A
abase
To make yourself seem to be less important or to not deserve respect
abate
Become less in amount or intensity.
The storm/wind/rain has started to abate.
abdicate
To give up a position as king, or to fail to take responsibility for something:
The administration has abdicated its leadership on this critical issue.
abject
The state of being extremely unhappy, poor, unsuccessful, etc.
This policy has turned out to be an abject failure
abjure
To say formally or publicly that you no longer agree with a belief or way of behaving
He abjured his religion/his life of dissipation.
ablution
The act of washing yourself
Ablution is part of some religious ceremonies.
abnegation
To not allow yourself to have something, especially something you like or want
abrade
To remove part of the surface of something by rubbing
abscond
To escape and hide somewhere, esp. because you have stolen something
They absconded with $100,000 of the company’s money
absolve
To officially remove guilt or responsibility for something wrong that someone has done or might have done
abstemious
Not doing things that give you pleasure, especially not eating good food or drinking alcohol
abstruse
Difficult to understand
an abstruse philosophical essay
accede
To agree to do what people have asked you to do
He graciously acceded to our request.
accrue
To increase over a period of time, or to get an amount of something gradually over time
acerbic
Used to describe something that is spoken or written in a way that is direct, clever, and cruel
acquiesce
To accept or agree to something, often unwillingly
Reluctantly, he acquiesced to/in the plans.
acrid
An acrid smell or taste is strong and bitter and causes a burning feeling in the throat
acrimonious
Full of anger, arguments, and bad feeling
Their marriage ended eight years ago in an acrimonious divorce.
administer
To control the operation or arrangement of something
The economy has been badly administered by the present government.
admonish
To warn someone not to do something, usually in a kind way, or to tell someone to do something.
adorn
To add something decorative to a person or thing:
The bride's hair was adorned with white flowers.
adversity
A difficult or unlucky situation or event
She’s cheerful in the face of adversity.
affable
Friendly, kind, relaxed, and easy to talk to
It’s hard not to like such an affable fellow.
affinity
A close similarity between two things
There are several close affinities between the two paintings.
affray
A fight in a public place
Wallace was charged with causing an affray at a Southampton nightclub.
affronted
A remark or action intended to insult or upset someone
Such statements are an affront to people of conscience.
aficionado
Someone who is very interested in and enthusiastic about a particular subject
a club for model railway aficionados
an aficionado of French cinema
aggrieved
Unhappy, hurt, and angry because of unfair treatment
Our hearts go out to the aggrieved families of the innocent victims.
alacrity
Speed and interest
He invited us all to visit, and we agreed with alacrity.
altercation
A loud argument or disagreement:
Phil got into an altercation with his partner.
ambience
The character of a place or the quality it seems to have
The city’s ambience, particularly on the waterfront, is changing quickly.
ameliorate
To make a bad or unpleasant situation better
Foreign aid is badly needed to ameliorate the effects of the drought
amenable
Willing to accept or be influenced by a suggestion
He was amenable to suggestion, and really worked hard to improve himself.
amity
A good relationship
The two groups had lived in perfect amity for many years before the recent troubles.
ancillary
Providing support or help
Campaigning to change government policy is ancillary to the charity's direct relief work.
animosity
A strong dislike or unfriendly feeling
I have no animosity toward him whatsoever.
anomaly
Something that is unusual enough to be noticeable or seem strange
The government does computer checks of tax returns to find anomalies that might indicate fraud
anthology
A collection of stories, poems, etc., by different writers
This Bob Dylan anthology includes some rare recordings of his best songs..
antipathy
Strong dislike or opposition
His letters show a deep and intense antipathy toward workers.
apathy
Lack of interest, or the attitude of not caring resulting from it
There is a growing sense of apathy among teens and a feeling that there are no opportunities, he said
aplomb
Confidence and style
Rosalind conducted the meeting with characteristic aplomb/with her usual aplomb.
apogee
The most successful, popular, or powerful point
At their apogee, the novels of Spillane claimed worldwide sales of over $180 million.
apprise
To tell someone about something
The president has been apprised of the situation.
archaic
of or belonging to an ancient period in history
an archaic system of government
an archaic law/rule/language
archetype
The original model or a perfect example of something
The United States is the archetype of a federal society.
Ardent
Showing strong feelings; eager
They were ardent pacifists.
ascetic
Avoiding physical comforts and living a simple life
They live a very ascetic life.
ascribe
To consider something to be caused, created, or owned by someone or something
aspect
One part of a situation, problem, subject, etc
Which aspects of the job do you most enjoy?
aspire
To want something very much or hope to achieve something or be successful
assent
Agreement to an idea, plan, or request, esp. after serious consideration
He gave a nod of assent, and we knew we had a deal at last.
assiduous
Showing hard work, care, and attention to detail
The government has been assiduous in the fight against inflation.
assimilate
To take in and make a part of your basic knowledge something learned from others, so that you can use it as your own
assuage
to make unpleasant feelings less strong.
The government has tried to assuage the public's fears.
assiduous
Showing hard work, care, and attention to detail
The government has been assiduous in the fight against inflation.
assimilate
To take in and make a part of your basic knowledge something learned from others, so that you can use it as your own
atoll
a ring-shaped island formed of coral (= rock-like natural substance) that surrounds a lagoon (= area of sea water).
atone
To do something that shows you are sorry for something bad that you did or for something that you failed to do
audacious
Showing a willingness to take risks or offend people
He described the plan as ambitious and audacious.
Augment
To make something larger or fuller by adding something to it.
He augmented his income by taking a second job.
auspicious
Suggesting a positive and successful future
Winning her first seven cases was an auspicious beginning for the young lawyer.
austere
Plain and without decoration, comforts, or anything extra
Despite their wealth, they lead an austere life.
autocratic
Relating to an autocrat
The president resigned after 30 years of autocratic rule.
aversion
A feeling of strong dislike or unwillingness to do something
I felt an instant aversion to his parents.
