Vocab List A
Terms
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- abandon
- total lack of inhibition
- abhor
- to detest
- abase
- to humble
- abate
- decrease
- abdicate
- to give up a position, right, or power
- aberration
- something different from the usual
- abet
- to aid; act as accomplice
- abject
- miserable, pitiful
- abjure
- to reject, abandon formally
- ablution
- act of cleansing
- abnegate
- to deny; renounce
- abolitionist
- one who opposes the practice of slavery
- abortive
- interrupted while incomplete
- abridge
- to condense, shorten
- abrogate
- to put an end to, abolish by authority
- abscond
- to depart secretly
- absolve
- to forgive, to free from blame
- abstain
- to choose not to do something
- abstract
- theoretical, complex, difficult
- abstruse
- difficult to understand
- accede
- to express approval; agree to
- accessible
- attainable, available; approachable
- accessory
- attachment, ornament; accomplice, partner
- accolade
- praise, distinction
- accost
- to approach and speak to someone
- accretion
- growth in size or increase in amount
- accrue
- to accumulate, grow by additions
- acerbic
- bitter, sharp in taste or temper
- acme
- highest point; summit
- acquiesce
- to agree; comply quietly
- acquittal
- release from blame
- acrid
- harsh, bitter
- acrimony
- bitterness, animosity
- acuity
- sharpness
- acumen
- sharpness of insight
- acute
- sharp, pointed, severe
- adage
- old saying or proverb
- adamant
- uncompromising, unyielding
- adapt
- to accommodate; adjust
- adhere
- to cling or follow without deviation
- adjacent
- next to
- adjunct
- something added, attached, or joined
- admonish
- to caution or reprimand
- adroit
- skillful, accomplished, highly competent
- adulation
- high praise
- adulterate
- to corrupt or make impure
- adumbrate
- to sketch, outline in a shadowy way
- advantageous
- favorable, useful
- adversarial
- antagonistic, competitive
- adverse
- unfavorable, unlucky; harmful
- aerial
- having to do with the air
- aerie
- nook or nest built high in the air
- aerodynamic
- relating to objects moving through the air
- aesthetic
- pertaining to beauty or art
- affable
- friendly, easy to approach
- affected
- pretentious, phony
- affinity
- fondness, liking; similarity
- affluent
- rich, abundant
- affront
- personal offense, insult
- agenda
- plan, schedule
- aggrandize
- to make larger or greater in power
- aggregate
- collective mass or sum; total
- aggrieve
- to afflict, distress
- agile
- well coordinated, nimble
- agitation
- commotion, excitement; uneasiness
- agnostic
- one who doubts that God exists
- agrarian
- relating to farming or rural matters
- alacrity
- cheerful willingness, eagerness; speed
- alchemy
- medieval chemical philosophy aimed at trying to change metal into gold
- algorithm
- mechanical problem-solving procedure
- alias
- assumed name
- alienated
- distanced, estranged
- aligned
- precisely adjusted; committed to one side
- allay
- to lessen, easy, or soothe
- allegory
- symbolic representation
- alleviate
- to relieve, improve partially
- alliteration
- repetition of the beginning sounds of words
- allocation
- allowance, portion, share
- allure
- to entice by charm; attract
- allusion
- indirect reference
- allusiveness
- quality of making many indirect references
- aloof
- detached, indifferent
- altercation
- noisy dispute
- altruism
- unselfish concern for others' welfare
- amalgamate
- to mix, combine
- ambidextrous
- able to use both hands equally well
- ambiguous
- uncertain; subject to multiple interpretations
- ambivalence
- attitude of uncertainty; conflicting emotions
- ameliorate
- to make better, improve
- amenable
- agreeable, cooperative
- amend
- to improve or correct flaws in
- amenity
- pleasantness; something increasing comfort
- amiable
- friendly, pleasant, likable
- amicable
- friendly, agreeable
- amity
- friendship
- amoral
- unprincipled, unethical
- amorous
- strongly attracted to love; showing love
- amorphous
- having no definite form
- amortize
- to diminish by installment payments
- amphibian
- creature equally at home on land or in water
- amphitheater
- arena theater with rising tiers around a central open space
- ample
- abundant, plentiful
- amplify
- increase, intensify
- amulet
- ornament worn as a charm against evil
- anachronism
- something chronologically inappropriate
- anachronistic
- outdated
- analogous
- comparable, parallel
- anarchy
- absence of government or law; chaos
- anathema
- ban, curse; something shunned or disliked
- ancillary
- accessory; subordinate; helping
- anecdote
- short, usually funny account of an event
- angular
- characterized by sharp angles; lean and gaunt
- animation
- enthusiasm, excitement
- animosity
- hatred, hostility
- annul
- to cancel, nullify, declare void, or make legally invalid
- anodyne
- something that calms or soothes pain
- anoint
- to apply oil to, especially as a sacred rite
- anomaly
- irregularity or deviation from the norm
- anonymity
- condition of having no name or an unknown name
- antagonist
- foe, opponent, adversary
- antecedent
- coming before in place or time
- antediluvian
- prehistoric, ancient beyond measure
- antepenultimate
- third from last
- anterior
- preceding, previous, before, prior to
- anthology
- collection of literary works
- anthropomorphic
- attributing human qualities to nonhumans
- antipathy
- dislike, hostility; extreme opposition or aversion
- antiquated
- outdated, obsolete
- antiquity
- ancient times; the quality of being old
- antithesis
- exact opposite or direct contrast
- apathetic
- indifferent, unconcerned
- apathy
- lack of feeling or emotion
- aphasia
- inability to speak or use words
- apelion
- point in a planet's orbit that is farthest fromo the sun
- aphorism
- old saying or short, pithy statement
- apocryphal
- not genuine; fictional
- apostate
- one who renounces a religious faith
- apostrophe
- an address to the reader or someone not present
- apotheosis
- glorification; glorified ideal
- appease
- to satisfy, placate, calm, pacify
- approbation
- praise; official approval
- appropriate
- to take possession of
- aquatic
- belonging or living in water
- arable
- suitable for cultivation
- arbitrary
- depending solely on individual will; inconsistent
- arbitrate
- mediate, negotiate
- arboreal
- relating to trees; living in trees
- arboretum
- place where trees are displayed and studied
- arcane
- secret, obscure, known only to a few
- archaic
- antiquated, from an earlier time; outdated
- archipelago
- large group of islands
- ardent
- passionate, enthusiastic; fervent
- ardor
- great emotion or passion
- arduous
- extremely difficult, laborous
- arid
- extremely dry or deathly boring
- arraign
- to call to court to answer an indictment
- arrogate
- to demand, claim arrogantly
- arsenal
- ammunition storehouse
- articulate
- well spoken, expressing oneself clearly
- artifact
- historical relic, item made by human craft
- artisan
- craftsperson; expert
- ascend
- to rise or climb
- ascendancy
- state of rising, ascending; power or control
- ascertain
- to determine, discover, make certain of
- ascetic
- self-denying, abstinent, austere
- ascribe
- to attribute to, assign
- ashen
- resembling ashes; deathly pale
- askew
- crooked, tilted
- aspersion
- false rumor, damaging report, slander
- aspire
- to have great hopes; to aim at a goal
- assail
- to attack, assault
- assent
- to express agreement
- assert
- to affirm, attest
- assiduous
- diligent, persistent, hard-working
- assignation
- appointment for lovers' meeting; assignment
- assimilation
- act of blending in, become similar
- assonance
- resemblance in sound, especially in vowel sounds; partial rhyme
- assuage
- to make less severe, ease, relieve
- astringent
- harsh, severe, stern
- astute
- having good judgment
- asunder
- into different parts
- asymmetrical
- not corresponding in size, shape, position, etc.
- atone
- to make amends for a wrong
- atrocious
- monstrous, shockingly bad, wicked
- atrophy
- to waste away, wither from disuse
- attain
- to accomplish, gain
- attentuate
- to make thin or slender; weaken
- attest
- to testify, stand as proof of, bear witness
- audacious
- bold, daring, fearless
- audible
- capable of being heard
- audit
- formal examination of financial records
- auditory
- having to do with hearing
- augment
- to expand, extend
- augury
- phophecy, prediction of events
- august
- dignified, awe inspiring, venerable
- auspicious
- having favorable prospects, promising
- austere
- stern, strict, unadorned
- authoritarian
- extremely strict, bossy
- autocrat
- dictator
- autonomous
- separate, independent
- auxiliary
- supplementary, reserve
- avarice
- greed
- avenge
- to retaliate, take revenge for an injury or crime
- aver
- to declare to be true, affirm
- aversion
- intense dislike
- avert
- to turn (something) away; prevent, hinder
- aviary
- large enclosure housing birds
- avow
- to state openly or declare
- awry
- crooked, askew, amiss
- axiom
- premise, postulate, self-evident truth