GRE Vocabulary Words A-D
Terms
undefined, object
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- chortle
- chuckle with delight; N.
- despise
- look on with scorn; regard as worthless or distasteful; ADJ. despicable: contemptible
- discordant
- not harmonious; conflicting
- defray
- provide for the payment of; undertake the payment of; pay
- clamor
- loud continuous noise; continuous demand or complaint made by a large number of people; V: make a clamor; express continually and loudly; ADJ. clamorous
- dissolution
- disintegration; reduction to a liquid form; looseness in morals; sensual indulgence; debauchery; ADJ. dissolute: lacking in moral restraint; leading an immoral life
- doldrums
- blues; listlessness; slack period; period of stagnation; ocean area near the equator where ships cannot move because there is no wind; Ex. in the doldrums
- avuncular
- of or like an uncle
- actuarial
- calculating; pertaining to insurance statistics
- denigrate
- blacken; defame
- assurance
- firm statement that something is certainly true; promise or pledge; certainty; confidence in one's own ability; self-confidence; Ex. In spite of all his assurances, he did not come back; Ex. assurance of his loyalty; Ex. The teacher lacked assurance in front of his class; V. assure; tell firmly with confidence; ensure; make certain to happen; make feel sure; give confidence to; ADJ. assured: self-assured; confident in one's own ability; showing certainty
- diverse
- differing in some characteristics ; various; N. diversity:
- brunt
- main impact or shock ; Ex. brunt of the argument
- catcall
- shout of disapproval or displeasure ; boo; V.
- anarchy
- absence of governing body; state of disorder
- catharsis
- purging or cleansing of any passage of the body; purging and weakening of strong emotions as a result of experiencing a dramatic work of art
- accoutre
- equip; N. accoutrement
- buoyant
- able to float; cheerful and optimistic; N. buoyancy; Ex. buoyancy of wood/water/American market
- altercation
- noisy quarrel
- antiseptic
- substance that prevents infection in a wound; ADJ.
- dank
- damp; unpleasantly wet
- ardor
- heat; passion; zeal; ADJ. ardent
- circlet
- small ring; band of gold, silver, jewel, etc.
- annals
- records arranged in yearly parts; history
- cession
- yielding to another; ceding
- combustible
- easily burned; N. CF. combustion
- decorum
- propriety; orderliness and good taste in manners; appropriateness of behavior or conduct
- boisterous
- violent; rough; noisy
- allege
- state without proof
- ascribe
- refer; attribute; assign
- disclose
- reveal; N. disclosure
- bountiful
- generous; graciously generous; showing bounty
- aberrant
- abnormal or deviant
- disseminate
- distribute; spread; scatter
- cataclysm
- deluge; upheaval; earthquake; violent and sudden event or change
- compromise
- adjust or settle by making mutual concessions; endanger the interests or reputation of; put into danger, disrepute, or a dishonorable position; Ex. compromise one's principle; N.
- burgeon
- grow rapidly; grow forth; send out buds; Ex. burgeoning computer industry; CF. bludgeon
- acclimate
- adjust to climate or environment; adapt
- assay
- analyze ; evaluate
- consign
- send to a person or place for sale; deliver officially; entrust; put into the care of another; set apart ; N. consignment; CF. consignor, consignee
- aloof
- apart; not open in one's relationship with other people; reserved; ADV.
- disfigure
- mar the appearance of; spoil
- acrimonious
- stinging; caustic; bitter in words or manner; N. acrimony: bitter ill-natured animosity in speech or behavior
- cordon
- extended line of men or fortifications to prevent access or egress; V.
- address
- direct a speech to; speak to; deal with or discuss; direct one's efforts or attention to; make with a destination; N: formal speech
- blunder
- error; stupid mistake
- annex
- attach; add to a large thing; take possession of; incorporate into a larger existing political unit ; N: building added to a large one
- auxiliary
- offering or providing help; additional or subsidiary; N: helper; assistant
- allegory
- story, play, or picture in which characters are used as symbols; fable
- amenable
- obedient; compliant; readily managed; responsive; willing to be led; answerable or accountable legally; responsible; able to be tested by; Ex. amenable to sensible suggestions; Ex. He is very amenable; Ex. amenable to the usual tests
- centripetal
- tending toward the center
- congruence
- correspondence of parts; harmonious relationship; CF. congruity
- ascendancy
- controlling influence; position of controlling influence; CF. in the ascendant
- betoken
- signify; indicate; be a sign of
- deify
- turn into a god; make a god of; idolize; Ex. Kings were deified; CF. deity
- ascertain
- find out for certain; make certain
- comestible
- something fit to be eaten
- defile
- pollute; make filthy or dirty; corrupt morally; profane; desecrate; N: narrow passage or gorge through mountains
- coterie
- group that meets socially; select circle; close group of people with shared interests
- apparition
- ghost; phantom
- dissent
- disagree
- bemoan
- lament; moan for; express sorrow or disapproval of
- catapult
- slingshot; hurling machine; V: fire from catapult
- corrosive
- eating away by chemicals or disease; fierce
- aloft
- upward; high up in the air
- dilettante
- aimless follower of an art or a field of knowledge ; amateur; dabbler; CF. delight
- deplore
- regret; express sorrow and severe disapproval for something bad; Ex. deplore their violent behavior; ADJ. deplorable: very bad; deserving severe disapproval; Ex. deplorable living condition
- belittle
- disparage; depreciate
- abstain
- refrain; withhold from participation; intentionally not use one's vote;
- demented
- insane
- abject
- wretched; as low as possible; lacking pride; very humble; showing lack of self-respect; Ex. abject apology
- compute
- reckon; calculate
- caustic
- burning; corrosive; able to burn by chemical action; sarcastically biting; intended to hurt; bitter; harmful; OP. harmless
- bigotry
- stubborn intolerance
- buffoonery
- clowning
- crotchety
- eccentric; odd; whimsical; bad-tempered; N. crotchet: odd or whimsical notion
- dispassionate
- calm; impartial; not influenced by personal feelings
- clamber
- climb by crawling with difficulties; scramble
- brocade
- rich, figured fabric
- autonomous
- self-governing; N. autonomy
- devoid
- empty; lacking
- dolorous
- sorrowful; N. dolor
- animosity
- active enmity
- asylum
- place of refuge or shelter; protection
- abnegation
- renunciation; self-sacrifice; self-abnegation
- aberration
- deviation from the normal; mental disorder
- affront
- insult; offense; intentional act of disrespect; V: insult or hurt the feelings of intentionally
- caulk
- make watertight
- compatible
- harmonious; in harmony with; able to exist together
- colloquy
- informal discussion; conversation
- callous
- hardened; unfeeling; without sympathy for the sufferings of others; unkind
- atheistic
- denying the existence of God; N. atheism
- appropriate
- acquire; take possession of for one's own use without permission; set aside for a particular purpose; allocate; CF. misappropriate
- devolve
- deputize; pass or be passed to others ; Ex. devolve on/upon/to
- accost
- approach and speak first to a person
- abate
- subside or moderate
- browbeat
- bully; intimidate
- decry
- express strong disapproval of; condemn openly ; disparage; Ex. decry the violence of modern films
- anguish
- acute pain; extreme suffering
- culvert
- artificial channel for water; drain crossing under a road
- aphorism
- pithy maxim or saying; ADJ. aphoristic
- die
- metal block used for shaping metal or plastic; device for stamping or impressing; mold; CF. dice
- depict
- portray
- concur
- agree; coincide; happen at the same time
- acrophobia
- fear of heights
- daunt
- intimidate; frighten; discourage; dishearten
- bombardment
- attack ; V. bombard
- acclivity
- sharp up slope of a hill; OP. declivity
- dislodge
- remove ; force out of a position; Ex. dislodge the food caught in his throat; CF. lodge
- disclaim
- disown; renounce claim to; deny; CF. disclaimer
- drab
- dull; lacking color; cheerless ; Ex. drab coat/life
- cynosure
- object of general attention; person or thing that is a center of attention; CF. Ursa Minor
- converge
- approach; tend to meet; come together
- abet
- assist usually in doing something wrong; encourage
- benign
- kindly; favorable; not malignant ; Ex. benign tumor
- cliche
- phrase dulled in meaning by repetition; platitude; ADJ. cliched
- azure
- sky blue
- debauch
- corrupt morally; seduce from virtue; N. debauchery: wild behavior
- compact
- agreement; contract; ADJ: tightly packed; firm; brief; concise; Ex. compact statement
- dutiful
- respectful; obedient
- bait
- harass; tease; torment; Ex. badger baiting; N: food or other lure used to catch fish or trap animals
- docket
- program as for trial; book where such entries are made; list of things to be done; agenda; label fixed to a package listing contents or directions; V: describe in a docket
- conducive
- helpful; contributive; V. conduce; Ex. conduce to/towards
- accrue
- come to one as a gain; accumulate over time; come about by addition; Ex. benefits that accrue from scientific research; Ex. interest accruing in a bank account; N. accrual
- contaminate
- pollute
- delusive
- deceptive; likely to delude; misleading; raising vain hopes; Ex. delusive promises
- accomplice
- partner in crime
- carping
- petty criticism; fault-finding; fretful complaining; quibble
- desperado
- reckless, desperate outlaw
- censure
- blame; criticize; express strong disapproval; N: severe criticism; strong disapproval
- conciliatory
- reconciling; soothing; V. conciliate: reconcile; soothe; win the friendly feelings
- affirmation
- positive assertion; confirmation; solemn pledge by one who refuses to take an oath; V. affirm; ADJ. affirmative; CF. affirmative action: positive discrimination
- callow
- youthful; immature; inexperienced
- claustrophobia
- fear of being locked in
- craven
- cowardly
- dichotomy
- division into two opposite parts; split; branching into two parts
- disaffected
- disloyal; lacking loyalty; V. disaffect: cause to lose affection or loyalty
- cleft
- split
- celerity
- speed; rapidity
- dexterous
- skillful; skill in using hands or mind; N. dexterity
- cosmic
- pertaining to the universe; vast
- compress
- force into less space; squeeze; contract; put into fewer words; N: thick mass of cloth pressed to part of the body to stop bleeding or swelling, reduce fever, etc.
- apostate
- one who abandons his religious faith or political beliefs; N. apostasy
- canny
- shrewd in money matters; thrifty
- deference
- courteous regard for another"s wish; courteous yielding to another"s wish or opinion ; ADJ. deferential; OP. effrontery
- cower
- shrink quivering as from fear; cringe
- abysmal
- bottomless
- cadaverous
- like a corpse; pale
- deadpan
- wooden; impassive; with no show of feeling; with an expressionless face
- discredit
- defame; disgrace; destroy confidence in; disbelieve; N. CF. discreditable: causing discredit; shameful
- attenuate
- make thin; weaken
- cognizance
- knowledge; ADJ. cognizant; having knowledge; aware
- dissipate
- squander; waste foolishly; scatter
- chassis
- framework and working parts of an automobile; framework to which components are attached
- delta
- flat plain of mud or sand between branches of a river
- alliteration
- repetition of beginning sound in poetry
- dinghy
- small boat
- calculated
- deliberately planned; likely
- dispel
- scatter; drive away; cause to vanish
- cacophonous
- discordant; inharmonious; N. cacophony: unpleasant mixture of loud sounds
- abominate
- loathe; hate
- dupe
- someone easily fooled or deceived; V: deceive
- acuity
- sharpness
- anchor
- secure or fasten firmly; be fixed in place; N. anchorage
- antithesis
- contrast; direct opposite of or to; ADJ. antithetic or antithetical
- bravado
- swagger; assumed air of defiance; false show of bravery
- arraign
- charge in court; indict
- cameo
- shell or jewel carved in relief; star"s special appearance in a minor role in a film
- confine
- shut in an enclosed space; restrict; keep within limits; N. confinement
- discrete
- separate; unconnected
- draconian
- extremely severe; Ex. draconian punishment; CF. Draco: Athenian politician
- decelerate
- slow down
- chasten
- discipline; punish in order to correct; CF. castigate
- cubicle
- small chamber used for sleeping or work
- dismiss
- eliminate from consideration; no longer consider; put out of court without further hearing; reject; discharge from employment; direct to leave; ADJ. dismissive; N. dismissal
- apposite
- appropriate; fitting
- doddering
- shaky; infirm from old age; V. dodder
- astute
- wise; shrewd; keen; seeing quickly something that is to one's advantage
- academic
- related to a school; not practical or directly useful
- blithe
- gay; joyous
- disconsolate
- hopelessly sad
- candor
- frankness; open honesty; ADJ. candid
- deploy
- spread out in an extended though shallow battle line; distribute systematically or strategically
- amnesia
- loss of memory
- cuisine
- style of cooking; Ex. French cuisine
- amorphous
- formless; lacking shape or definition
- credulity
- belief on slight evidence; gullibility; naivete; ADJ. credulous
- ape
- imitate or mimic
- discord
- conflict; lack of harmony; dissonance
- askance
- with a sideways or indirect look ; Ex. look askance at
- bereavement
- state of being deprived of something valuable or beloved; state of being bereaved or bereft
- alacrity
- cheerful promptness without reluctance
- desiccate
- dry up
- ductile
- malleable; pliable; easily pulled into shape; flexible; easily influenced or controlled
- cardinal
- chief; most important; N: priest; cardinal number: number that shows quantity rather than order
- consanguinity
- kinship; relationship by birth
- affluence
- abundance; wealth
- bestial
- beastlike; brutal; inhuman; very cruel
- chary
- cautious; unwilling to take risks; sparing or restrained about giving; OP. bold
- cauterize
- burn with hot iron or caustic substance to stop bleeding and prevent infection
- cogent
- convincing
- chasm
- abyss; very deep crack
- apoplexy
- stroke; loss of consciousness caused by too much blood in the brain
- doctrine
- teachings in general; particular principle taught; dogma; tenet; ADJ. doctrinal
- determinate
- having a fixed order of procedure; precisely defined; invariable; fixed; conclusive; final
- acquiesce
- assent; agree passively; comply without protest
- amnesty
- pardon
- denotation
- meaning; distinguishing by name; V. denote: indicate; refer to directly; mean; CF. connotation
- appellation
- name; title
- cadence
- rhythmic rise and fall ; beat; regular beat of sound; rhythm
- bent
- determined; Ex. bent on advancing in the business; N: natural talent or inclination
- complement
- complete; consummate; make perfect; N.
- degradation
- humiliation; debasement; degeneration; V. degrade: debase; disgrace; degenerate; reduce in worth; demote ; reduce in rank
- defoliate
- destroy leaves; deprive of leaves ; N. defoliant
- collate
- examine and compare in order to verify authenticity; arrange in order
- bicameral
- two-chambered as a legislative body
- consummate
- complete; V.
- commemorative
- remembering; honoring the memory of; Ex. commemorative stamp
- braggadocio
- boasting
- armada
- fleet of warships
- contingent
- dependent on something uncertain or in the future; conditional; happening by chance; accidental; N: a group of soldiers, ships to a larger force; CF. contingency: future event that may or may not occur; possibility; Ex. prepare for every contingency
- cornice
- projecting molding on building
- actuary
- someone who advises insurance companies
- divine
- perceive intuitively ; foresee the future; foretell; dowse; ADJ. N. divination
- din
- continued loud noise; V: make a din; instill by wearying repetition
- connoisseur
- person competent to act as a judge of art, etc. ; a lover of an art
- atone
- make amends for; pay for; Ex. atone for
- connivance
- pretense of ignorance of something wrong; assistance; permission to offend; V. connive: feign ignorance ; cooperate secretly in an illegal action; conspire
- aseptic
- preventing infection; having a cleansing effect
- chisel
- swindle or cheat; N: wedgelike tool for cutting
- disquisition
- formal systematic inquiry; explanation of the results of a formal inquiry; long formal speech or written report
- catholic
- universal; general; broad; including many different parts; wide-ranging liberal; Ex. catholic opinions/tastes
- dormer
- window projecting upright from roof; CF. sleeping room
- debutante
- young woman making formal entrance into society
- assuage
- make less severe; ease or lessen ; satisfy ; soothe
- delusion
- false belief; hallucination; deluding; Ex. delusions of grandeur; Ex. under the delusion that
- contraband
- illegal trade; smuggling; smuggled goods; ADJ.
- deft
- neat; skillful
- credence
- belief
- composure
- mental calmness
- betray
- be unfaithful; reveal ; Ex. Her trembling hands betray her anxiety.
- camaraderie
- good-fellowship; CF. comrade
- colossus
- gigantic statue; person or thing of great size or importance
- dyspeptic
- suffering from indigestion; N. dyspepsia: indigestion; difficulty in digesting food
- bizarre
- fantastic; violently contrasting; noticeably odd; strikingly unconventional
- arroyo
- gully; narrow channel formed by rainwater
- contempt
- scorn; disdain; ADJ. contemptuous; CF. contemptible
- accede
- agree
- amputate
- cut off part of body; prune
- calamity
- disaster; misery
- confound
- confuse; puzzle
- colander
- utensil with perforated bottom used for straining
- complicity
- participation; involvement
- axiom
- self-evident truth requiring no proof
- alcove
- nook; recess
- depreciate
- lessen in value; belittle; represent as of little value
- bequeath
- leave to someone by means of a will; hand down in his will; N. bequest
- circumlocution
- indirect or roundabout expression
- besmirch
- soil; defile; make dirty
- chalice
- goblet; consecrated cup
- counterpart
- thing that completes another; things very much alike; thing that has the same purpose in a different system
- disapprobation
- disapproval; condemnation
- default
- failure to act; failure to perform a task or be present; V.
- bolster
- support; reinforce
- banal
- hackneyed; commonplace; trite; lacking originality; cliched
- automaton
- mechanism that imitates actions of humans; machine that works by itself
- acute
- sharp; quickly perceptive; keen; penetrating; brief and severe; Ex. acute sense of smell/analysis/pain
- dote
- be excessively fond of; show signs of mental decline
- cajole
- persuade by praise or false promise; coax; wheedle
- countermand
- cancel; revoke
- aristocracy
- hereditary nobility; privileged class; government by nobility; N. aristocrat
- consecrate
- dedicate; sanctify; declare as sacred; Ex. consecrate one's life to helping the poor
- defeatist
- resigned to defeat or failure; accepting defeat or failure as a natural outcome; N. CF. defeatism
- brooch
- ornamental clasp; pin
- clapper
- striker of a bell
- bauble
- trinket; cheap jewel; trifle
- conjecture
- surmise; guess; V.
- amicable
- peaceful; politely friendly; not quarrelsome; Ex. amicable settlement
- abstemious
- sparing in eating and drinking; temperate
- defer
- give in respectfully; submit; delay till later; exempt temporarily; N. deferment; CF. show respect, comply with, courteous
- distill
- refine ; concentrate; separate the most important parts from; Ex. distill fresh water from sea water; CF. brew
- divulge
- reveal
- anonymity
- state of being nameless; anonymousness; ADJ. anonymous
- analgesic
- causing insensitivity to pain; N.
- avalanche
- great mass of falling snow and ice
- convention
- social or moral custom; established practice; formal meeting; international agreement
- affidavit
- written statement made under oath
- desolate
- deserted; unpopulated; lonely; forlorn; joyless
- diffidence
- shyness; lack of self-confidence; timidity; ADJ. diffident
- bourgeois
- middle class; selfishly materialistic; too interested in material possessions
- analogy
- similarity; parallelism; comparing two similar things
- disconcert
- confuse; upset; embarrass; perturb
- bouillon
- clear beef soup
- aureole
- sun"s corona; halo; bright circle of light
- convoke
- call together; Ex. convoke Parliament; N. convocation
- assimilate
- absorb; take into the body and digest it; understand completely and be able to use properly; cause to become homogeneous
- alluvial
- pertaining to soil deposits left by running water
- coeval
- living at the same time as; existing during the same period of time; contemporary; of the same age
- abjure
- renounce upon oath
- adage
- wise saying; proverb
- arduous
- hard; strenuous; Ex. arduous work
- detraction
- slandering; aspersion; detracting; CF. detractor
- amiss
- wrong; faulty; Ex. something amiss; ADV.
- choleric
- hot-tempered; bad-tempered; irritable; easily angered; CF. cholera
- amity
- friendship; peaceful relationship as between nations
- consistency
- absence of contradictions; uniformity; degree of thickness or firmness; Ex. consistency of thick cream; CF. viscous
- compunction
- remorse; strong uneasiness caused by guilt
- astringent
- binding; causing contraction ; harsh or severe; stringent; Ex. astringent criticism
- convene
- come together; assemble; call to meet; Ex. convene the council
- awe
- solemn wonder; feeling of respect mixed with wonder and fear; V: fill with awe; ADJ. awesome
- check
- stop motion; curb or restrain
- complaisant
- trying to please; obliging; willing to please others
- bode
- foreshadow; portend
- cohorts
- group of people who share some common quality; armed band; a group of between 300 and 600 soldiers under one commander
- deranged
- insane
- disperse
- scatter; Ex. disperse the cloud/crowd
- blanch
- bleach; whiten; make white or pale
- cipher
- nonentity; worthless person or thing; zero; secret code; V.
- antiquated
- obsolete; old-fashioned; outdated
- caliber
- ability; quality; diameter of the inside of a round cylinder; Ex. work of very high caliber
- animadversion
- critical remark; V. animadvert: comment critically with disapproval
- apiary
- a place where bees are kept
- destitute
- extremely poor; lacking means of subsistence; utterly lacking; devoid; Ex. destitute of any experience
- concurrent
- happening at the same time; in agreement
- beeline
- direct quick route
- anneal
- reduce brittleness and improve toughness by heating and cooling
- dirge
- funeral song; slow mournful piece of music
- amulet
- charm; talisman; an object worn believed to protect against evil, bad luck
- berserk
- mad with violent anger; frenzied; madly excited
- cantata
- story set to music to be sung by a chorus
- acme
- peak; pinnacle; highest point
- carousal
- drunken revel; V. carouse
- conceit
- vanity or self-love; too high opinion of one's own value; extravagant metaphor
- demotic
- of or pertaining to the people
- conglomeration
- mass of material sticking together
- ascetic
- practicing self-denial; avoiding physical pleasures and comforts; austere; Ex. ascetic life of Buddhist monks; N. asceticism
- cantankerous
- ill-humored; irritable
- begrudge
- envy; give or allow unwillingly; grudge; Ex. We shouldn"t begrudge him his success.
- collage
- work of art put together from fragments
- comprise
- include; consist of
- billowing
- swelling out in waves; surging
- charisma
- divine gift; great popular charm or appeal; magnetism
- bludgeon
- club; heavy-headed weapon; V.
- dross
- waste matter; worthless impurities
- archives
- public records; place where public records are kept
- contrived
- unnatural and forced; artificial; not spontaneous; Ex. The ending was rather contrived.
- conclusive
- decisive; ending all debate
- coin
- make coins; invent or fabricate ; N. coinage: word or phrase recently invented
- attest
- testify; bear witness
- aptitude
- fitness; talent
- blowhard
- talkative boaster; braggart
- conception
- beginning; forming of an idea; fertilization; V. conceive: form an idea in the mind; devise; become pregnant; CF. inception
- connubial
- pertaining to marriage or the matrimonial state
- anecdote
- short story of an amusing or interesting event
- disingenuous
- not naive; not candid; sophisticated; worldly wise; OP. ingenuous
- bereaved
- deprived of
- behemoth
- huge creature; something of monstrous size or power
- anthropomorphic
- having human form or characteristics
- antecede
- precede
- bugaboo
- bugbear; object of baseless terror
- bluster
- blow in heavy gusts; threaten emptily; bully; speak in a noisy or bullying manner; CF. breeze, gust, gale
- arcade
- a covered passageway usually lined with shops
- compelling
- overpowering; irresistible in effect; holding one's attention; that compels one to do something; Ex. a compelling adventure story; V. compel
- bureaucracy
- overregulated administrative system marked by red tape; ADJ. bureaucratic
- baffle
- frustrate; perplex
- bedraggle
- wet thoroughly; ADJ. bedraggled: draggled
- caucus
- private meeting of a group of people in a political party to select officers or determine policy; CF. the Caucus club of Boston
- appreciate
- be thankful for; increase in worth; be thoroughly conscious of; ADJ. appreciable: enough to be felt; Ex. appreciable difference
- daub
- smear ; cover with something sticky; Ex. daub one's clothes with mud/paint; N: small bit of sticky substance; Ex. a daub of paint
- capacious
- spacious
- dearth
- scarcity
- commensurate
- equal in extent; of the same size
- affected
- artificial; pretended
- carcinogenic
- causing cancer; N. carcinogen
- accommodate
- oblige or help someone; adjust or bring into harmony; adapt; make enough space for; ADJ. accommodative; CF. accomodating: helpful and obliging
- coquette
- flirt; flirtatious woman; woman who tries to attract the admiration of men without sincere feelings; V.
- careen
- lurch; sway from side to side; move with irregular swinging movement; stagger
- charlatan
- quack; pretender to knowledge
- checkered
- marked by great changes in fortune; with many changes of fortune; CF. checked: having a pattern of squares
- coup
- highly successful action or sudden attack; coup d"etat; CF. coup de grace: deathblow or shot which kills
- asymmetric
- not identical on both sides of a dividing central line
- comatose
- in a coma; extremely sleepy
- capillary
- having a very fine bore; resembling a hair; fine and slender; Ex. capillary attraction; N: very fine hairlike tube; CF. capillarity
- carillon
- a set of bells capable of being played
- dogged
- determined; stubborn; stubbornly persevering; tenacious; Ex. Inspector Javert"s dogged pursuit of Jean Valjean
- advert
- refer
- clairvoyant
- having foresight; fortune teller; N. clairvoyance
- controvert
- oppose with arguments; attempt to refute; contradict; ADJ. controversial; N. controversy
- crescendo
- increase in the volume or intensity as in a musical passage; climax; CF. crescent
- causal
- implying a cause-and-effect relationship; N. causality
- abusive
- coarsely insulting; physically harmful
- convivial
- pleasantly merry; festive; joyous; gay; characterized by joviality; jovial
- adjutant
- staff officer assisting the commander; assistant
- affliction
- state of distress; trial; cause of distress or suffering; V. afflict: inflict grievous suffering on
- coincidence
- the chance occurrence, at the same time, of two or more seemingly connected events; V. coincide: happen at the same time; be in agreement; CF. coincident; CF. coincidental
- autocratic
- having absolute unchecked power; dictatorial; N. autocrat, autocracy
- amalgam
- combination of different things; mixture of metals used for filling holes in teeth
- bluff
- pretense ; deception; high cliff; ADJ: rough but good-natured
- derivative
- unoriginal; obtained from another source; Ex. derivative prose style; N.
- deposition
- testimony under oath; deposing; dethroning
- barb
- sharp projection from fishhook, arrow, or other object; openly cutting remark
- beguile
- deceive; mislead or delude; cheat; pass time pleasantly; charm or attract; Ex. beguiling smile
- anachronism
- an error involving time in a story; something or someone misplaced in time; ADJ. anachronistic
- concave
- hollow; curved inwards; OP. convex
- agility
- nimbleness; ability to move quickly
- awry
- distorted; crooked; bent; Ex. Our plans have gone awry.
- commiserate
- feel or express pity or sympathy for
- distraught
- upset; distracted by anxiety; very anxious and troubled almost to the point of madness; Ex. distraught with grief/worry
- abrasive
- rubbing away; tending to grind down
- acerbity
- bitterness of speech and temper; ADJ. acerbic: bitter; acrid
- dawdle
- loiter; hang around; waste time doing nothing
- aboriginal
- being the first of its kind in a region; primitive; native; indigenous; N. aborigine
- bullion
- gold and silver in the form of bars
- agglomeration
- collection; heap; V. agglomerate: gather into a rounded mass; N. agglomerate: jumbled mass; heap
- cessation
- stoppage
- diffuse
- wordy; verbose; rambling; spread out ; V: spread out in all directions; disperse; N. diffusion; CF. suffuse
- contiguous
- adjacent to; touching upon
- crevice
- crack; fissure
- domicile
- home; V. ADJ. domiciled: having one's domicile; Ex. He is domiciled in Britain.
- disdain
- treat with scorn or contempt
- culinary
- relating to cooking or kitchen
- disburse
- pay out ; N. disbursement; CF. purse
- confidant
- trusted friend
- broach
- introduce as a subject; moot; open up
- anemia
- condition in which blood lacks red corpuscles; ADJ. anemic
- condescend
- bestow courtesies with a superior air; descend to the level of one considered inferior
- ambivalence
- the state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes or opinions
- diatribe
- bitter scolding or denunciation; invective; abuse
- blasphemy
- irreverence; sacrilege; cursing; bad language about God or holy things; V. blaspheme; ADJ. blasphemous; CF. sacrilege
- defunct
- dead; no longer in use or existence
- astigmatism
- eye defect which prevents proper focus; OP. stigmatism
- accolade
- award of merit; strong praise and approval
- buccaneer
- pirate
- arbitrate
- act as judge
- august
- impressive; majestic
- distort
- twist out of shape; give a false account of; misrepresent; N. distortion
- atavism
- resemblance to remote ancestors rather than to parents; reversion to an earlier type; throwback; ADJ. atavistic
- adapt
- make or become suitable for a specific use; alter; modify; adjust; N. adaptation: act of adapting; composition recast into a new form; Ex. The play is an adaption of a short novel.
- chronic
- long established as a disease
- deface
- mar; disfigure
- deleterious
- harmful
- centaur
- mythical figure, half man and half horse
- auspicious
- favoring success; giving signs of future success; Cf. auspices
- apothecary
- druggist; pharmacist
- alloy
- mixture as of metals; something added that lowers in value or purity; V: mix; make less pure; lower in value or quality; spoil; CF. unalloyed: not in mixture with other metals; pure; complete; unqualified; Ex. unalloyed happiness
- centigrade
- denoting a widely used temperature scale
- ceremonious
- marked by formality; extremely formal and polite; CF. ceremony: conventional social courtesy
- blare
- loud or harsh roar or screech; dazzling blaze of light
- divest
- strip ; deprive ; dispossess; N. divestiture
- dulcet
- sweet sounding; pleasing to the ear; melodious
- betroth
- become engaged to marry
- caricature
- distortion; burlesque
- avocation
- secondary or minor occupation
- climactic
- relating to the highest point; N. climax; CF. climatic
- abstinence
- restraint from pleasant things, esp. eating or drinking; CF. abstention: act of abstaining from vote
- bland
- soothing or mild ; agreeable; causing no trouble or offense
- articulate
- effective; distinct; expressing ideas clearly; having clear sounds; having joints; Ex. articulate speech; V: express thoughts and feeling clearly; pronounce clearly; unite by joints
- bombastic
- pompous; using inflated language
- alleviate
- relieve
- aplomb
- poise; composure in difficult situations; assurance; self-confidence
- declivity
- downward slope
- determination
- resolve; firmness of purpose; measurement or calculation; decision
- brawn
- human muscle; muscular strength; sturdiness
- anvil
- iron block used in hammering out metals
- arrhythmic
- lacking rhythm or regularity; N. arrhythmia
- calligraphy
- beautiful writing; excellent penmanship
- blase
- bored with pleasure or dissipation; uninterested or bored
- cumbersome
- heavy and awkward to carry or wear; burdensome; Ex. cumbersome parcel/uniform
- advocacy
- support; active pleading on behalf of someone or something
- docile
- obedient; easily managed; submissive
- complacency
- self-satisfaction; smugness; ADJ. complacent
- breach
- breaking of contract or duty; fissure or gap; opening; V.
- doff
- take off; OP. don
- cozen
- cheat; hoodwink; swindle
- disputatious
- argumentative; fond of argument
- dispatch
- speediness; prompt execution; message sent with all due speed; V: send to a specified destination; finish promptly; kill
- constraint
- restraint; compulsion; repression of feelings; reticence; V. constrain: hold back; restrain; compel; oblige; confine forcibly; imprison
- apocalyptic
- prophetic; pertaining to revelations especially of disaster; N. apocalypse
- disarray
- state of disorder; a disorderly or untidy state; Ex. with her clothes in disarray
- conclave
- private secret meeting
- avarice
- greediness for wealth
- bask
- luxuriate; take pleasure in warmth
- coalition
- partnership; league; union of separate political parties
- dissident
- dissenting ; rebellious; N.
- dossier
- file of documents on a subject or person; file; CF. bundle of papers labeled on the back
- biennial
- every two years
- bifurcated
- divided into two branches; forked
- benevolent
- generous; charitable; having a wish to do good
- clique
- small exclusive group of people
- domineer
- rule over tyrannically
- dissertation
- formal essay; treatise
- affiliation
- joining; associating with
- droll
- queer and amusing
- cherubic
- angelic; innocent-looking; N. cherub; CF. seraph: winged angel of the highest order
- communal
- held in common; public; of a group of people; of a commune
- apropos
- with reference to; regarding; Ex. remarks apropos the present situation; ADJ. ADV.
- bawdy
- indecent; obscene; about sex in a rude funny way; CF. bawd
- barefaced
- shameless and noticeable; blatant; bold; unconcealed; having no covering on the face; Ex. barefaced lie
- ameliorate
- improve
- brackish
- somewhat saline
- censorious
- severely critical
- artifice
- deception; trickery
- belligerent
- quarrelsome
- collation
- a light meal; collating
- disembark
- debark; go ashore ; unload cargo from a ship; CF. embark
- carnal
- fleshly; sensual; concerning the desires of the body
- dais
- raised platform for speakers or other important people
- contest
- dispute; argue about the rightness of; compete for; try to win; Ex. contest the election results; Ex. contest a seat in Parliament; N.
- concerted
- mutually agreed on; done together by agreement; Ex. concerted effort; CF. in concert: working together
- clandestine
- secret
- breadth
- width; extent
- adverse
- going against; opposing; unfavorable; hostile
- cardiologist
- doctor specializing in ailments of the heart
- diminution
- lessening; reduction in size; V. diminish
- abhor
- detest; hate
- alchemy
- medieval chemistry
- disband
- dissolve; disperse; break up and separate; Ex. The club has disbanded.
- cite
- quote; commend; Ex. cited for bravery in an official record
- dismantle
- take apart; disassemble
- compilation
- listing of information in tabular or book form; compiling
- comprehensive
- broad; including a lot or everything; thorough; inclusive
- asinine
- stupid; Ex. asinine remarks
- condiments
- seasonings; spices
- consort
- associate with; keep company; N: husband or wife
- aesthetic
- artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciating the beautiful ; CF. aesthete; CF. aesthetics
- dehydrate
- remove water from; dry out
- diaphanous
- sheer; transparent
- artifacts
- object made by human beings, either hand-made or mass-produced
- contagion
- infection ; ADJ. contagious; CF. infectious: that can be passed by infection in the air
- courier
- messenger
- dubious
- questionable; causing doubt; filled with doubt; N. dubiety
- champion
- support militantly; fight for; N: person who fights for or supports strongly
- commodious
- spacious and comfortable
- bungle
- mismanage; blunder; botch; blow; spoil by clumsy behavior
- abscond
- depart secretly and hide
- cupidity
- greed ; CF. cupid; CF. Cupid
- admonish
- warn or speak to with gentle disapproval; reprove
- clime
- climate
- annotate
- comment; make explanatory notes
- dilate
- expand; dilate on/upon: speak or write at length on
- disport
- amuse; Ex. disport oneself; CF. divert
- document
- provide written evidence ; record with documents; N.
- connotation
- suggested or implied meaning of an expression; V. connote
- cohesion
- tendency to keep together
- deviate
- turn away from ; move away from an accepted standard; swerve; depart; diverge; N. deviation; Ex. deviation of the path of light by a prism
- demeanor
- behavior; bearing
- adhere
- stick fast; be a devoted follower; N. adhesion: adhering; devotion; loyalty
- boorish
- rude; insensitive
- allegiance
- loyalty
- appall
- dismay; shock deeply
- commandeer
- take for military use without needing permission or giving payment; draft for military purposes
- dilapidated
- falling to pieces; in a bad condition; ruined because of neglect; Ex. dilapidated old car/castle; N. dilapidation
- dissuade
- persuade not to do; discourage; N. dissuasion
- caldron
- large kettle
- dictum
- authoritative and weighty statement ; saying; maxim; CF. obiter dictum: incidental, nonbinding remark
- cerebration
- thought; working of the brain
- atypical
- not normal; not typical
- construe
- explain; interpret; Ex. construe her silence as meaning that she agreed; CF. misconstrue
- distinction
- honor; excellence; difference; contrast; discrimination; Ex. graduated with distinction; Ex. a writer of real distinction
- baroque
- highly ornate
- abscission
- cutting off; separation
- bacchanalian
- drunken
- decant
- pour off gently
- abyss
- enormous chasm; vast bottomless pit
- deign
- condescend; stoop
- collusion
- conspiring in a fraudulent scheme to cheat or deceive others; V. collude
- allude
- refer indirectly; N. allusion: indirect reference
- discernible
- distinguishable; perceivable; Ex. discernible improvement
- beset
- harass or trouble from all directions; hem in
- circuitous
- roundabout
- balm
- something that relieves pain; oily liquid with a pleasant smell from trees
- conversant
- familiar with; having knowledge of
- caption
- title; chapter heading; text under illustration
- abstract
- theoretical; not concrete; nonrepresentational
- augury
- omen; prophecy; sign of coming events; V. augur: predict; foretell; be a sign of
- crone
- hag; ugly old woman
- burlesque
- give an imitation that ridicules; imitate mockingly
- delirium
- mental disorder marked by confusion; uncontrolled excitement; ADJ. delirious
- cabal
- small group of persons secretly united to promote their own interests
- concede
- admit; acknowledge as being true ; yield; grant; Ex. concede a goal
- digression
- wandering away from the subject; V. digress
- didactic
- intended to teach a moral lesson; teaching; instructional; N. didacticism
- censor
- overseer of morals ; person who eliminates inappropriate matter; V.
- apex
- tip; summit; climax; highest point
- clavicle
- collarbone
- braggart
- boaster; bragger
- abortive
- unsuccessful; fruitless
- antediluvian
- antiquated; extremely ancient
- debacle
- sudden disastrous downfall or defeat; complete disaster
- comeuppance
- deserts; well-deserved punishment or misfortune; rebuke
- definitive
- most reliable; authoritative and complete; that cannot be improved; conclusive; decisive; definite; Ex. definitive decision by the supreme court
- cloister
- monastery or convent
- adventitious
- accidental; casual; happening by chance
- douse
- plunge into water or liquid; dip; immerse; drench; wet thoroughly; extinguish; throw water over; dowse
- alias
- an assumed name esp. by a criminal ; ADV. alias
- concoct
- prepare by mixing or combining; make up in concert; devise so as to deceive; Ex. concoct an elaborate excuse for being late; N. concoction
- abbreviate
- shorten
- askew
- crookedly; slanted; at an angle
- crux
- essential or main point; Ex. the crux of the problem; ADJ. crucial: of deciding importance
- demolition
- destruction; V. demolish
- acknowledge
- recognize; admit
- canine
- related to dogs; doglike
- authoritative
- having the weight of authority; regarded as providing knowledge that can be trusted; reliable; peremptory and dictatorial; Ex. authoritative dictionary/manner; CF. definitive
- amiable
- agreeable; lovable; warmly friendly
- apolitical
- having an aversion or lack of concern for political affairs
- canker
- any ulcerous sore; ulcer; any evil; CF. cancer
- deride
- ridicule; treat with contempt; make fun of; OP. respect
- apprehend
- arrest ; dread; perceive; N. apprehension
- colossal
- huge
- bestow
- confer
- brook
- tolerate; endure; Ex. brook no interference; N: small stream
- deliberate
- consider; ponder; ADJ: done on purpose; slow
- aperture
- opening; hole; adjustable opening in a camera that limits the amount of light
- amok
- in a state of rage; Ex. run amok
- disenfranchise
- disfranchise; deprive of a civil right; OP. enfranchise
- animus
- hostile feeling or intent; animosity; hostility; disposition
- cognate
- having a common origin; related linguistically; allied by blood; similar or akin in nature; Ex. cognate languages; N.
- devious
- roundabout; erratic; deviating from the straight course; not straightforward; not completely honest; Ex. devious route
- calumny
- malicious misrepresentation; slander
- crass
- very unrefined; grossly insensible; crude and undiscriminating; Ex. crass behavior
- aggrandize
- make greater; increase in power, wealth, rank, or honor; N. aggrandizement
- apogee
- highest point; the point farthest from the earth; OP. perigee
- augment
- increase; add to
- dint
- means; effort; Ex. by dint of hard work
- belie
- contradict; give a false impression; disguise; Ex. The poor sales belied our high hopes; Ex. Her smile belies her true feeling of displeasure.
- diadem
- crown
- abominable
- detestable; extremely unpleasant
- anomaly
- irregularity
- demean
- disgrace; humiliate; debase in dignity; behave
- befuddle
- confuse thoroughly
- dire
- warning of disaster; disastrous; very great; urgent; Ex. dire prediction/need of food
- artisan
- a manually skilled worker
- adulterate
- make impure or of poorer quality by adding inferior or tainted substances
- catastrophe
- calamity ; disaster
- dissection
- analysis; cutting apart in order to examine
- centrifugal
- radiating; departing from the center
- dour
- sullen; gloomy; stubborn
- cache
- hiding place; V.
- agnostic
- one who is skeptical of the existence or knowability of a god or any ultimate reality
- chastise
- punish as by beating; criticize severely
- cede
- yield to ; surrender formally; N. cession
- dissemble
- disguise; hide the real nature of; pretend
- astronomical
- enormously large or extensive
- awl
- pointed tool used for piercing
- correlation
- mutual relationship
- calorific
- heat-producing; N. calorie
- archaeology
- study of artifacts and relics of early mankind
- beseech
- beg; plead with
- avenge
- take vengeance for something or on behalf of someone; Ex. They avenged his death by burning the village; Ex. He swore to avenge his brother; Ex. They avenged themselves on their enemy.
- corrugated
- wrinkled; ridged
- disavowal
- denial; disclaiming; repudiating; disowning; V. disavow; CF. disclaim
- catechism
- book for religious instruction in question-and-answer form; religious instruction by question and answer; V. catechize
- detrimental
- harmful; damaging; N. detriment
- blurt
- utter impulsively from nervousness or excitement
- depredation
- plundering; destruction
- bellicose
- warlike
- agape
- open mouthed
- behoove
- be suited to; be incumbent upon; be right and necessary; Ex. It behooves one to do.
- discomfit
- frustrate; put to rout; defeat; disconcert; embarrass; perturb
- crabbed
- sour; bad-tempered; peevish; difficult to read as handwriting
- confluence
- flowing together; the place where two rivers flow together; crowd; gathering together
- assent
- agree; accept; N. assessment
- apocryphal
- widely believed but untrue
- conifer
- pine tree ; cone-bearing tree; ADJ. coniferous; CF. deciduous; CF. evergreen
- agog
- highly excited; intensely curious
- carrion
- rotting flesh of a dead body; CF. vulture
- deducible
- derived by reasoning; V. deduce: infer; derive by reasoning
- disgorge
- surrender something ; eject; vomit; OP. gorge
- annul
- make void
- bevy
- large group; Ex. a bevy of starlets
- adept
- expert at; very skilled
- context
- writings preceding and following the passage quoted; circumstance in which an event occurs
- chivalrous
- courteous; faithful; brave; N. chivalry
- conformity
- harmony; agreement with established rules or customs; similarity; Ex. behave in conformity with; V. conform: be similar; act in agreement; comply; Ex. conform to the rule; CF. conformance
- balk
- stop short, as if faced with an obstacle, and refuse to continue; foil; stop or get in the way of; frustrate
- chicanery
- trickery; deception
- abut
- border upon; adjoin
- dauntless
- bold; fearless
- consolidation
- unification; process of becoming firmer or stronger; V. consolidate: merge; strengthen
- drivel
- nonsense; foolishness; V: talk nonsense
- allure
- entice; attract; tempt
- berate
- scold strongly
- constituent
- supporter; voter; member of a constituency; component
- discerning
- mentally quick and observant; having insight; perceptive; able to make good judgments; V. discern: perceive
- anarchist
- person who seeks to overturn the established government; advocate of abolishing authority
- bloated
- swollen or puffed as with water or air
- despot
- tyrant; harsh, authoritarian ruler; CF. despotism
- contortions
- twistings; distortions; V. contort: twist violently out of shape; CF. contortionist
- advent
- arrival
- denizen
- inhabitant or resident of a particular place; regular visitor
- anthology
- book of literary selections by various authors; CF. omnibus
- antidote
- remedy to counteract a poison or disease; Ex. antidote to the economic troubles
- confiscate
- seize; take possession of by official order ; commandeer
- carnivorous
- meat-eating; N. carnivore; CF. herbivore
- couple
- join; unite; OP. uncouple
- boon
- blessing; benefit; something very helpful
- dispirited
- lacking in spirit
- doctrinaire
- unable to compromise about points of doctrine; dogmatic; unyielding; marked by inflexible attachment to a doctrine without regard to its practical difficulties
- bard
- poet
- abolish
- cancel; put an end to
- adjunct
- something attached to but holding an inferior position
- amphibian
- able to live both on land and in water; N.
- blighted
- suffering from a disease; destroyed
- adversity
- great hardship or affliction; misfortune; calamitous event
- concentric
- having a common center
- congruent
- in agreement; harmonious; corresponding; coinciding exactly; CF. congruous
- altruistic
- unselfishly generous; concerned for others; N. altruism: unselfish concern for the welfare of others; unselfishness; OP. egoism
- compensatory
- making up for; repaying
- drone
- talk dully; buzz or murmur like a bee; N.
- balmy
- soft and mild ; fragrant
- coda
- concluding section of a musical or literary composition
- anoint
- consecrate; put oil on
- drudgery
- hard unpleasant work; menial work
- capacity
- mental or physical ability; role; position or duty; ability to accommodate; Ex. in my capacity as president
- ancestry
- family descent; ADJ. ancestral
- beneficent
- kindly; doing good
- brindled
- tawny or grayish with streaks or spots
- cloying
- distasteful ; excessively sweet or sentimental; V. cloy: become unpleasant through too much sweetness or excess
- demographic
- related to population balance; N. demography: statistical study of human population
- allocate
- assign; set apart for a particular purpose
- concomitant
- that which accompanies; Ex. Deafness is a frequent concomitant of old age; ADJ: existing or happening together with something else
- aspersion
- slanderous remark; Ex. cast aspersions on
- dilatory
- delaying; tending to delay
- absolute
- complete; totally unlimited; having complete power; certain; not relative; Ex. absolute honesty/ruler; CF. absolutism
- cow
- terrorize; intimidate
- copious
- plentiful
- aversion
- firm dislike
- descry
- catch sight of
- cryptic
- mysterious; hidden; secret
- deplete
- reduce; exhaust
- dilemma
- situation that requires a choice between equally unfavorable options; problem; choice of two unsatisfactory alternatives
- despoil
- plunder; sack; Ex. despoil the village
- amalgamate
- combine; unite in one body
- ambidextrous
- capable of using either hand with equal ease
- codicil
- supplement to the body of a will; later addition to a will
- chide
- scold; rebuke
- bilk
- swindle; cheat
- degenerate
- become worse in quality; deteriorate; ADJ: having become worse; Ex. a degenerate species; N: depraved or corrupt person
- bohemian
- unconventional
- categorical
- without exceptions; made without any doubt in mind; unqualified; absolute
- beholden
- obligated; indebted; owing thanks; obliged or indebted from gratitude
- dotage
- senility; feeblemindedness of old age; Ex. In one's dotage
- consensus
- general agreement; opinion reached by a group
- assumption
- something taken for granted; the taking over or taking possession of; Ex. her assumption of power; V. assume
- cull
- pick out from others ; reject; select; collect ; N.
- aromatic
- fragrant; having a sweet smell; N. aroma: strong pleasant smell
- appease
- pacify or soothe; Ex. appease a crying baby; N. appeasement
- addiction
- compulsive habitual need
- allay
- calm; pacify
- compliance
- conformity in fulfilling requirements; readiness to yield; disposition to yield to others; V. comply
- demure
- grave; quiet and serious; coy; pretending to be demure
- convex
- curving outward
- bandy
- discuss lightly or glibly; discuss in a frivolous manner; exchange heatedly; quarrel; Ex. bandy words with
- coalesce
- combine; fuse; N. coalescence
- disinclination
- unwillingness
- acquittal
- deliverance from a charge; V. acquit: free from a charge or accusation; discharge from a duty; conduct in a specified manner
- accelerate
- move faster
- dermatologist
- one who studies the skin and its diseases
- bowdlerize
- expurgate; CF. Thomas Bowdler
- chaffing
- bantering; joking
- autopsy
- examination of a dead body; postmortem; V.
- diorama
- life-size, three-dimensional scene from nature or history; three-dimensional scene with modeled figures against a painted background
- anthropoid
- manlike; resembling a human being; N.
- apotheosis
- elevation to godhood; an ideal example of something
- dally
- trifle with; toy with; treat without the necessary seriousness; procrastinate; waste time
- badinage
- teasing conversation; banter; joking talk
- consonance
- harmony; agreement
- demagogue
- person who appeals to people"s prejudice; false leader of people; CF. demagoguery
- cavalcade
- procession of riders or horse-drawn carriages; parade; CF. cavalry
- antagonism
- hostility; active opposition; V. antagonize: cause to become an enemy; N. antagonist: person who is opposed to another; opponent; adversary; principal character in opposition to the protagonist
- bastion
- stronghold; something seen as a source of protection; Ex. the last bastion of male chauvinism
- console
- lessen sadness or disappointment; give comfort; allay the sorrow of; N. consolation
- amplify
- increase in size or effect; expand; broaden or clarify by expanding; intensify; make stronger; Ex. amplify one's remarks with a graph
- disparate
- basically different; impossible to compare; unrelated
- assail
- assault
- acumen
- mental keenness; sharpness of judgment; ability to judge quickly and well; Ex. business acumen
- condone
- overlook; forgive; give tacit approval; excuse
- abstruse
- obscure; profound; difficult to understand
- coiffure
- hairstyle
- derogatory
- expressing a low opinion; disparaging; V. derogate: detract; disparage
- dishearten
- discourage
- disinter
- dig up; unearth; OP. inter
- decapitate
- behead
- adamant
- hard; inflexible
- bantering
- joking talk; good-naturedly ridiculing; N.V. banter
- detached
- emotionally removed; free from emotional involvement; calm and objective; physically separate; N. detachment; CF. attachment
- disjunction
- act or state of separation; disunity; CF. disjunctive: expressing a choice between two ideas; CF. conjunction; CF. conjunctive
- consequential
- self-important; significant; consequent; following as a result; Ex. consequential air; CF. subsequent
- beneficiary
- person entitled to benefits or proceeds of an insurance policy or will
- circumscribe
- limit; confine; draw a line around
- covetous
- avaricious; desirous of ; V. covet: desire eagerly
- collateral
- security given for loan; ADJ: secondary; descended from the same person but through different sons or daughters
- dumbfound
- astonish ; ADJ. dumbfounded, dumfounded, dumbstruck
- addle
- make or become confused; muddle; drive crazy; become rotten
- celibate
- abstaining from sexual intercourse; unmarried; N. celibacy
- benefactor
- gift giver; patron; person who does good or who gives money for a good purpose
- catalyst
- agent which brings about a chemical change while it remains unaffected and unchanged; CF. catalysis
- amoral
- nonmoral; having no understanding of right and wrong
- apathy
- lack of caring; indifference; lack of concern or interest in important matters; Ex. He was sunk in apathy after his failure; ADJ. apathetic
- ablution
- washing
- besiege
- surround with armed forces; harass ; annoy continually
- devise
- think up; invent; plan; bequeath; N: bequest
- component
- element; ingredient
- attrition
- rubbing away by friction; gradual decrease in numbers or strength; reduction in the work force without firing employees; wearing away of opposition by means of harassment; Ex. a war of attrition
- citadel
- fortress
- dabble
- work at in a nonserious fashion; splash around; move noisily in a liquid
- delete
- erase; strike out
- conjure
- cause to appear by magic; summon by magical power; practice magic ; evoke; conjure up: bring into the mind; Ex. The magician conjured a rabbit out of his hat.
- assert
- state strongly or positively; demand recognition of ; make a claim to ; Ex. assert one's independence
- amenities
- convenient features that helps to make life pleasant; social courtesies
- apprise
- inform
- asunder
- into parts; apart; V. sunder
- brusque
- blunt; abrupt; curt; not wanting to waste time being nice
- carat
- unit of weight for precious stones; measure of the purity of gold
- cataract
- great waterfall; eye abnormality
- diabolical
- diabolic; devilish; fiendish
- deterrent
- something that discourages or deters
- contumacious
- stubborn and disobedient; resisting authority
- carnage
- destruction of life; slaughter; killing of large numbers of people or animals
- debilitate
- weaken ; enfeeble
- disparity
- difference; condition of inequality; OP. parity
- coy
- shy ; showing a lack of self-confidence; modest; coquettish; CF. job offer
- condign
- adequate; severe and well deserved
- corollary
- natural consequence
- coercion
- use of force to get someone to object; compelling; V. coerce
- acetic
- vinegary
- acidulous
- slightly sour ; sharp; caustic
- accessible
- easy to approach; obtainable
- avid
- greedy; extremely eager for; Ex. avid learner; N. avidity
- conventional
- ordinary; typical; not nuclear; Ex. conventional weapons
- churlish
- boorish; rude; N. churl: boor; yahoo
- conveyance
- vehicle; transfer; act of conveying; Ex. public conveyance
- convoluted
- coiled around; twisted; involved; complicated; intricate; complex; N. convolution: twist; one of the convex folds of the surface of the brain
- bogus
- counterfeit; not authentic; intentionally false; Ex. bogus interview
- capricious
- unpredictable; fickle
- accretion
- growth or increase in size by gradual addition; growth; increase; increase by natural growth; Ex. towers and other accretions of the castle; V. accrete
- argot
- slang; speech spoken by only a small group of people
- crypt
- secret recess or vault usually used for burial; underground room
- clarion
- shrill, trumpetlike sound; kind of trumpet used in former times
- babble
- chatter idly or foolishly; make continuous sounds like water running gently over rounded stone; N.
- assiduous
- diligent
- complementary
- serving to complete something
- curmudgeon
- churlish, miserly individual; bad-tempered old person
- advocate
- speak in favor of; support ; urge; plead for
- contravene
- contradict; oppose; violate ; N. contravention
- corroborate
- confirm; support; strengthen
- captious
- faultfinding; too critical
- alimentary
- supplying nourishment
- debase
- degrade; reduce in quality or value; degenerate; lower in esteem; disgrace; N. debasement
- brandish
- wave around ; flourish
- compliant
- readily acting in accordance with a rule, order, or the wishes or others; yielding; conforming to requirements
- deluge
- flood; rush; V.
- bristling
- rising like bristles; showing irritation
- cringe
- shrink back as if in fear; cower
- aerie
- nest of a large bird of prey
- deciduous
- falling off at a specific season or stage of growth as of leaves; Ex. deciduous tree/teeth
- desultory
- aimless; haphazard; digressing at random
- dogmatic
- opinionated; holding stubbornly to one's opinion; arbitrary; doctrinal
- arch-
- chief; first; Ex. archbishop
- cartographer
- map-maker
- comely
- attractive; agreeable; having a pleasing appearance
- conduit
- aqueduct; passageway for fluids
- duration
- length of time something lasts
- disabuse
- correct a false impression; undeceive; free from a wrong belief
- cog
- tooth projecting from a wheel
- chimerical
- fantastically improbable; highly unrealistic; N. chimera: unreal fancy; fire-breathing female creature
- canard
- unfounded false rumor; exaggerated false report
- bovine
- cowlike; placid and dull; slow-thinking; calm
- buxom
- full-bosomed; plump; jolly
- castigation
- punishment; severe criticism or disapproval
- chauvinist
- blindly devoted patriot; zealous adherent of a group, cause, or sex; ADJ. chauvinistic; CF. chauvinism; Nicolas Chauvin
- agitate
- stir up; disturb
- anathema
- solemn curse; someone or something regarded as a curse; V. anathematize
- disparage
- belittle
- conscientious
- scrupulous; through and careful; Ex. conscientious worker
- addendum
- addition; appendix to book; something that is added
- aspire
- seek to attain ; long for; Ex. aspire to become president; Ex. aspire to/after the leadership
- ancillary
- serving as an aid or accessory; auxiliary; N.
- bereft
- deprived of ; lacking
- aver
- state confidently; declare as true
- conflagration
- great fire
- archipelago
- group of closely located islands
- barrage
- barrier laid down by artillery fire; overwhelming profusion; large number of questions or statements; Ex. a barrage of criticism
- adroit
- skillful
- anomalous
- abnormal; irregular
- brochure
- pamphlet
- array
- marshal; draw up in order; arrange in order; clothe splendidly; adorn; N: fine clothes; ordered group; Ex. in battle array
- disinterested
- unprejudiced; free from bias and self-interest; objective
- dissimulate
- pretend; conceal by feigning; dissemble
- diligence
- steadiness of effort; persistent hard work
- abridge
- condense or shorten
- chaff
- worthless products of an endeavor; husk separated from grain; Ex. separate the wheat from the chaff
- antecedents
- preceding events that influence what comes later; ancestors or early background
- atrocity
- brutal deed; ADJ. atrocious
- audacious
- daring; bold; N. audacity
- angular
- sharp-cornered; having an angle; not rounded ; bony; lean; gaunt; stiff in manner
- defrock
- strip a priest or minister of church authority; unfrock
- contrite
- penitent; repentant; N. contrition
- disengage
- uncouple; separate; disconnect; stop fighting; OP. engage
- bivouac
- temporary encampment; camp without tents; V.
- dialectical
- relating to the art of debate; mutual or reciprocal; Ex. dialectical situation; N. dialectic: art of arriving at the truth by the exchange of logical arguments
- ciliated
- having minute hairs; CF. cilium; CF. cilia: eyelash
- conspiracy
- treacherous plot; secret plan against the law
- bane
- poison; cause of ruin; ADJ. baneful: harmful; poisonous
- cognitive
- having to do with knowing or perceiving related to the mental processes; N. cognition: the mental process of knowing
- audit
- examination of accounts of a business; official examination; V.
- diva
- operatic singer; prima donna
- accessory
- additional object; useful but not essential thing
- chase
- ornament a metal surface by indenting; follow rapidly to catch
- dwindle
- shrink; reduce gradually
- abash
- embarrass
- corrode
- destroy or wear away gradually by chemical action
- amass
- collect
- aria
- operatic solo; a song sung by one person in an opera or oratorio
- crestfallen
- dejected; dispirited
- concession
- an act of yielding; conceding; something conceded; point, right, etc. given unwillingly; privilege of maintaining a business in a certain place; Ex. oil concessions in the North sea; CF. concessionaire
- diverge
- vary; go in different directions from the same point; ADJ. divergent: differing; deviating
- duplicity
- double-dealing; hypocrisy; being dishonest and deceitful; ADJ. duplicitous
- diversion
- act of turning aside; pastime; V. divert: turn aside from a course; distract; amuse
- countenance
- approve; support; tolerate; Ex. countenance his rude behavior; N: face; appearance
- concatenate
- link as in a chain
- demur
- object ; raise an objection ; hesitate; Ex. demur at the idea of working on Sunday
- cornucopia
- horn overflowing with fruit and grain; symbol of abundance; horn of plenty
- circumvent
- outwit; defeat by behaving more cleverly; outsmart; baffle; avoid; get around
- caprice
- whim; sudden change of mind without any real cause
- demoniac
- fiendish; cruel; N. demon: evil supernatural being; devil
- alimony
- payments made regularly to an ex-spouse after divorce
- ashen
- ash-colored; deadly pale
- abase
- lower; degrade; humiliate; make humble; make lose self-respect
- delineate
- portray; depict; sketch; describe; N. delineation
- arrogance
- pride; haughtiness; ADJ. arrogant: unpleasantly self-important
- cohabit
- live together
- astral
- relating to the stars
- carapace
- shell covering the back
- capitulate
- surrender; give up all resistance
- affinity
- feeling of kinship; similarity; Ex. strong affinity for her; Ex. many affinities between two languages
- arable
- fit for growing crops; Ex. arable land
- benediction
- blessing
- defame
- harm someone's reputation; malign; speak evil of; slander; N. defamation; ADJ. defamatory
- belabor
- harp on; dwell on tediously; explain or go over excessively or to a ridiculous degree; assail verbally; beat severely; attack physically
- contusion
- bruise
- convert
- one who has adopted a different religion or opinion; V: change into another form; adopt a particular religion or belief
- demise
- death
- delve
- dig; search deeply; investigate
- dismember
- cut into small parts; cut apart limb from limb
- cavil
- quibble; make frivolous objections; find fault unnecessarily
- diurnal
- daily; occurring during the daytime
- arbitrary
- unreasonable or capricious; random; tyrannical; Ex. arbitrary ruler
- decimate
- kill ; destroy or kill a large part of
- cynical
- skeptical or distrustful of human motives; N. cynicism; CF. cynic: person who believes all people are motivated by selfishness
- discombobulated
- discomposed; confused
- canter
- slow gallop; V. CF. trot
- deflect
- turn aside; turn away from a straight course
- cant
- insincere speech or expression of piety; jargon of thieves; special words used by a particular group of people
- burnish
- make shiny by rubbing; polish
- decollete
- having a low-cut neckline; CF. decolletage: low neckline
- duress
- forcible restraint, especially unlawfully; coercion by threat; illegal coercion; Ex. a promise made under duress
- appraise
- estimate value of; N. appraisal
- celestial
- heavenly
- analogous
- comparable; similar
- anthropologist
- student of the history and science of humankind
- codify
- arrange as a code; classify; N. code: system of words used instead of ordinary writing; collection of laws, rules, established social customs
- baleful
- evil; malignant in intent or effect; deadly; having a malign influence; portending evil; ominous; threatening; Ex. baleful look
- austere
- forbiddingly stern; ascetic; without comfort or enjoyment; severely simple and unornamented; Ex. a monk"s austere life; Ex. austere grandeur of the cathedral; N. austerity
- benefit
- advantage; anything that brings help, advantage, or profit; money provided by the government to the people; fund-raising public entertainment; Ex. unemployment benefit; V: receive benefits; be beneficial to; give benefits
- aphasia
- loss of speech due to injury or illness
- amble
- walking at an easy unhurried pace; V: walk slowly and aimlessly
- barterer
- trader; V. barter: trade; exchange good for other goods rather than money
- chameleon
- lizard that changes color in different situations
- don
- put on; OP. doff
- circumspect
- prudent; cautious; acting after careful thought
- beleaguer
- besiege or attack ; harass; beset
- chagrin
- annoyance and disappointment; vexation
- carafe
- glass water bottle; decanter
- abeyance
- suspended action
- aghast
- filled with great surprise or fear; horrified
- aggregate
- sum; total; ADJ. V: gather into a mass or whole; accumulate; add up to; Ex. aggregate 100 dollars
- coddle
- treat gently; indulge excessively; pamper; mollycoddle; baby; cook in water just below boiling point; Ex. coddled eggs
- conundrum
- riddle; difficult problem
- attribute
- essential quality; V: ascribe; explain
- casualty
- serious or fatal accident; person killed or wounded in an accident or battle
- beneficial
- helpful; useful; advantageous
- arid
- dry; barren; unproductive
- artless
- without guile; open and honest
- continence
- self-restraint; sexual chastity; sexual abstinence; voluntary control over bladder and bowel functions; ADJ. continent
- annuity
- yearly allowance
- debunk
- expose as false, exaggerated, worthless, etc.; ridicule
- adjacent
- adjoining; neighboring; close by
- doggerel
- poor verse
- centrifuge
- machine that separates substances by whirling them
- contention
- assertion; claim; thesis; struggling; competition
- dregs
- sediment in a liquid; lees; worthless residue
- discretion
- prudence; ability to adjust actions to circumstances; freedom of action or judgment; ADJ. discreet; CF. discretionary
- amorous
- moved by sexual love; loving; of sexual love; Ex. amorous advances
- credo
- creed
- application
- diligent attention; diligence; V. apply oneself
- defection
- desertion
- decoy
- lure or bait; V.
- aviary
- enclosure for birds; large cage
- debris
- rubble; wreckage; scattered remains of something broken or destroyed
- desecrate
- profane; violate the sanctity of
- corporeal
- bodily ; of a bodily form; material; tangible
- bemused
- confused; lost in thought; preoccupied
- chaste
- morally pure; virginal; abstaining from illicit sexual acts; modest; simple ; not highly decorated; austere
- condole
- express condolences; N. condolence: sympathy for someone who has experienced great sorrow
- atrophy
- wasting away; V: weaken and lose flesh and muscle
- asteroid
- small planet
- anesthetic
- substance that removes sensation with or without loss of consciousness; N. anesthesia
- adorn
- decorate
- comity
- courtesy; civility; Ex. comity of nations
- blatant
- extremely obvious; loudly offensive; Ex. blatant lie; N. blatancy
- congeal
- freeze; coagulate
- decomposition
- decay; V. decompose: decay; break and separate into simple parts
- clangor
- loud resounding noise; sound of repeated clanging
- acrid
- bitter ; sharp; bitterly pungent
- conscript
- draftee; person forced into military service; V.
- discount
- disregard; regard as unimportant; deduct from a cost
- discrepancy
- lack of consistency or agreement as between facts; difference; Ex. discrepancy between two descriptions
- depose
- dethrone; remove from office; give a deposition; testify
- alienate
- make unfriendly or hostile; estrange; separate; change the ownership of
- clout
- great influence ; hard blow with fist
- archaic
- antiquated; no longer used; belonging to the past; N.
- decrepitude
- state of collapse or weakness caused by illness or old age
- downcast
- disheartened; dejected; sad; directed downward
- amazon
- female warrior
- clientele
- body of customers
- anticlimax
- letdown in thought or emotion; something unexciting, ordinary, or disappointing coming after something important or exciting
- anodyne
- drug that relieves pain or trouble; opiate; ADJ. Ex. anodyne statement
- discourse
- serious speech, writing, or conversation; formal discussion ; conversation; V.
- contend
- struggle; compete; assert earnestly; state strongly
- compile
- assemble; gather; accumulate; make from facts and information found in various places; Ex. compile a dictionary
- abrogate
- abolish
- absolve
- pardon
- civil
- having to do with citizens; not military or religious; courteous and polite; Ex. married in a civil ceremony; Ex. civil strife/disorder/law; N. civility; CF. civic
- dilute
- make less concentrated; reduce in strength; Ex. dilute the influence of the president
- acoustics
- science of sound; quality that makes a room easy or hard to hear in
- dingy
- dirty and dull; Ex. dingy street/curtain
- deadlock
- standstill resulting from the opposition of two unrelenting forces; stalemate
- choreography
- art of representing dances in written symbols; arrangement of dances
- adherent
- supporter; follower
- dapper
- neat and trim ; neat in appearance and quick in movements; neat; spry
- annihilate
- destroy
- avert
- prevent; avoid; turn away ; Ex. An accident was averted by his quick thinking; Ex. She averted her eyes from the terrible sight.
- decadence
- decay; fall to a lower level ; ADJ. decadent
- covenant
- binding agreement between two groups or people; compact; V: enter into a covenant; promise
- accord
- agreement
- approbation
- approval
- dowdy
- untidy ; slovenly; dressed in an unattractive way; shabby; CF. unattractive woman
- detonation
- explosion
- converse
- opposite; ADJ.
- ballast
- heavy substance used to add stability or weight; V. supply with ballast
- abdicate
- renounce; give up
- depravity
- extreme corruption; wickedness; V. deprave
- cascade
- small waterfall
- devotee
- enthusiastic follower; enthusiast; Ex. devotee of Bach
- concise
- brief and compact
- dolt
- slow-thinking stupid person; CF. dull
- attentive
- alert and watchful; listening carefully; paying attention; considerate; thoughtful; politely helpful; Ex. attentive audience; Ex. He was attentive to the old lady; N. attentions: act of courtesy and consideration
- culmination
- highest point; climax; V. culminate in: reach the highest point in; end in; Ex. a series of minor clashes culminating in war
- aspirant
- seeker after position or status
- disgruntle
- make discontented
- canvass
- determine or seek opinions, votes, etc.; go through to solicit votes or orders; conduct a survey; N.
- auroral
- pertaining to the aurora borealis; CF. aurora australis
- criteria
- standards used in judging; CF. criterion
- cordial
- warmly friendly; gracious; heartfelt; Ex. cordial welcome
- deprecate
- express disapproval of; deplore; protest against; belittle; ADJ. deprecatory
- disquietude
- uneasiness; anxiety; V. disquiet: make anxious
- browse
- graze; feed on growing grass; skim or glance at casually
- cursory
- casual; hastily done with little attention to detail
- corpulent
- very fat; N. corpulence
- aegis
- shield; protection; defense
- brazen
- insolent; without shame; bold; Ex. brazen lie; V: face with bold self-assurance or with unshamed confidence
- curtail
- shorten; reduce
- buttress
- support; prop up; N. stationary structure to support wall; Ex. flying buttress
- badger
- pester; annoy continually with demands; persuade by asking again and again; Ex. The children badgered me into taking them into the cinema; N: a kind of mountain animal
- creed
- system of religious or ethical belief
- barrister
- counselor-at-law or lawyer in the higher court of law; CF. bar
- aquiline
- curved; hooked; of or like an eagle; Ex. aquiline nose
- blandishment
- flattery
- apologist
- one who writes in defense of a cause or institution; N. apologia
- antipathy
- aversion; dislike or opposition
- adversary
- opponent; enemy
- denouement
- final outcome; final development of the plot of a play or other literary work; the end of a story when everything is explained
- cogitate
- think over; ponder
- agenda
- items of business at a meeting
- bate
- let down; lessen the force of; moderate; restrain; Ex. with bated breath; CF. abate
- defiance
- refusal to yield; resistance; V. defy; ADJ. defiant
- bucolic
- rustic; pastoral
- cerebral
- pertaining to the brain or intellect; intellectual rather than emotional; CF. cerebrum
- curator
- superintendent; manager
- dormant
- sleeping; temporarily inactive; lethargic; latent
- derision
- ridicule; ADJ. derisive; CF. derisory
- distend
- expand; swell out
- actuate
- motivate; activate; cause to act
- cleave
- split or sever; cling to; remain faithful to; N. cleavage; ADJ. cloven
- adulation
- flattery; admiration that is more than is necessary or deserved
- conservatory
- school of the fine arts ; glass-enclosed area; CF. conservancy
- brevity
- conciseness; shortness of duration
- discriminating
- able to see differences; discerning; prejudiced; N. discrimination
- animated
- lively; spirited
- ambiguous
- unclear or doubtful in meaning; having more than one possible interpretation
- cathartic
- purgative; medicine that causes the bowels to empty; ADJ.
- colloquial
- pertaining to conversational or common speech; informal; N. colloquialism: colloquial expression
- concord
- harmony; accord
- drone
- idle person who lives on other people"s work; male bee
- chaotic
- in utter disorder
- chafe
- warm by rubbing; make sore by rubbing; N.
- delude
- deceive
- distant
- reserved or aloof; cold in manner; Ex. distant greeting; ADV. distantly
- authoritarian
- subordinating the individual to the state; completely dominating another"s will; Ex. authoritarian regime/father
- bicker
- quarrel
- conjugal
- pertaining to marriage
- affable
- easily approachable; easy to talk to; warmly friendly
- devout
- pious; deeply religious; sincere; earnest; Ex. my devout hope
- derelict
- negligent; neglectful of duty; deserted by an owner; abandoned; N: abandoned property; homeless or vagrant person
- apprehensive
- fearful; discerning
- disjointed
- disconnected; lacking coherence; V. disjoint: disconnect; disjoin
- collaborate
- work together; cooperate treasonably with the enemy
- apothegm
- pithy, compact saying
- debonair
- friendly, charming, and fashionably dressed; aiming to please; CF. of good disposition
- dappled
- spotted
- arbiter
- person with power to decide a matter in dispute; judge who is in a position to make influential judgments; Ex. supreme arbiter of fashion in beachware
- averse
- reluctant; disinclined; not liking or opposed; Ex. averse to cats/doing the house work
- beatitude
- blessedness; state of great happiness
- ambrosia
- food of the gods
- dynamic
- energetic; vigorously active
- cavalier
- casual and offhand; arrogant; N: knight
- append
- attach
- clemency
- disposition to be lenient in deciding punishments; mildness as of the weather; ADJ. clement
- canto
- division of a long poem
- amphitheater
- oval building with tiers of seats; CF. arena
- bedizen
- dress with vulgar finery
- comport
- bear one's self; behave; Ex. comport oneself; N. comportment
- bulwark
- strong wall built for defense; earthwork or other strong defense; person who defends
- avow
- declare openly; N. avowal
- bleak
- cold or cheerless; frigid; unlikely to be favorable; depressing
- cohere
- stick together
- dorsal
- relating to the back of an animal; Ex. dorsal fin
- distrait
- absentminded; distracted
- cadaver
- corpse; dead human body
- cursive
- flowing; running; having the successive letters joined
- contentious
- quarrelsome; controversial; likely to cause arguments
- chronicle
- report; record
- culpable
- deserving blame; blameworthy
- adjuration
- solemn urging; V. adjure: entreat earnestly; enjoin solemnly
- desolate
- make desolate; forsake; abandon and desert
- discursive
- digressing; rambling
- disheveled
- untidy ; V. dishevel
- benison
- blessing
- arboretum
- place where different trees and shrubs are studied and exhibited
- decipher
- decode; CF. indecipherable
- authenticate
- prove genuine
- congenital
- existing at birth
- denounce
- condemn; criticize; N. denunciation
- covert
- secret; hidden; implied; OP. overt
- anthem
- song of praise or patriotism; Ex. national anthem
- cistern
- reservoir or water tank
- beatific
- giving or showing bliss; blissful
- centurion
- Roman army officer
- bolt
- door bar; fastening pin or screw; length of fabric; large roll of cloth; V: dash or dart off; fasten ; gobble down
- caste
- one of the hereditary classes in Hindu society; social stratification; prestige
- arrears
- being in debt; money that should have been paid; work that should have been done
- ambulatory
- able to walk
- belated
- delayed
- brittle
- hard but easily broken; difficult; unstable; Ex. brittle situation
- ambience
- environment; atmosphere; Ex. restaurant with a pleasant ambience; ADJ. ambient: completely surrounding; Ex. ambient temperature
- acclaim
- applaud; praise; greet with great approval; announce with great approval; Ex. The new drug has been acclaimed as the most important discoveries for years; N: strong expression of approval and praise
- beget
- father; become the father of; produce; give rise to
- congenial
- pleasant; friendly; in agreement with one's tastes and nature; Ex. congenial weather
- asperity
- sharpness; roughness; severity ; Ex. asperities of a Russian winter
- coagulate
- congeal; thicken; clot; N. coagulant
- ample
- enough; abundant; spacious; large in size; Ex. ample opportunity/garden; N. amplitude: quality of being ample; abundance; largeness of space
- compendium
- brief, comprehensive summary; ADJ. compendious
- archetype
- prototype; primitive pattern
- cumulative
- growing by addition; accumulative
- compound
- combine; produce by combining; increase; make worse by adding to or increasing; exacerbate; Ex. compound an error; ADJ: consisting of two or more parts; N: combination of two or more parts; area enclosed by a wall containing a group of buildings; Ex. factory compound; CF. complex
- certitude
- certainty
- appurtenances
- subordinate possessions; something added to a more important thing
- buffet
- strike forcefully; slap; batter; knock out; N: table with food set out for people to server themselves; meal at which people help themselves to food that"s been set
- despondent
- without hope and courage; depressed; gloomy; N. despondency: loss of hope with gloom; dejection
- agrarian
- pertaining to land or its cultivation; Ex. agrarian reform
- conviction
- judgment that someone is guilty of a crime; strongly held belief
- arsenal
- storage place for military equipment
- amend
- correct; change ; generally for the better
- arcane
- esoteric; secret; mysterious; known only to the initiated; Ex. arcane ritual; Ex. arcane process closed to the uninitiated listener
- bilious
- suffering from indigestion; sick from having too much bile; irritable; easily irritated