opprobrious
(adj.) damning; extremely critical; disgraceful
(syn.) abusive, scurrilous, offensive
(n.) opprobrium = obloquy
alibi
1. (law) a defense by an accused person purporting to show that he or she could not have committed the crime in question
2. excuse
aloft
upward; high up in the air
amalgamate
(v.) to bring or combine together or with something else
(syn.) mingle, mix, unify
(adj.) amalgamated
(syn.) coalesced, consolidated, fused, united
amenable
(adj.) willing to follow advice or authority, tractable, submissive; responsive; liable to be held responsible
(syn.) conformable, compliant, tractable, susceptible
menace
(n.) something that is a source of danger; a threat or the act of threatening
(syn.) threat
(v.) pose a threat to; present a danger to
(syn.) endanger, imperil, peril, jeopardize
analgesic
(n.) something that reduces pain
ancillary
(adj.) subordinate or supplementary
(ant.) heart
anemic
(adj.) lacking in color, spirit, or vitality.
animus
(n.) a feeling of ill-will that arouses hostility
anterior
Coming before in position or time
Located towards the front of the body
antic
(adj.) ludicrously odd
(n.) a ludicrous or grotesque act done for fun and amusement
(v.) act as or like a clown
aphorism
(n.) a short pithy instructive saying
apocalyptic
(adj.) predicting or presaging universal destruction, devastation or ultimate doom
apocryphal
(adj.) of questionable authenticity; false
apoplectic
(adj. n.) Extremely angry or furious
apprehension
(n.)
a. fearful expectation
b. the cognitive condition of someone who understands
c. the act of apprehending a criminal
(syn.) trepidation
(v.) apprehend
(adj.) apprehensive
appraise
(v.) to assess the worth or value of
apprise
(v.) to give notice to; to inform
approbation
(n.) the expression of approval or favorable opinion, praise; official approval
(adj.) approbatory
(ant.) disapprobation
apropos
(adj.) fitting the occasion; suitable or appropriate
appropriate
(v.) take possession of by force, as after an invasion
(syn.) borrow
(adj.) suitable for a particular person, place, condition, etc.
(n.) appropriation
apt
(adj.) suitable, pertinent; tending, likely; quick to learn, smart
(syn.) apposite, pertinent, apropos
ardor
(n.) a strong feeling of energy or eagerness; a strong feeling of love
arrest
(v.)
a. to stop;
b. attract and hold someone's attention;
c. seize, capture
iota
(n.) a very small part or quantity
abase
(v.) cause to feel shame; hurt the pride of
abet
(v.) to encourage, assist, aid, support (especially in something wrong or unworthy)
abeyant
(adj.) temporarily inactive, stopped or suspended
abiding
(adj.) lasting for a long time; unceasing
(syn.) enduring, imperishable, lasting, permanent
abject
(adj.)
a. of the most miserable or contemptible kind
b. showing utter resignation or hopelessness
c. showing humiliation or submissiveness
abnegate
(v.) deny, renounce ,or surrender
surrogate
(n.) someone who takes the place of another person
(syn.) alternate, replacement
(n.) a person appointed to represent or act on behalf of others
(syn.) deputy
arrogate
(v.) seize and take control without authority and possibly with force
(syn.) assume, seize, takeover, usurp
(ant.) forfeit, forgo, give up, waive
abrogate
(v.) to abolish, usually by authority
abolish
(v.)
a. to officially end or stop (something, such as a law)
b. to complete do away with (something)
abstain
(v) hold back, refrain (especially from something bad or unhealthy); decline to vote
abstemious
(adj.) moderate, sparing (as in eating and drinking); characterized by abstinence and self-discipline
(syn.) continent, temperate, self-abnegating, self-denying, ascetic
(ant.) voracious, indulgent
abstinent
(adj.) self-restraining; not indulging an appetite
(syn.) ascetic, sober, temperate, teetotal
(ant.) dissolute, squander, hedonistic, licentious, dissipate, libertine, rakish, reprobate,
abstentious
(adj.) self-restraining; not indulging an appetite
(syn.) sober, temperate
(ant.) voracious
continent
(n.) one of the large landmasses of the earth
(adj.) restrained, especially abstaining from sexual intercourse
(syn.) sober, temperate, abstemious, abstinent, abstentious
accede
(v.) to agree to a request or demand; to assume an office or dignity
(syn.) assent, acquiescent
acclimate
(v.) to adapt to a new climate, environment, or situation
accost
(v.) to approach and speak to first; to confront in a challenging or aggressive way
accrete
(v.) to grow or increase gradually, as by addition
acrid
(adj.) sharp and harsh or unpleasantly pungent in taste or odor; harsh or corrosive in tone
acrimonious
(adj.) stinging, bitter in temper or tone
(syn.) acerbic, mordant
(n.) acrimony
pungent
(adj.) causing a sharp sensation; stinging, biting
acute
1. (adj.) sharp, severe
2. (adj.) having keen insight
(syn.) severe
acumen
(n.) keen insight
acuity
(n.) a quick and penetrating intelligence
adjourn
(v.) to stop proceedings temporarily, to break from a meeting or gathering; move to another place
adhere
(v.) to stick to, remain attached; to be devoted or loyal as a follower or supporter
adjunct
(n.) 1. something attached to another in a subordinate position
2. a person who is an assistant or subordinate to another
(syn.) associate
admonish
(v.) to caution or advise against something; to scold mildly; to remind of a duty
adumbrate
(v.) describe roughly or briefly or give the main points or summary of;
to sketch out in a vague way
adventitious
(adj.) resulting from chance rather than from an inherent cause or character; accidental, not essential; (medicine) acquired, not congenital
advert
(v.) give heed to
(n.) a public promotion of some product or service
(adj.) advertent
affinity
(n.) a natural attraction or feeling of kinship; an inherent similarity
affluent
(adj.) rich, wealthy
alacrity
(n.) a quick and cheerful readiness to do something
ascendant
(adj.) rising
(adj.) dominant, important or influent
(n.) position or state of being dominant or in control
aseptic
(adj.) Free from germs
(adj.) lacking vitality, emotion
asperity
(n.) harshness of manner or of temper
(syn.) rude, sharpness
(ant.) bluntness, dullness
(n.) rigor, severity
aspersion
(n.) a damaging or derogatory statement; the act of slandering or defaming
(syn.) slur
(v.) asperse ~ besmirch, caluminate, defame, denigrate, slander, smear, smirch, sully
aspirant
(n.) a person who goes after high goal
assess
(v.) charge (a person or a property) with a payment, such as tax of fine
(v.) evaluate or estimate the nature, quality, ability, extent, or significance of
astute
(adj.) shrewd, crafty, showing practical wisdom
(syn.) sharp, shrewd, smart
attenuate
(v.) to make thin or slender; to weaken or lessen in force, intensity, or value
(n.) attenuation
aversion
(n.) a particular dislike for something
awash
(adj.) covered with, or thoroughly penetrated by water
awning
(n.) piece of material attached to a caravan or building which provides shelter from the rain or sun
bait
(v.) to persecute or exasperate with unjust, malicious, or persistent attack
bale
(adj.) deadly or sinister
(adj.) threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
(n.) woe, sorrow
bane
(n.) the source or cause of fatal injury, death, destruction, or ruin; death or ruin itself; poison
baleful
deadly; having a malign influence; ominous
(adj.) harmful, threatening or deadly
balk
(v.) to stop, block abruptly
(v.) to stop short and refuse to go on; to refuse abruptly; to prevent from happening;
balky
(adj.) stubbornly refusing to act
(adj.) stopping short and refusing to go on
decry
(v.) to condemn, express strong disapproval; to officially depreciate
belittle
(v.) 1.cause to seem less serious; play down
2. lessen the authority, dignity, or reputation of
3. express a negative opinion of
denigrate
(v.) to belittle, diminish the opinion of
(adj.) denigrating
(syn.) defame, calumniate, slander, libel
denounce
(v.) to condemn openly; to accuse formally
(syn.) fulminate, rail,
deprecate
(v.) 1. to express strong disapproval;
(syn.) deplore
2. to belittle
(syn.) depreciate
(adj.) deprecatory
depreciate
(v.)
1. lose in value
2. lower the value of something
3. belittle
(syn.) deprecate
derogate
(v.) cause to seem less serious; play down
disapprove
(v.)
1. deem wrong or inappropriate
2. consider bad or wrong
dismiss
(v.)
1. put away from consideration; reject
2. terminate the employment of
(syn.) discount, disregard, ignore, push aside, brush aside
(n.) dismissal
disparage
(v) to belittle, say uncomplimentary things; to put down; express a negative opinion of
(syn.) slight, belittle
(ant.) blandish, flatter
slight
(v.) pay no attention, disrespect
(syn.) cold-shoulder, dismiss, disregard, ignore, brush aside
blandish
(v.) praise somewhat dishonestly
(syn.) flatter
(ant.) belittle, dismiss, disparage
declaim
(v.) recite in elocution
(syn.) recite
(v.) speak against in an impassioned manner
(syn.) inveigh
declamation
(n.) a speech or presentation spoken in a formal or theatrical style
proclaim
(v.) declare formally; state or announce
(syn.) exclaim, promulgate
(v.) praise, glorify, or honor
(syn.) exalt, extol, laud
exclaim
(v.) utter loud
(syn.) cry out
(v.) state or announce
(syn.) proclaim, promulgate, declare, trumpet
trumpet
(v.) proclaim on, or as if on, a trumpet
(syn.) exclaim, proclaim, promulgate
reclaim
(v.) bring, lead, or force to abandon a wrong or evil course of life, conduct, and adopt a right one
(syn.) rectify, reform, regenerate
(v.) overcome the wildness of; make docile and tractable
(syn.) domesticate, tame,
(v.) claim back
(syn.) repossess
(v.) make useful again; transform from a useless or uncultivated state
acclaim
(n.) high praise
applaud
(v.) To show approval, especially by clapping hands
exalt
(v.) 1. praise, glorify, or honor
2. raise in rank, character, or status
(syn.) extol, glorify, laud, proclaim
(n.) exaltation = encomium
exult
(v.) feel extreme happiness or elation