Word Smart 1

abash

To make ashamed; to embarrass

abate

To subside; to reduce

abdicate

To step down from a position of power or responsibility;

mnemonic: dictator

aberration

Something not typical; a deviation from the standard

abhor

To hate very very much; to detest

abject

Hopeless; extremely sad and servile; defeated; utterly bummed out

abnegate

renunciation (give up, disown, renounce) of your own interests in favor of the interests of others; The story takes place in a post-apocalypse walled Chicago largely peopled by five multiracial factions. At 16, its citizens partake in an initiation ritual, the Choosing Ceremony, in which, like Harry Potter and his wizardly kin, they choose their group for life. Born into Abnegation, which values selflessness, Tris signed up with Team Dauntless in the inaugural movie. As their names suggest, the remaining factions — Amity, Candor and Erudite — serve specific needs

abortive

Unsuccessful

abridge

To shorten; to condense

absolute

Total; unlimited; perfect

absolve

To forgive or free from blame; to free from sin; to free from an obligation

abstinent

Abstaining; voluntarily not doing something especially something pleasant that is bad for you or has a bad reputation

abstract

Theoretical; impersonal

abstruse

Hard to understand

abysmal

Extremely hopeless or wretched; bottomless

accolade

An award; an honor; mnemonic: ek cola dey;

accost

To approach and speak to someone

acerbic

Bitter; sour; severe

acquiesce

To comply passively; to accept; to assent; to agree

acrid

Harsh; like acid

acrimonious

Full of spite; bitter; nasty

acumen

Keenness of judgment; mental sharpness

shrewd

1. rude, hard as shrew 2. Sharp,acute mnemonic: she rude

adamant

Stubborn; unyielding; completely inflexible

address

To speak to; to direct ones attention to

adherent

Follower; supporter; believer

admonish

To scold gently; to warn

adroit

Skillful; dexterous; clever; shrewd; socially at ease

adulation

Wild or excessive admiration; flattery

adulterate

To contaminate; to make impure

adverse

Unfavorable; antagonistic

mnemonic: adversary

aesthetic

Having to do with artistic beauty; artistic

affable

Easy to talk to; friendly

affectation

Unnatural or artificial behavior usually intended to impress

mnemonic: affection is guinuine

affinity

Sympathy; attraction; kinship; similarity; afeem

affluent

Rich; prosperous

agenda

Program; the things to be done

agrarian

Relating to land; relating to the management or farming of land

aggregate

Sum total; a collection of separate things mixed together

agnostic

One who believes that the existence of a god can be neither proven nor disproven

alacrity

Cheerful eagerness or readiness to respond

allege

To assert without proof

mnemonic: all eggs are stolen, he exagerrated

alleviate

To relieve usually temporarily or incompletely; to make bearable; to lessen

allocate

To distribute; to assign; to allot

alloy

A combination of two or more things usually metals

allusion

An indirect reference often to a literary work; a hint hint; allu shun

aloof

Uninvolved, standing off; keeping ones distance

mnemonic: a roof

altruism

Selflessness; generosity; devotion to the interests of others

ambiance

Atmosphere; mood; feeling mood, mnemonic: amber

ambiguous

Unclear in meaning; confusing; capable of being interpreted in different ways

ambivalent

Undecided; neutral; wishy-washy

ameliorate

To make better or more tolerable ;

amenable

Obedient; willing to give in to the wishes of another; agreeable

amenity

Pleasantness; attractive or comfortable feature

mnemonic: a man like habits, amenable habits

amiable

Friendly; agreeable

amnesty

An official pardon for a group of people who have violated a law or policy;

mnemonic: i am in nest(jail)

amoral

1. Amoral: Lacking a sense of right and wrong;

2. Moral: sense of right and wrong;

3. Immoral: bad

amorous

Feeling loving especially in a sexual sense; in love relating to love

mnemonic: a more rouse ( as in breast milk)

amorphous

Shapeless; without a regular or stable shape

anachronism

Something out of place in time or history; an incongruity

analogy

A comparison of one thing to another; similarity similarity

anarchy

Absence of government or control; lawlessness; disorder

anecdote

A short account of a humorous or revealing incident

anguish

Agonizing physical or mental pain

mnemonic: ung vish(zehr)

animosity

Resentment; hostility; ill will;

mnemonic: ani mossi

anomaly

An aberration; an irregularity; a deviation ;

antecedent

Someone or something that went before; something that provides a model for something that came after it

antipathy

Firm dislike; a dislike ↔sympathy ;

antithesis

The direct opposite

apartheid

The abhorrent policy of racial segregation and oppression in the Republic of South Africa

mnemonic: apart the ID's

apathy

Lack of interest; lack of feeling.

1) Maynard Phillips, a former selectman, said: ''We feel there is a certain amount of apathy. There are people available to do the work. I am hoping this will wake up some people to think maybe they should serve on this committee or that.''

2) there is widespread apathy among electorate

aphorism

A brief often witty saying; a proverb

mnemonic: a pharo example

apocalypse

A prophetic revelation especially one concerning the end of the world

mnemonic: Eclipse (symbol of darkness)

apocryphal

Of dubious authenticity; fictitious(Fiction); spurious(poori yes)

apotheosis

Elevation to divine status; the perfect example of something;

mnemonic: a pathi(goya) sis

appease

To soothe; to pacify by giving in to

appreciate

To increase in value

mnemonic:depreciate

apprehensive

Worried; anxious

mnemonic: apprehend(arrest), app rahain sieze

approbation

Approval; praise

appropriate

To take without permission; to set aside for a particular use

mnemonic: a prra(brother) pirate

aptitude

Capacity for learning; natural ability

arbiter

One who decides; a judge

arbitrary

Random; capricious random

arcane

Mysterious; known only to a select few mysterious

mnemonic: orcan (undertaker brother) somethings fights with his brother, what a mysterious personality

archaic

Extremely old; ancient; outdated

archetype

An original model or pattern

ardent

Passionate half-hearted;

mnemonic: hard end

arduous

Hard; difficult

mnemonic: assiduous

aristocratic

Of noble birth; snobbish

artful

disapproving.

Wily (as in villion); sly (s lie) ; crafty(cunning)

artifice

A clever trick; cunning ;

mnemonic; an artist face

ascendancy

Supremacy; domination

ascetic

Hermit like (haram cheazing chor dena); practicing self-denial

compare: eclectic

assiduous

Hardworking; busy; quite diligent;

as in the dust;

arduous

assimilate

To take in; to absorb; to learn thoroughly

mnemonic: similate

assuage

To soothe; to pacify; to ease the pain of; to relieve

astute

Shrewd; keen in judgment ;

attrition

Gradual wearing away weakening or loss; expected decrease in numbers of size;

1. detrition; 2. abrosion( ab rashan kam)

Mnemonic: a food iteration result in reduction in its quantity

audacity

Boldness; reckless daring; impertinence ;

augment

To make bigger; to add to; to increase ;