verbal words Flashcards
allude
refer indirectly; N. allusion: indirect reference
alluvial
pertaining to soil deposits left by running water
ambrosia
food of the gods
ambush .
act of lying in wait to attack by surprise; sudden attack made from a concealed
position; Ex. lie in ambush; V.
ameliorate
improve
ambidextrous
capable of using either hand with equal ease
altruistic
unselfishly generous; concerned for others; N. altiruism: unselfish concern for the
welfare of others; unselfishness; OP. egoism
amity
friendship; peaceful relationship as between nations
amok(amuck)
in a state of rage; Ex. run amok
anecdote
short story of an amusing or interesting event
anodyne
drug that relieves pain or trouble;opiate; ADJ. Ex. anodyne statement
anoint
consecrate; put oil on (in a religious ceremony)
antipathy
aversion; dislike or opposition
apocalyptic
prophetic; pertaining to revelations especially of disaster; N. apocalypse
apogee
highest point; the point farthest from the earth; OP. perigee
appellation
name; title
apotheosis
elevation to godhood; an ideal example of somethin
appease
pacify or soothe; Ex. appease a crying baby; N. appeasement
apposite
appropriate; fitting
aquiline
curved; hooked; of or like an eagle; Ex. aquiline nose
apprehend
arrest (a criminal); dread; perceive; N. apprehension
appurtenances
subordinate possessions; something added to a more important thing
arable
fit for growing crops; Ex. arable land
arboreal
of or living in trees
arcane
esoteric; secret; mysterious; known only to the initiated; Ex. arcane ritual; Ex.
arcane process closed to the uninitiated listene
archaic .
antiquated; no longer used; belonging to the past; N
argot
slang; speech spoken by only a small group of people
artisan
a manually skilled worker
arrears
being in debt; money that should have been paid; work that should have been done
arsenal
storage place for military equipment
ascendancy
controlling influence; position of controlling influence; CF. in the ascendant
artless
without guile; open and honest
acerbity
bitterness of speech and temper; ADJ. acerbic: bitter; acrid (in taste, manner, or
acidulous
slightly sour (in taste or manner); sharp; caustic
accrue
come to one as a gain; accumulate over time; come about by addition; Ex. benefits
that accrue from scientific research; Ex. interest accruing in a bank account; N.
accrual
accomplice
partner in crime
adept
expert at; very skilled
admonish
warn or speak to with gentle disapproval; reprove
allegiance
loyalty
alacrity
cheerful promptness without reluctance
agrarian
pertaining to land or its cultivation; Ex. agrarian reform
aghast
filled with great surprise or fear; horrified
agglomeration
collection; heap; V. agglomerate: gather into a rounded mass; N. aggolmeate:
jumbled mass; heap
aggrandize
make greater; increase in power, wealth, rank, or honor; N. aggrandizement
agape
openmouthed
alcove
nook; recess
amalgamate
(of societies or groups) combine; unite in one body
amenities
convenient features that helps to make life pleasant; social courtesies
ambulatory
able to walk
ambivalence
the state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes or opinions
amoral
nonmoral; having no understanding of right and wrong
anchor
secure or fasten firmly; be fixed in place; N. anchorage
anguish
acute pain; extreme suffering
annihilate
destroy
annotate
comment; make explanatory notes
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
antecede
precede
antecedents preceding events that influence what comes later; ancestors or early background
anomalous
abnormal; irregular
animosity
active enmity
animus
hostile feeling or intent; animosity; hostility; disposition
ancillary
serving as an aid or accessory; auxiliary; N
aplomb
poise; composure in difficult situations; assurance; self-confidence
approbation
approval
arbiter
person with power to decide a matter in dispute; judge who is in a position ot
make influential judgments; Ex. supreme arbiter of fashion in beachware
aria
operatic solo; a song sung by one person in an opera or oratorio
askance
with a sideways or indirect look (with disapproval or distruct); Ex. look askance at
asperity
sharpness; roughness; severity (of temper or weather); Ex. asperities of a Russian
winter
atrophy
wasting away; V: weaken and lose flesh and muscle (through lack of blood or lack
of use)
bacchanalian
drunken
balk
stop short, as if faced with an obstacle, and refuse to continue; foil; stop
or get in the way of; frustrate
banal
common place
banter
playful conversation
bard
poet
bawdy
obsence
assiduous
hard working
bombastic
using inflated language
bolster
boost up
blandishment
flattery
boorish
rude ,insensitive
bifurcate
to divide into 2 parts
bovine
cowlike
burgeon
to flourish
bucolic
characteristic of country side
burnish
polish
avuncular
like a uncle,benevolent
avarice
greed
austere
stern
audacious
bold,daring
assuage
to make less servere
buttress
support
avocation
secondary work
blase
bore by frequent indulgence
behemoth
more creative
axiomatic
taken for granted
canard
false , wrong story
canon
a group of literary works ,standardized principle
codify
systematize
castigation
punshiment
caustic
burning
chicanery
trickery,fraud
concave
inward curve
compunction
uneaseness caused by guilty
concoct
invent
condone
to overlook voluntarily
carping
to find wrong
