A Vocabulary Flashcards
Abate
Decrease
Abdicate
Giving up power
Aberrant
Away from normal
Abeyance
Suppression/suspension
Abject
Miserable
Abjure
Reject/abandon
Abscission
Cut off
Abscond
To depart secretly
Abstemious
Moderate appetite
Abstinence
Giving up Pleasures
Aesthetic
Appreciating/concerned with beauty
Alacrity
Cheerful readiness
Alleviate
Make problem less severe
Amalgamate
Unite to form one organization
Ambiguous
Unclear, doubtful in meaning
Open to all opinions
Ambivalence
Mixed feelings/ contradictory ideas
Ameliorate
Make something bad better
Anachronism
A place/thing in wrong time period
Analogous
Comparable
Anarchy
Disorder due to lack of authority
Anomalous
Not following general rule/method
Antipathy
Strong feeling of dislike
Apathy
Lack of interest
Apprise
Inform someone
Approbation
Approval/praise
Appropriate
Verb: take something for own use/ by force
Arcane
Knowing a secret
Arduous
Difficult to accomplish
Artless
Without cunning or deceit
Ascetic
Practising self denial
Aspersion
Damaging accusation
Assiduous
Care and persistent effort
Attenuate
Thin consistency, diluted (become weak)
Audacious
Bold in social situations (take risks)
Austere
Harsh temper, stern, strict, bare
Used to describe person or thing
Aver
Affirm. Only declare
Abysmal
Very bad
Accretion
Growth in size
(Acceleration)
Accrue
Accumulate, grow by additions
Adamant
Uncompromising
Not negotiable
Adjunct
Something added, attached, joined
Admonish
Caution or reprimand
Adulterate
Corrupt or make impure
Affected
Pretentious, phony
Affinity
Fondness, liking, similarity
Aggrandize
Make something larger, greater
Alchemy
Changing metal into gold
Allay
To lessen, ease, soothe
Alloy
Combination, mixture of 2+ metals
Allure
Power to entice by charm
Ambrosia
Something delicious
Amenable
Agreeable, cooperative
Amenity
Something that increases comfort
Amulet
Ornament worn as charm against evil spirits
Analgesic
Medication that reduces pain
Anodyne
Something that calms/soothes pain
Antecedent
Something that comes before
Antediluvian
Prehistoric
Apex
Highest point
Apogee
Point in orbit most distant from body being orbited
Apothegm
Witty saying
Appease
Calm, pacify, placate
Appellation
Name
Apposite
Appropriate and relevant
Apropos
Relevant
Archeology
The study of material of past human life
Ardor
Great emotion or passion
Arabesque
Design with intertwined curves
Ballet position when one leg is extended and other supports body
Argot
Specialized vocabulary used by a group
Arrest
Stop, seize
Artifact
Item made by human craft
Asperity
Severity, harshness
Assuage
To make less severe
Astringent
Harsh, severe
Asylum
Place of refuge or shelter
Atavism
In biology, a reappearance of characteristics over generations
Avarice
Greed
Avocation
Secondary occupation
Avuncular
Like an uncle, tolerant
Axiomatic
Taken for granted
Axiom
Established principle