a. struck by shock, terror, or amazement
E.g. The film grabs you by the throat so that any feeling of being aghast is contained – and you hold on to that feeling up to the very last scene.
n. one who is skeptical of existence of a god or any ultimate reality
E.g. William's presence by so much as a purr or a claw, and I have noticed that the agnostic is the only creature living who can treat a preacher with so much contempt.
n. soda ash; caustic soda, caustic potash; one of a class of caustic bases, such as soda, potash, and ammonia
E.g. This kind of soil contains much alkali.
v. refer casually or indirectly, or by suggestion
E.g. Try not to mention divorce in Jack's presence because he will think you allude to his marital problems with Jill.
n. temptation; enticement; any real or apparent good held forth, or operating, as a motive to action
E.g. Money is a kind of allurement for us.
n. indirect reference; symbolical reference or comparison; metaphor
E.g. Without naming names, the candidate criticized the national leaders by allusion.
v. combine; unite in one body; mix or alloy a metal with mercury
E.g. The unions will attempt to amalgamate their groups into one national body.
v. collect; gather for oneself, as for one's pleasure or profit
E.g. The miser's aim is to amass and hoard as much gold as possible.
a. capable of using either hand with equal ease
E.g. A switch-hitter in baseball should be naturally ambidextrous.
n. state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes, such as love and hate
E.g. Torn between loving her parents one minute and hating them the next, she was confused by the ambivalence of her feelings.
n. moving at an easy pace; walk slowly or leisurely
E.g. When she first mounted the horse, she was afraid to urge the animal to go faster than a gentle amble.
n. pleasantness resulting from agreeable conditions
E.g. This spacious travel amenity kit lets you bring all the comforts of home.
a. formless; lacking shape or definition
E.g. As soon as we have decided on our itinerary, we shall send you a copy; right now, our plans are still amorphous.
v. broaden or clarify by expanding; intensify; make larger or more powerful; increase
E.g. Charlie Brown tried to amplify his remarks, but he was drowned out by jeers from the audience.
a. serving to reduce sensibility to pain without loss of consciousness
E.g. The analgesic qualities of this lotion will provide temporary relief.
a. comparable; similar or alike
E.g. She called our attention to the things that had been done in an analogous situation and recommended that we do the same.
n. solemn curse; someone or something regarded as a curse
E.g. To the Ayatolla, America and the West were anathema; he loathed the democratic nations, cursing them in his dying words.
a. serving as aid or accessory; auxiliary
E.g. In an ancillary capacity, Doctor Watson was helpful; however, Holmes could not trust the good doctor to solve a perplexing case on his own.
n. feeling of enmity or ill will; attitude that informs one's actions; disposition
E.g. The animus of the speaker became obvious to all when he began to indulge in sarcastic and insulting remarks.
v. comment; make explanatory notes
E.g. In the appendix to the novel, the editor sought to annotate many of the author's more esoteric references.
n. source of relaxation or comfort; medicine that relieves pain
E.g. The sound of classical music is usually just anodyne I need after a tough day at work.
a. deviating from normal or common order, form, or rule
E.g. He was placed in the anomalous position of seeming to approve procedures which he despised.
n. one who contends with another, especially in combat; an adversary; opponent
E.g. A sparrow fluttering about the church is an antagonist which the most profound theologian in Europe is wholly unable to overcome.
v. be earlier in time; go back further
E.g. It is up to a claimant to ask the Commission to antedate a claim.
a. antiquated; extremely old and ancient; belonging to very ancient times
E.g. Looking at his great aunt's antique furniture, which must have been cluttering up her attic since the time of Noah's flood, the young heir exclaimed, "Heavens! How positively antediluvian!".
n. book of literary selections by various authors
E.g. This anthology of science fiction was compiled by the late Isaac Asimov.
a. manlike; resembling a human, especially in shape or outward appearance
E.g. The gorilla is the strongest of the anthropoid animals.
n. contrast; direct contrast; opposition
E.g. This tyranny was the antithesis of all that he had hoped for, and he fought it with all his strength.
n. entire horn, or any branch of the horn
E.g. This is taken from a soft, furry covering on developing antler of deer.
n. alcoholic beverage taken before a meal as an appetizer
E.g. We had it as an aperitif with cheeses but would also go well with seafood.
n. opening; diameter of such an opening; hole
E.g. She discovered a small aperture in the wall, through which the insects had entered the room.
n. loss of speech due to injury or illness
E.g. After the automobile accident, the victim had periods of aphasia when he could not speak at all or could only mumble incoherently.
n. definition or concise statement of principle; tersely phrased statement of truth or opinion
E.g. An aphorism differs from an adage in that it is more philosophical or scientific.
n. place where bees and beehives are kept, especially where bees are raised for their honey
E.g. Although he spent many hours daily in the apiary, he was very seldom stung by a bee.
n. poise; self-confident assurance
E.g. Gwen's aplomb in handling potentially embarrassing moments was legendary around the office; when one of her clients broke a piece of her best crystal, she coolly picked up her own goblet and hurled it into the fireplace.
a. untrue; of questionable authorship or authenticity; erroneous; fictitious
E.g. To impress his friends, Tom invented apocryphal tales of his adventures in the big city.
n. the highest point; point in orbit most distant from the body being orbited
E.g. When the moon in its orbit is farthest away from the earth, it is at its apogee.
n. one who abandons his religious faith or political beliefs
E.g. Because he switched from one party to another, his former friends shunned him as an apostate.
n. elevation to godhood; fact or action of becoming a god; an ideal example of something
E.g. The apotheosis of a Roman emperor was designed to insure his eternal greatness: people would worship at his altar forever.
n. name; title; act of naming; act of appealing for aid, sympathy
E.g. Macbeth was startled when the witches greeted him with an incorrect appellation. Why did they call him Thane of Cawdor, he wondered, when the holder of that title still lived?.