barrons vocab words

abate

v. subside or moderate

aberrant

adj. abnormal or deviant

abrasive

adj. rubbing away; tending to grind down

abridge

v. condense or shorten

absolute

adj. complete; totally unlimited; certain

abstemious

adj. sparing in eating and drinking; temperate

abstract

adj. theoretical; not concrete; nonrepresentational

abstruse

adj. obscure; profound; difficult to understand

accessible

adj. easy to approach; obtainable

acclaim

v. applaud; announce with great approval

accolade

n. award of merit

acknowledge

v. recognize; admit

acquiesce

v. assent; agree without protesting

acrimonious

adj. bitter in words or manner

acute

adj. quickly perceptive; keen; brief and severe

address

v. direct a speech to; deal with or discuss

adherent

n. supporter; follower

adjacent

adj. neighboring; adjoining

adroit

adj. skillful; nimble

adulation

n. flattery; admiration

adversary

n. opponent

adverse

adj. unfavorable; hostile

advocate

v. urge; plead for

aesthetic

adj. artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciation of the beautiful

affable

adj. easily approachable; warmly friendly

affinity

n. natural liking; kinship; similarity

affirmation

n. positive assertion; confirmation; solemn pledge by one who refuses to take an oath

aggressor

n. attacker

alienate

v. make hostile; separate

alleviate

v. relieve

aloof

adj. apart; reserved; standoffish

altruistic

adj. unselfishly generous; concerned for others

ambiguous

adj. unclear or doubtful in meaning

ambivalence

n. the state of having. ontradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes

ameliorate

v. improve; make more satisfactory

amend

v. correct; change, generally for the better

amorphous

adj. formless; lacking shape or definition

ample

adj. abundant

analogy

n. similarity; parallelism

anarchist

n. person who seeks to overturn the established government; advocate of abolishing authority

anecdote

n. short account of an amusing or interesting event

animosity

n. active enmity

antagonism

n. hostility; active resistance

antidote

n. medicine to counteract a poison or disease

antiquated

adj. old-fashioned; obsolete

antithesis

n. contrast; direct opposite of or to

apathy

n. lack of caring; indifference

apocryphal

adj. untrue; made up; not genuine

appease

v. pacify or soothe; relieve

appreciate

v. be thankful for; increase in worth; be thoroughly conscious of

apprehension

n. fear; discernment; capture

arable

adj. fit for growing crops

arbitrary

adj. unreasonable or capricious; randomly selected without any reason; based solely on one's unrestricted will or judgment

archaic

adj. antiquated

ardor

n. heat; passion; zeal

arid

adj. dry; barren

arrogance

n. pride; haughtiness

articulate

adj. effective; distinct

artifact

n. object made. y human beings, either handmade or mass-produced

artisan

n. manually skilled worker; craftsman, as opposed to artist

ascendancy

n. controlling influence

ascetic

adj. practicing self-denial; austere

aspire

v. seek to attain; long for

assuage

v. ease or lessen (pain); satisfy ( hunger); soothe (anger)

astute

adj. wise, shrewd

atrophy

v. waste away

attentive

adj. considerate; thoughtful; paying attention

attribute

v. ascribe; explain

audacious

adj. daring; bold

augment

v. increase; add to

austerity

n. sterness; severity; strict economy; lack of luxuries

authentic

adj. genuine

authoritarian

adj. subordinating the individual to the state; completely dominating another's will

autonomous

adj. self-governing

aversion

n. firm dislike

banal

adj. hackneyed; commonplace; trite

bane

n. cause of ruin; curse

belie

v. contradict; give a false impression

belittle

v. disparage; make fun of

belligerent

adj. quarrelsome

benevolent

adj. generous; charitable

benign

adj. kindly; favorable; not malignant

bequeath

v. leave to someone by a will; hand down

biased

adj. slanted; prejudiced

bland

adj. soothing; mild; dull

blasphemy

n. irreverence; sacrilege; cursing

bolster

v. support; reinforce

braggart

n. boastful person

brawn

n. muscular strength; sturdiness

brevity

n. conciseness; briefness

buttress

v. support; prop up

cacophonous

adj. discordant; inharmonious

cajole

v. coax; wheedle

calculated

adj. deliberately planned; likely

candor

n. frankness; candid

capricious

adj. unpredictable; fickle

caricature

n. distortion; burlesque

censorious

adj. critical

censure

v. blame; criticize

certitude

n. certainty