Example: After being overthrown and abased, the deposed leader offered to bow down to his conqueror.
abate (v.): to reduce, lessen
Example: The rain poured down for a while, then abated.
abdicate (v.): to give up a position, usually one of leadership
Example: When he realized that the revolutionaries would surely win, the king abdicated his throne.
abduct (v.): to kidnap, take by force
Example: The evildoers abducted the fairy princess from her happy home.
aberration (n.): something that differs from the norm
Example: In 1918, the Boston Red Sox won the World Series, but the success turned out to be an aberration, and the Red Sox have not won a World Series since.
abet (v.): to aid, help, encourage
Example: The spy succeeded only because he had a friend on the inside to abet him.
abhor (v.): to hate, detest
Example: Because he always wound up kicking himself in the head when he tried to play soccer, Oswald began to abhor the sport.
abide (v.): 1. to put up with. 2. to remain
Examples: 1. Though he did not agree with the decision, Chuck decided to abide by it. 2. Despite the beating they’ve taken from the weather throughout the millennia, the mountains abide.
abject (adj.): wretched, pitiful
Example: After losing all her money, falling into a puddle, and breaking her ankle, Eloise was abject.
abjure (v.): to reject, renounce
Example: To prove his honesty, the President abjured the evil policies of his wicked predecessor.
abnegation (n.): denial of comfort to oneself
Example: The holy man slept on the floor, took only cold showers, and generally followed other practices of abnegation.
abort (v.): to give up on a half-finished project or effort
Example: After they ran out of food, the men, attempting to jump rope around the world, had to abort and go home.
abridge (v./adj.): 1. to cut down, shorten. 2. shortened
Examples: 1. The publisher thought the dictionary was too long and abridged it. 2. Moby-Dick is such a long book that even the abridged version is longer than most normal books.
abrogate (v.): to abolish, usually by authority
Example: The Bill of Rights assures that the government cannot abrogate our right to a free press.
abscond (v.): to sneak away and hide
Example: In the confusion, the super-spy absconded into the night with the secret plans.
absolution (n.): freedom from blame, guilt, sin
Example: Once all the facts were known, the jury gave Angela absolution by giving a verdict of not guilty.
abstain (v.): to freely choose not to commit an action
Example: Everyone demanded that Angus put on the kilt, but he did not want to do it and abstained.
abstruse (adj.): hard to comprehend
Example: Everyone else in the class understood geometry easily, but John found the subject abstruse.
accede (v.): to agree
Example: When the class asked the teacher whether they could play baseball instead of learn grammar they expected him to refuse, but instead he acceded to their request.
accentuate (v.): to stress, highlight
Example: Psychologists agree that those people who are happiest accentuate the positive in life.
accessible (adj.): obtainable, reachable
Example: After studying with SparkNotes and getting a great score on the SAT, Marlena happily realized that her goal of getting into an Ivy-League college was accessible.
acclaim (n.): high praise
Example: Greg’s excellent poem won the acclaim of his friends.
accolade (n.): high praise, special distinction
Example: Everyone offered accolades to Sam after he won the Noble Prize.
accommodating (adj.): helpful, obliging, polite
Example: Though the apartment was not big enough for three people, Arnold, Mark, and Zebulon were all friends and were accommodating to each other.
accord (n.): an agreement
Example: After much negotiating, England and Iceland finally came to a mutually beneficial accord about fishing rights off the cost of Greenland.
accost (v.): to confront verbally
Example: Though Antoinette was normally quite calm, when the waiter spilled soup on her for the fourth time in 15 minutes she stood up and accosted the man.
accretion (n.): slow growth in size or amount
Example: Stalactites are formed by the accretion of minerals from the roofs of caves.
acerbic (adj.): biting, bitter in tone or taste
Example: Jill became extremely acerbic and began to cruelly make fun of all her friends.
acquiesce (v.): to agree without protesting
Example: Though Mr. Correlli wanted to stay outside and work in his garage, when his wife told him that he had better come in to dinner, he acquiesced to her demands.
acrimony (n.): bitterness, discord
Example: Though they vowed that no girl would ever come between them, Biff and Trevor could not keep acrimony from overwhelming their friendship after they both fell in love with the lovely Teresa.
acumen (n.): keen insight
Example: Because of his mathematical acumen, Larry was able to figure out in minutes problems that took other students hours.
acute (adj.): 1. sharp, severe. 2. having keen insight
Examples: 1. Arnold could not walk because the pain in his foot was so acute. 2. Because she was so acute, Libby instantly figured out how the magician pulled off his “magic.”
adamant (adj.): impervious, immovable, unyielding
Example: Though public pressure was intense, the President remained adamant about his proposal.
adept (adj.): extremely skilled
Example: Tarzan was adept at jumping from tree to tree like a monkey.
adhere (v.): 1. to stick to something. 2. to follow devoutly
Examples: 1. We adhered the poster to the wall with tape. 2. He adhered to the dictates of his religion without question.
admonish (v.): to caution, criticize, reprove
Example: Joe’s mother admonished him not to ruin his appetite by eating cookies before dinner.
adorn (v.): to decorate
Example: We adorned the tree with ornaments.
adroit (adj.): skillful, dexterous
Example: The adroit thief could pick someone’s pocket without attracting notice.
adulation (n.): extreme praise
Example: Though the book was pretty good, Marcy did not believe it deserved the adulation it received.
adumbrate (v.): to sketch out in a vague way
Example: The coach adumbrated a game plan, but none of the players knew precisely what to do.
Example: Because of adverse conditions, the hikers decided to give up trying to climb the mountain.
advocate (v./n.): 1. to argue in favor of something. 2. a person who argues in favor of something
Examples: 1. Arnold advocated turning left at the stop sign, even though everyone else thought we should turn right. 2. In addition to wanting to turn left at every stop sign, Arnold was also a great advocate of increasing national defense spending.
aerial (adj.): somehow related to the air
Example: We watched as the fighter planes conducted aerial maneuvers.
aesthetic (adj.): artistic, related to the appreciation of beauty
Example: We hired Susan as our interior decorator because she has such a fine aesthetic sense.
affable (adj.): friendly, amiable
Example: People like to be around George because he is so affable and good-natured.
affinity (n.): a spontaneous feeling of closeness
Example: Jerry didn’t know why, but he felt an incredible affinity for Kramer the first time they met.
affluent (adj.): rich, wealthy
Example: Mrs. Grebelski was affluent, owning a huge house, three cars, and an island near Maine.
affront (n.): an insult
Example: Bernardo was very touchy, and took any slight as an affront to his honor.
aggrandize (v.): to increase or make greater
Example: Joseph always dropped the names of the famous people his father knew as a way to aggrandize his personal stature.
aggregate (n./v.): 1. a whole or total. 2. to gather into a mass
Examples: 1. The three branches of the U.S. Government form an aggregate much more powerful than its individual parts. 2. The dictator tried to aggregate as many people into his army as he possibly could.
aggrieved (adj.): distressed, wronged, injured
Example: The foreman mercilessly overworked his aggrieved employees.
agile (adj.): quick, nimble
Example: The dogs were too slow to catch the agile rabbit.
agnostic (adj.): believing that the existence of God cannot be proven or disproven
Example: Joey’s parents are very religious, but he is agnostic.
agriculture (n.): farming
Example: It was a huge step in the progress of civilization when tribes left hunting and gathering and began to develop more sustainable methods of obtaining food, such as agriculture.
aisle (n.): a passageway between rows of seats
Example: Once we got inside the stadium we walked down the aisle to our seats.
alacrity (n.): eagerness, speed
Example: For some reason, Chuck loved to help his mother whenever he could, so when his mother asked him to set the table he did so with alacrity.
alias (n.): a false name or identity
Example: He snuck past the guards by using an alias and fake ID.
allay (v.): to soothe, ease
Example: The chairman of the Federal Reserve gave a speech to try to allay investors’ fears about an economic downturn.
allege (v.): to assert, usually without proof
Example: The policeman had alleged that Marshall committed the crime, but after the investigation turned up no evidence, Marshall was set free.
alleviate (v.): to relieve, make more bearable
Example: This drug will alleviate the symptoms of the terrible disease, but only for a while.
allocate (v.): to distribute, set aside
Example: The Mayor allocated 30 percent of the funds for improving the town’s schools.
aloof (adj.): reserved, distant
Example: The scientist could sometimes seem aloof, as if he didn’t care about his friends or family, but really he was just thinking about quantum mechanics.
altercation (n.): a dispute, fight
Example: Jason and Lionel blamed one another for the car accident, leading to an altercation.
amalgamate (v.): to bring together, unite
Example: Because of his great charisma, the presidential candidate was able to amalgamate all democrats and republicans under his banner.
Example: Some people think Caesar married Cleopatra for her power, others believe he was charmed by her beauty. His actual reasons are ambiguous.
ambivalent (adj.): having opposing feelings
Example: My feelings about Calvin are ambivalent because on one hand he is a loyal friend, but on the other, he is a cruel and vicious thief.
ameliorate (v.): to improve
Example: The tense situation was ameliorated when Sam proposed a solution everyone could agree upon.
amenable (adj.): willing, compliant
Example: Our father was amenable when we asked him to drive us to the farm so we could go apple picking.
amenity (n.): an item that increases comfort
Example: Bill Gates’s house is stocked with so many amenities, he never has to do anything for himself.
amiable (adj.): friendly
Example: An amiable fellow, Harry got along with just about everyone.
amicable (adj.): friendly
Example: Claudia and Jimmy got divorced, but amicably and without hard feelings.
amorous (adj.): showing love, particularly sexual
Example: Whenever Albert saw Mariah wear her slinky red dress, he began to feel quite amorous.
amorphous (adj.): without definite shape or type
Example: The effort was doomed from the start, because the reasons behind it were so amorphous and hard to pin down.
anachronistic (adj.): being out of correct chronological order
Example: In this book you’re writing, you say that the Pyramids were built after the Titanic sank, which is anachronistic.
analgesic (n.): something that reduces pain
Example: Put this analgesic on the wound so that the poor man at least feels a little better.
analogous (adj.): similar to, so that an analogy can be drawn
Example: Though they are unrelated genetically, the bone structure of whales and fish is quite analogous.
anarchist (n.): one who wants to eliminate all government
Example: An anarchist, Carmine wanted to dissolve every government everywhere.
anathema (n.): a cursed, detested person
Example: I never want to see that murderer. He is an anathema to me.
anecdote (n.): a short, humorous account
Example: After dinner, Marlon told an anecdote about the time he got his nose stuck in a toaster.
anesthesia (n.): loss of sensation
Example: When the nerves in his spine were damaged, Mr. Hollins suffered anesthesia in his legs.
anguish (n.): extreme sadness, torment
Example: Angelos suffered terrible anguish when he learned that Buffy had died while combating a strange mystical force of evil.
animated (adj.): lively
Example: When he begins to talk about drama, which is his true passion, he becomes very animated.
annex (v./n.): 1. to incorporate territory or space. 2. a room attached to a larger room or space
Examples: 1. After defeating them in battle, the Russians annexed Poland. 2. He likes to do his studying in a little annex attached to the main reading room in the library.
annul (v.): to make void or invalid
Example: After seeing its unforeseen and catastrophic effects, Congress sought to annul the law.
anomaly (n.): something that does not fit into the normal order
Example: “That rip in the space-time continuum is certainly a spatial anomaly,” said Spock to Captain Kirk.
anonymous (adj.): being unknown, unrecognized
Example: Mary received a love poem from an anonymous admirer.
antagonism (n.): hostility
Example: Superman and Bizarro Superman shared a mutual antagonism, and often fought.
antecedent (n.): something that came before
Example: The great tradition of Western culture had its antecedent in the culture of Ancient Greece.
antediluvian (adj.): ancient
Example: The antediluvian man still believed that Eisenhower was president of the United States and that hot dogs cost a nickel.
anthology (n.): a selected collection of writings, songs, etc.
Example: The new anthology of Bob Dylan songs contains all his greatest hits and a few songs that you might never have heard before.
antipathy (n.): a strong dislike, repugnance
Example: I know you love me, but because you are a liar and a thief, I feel nothing but antipathy for you.
antiquated (adj.): old, out of date
Example: That antiquated car has none of the features, like power windows and steering, that make modern cars so great.
antiseptic (adj.): clean, sterile
Example: The antiseptic hospital was very bare, but its cleanliness helped to keep patients healthy.
antithesis (n.): the absolute opposite
Example: Your values, which hold war and violence in the highest esteem, are the antithesis of my pacifist beliefs.
anxiety (n.): intense uneasiness
Example: When he heard about the car crash, he felt anxiety because he knew that his girlfriend had been driving on the road where the accident occurred.
apathetic (adj.): lacking concern, emotion
Example: Uninterested in politics, Bruno was apathetic about whether he lived under a capitalist or communist regime.
apocryphal (adj.): fictitious, false, wrong
Example: Because I am standing before you, it seems obvious that the stories circulating about my demise were apocryphal.
Example: The judge found the murderer’s crimes and lack of remorse appalling.
appease (v.): to calm, satisfy
Example: When the child cries, the mother gives him candy to appease him.
appraise (v.): to assess the worth or value of
Example: A realtor will come over tonight to appraise our house.
apprehend (v.): 1. to seize, arrest. 2. to perceive, understand, grasp
Examples: 1. The criminal was apprehended at the scene. 2. The student has trouble apprehending concepts in math and science.
approbation (n.): praise
Example: The crowd welcomed the heroes with approbation.
appropriate (v.): to take, make use of
Example: The government appropriated the farmer’s land without justification.
aquatic (adj.): relating to water
Example: The marine biologist studies starfish and other aquatic creatures.
arable (adj.): suitable for growing crops
Example: The farmer purchased a plot of arable land on which he will grow corn and sprouts.
arbiter (n.): one who can resolve a dispute, make a decision
Example: The divorce court judge will serve as the arbiter between the estranged husband and wife.
arbitrary (adj.): based on factors that appear random
Example: The boy’s decision to choose one college over another seems arbitrary.
arbitration (n.): the process or act of resolving a dispute
Example: The employee sought official arbitration when he could not resolve a disagreement with his supervisor.
arboreal (adj.): of or relating to trees
Example: Leaves, roots, and bark are a few arboreal traits.
arcane (adj.): obscure, secret, known only by a few
Example: The professor is an expert in arcane Lithuanian literature.
archaic (adj.): of or relating to an earlier period in time, outdated
Example: In a few select regions of Western Mongolian, an archaic Chinese dialect is still spoken.
archetypal (adj.): the most representative or typical example of something
Example: Some believe George Washington, with his flowing white hair and commanding stature, was the archetypal politician.
ardor (n.): extreme vigor, energy, enthusiasm
Example: The soldiers conveyed their ardor with impassioned battle cries.
arid (adj.): excessively dry
Example: Little other than palm trees and cacti grow successfully in arid environments.
arrogate (v.): to take without justification
Example: The king arrogated the right to order executions to himself exclusively.
artifact (n.): a remaining piece from an extinct culture or place
Example: The scientists spent all day searching the cave for artifacts from the ancient Mayan civilization.
artisan (n.): a craftsman
Example: The artisan uses wood to make walking sticks.
ascertain (v.): to perceive, learn
Example: With a bit of research, the student ascertained that some plants can live for weeks without water.
ascetic (adj.): practicing restraint as a means of self-discipline, usually religious
Example: The priest lives an ascetic life devoid of television, savory foods, and other pleasures.
ascribe (v.): to assign, credit, attribute to
Example: Some ascribe the invention of fireworks and dynamite to the Chinese.
aspersion (n.): a curse, expression of ill-will
Example: The rival politicians repeatedly cast aspersions on each others’ integrity.
aspire (v.): to long for, aim toward
Example: The young poet aspires to publish a book of verse someday.
assail (v.): to attack
Example: At dawn, the war planes assailed the boats in the harbor.
assess (v.): to evaluate
Example: A crew arrived to assess the damage after the crash.
assiduous (adj.): hard-working, diligent
Example: The construction workers erected the skyscraper during two years of assiduous labor.
assuage (v.): to ease, pacify
Example: The mother held the baby to assuage its fears.
astute (adj.): very clever, crafty
Example: Much of Roger’s success in politics results from his ability to provide astute answers to reporters’ questions.
asylum (n.): 1. a place of refuge, protection, a sanctuary. 2. an institution in which the insane are kept
Examples: 1. For Thoreau, the forest served as an asylum from the pressures of urban life. 2. Once diagnosed by a certified psychiatrist, the man was put in an asylum.
atone (v.): to repent, make amends
Example: The man atoned for forgetting his wife’s birthday by buying her five dozen roses.
atrophy (v.): to wither away, decay
Example: If muscles do not receive enough blood, they will soon atrophy and die.
attain (v.): to achieve, arrive at
Example: The athletes strived to attain their best times in competition.
attribute (v./n.): 1. to credit, assign. 2. a facet or trait
Examples: 1. He attributes all of his success to his mother’s undying encouragement. 2. Among the beetle’s most peculiar attributes is its thorny protruding eyes.
atypical (adj.): not typical, unusual
Example: Screaming and crying is atypical adult behavior.
audacious (adj.): excessively bold
Example: The security guard was shocked by the fan’s audacious attempt to offer him a bribe.
audible (adj.): able to be heard
Example: The missing person’s shouts were unfortunately not audible.
augment (v.): to add to, expand
Example: The eager student seeks to augment his knowledge of French vocabulary by reading French literature.
auspicious (adj.): favorable, indicative of good things
Example: The tennis player considered the sunny forecast an auspicious sign that she would win her match.
austere (adj.): very bare, bleak
Example: The austere furniture inside the abandoned house made the place feel haunted.
avarice (n.): excessive greed
Example: The banker’s avarice led him to amass a tremendous personal fortune.
avenge (v.): to seek revenge
Example: The victims will take justice into their own hands and strive to avenge themselves against the men who robbed them.
aversion (n.): a particular dislike for something
Example: Because he’s from Hawaii, Ben has an aversion to autumn, winter, and cold climates in general.
B
balk (v.): to stop, block abruptly
Example: Edna’s boss balked at her request for another raise.
ballad (n.): a love song
Example: Greta’s boyfriend played her a ballad on the guitar during their walk through the dark woods.
banal (adj.): dull, commonplace
Example: The client rejected our proposal because they found our presentation banal and unimpressive.
bane (n.): a burden
Example: Advanced physics is the bane of many students’ academic lives.
bard (n.): a poet, often a singer as well
Example: Shakespeare is often considered the greatest bard in the history of the English language.
bashful (adj.): shy, excessively timid
Example: Frankie’s mother told him not to be bashful when he refused to attend the birthday party.
battery (n.): 1. a device that supplies power. 2. assault, beating
Examples: 1. Most cars run on a combination of power from a battery and gasoline. 2. Her husband was accused of assault and battery after he attacked a man on the sidewalk.
beguile (v.): to trick, deceive
Example: The thief beguiled his partners into surrendering all of their money to him.
behemoth (n.): something of tremendous power or size
Example: The new aircraft carrier is among several behemoths that the Air Force has added to its fleet.
benevolent (adj.): marked by goodness or doing good
Example: Police officers should be commended for their benevolent service to the community.
benign (adj.): favorable, not threatening, mild
Example: We were all relieved to hear that the medical tests determined her tumor to be benign.
bequeath (v.): to pass on, give
Example: Jon’s father bequeathed his entire estate to his mother.
berate (v.): to scold vehemently
Example: The angry boss berated his employees for failing to meet their deadline.
bereft (adj.): devoid of, without
Example: His family was bereft of food and shelter following the tornado.
beseech (v.): to beg, plead, implore
Example: The servant beseeched the king for food to feed his starving family.
bias (n.): a tendency, inclination, prejudice
Example: The judge’s hidden bias against smokers led him to make an unfair decision.
bilk (v.): cheat, defraud
Example: The lawyer discovered that this firm had bilked several clients out of thousands of dollars.
blandish (v.): to coax by using flattery
Example: Rachel’s assistant tried to blandish her into accepting the deal.
blemish (n.): an imperfection, flaw
Example: The dealer agreed to lower the price because of the many blemishes on the surface of the wooden furniture.
blight (n.): 1. a plague, disease. 2. something that destroys hope
Examples: 1. The potato blight destroyed the harvest and bankrupted many families. 2. His bad morale is a blight upon this entire operation.
boisterous (adj.): loud and full of energy
Example: The candidate won the vote after giving several boisterous speeches on television.
bombastic (adj.): excessively confident, pompous
Example: The singer’s bombastic performance disgusted the crowd.
boon (n.): a gift or blessing
Example: The good weather has been a boon for many businesses located near the beach.
bourgeois (n.): a middle-class person, capitalist
Example: Many businessmen receive criticism for their bourgeois approach to life.
brazen (adj.): excessively bold, brash
Example: Critics condemned the novelist’s brazen attempt to plagiarize Hemingway’s story.
brusque (adj.): short, abrupt, dismissive
Example: The captain’s brusque manner offended the passengers.
buffet (v./n.): 1. to strike with force. 2. an arrangement of food set out on a table
Examples: 1. The strong winds buffeted the ships, threatening to capsize them. 2. Rather than sitting around a table, the guests took food from our buffet and ate standing up.
burnish (v.): to polish, shine
Example: His mother asked him to burnish the silverware before setting the table.
buttress (v./n.): 1. to support, hold up. 2. something that offers support
Examples: 1. The column buttresses the roof above the statue. 2. The buttress supports the roof above the statues.
Example: The elementary school orchestra created a cacophony at the recital.
cadence (n.): a rhythm, progression of sound
Example: The pianist used the foot pedal to emphasize the cadence of the sonata.
cajole (v.): to urge, coax
Example: Fred’s buddies cajoled him into attending the bachelor party.
calamity (n.): an event with disastrous consequences
Example: The earthquake in San Francisco was a calamity worse than any other natural disaster in history.
calibrate (v.): to set, standardize
Example: The mechanic calibrated the car’s transmission to make the motor run most efficiently.
callous (adj.): harsh, cold, unfeeling
Example: The murderer’s callous lack of remorse shocked the jury.
calumny (n.): an attempt to spoil someone else’s reputation by spreading lies
Example: The local official’s calumny ended up ruining his opponent’s prospect of winning the election.
camaraderie (n.): brotherhood, jovial unity
Example: Camaraderie among employees usually leads to success in business.
candor (n.): honesty, frankness
Example: We were surprised by the candor of the mayor’s speech because he is usually rather evasive.
canny (adj.): shrewd, careful
Example: The canny runner hung at the back of the pack through much of the race to watch the other runners, and then sprinted past them at the end.
canvas (n./v.): 1. a piece of cloth on which an artist paints. 2. to cover, inspect
Examples: 1. Picasso liked to work on canvas rather than on bare cement. 2. We canvassed the neighborhood looking for clues.
capacious (adj.): very spacious
Example: The workers delighted in their new capacious office space.
capitulate (v.): to surrender
Example: The army finally capitulated after fighting a long costly battle.
capricious (adj.): subject to whim, fickle
Example: The young girl’s capricious tendencies made it difficult for her to focus on achieving her goals.
captivate (v.): to get the attention of, hold
Example: The fireworks captivated the young boy, who had never seen such things before.
carouse (v.): to party, celebrate
Example: We caroused all night after getting married.
carp (v.): to annoy, pester
Example: The husband divorced his wife after listening to her carping voice for decades.
catalog (v./n.): 1. to list, enter into a list. 2. a list or collection
Examples: 1. The judge cataloged the victim’s injuries before calculating how much money he would award. 2. We received a catalog from J. Crew that displayed all of their new items.
catalyze (v.): to charge, inspire
Example: The president’s speech catalyzed the nation and resuscitated the economy.
caucus (n.): a meeting usually held by people working toward the same goal
Example: The ironworkers held a caucus to determine how much of a pay increase they would request.
caustic (adj.): bitter, biting, acidic
Example: The politicians exchanged caustic insults for over an hour during the debate.
cavort (v.): to leap about, behave boisterously
Example: The adults ate their dinners on the patio, while the children cavorted around the pool.
censure (n./v.): 1. harsh criticism. 2. to rebuke formally
Examples: 1. The frustrated teenager could not put up with anymore of her critical mother’s censure. 2. The principal censured the head of the English Department