Vocabulary Study Guide: A to Anonymous

A comprehensive vocabulary list covering academic and advanced English terms sorted alphabetically from Page 1 to Page 4 of the lecture notes.

abate

subside; decrease, lessen

abbreviate

shorten

abdicate

renounce; give up

abduction

kidnapping

aberrant

abnormal or deviant

abet

aid, usually in doing something wrong; encourage

abhor

detest; hate

abject

wretched; lacking pride

abolish

cancel; put an end to

abominable

detestable; extremely unpleasant; very bad

aboriginal

being the first of its kind in a region; primitive; native

abortive

unsuccessful; fruitless

abrade

wear away by friction; scrape; erode

abrasive

rubbing away; tending to grind down

abridge

condense or shorten

abscond

depart secretly and hide

absolute

(1) complete; totally unlimited; (2) certain

absolve

pardon (an offense)

absorb

(1) assimilate or incorporate; (2) suck or drink up; (3) wholly engage

abstain

refrain; hold oneself back voluntarily from an action or practice

abstemious

sparing in eating and drinking; temperate

abstinence

restraint from eating or drinking

abstract

(1) theoretical; not concrete; (2) nonrepresentational

abstruse

obscure; profound; difficult to understand

abundant

plentiful; possessing riches or resources

abusive

coarsely insulting; physically harmful

abysmal

bottomless

abyss

enormous chasm; vast bottomless pit

academic

(1) related to education; (2) not practical or directly useful

accede

agree

accelerate

move faster

accentuate

emphasize; stress

accessible

easy to approach; obtainable

accessory

additional object; useful but not essential thing

acclaim

applaud; announce with great approval

acclimate

adjust to climate

accolade

award of merit

accommodate

(1) oblige or help someone; (2) provide with housing; (3) adapt to

accomplice

partner in crime

accord

agreement

acerbity

bitterness of speech and temper

acknowledge

recognize; admit

acme

top; pinnacle

acoustics

science of sound; quality that makes a room easy or hard to hear in

acquiesce

assent; agree without protesting

acquire

obtain; get

acquittal

deliverance from a charge

acrid

sharp; bitterly pungent

acrimonious

bitter in words or manner

acuity

sharpness

acumen

mental keenness

acute

(1) quickly perceptive; (2) keen; (3) brief and severe

adage

wise saying; proverb

adamant

hard; inflexible

adapt

alter; modify

addiction

compulsive, habitual need

addle

muddle; drive crazy; become rotten

address

direct a speech to; deal with or discuss

adept

expert at

adhere

stick fast

adherent

supporter; follower

adjacent

adjoining; neighboring; close by

adjunct

something added on or attached (generally nonessential or inferior)

admonition

warning

adopt

(1) legally take a child as one's own; (2) choose to follow an approach or idea; (3) assume a position or attitude; (4) formally accept (a suggestion or report)

adorn

decorate

adroit

skillful

adulterate

make impure by adding inferior or tainted substances

advent

arrival

adversary

opponent

adverse

unfavorable; hostile

adversity

unfavorable fortune; hardship; a calamitous event

advocacy

support; active pleading on something's behalf

advocate

urge; plead for

aesthetic

artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciation of the beautiful

affable

easily approachable; warmly friendly

affected

artificial; pretended; assumed in order to impress

affinity

kinship

affirmation

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

affliction

state of distress; cause of suffering

affluence

abundance; wealth

afford

(1) have enough money to pay for; (2) provide

aftermath

consequences; outcome; upshot

agenda

items of business at a meeting

agent

means or instrument; personal representative; person acting in an official capacity

aggrandize

increase or intensify

aggregate

gather; accumulate

aggressor

attacker

agility

nimbleness

agitate

stir up; disturb

agnostic

one who is skeptical of the existence or knowability of a god or any ultimate reality

alleviate

relieve

alliteration

repetition of beginning sound in poetry

allocate

assign

allude

refer indirectly

allure

entice; attract

allusion

indirect reference

aloft

upward

alacrity

cheerful promptness

alias

an assumed name