dd Flashcards
abbreviate
shorten (Eg: Because we were running out of time, the lecturer had to abbreviate her speech. )
abate
subside or moderate (Eg: Rather than leaving immediately, they waited for the storm to abate. )
abortive
unsuccessful; fruitless (Eg: We had to abandon our abortive attempts. )
absolute
complete; totally unlimited; certain (Eg: Although the King of Siam was an absolute monarch, he did not want to behead his unfaithful wife )
abstract
theoretical; not concrete; non,representational (Eg: To him, hunger was an abstract concept; he had never missed a meal. )
abusive
coarsely insulting; physically harmful (Eg: An abusive parent damages a child both mentally and physically. )
accelerate
move faster (Eg: In our science class, we learn how falling bodies accelerate. )
accessible
easy to approach; obtainable (Eg: We asked our guide whether the ruins were accessible on foot. )
accessory
additional object; useful but not essential thing (Eg: She bought an attractive handbag as an accessory for her dress. )
abscond
depart secretly and hide (Eg: The teller absconded with the bonds and was not found. )
aberrant
abnormal or deviant (Eg: Given the aberrant nature of the data, we came to doubt the validity of the entire experiment. )
abeyance
suspended action (Eg: The deal was held in abeyance until her arrival. )
adamant
hard, inflexible (Eg: He was adamant in his determination to punish the wrongdoer. )
adulterate
make impure by mixing with baser substances (Eg: )
adversity
poverty, misfortune (Eg: We must learn to meet adversity gracefully. )
abase
lower; degrade; humiliate (Eg: Anna expected to have to curtsy to the King of Siam; when told to cast herself down on the ground before )
abash
embarrass (Eg: He was not at all abashed by her open admiration. )
abdicate
renounce; give up (Eg: When Edward VII abdicated the British throne, he surprised the entire world. )
abet
assist, usually in doing something wrong (Eg: She was unwilling to abet him in the swindle he had planned. )
abject
wretched; lacking pride (Eg: On the streets of New York the homeless live in abject poverty, huddling in doorways to find shelter from )
abjure
renounce upon oath (Eg: He abjured his allegiance to the king. )
ablution
washing (Eg: His daily ablutions were accompanied by loud noises that he humorously labeled Opera in the Bath.
)
abnegation
renunciation; self,sacrifice (Eg: Though Rudolph and Duchess Flavia loved one another, their love was doomed, for she had to wed the )
abominate
loathe; hate (Eg: Moses scolded the idol worshippers in the tribe because he abominated the custom. )
abrasive
rubbing away; tending to grind down (Eg: Just as abrasive cleaning powders can wear away a shiny finish, abrasive remarks can wear away a listener’s )
abrogate
abolish (Eg: He intended to abrogate the decree issued by his predecessor. )
absolve
pardon (an offense) (Eg: The father confessor absolved him of his sins. )
abstain
refrain; withhold from participation (Eg: After considering the effect of alcohol on his athletic performance, he decided to abstain from drinking )
abut
border upon; adjoin (Eg: Where our estates abut, we must build a fence. )
abysmal
bottomless (Eg: His arrogance is exceeded only by his abysmal ignorance. )
accede
agree (Eg: If I accede to this demand for blackmail, I am afraid that I will be the victim of future demands. )
acclimate
adjust to climate or environment (Eg: One of the difficulties of our present air age is the need of travellers to acclimate themselves to their new )
acclivity
sharp upslope of a hill (Eg: The car could not go up the acclivity in high gear. )
accolade
award of merit (Eg: In Hollywood, an Oscar
is the highest accolade. )
accord
agreement (Eg: She was in complete accord with the verdict. )
accost
approach and speak first to a person (Eg: When the two young men accosted me, I was frightened because I thought they were going to attack me. )
accoutre
equip (Eg: The fisherman was accoutred with the best that the sporting goods store could supply )
accretion
growth; increase (Eg: The accretion of wealth marked the family’s rise in power. )
accrue
come about by addition (Eg: You must pay the interest that has accrued on your debt as well as the principal sum. )
acidulous
slightly sour; sharp; caustic (Eg: James was unpopular because of his sarcastic and acidulous remarks. )
acme
peak; pinnacle; highest point (Eg: Welles’s success in Citizen Kane marked the acme of his career as an actor; never again did he achieve such )
acquiesce
assent; agree passively (Eg: Although she appeared to acquiesce to her employer’s suggestions, I could tell she had reservations about )
acquittal
deliverance from a charge (Eg: His acquittal by the jury surprised those who had thought him guilty. )
acrid
sharp; bitterly pungent (Eg: )
acrimonious
stinging, caustic (Eg: His tendency to utter acrimonious remarks alienated his audience. )
actuarial
calculating; pertaining to insurance statistics (Eg: According to recent actuarial tables, life expectancy is greater today than it was a century ago. )
actuate
motivate (Eg: I fail to understand what actuated you to reply to this letter so nastily. )
acuity
sharpness (Eg: In time his youthful acuity of vision failed him, and he needed glasses. )
acumen
mental keenness (Eg: His business acumen helped him to succeed where others had failed. )
adage
wise saying; proverb (Eg: There is much truth in the old adage about fools and their money. )
addendum
addition; appendix to book (Eg: Jane’s editor approved her new comparative literature text but thought it would be even better with an )
addle
muddle; drive crazy (Eg: This idiotic plan is confusing enough to addle anyone. )
adherent
supporter; follower (Eg: In the wake of the scandal, the senator’s one,time adherent quietly deserted him. )
adjunct
something attached to but holding an inferior position (Eg: I will entertain this concept as an adjunct to the main proposal. )
adjuration
solemn urging (Eg: Her adjuration to tell the truth did not change the witnesses’ testimony. )
adjutant
staff officer assisting the commander; assistant (Eg: Though Wellington delegated many tasks to his chief adjutant, Lord Fitzroy Somerset, Somerset was in no )
admonish
warn; reprove (Eg: He admonished his listeners to change their wicked ways. )