"A-" Vocabulary Flashcards
Aberrant
Deviating from the norm. (Adj)
Abjure
To reject solemnly; to avoid. (V)
Abrogate
To abolish by authority; put down. (V)
Abscission
Act of cutting off or removing. (N)
Abscond
To depart clandestinely. (V)
Abstain
To refrain from activity. (V)
Abstruse
Hard to understand. (Adj)
Accolade
An expression of praise; an award. (N)
Accretion
Growth; increase by successive addition. (N)
Acerbic
Sour or bitter taste in personality or character. (Adj)
Acumen
Quick, keen, or accurate knowledge or insight. (N)
Abate
To lessen in intensity or degree. (V)
Admonish
To express warning of disapproval. (V)
Adroit
Adept, skillful, dexterous. (Adj)
Adulation
Excessive praise. (N)
Adulterate
To reduce in purity by combining inferior ingredients. (V)
Adumbrate
To foreshadow vaguely. (V)
Advocate
To argue for or support a cause. (V)
Aesthetic
Dealing with, appreciative of. (Adj)
Aggrandize
To increase in intensity, power, prestige. (V)
Alacrity
Eager and enthusiastic willingness. (N)
Alchemy
A magic or wonderful transformation. (N)
Alloy
To commingle; to debase by mixing something inferior. (V)
Amalgamate
To combine several elements into a whole. (V)
Ambiguity
Uncertainty in meaning. (N)
Ambivalence
The quality of having opposing ideas or feelings. (N)
Ameliorate
To make better or more tolerable. (V)
Amenable
Agreeable; Responsive to suggestion. (Adj)
Anachronism
Something or someone out of place in terms of historical or chronological context. (N)
Anathema
An accursed or loathed person or thing. (N)
Anodyne
Soothing. (Adj)
Anomaly
Deviation from the normal order, for, or rule; abnormality. (N)
Antagonize
To irritate or cause hostility. (V)
Antipathy
Aversion; dislike. (N)
Antithetical
Diametrically opposed, as in antithesis. (Adj)
Apathy
Lack of interest or feeling. (N)
Apocryphal
Of dubious authenticity or origin; Untrue story that is spread around as true. (Adj)
Apogee
Farthest or highest point; apex. (N)
Apostate
One who abandons long-held vies; a betrayer of a cause. (N)
Apotheosis
The perfect example; paragon. (N)
Apposite
Appropriate, relevant. (Adj)
Apprise
Give notice to; inform. (V)
Approbation
An expression of praise or approval. (N)
Appropriate
Confiscate; to take for one’s own use. (V)
Arabesque
Complex, ornate design. (N)
Arcane
Mysterious, abstruse, understood by few. (Adj)
Archaic
Outdated; associated with another time. (Adj)
Arduous
Strenuous, taxing, requiring significant effort. (Adj)
Arrant
Utter, complete, absolute. (Adj)
Arrest
To suspend; to engage. (V)
Articulate
To pronounce clearly; to express clearly. (V)
Artless
Completely without artificiality; natural. (Adj)
Ascetic
One who practices rigid self-denial. (N)
Asperity
Severity, harshness; rigor, roughness. (N)
Aspersion
An act of defamation or maligning. (V)
Assiduous
Diligent, hardworking. (Adj)
Assuage
To ease or lessen; abate or ameliorate. (V)
Astringent
Having a tightening effect on the skin; harsh. (Adj)
Attenuate
To rarefy or weaken. (V)
Audacious
Daring and bold. (Adj)
Augury
Omen, portent, the reading of omens. (N)
August
Majestic. (Adj)
Auspice
Protection or support. (N)
Auspicious
Favorable, prosperous, successful. (Adj)
Austere
Without adornment, plain, bare, ascetic. (Adj)
Avarice
Greed, especially for wealth. (N)
Aver
To state as a fact. (V)
Axiom
Universally recognized principle; generally accepted expression. (N)