WS 6th A-Z

abash

To make ashamed; to embarrass

abate

To subside; to reduce

abdicate

To step down from a position of power or responsibility

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

To deny oneself things; to reject; to renounce

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

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

acute

Sharp; shrewd

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

aesthetic

Having to do with artistic beauty; artistic

affable

Easy to talk to; friendly

affectation

Unnatural or artificial behavior usually intended to impress

affinity

Sympathy; attraction; kinship; similarity

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

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

aloof

Uninvolved; standing off; keeping ones distance

altruism

Selflessness; generosity; devotion to the interests of others

ambiance

Atmosphere; mood; feeling mood

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

amiable

Friendly; agreeable

amnesty

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

amoral

Lacking a sense of right and wrong; neither good nor bad neither moral nor immoral; without moral feelings

amorous

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

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

animosity

Resentment; hostility; ill will

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 Repubic of South Africa

apathy

Lack of interest; lack of feeling

aphorism

A brief often witty saying; a proverb

apocalypse

A prophetic revelation especially one concerning the end of the world

apocryphal

Of dubious authenticity; fictitious; spurious

apotheosis

Elevation to divine status; the perfect example of something

appease

To soothe; to pacify by giving in to

appreciate

To increase in value

apprehensive

Worried; anxious

approbation

Approval; praise

appropriate

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

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

archaic

Extremely old; ancient; outdated

archetype

An original model or pattern

ardent

Passionate half-hearted

arduous

Hard; difficult

aristocratic

Of noble birth; snobbish

artful

Wily; sly ; =crafty

artifice

A clever trick; cunning ;

ascendancy

Supremacy; domination

ascetic

Hermit like; practicing self-denial

assiduous

Hardworking; busy; quite diligent

assimilate

To take in; to absorb; to learn thoroughly

assuage

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

astute

Shrewd; keen in judgment ;

attrition

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

audacity

Boldness; reckless daring; impertinence ;

augment

To make bigger; to add to; to increase ;