Top 200 100 Flashcards
abase
to humble; to disgrace
ABATE
to reduce in amount, degree, or severity
ex. As the hurricane’s force ABATED, the winds dropped and the sea became calm
Words with Similar Meanings:
EBB, MODERATE, SUBSIDE, LAPSE, RELENT, WANE, LET UP, SLACKEN
abdicate
to give up a position, right, or power
aberrant
deviating from what is normal or expected
abeyance
temporary suppression or suspension
abjure
to reject; to abandon formally
ABSCOND
to leave secretly
ex. The patron ABSCONDED from the restaurant without paying his bill by sneaking out the back door.
Words with Similar Meanings:
DECAMP, ESCAPE, FLEE
abstain
to choose not to do something
ex. During Lent, practicing Catholics ABSTAIN from eating meat
Words with Similar Meanings:
FORBEAR, REFRAIN, WITHHOLD
abstemious
moderate in appetite
abyss
an extremely deep hole ex. The submarine dove into the ABYSS to chart the previously unseen depths Related words: ABYSSAL: pertaining to great depth ABYSMAL: extremely bad Words with Similar Meanings: CHASM, VOID
accretion
a gradual growth in size; an increase in amount
acidulous
sour in taste or manner
acme
the highest point; the summit; the highest level or degree attainable
adulterate
to make impure
ex. The restaurateur made his ketchup last longer by ADULTERATING it with water
Related Words:
UNADULTERATED: pure
ADULTERY: an illicit relationship; an affair
advocate
to speak in favor of ex. The vegetarian ADVOCATED a diet containing no meat Related Words: ADVOCACY: active support for Words with Similar Meanings: BACK, CHAMPION, SUPPORT
aerie
a nest built high in the air; an elevated, often secluded, dwelling
affected
phony; artificial
aggrandize
to increase in power influence, and reputation
ex. The supervisor sought to AGGRANDIZE himself by claiming that the achievements of his staff were actually his own
Words with Similar Meanings:
AMPLIFY, DIGNIFY, ENNOBLE, MAGNIFY, WAX, APOTHEOSIZE, ELEVATE, EXALT, SWELL, AUGMENT, ENLARGE, GLORIFY, UPLIFT
alacrity
speed or quickness
alleviate
to make more bearable
ex. Taking aspirin helps to ALLEVIATE a headache.
Words with Similar Meanings:
ALLAY, EASE, MITIGATE, ASSUAGE, LESSEN, PALLIATE, COMFORT, LIGHTEN, RELIEVE
amalgamate
to combine; to mix together
ex. Giant industries AMALGAMATED with Mega Products to form Giant-Mega Products INC.
Related Words:
AMALGAM: a mixture, especially of 2 metals
Words with Similar Meanings:
ADMIX, COMMINGLE, FUSE, MERGE, BLEND, COMMIX, INTERMINGLE, MINGLE, COMBINE, COMPOUND, INTERMIX, MIX
ambiguous
doubtful or uncertain; can be interpreted in several ways
ex. The directions he gave were so AMBIGUOUS that we disagreed on which way to turn.
Related Words:
AMBIGUITY: the quality of being ambiguous
Words with Similar Meanings:
CLOUDY, EQUIVOCAL, OBSCURE, DOUBTFUL, NEBULOUS, UNCLEAR, DUBIOUS, INDETERMINATE, VAGUE
ameliorate
to make better; to improve
ex. The doctor was able to AMELIORATE the patients suffering using painkillers
Words with Similar Meanings:
AMEND, PACIFY, BETTER, UPGRADE, IMPROVE
amortize
to diminish by installment payments
amulet
an ornament worn as a charm against evil spirits
anachronism
something out of place in time
ex. The aged hippie used ANACHRONISTIC phrases like groovy and far out that had not been popular for years
Words with Similar Meanings:
ARCHAISM, INCONGRUITY
analgesia
a lessening of pain without loss of consciousness
analogous
similar or alike in some way; equivalent
ex. In a famous argument for the existence of God, the universe is ANALOGOUS to a mechanical timepiece, the creation of a devinely intelligent “clockmaker”
Related Words:
ANALOGY: a similarity between things that are otherwise dissimilar
ANALOGUE: something that is similar in some way to something else
Words with Similar Meanings:
ALIKE, EQUIVALENT, SIMILAR, COMPARABLE, HOMOGENOUS, CORRESPONDING, PARALLEL
anodyne
something that calms or soothes pain
anomaly
deviation from what is normal
ex. Albino animals may display too great an ANOMALY in their coloring to attract normally colored mates
Related Words:
ANOMALOUS: deviating from what is normal
Words with Similar Meanings:
ABERRANCE, DEVIANCE, PRETERNATURALNESS, ABERRATION, DEVIATION, ABNORMALITY, IRREGULARITY
antagonize
to annoy or provoke to anger
ex. The child discovered that he could ANTAGONIZE the cat by pulling its tail.
Related Words:
ANTAGONISTIC: tending to provoke conflict
ANTAGONIST: someone who fights another
Words with Similar Meanings:
CLASH, IRRITATE, PROVOKE, CONFLICT, OPPOSE, VEX, INCITE, PESTER
antipathy
extreme dislike
The ANTIPATHY between the French and the English regularly erupted into open warfare
Words with Similar Meanings:
ANIMOSITY, AVERSION, REPELLENCE, ANIMUS, ENMITY, ANTAGONISM, HOSTILITY
apathy
lack of interest or emotion
The APATHY of voters is so great that less than half the people who are eligible to vote actually bother to do so.
Words with Similar Meanings:
COOLNESS, IMPASSIVITY, LASSITUDE, PHLEGM, UNRESPONSIVENESS, DISINTEREST, INDIFFERENCE, LETHARGY, STOLIDITY, DISREGARD, INSENSIBILITY, LISTLESSNESS, UNCONCERN
apocryphal
of questionable authority or authenticity
apostate
one who renounces a religious faith
approbation
approval and praise
arbitrary
determined by chance or impulse
arbitrate
to judge a debate between two opposing parties
ex. Since the couple could not come to an agreement, a judge was forced to ARBITRATE their divorce proceedings
Related Words:
ARBITRATION: a process by which a conflict is resolved
ARBITRATOR: a judge
Words with Similar Meanings:
ADJUDGE, DETERMINE, REFEREE, ADJUDICATE, JUDGE, RULE, DECIDE, MODERATE
ARCHAIC
ancient, old-fashioned
ex. Her ARCHAIC Commodore computer could not run the latest software
Related Words:
ARCHAISM: an outdated word or phrase
Words with Similar Meanings:
ANCIENT, BYGONE, FUTSY, OUTDATED, PREHISTORIC, SUPERSEDED, ANTEDILUVIAN, DATED, OBSOLETE, OUTMODED, STALE, VINTAGE, ANTIQUE, DOWDY, OLD-FASHIONED, PASSE, SUPERANNUATED
ardor
intense and passionate feeling
ex. Bishop’s ARDOR for landscape was evident when he passionately described the beauty of the scenic Hudson Valley
Related Words:
ARDENT: expressing ardor, passionate
Words with Similar Meanings:
DEVOTION, FERVIDITY, FIRE, ZEALOUSNESS, ENTHUSIASM, FERVIDNESS, PASSION, FERVENCY, FERVOR, ZEAL
arrogate
to claim without justification; to claim for oneself without right
articulate
able to speak clearly and expressively
ex. She is such an ARTICULATE defender of labor that unions are among her strongest supporters
Words with Similar Meanings:
ELOQUENT, LUCID, EXPRESSIVE, SILVER-TONGUED, FLUENT, SMOOTH-SPOKEN
assail
to attack; to assault
assuage
to make something unpleasant less severe
ex. Like many people, Philip Larkin used alcohol to ASSUAGE his sense of meaninglessness and despair.
Words with Similar Meanings:
ALLAY, COMFORT, LIGHTEN, PACIFY, PROPITIATE, SWEETEN, ALLEVIATE, CONCILIATE, MITIGATE, PALLIATE, RELIEVE, APPEASE, EASE, MOLLIFY, PLACATE, SOOTHE
attenuate
to reduce in force or degree; to weaken
ex. The Bill of Rights ATTENUATED the traditional power of government to change laws at will.
Words with Similar Meanings:
DEBILITATE, ENERVATE, SAP, UNDO, WEAKEN, DEVITALIZE, ENFEEBLE, THIN, UNNERVE, DILUTE, RAREFY, UNDERMINE, WATER
audacious
fearless and daring
ex. “And you, your majesty, may kiss my bum!” replied the AUDACIOUS peasant
Words with Similar Meanings:
ADVENTURESOME, BOLD, DARING, FEARLESS, HEROIC, PLUCKY, UNAFRAID, VALOROUS, AGGRESSIVE, BRAVE, DAUNTLESS, GALLANT, INTREPID, STOUT, UNDAUNTED, VENTURESOME, ASSERTIVE, COURAGEOUS, DOUGHTY, GAME, METTLESOME, STOUTHEARTED, VALIANT, VENTUROUS
augury
a prophecy; a prediction of events
august
dignified; grandiose
AUSTERE
severe or stern in appearance, undecorated
The lack of decoration makes Zen temples seem AUSTERE to the untrained eye
Related Words:
AUSTERITY: severity, especially poverty
Words with Similar Meanings:
BLEAK, HARD, DOUR, HARSH, GRIM, SEVERE