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Terms
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- amnesty
- pardon
- augment
- increase; add to
- authoritarian
- subordinating the individual to the state; completely dominating another"s will; Ex. authoritarian regime/father
- anodyne
- drug that relieves pain or trouble; opiate; ADJ. Ex. anodyne statement
- aromatic
- fragrant; having a sweet smell; N. aroma: strong pleasant smell
- apocalyptic
- prophetic; pertaining to revelations especially of disaster; N. apocalypse
- antecede
- precede
- antediluvian
- antiquated; extremely ancient
- audit
- examination of accounts of a business; official examination; V.
- abscission
- cutting off; separation
- attest
- testify; bear witness
- aboriginal
- being the first of its kind in a region; primitive; native; indigenous; N. aborigine
- aureole
- sun"s corona; halo; bright circle of light
- acrophobia
- fear of heights
- affiliation
- joining; associating with
- anarchist
- person who seeks to overturn the established government; advocate of abolishing authority
- alleviate
- relieve
- acidulous
- slightly sour ; sharp; caustic
- admonish
- warn or speak to with gentle disapproval; reprove
- aversion
- firm dislike
- alimentary
- supplying nourishment
- assimilate
- absorb; take into the body and digest it; understand completely and be able to use properly; cause to become homogeneous
- analogy
- similarity; parallelism; comparing two similar things
- affinity
- feeling of kinship; similarity; Ex. strong affinity for her; Ex. many affinities between two languages
- aerie
- nest of a large bird of prey
- adorn
- decorate
- abridge
- condense or shorten
- abeyance
- suspended action
- antidote
- remedy to counteract a poison or disease; Ex. antidote to the economic troubles
- acetic
- vinegary
- agog
- highly excited; intensely curious
- anneal
- reduce brittleness and improve toughness by heating and cooling
- audacious
- daring; bold; N. audacity
- apocryphal
- widely believed but untrue
- abrasive
- rubbing away; tending to grind down
- ascendancy
- controlling influence; position of controlling influence; CF. in the ascendant
- apropos
- with reference to; regarding; Ex. remarks apropos the present situation; ADJ. ADV.
- actuary
- someone who advises insurance companies
- aria
- operatic solo; a song sung by one person in an opera or oratorio
- aperture
- opening; hole; adjustable opening in a camera that limits the amount of light
- amulet
- charm; talisman; an object worn believed to protect against evil, bad luck
- amicable
- peaceful; politely friendly; not quarrelsome; Ex. amicable settlement
- acute
- sharp; quickly perceptive; keen; penetrating; brief and severe; Ex. acute sense of smell/analysis/pain
- amplify
- increase in size or effect; expand; broaden or clarify by expanding; intensify; make stronger; Ex. amplify one's remarks with a graph
- awry
- distorted; crooked; bent; Ex. Our plans have gone awry.
- asylum
- place of refuge or shelter; protection
- alchemy
- medieval chemistry
- accomplice
- partner in crime
- append
- attach
- adulation
- flattery; admiration that is more than is necessary or deserved
- arid
- dry; barren; unproductive
- affluence
- abundance; wealth
- abet
- assist usually in doing something wrong; encourage
- amok
- in a state of rage; Ex. run amok
- accolade
- award of merit; strong praise and approval
- arboretum
- place where different trees and shrubs are studied and exhibited
- approbation
- approval
- amend
- correct; change ; generally for the better
- 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
- artisan
- a manually skilled worker
- anguish
- acute pain; extreme suffering
- allure
- entice; attract; tempt
- ancestry
- family descent; ADJ. ancestral
- acerbity
- bitterness of speech and temper; ADJ. acerbic: bitter; acrid
- aggregate
- sum; total; ADJ. V: gather into a mass or whole; accumulate; add up to; Ex. aggregate 100 dollars
- astigmatism
- eye defect which prevents proper focus; OP. stigmatism
- arraign
- charge in court; indict
- attenuate
- make thin; weaken
- archetype
- prototype; primitive pattern
- appurtenances
- subordinate possessions; something added to a more important thing
- abominable
- detestable; extremely unpleasant
- august
- impressive; majestic
- apiary
- a place where bees are kept
- avuncular
- of or like an uncle
- appraise
- estimate value of; N. appraisal
- apposite
- appropriate; fitting
- anesthetic
- substance that removes sensation with or without loss of consciousness; N. anesthesia
- affected
- artificial; pretended
- amazon
- female warrior
- actuarial
- calculating; pertaining to insurance statistics
- appellation
- name; title
- annex
- attach; add to a large thing; take possession of; incorporate into a larger existing political unit ; N: building added to a large one
- abstinence
- restraint from pleasant things, esp. eating or drinking; CF. abstention: act of abstaining from vote
- abrogate
- abolish
- 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.
- 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
- asunder
- into parts; apart; V. sunder
- astral
- relating to the stars
- assumption
- something taken for granted; the taking over or taking possession of; Ex. her assumption of power; V. assume
- accoutre
- equip; N. accoutrement
- arroyo
- gully; narrow channel formed by rainwater
- assent
- agree; accept; N. assessment
- adage
- wise saying; proverb
- authenticate
- prove genuine
- alienate
- make unfriendly or hostile; estrange; separate; change the ownership of
- 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
- auspicious
- favoring success; giving signs of future success; Cf. auspices
- accelerate
- move faster
- auxiliary
- offering or providing help; additional or subsidiary; N: helper; assistant
- 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.
- aptitude
- fitness; talent
- animus
- hostile feeling or intent; animosity; hostility; disposition
- 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
- affront
- insult; offense; intentional act of disrespect; V: insult or hurt the feelings of intentionally
- adjacent
- adjoining; neighboring; close by
- ameliorate
- improve
- aspersion
- slanderous remark; Ex. cast aspersions on
- 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
- appreciate
- be thankful for; increase in worth; be thoroughly conscious of; ADJ. appreciable: enough to be felt; Ex. appreciable difference
- apparition
- ghost; phantom
- acuity
- sharpness
- abase
- lower; degrade; humiliate; make humble; make lose self-respect
- agnostic
- one who is skeptical of the existence or knowability of a god or any ultimate reality
- averse
- reluctant; disinclined; not liking or opposed; Ex. averse to cats/doing the house work
- abash
- embarrass
- atypical
- not normal; not typical
- agrarian
- pertaining to land or its cultivation; Ex. agrarian reform
- anathema
- solemn curse; someone or something regarded as a curse; V. anathematize
- anonymity
- state of being nameless; anonymousness; ADJ. anonymous
- awe
- solemn wonder; feeling of respect mixed with wonder and fear; V: fill with awe; ADJ. awesome
- ample
- enough; abundant; spacious; large in size; Ex. ample opportunity/garden; N. amplitude: quality of being ample; abundance; largeness of space
- annuity
- yearly allowance
- askew
- crookedly; slanted; at an angle
- 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
- apathy
- lack of caring; indifference; lack of concern or interest in important matters; Ex. He was sunk in apathy after his failure; ADJ. apathetic
- aegis
- shield; protection; defense
- abjure
- renounce upon oath
- 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
- arbitrate
- act as judge
- angular
- sharp-cornered; having an angle; not rounded ; bony; lean; gaunt; stiff in manner
- artifacts
- object made by human beings, either hand-made or mass-produced
- antithesis
- contrast; direct opposite of or to; ADJ. antithetic or antithetical
- argot
- slang; speech spoken by only a small group of people
- adherent
- supporter; follower
- apprehend
- arrest ; dread; perceive; N. apprehension
- amiable
- agreeable; lovable; warmly friendly
- annul
- make void
- apprise
- inform
- affirmation
- positive assertion; confirmation; solemn pledge by one who refuses to take an oath; V. affirm; ADJ. affirmative; CF. affirmative action: positive discrimination
- abject
- wretched; as low as possible; lacking pride; very humble; showing lack of self-respect; Ex. abject apology
- archaic
- antiquated; no longer used; belonging to the past; N.
- archaeology
- study of artifacts and relics of early mankind
- accommodate
- oblige or help someone; adjust or bring into harmony; adapt; make enough space for; ADJ. accommodative; CF. accomodating: helpful and obliging
- allay
- calm; pacify
- alliteration
- repetition of beginning sound in poetry
- agenda
- items of business at a meeting
- amphitheater
- oval building with tiers of seats; CF. arena
- aphasia
- loss of speech due to injury or illness
- addendum
- addition; appendix to book; something that is added
- apogee
- highest point; the point farthest from the earth; OP. perigee
- anomalous
- abnormal; irregular
- anarchy
- absence of governing body; state of disorder
- armada
- fleet of warships
- amble
- walking at an easy unhurried pace; V: walk slowly and aimlessly
- ambidextrous
- capable of using either hand with equal ease
- 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
- array
- marshal; draw up in order; arrange in order; clothe splendidly; adorn; N: fine clothes; ordered group; Ex. in battle array
- azure
- sky blue
- 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
- archipelago
- group of closely located islands
- asperity
- sharpness; roughness; severity ; Ex. asperities of a Russian winter
- affidavit
- written statement made under oath
- agitate
- stir up; disturb
- avocation
- secondary or minor occupation
- allegory
- story, play, or picture in which characters are used as symbols; fable
- ape
- imitate or mimic
- acoustics
- science of sound; quality that makes a room easy or hard to hear in
- aloft
- upward; high up in the air
- anthem
- song of praise or patriotism; Ex. national anthem
- affliction
- state of distress; trial; cause of distress or suffering; V. afflict: inflict grievous suffering on
- animadversion
- critical remark; V. animadvert: comment critically with disapproval
- avert
- prevent; avoid; turn away ; Ex. An accident was averted by his quick thinking; Ex. She averted her eyes from the terrible sight.
- anoint
- consecrate; put oil on
- absolute
- complete; totally unlimited; having complete power; certain; not relative; Ex. absolute honesty/ruler; CF. absolutism
- adjuration
- solemn urging; V. adjure: entreat earnestly; enjoin solemnly
- abortive
- unsuccessful; fruitless
- anthropologist
- student of the history and science of humankind
- amphibian
- able to live both on land and in water; N.
- aberrant
- abnormal or deviant
- assert
- state strongly or positively; demand recognition of ; make a claim to ; Ex. assert one's independence
- abyss
- enormous chasm; vast bottomless pit
- avalanche
- great mass of falling snow and ice
- arable
- fit for growing crops; Ex. arable land
- advocacy
- support; active pleading on behalf of someone or something
- aver
- state confidently; declare as true
- astringent
- binding; causing contraction ; harsh or severe; stringent; Ex. astringent criticism
- adversity
- great hardship or affliction; misfortune; calamitous event
- acrid
- bitter ; sharp; bitterly pungent
- allegiance
- loyalty
- aloof
- apart; not open in one's relationship with other people; reserved; ADV.
- alluvial
- pertaining to soil deposits left by running water
- assuage
- make less severe; ease or lessen ; satisfy ; soothe
- adjunct
- something attached to but holding an inferior position
- asinine
- stupid; Ex. asinine remarks
- ascertain
- find out for certain; make certain
- apex
- tip; summit; climax; highest point
- ambience
- environment; atmosphere; Ex. restaurant with a pleasant ambience; ADJ. ambient: completely surrounding; Ex. ambient temperature
- anthology
- book of literary selections by various authors; CF. omnibus
- autopsy
- examination of a dead body; postmortem; V.
- anchor
- secure or fasten firmly; be fixed in place; N. anchorage
- apotheosis
- elevation to godhood; an ideal example of something
- alcove
- nook; recess
- alimony
- payments made regularly to an ex-spouse after divorce
- awl
- pointed tool used for piercing
- astronomical
- enormously large or extensive
- application
- diligent attention; diligence; V. apply oneself
- amputate
- cut off part of body; prune
- allocate
- assign; set apart for a particular purpose
- asymmetric
- not identical on both sides of a dividing central line
- aspirant
- seeker after position or status
- antiseptic
- substance that prevents infection in a wound; ADJ.
- astute
- wise; shrewd; keen; seeing quickly something that is to one's advantage
- analgesic
- causing insensitivity to pain; N.
- addle
- make or become confused; muddle; drive crazy; become rotten
- ambulatory
- able to walk
- abbreviate
- shorten
- amorphous
- formless; lacking shape or definition
- anticlimax
- letdown in thought or emotion; something unexciting, ordinary, or disappointing coming after something important or exciting
- artless
- without guile; open and honest
- 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
- altruistic
- unselfishly generous; concerned for others; N. altruism: unselfish concern for the welfare of others; unselfishness; OP. egoism
- aghast
- filled with great surprise or fear; horrified
- arduous
- hard; strenuous; Ex. arduous work
- arrogance
- pride; haughtiness; ADJ. arrogant: unpleasantly self-important
- ardor
- heat; passion; zeal; ADJ. ardent
- arrhythmic
- lacking rhythm or regularity; N. arrhythmia
- aseptic
- preventing infection; having a cleansing effect
- aphorism
- pithy maxim or saying; ADJ. aphoristic
- advert
- refer
- adulterate
- make impure or of poorer quality by adding inferior or tainted substances
- anecdote
- short story of an amusing or interesting event
- appropriate
- acquire; take possession of for one's own use without permission; set aside for a particular purpose; allocate; CF. misappropriate
- animated
- lively; spirited
- anthropomorphic
- having human form or characteristics
- acquittal
- deliverance from a charge; V. acquit: free from a charge or accusation; discharge from a duty; conduct in a specified manner
- antiquated
- obsolete; old-fashioned; outdated
- alacrity
- cheerful promptness without reluctance
- abstruse
- obscure; profound; difficult to understand
- agglomeration
- collection; heap; V. agglomerate: gather into a rounded mass; N. agglomerate: jumbled mass; heap
- absolve
- pardon
- accede
- agree
- accessible
- easy to approach; obtainable
- adamant
- hard; inflexible
- assail
- assault
- auroral
- pertaining to the aurora borealis; CF. aurora australis
- acknowledge
- recognize; admit
- abominate
- loathe; hate
- aspire
- seek to attain ; long for; Ex. aspire to become president; Ex. aspire to/after the leadership
- annotate
- comment; make explanatory notes
- ashen
- ash-colored; deadly pale
- advent
- arrival
- aggrandize
- make greater; increase in power, wealth, rank, or honor; N. aggrandizement
- abstemious
- sparing in eating and drinking; temperate
- apothegm
- pithy, compact saying
- adverse
- going against; opposing; unfavorable; hostile
- antipathy
- aversion; dislike or opposition
- amoral
- nonmoral; having no understanding of right and wrong
- aristocracy
- hereditary nobility; privileged class; government by nobility; N. aristocrat
- 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
- arcane
- esoteric; secret; mysterious; known only to the initiated; Ex. arcane ritual; Ex. arcane process closed to the uninitiated listener
- anemia
- condition in which blood lacks red corpuscles; ADJ. anemic
- allege
- state without proof
- adventitious
- accidental; casual; happening by chance
- appall
- dismay; shock deeply
- 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
- apoplexy
- stroke; loss of consciousness caused by too much blood in the brain
- abstract
- theoretical; not concrete; nonrepresentational
- appease
- pacify or soothe; Ex. appease a crying baby; N. appeasement
- apostate
- one who abandons his religious faith or political beliefs; N. apostasy
- amiss
- wrong; faulty; Ex. something amiss; ADV.
- antecedents
- preceding events that influence what comes later; ancestors or early background
- apologist
- one who writes in defense of a cause or institution; N. apologia
- askance
- with a sideways or indirect look ; Ex. look askance at
- avow
- declare openly; N. avowal
- anachronism
- an error involving time in a story; something or someone misplaced in time; ADJ. anachronistic
- acclimate
- adjust to climate or environment; adapt
- axiom
- self-evident truth requiring no proof
- acquiesce
- assent; agree passively; comply without protest
- augury
- omen; prophecy; sign of coming events; V. augur: predict; foretell; be a sign of
- acrimonious
- stinging; caustic; bitter in words or manner; N. acrimony: bitter ill-natured animosity in speech or behavior
- altercation
- noisy quarrel
- assiduous
- diligent
- amorous
- moved by sexual love; loving; of sexual love; Ex. amorous advances
- adhere
- stick fast; be a devoted follower; N. adhesion: adhering; devotion; loyalty
- atrocity
- brutal deed; ADJ. atrocious
- arcade
- a covered passageway usually lined with shops
- ascribe
- refer; attribute; assign
- authoritative
- having the weight of authority; regarded as providing knowledge that can be trusted; reliable; peremptory and dictatorial; Ex. authoritative dictionary/manner; CF. definitive
- aquiline
- curved; hooked; of or like an eagle; Ex. aquiline nose
- artifice
- deception; trickery
- abysmal
- bottomless
- accessory
- additional object; useful but not essential thing
- 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
- abnegation
- renunciation; self-sacrifice; self-abnegation
- autocratic
- having absolute unchecked power; dictatorial; N. autocrat, autocracy
- aviary
- enclosure for birds; large cage
- aplomb
- poise; composure in difficult situations; assurance; self-confidence
- ambivalence
- the state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes or opinions
- analogous
- comparable; similar
- assay
- analyze ; evaluate
- ambiguous
- unclear or doubtful in meaning; having more than one possible interpretation
- anomaly
- irregularity
- arsenal
- storage place for military equipment
- adversary
- opponent; enemy
- anvil
- iron block used in hammering out metals
- arbitrary
- unreasonable or capricious; random; tyrannical; Ex. arbitrary ruler
- amalgamate
- combine; unite in one body
- acclivity
- sharp up slope of a hill; OP. declivity
- avid
- greedy; extremely eager for; Ex. avid learner; N. avidity
- apolitical
- having an aversion or lack of concern for political affairs
- annals
- records arranged in yearly parts; history
- arrears
- being in debt; money that should have been paid; work that should have been done
- abolish
- cancel; put an end to
- amalgam
- combination of different things; mixture of metals used for filling holes in teeth
- attribute
- essential quality; V: ascribe; explain
- accord
- agreement
- atheistic
- denying the existence of God; N. atheism
- amass
- collect
- agape
- open mouthed
- amnesia
- loss of memory
- abusive
- coarsely insulting; physically harmful
- anthropoid
- manlike; resembling a human being; N.
- acme
- peak; pinnacle; highest point
- acumen
- mental keenness; sharpness of judgment; ability to judge quickly and well; Ex. business acumen
- adjutant
- staff officer assisting the commander; assistant
- animosity
- active enmity
- ascetic
- practicing self-denial; avoiding physical pleasures and comforts; austere; Ex. ascetic life of Buddhist monks; N. asceticism
- affable
- easily approachable; easy to talk to; warmly friendly
- abstain
- refrain; withhold from participation; intentionally not use one's vote;
- addiction
- compulsive habitual need
- amity
- friendship; peaceful relationship as between nations
- annihilate
- destroy
- abhor
- detest; hate
- arch-
- chief; first; Ex. archbishop
- academic
- related to a school; not practical or directly useful
- abut
- border upon; adjoin
- aberration
- deviation from the normal; mental disorder
- atone
- make amends for; pay for; Ex. atone for
- apprehensive
- fearful; discerning
- abscond
- depart secretly and hide
- ancillary
- serving as an aid or accessory; auxiliary; N.
- automaton
- mechanism that imitates actions of humans; machine that works by itself
- abdicate
- renounce; give up
- allude
- refer indirectly; N. allusion: indirect reference
- avarice
- greediness for wealth
- adept
- expert at; very skilled
- atavism
- resemblance to remote ancestors rather than to parents; reversion to an earlier type; throwback; ADJ. atavistic
- ambrosia
- food of the gods
- autonomous
- self-governing; N. autonomy
- apothecary
- druggist; pharmacist
- ablution
- washing
- abate
- subside or moderate
- alias
- an assumed name esp. by a criminal ; ADV. alias
- agility
- nimbleness; ability to move quickly
- archives
- public records; place where public records are kept
- amenities
- convenient features that helps to make life pleasant; social courtesies
- actuate
- motivate; activate; cause to act
- advocate
- speak in favor of; support ; urge; plead for
- accost
- approach and speak first to a person
- asteroid
- small planet
- atrophy
- wasting away; V: weaken and lose flesh and muscle
- adroit
- skillful
- aesthetic
- artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciating the beautiful ; CF. aesthete; CF. aesthetics