. over-regulated administrative system |
burly | a. husky; muscular and heavily built |
cache | n. hiding place; secret store of valuables or money |
cadaver | n. corpse; dead body, especially one intended for dissection |
calculated | a. deliberately planned; carefully thought out in advance |
caliber | n. ability; degree or grade of excellence or worth; diameter of a tube or gun barrel |
callous | a. emotionally hardened; unfeeling; toughened |
camouflage | v. exploit natural surroundings to disguise something; conceal |
candor | n. frankness; quality of being honest and straightforward in attitude and speech |
canine | a. related to dogs; dog-like; affecting or derived from dogs |
cant | n. inclination or slope; slanted or oblique surface; jargon, especially of thieves; dialect |
capacity | n. mental or physical ability; ability to accommodate |
caprice | n. sudden, unexpected fancy; impulsive change of mind |
caption | n. title; chapter heading; text under illustration |
carat | n. unit of weight for precious stones; a measure of fineness of gold |
cardinal | a. chief; serving as an essential component |
cardiologist | n. the doctor who specializes in medical problems related to heart |
carnage | n. destruction of life; the savage and excessive killing of many people |
carnal | a. fleshly; of or relating to body or flesh; bodily |
cascade | n. small waterfall; sudden downpour |
casualty | n. serious or fatal accident; someone injured or killed in an accident |
catalyst | n. an agent which brings about chemical change while it remains unaffected and unchanged |
catastrophe | n. calamity; disaster; state of extreme ruin and misfortune |
catholic | a. broadly sympathetic; universal; related to Roman Catholic Church |
caucus | n. a private meeting of members of a party to select officers or determine policy |
cavalier | a. offhand or casual; given to haughty disregard of others |
celebrated | a. famous; well-known; having illustrious past |
censor | n. overseer of morals; official responsible for removal of objectionable or sensitive content |
cerebral | a. relating to the brain or cerebrum; intellectual rather than emotional |
champion | v. protect or fight for the first place |
chaotic | a. in utter disorder; lacking visible order or organization |
charisma | n. divine gift; great popular charm or appeal of a political leader |
charlatan | n. quack; one who pretends to knowledge, skill, or importance |
chaste | a. morally pure in thought or conduct; decent and modest |
check | v. stop motion; curb or restrain |
checkered | a. divided into squares; diversified in color; marked by great changes or shifts in fortune |
chisel | n. a metal tool with a sharp edge used to cut and shape stone, wood, or metal |
chivalrous | a. having qualities of ideal knight; faithful; brave |
choreography | n. art of representing dances in written symbols; the arrangement of dances |
chronic | a. lasting for a long period; marked by frequent recurrence, as certain diseases |
chronicle | v. report or record in chronological order |
cite | v. quote; adduce as an instance |
civil | a. having to do with citizens or the state; courteous and polite |
clairvoyant | n. having foresight; fortuneteller |
clandestine | a. secret; conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods |
clasp | n. fastening device; firm grip |
clemency | n. mildness, as of the weather; merciful, kind, or lenient act |
clientele | n. clients of professional person; the body of customers or patrons |
clip | n. a small section of filmed or filed material |
clout | n. blow, especially with the fist; great influence, especially political or social |
coalition | n. partnership; league; state of being combined into one body |
coercion | n. use of force to get someone to obey |
coin | v. make pieces of money from metal; invent or fabricate |
coincidence | n. two or more things occurring at the same time by chance |
collage | n. work of art put together from fragments |
collateral | n. security pledged for repayment of loan |
colossal | a. of extraordinary size; huge; gigantic |
comatose | a. in coma; extremely sleepy; unconscious |
commemorate | v. serve as a memorial to; honor the memory of with a ceremony |
communal | a. held in common; of a group of people |
commute | v. obtain or bargain for exemption or substitution; regularly travel from a place of residence to another place |
compact | n. small and economical car; small cosmetics case |
compatible | a. harmonious; having similar disposition and tastes |
compelling | a. overpowering; drivingly forceful; urgently requiring attention |
complement | v. complete; consummate; make perfect |
compliance | n. readiness to yield; happy friendly agreement |
component | n. element; ingredient; abstract part of something |
compound | n. combination of two or more elements or parts |
comprehensive | a. thorough; including all or everything; broad in scope |
compress | v. close; squeeze or press together; contract |
compromise | v. adjust or settle by making mutual concessions; endanger the interests or reputation of |
compute | v. reckon; make a mathematical calculation |
concede | v. admit; yield; give up physical control of another |
conception | n. beginning; forming of an idea; an act of conceiving |
concession | n. act of yielding; point yielded; acknowledgment or admission |
concord | n. agreement of opinions; harmonious state of things |
conundrum | n. riddle; difficult problem; dilemma |
convene | v. cause to come together formally |
convention | n. social or moral custom; formal meeting of members, representatives, or delegates; agreement between states |
conventional | a. based upon traditional rules; formed by agreement or compact |
converse | v. chat; talk informally; engage in a spoken exchange of thoughts |
convert | n. change something into another form; transform |
conviction | n. the judgment that someone is guilty of a crime; strongly held belief |
cordial | a. gracious; showing warmth and friendliness |
coronation | n. ceremony of crowning queen or king |
corroborate | v. establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts; support with evidence |
cosmic | a. of the universe; vast |
cosmopolitan | a. sophisticated; of worldwide scope |
covert | a. secretive, not openly shown |
curator | n. one who manages museum or library; superintendent; manager |
curt | a. having been shortened; effectively cut short; rudely brief or abrupt, as in speech or manner |
cynical | a. skeptical of motives of others; selfishly calculating; negative or pessimistic |
dabble | v. splash liquid gently and playfully; undertake something without serious intent |
dank | a. disagreeably damp or humid; cold moisture; unpleasant humidity |
deadlock | n. standstill resulting from the opposition of two forces or factions; stalemate |
debacle | n. sudden downfall; complete disaster |
debris | n. remains of something that has been destroyed or broken up |
debutante | n. young woman making formal entrance into society |
decipher | v. convert code into ordinary language; read with difficulty |
decorum | n. propriety in manners and conduct; good taste in manners; conventions or requirements of polite behavior |
decoy | n. lure or bait; means used to mislead or lead into danger |
default | n. failure to act; an option that is selected automatically |
defer | v. delay till later; put off; hold back to a later time |
defiance | n. refusal to yield; readiness to contend or resist |
definitive | a. final; complete; precisely defined or explicit |
deflect | v. turn aside; draw someone's attention away from something |
defuse | v. remove the fuse of the bomb; reduce or eliminate the threat |
degenerate | v. become worse; decline; fall |
degradation | n. humiliation; debasement; decline to a lower condition, quality, or level |
delectable | a. delightful; delicious; extremely pleasing to the sense of taste |
delete | v. erase; strike out; remove or make invisible |
deliberate | v. consider; think about carefully; weigh |
delusion | n. false belief; mistaken or unfounded opinion |
demeanor | n. conduct; management; way in which a person behaves |
demented | a. insane; mad; of unsound mind; mentally ill |
demise | n. end of existence or activity; termination |
demolition | n. act of overthrowing, pulling down, or destroying |
deploy | v. position troops in readiness for combat, as along a front or line; put into use or action |
deposition | n. testimony under oath; the act of depositing, especially laying down of matter by natural process |
deranged | a. disordered; especially in mind; crazy; insane |
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