Vocab: A Flashcards
Abdicate
To give up a position, right, or power
Abate
To decrease; reduce
Aberrant
Deviating from what is normal
Abeyance
Temporary suppression or suspension
Abject
Miserable; pitiful
Abjure
To reject; abandon formally
Abscission
The act of cutting; the natural separation of a leaf or other part of a plant
Abscond
To depart secretly
Abstemious
Moderate in appetite
Abstinence
The giving up of certain pleasures
Abysmal
Very bad
Accretion
Growth in size or increase in amount
Accrue
To accumulate; grow by additions
Adamant
Uncompromising; unyielding
Adjunct
Something added, attached, or joined
Admonish
To caution or reprimand
Adulterate
To corrupt or make impure
Aesthetic
Relating to beauty or art
Affected
Pretentious, phony
Affinity
Fondness; liking; similarity
Aggrandize
To make larger or greater
Aggregate
Amounting to a whole; total
Alacrity
Cheerful willingness; eagerness; speed
Alchemy
Medieval chemical philosophy based on changing metal into gold; a seemingly magical power or process of transmutation
Allay
To lessen; ease;soothe
Alleviate
To relieve; improve partially
Alloy
A combination; a mixture of two or more metals
Allure
The power to entice by charm
Amalgamate
To combine into a unified whole
Ambiguous
Unclear or doubtful in meaning
Ambivalence
The state of having conflicting emotional attitudes
Ambrosia
Something delicious; the food of the gods
Ameliorate
To improve
Amenable
Agreeable; cooperative; suited
Amenity
Something that increases comfort
Amulet
Ornament worn as a charm against evil spirits
Anachronism
Something out of the proper time
Analgesic
Medication that reduces or eliminates pain
Analogous
Comparable
Anarchy
Absence of government; state of disorder
Anodyne
Something that calms or soothes pain
Anomalous
Irregular; deviating from the norm
Antecedent
Something that comes before
Antediluvian
Prehistoric
Antipathy
Dislike; hostility
Apathy
Indifference
Apex
The highest point
Apogee
The point in an orbit most distant from the body being orbited; the highest point
Apothegm
Terse, witty saying
Appease
The calm; pacify; placate
Appellation
Name
Apposite
Strikingly appropriate and relevant
Apprise
To inform
Approbation
Praise; approval
Appropriate
To take possession for one’s own use; confiscate
Apropos
Relevant
Arabesque
Ornate design featuring intertwined curves; a ballet position in which one leg is extended in back while the other supports the weight of the body
Ardor
Great emotion or passion
Arduous
Extremely difficult; laborious
Argot
A specialized vocabulary used by a group
Arrest
To stop; to seize
Artifact
Item made by human craft
Artless
Guileless; natural
Ascetic
One who practiced self-denial
Asperity
Severity; harshness; irritability
Aspersions
Slander; false rumor
Assiduous
Diligent; hard-working
Assuage
To make less severe
Astringent
Harsh; severe
Asylum
Place or refuge or shelter
Atavism
In biology, the reappearance of a characteristic in an organism after several generations of absence; individual or a part that exhibits atavism; return of a trait after a period of absence
Attenuate
To weaken
Audacious
Bold; daring
Austere
Stern; unadorned
Autonomous
Self-governing; independent
Avarice
Greed
Aver
To affirm; declare to be true
Avocation
Secondary occupation
Avuncular
Like an uncle, benevolent and tolerant
Axiomatic
Taken for granted