Vocabulary: English:English

Vocabulary Compilation . English to English

ABATE

subside, or moderate; to decrease; reduce

ABDICATE

to give up a position, right, or power

ABERRANT

abnormal, or deviant; deviating from what is normal

ABEYANCE

suspended action; temporary suppression or suspension

ABJECT

miserable; pitiful

ABJURE

to reject; abandon formally

ABSCISSION

the act of cutting; the natural separation of a leaf or other part of a plant

ABSCOND

depart secretly and hide

ABSTEMIOUS

sparing in eating and drinking; temperate; moderate in appetite

ABSTINENCE

the giving up of certain pleasures

ABYSMAL

very bad

ACCRETION

growth in size or increase in amount

ACCRUE

to accumulate; grow by additions

ADAMANT

uncompromising; unyielding

ADJUNCT

something added, attached, or joined

ADMONISH

warn; reprove; to caution or reprimand

ADULTERATE

make impure by adding inferior or tainted substances

AESTHETIC

artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciating the beautiful

AFFECTED

pretentious, phony

AFFINITY

fondness; liking; similarity

AGGRANDIZE

to make larger or greater

AGGREGATE

gather; accumulate; amounting to a whole; total

ALACRITY

cheerful promptness; eagerness; speed

ALCHEMY

medieval chemical philosophy based on changing metal into gold; a seemingly magical power or process of transmutation

ALLAY

to lessen; ease; soothe

ALLEVIATE

relieve; improve partially

ALLOY

a combination; a mixture of two or more metals

ALLURE

the power to entice by charm

AMALGAMATE

combine; unite in one body

AMBIGUOUS

unclear or doubtful in meaning

AMBIVALENCE

the state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes

AMBROSIA

something delicious; the food of the gods

AMELIORATE

improve

AMENABLE

agreeable; cooperative; suited

AMENITY

something that increases comfort

AMULET

ornament worn as a charm against evil spirits

ANACHRONISM

something or someone misplaced in time

ANALGESIC

medication that reduces or eliminates pain

ANALOGOUS

comparable

ANARCHY

absence of governing body; state of disorder

ANODYNE

something that calms or soothes pain

ANOMALOUS

abnormal; irregular

ANOMIE

a social condition marked by a breakdown of social norms

ANTECEDENT

something that comes before

ANTEDILUVIAN

prehistoric

ANTIPATHY

aversion; dislike; hostility

APATHY

lack of caring; indifference

APEX

the highest point

APOGEE

the point in an orbit most distant from the body being orbited; the highest point

APOTHEGM

a terse, witty saying

APPEASE

pacify or soothe; relieve

APPELLATION

name

APPOSITE

strikingly appropriate and relevant

APPRISE

inform

APPROBATION

approval; praise

APPROPRIATE

acquire; take possession of for one’s own use

APROPOS

relevant

ARABESQUE

ornate design featuring intertwined curves; a ballet position

ARCHEOLOGY

the study of material evidence of past human life

ARDOR

great emotion or passion

ARDUOUS

hard; strenuous; extremely difficult; laborious

ARGOT

a specialized vocabulary used by a group

ARREST

to stop; to seize

ARTIFACT

item made by human craft

ARTLESS

without guile; open and honest

ASCETIC

practicing self-denial; austere

ASPERITY

severity; harshness; irritability

ASPERSION

slander; false rumor

ASSIDUOUS

diligent; hard-working

ASSUAGE

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

ASTRINGENT

harsh; severe

ASYLUM

place of refuge or shelter

ATAVISM

the reappearance of a characteristic in an organism after several generations of absence

ATTENUATE

make thinner; weaken

AUDACIOUS

daring; bold

AUSTERE

forbiddingly stern; severely simple and unornamented

AUTONOMOUS

self-governing; independent

AVARICE

greed

AVER

assert confidently or declare; state formally as a fact

AVOCATION

secondary occupation

AVUNCULAR

like an uncle, benevolent and tolerant

AXIOMATIC

taken for granted

BACCHANALIAN

pertaining to riotous or drunken festivity; pertaining to revelry

BANAL

hackneyed; commonplace; trite; lacking originality

BANTER

playful conversation

BARD

poet

BAWDY

obscene

BEATIFY

to sanctify; to bless; to ascribe a virtue to

BEDIZEN

to dress in a vulgar; showy manner

BEHEMOTH

huge creature; anything very large and powerful

BELIE

contradict; give a false impression

BENEFICENT

kindly; doing good

BIFURCATE

to divide into two parts

BIONICS

the application of biological principles to the design of electrical or engineering systems

BLANDISHMENT

flattery

BLASE

bored because of frequent indulgence; unconcerned

BOLSTER

support; reinforce

BOMBASTIC

pompous; using inflated language

BOORISH

rude; insensitive

BOVINE

cowlike