Word List 39 Flashcards
warrant
sanction, authorization
justification
to declare or maintain with certainty
to guarantee security or immunity to; secure
to give warrant or sanction to; authorize
e.g. The writing was poor, but it hardly warrants that kind of insulting criticism.
promising enough to warrant further consideration
wastrel
vagabond, waif
one who expends resources foolishly and self-indulgently; profligate
e.g. The black sheep of the family, he ended up being a wastrel and a drunkard.
watershed
a crucial dividing point, line, or factor; turning point
e.g. A watershed moment in her life came when she inherited a reasonable sum of money and was able to start her own coffee shop.
wax
to increase in size, numbers, strength, prosperity, or intensity
to grow or become
e.g. Discord waxed at an alarming rate.
He waxed angry at the insinuation.
wean
to detach from a source of dependence
to accustom to something from an early age (used in the passive especially with on)
e.g. being weaned off the medication
wean him off his excessive drinking
students who are weaned on the Internet for research
weasel
to use weasel words; equivocate
to escape from or evade a situation or obligation (oft. used with out)
e.g. The polite guest chose to weasel rather than admit that he didn’t like the meal.
welter
a state of wild disorder; turmoil
a chaotic mass or jumble
e.g. a bewildering welter of data
wheedle
to influence or entice by soft words or flattery
to gain or get by wheedling
e.g. He wheedled quite a bit of money from her.
wheedle one’s way into favor
whet
to sharpen by rubbing on or with something (as a stone)
to make keen or more acute; excite, stimulate
e.g. whet a knife
whet the appetite / whet booksellers’ interests
whim
a capricious or eccentric and often sudden idea or turn of the mind; fancy
e.g. quit his job on a whim
whimsical
full of, actuated by, or exhibiting whims
resulting from or characterized by whim or caprice; especially, lightly fanciful
e.g. a whimsical sense of humor
hard to make plans with such a whimsical friend
whimsical decorations
whimsy
whim, caprice
a fanciful or fantastic device, object, or creation especially in writing or art
e.g. The designer’s new line showed a touch of whimsy.
a bit of decorative whimsy
whittle
to pare or cut off chips from the surface of (wood) with a knife
to reduce, remove, or destroy gradually; pare
e.g. whittle a walking stick from a maple tree branch
whittle down the company’s overhead / whittle away one’s inheritance
willful
obstinately and often perversely self-willed
done deliberately; intentional
e.g. a stubborn and willful child
willful disregard for other people’s feelings
willowy
pliant
gracefully tall and slender
wily
full of clever tricks; crafty
e.g. a wily negotiator
wince
to shrink back involuntarily (as from pain); flinch
e.g. winched at the movie’s graphic depiction of combat injuries
windbag
an exhaustively talkative person
windy
verbose, bombastic
lacking substance; empty
e.g. a windy politician
windy promises
winnow
to get rid of (something undesirable or unwanted); remove
separate, sift; select
narrow, reduce
e.g. winnow out certain inaccuracies
an old hand at winnowing what is true and significant
The least qualified applicants were winnowed out of the initial pool.
winsome
generally pleasing and engaging often because of a childlike charm and innocence
cheerful, lighthearted
e.g. a winsome smile
wistful
full of yearning or desire tinged with melancholy; also, inspiring such yearning
musingly sad; pensive
e.g. a wistful memoir
witticism
a clever witty and often biting or ironic remark
e.g. a drama critic who is best remembered for his biting witticisms
wizen
to become dry, shrunken, and wrinkled often as a result of aging or failing vitality
e.g. a face wizened by age
wobble
to move or proceed unsteadily and clumsily
tremble, quaver
waver, vacillate
woe
a condition of deep suffering from misfortune, affliction, or grief
ruinous trouble; calamity, affliction
e.g. a tale of misery and woe
economic woes
wrangle
to dispute angrily or peevishly; bicker
e.g. wrangling over money
wrangler
a bickering disputant
a ranch hand who takes care of the saddle horses; broadly, cowboy
wretched
deeply afflicted, dejected or distressed
extremely or deplorably bad or distressing
very poor in quality or ability; inferior
e.g. slums filled with poor, wretched children
in wretched health/poverty
wretched clothes/workmanship
writ
something written; writing
a formal written document
the power and authority of the issuer of such a written order
e.g. The judge issued a writ of execution.
outside the United States where our writ does not run
wrought
worked into shape by artistry or effort
elaborately embellished; ornamented
processed for use; manufactured
deeply stirred; excited (oft. used with up)
e.g. carefully wrought essays
gets easily wrought up over nothing
wry
having a bend or twisted shape or condition; also, turned abnormally to one side
cleverly and often ironically or grimly humorous
e.g. a wry smile
noted for their wry humor
xenophobe
one unduly fearful of what is foreign and especially of people of foreign origin
xerophyte
a plant adapted for life and growth with a limited water supply
yarn
a continuous often plied strand composed of either natural or man-made fibers or filaments and used in weaving and knitting to form cloth
a narrative of adventures; especially, a tall tale
e.g. The sheep’s wool will be spun into yarn.
a roaring good yarn about ghosts and goblins
a storyteller who spins yarns that will keep any audience riveted
yearn
to long persistently, wistfully, or sadly
to feel tenderness or compassion
e.g. yearn to make a difference
yeast
something that causes ferment or activity
e.g. Taxation without representation proved to be the yeast of rebellion.
yielding
productive
lacking rigidity or stiffness; flexible
disposed to submit or comply
e.g. a high-yielding chemical process
a soft and yielding material
a docile and yielding temperament
yoke
a bar or frame that is attached to the heads or necks of two work animals
servitude, bondage
also
to put to work
e.g. a people able at last to throw off the yoke and embrace freedom
yoked several ideas together to come up with a new theory
yokel
a naive or gullible inhabitant of a rural area or small town
e.g. a lame comedy about the misadventures of yokels in the big city
zealotry
excess of zeal; fanatical devotion
e.g. Cyclists do pursue a zealotry of their own.
zenith
the highest point reached in the heavens by a celestial body
culminating point; acme
e.g. at the zenith of her career as a dancer
zephyr
a breeze from the west; a gentle breeze
zest
a piece of the peel of a citrus fruit used as flavoring
an enjoyable exciting quality; piquancy
keen enjoyment; relish, gusto
e.g. His humor added zest to the performance.
a zest for living
