A Flashcards
abandon
S : to give up, desert, forsake
A : retain unrestrained activity, exuberance
abase
to humiliate, scorn, belittle, degrade
A : exalt, cherish
abate
to lessen, to subside
abbreviate
to shorten, abridge, condense
A : expand, prolong
abdicate
to give up formally, resign, renounce
A: retain, uphold
abdication
giving up control;authority
aberration
straying away from what is normal
abet
to assist (normally a crime), conspire, connive
A: dissuade, deter
abhor
to hate; to detest utterly; to consider with extreme repugnance
abide
be faithful, to endure
abjure
promise / swear to give up
ablution
washing
abridgement
a short summary, outline, abbreviation, abstract
A: enlargement, expansion
abscond
- to go away suddenly (to avoid arrest)
- depart secretly and hide
abstruse
difficult to comprehend; obscure
abysmal
- extremely bad
- bottomless
abyss
a bottomless pit, anything to deep to measure, chasm
A: summit, elevation
accede
agree to, assent, concur
A: refuse, dissent
acclaimed
welcomed with shouts and approval
accost
to approach and speak to, greet
A: shun, avoid
avail
use or take advantage of (an opportunity or available resource)
acquit
to clear (a person) of a charge
acrid
sharp (as in speech)
acrimony
- bitterness or harshness of speech or manner
- stinging; caustic; bitter in words or manner; N. acrimony: bitter ill-natured animosity in speech or behavior
acronym
word formed from initial letters of a group of words
acumen
keenness mind, insight
adage
an old saying, proverb
addle
to become rotten; to become confused
adduce
to offer as example, reason or proof
adjudicate
to settle judicially
adjure
to beg, appeal
admonish
to warn, reprove mildly, censure, rebuke
A: applaud, praise, compliment
admonitory
containing warning
ado
fuss, trouble, bustle, commotion
adulteration
making impure, poorer in quality
advent
an arrival, coming
adventitious
- accidental; casual; happening by chance
- coming from another source not innate/native
aeon
eternity, immeasurable period
affable
polite, friendly
affinity
close connection, relationship
affirm
to declare positively, to confirm, assert, declare, assure
agape
the mouth open wide with surprise
aggravate
make worse, irritate
agile
active, quick moving
agog
highly excited; intensely curious
ail
trouble; be ill
alacrity
eager and cheerful readiness
alcove
recess; partially enclosed place
alienate
cause to make unfriendly, to distance oneself, estrange,
A: familiarise
allay
to calm, quieten, soothe, pacify
A: agitate, kindle
allegiance
duty, support, loyalty
alleviate
make (pain) easier to bear
allure
to tempt with something desirable, lure, inveigle
A: repel, deter, discourage
aloof
reserved, indifferent
amalgamate
mix, combine, unite
ambiguous
doubtful; uncertain
amble
walking at an easy unhurried pace; V: walk slowly and aimlessly,
leisurely walk
amiable
good natured, gentle, pleasing, charming
A: sullen, churlish, quarrelsome
amicable
friendly, peaceful
A: warlike, argumentative
amnesia
partial or total loss of memory
analogy
similarity in some way
anarchy
absence of government, political disorder
A: order; discipline
ancillary
helping, subordinate
anguish
severe suffering
animosity
feeling of strong dislike,enmity, hostility, rancour, animus
A: amiability, friendliness
annihilate
to destroy completely
annuity
fixed sum paid every year
annul
to do away with, enforce
anoint
to put oil on as a ceremony
anomaly
departure from the usual, abnormality
A: normality
anon
soon, shortly
apiary
a place where bees are kept
appease
make quite or calm
appraise
to assess the value, evaluate, assess
apprehensive
unhappy feeling about future; anxious
apprise
to give notice; inform
arcane
secret, mysterious
articulate
to express oneself in words clearly; speak distinctly, connect by joints
ascend
go or come up
ascendancy
dominance
ascertain
get to know
ashen
of the pale gray colour of ash, very pale with shock/fear or illness, of or resembling ashes
asterisk
a star shaped symbol (*)
astringent
substance that sink
atonement
repayment; death of jesus; make amends
attune
bring into harmony
audacious
daring, foolishly bold, impudent
august
respected and impressive, majestic; venerable
auspicious
favourable, conducive to success, prosperous
austere
severely moral and strict; simple and plain
auxiliary
helping, supporting
aver
affirm; assert; prove; justify
aversion
strong dislike or disinclination
avid
eager, having or showing eager desire for somthing
avow
assert, admit, declare, confess openly
abeyance
suspended action, temporary inactivity, cessation
abject
(of a condition) wretched; as low as possible; lacking pride; very humble; showing lack of self- respect; Ex. abject apology
abnegation
renunciation; self-sacrifice; self-abnegation
abortive
unsuccessful; fruitless
abrasive
rubbing away; tending to grind down
abrogate
abolish
abscission
cutting off; separation
absolute
complete; totally unlimited; having complete power; certain; not relative; Ex. absolute honesty/ruler; CF. absolutism
absolve
pardon (an offense)
abstain
refrain; withhold from participation; intention-
ally not use one’s vote
abstemious
sparing in eating and drinking; temperate
abut
border upon; adjoin
acclaim
applaud; praise; greet with great approval; an- nounce with great approval; Ex. The new drung has been acclaimed as the most important discoveries for years; N: strong expression of approval and praise
acclivity
sharp upslope of a hill; OP. declivity
accommodate
oblige or help someone; adjust or bring into harmony; adapt; make enough space for; ADJ. ac- commodative; CF. accomodating: helpful and obliging
accord
agreement
accoutre
equip; N. accoutrement
acerbity
bitterness of speech and temper; ADJ. acerbic: bitter; acrid (in taste, manner, or tone)
acidulous
slightly sour (in taste or manner); sharp; caustic
acme
peak; pinnacle; highest point
actuate
motivate; activate; cause to act
acuity
sharpness (of mind or senses of sight or hearing)
acute
(of the senses) sharp; quickly perceptive; keen; penetrating; brief and severe; Ex. acute sense of smell/analysis/pain
addendum
addition; appendix to book; something that is added (as at the end of a speech or book)
adept
expert at; very skilled
adhere
stick fast; be a devotd follower; N. adhesion: ad-
hering; devotion; loyality
adjunct
something attached to but holding an inferior position
adjuration
solemn urging; V. adjure: entreat earnestly; enjoin solemnly
adjutant
staff officer assisting the commander; assistant
adulation
flattery; admiration that is more than is nec-
essary or deserved
adorn
decorate
aegis
shield; protection; defense
affliction
state of distress; trial; cause of distress or suf- fering; V. afflict: inflict grievous suffering on
affluence
abundance; wealth
agglomeration
collection; heap; V. agglomerate: gather into a rounded mass; N. aggolmeate: jumbled mass; heap
aghast
filled with great surprise or fear; horrified
agitate
stir up; disturb
alias
an assumed name esp. by a criminal (usually to mislead people); ADV. alias
alimony
payments made regularly to an ex-spouse after
divorce
allegory
story, play, or picture in which characters are used as symbols; fable
altruistic
unselfishly generous; concerned for others; N. altiruism: unselfish concern for the welfare of others; unselfishness; OP. egoism
ambidextrous
capable of using either hand with equal ease
ambivalence
the state of having contradictory or con- flicting emotional attitudes or opinions
ambrosia
food of the gods
ambulatory
able to walk
amend
correct; change ; generally for the better
amnesty
pardon (allowed by government to political
criminals)
amorous
moved by sexual love; loving; of sexual love; Ex. amorous advances
amok(amuck)
in a state of rage; Ex. run amok
amulet
charm;talisman;anobjectwornbelievedtopro- tect against evil, bad luck
anachronism
an error involving time in a story; some- thing or someone misplaced in time; ADJ. anachronistic
analgesic
causing insensitivity to pain; N.
analgesia condition of being unable to feel pain
anathema
solemn curse; someone or something re-
garded as a curse; V. anathematize
anecdote
short story of an amusing or interesting event
anguish
acute pain; extreme suffering
animus
hostile feeling or intent; animosity; hostility; disposition
annex
attach; add to a large thing; take possession of; incorporate (territory) into a larger existing political unit (by force); N: building added to a large one
anoint
consecrate; put oil on (in a religious ceremony)
anomalous
abnormal; irregular
antagonism
hostility; active opposition; V. antagonize: cause to become an enemy; N. antagonist: person who is opposed to another; opponent; adversary; principal character in oppostion to the protagonist
antecedents
preceding events that
influence what comes later; ancestors or early background
anthology
book of literary selections by various au- thors; CF. omnibus
apathy
lackofcaring;indifference;lackofconcernorin- terest in important matters; Ex. He was sunk in apathy after his failure; ADJ. apathetic
aphasia
loss of speech due to injury or illness
aphorism
pithy maxim or saying; ADJ. aphoristic
aplomb
poise; composure in difficult situations; assurance; self-confidence
apocryphal
(of a story) widely believed but untrue
apogee
highest point; the point farthest from the earth;
OP. perigee
apologist
one who writes in defense of a cause or insti- tution; N. apologia
apoplexy
stroke; loss of consciousness caused by too much blood in the brain
apostate
one who abandons his religious faith or politi- cal beliefs; N. apostasy
apothegm(apophthegm)
pithy, compact saying
apotheosis
elevation to godhood; an ideal example of something
appall
dismay; shock deeply
apparition
ghost; phantom
appellation
name; title
apprehend
arrest (a criminal); dread; perceive; N. ap- prehension
apprehensive
fearful; discerning
approbation
approval
appropriate
acquire; take possession of for one’s own use without permission; set aside for a particular pur- pose; allocate; CF. misappropriate
appurtenances
subordinate possessions; something added to a more important thing
apropos
with reference to; regarding; Ex. remarks apro- pos (of) the present situation; ADJ. ADV.
arable
fit for growing crops; Ex. arable land
arbiter
person with power to decide a matter in dis- pute; judge who is in a position ot make influential judg- ments; Ex. supreme arbiter of fashion in beach ware
arbitrary
unreasonable or capricious; random; tyranni- cal; Ex. arbitrary ruler
archipelago
group of closely located islands
ardor
heat; passion; zeal; ADJ. ardent
arduous
hard; strenuous; Ex. arduous work
argot
slang; speech spoken by only a small group of people
arraign
charge in court; indict
array
marshal; draw up in order; arrange in order; clothe splendidly; adorn; N: fine clothes; ordered group; Ex. in battle array
arrears
being in debt; money that should have been paid; work that should have been done
artifice
deception; trickery
ascendancy
controlling influence; position of control- ling influence; CF. in the ascendant
ascetic
practicing self-denial; avoiding physical plea- sures and comforts; austere; Ex. ascetic life of Buddhist monks; N. asceticism
asinine
stupid; Ex. asinine remarks
askance
with a sideways or indirect look (with disap- proval or distruct); Ex. look askance at
assay
analyze (to discover what materials are present);
evaluate (soil or ore)
assert
state strongly or positively; demand recognition of (rights, claims, etc.); make a claim to (by forceful ac- tion); Ex. assert one’s independence
assiduous
diligent
assimilate
absorb; take (food) into the body and digest it; understand (knowledge) completely and be able to use properly; cause to become homogeneous (the peo- ple of a country or race in the wasy of behaving or think- ing)
assuage
make less severe; ease or lessen (pain); satisfy (hunger); soothe (anger)
astigmatism
eye defect which prevents proper focus; OP. stigmatism
astringent
binding; causing contraction
bleeding); harsh or severe; stringent; Ex. astringent criticism
astute
wise; shrewd; keen; seeing quickly something
that is to one’s advantage
asunder
into parts; apart; V. sunder
atavism
resemblance to remote ancestors rather than to parents; reversion to an earlier type; throwback; ADJ. atavistic
atone
make amends for; pay for; Ex. atone for
atrocity
brutal deed; ADJ. atrocious
atrophy
wasting away; V: weaken and lose flesh and muscle (through lack of blood or lack of use)
attenuate
make thin; weaken
attribute
essential quality; V: ascribe; explain
attrition
rubbing away by friction; gradual decrease in numbers or strength; reduction in the work force with- out firing employees; wearing away of opposition by means of harassment; Ex. a war of attrition
audacious
daring; bold; N. audacity
augury
omen; prophecy; sign of coming events; V. au-
gur: predict; foretell; be a sign of (something in future)
aureole
sun’s corona; halo; bright circle of light
austere
forbiddingly stern; ascetic; without comfort or enjoyment; severely simple and unornamented; Ex. a monk’s austere life; Ex. austere grandeur of the cathe- dral; N. austerity
Android
automaton mechanism that imitates actions of humans; machine that works by itself
auxiliary
offering or providing help; additional or sub- sidiary; N: helper; assistant
avarice
greediness for wealth
avenge
take vengence 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.
aver
state confidently; declare as true
averse
reluctant; disinclined; not liking or opposed; Ex.
averse to cats/doing the house work
aversion
firm dislike
avert
prevent; avoid; turn away (eyes or thought); Ex. An accident was averted by his quick thinking; Ex. She averted her eyes from the terrible sight.
avid
greedy; extremely eager for; Ex. avid learner; N.
avidity
avocation
secondary or minor occupation
avuncular
of or like an uncle
awe
solemn wonder;feeling of respect mixed with wonder and fear; V: fill with awe; ADJ. awesome
awful
terrible; very bad
awry
distorted; crooked; bent; Ex. Our plans have gone awry.
axiom
self-evident truth requiring no proof
appellate
- of or pertaining to appeals
- having the power or authority to review and decide appeals, as a court
arson
the malicious burning of another’s house or property or in some statutes the burning of one’s own house or property as to collect insurance
S: incendiarism, pyromania
asphyxiate
kill by depriving them of air,chock,suffocate,smother
anathema
a person or thing detested or loathed
accolade
any award, honour, or laudatory notice
accretion
an increase by natural growth or by gradual external addition, growth in size or extant, build up
ad-hominem
- appealing to ones prejudices; or special interests rather than to ones intellect or reason
- attacking on opponents character rather than answering his argument
accrues
- to happen or result as a natural growth, addition
- to be added as a matter of periodic gain or advantage; as interest on money
acquiesce
agree, consent, to assent tacitly or comply silently or without protest
acquaint
to make more or less familiar, aware, or conversant, inform, introduce
acculturation
the process of adopting the cultural traits or social patterns of another group
affront
insult, deliberate act or display of disrespect, a personally offensive act or word, dirty deed, vexation
allege
- claim or assert that someone has done something illegal or wrong, typically without proof that this is the case
- suppose or affirm to be the case
allusion
- a passing or casual reference; an incidental mention of something; either directly or by implication
- a metaphor; parable
S: casual remark, incidental mention, quotation
altercation
- a heated or angry dispute; noisy argument or controversy
S: bickering, embroilment, squabbling
ameliorate
to make or become better, more bearable, or more satisfactory, improve; meliorate
amenable
- ready or willing to answer;act;agree or yield upon to influence, persuasion; or advice, agreeable, submissive, tractable
- legally responsible, answerable
- capable of or agreeable to being tested, tried, analysed etc
S: acquiescent, biddable, influenceable, persuadable
A: uncooperative
amicus-curiae
a person not a party to litigation, who volunteers or is invited by the court to give advice upon some matter pending before it
augur
foresee or predict
avant gards
- the advance group in any field, especially in the visual, literary or musical arts, whose works are characterised chiefly by unorthodox and experimental methods
- unorthodox, daring, radical
azure
sky blue
awry
distorted; crooked; bent; Ex. Our plans have gone awry.
autocratic
having absolute unchecked power; dictato- rial; N. autocrat, autocracy
