The Monk, a Romance
Vocabulary Activation Pack.
Matthew Gregory Lewis (9 July 1775 – 14 or 16 May 1818)
Matthew Gregory Lewis was an English novelist and dramatist, who wrote Gothic horror stories.
He was often called Monk Lewis, due to the success of The Monk, a Romance, his 1796 Gothic novel.
The Monk, a Romance
The book, The Monk, a Romance, was first published in 1796 and has become required reading in many literature courses.
I have edited the text to modernise some of the spellings to British English, as well as removing most of the strangely capitalised words that are scattered through the original text. The capitalisation was typical for the time, but can be confusing for the modern reader.
Vocabulary Activation Pack
Included in this Vocabulary Activation Pack is the full manuscript of the book, a dictionary of the 2,196 vocabulary items, and audio for all of the vocabulary definitions, the plot summary, and the character profiles.
I have also produced audio files for each of the three volumes and chapters of the book.
The audio is available in the Vocabulary Activation Pack in the Britlish Library.
Plot Summary
The Vocabulary Activation Pack in the Britlish Library also contains a plot summary of the book in both text and audio form.
The Vocabulary
I have also extracted 2,196 words from the text which will be useful to you if you are working on building your vocabulary.
The words are:
| Word | Definitions |
|---|---|
| abbess | noun: the superior of a group of nuns |
| abbey | noun: a monastery ruled by an abbot; a convent ruled by an abbess; a church associated with a monastery or convent |
| abbot | noun: the superior of an abbey of monks |
| abhor | verb: find repugnant |
| abhorrence | noun: hate coupled with disgust |
| abide | verb: put up with something or somebody unpleasant; dwell |
| abode | noun: housing that someone is living in; any address at which you dwell more than temporarily |
| abomination | noun: an action that is vicious or vile; an action that arouses disgust or abhorrence; a person who is loathsome or disgusting; hate coupled with disgust |
| abrupt | adj. surprisingly and unceremoniously brusque in manner; exceedingly sudden and unexpected; extremely steep; marked by sudden changes in subject and sharp transitions |
| absolution | noun: the act of absolving or remitting; formal redemption as pronounced by a priest in the sacrament of penance; the condition of being formally forgiven by a priest in the sacrament of penance |
| abstinence | noun: act or practice of refraining from indulging an appetite; the trait of abstaining (especially from alcohol) |
| abstract | adj. existing only in the mind; separated from embodiment; dealing with a subject in the abstract without practical purpose or intention; not representing or imitating external reality or the objects of nature; noun: a concept or idea not associated with any specific instance; a sketchy summary of the main points of an argument or theory; verb: consider a concept without thinking of a specific example; consider abstractly or theoretically; consider apart from a particular case or instance; give an abstract (of); make off with belongings of others |
| abstruse | adj. difficult to penetrate; incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge |
| absurd | adj. inconsistent with reason or logic or common sense; incongruous; inviting ridicule; noun: a situation in which life seems irrational and meaningless |
| absurdity | noun: a ludicrous folly; a message whose content is at variance with reason |
| abundance | noun: the property of a more than adequate quantity or supply; (chemistry) the ratio of the total mass of an element in the earth's crust to the total mass of the earth's crust; expressed as a percentage or in parts per million; (physics) the ratio of the number of atoms of a specific isotope of an element to the total number of isotopes present |
| abyss | noun: a bottomless gulf or pit; any unfathomable (or apparently unfathomable) cavity or chasm or void extending below (often used figuratively) |
| accommodate | verb: make compatible with; provide with something desired or needed; have room for; hold without crowding; make fit for, or change to suit a new purpose; provide a service or favour for someone; provide housing for; be agreeable or acceptable to |
| accomplice | noun: a person who joins with another in carrying out some plan (especially an unethical or illegal plan) |
| accomplishment | noun: the action of accomplishing something; an ability that has been acquired by training |
| accord | noun: sympathetic compatibility; concurrence of opinion; a written agreement between two states or sovereigns; harmony of people's opinions or actions or characters; verb: allow to have; go together |
| accusation | noun: an assertion that someone is guilty of a fault or offence; a formal charge of wrongdoing brought against a person; the act of imputing blame or guilt |
| accuser | noun: someone who imputes guilt or blame |
| accustom | verb: make psychologically or physically used (to something) |
| acknowledgment | noun: a statement acknowledging something or someone; a short note recognizing a source of information or of a quoted passage; the state or quality of being recognized or acknowledged |
| acquaint | verb: inform; make familiar or acquainted; cause to come to know personally |
| acquaintance | noun: personal knowledge or information about someone or something; a person with whom you are acquainted; a relationship less intimate than friendship |
| acquisition | noun: the act of contracting or assuming or acquiring possession of something; something acquired; an ability that has been acquired by training; the cognitive process of acquiring skill or knowledge |
| acrimony | noun: a rough and bitter manner |
| acute | adj. having or experiencing a rapid onset and short but severe course; of critical importance and consequence; extremely sharp or intense; having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions; of an angle; less than 90 degrees; ending in a sharp point; noun: a mark (') placed above a vowel to indicate pronunciation |
| adept | adj. having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude; noun: someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field |
| adieu | noun: a farewell remark |
| adjacent | adj. near or close to but not necessarily touching; nearest in space or position; immediately adjoining without intervening space; having a common boundary or edge; touching |
| admirable | adj. deserving of the highest esteem or admiration; inspiring admiration or approval |
| admirer | noun: someone who admires a young woman; a person who admires; someone who esteems or respects or approves; a person who backs a politician or a team etc. |
| admittance | noun: the act of admitting someone to enter; the right to enter |
| adorable | adj. lovable especially in a childlike or naive way |
| adoration | noun: the worship given to God alone; the act of admiring strongly; a feeling of profound love and admiration |
| adore | verb: love intensely |
| adorer | noun: someone who admires a young woman |
| advantageous | adj. giving an advantage; appropriate for achieving a particular end; implies a lack of concern for fairness |
| adventurer | noun: a person who enjoys taking risks; someone who travels into little known regions (especially for some scientific purpose) |
| adverse | adj. in an opposing direction; contrary to your interests or welfare |
| affectionate | adj. having or displaying warmth or affection |
| affinity | noun: a natural attraction or feeling of kinship; inherent resemblance between persons or things; the force attracting atoms to each other and binding them together in a molecule; (immunology) the attraction between an antigen and an antibody; a close connection marked by community of interests or similarity in nature or character; (biology) state of relationship between organisms or groups of organisms resulting in resemblance in structure or structural parts; (anthropology) kinship by marriage or adoption; not a blood relationship |
| affirmative | adj. affirming or giving assent; supporting a policy or attitude etc; expecting the best; noun: a reply of affirmation |
| afflict | verb: cause bodily suffering to and make sick or indisposed; cause pain or suffering in; cause great unhappiness for; distress |
| affliction | noun: a cause of great suffering and distress; a condition of suffering or distress due to ill health; a state of great suffering and distress due to adversity |
| affluence | noun: abundant wealth |
| affright | noun: an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety; verb: cause fear in |
| aggrandizement | noun: the act of increasing the wealth or prestige or power or scope of something |
| agitate | verb: change the arrangement or position of; cause to be agitated, excited, or roused; try to stir up public opinion; move or cause to move back and forth; move very slightly; exert oneself continuously, vigorously, or obtrusively to gain an end or engage in a crusade for a certain cause or person; be an advocate for |
| agitation | noun: the act of agitating something; causing it to move around (usually vigorously); disturbance usually in protest; the feeling of being agitated; not calm; a state of agitation or turbulent change or development; a mental state of extreme emotional disturbance |
| agony | noun: intense feelings of suffering; acute mental or physical pain; a state of acute pain |
| agreeable | adj. conforming to your own liking or feelings or nature; prepared to agree or consent; in keeping |
| airy | adj. having little or no perceptible weight; so light as to resemble air; not practical or realizable; speculative; characterized by lightness and insubstantiality; as impalpable or intangible as air; open to or abounding in fresh air |
| aisle | noun: passageway between seating areas as in an auditorium or passenger vehicle or between areas of shelves of goods as in stores; part of a church divided laterally from the nave proper by rows of pillars or columns; a long narrow passage (as in a cave or woods) |
| alarum | noun: an automatic signal (usually a sound) warning of danger |
| alas | adv. by bad luck |
| alcove | noun: a small recess opening off a larger room |
| alike | adj. having the same or similar characteristics; adv. in a like manner; equally |
| allege | verb: report or maintain |
| alleviate | verb: provide physical relief, as from pain; make easier |
| alley | noun: a narrow street with walls on both sides; a lane down which a bowling ball is rolled toward pins |
| alligator | noun: either of two amphibious reptiles related to crocodiles but with shorter broader snouts; leather made from alligator's hide; verb: crack and acquire the appearance of alligator hide, as from weathering or improper application; of paint and varnishes |
| allusion | noun: passing reference or indirect mention |
| almighty | adj. having unlimited power; noun: terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God |
| aloft | adv. in the higher atmosphere above the earth; at or to great height; high up in or into the air; upward; at or on or to the masthead or upper rigging of a ship |
| altar | noun: a raised structure on which gifts or sacrifices to a god are made; the table in Christian churches where communion is given |
| alteration | noun: the act of making something different (as e.g. the size of a garment); the act of revising or altering (involving reconsideration and modification); an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another |
| amazement | noun: the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising |
| amber | adj. of a medium to dark brownish yellow colour; noun: a deep yellow colour; a hard yellowish to brownish translucent fossil resin; used for jewellery |
| ambitious | adj. having a strong desire for success or achievement; requiring full use of your abilities or resources |
| amendment | noun: the act of amending or correcting; a statement that is added to or revises or improves a proposal or document (a bill or constitution etc.) |
| amiable | adj. disposed to please; diffusing warmth and friendliness |
| amiss | adj. not functioning properly; adv. in an improper or mistaken or unfortunate manner; in an imperfect or faulty way; away from the correct or expected course |
| amorous | adj. inclined toward or displaying love; expressive of or exciting sexual love or romance |
| ample | adj. affording an abundant supply; more than enough in size or scope or capacity; fairly large |
| amusement | noun: a feeling of delight at being entertained; an activity that is diverting and that holds the attention |
| anarchy | noun: a state of lawlessness and disorder (usually resulting from a failure of government) |
| Andalusia | noun: a region in southern Spain on the Atlantic and the Mediterranean; formerly a centre of Moorish civilization |
| Andalusian | adj. in or relating to Andalusia |
| angel | noun: the highest waterfall; has more than one leap; flow varies seasonally; spiritual being attendant upon God; invests in a theatrical production; person of exceptional holiness |
| angelic | adj. marked by utter benignity; resembling or befitting an angel or saint; having a sweet nature befitting an angel or cherub; of or relating to angels |
| anguish | noun: extreme mental distress; extreme distress of body or mind; verb: suffer great pains or distress; cause emotional anguish or make miserable |
| animation | noun: the making of animated cartoons; quality of being active or spirited or alive and vigorous; the property of being able to survive and grow; the condition of living or the state of being alive; general activity and motion; the activity of giving vitality and vigour to something |
| annihilate | verb: kill in large numbers |
| antagonist | noun: a drug that neutralizes or counteracts the effects of another drug; a muscle that relaxes while another contracts; someone who offers opposition |
| antechamber | noun: a large entrance or reception room or area |
| anteroom | noun: a large entrance or reception room or area |
| Anthony | noun: United States suffragist (1820-1906); Roman general under Julius Caesar in the Gallic wars; repudiated his wife for the Egyptian queen Cleopatra; they were defeated by Octavian at Actium (83-30 BC) |
| antic | adj. ludicrously odd; noun: a ludicrous or grotesque act done for fun and amusement; verb: act as or like a clown |
| antique | adj. out of fashion; made in or typical of earlier times and valued for its age; belonging to or lasting from times long ago; noun: any piece of furniture or decorative object or the like produced in a former period and valuable because of its beauty or rarity; an elderly man; verb: give an antique appearance to; shop for antiques |
| apace | adv. with rapid movements |
| apathy | noun: the trait of lacking enthusiasm for or interest in things generally; an absence of emotion or enthusiasm |
| apothecary | noun: a health professional trained in the art of preparing and dispensing drugs |
| appal | verb: fill with apprehension or alarm; cause to be unpleasantly surprised; strike with disgust or revulsion |
| apparel | noun: clothing in general; verb: provide with clothes or put clothes on |
| apparition | noun: an act of appearing or becoming visible unexpectedly; something existing in perception only; the appearance of a ghostlike figure; a ghostly appearing figure |
| appease | verb: make peace with; overcome or allay; cause to be more favourably inclined; gain the good will of |
| appetite | noun: a feeling of craving something |
| applause | noun: a demonstration of approval by clapping the hands together |
| apprehend | verb: anticipate with dread or anxiety; get the meaning of something; take into custody |
| apprehension | noun: the act of apprehending (especially apprehending a criminal); painful expectation; fearful expectation or anticipation; the cognitive condition of someone who understands |
| apprehensive | adj. in fear or dread of possible evil or harm; mentally upset over possible misfortune or danger etc; quick to understand |
| approbation | noun: official recognition or approval; official approval |
| aquiline | adj. curved down like an eagle's beak |
| Arabian | adj. of or relating to Arabian horses; relating to or associated with Arabia or its people; noun: a spirited graceful and intelligent riding horse native to Arabia; a member of a Semitic people originally from the Arabian peninsula and surrounding territories who speaks Arabic and who inhabits much of the Middle East and northern Africa |
| arch | adj. expert in skulduggery; (used of behaviour or attitude) characteristic of those who treat others with condescension; noun: (architecture) a masonry construction (usually curved) for spanning an opening and supporting the weight above it; a passageway under a curved masonry construction; a curved bony structure supporting or enclosing organs (especially the inner sides of the feet); a curved shape in the vertical plane that spans an opening; verb: form an arch or curve |
| archer | noun: a person who is expert in the use of a bow and arrow; the ninth sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about November 22 to December 21; (astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Sagittarius |
| ardent | adj. glowing or shining like fire; characterized by strong enthusiasm; characterized by intense emotion |
| array | noun: an arrangement of aerials spaced to give desired directional characteristics; especially fine or decorative clothing; an impressive display; an orderly arrangement; verb: align oneself with a group or a way of thinking; lay out orderly or logically in a line or as if in a line |
| artful | adj. marked by skill in achieving a desired end especially with cunning or craft; not straightforward or candid; giving a false appearance of frankness |
| articulate | adj. expressing yourself easily or characterized by clear expressive language; consisting of segments held together by joints; verb: express or state clearly; speak, pronounce, or utter in a certain way; put into words or an expression; provide with a joint |
| artifice | noun: a deceptive maneuverer (especially to avoid capture) |
| ascend | verb: travel up, "We ascended the mountain"; slope upwards; go along towards (a river's) source; become king or queen; go back in order of genealogical succession; come up, of celestial bodies |
| ascendancy | noun: the state that exists when one person or group has power over another |
| ascendency | noun: the state that exists when one person or group has power over another |
| ascent | noun: an upward slope or grade (as in a road); the act of changing location in an upward direction; a movement upward |
| ascertain | verb: learn or discover with certainty; be careful or certain to do something; make certain of something; establish after a calculation, investigation, experiment, survey, or study; find out, learn, or determine with certainty, usually by making an inquiry or other effort |
| ascribe | verb: attribute or credit to |
| assassin | noun: a murderer (especially one who kills a prominent political figure) who kills by a treacherous surprise attack and often is hired to do the deed; a member of a secret order of Muslims (founded in the 12th century) who terrorized and killed Christian Crusaders |
| assassination | noun: murder of a public figure by surprise attack; an attack intended to ruin someone's reputation |
| assay | noun: a quantitative or qualitative test of a substance (especially an ore or a drug) to determine its components; frequently used to test for the presence or concentration of infectious agents or antibodies etc.; an appraisal of the state of affairs; a written report of the results of an analysis of the composition of some substance; a substance that is undergoing an analysis of its components; verb: analyse (chemical substances); make an effort or attempt |
| assemble | verb: create by putting components or members together; get people together; collect in one place |
| assent | noun: agreement with a statement or proposal to do something; verb: to agree or express agreement |
| assertion | noun: a declaration that is made emphatically (as if no supporting evidence were necessary); the act of affirming or asserting or stating something |
| assiduity | noun: great and constant diligence and attention |
| assurance | noun: freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities; a statement intended to inspire confidence; a binding commitment to do or give or refrain from something; a British term for some kinds of insurance |
| astonish | verb: affect with wonder |
| astonishment | noun: the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising |
| astrologer | noun: someone who predicts the future by the positions of the planets and sun and moon |
| asylum | noun: a hospital for mentally incompetent or unbalanced person; a shelter from danger or hardship |
| atheism | noun: a lack of belief in the existence of God or gods; the doctrine or belief that there is no God |
| atheist | adj. related to or characterized by or given to atheism; noun: someone who denies the existence of god |
| athwart | adv. at right angles to the centre line of a ship; at an oblique angle |
| atone | verb: turn away from sin or do penitence; make amends for |
| atonement | noun: compensation for a wrong; the act of atoning for sin or wrongdoing (especially appeasing a deity) |
| atrocious | adj. provoking horror; exceptionally bad or displeasing; shockingly brutal or cruel |
| attachment | noun: the act of attaching or affixing something; faithful support for a religion or cause or political party; a supplementary part or accessory; a connection that fastens things together; a writ authorizing the seizure of property that may be needed for the payment of a judgment in a judicial proceeding; a feeling of affection for a person or an institution; the act of fastening things together |
| attendance | noun: the act of being present (at a meeting or event etc.); the number of people that are present; the frequency with which a person is present |
| attendant | adj. being present (at meeting or event etc.); following as a consequence; noun: a person who is present and participates in a meeting; someone who waits on or tends to or attends to the needs of another; an event or situation that happens at the same time as or in connection with another |
| attentive | adj. (often followed by 'to') giving care or attention; taking heed; giving close and thoughtful attention |
| audible | adj. heard or perceptible by the ear; noun: a football play is changed orally after both teams have assumed their positions at the line of scrimmage |
| auditor | noun: a qualified accountant who inspects the accounting records and practices of a business or other organization; a student who attends a course but does not take it for credit; someone who listens attentively |
| aught | noun: a quantity of no importance |
| augment | verb: enlarge or increase; grow or intensify |
| austerity | noun: the trait of great self-denial (especially refraining from worldly pleasures) |
| Austrian | adj. of or relating to Austria or its people or culture; noun: a native or inhabitant of Austria |
| authorise | verb: grant authorization or clearance for; give or delegate power or authority to |
| authorize | verb: grant authorization or clearance for; give or delegate power or authority to |
| authorship | noun: the act of initiating a new idea or theory or writing; the act of creating written works |
| avail | noun: a means of serving; verb: use to one's advantage; take or use; be of use to, be useful to |
| avarice | noun: reprehensible acquisitiveness; insatiable desire for wealth (personified as one of the deadly sins); extreme greed for material wealth |
| aversion | noun: the act of turning yourself (or your gaze) away; a feeling of intense dislike |
| avidity | noun: a positive feeling of wanting to push ahead with something |
| avow | verb: admit openly and bluntly; make no bones about; to declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true |
| avowal | noun: a statement asserting the existence or the truth of something |
| awhile | adv. for a short time |
| bade | noun: a Chadic language spoken in northern Nigeria |
| baffle | noun: a flat plate that controls or directs the flow of fluid or energy; verb: check the emission of (sound); be a mystery or bewildering to; hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of |
| baleful | adj. threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments; deadly or sinister |
| ballad | noun: a narrative poem of popular origin; a narrative song with a recurrent refrain |
| bane | noun: something causes misery or death |
| banish | verb: drive away; expel, as if by official decree; expel from a community or group; ban from a place of residence, as for punishment |
| banker | noun: the person in charge of the bank in a gambling game; someone who owns or is an executive in a bank |
| barbarian | adj. without civilizing influences; noun: a crude uncouth ill-bred person lacking culture or refinement; a member of an uncivilized people |
| barbarity | noun: a brutal barbarous savage act; the quality of being shockingly cruel and inhumane |
| barbarous | adj. primitive in customs and culture; (of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering |
| bare | adj. lacking in amplitude or quantity; completely unclothed; having everything extraneous removed including contents; providing no shelter or sustenance; lacking its natural or customary covering; lacking a surface finish such as paint; apart from anything else; without additions or modifications; just barely adequate or within a lower limit; lacking embellishment or ornamentation; not having a protective covering; verb: lay bare; lay bare; make public |
| bark | noun: a sailing ship with 3 (or more) masts; the sound made by a dog; a noise resembling the bark of a dog; tough protective covering of the woody stems and roots of trees and other woody plants; verb: tan (a skin) with bark tannins; speak in an unfriendly tone; make barking sounds; remove the bark of a tree; cover with bark |
| barn | noun: an outlying farm building for storing grain or animal feed and housing farm animals; (physics) a unit of nuclear cross section; the effective circular area that one particle presents to another as a target for an encounter |
| baron | noun: a very wealthy or powerful businessman; a British peer of the lowest rank; a nobleman (in various countries) of varying rank |
| barony | noun: the domain of a baron; the estate of a baron; the rank or dignity or position of a baronet or baroness |
| barter | noun: an equal exchange; verb: exchange goods without involving money |
| bashful | adj. disposed to avoid notice; self-consciously timid |
| basin | noun: a bowl-shaped vessel; usually used for holding food or liquids; a natural depression in the surface of the land often with a lake at the bottom of it; the quantity that a basin will hold; a bathroom sink that is permanently installed and connected to a water supply and drainpipe; where you can wash your hands and face; the entire geographical area drained by a river and its tributaries |
| bathe | noun: the act of swimming; verb: cleanse the entire body; clean one's body by immersion into water; suffuse with or as if with light |
| Bavaria | noun: a state in southern Germany famous for its beer; site of an automobile factory |
| bead | noun: a small ball with a hole through the middle; a beaded moulding for edging or decorating furniture; a shape that is spherical and small; verb: string together like beads; decorate by sewing beads onto; form into beads, as of water or sweat, for example |
| beam | noun: long thick piece of wood or metal or concrete, etc., used in construction; (nautical) breadth amidships; a column of light (as from a beacon); a group of nearly parallel lines of electromagnetic radiation; a gymnastic apparatus used by women gymnasts; a signal transmitted along a narrow path; guides pilots in darkness or bad weather; verb: smile radiantly; express joy through one's facial expression; express with a beaming face or smile; broadcast over the airwaves, as in radio or television; experience a feeling of well-being or happiness, as from good health or an intense emotion; have a complexion with a strong bright colour, such as red or pink; emit light; be bright, as of the sun or a light |
| Beatrice | noun: the woman who guided Dante through Paradise in the Divine Comedy |
| beauteous | adj. (poetic )beautiful, especially to the sight |
| bedew | verb: cover with drops of dew or as with dew |
| bedside | noun: space by the side of a bed (especially the bed of a sick or dying person) |
| beggar | noun: a pauper who lives by begging; verb: reduce to beggary; be beyond the resources of |
| beggary | noun: a solicitation for money or food (especially in the street by an apparently penniless person); the state of being a beggar or mendicant |
| begotten | adj. (of offspring) generated by procreation |
| beguile | verb: attract; cause to be enamoured; influence by slyness |
| behold | verb: see with attention |
| beholder | noun: a person who becomes aware (of things or events) through the senses |
| belie | verb: represent falsely; be in contradiction with |
| benedict | noun: Italian monk who founded the Benedictine order about 540 (480-547); United States anthropologist (1887-1948); a newly married man (especially one who has long been a bachelor) |
| benediction | noun: a ceremonial prayer invoking divine protection; the act of praying for divine protection |
| benevolence | noun: an act intending or showing kindness and good will; an inclination to do kind or charitable acts; disposition to do good |
| benignity | noun: the quality of being kind and gentle; a kind act |
| bequeath | verb: leave or give by will after one's death |
| bequest | noun: (law) a gift of personal property by will |
| bereave | verb: deprive through death |
| beseech | verb: ask for or request earnestly |
| bestow | verb: give as a gift; present; bestow a quality on |
| betide | verb: become of; happen to |
| betray | verb: reveal unintentionally; deliver to an enemy by treachery; give away information about somebody; cause someone to believe an untruth; disappoint, prove undependable to; abandon, forsake; be sexually unfaithful to one's partner in marriage |
| betrayer | noun: a person who says one thing and does another; one who reveals confidential information in return for money |
| beverage | noun: any liquid suitable for drinking |
| beware | verb: be on one's guard; be cautious or wary about; be alert to |
| bier | noun: a stand to support a corpse or a coffin prior to burial; a coffin along with its stand |
| blab | verb: divulge confidential information or secrets; "Be careful--his secretary talks"; speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly |
| blameable | adj. deserving blame or censure as being wrong or evil or injurious |
| blasphemy | noun: blasphemous language (expressing disrespect for God or for something sacred); blasphemous behaviour; the act of depriving something of its sacred character |
| blast | noun: a very long fly ball; an explosion (as of dynamite); intense adverse criticism; a highly pleasurable or exciting experience; a sudden very loud noise; a strong current of air; verb: use explosives on; make a strident sound; hit hard |
| blaze | noun: a light-coloured marking; a strong flame that burns brightly; noisy and unrestrained mischief; great brightness; a cause of difficulty and suffering; verb: indicate by marking trees with blazes; move rapidly and as if blazing; burn brightly and intensely; shine brightly and intensively; shoot rapidly and repeatedly |
| blemish | noun: a mark or flaw that spoils the appearance of something (especially on a person's body); verb: mar or impair with a flaw; add a flaw or blemish to; make imperfect or defective; mar or spoil the appearance of |
| blest | adj. highly favoured or fortunate (as e.g. by divine grace) |
| bliss | noun: a state of extreme happiness |
| blissful | adj. completely happy and contented |
| bloody | adj. having or covered with or accompanied by blood; (used of persons) informal intensifiers; adv. extremely; verb: cover with blood |
| bloom | noun: a rosy colour (especially in the cheeks) taken as a sign of good health; the best time of youth; a powdery deposit on a surface; reproductive organ of angiosperm plants especially one having showy or colourful parts; the organic process of bearing flowers; the period of greatest prosperity or productivity; verb: produce or yield flowers |
| blot | noun: an act that brings discredit to the person who does it; a blemish made by dirt; verb: dry (ink) with blotting paper; make a spot or mark onto |
| blunt | adj. devoid of any qualifications or disguise or adornment; characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion; used of a knife or other blade; not sharp; having a broad or rounded end; verb: make less sharp; make less intense; make less lively, intense, or vigorous; impair in vigour, force, activity, or sensation; make dull or blunt; make numb or insensitive |
| blush | noun: sudden reddening of the face (as from embarrassment or guilt or shame or modesty); a rosy colour (especially in the cheeks) taken as a sign of good health; verb: turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame; become rosy or reddish |
| boarder | noun: a pupil who lives at school during term time; someone who forces their way aboard ship; a tenant in someone's house |
| boast | noun: speaking of yourself in superlatives; verb: show off; wear or display in an ostentatious or proud manner |
| bold | adj. fearless and daring; clear and distinct; very steep; having a prominent and almost vertical front; noun: a typeface with thick heavy lines |
| bolt | adv. in a rigid manner; directly; noun: a sudden abandonment (as from a political party); a screw that screws into a nut to form a fastener; the part of a lock that is engaged or withdrawn with a key; a sliding bar in a breech-loading firearm that ejects an empty cartridge and replaces it and closes the breech; a roll of cloth or wallpaper of a definite length; the act of moving with great haste; a discharge of lightning accompanied by thunder; verb: make or roll into bolts; swallow hastily; secure or lock with a bolt; move or jump suddenly; eat hastily without proper chewing; leave suddenly and as if in a hurry; run away; usually includes taking something or somebody along |
| boon | adj. very close and convivial; noun: a desirable state |
| booty | noun: goods or money obtained illegally |
| bosom | noun: cloth that covers the chest or breasts; a person's breast or chest; the chest considered as the place where secret thoughts are kept; a close affectionate and protective acceptance; either of two soft fleshy milk-secreting glandular organs on the chest of a woman; the locus of feelings and intuitions; verb: hide in one's bosom; squeeze (someone) tightly in your arms, usually with fondness |
| botany | noun: the branch of biology that studies plants; all the plant life in a particular region or period |
| bower | noun: a framework that supports climbing plants; verb: enclose in a bower |
| brace | noun: a structural member used to stiffen a framework; a carpenter's tool having a crank handle for turning and a socket to hold a bit for boring; an appliance that corrects dental irregularities; a support that steadies or strengthens something else; elastic straps that hold trousers up (usually used in the plural); a rope on a square-rigged ship that is used to swing a yard about and secure it; either of two punctuation marks ({ or }) used to enclose textual material; a set of two similar things considered as a unit; two items of the same kind; verb: support by bracing; support or hold steady and make steadfast, with or as if with a brace; prepare (oneself) for something unpleasant or difficult; cause to be alert and energetic |
| brandy | noun: distilled from wine or fermented fruit juice |
| brat | noun: a small pork sausage; a very troublesome child |
| bravo | noun: a cry of approval as from an audience at the end of great performance; a murderer (especially one who kills a prominent political figure) who kills by a treacherous surprise attack and often is hired to do the deed; verb: applaud with shouts of 'bravo' or 'brava' |
| brawny | adj. (of a person) possessing physical strength and weight; rugged and powerful |
| breach | noun: a failure to perform some promised act or obligation; an opening (especially a gap in a dike or fortification); a personal or social separation (as between opposing factions); verb: make an opening or gap in; act in disregard of laws, rules, contracts, or promises |
| breeze | noun: a slight wind (usually refreshing); any undertaking that is easy to do; verb: to proceed quickly and easily; blow gently and lightly |
| brethren | noun: (plural) the lay members of a male religious order |
| bribe | noun: payment made to a person in a position of trust to corrupt his judgment; verb: make illegal payments to in exchange for favours or influence |
| bridal | adj. of or pertaining to a bride; of or relating to a wedding; noun: archaic terms for a wedding or wedding feast |
| bride | noun: a woman who has recently been married; a woman participant in her own marriage ceremony; Irish abbess; a patron saint of Ireland (453-523) |
| bridegroom | noun: a man who has recently been married; a man participant in his own marriage ceremony |
| bridle | noun: the act of restraining power or action or limiting excess; headgear for a horse; includes a headstall and bit and reins to give the rider or driver control; verb: respond to the reins, as of horses; put a bridle on |
| brilliance | noun: unusual mental ability; the quality of being magnificent or splendid or grand; great brightness |
| brimstone | noun: an old name for sulphur |
| brink | noun: the edge of a steep place; a region marking a boundary; the limit beyond which something happens or changes |
| brothel | noun: a building where prostitutes are available |
| brotherhood | noun: the feeling that men should treat one another like brothers; people engaged in a particular occupation; the kinship relation between a male offspring and the siblings; an organization of employees formed to bargain with the employer |
| brow | noun: the part of the face above the eyes; the arch of hair above each eye; the peak of a hill |
| brutal | adj. (of weapons or instruments) causing suffering and pain; (of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering |
| brutality | noun: a brutal barbarous savage act; the trait of extreme cruelty |
| brute | adj. resembling a beast; showing lack of human sensibility; noun: a living organism characterized by voluntary movement; a cruelly rapacious person |
| built | adj. (used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness; well or attractively formed with respect to physique; formed by fitting or joining components together |
| bulk | noun: the property possessed by a large mass; the property of something that is great in magnitude; the property resulting from being or relating to the greater in number of two parts; the main part; verb: stick out or up; cause to bulge or swell outwards |
| bull | noun: a serious and ludicrous blunder; mature male of various mammals of which the female is called 'cow'; e.g. whales or elephants or especially cattle; uncastrated adult male of domestic cattle; a formal proclamation issued by the pope (usually written in antiquated characters and sealed with a leaden bulla); a large and strong and heavyset man; an investor with an optimistic market outlook; an investor who expects prices to rise and so buys now for resale later; uncomplimentary terms for a policeman; obscene words for unacceptable behaviour; the centre of a target; the second sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about April 20 to May 20; (astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Taurus; verb: advance in price; try to raise the price of stocks through speculative buying; push or force; talk through one's hat |
| bundle | noun: a package of several things tied together for carrying or storing; a collection of things wrapped or boxed together; a large sum of money (especially as pay or profit); verb: sleep fully clothed in the same bed with one's betrothed; make into a bundle; compress into a wad; gather or cause to gather into a cluster |
| burial | noun: the ritual placing of a corpse in a grave; concealing something under the ground |
| burlesque | adj. relating to or characteristic of a burlesque; noun: a theatrical entertainment of broad and earthy humour; consists of comic skits and short turns (and sometimes striptease); a composition that imitates somebody's style in a humorous way; verb: make a parody of |
| burthen | noun: a variant of 'burden'; verb: weight down with a load |
| bustle | noun: a rapid active commotion; a framework worn at the back below the waist for giving fullness to a woman's skirt; verb: move or cause to move energetically or busily |
| cage | noun: an enclosure made or wire or metal bars in which birds or animals can be kept; the net that is the goal in ice hockey; United States composer of avant-garde music (1912-1992); something that restricts freedom as a cage restricts movement; a movable screen placed behind home base to catch balls during batting practice; verb: confine in a cage |
| calamity | noun: an event resulting in great loss and misfortune |
| candid | adj. openly straightforward and direct without reserve or secretiveness; informal or natural; especially caught off guard or unprepared; characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion |
| canvas | noun: a heavy, closely woven fabric (used for clothing or chairs or sails or tents); the mat that forms the floor of the ring in which boxers or professional wrestlers compete; an oil painting on canvas fabric; the setting for a narrative or fictional or dramatic account; a tent made of canvas fabric; a large piece of fabric (usually canvas fabric) by means of which wind is used to propel a sailing vessel; verb: cover with canvas; consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning; get the opinions (of people) by asking specific questions; solicit votes from potential voters in an electoral campaign |
| capricious | adj. determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason; changeable |
| captivate | verb: attract; cause to be enamoured |
| captive | adj. giving or marked by complete attention to; in captivity; noun: an animal that is confined; a person held in the grip of a strong emotion or passion; a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war |
| captivity | noun: the state of being imprisoned; the state of being a slave |
| capuchin | noun: monkey of Central America and South America having thick hair on the head that resembles a monk's cowl; a hooded cloak for women |
| cardinal | adj. serving as an essential component; being or denoting a numerical quantity but not order; noun: crested thick-billed North American finch having bright red plumage in the male; a variable colour averaging a vivid red; (Roman Catholic Church) one of a group of more than 100 prominent bishops in the Sacred College who advise the Pope and elect new Popes; the number of elements in a mathematical set; denotes a quantity but not the order |
| carriage | noun: a vehicle with wheels drawn by one or more horses; a machine part that carries something else; characteristic way of bearing one's body; a small vehicle with four wheels in which a baby or child is pushed around; a railcar where passengers ride |
| cascade | noun: a succession of stages or operations or processes or units; a small waterfall or series of small waterfalls; a sudden downpour (as of tears or sparks etc) likened to a rain shower; verb: arrange (open windows) on a computer desktop so that they overlap each other, with the title bars visible; rush down in big quantities, like a cascade |
| casement | noun: a window sash that is hinged (usually on one side) |
| casket | noun: small and often ornate box for holding jewels or other valuables; box in which a corpse is buried or cremated; verb: enclose in a casket |
| casual | adj. hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough; marked by blithe unconcern; not showing effort or strain; suited for everyday use; without or seeming to be without plan or method; offhand; occurring from time to time; natural and unstudied; characterized by a feeling of irresponsibility; occurring or appearing or singled out by chance |
| casuist | noun: someone whose reasoning is subtle and often specious |
| catastrophe | noun: a sudden violent change in the earth's surface; a state of extreme (usually irremediable) ruin and misfortune; an event resulting in great loss and misfortune |
| cathedral | adj. relating to or containing or issuing from a bishop's office or throne; noun: any large and important church; the principal Christian church building of a bishop's diocese |
| Catherine | noun: empress of Russia who greatly increased the territory of the empire (1729-1796); first wife of Henry VIII; Henry's divorce from her was the initial step of the Reformation in England (1485-1536) |
| caution | noun: the trait of being cautious; being attentive to possible danger; judiciousness in avoiding harm or danger; a warning against certain acts; the trait of being circumspect and prudent; verb: warn strongly; put on guard |
| cautious | adj. cautious in attitude and careful in actions; prudent; showing careful forethought; avoiding excess; noun: people who are fearful and cautious |
| cavalier | adj. given to haughty disregard of others; noun: a royalist supporter of Charles I during the English Civil War; a gallant or courtly gentleman |
| cave | noun: a geological formation consisting of an underground enclosure with access from the surface of the ground or from the sea; verb: explore natural caves; hollow out as if making a cave or opening |
| cavern | noun: a large cave or a large chamber in a cave; any large dark enclosed space; verb: hollow out as if making a cavern |
| celestial | adj. of heaven or the spirit; relating to or inhabiting a divine heaven; of or relating to the sky |
| celibacy | noun: an unmarried status; abstaining from sexual relations (as because of religious vows) |
| cemetery | noun: a tract of land used for burials |
| censure | noun: harsh criticism or disapproval; the state of being excommunicated; verb: rebuke formally |
| centipede | noun: chiefly nocturnal predacious arthropod having a flattened body of 15 to 173 segments each with a pair of legs the foremost being modified into poison fangs |
| century | noun: a period of 100 years |
| certainty | noun: something that is certain; the state of being certain |
| chafe | noun: soreness and warmth caused by friction; anger produced by some annoying irritation; verb: warm by rubbing, as with the hands; tear or wear off the skin or make sore by abrading; feel extreme irritation or anger; become or make sore by or as if by rubbing; cause friction; cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations |
| chagrin | noun: strong feelings of embarrassment; verb: cause to feel shame; hurt the pride of |
| chaise | noun: a carriage consisting of two wheels and a calash top; drawn by a single horse; a long chair; for reclining |
| champagne | noun: a white sparkling wine either produced in Champagne or resembling that produced there; a region of north-eastern France |
| changeable | adj. such that alteration is possible; having a marked tendency to change; varying in colour when seen in different lights or from different angles; subject to change; capable of or tending to change in form or quality or nature |
| chant | noun: a repetitive song in which as many syllables as necessary are assigned to a single tone; verb: recite with musical intonation; recite as a chant or a psalm; utter monotonously and repetitively and rhythmically |
| chaos | noun: (physics) a dynamical system that is extremely sensitive to its initial conditions; (Greek mythology) the most ancient of gods; the personification of the infinity of space preceding creation of the universe; the formless and disordered state of matter before the creation of the cosmos; a state of extreme confusion and disorder |
| chapel | noun: a place of worship that has its own altar; a service conducted in a place of worship that has its own altar |
| chaplet | noun: flower arrangement consisting of a circular band of foliage or flowers for ornamental purposes |
| charitable | adj. full of love and generosity; showing or motivated by sympathy and understanding and generosity; relating to or characterized by charity |
| charm | noun: something believed to bring good luck; (physics) one of the six flavours of quark; attractiveness that interests or pleases or stimulates; a verbal formula believed to have magical force; verb: induce into action by using one's charm; protect through supernatural powers or charms; control by magic spells, as by practicing witchcraft; attract; cause to be enamoured |
| chasm | noun: a deep opening in the earth's surface |
| chaste | adj. morally pure (especially not having experienced sexual intercourse); abstaining from unlawful sexual intercourse; pure and simple in design or style |
| chastisement | noun: verbal punishment; a rebuke for making a mistake |
| chastity | noun: abstaining from sexual relations (as because of religious vows); morality with respect to sexual relations |
| cheer | noun: a cry or shout of approval; the quality of being cheerful and dispelling gloom; verb: show approval or good wishes by shouting; urge on or encourage especially by shouts; become cheerful; cause (somebody) to feel happier or more cheerful; give encouragement to |
| cherish | verb: be fond of; be attached to |
| chest | noun: box with a lid; used for storage; usually large and sturdy; furniture with drawers for keeping clothes; the part of the human torso between the neck and the diaphragm or the corresponding part in other vertebrates |
| chieftain | noun: the leader of a group of people; the head of a tribe or clan |
| childish | adj. indicating a lack of maturity |
| chimaera | noun: a deep-sea fish with a tapering body, smooth skin, and long threadlike tail; a grotesque product of the imagination; (Greek mythology) fire-breathing female monster with a lion's head and a goat's body and a serpent's tail; daughter of Typhon |
| chime | noun: a percussion instrument consisting of a set of tuned bells that are struck with a hammer; used as an orchestral instrument; verb: emit a sound |
| chimerical | adj. produced by a wildly fanciful imagination; being or relating to or like a chimera |
| choir | noun: the area occupied by singers; the part of the chancel between sanctuary and nave; a chorus that sings as part of a religious ceremony; a family of similar musical instrument playing together; verb: sing in a choir |
| chorus | noun: any utterance produced simultaneously by a group; a group of people assembled to sing together; a company of actors who comment (by speaking or singing in unison) on the action in a classical Greek play; a body of dancers or singers who perform together; the part of a song where a soloist is joined by a group of singers; verb: utter in unison; sing in a choir |
| chosen | adj. preferred above all others; noun: an exclusive group of people; the name for Korea as a Japanese province (1910-1945); one who is the object of choice; who is given preference |
| churchman | noun: a clergyman or other person in religious orders |
| circulate | verb: cause to become widely known; move around freely; move through a space, circuit or system, returning to the starting point; cause to move in a circuit or system; cause to be distributed; cause to move around; become widely known and passed on; move in circles |
| circumlocution | noun: an indirect way of expressing something; a style that involves indirect ways of expressing things |
| circumstances | noun: a person's financial situation (good or bad); the state (usually personal) with regard to wealth; your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you) |
| clam | noun: burrowing marine mollusc living on sand or mud; the shell closes with vicelike firmness; flesh of either hard-shell or soft-shell clams; a piece of paper money worth one dollar; verb: gather clams, by digging in the sand by the ocean |
| clandestine | adj. conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods |
| clasp | noun: the act of grasping; a fastener (as a buckle or hook) that is used to hold two things together; verb: hold firmly and tightly; grasp firmly; fasten with a buckle or buckles; fasten with or as if with a brooch |
| cloak | noun: a loose outer garment; anything that covers or conceals; verb: hide under a false appearance |
| cloister | noun: a courtyard with covered walks (as in religious institutions); residence that is a place of religious seclusion (such as a monastery); verb: seclude from the world in or as if in a cloister; surround with a cloister, as of a garden |
| clump | noun: a heavy dull sound (as made by impact of heavy objects); a grouping of a number of similar things; a compact mass; verb: walk clumsily; gather or cause to gather into a cluster; come together as in a cluster or flock; make or move along with a sound as of a horse's hooves striking the ground |
| coarse | adj. conspicuously and tastelessly indecent; lacking refinement or cultivation or taste; of textures that are rough to the touch or substances consisting of relatively large particles; of low or inferior quality or value |
| coffin | noun: box in which a corpse is buried or cremated; verb: place into a coffin |
| coincide | verb: be the same; go with, fall together; happen simultaneously |
| collation | noun: careful examination and comparison to note points of disagreement; assembling in proper numerical or logical sequence; a light informal meal |
| colonnade | noun: structure consisting of a row of evenly spaced columns; a structure composed of a series of arches supported by columns |
| colossal | adj. so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe |
| combat | noun: an engagement fought between two military forces; the act of fighting; any contest or struggle; verb: battle or contend against in or as if in a battle |
| commendation | noun: a message expressing a favourable opinion; an official award (as for bravery or service) usually given as formal public statement |
| commerce | noun: transactions (sales and purchases) having the objective of supplying commodities (goods and services); social exchange, especially of opinions, attitudes, etc.; the United States federal department that promotes and administers domestic and foreign trade (including management of the census and the patent office); created in 1913 |
| communications | noun: the discipline that studies the principles of transmitting information and the methods by which it is delivered (as print or radio or television etc.) |
| communicative | adj. able or tending to communicate; of or relating to communication |
| compact | adj. closely and firmly united or packed together; having component parts closely crowded together; heavy and compact in form or stature; briefly giving the gist of something; noun: a small cosmetics case with a mirror; to be carried in a woman's purse; a small and economical car; a signed written agreement between two or more parties (nations) to perform some action; verb: have the property of being packable or of compacting easily; squeeze or press together; make more compact by or as if by pressing; compress into a wad |
| companion | noun: one paid to accompany or assist or live with another; a person who is frequently in the company of another; a traveller who accompanies you; verb: be a companion to somebody |
| compass | noun: navigational instrument for finding directions; drafting instrument used for drawing circles; the limit of capability; an area in which something acts or operates or has power or control: "the range of a supersonic jet"; verb: bring about; accomplish; get the meaning of something; travel around, either by plane or ship |
| compassion | noun: the humane quality of understanding the suffering of others and wanting to do something about it; a deep awareness of and sympathy for another's suffering |
| compassionate | adj. showing or having compassion; showing merciful compassion; verb: share the suffering of |
| compel | verb: force or compel somebody to do something; make someone do something |
| complaisance | noun: a disposition or tendency to yield to the will of others |
| complaisant | adj. showing a cheerful willingness to do favours for others |
| completion | noun: a concluding action; (American football) a successful forward pass in football |
| complexion | noun: (obsolete) a combination of elements (of dryness and warmth or of the four humours) that was once believed to determine a person's health and temperament; texture and appearance of the skin of the face; the colouring of a person's face; a point of view or general attitude or inclination; a combination that results from coupling or interlinking; verb: give a certain colour to |
| compliance | noun: happy friendly agreement; the act of submitting; usually surrendering power to another; acting according to certain accepted standards; a disposition or tendency to yield to the will of others |
| compliment | noun: a remark (or act) expressing praise and admiration; verb: say something to someone that expresses praise; express respect or esteem for |
| compliments | noun: (usually plural) a polite expression of desire for someone's welfare |
| composure | noun: steadiness of mind under stress |
| comprehend | verb: get the meaning of something; to become aware of through the senses; include in scope; include as part of something broader; have as one's sphere or territory |
| conceal | verb: hold back; keep from being perceived by others; prevent from being seen or discovered |
| concealment | noun: the activity of keeping something secret; a covering that serves to conceal or shelter something; the condition of being concealed or hidden |
| conceive | verb: become pregnant; undergo conception; judge or regard; look upon; judge; have the idea for |
| conciliate | verb: make compatible with; come to terms; cause to be more favourably inclined; gain the good will of |
| concubine | noun: a woman who cohabits with an important man |
| concussion | noun: any violent blow; injury to the brain caused by a blow; usually resulting in loss of consciousness |
| condemn | verb: declare or judge unfit; express strong disapproval of; demonstrate the guilt of (someone); compel or force into a particular state or activity; pronounce a sentence on (somebody) in a court of law |
| condemnation | noun: (law) the act of condemning (as land forfeited for public use) or judging to be unfit for use (as a food product or an unsafe building); the condition of being strongly disapproved of; (criminal law) a final judgment of guilty in a criminal case and the punishment that is imposed; an expression of strong disapproval; pronouncing as wrong or morally culpable; an appeal to some supernatural power to inflict evil on someone or some group |
| condescension | noun: affability to your inferiors and temporary disregard for differences of position or rank; the trait of displaying arrogance by patronizing those considered inferior; a communication that indicates lack of respect by patronizing the recipient |
| conductor | noun: a device designed to transmit electricity, heat, etc.; the person who leads a musical group; the person who collects fares on a public conveyance; a substance that readily conducts e.g. electricity and heat |
| conductress | noun: a woman conductor |
| confederacy | noun: the southern states that seceded from the United States in 1861; a secret agreement between two or more people to perform an unlawful act; a group of conspirators banded together to achieve some harmful or illegal purpose; a union of political organizations |
| confer | verb: have a conference in order to talk something over; present |
| confess | verb: confess to God in the presence of a priest, as in the Catholic faith; confess to a punishable or reprehensible deed, usually under pressure; admit, make a clean breast of |
| confession | noun: (Roman Catholic Church) the act of a penitent disclosing his sinfulness before a priest in the sacrament of penance in the hope of absolution; a written document acknowledging an offense and signed by the guilty party; a document that spells out the belief system of a given church (especially the Reformation churches of the 16th century); a public declaration of your faith; an admission of misdeeds or faults |
| confessional | noun: a booth where a priest sits to hear confessions |
| confessor | noun: a priest who hears confession and gives absolution; someone who confesses (discloses information damaging to themselves) |
| confide | verb: reveal in private; tell confidentially; confer a trust upon |
| confinement | noun: the act of restraining of a person's liberty by confining them; the state of being confined; concluding state of pregnancy; from the onset of labour to the birth of a child |
| confirmation | noun: a sacrament admitting a baptized person to full participation in the church; a ceremony held in the synagogue (usually at Pentecost) to admit as adult members of the Jewish community young men and women who have successfully completed a course of study in Judaism; additional proof that something that was believed (some fact or hypothesis or theory) is correct; information that confirms or verifies; making something valid by formally ratifying or confirming it |
| conflagration | noun: a very intense and uncontrolled fire |
| confluence | noun: a flowing together; a place where things merge or flow together (especially rivers); a coming together of people |
| conform | verb: be similar, be in line with; adapt or conform oneself to new or different conditions |
| confound | verb: mistake one thing for another; be confusing or perplexing to; cause to be unable to think clearly |
| conjecture | noun: reasoning that involves the formation of conclusions from incomplete evidence; a hypothesis that has been formed by speculating or conjecturing (usually with little hard evidence); a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence; verb: to believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds |
| conjure | verb: engage in plotting or enter into a conspiracy, swear together; ask for or request earnestly; summon into action or bring into existence, often as if by magic |
| connexion | noun: the act of bringing two things into contact (especially for communication); shifting from one form of transportation to another; an instrumentality that connects; the process of bringing ideas or events together in memory or imagination; a relation between things or events (as in the case of one causing the other or sharing features with it); a connecting shape |
| conquer | verb: overcome by conquest; to put down by force or authority; take possession of by force, as after an invasion |
| conquest | noun: success in mastering something difficult; the act of conquering; an act of winning the love or sexual favour of someone |
| conscience | noun: conformity to one's own sense of right conduct; a feeling of shame when you do something immoral; motivation deriving logically from ethical or moral principles that govern a person's thoughts and actions |
| consign | verb: give over to another for care or safekeeping; commit forever; commit irrevocably; send to an address |
| consolation | noun: the act of consoling; giving relief in affliction; the comfort you feel when consoled in times of disappointment |
| console | noun: an ornamental scroll-shaped bracket (especially one used to support a wall fixture); a scientific instrument consisting of displays and an input device that an operator can use to monitor and control a system (especially a computer system); housing for electronic instruments, as radio or television; a small table fixed to a wall or designed to stand against a wall; verb: give moral or emotional strength to |
| consort | noun: the husband or wife of a reigning monarch; a family of similar musical instrument playing together; verb: keep company with; hang out with; keep company; go together |
| conspicuous | adj. obvious to the eye or mind; without any attempt at concealment; completely obvious |
| consternation | noun: fear resulting from the awareness of danger |
| constitution | noun: the act of forming something; United States 44-gun frigate that was one of the first three naval ships built by the United States; it won brilliant victories over British frigates during the War of 1812 and is without doubt the most famous ship in the history of the United States Navy; it has been rebuilt and is anchored in the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston; the way in which someone or something is composed; law determining the fundamental political principles of a government |
| constraint | noun: the act of constraining; the threat or use of force to control the thoughts or behaviour of others; the state of being physically constrained; a device that retards something's motion |
| contagious | adj. easily diffused or spread as from one person to another; (of disease) capable of being transmitted by infection |
| contemplate | verb: consider as a possibility; look at thoughtfully; observe deep in thought; reflect deeply on a subject; think intently and at length, as for spiritual purposes |
| contemplation | noun: a long and thoughtful observation; a calm lengthy intent consideration |
| contempt | noun: a wilful disobedience to or disrespect for the authority of a court or legislative body; a manner that is generally disrespectful and contemptuous; open disrespect for a person or thing; lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike |
| contemptuous | adj. expressing extreme contempt |
| contend | verb: maintain or assert; be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight; have an argument about something; to make the subject of dispute, contention, or litigation; compete for something; engage in a contest; measure oneself against others; come to terms or deal successfully with |
| continence | noun: the exercise of self constraint in sexual matters; voluntary control over urinary and faecal discharge |
| continual | adj. seemingly without interruption; chiefly restricted to what recurs regularly or frequently in a prolonged and closely spaced series; 'continual' (meaning seemingly uninterrupted) is often used interchangeably with 'continuous' (meaning without interruption) |
| continuance | noun: the act of continuing an activity without interruption; the property of enduring or continuing in time; the period of time during which something continues |
| continuation | noun: the act of continuing an activity without interruption; the consequence of being lengthened in duration; a Gestalt principle of organization holding that there is an innate tendency to perceive a line as continuing its established direction; a part added to a book or play that continues and extends it |
| contradiction | noun: the speech act of contradicting someone; (logic) a statement that is necessarily false; opposition between two conflicting forces or ideas |
| contrary | adj. resistant to guidance or discipline; very opposed in nature or character or purpose; of words or propositions so related that both cannot be true but both may be false; in an opposing direction; noun: a logical relation such that two propositions are contraries if both cannot be true but both can be false; exact opposition; a relation of direct opposition |
| contrite | adj. feeling regret for a fault or offence; feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses |
| contrition | noun: sorrow for sin arising from fear of damnation |
| convent | noun: a religious residence especially for nuns; a community of people in a religious order (especially nuns) living together |
| converse | adj. turned about in order or relation; of words so related that one reverses the relation denoted by the other; noun: a proposition obtained by conversion; verb: carry on a conversation |
| convey | verb: make known; pass on, of information; transmit a title or property; transfer to another; serve as a means for expressing something; go or come after and bring or take back; take something or somebody with oneself somewhere; transmit or serve as the medium for transmission |
| convulsion | noun: a physical disturbance such as an earthquake or upheaval; a violent disturbance; violent uncontrollable contractions of muscles; a sudden uncontrollable attack |
| convulsive | adj. affected by involuntary jerky muscular contractions; resembling a spasm; resembling a convulsion in being sudden and violent |
| coquetry | noun: playful behaviour intended to arouse sexual interest |
| coral | adj. of a strong pink to yellowish-pink colour; noun: marine colonial polyp characterized by a calcareous skeleton; masses in a variety of shapes often forming reefs; a variable colour averaging a deep pink; unfertilized lobster roe; reddens in cooking; used as garnish or to colour sauces; the hard stony skeleton of a Mediterranean coral that has a delicate red or pink colour and is used for jewellery |
| cordiality | noun: a cordial disposition |
| cork | noun: the plug in the mouth of a bottle (especially a wine bottle); a port city in southern Ireland; outer bark of the cork oak; used for stoppers for bottles etc.; a small float usually made of cork; attached to a fishing line; (botany) outer tissue of bark; a protective layer of dead cells; verb: stuff with cork; close a bottle with a cork |
| coronet | noun: margin between the skin of the pastern and the horn of the hoof; a small crown; usually indicates a high rank but below that of sovereign |
| corpse | noun: the dead body of a human being |
| correspondence | noun: communication by the exchange of letters; compatibility of observations; similarity by virtue of corresponding; (mathematics) an attribute of a shape or relation; exact reflection of form on opposite sides of a dividing line or plane; a function such that for every element of one set there is a unique element of another set; the relation of corresponding in degree or size or amount |
| corrupt | adj. lacking in integrity; touched by rot or decay; containing errors or alterations; not straight; dishonest or immoral or evasive; verb: alter from the original; corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality; place under suspicion or cast doubt upon; make illegal payments to in exchange for favours or influence |
| corruption | noun: inducement (as of a public official) by improper means (as bribery) to violate duty (as by committing a felony); destroying someone's (or some group's) honesty or loyalty; undermining moral integrity; moral perversion; impairment of virtue and moral principles; decay of matter (as by rot or oxidation); lack of integrity or honesty (especially susceptibility to bribery); use of a position of trust for dishonest gain; in a state of progressive putrefaction |
| countenance | noun: the appearance conveyed by a person's face; the human face ('kisser' and 'smiler' and 'mug' are informal terms for 'face' and 'phiz' is British); formal and explicit approval; verb: consent to, give permission |
| counteract | verb: oppose and mitigate the effects of by contrary actions; destroy property or hinder normal operations; act in opposition to; oppose or check by a counteraction |
| countrywoman | noun: a woman from your own country; a woman who lives in the country and has country ways |
| covey | noun: a small flock of grouse or partridge; a small collection of people |
| coward | noun: a person who shows fear or timidity; English dramatist and actor and composer noted for his witty and sophisticated comedies (1899-1973) |
| cowardice | noun: the trait of lacking courage |
| cowl | noun: a loose hood or hooded robe (as worn by a monk); protective covering consisting of a metal part that covers the engine; verb: cover with or as with a cowl |
| cradle | noun: a baby bed with sides and rockers; birth of a person; a trough that can be rocked back and forth; used by gold miners to shake auriferous earth in water in order to separate the gold; where something originated or was nurtured in its early existence; verb: run with the stick; hold gently and carefully; wash in a cradle; cut grain with a cradle scythe; hold or place in or as if in a cradle; bring up from infancy |
| crafty | adj. marked by skill in deception |
| craggy | adj. rocky and steep; having hills and crags |
| creak | noun: a squeaking sound; verb: make a high-pitched, screeching noise |
| creator | noun: a person who grows or makes or invents things; terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God |
| creditable | adj. worthy of often limited commendation |
| credulity | noun: tendency to believe readily |
| credulous | adj. disposed to believe on little evidence; showing a lack of judgment or experience |
| criminate | verb: rebuke formally; bring an accusation against; level a charge against |
| crimson | adj. characterized by violence or bloodshed; (especially of the face) reddened or suffused with or as if with blood from emotion or exertion; of a colour at the end of the colour spectrum (next to orange); resembling the colour of blood or cherries or tomatoes or rubies; noun: a deep and vivid red colour; verb: turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame |
| crow | noun: black birds having a raucous call; a Siouan language spoken by the Crow; the cry of a cock (or an imitation of it); a member of the Siouan people formerly living in eastern Montana; an instance of boastful talk; a small quadrilateral constellation in the southern hemisphere near Virgo; verb: express pleasure verbally; utter shrill sounds; dwell on with satisfaction |
| crucifix | noun: a gymnastic exercise performed on the rings when the gymnast supports himself with both arms extended horizontally; representation of the cross on which Jesus died |
| cruelty | noun: a cruel act; a deliberate infliction of pain and suffering; the quality of being cruel and causing tension or annoyance; feelings of extreme heartlessness |
| crystal | noun: a protective cover that protects the face of a watch; glassware made of quartz; a crystalline element used as a component in various electronic devices; a rock formed by the solidification of a substance; has regularly repeating internal structure; external plane faces; a solid formed by the solidification of a chemical and having a highly regular atomic structure; colourless glass made of almost pure silica |
| Cuba | noun: the largest island in the West Indies; a communist state in the Caribbean on the island of Cuba |
| culpability | noun: a state of guilt |
| culpable | adj. deserving blame or censure as being wrong or evil or injurious |
| culprit | noun: someone who perpetrates wrongdoing |
| cupid | noun: a symbol for love in the form of a cherubic naked boy with wings and a bow and arrow; (Roman mythology) god of love; counterpart of Greek Eros |
| cupidity | noun: extreme greed for material wealth |
| curiosity | noun: a state in which you want to learn more about something; something unusual -- perhaps worthy of collecting |
| curse | noun: profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger; a severe affliction; an evil spell; an appeal to some supernatural power to inflict evil on someone or some group; something causes misery or death; verb: utter obscenities or profanities; wish harm upon; invoke evil upon; heap obscenities upon; exclude from a church or a religious community |
| curst | adj. deserving a curse; sometimes used as an intensifier |
| custody | noun: holding by the police; (with 'in') guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child; a state of being confined (usually for a short time) |
| cutlass | noun: a short heavy curved sword with one edge; formerly used by sailors |
| Cytherea | noun: goddess of love and beauty and daughter of Zeus in ancient mythology; identified with Roman Venus |
| daemon | noun: a person who is part mortal and part god; one of the evil spirits of traditional Jewish and Christian belief |
| dagger | noun: a short knife with a pointed blade used for piercing or stabbing; a character used in printing to indicate a cross reference or footnote |
| dale | noun: an open river valley (in a hilly area) |
| dalliance | noun: the deliberate act of delaying and playing instead of working; playful behaviour intended to arouse sexual interest |
| dame | noun: informal terms for a (young) woman; a woman of refinement |
| damn | adj. used as expletives; expletives used informally as intensifiers; adv. extremely; noun: something of little value; verb: wish harm upon; invoke evil upon |
| damnation | noun: the act of damning; the state of being condemned to eternal punishment in Hell |
| damsel | noun: a young unmarried woman |
| Danish | adj. of or relating to or characteristic of Denmark or the Danes; noun: a Scandinavian language that is the official language of Denmark; light sweet yeast-raised roll usually filled with fruits or cheese |
| daphne | noun: (Greek mythology) a nymph who was transformed into a laurel tree to escape the amorous Apollo; any of several ornamental shrubs with shiny mostly evergreen leaves and clusters of small bell-shaped flowers |
| dart | noun: a tapered tuck made in dressmaking; a small narrow pointed missile that is thrown or shot; a sudden quick movement; verb: move with sudden speed; run or move very quickly or hastily; move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart |
| dash | noun: a quick run; the act of moving with great haste; distinctive and stylish elegance; the longer of the two telegraphic signals used in Morse code; a footrace run at top speed; a punctuation mark (-) used between parts of a compound word or between the syllables of a word when the word is divided at the end of a line of text; verb: add an enlivening or altering element to; destroy or break; break into pieces, as by striking or knocking over; hurl or thrust violently; cause to lose courage; run or move very quickly or hastily |
| daunt | verb: cause to lose courage |
| dawn | noun: the earliest period; the first light of day; an opening time period; verb: become light; appear or develop; become clear or enter one's consciousness or emotions |
| day | noun: United States writer best known for his autobiographical works (1874-1935); a period of opportunity; some point or period in time; the recurring hours when you are not sleeping (especially those when you are working); time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis; a day assigned to a particular purpose or observance; the time after sunrise and before sunset while it is light outside; the period of time taken by a particular planet (e.g. Mars) to make a complete rotation on its axis; an era of existence or influence; the time for one complete rotation of the earth relative to a particular star, about 4 minutes shorter than a mean solar day |
| daybreak | noun: the first light of day |
| daylight | noun: light during the daytime; the time after sunrise and before sunset while it is light outside |
| dead | adj. total; devoid of activity; physically inactive; no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life; not showing characteristics of life especially the capacity to sustain life; no longer exerting force or having energy or heat; lacking animation or excitement or activity; drained of electric charge; discharged; sudden and complete; no longer having force or relevance; no longer in force or use; inactive; lacking resilience or bounce; not surviving in active use; out of use or operation because of a fault or breakdown; not circulating or flowing; unerringly accurate; not yielding a return; lacking acoustic resonance; devoid of physical sensation; numb; (followed by 'to') not showing human feeling or sensitivity; unresponsive; not endowed with life; very tired; adv. completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers; quickly and without warning; noun: people who are no longer living; a time when coldness (or some other quality associated with death) is intense |
| dear | adj. with or in a close or intimate relationship; earnest; having a high price; dearly loved; adv. at a great cost; with affection; noun: a beloved person; used as terms of endearment; a sweet innocent mild-mannered person (especially a child) |
| dearest | noun: a beloved person; used as terms of endearment |
| death | noun: the act of killing; the event of dying or departure from life; the personification of death; the permanent end of all life functions in an organism or part of an organism; the absence of life or state of being dead; the time at which life ends; continuing until dead; the time when something ends; a final state |
| debauchery | noun: a wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity |
| decease | noun: the event of dying or departure from life; verb: pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life |
| deceit | noun: the act of deceiving; the quality of being fraudulent; a misleading falsehood |
| deceitful | adj. intended to deceive; marked by deliberate deceptiveness especially by pretending one set of feelings and acting under the influence of another |
| deceive | verb: cause someone to believe an untruth; be false to; be dishonest with |
| deceiver | noun: someone who leads you to believe something that is not true |
| decency | noun: the quality of being polite and respectable; the quality of conforming to standards of propriety and morality |
| deception | noun: the act of deceiving; an illusory feat; considered magical by naive observers; a misleading falsehood |
| decisive | adj. determining or having the power to determine an outcome; characterized by decision and firmness; unmistakable; forming or having the nature of a turning point or crisis |
| declaration | noun: a statement that is emphatic and explicit (spoken or written); (law) unsworn statement that can be admitted in evidence in a legal transaction; a statement of taxable goods or of dutiable properties; a formal expression by a meeting; agreed to by a vote; a formal public statement; (contract bridge) the highest bid becomes the contract setting the number of tricks that the bidder must make |
| decree | noun: a legally binding command or decision entered on the court record (as if issued by a court or judge); verb: issue a decree; decide with authority |
| dedicate | verb: set apart to sacred uses with solemn rites, of a church; inscribe or address by way of compliment; open to public use, as of a highway, park, or building; give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause |
| defect | noun: a failing or deficiency; an imperfection in a bodily system; an imperfection in a device or machine; a mark or flaw that spoils the appearance of something (especially on a person's body); verb: desert (a cause, a country or an army), often in order to join the opposing cause, country, or army |
| defer | verb: submit or yield to another's wish or opinion; hold back to a later time |
| deficient | adj. inadequate in amount or degree; falling short of some prescribed norm; of a quantity not able to fulfil a need or requirement |
| defray | verb: bear the expenses of |
| defy | verb: challenge; resist or confront with resistance; elude, especially in a baffling way |
| degeneracy | noun: the state of being degenerate in mental or moral qualities; moral perversion; impairment of virtue and moral principles |
| degradation | noun: changing to a lower state (a less respected state); a low or downcast state |
| deign | verb: do something that one considers to be below one's dignity |
| dejection | noun: a state of melancholy depression; solid excretory product evacuated from the bowels |
| delicacy | noun: subtly skilful handling of a situation; smallness of stature; refined taste; tact; lightness in movement or manner; the quality of being beautiful and delicate in appearance; lack of physical strength; something considered choice to eat |
| delicious | adj. greatly pleasing or entertaining; extremely pleasing to the sense of taste; noun: variety of sweet eating apples |
| delightful | adj. greatly pleasing or entertaining |
| delinquent | adj. past due; not paid at the scheduled time; persistently bad; guilty of a minor misdeed; failing in what duty requires; noun: a young offender |
| delirious | adj. marked by uncontrolled excitement or emotion; experiencing delirium |
| delirium | noun: a usually brief state of excitement and mental confusion often accompanied by hallucinations; state of violent mental agitation |
| deliverance | noun: recovery or preservation from loss or danger |
| deliverer | noun: a person who gives up or transfers money or goods; someone employed to make deliveries; a person who rescues you from harm or danger; a teacher and prophet born in Bethlehem and active in Nazareth; his life and sermons form the basis for Christianity (circa 4 BC - AD 29) |
| demean | verb: reduce in worth or character, usually verbally |
| denial | noun: the act of asserting that something alleged is not true; the act of refusing to comply (as with a request); (psychiatry) a defence mechanism that denies painful thoughts; renunciation of your own interests in favour of the interests of others; a defendant's answer or plea denying the truth of the charges against him |
| Denmark | noun: a constitutional monarchy in northern Europe; consists of the mainland of Jutland and many islands between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea |
| denounce | verb: speak out against; give away information about somebody; announce the termination of, as of treaties; to accuse or condemn or openly or formally or brand as disgraceful |
| depart | verb: go away or leave; leave; move away from a place into another direction; wander from a direct or straight course; remove oneself from an association with or participation in; be at variance with; be out of line with |
| deplorable | adj. bad; unfortunate; of very poor quality or condition; bringing or deserving severe rebuke or censure |
| deplore | verb: express strong disapproval of; regret strongly |
| deposition | noun: the act of deposing someone; removing a powerful person from a position or office; (law) a pretrial interrogation of a witness; usually conducted in a lawyer's office; the natural process of laying down a deposit of something; the act of putting something somewhere |
| depravity | noun: a corrupt or depraved or degenerate act or practice; moral perversion; impairment of virtue and moral principles |
| deprecate | verb: belittle; express strong disapproval of; deplore |
| deprive | verb: take away; keep from having, keeping, or obtaining; take away possessions from someone |
| derangement | noun: a state of mental disturbance and disorientation; the act of disturbing the mind or body |
| derogate | verb: cause to seem less serious; play down |
| derogatory | adj. expressive of low opinion |
| descend | verb: move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way; come as if by falling; do something that one considers to be below one's dignity; come from; be connected by a relationship of blood, for example |
| desertion | noun: withdrawing support or help despite allegiance or responsibility; the act of giving something up |
| desirable | adj. worth having or seeking or achieving; worthy of being chosen especially as a spouse |
| desirous | adj. having or expressing desire for something |
| desist | verb: choose not to consume |
| desolate | adj. crushed by grief; providing no shelter or sustenance; verb: devastate or ravage; reduce in population; leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch |
| desolation | noun: an event that results in total destruction; sadness resulting from being forsaken or abandoned; a bleak and desolate atmosphere; the state of being decayed or destroyed |
| despair | noun: the feeling that everything is wrong and nothing will turn out well; a state in which everything seems wrong and will turn out badly; verb: abandon hope; give up hope; lose heart |
| despicable | adj. morally reprehensible |
| despise | verb: look down on with disdain |
| despondency | noun: feeling downcast and disheartened and hopeless |
| despondent | adj. without or almost without hope |
| despotic | adj. ruled by or characteristic of a despot; belonging to or having the characteristics of a despot; characteristic of an absolute ruler or absolute rule; having absolute sovereignty |
| destination | noun: the ultimate goal for which something is done; written directions for finding some location; written on letters or packages that are to be delivered to that location; the place designated as the end (as of a race or journey) |
| destiny | noun: an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future; the ultimate agency that predetermines the course of events (often personified as a woman); your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you) |
| destitute | adj. poor enough to need help from others; completely wanting or lacking |
| destroyer | noun: a small fast lightly armoured but heavily armed warship; a person who destroys or ruins or lays waste to |
| detain | verb: cause to be slowed down or delayed; stop or halt; deprive of freedom; take into confinement |
| detection | noun: the act of detecting something; catching sight of something; a police investigation to determine the perpetrator; the perception that something has occurred or some state exists; the detection that a signal is being received |
| detestation | noun: hate coupled with disgust |
| devastation | noun: an event that results in total destruction; the feeling of being confounded or overwhelmed; the state of being decayed or destroyed; the termination of something by causing so much damage to it that it cannot be repaired or no longer exists; plundering with excessive damage and destruction |
| deviate | adj. markedly different from an accepted norm; noun: a person whose behaviour deviates from what is acceptable especially in sexual behaviour; verb: turn aside; turn away from; cause to turn away from a previous or expected course; be at variance with; be out of line with |
| deviation | noun: deviate behaviour; the error of a compass due to local magnetic disturbances; the difference between an observed value and the expected value of a variable or function; a variation that deviates from the standard or norm; a turning aside (of your course or attention or concern) |
| devise | noun: (law) a gift of real property by will; a will disposing of real property; verb: give by will, especially real property; come up with (an idea, plan, explanation, theory, or principle) after a mental effort; arrange by systematic planning and united effort |
| devoid | adj. completely lacking; completely wanting or lacking |
| devotion | noun: (usually plural) religious observance or prayers (usually spoken silently); commitment to some purpose; feelings of ardent love; religious zeal; the willingness to serve God |
| devout | adj. devoutly religious; earnest |
| dewy | adj. wet with dew |
| dexterity | noun: adroitness in using the hands |
| diadem | noun: an ornamental jewelled headdress signifying sovereignty |
| Diana | noun: (Roman mythology) virgin goddess of the hunt and the moon; counterpart of Greek Artemis; English aristocrat who was the first wife of Prince Charles; her death in an automobile accident in Paris produced intense national mourning (1961-1997) |
| diffidence | noun: lack of self-confidence |
| dignity | noun: the quality of being worthy of esteem or respect; formality in bearing and appearance; high office or rank or station |
| digression | noun: wandering from the main path of a journey; a message that departs from the main subject; a turning aside (of your course or attention or concern) |
| dilemma | noun: state of uncertainty or perplexity especially as requiring a choice between equally unfavourable options |
| diligence | noun: conscientiousness in paying proper attention to a task; giving the degree of care required in a given situation; persevering determination to perform a task; a diligent effort |
| diligent | adj. characterized by care and perseverance in carrying out tasks; quietly and steadily persevering especially in detail or exactness |
| diminish | verb: lessen the authority, dignity, or reputation of; decrease in size, extent, or range |
| dine | verb: give dinner to; host for dinner; have supper; eat dinner |
| dint | noun: interchangeable with 'means' in the expression 'by means of' |
| dire | adj. causing fear or dread or terror; fraught with extreme danger; nearly hopeless |
| disagreeable | adj. not to your liking; not agreeing with your tastes or expectations |
| disappearance | noun: the act of leaving secretly or without explanation; the event of passing out of sight; ceasing to exist; gradually ceasing to be visible |
| disapprobation | noun: an expression of strong disapproval; pronouncing as wrong or morally culpable |
| disarm | verb: remove offensive capability from; take away the weapons from; render harmless; make less hostile; win over |
| disavow | verb: refuse to acknowledge; disclaim knowledge of; responsibility for, or association with |
| disavowal | noun: denial of any connection with or knowledge of |
| discernible | adj. perceptible by the senses or intellect; capable of being seen or noticed; capable of being perceived clearly |
| discernment | noun: perception of that which is obscure; the trait of judging wisely and objectively; the mental ability to understand and discriminate between relations; delicate discrimination (especially of aesthetic values); the cognitive condition of someone who understands |
| disciple | noun: someone who believes and helps to spread the doctrine of another |
| disclaim | verb: make a disclaimer about; renounce a legal claim or title to |
| disclose | verb: disclose to view as by removing a cover; make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret |
| discontent | adj. showing or experiencing dissatisfaction or restless longing; noun: a longing for something better than the present situation; verb: make dissatisfied |
| discontinue | verb: put an end to a state or an activity; come or be at an end; prevent completion |
| discordant | adj. not in agreement or harmony; lacking in harmony |
| discountenance | verb: show disapproval by discouraging; look with disfavour on |
| discredit | noun: the state of being held in low esteem; verb: cause to be distrusted or disbelieved; damage the reputation of; reject as false; refuse to accept |
| discretion | noun: the trait of judging wisely and objectively; knowing how to avoid embarrassment or distress; freedom to act or judge on one's own; the power of making free choices unconstrained by external agencies; refined taste; tact |
| disdain | noun: a communication that indicates lack of respect by patronizing the recipient; lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike; verb: reject with contempt; look down on with disdain |
| disdainful | adj. having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy; expressing extreme contempt |
| disengage | verb: become free; release from something that holds fast, connects, or entangles; free or remove obstruction from |
| disgrace | noun: a state of dishonour; verb: damage the reputation of; reduce in worth or character, usually verbally; bring shame or dishonour upon |
| disgraceful | adj. giving offense to moral sensibilities and injurious to reputation; (used of conduct or character) deserving or bringing disgrace or shame |
| disguise | noun: the act of concealing the identity of something by modifying its appearance; any attire that modifies the appearance in order to conceal the wearer's identity; an outward semblance that misrepresents the true nature of something; verb: make unrecognizable |
| dismal | adj. causing dejection |
| dismay | noun: fear resulting from the awareness of danger; the feeling of despair in the face of obstacles; verb: fill with apprehension or alarm; cause to be unpleasantly surprised; lower someone's spirits; make downhearted |
| dismission | noun: the termination of someone's employment (leaving them free to depart); official notice that you have been fired from your job |
| dismount | noun: the act of dismounting (a horse or bike etc.); verb: get off (a horse) |
| disobedience | noun: the failure to obey; the trait of being unwilling to obey |
| disobey | verb: refuse to go along with; refuse to follow; be disobedient |
| dispatch | noun: the act of sending off something; killing a person or animal; the property of being prompt and efficient; an official report (usually sent in haste); verb: kill without delay; send away towards a designated goal; dispose of rapidly and without delay and efficiently; complete or carry out; kill intentionally and with premeditation |
| dispel | verb: force to go away; used both with concrete and metaphoric meanings; to cause to separate and go in different directions |
| dispensation | noun: the act of dispensing (giving out in portions); an exemption from some rule or obligation; a share that has been dispensed or distributed |
| disperse | verb: move away from each other; to cause to separate and go in different directions; cause to separate; cause to become widely known; distribute loosely |
| displace | verb: force to move; take the place of; move (people) forcibly from their homeland into a new and foreign environment; put out of its usual place, position, or relationship; remove or force from a position of dwelling previously occupied; cause to move, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense; take the place of or have precedence over |
| displeasure | noun: the feeling of being displeased or annoyed or dissatisfied with someone or something |
| disposal | noun: the act or means of getting rid of something; a kitchen appliance for disposing of garbage; the power to use something or someone; a method of tending to (especially business) matters |
| dispose | verb: make receptive or willing towards an action or attitude or belief; give, sell, or transfer to another; make fit or prepared; throw or cast away |
| disposition | noun: your usual mood; a natural or acquired habit or characteristic tendency in a person or thing; the act or means of getting rid of something; an attitude of mind especially one that favours one alternative over others |
| disrespect | noun: a disrespectful mental attitude; an expression of lack of respect; a manner that is generally disrespectful and contemptuous; verb: have little or no respect for; hold in contempt; show a lack of respect for |
| dissimulate | verb: hide (feelings) from other people |
| dissimulation | noun: the act of deceiving |
| dissipate | verb: live a life or pleasure, especially with respect to alcoholic consumption; spend frivolously and unwisely; move away from each other; to cause to separate and go in different directions |
| dissipation | noun: breaking up and scattering by dispersion; useless or profitless activity; using or expending or consuming thoughtlessly or carelessly; dissolute indulgence in sensual pleasure |
| dissolution | noun: the termination or disintegration of a relationship (between persons or nations); separation into component parts; the termination of a meeting; dissolute indulgence in sensual pleasure; the process of going into solution |
| distract | verb: draw someone's attention away from something; disturb in mind or make uneasy or cause to be worried or alarmed |
| distraction | noun: the act of distracting; drawing someone's attention away from something; mental turmoil; an obstacle to attention; an entertainment that provokes pleased interest and distracts you from worries and vexations |
| distress | noun: the seizure and holding of property as security for payment of a debt or satisfaction of a claim; psychological suffering; extreme physical pain; a state of adversity (danger or affliction or need); verb: cause mental pain to |
| distrust | noun: the trait of not trusting others; doubt about someone's honesty; verb: regard as untrustworthy; regard with suspicion; have no faith or confidence in |
| disturbance | noun: the act of disturbing something or someone; setting something in motion; a disorderly outburst or tumult; an unhappy and worried mental state; a noisy fight; activity that is an intrusion or interruption; electrical or acoustic activity that can disturb communication; (psychiatry) a psychological disorder of thought or emotion; a more neutral term than mental illness |
| disturber | noun: a troubler who disquiets or interferes with peace and quiet; someone who causes disorder and commotion |
| disuse | noun: the state of something that has been unused and neglected |
| ditty | noun: a short simple song (or the words of a poem intended to be sung) |
| dive | noun: a steep nose-down descent by an aircraft; a headlong plunge into water; a cheap disreputable nightclub or dance hall; verb: swim under water; plunge into water; drop steeply |
| diversion | noun: a turning aside (of your course or attention or concern); an activity that diverts or amuses or stimulates; an attack calculated to draw enemy defence away from the point of the principal attack |
| divert | verb: send on a course or in a direction different from the planned or intended one; withdraw (money) and move into a different location, often secretly and with dishonest intentions; turn aside; turn away from; occupy in an agreeable, entertaining or pleasant fashion |
| divine | adj. being of such surpassing excellence as to suggest inspiration by the gods; emanating from God; being or having the nature of a god; appropriate to or befitting a god; devoted to or in the service or worship of a deity; resulting from divine providence; noun: terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God; a clergyman or other person in religious orders; verb: search by divining, as if with a rod; perceive intuitively or through some inexplicable perceptive powers |
| divinity | noun: the quality of being divine; white creamy fudge made with egg whites; the rational and systematic study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truth; any supernatural being worshipped as controlling some part of the world or some aspect of life or who is the personification of a force |
| dizzy | adj. having or causing a whirling sensation; liable to falling; lacking seriousness; given to frivolity; verb: make dizzy or giddy |
| docility | noun: the trait of being agreeably submissive and manageable |
| domain | noun: a knowledge domain that you are interested in or are communicating about; territory over which rule or control is exercised; the set of values of the independent variable for which a function is defined; people in general; especially a distinctive group of people with some shared interest; a particular environment or walk of life |
| Dominic | noun: (Roman Catholic Church) Spanish priest who founded an order whose members became known as Dominicans or Black Friars (circa 1170-1221) |
| dominion | noun: one of the self-governing nations in the British Commonwealth; dominance or power through legal authority; a region marked off for administrative or other purposes |
| donna | noun: an Italian woman of rank |
| doom | noun: an unpleasant or disastrous destiny; verb: make certain of the failure or destruction of; decree or designate beforehand; pronounce a sentence on (somebody) in a court of law |
| doorway | noun: the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can close |
| dormant | adj. inactive but capable of becoming active; of e.g. volcanos; not erupting and not extinct; in a condition of biological rest or suspended animation |
| dote | verb: shower with love; show excessive affection for; be foolish or senile due to old age |
| doubtful | adj. fraught with uncertainty or doubt; open to doubt or suspicion; unsettled in mind or opinion |
| downcast | adj. directed downward; low in spirits; noun: a ventilation shaft through which air enters a mine |
| dragon | noun: any of several small tropical Asian lizards capable of gliding by spreading wing like membranes on each side of the body; a creature of Teutonic mythology; usually represented as breathing fire and having a reptilian body and sometimes wings; a fiercely vigilant and unpleasant woman; a faint constellation twisting around the north celestial pole and lying between Ursa Major and Cepheus |
| draught | noun: the act of moving a load by drawing or pulling; a large and hurried swallow; a dose of liquid medicine; the depth of a vessel's keel below the surface (especially when loaded); a serving of drink (usually alcoholic) drawn from a keg; a current of air (usually coming into a room or vehicle); verb: make a blueprint of |
| drawn | adj. having the curtains or draperies closed or pulled shut; used of vehicles pulled forward (often used in combination); showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering |
| dread | adj. causing fear or dread or terror; noun: fearful expectation or anticipation; verb: be afraid or scared of; be frightened of |
| dreadful | adj. very unpleasant; causing fear or dread or terror; exceptionally bad or displeasing |
| drear | adj. causing dejection |
| dreary | adj. causing dejection; lacking in liveliness or charm or surprise |
| drew | noun: United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862) |
| driven | adj. urged or forced to action through moral pressure; compelled forcibly by an outside agency; strongly motivated to succeed |
| drove | noun: a stonemason's chisel with a broad edge for dressing stone; a moving crowd; a group of animals (a herd or flock) moving together |
| duchess | noun: the wife of a duke or a woman holding ducal title in her own right |
| dudgeon | noun: a feeling of intense indignation (now used only in the phrase 'in high dudgeon') |
| duenna | noun: a woman chaperon |
| duke | noun: a British peer of the highest rank; a nobleman (in various countries) of high rank |
| dukedom | noun: the dignity or rank or position of a duke; the domain controlled by a duke or duchess |
| dulcet | adj. pleasing to the ear; extremely pleasant in a gentle way |
| dungeon | noun: a dark cell (usually underground) where prisoners can be confined; the main tower within the walls of a medieval castle or fortress |
| dupe | noun: a person who is tricked or swindled; verb: fool or hoax |
| dusk | noun: the time of day immediately following sunset; verb: become dusk |
| dwell | verb: inhabit or live in; originate (in); think moodily or anxiously about something; come back to |
| eagle | noun: any of various large keen-sighted diurnal birds of prey noted for their broad wings and strong soaring flight; an emblem representing power; a former gold coin in the United States worth 10 dollars; (golf) a score of two strokes under par on a hole; verb: shoot in two strokes under par |
| earl | noun: a British peer ranking below a marquess and above a viscount |
| earlier | adj. (comparative and superlative of 'early') more early than; most early; adv. earlier in time; previously; before now; comparatives of 'soon' or 'early' |
| earliest | adj. (comparative and superlative of 'early') more early than; most early; adv. with the least delay |
| earnest | adj. characterized by a firm and humourless belief in the validity of your opinions; not distracted by anything unrelated to the goal; earnest; noun: something of value given by one person to another to bind a contract |
| earthen | adj. made of earth (or baked clay) |
| earthquake | noun: shaking and vibration at the surface of the earth resulting from underground movement along a fault plane of from volcanic activity; a disturbance that is extremely disruptive |
| eccentric | adj. not having a common centre; not concentric; conspicuously or grossly unconventional or unusual; noun: a person with an unusual or odd personality; a person of a specified kind (usually with many eccentricities) |
| echo | noun: the persistence of a sound after its source has stopped; a reply that repeats what has just been said; (Greek mythology) a nymph who was spurned by Narcissus and pined away until only her voice remained; verb: call to mind; to say again or imitate; ring or echo with sound |
| ecstasy | noun: a state of being carried away by overwhelming emotion; a state of elated bliss; street names for methylenedioxymethamphetamine |
| efface | verb: make inconspicuous; remove completely from recognition or memory; remove by or as if by rubbing or erasing |
| efficacious | adj. marked by qualities giving the power to produce an intended effect; producing or capable of producing an intended result or having a striking effect |
| eggshell | noun: the exterior covering of a bird's egg |
| eighteen | adj. being one more than seventeen; noun: the cardinal number that is the sum of seventeen and one |
| elapse | verb: pass by |
| elastic | adj. capable of resuming original shape after stretching or compression; springy; able to adjust readily to different conditions; noun: a fabric made of yarns containing an elastic material; a narrow band of elastic rubber used to hold things (such as papers) together |
| elder | adj. used of the older of two persons of the same name especially used to distinguish a father from his son; noun: a person who is older than you are; any of various church officers; any of numerous shrubs or small trees of temperate and subtropical northern hemisphere having white flowers and berrylike fruit |
| elegance | noun: a refined quality of gracefulness and good taste; a quality of neatness and ingenious simplicity in the solution of a problem (especially in science or mathematics) |
| eleven | adj. being one more than ten; noun: the cardinal number that is the sum of ten and one; a team that plays football |
| elope | verb: run away secretly with one's beloved |
| elopement | noun: the act of running away with a lover (usually to get married) |
| eloquence | noun: powerful and effective language |
| embitter | verb: cause to be bitter or resentful |
| emblem | noun: special design or visual object representing a quality, type, group, etc.; a visible symbol representing an abstract idea |
| embroidery | noun: decorative needlework; elaboration of an interpretation by the use of decorative (sometimes fictitious) detail |
| eminence | noun: high status importance owing to marked superiority; a protuberance on a bone especially for attachment of a muscle or ligament |
| emissary | noun: someone sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else |
| enchantment | noun: a magical spell; a psychological state induced by (or as if induced by) a magical incantation; a feeling of great liking for something wonderful and unusual |
| enchantress | noun: a female sorcerer or magician; a woman who is considered to be dangerously seductive |
| endear | verb: make attractive or lovable |
| endurable | adj. capable of being borne though unpleasant |
| endurance | noun: the power to withstand hardship or stress; a state of surviving; remaining alive |
| endure | verb: put up with something or somebody unpleasant; undergo or be subjected to; continue to live; endure or last; continue to exist; persist for a specified period of time; last and be usable; face or endure with courage |
| enforce | verb: ensure observance of laws and rules; compel to behave in a certain way |
| engagement | noun: employment for performers or performing groups that lasts for a limited period of time; the act of sharing in the activities of a group; contact by fitting together; a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war; the act of giving someone a job; a mutual promise to marry; a meeting arranged in advance |
| engender | verb: call forth; make children |
| England | noun: a division of the United Kingdom |
| enlarge | verb: make larger; become larger or bigger; make large; add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing |
| enlighten | verb: give spiritual insight to; in religion; make understand; make free from confusion or ambiguity; make clear |
| enmity | noun: the feeling of a hostile person; a state of deep-seated ill-will |
| ennui | noun: the feeling of being bored by something tedious |
| enormity | noun: an act of extreme wickedness; the quality of extreme wickedness; vastness of size or extent; the quality of being outrageous |
| enquire | verb: have a wish or desire to know something; inquire about; conduct an inquiry or investigation of |
| ensue | verb: issue or terminate (in a specified way, state, etc.); end |
| entice | verb: provoke someone to do something through (often false or exaggerated) promises or persuasion |
| entreat | verb: ask for or request earnestly |
| entreaty | noun: earnest or urgent request |
| envious | adj. showing extreme cupidity; painfully desirous of another's advantages |
| envisage | verb: form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case |
| envy | noun: spite and resentment at seeing the success of another (personified as one of the deadly sins); a feeling of grudging admiration and desire to have something that is possessed by another; verb: be envious of; set one's heart on; feel envious towards; admire enviously |
| epic | adj. very imposing or impressive; surpassing the ordinary (especially in size or scale); constituting or having to do with or suggestive of a literary epic; noun: a long narrative poem telling of a hero's deeds |
| equipage | noun: a vehicle with wheels drawn by one or more horses; equipment and supplies of a military force |
| eradicate | verb: kill in large numbers; destroy completely, as if down to the roots |
| erect | adj. upright in position or posture; of sexual organs; stiff and rigid; verb: construct, build, or erect; cause to rise up |
| errand | noun: a short trip that is taken in the performance of a necessary task or mission |
| erroneous | adj. containing or characterized by error |
| erudition | noun: profound scholarly knowledge |
| espouse | verb: take up the cause, ideology, practice, method, of someone and use it as one's own; choose and follow; as of theories, ideas, policies, strategies or plans; take in marriage |
| esteem | noun: the condition of being honoured (esteemed or respected or well regarded); an attitude of admiration or esteem; a feeling of delighted approval and liking; verb: look on as or consider; regard highly; think much of |
| estimable | adj. deserving of respect or high regard; deserving of esteem and respect; may be computed or estimated |
| estimation | noun: a judgment of the qualities of something or somebody; an approximate calculation of quantity or degree or worth; the respect with which a person is held; a document appraising the value of something (as for insurance or taxation) |
| eternal | adj. tiresomely long; seemingly without end; continuing forever or indefinitely |
| eternity | noun: a state of eternal existence believed in some religions to characterize the afterlife; time without end; a seemingly endless time interval (waiting) |
| evident | adj. capable of being seen or noticed; clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment |
| exactitude | noun: the quality of being exact |
| exalt | verb: raise in rank, character, or status; praise, glorify, or honour; fill with sublime emotion; tickle pink; heighten or intensify |
| excel | verb: distinguish oneself |
| excellence | noun: the quality of excelling; possessing good qualities in high degree; an outstanding feature; something in which something or someone excels |
| excessive | adj. beyond normal limits; unrestrained, especially with regard to feelings |
| exclaim | verb: utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy; state or announce |
| exclamation | noun: an abrupt excited utterance; a loud complaint or protest or reproach; an exclamatory rhetorical device |
| excusable | adj. easily excused or forgiven; capable of being overlooked |
| execration | noun: the object of cursing or detestation; that which is execrated; an appeal to some supernatural power to inflict evil on someone or some group; hate coupled with disgust |
| execute | verb: sign in the presence of witnesses; kill as a means of socially sanctioned punishment; murder in a planned fashion; carry out the legalities of; put in effect; carry out or perform an action; carry out a process or program, as on a computer or a machine |
| execution | noun: the act of accomplishing some aim or executing some order; putting a condemned person to death; a routine court order that attempts to enforce the judgment that has been granted to a plaintiff by authorizing a sheriff to carry it out; (law) the completion of a legal instrument (such as a contract or deed) by signing it (and perhaps sealing and delivering it) so that it becomes legally binding and enforceable; (computer science) the process of carrying out an instruction by a computer; the act of performing; of doing something successfully; using knowledge as distinguished from merely possessing it; unlawful premeditated killing of a human being by a human being |
| exemplary | adj. worthy of imitation; serving to warn; being or serving as an illustration of a type |
| exempt | adj. (of persons) freed from or not subject to an obligation or liability (as e.g. taxes) to which others or other things are subject; (of goods or funds) not subject to taxation; verb: grant relief or an exemption from a rule or requirement to; grant exemption or release to |
| exemption | noun: an act exempting someone; a deduction allowed to a taxpayer because of his status (having certain dependents or being blind or being over 65 etc.); immunity from an obligation or duty |
| exert | verb: put to use; make a great effort at a mental or physical task; have and exercise |
| exertion | noun: use of physical or mental energy; hard work |
| exhale | verb: expel air; give out (breath or an odour) |
| exhaust | noun: system consisting of the parts of an engine through which burned gases or steam are discharged; gases ejected from an engine as waste products; verb: wear out completely; use up the whole supply of; create a vacuum in (a bulb, flask, reaction vessel); use up (resources or materials); deplete |
| exhortation | noun: a communication intended to urge or persuade the recipients to take some action; the act of exhorting; an earnest attempt at persuasion |
| exile | noun: the act of expelling a person from their native land; expelled from home or country by authority; voluntarily absent from home or country; verb: expel from a country |
| Exorciser | noun: someone who practices exorcism |
| exordium | noun: (rhetoric) the introductory section of an oration or discourse |
| expedient | adj. serving to promote your interest; appropriate to a purpose; practical; noun: a means to an end; not necessarily a principled or ethical one |
| expedition | noun: a journey organized for a particular purpose; a military campaign designed to achieve a specific objective in a foreign country; an organized group of people undertaking a journey for a particular purpose; a journey taken for pleasure; the property of being prompt and efficient |
| expiate | verb: make amends for |
| expire | verb: expel air; pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life; lose validity |
| expressive | adj. characterized by expression |
| exquisite | adj. of extreme beauty; lavishly elegant and refined; intense or sharp; delicately beautiful |
| extenuate | verb: lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of |
| exterior | adj. situated in or suitable for the outdoors or outside of a building; noun: the outer side or surface of something; the region that is outside of something |
| extinct | adj. (of e.g. volcanos) permanently inactive; being out or having grown cold; no longer in existence; lost or especially having died out leaving no living representatives |
| extinguish | verb: kill in large numbers; put an end to; kill; extinguish by crushing; put out, as of fires, flames, or lights |
| extol | verb: praise, glorify, or honour |
| extract | noun: a passage selected from a larger work; a solution obtained by steeping or soaking a substance (usually in water); verb: calculate the root of a number; remove, usually with some force or effort; also used in an abstract sense; separate (a metal) from an ore; get despite difficulties or obstacles; extract by the process of distillation; take out of a literary work in order to cite or copy; obtain from a substance, as by mechanical action; deduce (a principle) or construe (a meaning) |
| extravagant | adj. recklessly wasteful; unrestrained, especially with regard to feelings |
| exult | verb: feel extreme happiness or elation; to express great joy |
| exultation | noun: the utterance of sounds expressing great joy; a feeling of extreme joy |
| facilitate | verb: make easier; increase the likelihood of (a response); be of use |
| fain | adj. having made preparations; adv. in a willing manner |
| fair | adj. (used of hair or skin) pale or light-coloured; free of clouds or rain; (of a baseball) hit between the foul lines; free from favouritism or self-interest or bias or deception; or conforming with established standards or rules; attractively feminine; not excessive or extreme; very pleasing to the eye; (of a manuscript) having few alterations or corrections; lacking exceptional quality or ability; showing lack of favouritism; adv. without favouring one party, in a fair even-handed manner; in conformity with the rules or laws and without fraud or cheating; noun: a competitive exhibition of farm products; gathering of producers to promote business; a traveling show; having sideshows and rides and games of skill etc.; a sale of miscellany; often for charity; verb: join so that the external surfaces blend smoothly |
| fallacy | noun: a misconception resulting from incorrect reasoning |
| fallen | adj. killed in battle; having lost your chastity; having fallen in or collapsed; having dropped by the force of gravity |
| falsehood | noun: a false statement; the act of rendering something false as by fraudulent changes (of documents or measures etc.) or counterfeiting |
| falsity | noun: the state of being false or untrue; a false statement |
| familiarise | verb: make familiar or acquainted |
| familiarity | noun: an act of undue intimacy; close or warm friendship; usualness by virtue of being familiar or well known; a casual manner; personal knowledge or information about someone or something |
| fanciful | adj. indulging in or influenced by fancy; having a curiously intricate quality; not based on fact; dubious |
| fare | noun: the food and drink that are regularly consumed; a paying (taxi) passenger; the sum charged for riding in a public conveyance; an agenda of things to do; verb: eat well; proceed or get along |
| farewell | noun: the act of departing politely; an acknowledgment or expression of goodwill at parting |
| farther | adj. more distant in especially space or time; more distant in especially degree; adv. to or at a greater distance in time or space ('farther' is used more frequently than 'further' in this physical sense); to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage ('further' is used more often than 'farther' in this abstract sense) |
| faster | adv. more quickly |
| fatal | adj. controlled or decreed by fate; predetermined; bringing death; having momentous consequences; of decisive importance; (of events) having extremely unfortunate or dire consequences; bringing ruin |
| fatigue | noun: (always used with a modifier) boredom resulting from overexposure to something; temporary loss of strength and energy resulting from hard physical or mental work; used of materials (especially metals) in a weakened state caused by long stress; labour of a non-military kind done by soldiers (cleaning or digging or draining or so on); verb: exhaust or get tired through overuse or great strain or stress; get tired of something or somebody |
| faulty | adj. characterized by errors; having a defect |
| Faustus | noun: an alchemist of German legend who sold his soul to Mephistopheles in exchange for knowledge |
| fearful | adj. experiencing or showing fear; timid by nature or revealing timidity; extremely distressing; causing fear or dread or terror; lacking courage; ignobly timid and faint-hearted |
| feast | noun: something experienced with great delight; an elaborate party (often outdoors); a meal that is well prepared and greatly enjoyed; a ceremonial dinner party for many people; verb: partake in a feast or banquet; provide a feast or banquet for; gratify |
| feeble | adj. lacking strength; pathetically lacking in force or effectiveness; lacking physical strength or vitality; lacking strength or vigour |
| feign | verb: make believe with the intent to deceive; make a pretence of |
| felicity | noun: pleasing and appropriate manner or style (especially manner or style of expression); state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy |
| ferocious | adj. marked by extreme and violent energy |
| fervency | noun: feelings of great warmth and intensity |
| feverish | adj. marked by intense agitation or emotion; having or affected by a fever; of or relating to or characterized by fever |
| fidelity | noun: accuracy with which an electronic system reproduces the sound or image of its input signal; the quality of being faithful |
| fiend | noun: one of the evil spirits of traditional Jewish and Christian belief; a person motivated by irrational enthusiasm (as for a cause); a cruel wicked and inhuman person |
| fierce | adj. marked by extreme intensity of emotions or convictions; inclined to react violently; fervid; violently agitated and turbulent; ruthless in competition; marked by extreme and violent energy |
| fiery | adj. like or suggestive of fire; very intense; characterized by intense emotion |
| filial | adj. relating to or characteristic of or befitting an offspring; designating the generation or the sequence of generations following the parental generation |
| filth | noun: a state characterized by foul or disgusting dirt and refuse; any substance considered disgustingly foul or unpleasant; an offensive or indecent word or phrase; the state of being covered with unclean things |
| fireside | noun: home symbolized as a part of the fireplace; an area near a fireplace (usually paved and extending out into a room) |
| fisher | noun: large dark brown North American arboreal carnivorous mammal; someone whose occupation is catching fish |
| flagrant | adj. conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible |
| flake | noun: a small fragment of something broken off from the whole; a person with an unusual or odd personality; a crystal of snow; verb: cover with flakes or as if with flakes; form into flakes; come off in flakes or thin small pieces |
| flatter | verb: praise somewhat dishonestly |
| flattery | noun: excessive or insincere praise |
| flint | noun: a city in southeast central Michigan near Detroit; automobile manufacturing; a river in western Georgia that flows generally south to join the Chattahoochee River at the Florida border where they form the Apalachicola River; a hard kind of stone; a form of silica more opaque than chalcedony |
| flinty | adj. showing unfeeling resistance to tender feelings; containing flint |
| flit | noun: a secret move (to avoid paying debts); a sudden quick movement; verb: move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart |
| flock | noun: a group of birds; a group of sheep or goats; a church congregation guided by a pastor; an orderly crowd; (often followed by 'of') a large number or amount or extent; verb: move as a crowd or in a group; come together as in a cluster or flock |
| flora | noun: a living organism lacking the power of locomotion; all the plant life in a particular region or period |
| flowery | adj. marked by elaborate rhetoric and elaborated with decorative details; of or relating to or suggestive of flowers |
| fluency | noun: the quality of being facile in speech and writing; skilfulness in speaking or writing; powerful and effective language |
| flush | adj. of a surface exactly even with an adjoining one, forming the same plane; having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value; adv. squarely or solidly; in the same plane; noun: a sudden rapid flow (as of water); a poker hand with all 5 cards in the same suit; sudden reddening of the face (as from embarrassment or guilt or shame or modesty); the swift release of a store of affective force; a rosy colour (especially in the cheeks) taken as a sign of good health; sudden brief sensation of heat (associated with menopause and some mental disorders); the period of greatest prosperity or productivity; verb: cause to flow or flood with or as if with water; flow freely; rinse, clean, or empty with a liquid; make level or straight; turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame; irrigate with water from a sluice; polish and make shiny |
| foible | noun: the weaker part of a sword's blade from the forte to the tip; a behavioural attribute that is distinctive and peculiar to an individual |
| fond | adj. (followed by 'of' or 'to') having a strong preference or liking for; absurd or silly because unlikely; extravagantly or foolishly loving and indulgent; having or displaying warmth or affection |
| fool | noun: a person who lacks good judgment; a person who is gullible and easy to take advantage of; a professional clown employed to entertain a king or nobleman in the middle ages; verb: make a fool or dupe of; indulge in horseplay; fool or hoax; spend frivolously and unwisely |
| foolhardy | adj. marked by defiant disregard for danger or consequences |
| foolish | adj. devoid of good sense or judgment; having or revealing stupidity |
| footstep | noun: the act of taking a step in walking; the distance covered by a step; the sound of a step of someone walking |
| forbear | noun: a person from whom you are descended; verb: refrain from doing; resist doing something |
| forbid | verb: command against; keep from happening or arising; make impossible |
| forbidden | adj. excluded from use or mention |
| forcible | adj. impelled by physical force especially against resistance |
| foreground | noun: (computer science) a window for an active application; the part of a scene that is near the viewer; verb: move into the foreground to make more visible or prominent |
| forehead | noun: the large cranial bone forming the front part of the cranium: includes the upper part of the orbits; the part of the face above the eyes |
| foreigner | noun: a person who comes from a foreign country; someone who does not owe allegiance to your country; someone who is excluded from or is not a member of a group |
| foremost | adj. preceding all others in spatial position; situated closest to the bow; ranking above all others; adv. prominently forward; before anything else |
| forerunner | noun: an indication of the approach of something or someone; a person who goes before or announces the coming of another; anything that precedes something similar in time |
| foresee | verb: realize beforehand; picture to oneself; imagine possible; act in advance of; deal with ahead of time |
| foretold | adj. known beforehand |
| forfeit | adj. surrendered as a penalty; noun: the act of losing or surrendering something as a penalty for a mistake or fault or failure to perform etc.; a penalty for a fault or mistake that involves losing or giving up something; something that is lost or surrendered as a penalty; verb: lose or lose the right to by some error, offense, or crime |
| forgetful | adj. failing to keep in mind; not mindful or attentive; (of memory) deficient in retentiveness or range |
| forgotten | adj. no longer known; irretrievable; not noticed inadvertently |
| forlorn | adj. marked by or showing hopelessness |
| forsake | verb: leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch |
| forsooth | adv. an archaic word originally meaning 'in truth' but now usually used to express disbelief |
| fortitude | noun: strength of mind that enables one to endure adversity with courage |
| forty | adj. being ten more than thirty; noun: the cardinal number that is the product of ten and four |
| foundress | noun: a woman founder |
| fowl | noun: a domesticated gallinaceous bird thought to be descended from the red jungle fowl; the flesh of a bird or fowl (wild or domestic) used as food; verb: hunt fowl in the forest; hunt fowl |
| fragment | noun: an incomplete piece; a piece broken off or cut off of something else; a broken piece of a brittle artefact; verb: break or cause to break into pieces |
| fragrance | noun: a pleasingly sweet olfactory property; a distinctive odour that is pleasant |
| fragrant | adj. pleasant-smelling |
| frail | adj. physically weak; easily broken or damaged or destroyed; having the attributes of man as opposed to e.g. divine beings; noun: a basket for holding dried fruit (especially raisins or figs); the weight of a frail (basket) full of raisins or figs; between 50 and 75 pounds |
| frailty | noun: moral weakness; the state of being weak in health or body (especially from old age) |
| frank | adj. clearly manifest; evident; characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion; noun: a smooth-textured sausage of minced beef or pork usually smoked; often served on a bread roll; a member of the ancient Germanic peoples who spread from the Rhine into the Roman Empire in the 4th century; verb: exempt by means of an official pass or letter, as from customs or other checks; stamp with a postmark to indicate date and time of mailing |
| frantic | adj. excessively agitated; transported with rage or other violent emotion; marked by uncontrolled excitement or emotion |
| fraternal | adj. (of twins) derived from two separate fertilized ova; of or relating to a fraternity or society of usually men; like or characteristic of or befitting a brother |
| fraternity | noun: a social club for male undergraduates; people engaged in a particular occupation |
| fraught | adj. filled with or attended with; marked by distress |
| friar | noun: a male member of a religious order that originally relied solely on alms |
| fright | noun: an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight); verb: cause fear in |
| frightful | adj. extreme in degree or extent or amount or impact; provoking horror; extremely distressing |
| frivolous | adj. not serious in content or attitude or behaviour |
| frown | noun: a facial expression of dislike or displeasure; verb: look angry or sullen, wrinkle one's forehead, as if to signal disapproval |
| fruition | noun: enjoyment derived from use or possession; the condition of bearing fruit; something that is made real or concrete |
| frustrate | verb: treat cruelly; hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of |
| fugitive | adj. lasting for a markedly brief time; noun: someone who is sought by law officers; someone trying to elude justice; someone who flees from an uncongenial situation |
| furious | adj. marked by extreme anger; (of the elements) as if showing violent anger; marked by extreme and violent energy |
| furnish | verb: provide or equip with furniture; provide or furnish with |
| fury | noun: a feeling of intense anger; (classical mythology) the hideous snake-haired monsters (usually three in number) who pursued unpunished criminals; the property of being wild or turbulent; state of violent mental agitation |
| futile | adj. producing no result or effect; unproductive of success |
| futurity | noun: the quality of being in or of the future; the time yet to come |
| gaiety | noun: a festive merry feeling; a gay feeling |
| gainer | noun: a dive in which the diver throws the feet forward to complete a full backward somersault and enters the water feet first and facing away from the diving board; a person who gains (gains an advantage or gains profits); a person who gains weight |
| gale | noun: a strong wind moving 45-90 knots; force 7 to 10 on Beaufort scale |
| gallant | adj. unflinching in battle or action; having or displaying great dignity or nobility; being attentive to women like an ideal knight; lively and spirited; noun: a man who is much concerned with his dress and appearance; a man who attends or escorts a woman |
| gallantry | noun: polite attentiveness to women; the qualities of a hero or heroine; exceptional or heroic courage when facing danger (especially in battle); courtesy towards women |
| gaoler | noun: someone who guards prisoners |
| gardener | noun: someone who takes care of a garden; someone employed to work in a garden |
| garland | noun: a city in north-eastern Texas (suburb of Dallas); United States singer and film actress (1922-1969); flower arrangement consisting of a circular band of foliage or flowers for ornamental purposes; an anthology of short literary pieces and poems and ballads etc.; verb: adorn with bands of flowers or leaves |
| garment | noun: an article of clothing; verb: provide with clothes or put clothes on |
| Gaul | noun: an ancient region of western Europe that included what is now northern Italy and France and Belgium and part of Germany and the Netherlands; a Celt of ancient Gaul; a person of French descent |
| gauze | noun: a net of transparent fabric with a loose open weave; (medicine) bleached cotton cloth of plain weave used for bandages and dressings |
| generality | noun: the quality of being general or widespread or having general applicability; an idea or conclusion having general application |
| generosity | noun: acting generously; the trait of being willing to give your money or time |
| genius | noun: exceptional creative ability; someone who has exceptional intellectual ability and originality; unusual mental ability; a natural talent; someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field |
| genteel | adj. marked by refinement in taste and manners |
| Germany | noun: a republic in central Europe; split into East German and West Germany after World War II and reunited in 1990 |
| ghastly | adj. shockingly repellent; inspiring horror; gruesomely indicative of death or the dead |
| giddy | adj. lacking seriousness; given to frivolity; having or causing a whirling sensation; liable to falling |
| gigantic | adj. so exceedingly large or extensive as to suggest a giant or mammoth |
| gild | noun: a formal association of people with similar interests; verb: decorate with, or as if with, gold leaf or liquid gold |
| girdle | noun: a band of material around the waist that strengthens a skirt or trousers; an encircling or ring like structure; a woman's close-fitting foundation garment; verb: put a girdle on or around; cut a girdle around so as to kill by interrupting the circulation of water and nutrients |
| glade | noun: a tract of land with few or no trees in the middle of a wooded area |
| glare | noun: an angry stare; great brightness; a focus of public attention; verb: shine intensely; be sharply reflected; look at with a fixed gaze |
| gleam | noun: an appearance of reflected light; a flash of light (especially reflected light); verb: appear briefly; shine brightly, like a star or a light; be shiny, as if wet |
| glide | noun: the activity of flying a glider; the act of moving smoothly along a surface while remaining in contact with it; a vowel like sound that serves as a consonant; verb: move smoothly and effortlessly; cause to move or pass silently, smoothly, or imperceptibly; fly in or as if in a glider plane |
| glimpse | noun: a brief or incomplete view; a vague indication; a quick look; verb: catch a glimpse of or see briefly |
| gloom | noun: a feeling of melancholy apprehension; a state of partial or total darkness; an atmosphere of depression and melancholy |
| gloomy | adj. characterized by hopelessness; filled with gloom; depressingly dark; causing dejection; reflecting gloom; causing or suggestive of sorrow or gloom |
| glorious | adj. having great beauty and splendour; bringing great happiness and thankfulness; having or deserving or conferring glory; having or worthy of pride; characterized by grandeur |
| glory | noun: brilliant radiant beauty; a state of high honour; an indication of radiant light drawn around the head of a saint; verb: rejoice proudly |
| glow | noun: a feeling of considerable warmth; a steady even light without flames; an appearance of reflected light; light from nonthermal sources; the amount of electromagnetic radiation leaving or arriving at a point on a surface; the phenomenon of light emission by a body as its temperature is raised; an alert and refreshed state; verb: experience a feeling of well-being or happiness, as from good health or an intense emotion; be exuberant or high-spirited; emit a steady even light without flames; have a complexion with a strong bright colour, such as red or pink; shine intensely, as if with heat |
| goblet | noun: a drinking glass with a base and stem; a bowl-shaped drinking vessel; especially the Eucharistic cup |
| goblin | noun: (folklore) a small grotesque supernatural creature that makes trouble for human beings |
| goodwill | noun: a disposition to kindness and compassion; the friendly hope that something will succeed; (accounting) an intangible asset valued according to the advantage or reputation a business has acquired (over and above its tangible assets) |
| gothic | adj. characterized by gloom and mystery and the grotesque; of or relating to the Goths; of or relating to the language of the ancient Goths; characteristic of the style of type commonly used for printing German; as if belonging to the Middle Ages; old-fashioned and unenlightened; noun: a style of architecture developed in northern France that spread throughout Europe between the 12th and 16th centuries; characterized by slender vertical piers and counterbalancing buttresses and by vaulting and pointed arches; a heavy typeface in use from 15th to 18th centuries; extinct East Germanic language of the ancient Goths; the only surviving record being fragments of a 4th-century translation of the Bible by Bishop Ulfilas |
| grace | noun: a disposition to kindness and compassion; (Christian theology) the free and unmerited favour or beneficence of God; elegance and beauty of movement or expression; a short prayer of thanks before a meal; (Greek mythology) one of three sisters who were the givers of beauty and charm; a favourite subject for sculptors; (Christian theology) a state of sanctification by God; the state of one who under such divine influence; a sense of propriety and consideration for others; verb: make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.; be beautiful to look at |
| graceful | adj. characterized by beauty of movement, style, form, or execution; suggesting taste, ease, and wealth |
| gracious | adj. disposed to bestow favours; characterized by charm, good taste, and generosity of spirit; exhibiting courtesy and politeness; characterized by kindness and warm courtesy especially of a king to his subjects |
| grand | adj. the most important and magnificent in adornment; large and impressive in physical size or extent; used of a person's appearance or behaviour; befitting an eminent person; of behaviour that is impressive and ambitious in scale or scope; of high moral or intellectual value; elevated in nature or style; of or befitting a lord; extraordinarily good; used especially as intensifiers; rich and superior in quality; noun: a piano with the strings on a horizontal harp-shaped frame; usually supported by three legs |
| grandeur | noun: the quality of being magnificent or splendid or grand; the quality of elevation of mind and exaltation of character or ideals or conduct |
| grasp | noun: the act of grasping; a firm controlling influence; the limit of capability; understanding of the nature or meaning or quality or magnitude of something; verb: hold firmly; get the meaning of something |
| grate | noun: a frame of iron bars to hold a fire; a barrier that has parallel or crossed bars blocking a passage but admitting air; a harsh rasping sound made by scraping something; verb: make a grating or grinding sound by rubbing together; reduce to small shreds or pulverize by rubbing against a rough or sharp perforated surface; furnish with a grate; scratch repeatedly; gnaw into; make resentful or angry |
| gratification | noun: the act or an instance of satisfying; state of being gratified; great satisfaction |
| gratify | verb: yield (to); give satisfaction to; make happy or satisfied |
| gratitude | noun: a feeling of thankfulness and appreciation |
| gravity | noun: a solemn and dignified feeling; (physics) the force of attraction between all masses in the universe; especially the attraction of the earth's mass for bodies near its surface; a manner that is serious and solemn |
| greater | adj. greater in size or importance or degree |
| greenish | adj. of the colour between blue and yellow in the colour spectrum; similar to the colour of fresh grass |
| grief | noun: something that causes great unhappiness; intense sorrow caused by loss of a loved one (especially by death) |
| grieve | verb: feel grief; eat one's heart out; cause to feel sorrow |
| grievous | adj. causing or marked by grief or anguish; causing fear or anxiety by threatening great harm; shockingly brutal or cruel; of great gravity or crucial import; requiring serious thought |
| gripe | noun: informal terms for objecting; verb: complain |
| groan | noun: an utterance expressing pain or disapproval; verb: indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure |
| grot | noun: a small cave (usually with attractive features) |
| grotesque | adj. distorted and unnatural in shape or size; abnormal and hideous; ludicrously odd; noun: art characterized by an incongruous mixture of parts of humans and animals interwoven with plants |
| grotto | noun: a small cave (usually with attractive features) |
| ground | noun: (art) the surface (as a wall or canvas) prepared to take the paint for a painting; a connection between an electrical device and a large conducting body, such as the earth (which is taken to be at zero voltage); a relatively homogeneous percept extending back of the figure on which attention is focused; a position to be won or defended in battle (or as if in battle); the first or preliminary coat of paint or size applied to a surface; the part of a scene (or picture) that lies behind objects in the foreground; a rational motive for a belief or action; the solid part of the earth's surface; material in the top layer of the surface of the earth in which plants can grow (especially with reference to its quality or use); a relation that provides the foundation for something; the loose soft material that makes up a large part of the land surface; verb: instruct someone in the fundamentals of a subject; connect to a ground; hit onto the ground; hit a groundball; throw to the ground in order to stop play and avoid being tackled behind the line of scrimmage; place or put on the ground; confine or restrict to the ground; hit or reach the ground; bring to the ground; use as a basis for; found on; fix firmly and stably; cover with a primer; apply a primer to |
| groundwork | noun: preliminary preparation as a basis or foundation; lowest support of a structure; the fundamental assumptions from which something is begun or developed or calculated or explained |
| grove | noun: garden consisting of a small cultivated wood without undergrowth; a small growth of trees without underbrush |
| grown | adj. (of animals) fully developed |
| guardian | adj. providing protective supervision; watching over or safeguarding; noun: a person who cares for persons or property |
| guileful | adj. marked by skill in deception |
| guilt | noun: remorse caused by feeling responsible for some offence; the state of having committed an offense |
| gulf | noun: an unbridgeable disparity (as from a failure of understanding); a deep wide chasm; an arm of a sea or ocean partly enclosed by land; larger than a bay |
| gypsy | noun: a member of a people with dark skin and hair who speak Romany and who traditionally live by seasonal work and fortune-telling; they are believed to have originated in northern India but now are living on all continents (but mostly in Europe, North Africa, and North America); the Indic language of the Gypsies; a labourer who moves from place to place as demanded by employment |
| habitable | adj. fit for habitation |
| habitation | noun: the native habitat or home of an animal or plant; the act of dwelling in or living permanently in a place (said of both animals and men); housing that someone is living in |
| habitual | adj. made a norm or custom or habit; having a habit of long standing; commonly used or practiced; usual |
| haft | noun: the handle of a weapon or tool |
| haggard | adj. very thin especially from disease or hunger or cold; showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering; noun: British writer noted for romantic adventure novels (1856-1925) |
| hail | noun: enthusiastic greeting; precipitation of ice pellets when there are strong rising air currents; verb: greet enthusiastically or joyfully; call for; be a native of; precipitate as small ice particles; praise vociferously |
| halloo | noun: a shout to attract attention; verb: shout 'halloo', as when greeting someone or attracting attention; urge on with shouts |
| handkerchief | noun: a square piece of cloth used for wiping the eyes or nose or as a costume accessory |
| handsome | adj. pleasing in appearance especially by reason of conformity to ideals of form and proportion; given or giving freely |
| harangue | noun: a loud bombastic declamation expressed with strong emotion; verb: deliver a harangue to; address forcefully |
| harass | verb: exhaust by attacking repeatedly; annoy continually or chronically |
| hark | verb: listen; used mostly in the imperative |
| harlot | noun: a woman who engages in sexual intercourse for money |
| harmonious | adj. existing together in harmony; exhibiting equivalence or correspondence among constituents of an entity or between different entities; musically pleasing; suitable and fitting |
| harmony | noun: compatibility in opinion and action; an agreeable sound property; the structure of music with respect to the composition and progression of chords; agreement of opinions; a harmonious state of things in general and of their properties (as of colours and sounds); congruity of parts with one another and with the whole |
| harp | noun: a chordophone that has a triangular frame consisting of a sounding board and a pillar and a curved neck; the strings stretched between the neck and the soundbox are plucked with the fingers; a pair of curved vertical supports for a lampshade; a small rectangular free-reed instrument having a row of free reeds set back in air holes and played by blowing into the desired hole; verb: come back to; play the harp |
| harridan | noun: a scolding (even vicious) old woman |
| harsh | adj. sharply disagreeable; rigorous; severe; unkind or cruel or uncivil; unpleasantly stern; disagreeable to the senses; of textures that are rough to the touch or substances consisting of relatively large particles |
| harvest | noun: the season for gathering crops; the gathering of a ripened crop; the consequence of an effort or activity; the yield from plants in a single growing season; verb: remove from a culture or a living or dead body, as for the purposes of transplantation; gather, as of natural products |
| haste | noun: the act of moving hurriedly and in a careless manner; overly eager speed (and possible carelessness); a condition of urgency making it necessary to hurry |
| hasten | verb: act or move at high speed; cause to occur rapidly; step on it; speed up the progress of; facilitate |
| hasty | adj. excessively quick; done with very great haste and without due deliberation |
| hateful | adj. evoking or deserving hatred; characterized by malice |
| hatter | noun: someone who makes and sells hats |
| haughty | adj. having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy |
| haunt | noun: a frequently visited place; verb: haunt like a ghost; pursue; follow stealthily or recur constantly and spontaneously to; be a regular or frequent visitor to a certain place |
| headlong | adj. with the head foremost; excessively quick; adv. with the head foremost; in a hasty and foolhardy manner; at breakneck speed |
| heap | noun: a car that is old and unreliable; a collection of objects laid on top of each other; (often followed by 'of') a large number or amount or extent; verb: fill to overflow; bestow in large quantities; arrange in stacks |
| hearer | noun: someone who listens attentively |
| hearth | noun: home symbolized as a part of the fireplace; an area near a fireplace (usually paved and extending out into a room); an open recess in a wall at the base of a chimney where a fire can be built |
| heartstrings | noun: your deepest feelings of love and compassion |
| heartthrob | noun: an object of infatuation |
| hearty | adj. without reservation; consuming abundantly and with gusto; endowed with or exhibiting great bodily or mental health; providing abundant nourishment; showing warm and heartfelt friendliness |
| heave | noun: throwing something heavy (with great effort); an involuntary spasm of ineffectual vomiting; the act of lifting something with great effort; (geology) a horizontal dislocation; an upward movement (especially a rhythmical rising and falling); the act of raising something; verb: bend out of shape, as under pressure or from heat; utter a sound, as with obvious effort; lift or elevate; throw with great effort; move or cause to move in a specified way, direction, or position; breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted; make an unsuccessful effort to vomit; strain to vomit; rise and move, as in waves or billows |
| heighten | verb: make more extreme; raise in quantity, degree, or intensity; become more extreme; increase the height of; make more intense, stronger, or more marked; increase; make (one's senses) more acute |
| heinous | adj. shockingly brutal or cruel |
| heir | noun: a person who is entitled by law or by the terms of a will to inherit the estate of another; a person who inherits some title or office |
| heiress | noun: a female heir |
| Helena | noun: capital of the state of Montana; located in western Montana |
| helm | noun: a position of leadership; steering mechanism for a vessel; a mechanical device by which a vessel is steered |
| helmet | noun: a protective headgear made of hard material to resist blows; armour plate that protects the head |
| herb | noun: aromatic potherb used in cookery for its savoury qualities; a plant lacking a permanent woody stem; many are flowering garden plants or potherbs; some having medicinal properties; some are pests |
| herculean | adj. extremely difficult; requiring the strength of a Hercules; displaying superhuman strength or power |
| hereabout | adv. in this general vicinity |
| heretic | noun: a person who holds religious beliefs in conflict with the dogma of the Roman Catholic Church; a person who holds unorthodox opinions in any field (not merely religion) |
| hermit | noun: one who lives in solitude; one retired from society for religious reasons |
| hermitage | noun: the abode of a hermit |
| heroine | noun: the main good female character in a work of fiction; a woman possessing heroic qualities or a woman who has performed heroic deeds |
| hesitation | noun: the act of pausing uncertainly; indecision in speech or action; a certain degree of unwillingness |
| hideous | adj. so extremely ugly as to be terrifying; grossly offensive to decency or morality; causing horror |
| higher | adj. of education beyond the secondary level; advanced in complexity or elaboration |
| hint | noun: a slight indication; an indirect suggestion; an indication of potential opportunity; a just detectable amount; a slight but appreciable addition; verb: drop a hint; intimate by a hint |
| Hispaniola | noun: an island in the West Indies |
| hither | adv. to this place (especially toward the speaker) |
| hitherto | adv. used in negative statement to describe a situation that has existed up to this point or up to the present time |
| hoary | adj. ancient; covered with fine whitish hairs or down; showing characteristics of age, especially having grey or white hair |
| homewards | adv. toward home |
| honesty | noun: the quality of being honest; south-eastern European plant cultivated for its fragrant purplish flowers and round flat papery silver-white seedpods that are used for indoor decoration |
| horrid | adj. exceedingly bad; grossly offensive to decency or morality; causing horror |
| horseback | adv. on the back of a horse; noun: the back of a horse; a narrow ridge of hills |
| hospitality | noun: kindness in welcoming guests or strangers |
| hostess | noun: a woman innkeeper; a woman host; a woman steward on an airplane |
| Hottentot | noun: any of the Khoisan languages spoken by the pastoral people of Namibia and South Africa |
| hovel | noun: small crude shelter used as a dwelling |
| howl | noun: a long loud emotional utterance; a loud sustained noise resembling the cry of a hound; the long plaintive cry of a hound or a wolf; verb: emit long loud cries; cry loudly, as of animals; laugh unrestrainedly and heartily; make a loud noise, as of wind, water, or vehicles |
| humanity | noun: the quality of being humane; all of the living human inhabitants of the earth; the quality of being human |
| humble | adj. marked by meekness or modesty; not arrogant or prideful; used of unskilled work (especially domestic work); low or inferior in station or quality; of low birth or station ('base' is archaic in this sense); verb: cause to be unpretentious; cause to feel shame; hurt the pride of |
| humility | noun: a disposition to be humble; a lack of false pride; a humble feeling |
| hundredth | adj. the ordinal number of one hundred in counting order; noun: position 100 in a countable series of things; one part in a hundred equal parts |
| hung | adj. (usually followed by 'with' or used in a combining form) having items suspended on or from a support |
| hunger | noun: strong desire for something (not food or drink); a physiological need for food; the consequence of food deprivation; verb: feel the need to eat; be hungry; go without food; have a craving, appetite, or great desire for |
| hurl | noun: a violent throw; verb: utter with force; utter vehemently; throw forcefully; make a thrusting forward movement |
| hush | noun: (poetic) tranquil silence; verb: run water over the ground to erode (soil), revealing the underlying strata and valuable minerals; wash by removing particles; become quiet or still; fall silent; cause to be quiet or not talk; become quiet or quieter |
| hymn | noun: a song of praise (to God or to a saint or to a nation); verb: praise by singing a hymn; sing a hymn |
| hypochondriac | adj. suffering from hypochondria; noun: a patient with imaginary symptoms and ailments |
| hypocrisy | noun: insincerity by virtue of pretending to have qualities or beliefs that you do not really have; an expression of agreement that is not supported by real conviction |
| hypocrite | noun: a person who professes beliefs and opinions that he or she does not hold in order to conceal his or her real feelings or motives |
| Iago | noun: the villain in William Shakespeare's tragedy who tricked Othello into murdering his wife |
| identical | adj. (of twins) derived from a single egg or ovum; coinciding exactly when superimposed; having properties with uniform values along all axes; exactly alike; incapable of being perceived as different; being the exact same one; not any other: |
| idle | adj. not in active use; not in action or at work; not having a job; lacking a sense of restraint or responsibility; silly or trivial; not yielding a return; without a basis in reason or fact; noun: the state of an engine or other mechanism that is idling; verb: run disconnected or idle; be idle; exist in a changeless situation |
| idol | noun: a material effigy that is worshipped; someone who is adored blindly and excessively; an ideal instance; a perfect embodiment of a concept |
| idolatry | noun: the worship of idols; the worship of images that are not God; religious zeal; the willingness to serve God |
| ignominy | noun: a state of dishonour |
| ignorance | noun: the lack of knowledge or education |
| ignorant | adj. uneducated in the fundamentals of a given art or branch of learning; lacking knowledge of a specific field; uneducated in general; lacking knowledge or sophistication; unaware because of a lack of relevant information or knowledge |
| illicit | adj. contrary to accepted morality (especially sexual morality) or convention; contrary to or forbidden by law |
| illuminate | verb: add embellishments and paintings to (medieval manuscripts); make lighter or brighter; make free from confusion or ambiguity; make clear |
| illusion | noun: something many people believe that is false; an erroneous mental representation; an illusory feat; considered magical by naive observers; the act of deluding; deception by creating illusory ideas |
| illustrious | adj. having or conferring glory; widely known and esteemed; having or worthy of pride |
| imitate | verb: make a reproduction or copy of; reproduce someone's behaviour or looks; appear like, as in behaviour or appearance |
| imitation | adj. not genuine or real; being an imitation of the genuine article; noun: copying (or trying to copy) the actions of someone else; a copy that is represented as the original; the doctrine that representations of nature or human behaviour should be accurate imitations; a representation of a person that is exaggerated for comic effect |
| immaculate | adj. completely neat and clean; free from stain or blemish; without fault or error |
| immaterial | adj. not consisting of matter; (often followed by 'to') lacking importance; not mattering one way or the other; of no importance or relevance especially to a law case; without material form or substance; not pertinent to the matter under consideration |
| immense | adj. unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope |
| imminent | adj. close in time; about to occur |
| immortal | adj. not subject to death; noun: a person (such as an author) of enduring fame; any supernatural being worshipped as controlling some part of the world or some aspect of life or who is the personification of a force |
| immortality | noun: the quality or state of being immortal; perpetual life after death |
| immoveable | adj. not able or intended to be moved |
| impart | verb: tell or deposit (information) knowledge; make known; pass on, of information; make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret; bestow a quality on |
| impatience | noun: a dislike of anything that causes delay; a restless desire for change and excitement; a lack of patience; irritation with anything that causes delay |
| impede | verb: be a hindrance or obstacle to; block passage through |
| impediment | noun: any structure that makes progress difficult; something immaterial that interferes with or delays action or progress |
| impenetrable | adj. impossible to understand; not admitting of penetration or passage into or through; permitting little if any light to pass through because of denseness of matter |
| imperious | adj. able to deal authoritatively with affairs |
| impertinence | noun: inappropriate playfulness; the trait of being rude and impertinent; inclined to take liberties; an impudent statement |
| impertinent | adj. characterized by a lightly pert and exuberant quality; improperly forward or bold; not pertinent to the matter under consideration |
| impetuosity | noun: rash impulsiveness |
| impetuous | adj. marked by violent force; characterized by undue haste and lack of thought or deliberation |
| impiety | noun: unrighteousness by virtue of lacking respect for a god |
| impious | adj. lacking piety or reverence for a god; lacking piety and reverence for a god; lacking due respect or dutifulness |
| implacable | adj. incapable of being placated |
| implicit | adj. being without doubt or reserve; implied though not directly expressed; inherent in the nature of something |
| implore | verb: call upon in supplication; entreat |
| importune | verb: beg persistently and urgently |
| importunity | noun: insistent solicitation and entreaty |
| impossibility | noun: an alternative that is not available; incapability of existing or occurring |
| imposter | noun: a person who makes deceitful pretences |
| impostor | noun: a person who makes deceitful pretences |
| impotence | noun: an inability (usually of the male animal) to copulate; the quality of lacking strength or power; being weak and feeble |
| impotent | adj. lacking power or ability; (of a male) unable to copulate |
| impracticable | adj. not capable of being carried out or put into practice |
| imprisonment | noun: the act of confining someone in a prison (or as if in a prison); putting someone in prison or in jail as lawful punishment; the state of being imprisoned |
| improper | adj. not suitable or right or appropriate; not conforming to legality, moral law, or social convention; not appropriate for a purpose or occasion |
| impropriety | noun: an improper demeanour; the condition of being improper; an act of undue intimacy; an indecent or improper act |
| imprudence | noun: a lack of caution in practical affairs |
| imprudent | adj. lacking wise self-restraint; not prudent or wise |
| impudent | adj. marked by casual disrespect; improperly forward or bold |
| impulse | noun: the act of applying force suddenly; an impelling force or strength; the electrical discharge that travels along a nerve fibre; (electronics) a sharp transient wave in the normal electrical state (or a series of such transients); a sudden desire; an instinctive motive |
| impunity | noun: exemption from punishment or loss |
| impure | adj. (used of persons or behaviours) immoral or obscene; combined with extraneous elements; ritually unclean or impure |
| impurity | noun: the condition of being impure; worthless or dangerous material that should be removed |
| imputation | noun: the attribution to a source or cause; a statement attributing something dishonest (especially a criminal offense) |
| inactivity | noun: being inactive; being less active; a disposition to remain inactive or inert; the state of being inactive |
| inadequate | adj. (sometimes followed by 'to') not meeting the requirements especially of a task; not sufficient to meet a need |
| inanimate | adj. not endowed with life; belonging to the class of nouns denoting non-living things; appearing dead; not breathing or having no perceptible pulse |
| inarticulate | adj. without or deprived of the use of speech or words |
| inattentive | adj. showing a lack of attention or care; not showing due care or attention |
| inborn | adj. normally existing at birth; present at birth but not necessarily hereditary; acquired during foetal development |
| incantation | noun: a ritual recitation of words or sounds believed to have a magical effect |
| incapable | adj. not meeting requirements; (followed by 'of') lacking capacity or ability; (followed by 'of') not having the temperament or inclination for; lacking the necessary skill or knowledge etc.; not being susceptible to or admitting of something (usually followed by 'of') |
| incapacitate | verb: injure permanently; make unable to perform a certain action |
| incense | noun: the pleasing scent produced when incense is burned; a substance that produces a fragrant odour when burned; verb: make furious; perfume especially with a censer |
| incertitude | noun: the state of being unsure of something |
| incessant | adj. occurring so frequently as to seem ceaseless or uninterrupted; uninterrupted in time and indefinitely long continuing |
| incest | noun: sexual intercourse between persons too closely related to marry (as between a parent and a child) |
| incestuous | adj. relating to or involving incest; resembling incest as by excessive intimacy |
| incidental | adj. not of prime or central importance; (sometimes followed by 'to') minor or casual or subordinate in significance or nature or occurring as a chance concomitant or consequence; following as a consequence; noun: an item that is incidental; (frequently plural) an expense not budgeted or not specified |
| inclemency | noun: excessive sternness; weather unsuitable for outdoor activities |
| inclination | noun: the act of inclining; bending forward; an attitude of mind especially one that favours one alternative over others; that toward which you are inclined to feel a liking; (geometry) the angle formed by the x-axis and a given line (measured counter clockwise from the positive half of the x-axis); (astronomy) the angle between the plane of the orbit and the plane of the ecliptic stated in degrees; a characteristic likelihood of or natural disposition toward a certain condition or character or effect; the property possessed by a line or surface that departs from the vertical; (physics) the angle that a magnetic needle makes with the plane of the horizon |
| incognito | adj. with your identity concealed; adv. without revealing one's identity |
| incoherent | adj. unable to express yourself clearly or fluently; without logical or meaningful connection |
| incompatible | adj. not compatible; incapable of being used with or connected to other devices or components without modification; used especially of solids or solutions; incapable of blending into a stable homogeneous mixture; not suitable to your tastes or needs; not in keeping with what is correct or proper; not compatible with other facts; used especially of drugs or muscles that counteract or neutralize each other's effect; not easy to combine harmoniously; of words so related that one contrasts with the other |
| inconsiderate | adj. lacking regard for the rights or feelings of others; without proper consideration or reflection |
| inconstant | adj. likely to change frequently often without apparent or cogent reason; variable |
| incontinence | noun: involuntary urination or defecation; indiscipline with regard to sensuous pleasures |
| inconvenience | noun: the quality of not being useful or convenient; an inconvenient discomfort; a difficulty that causes anxiety; verb: to cause inconvenience or discomfort to |
| incorruptible | adj. incapable of being morally corrupted |
| incredulity | noun: doubt about the truth of something |
| inculcate | verb: teach and impress by frequent repetitions or admonitions |
| incumbent | adj. currently holding an office; necessary (for someone) as a duty or responsibility; morally binding; lying or leaning on something else; noun: the official who holds an office |
| incurable | adj. unalterable in disposition or habits; incapable of being cured; noun: a person whose disease is incurable |
| incurious | adj. showing absence of intellectual inquisitiveness or natural curiosity |
| indecent | adj. offensive to good taste especially in sexual matters; offending against sexual mores in conduct or appearance; not in keeping with accepted standards of what is right or proper in polite society |
| indecision | noun: doubt concerning two or more possible alternatives or courses of action; the trait of irresolution; a lack of firmness of character or purpose |
| indefatigable | adj. showing sustained enthusiastic action with unflagging vitality |
| India | noun: a republic in the Asian subcontinent in southern Asia; second most populous country in the world; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1947 |
| indifference | noun: unbiased impartial unconcern; the trait of lacking enthusiasm for or interest in things generally; the trait of remaining calm and seeming not to care; a casual lack of concern; apathy demonstrated by an absence of emotional reactions |
| indifferent | adj. showing no care or concern in attitude or action; neither too great nor too little; being neither good nor bad; characterized by a lack of partiality; marked by no especial liking or dislike or preference for one thing over another; fairly poor to not very good; (usually followed by 'to') unwilling or refusing to pay heed; (often followed by 'to') lacking importance; not mattering one way or the other; marked by a lack of interest; having only a limited ability to react chemically; chemically inactive |
| indigence | noun: a state of extreme poverty or destitution |
| indignant | adj. angered at something unjust or wrong |
| indignation | noun: a feeling of righteous anger |
| indiscretion | noun: a petty misdeed; the trait of being injudicious |
| indispensable | adj. unavoidable; not to be dispensed with; essential; absolutely necessary; vitally necessary |
| indisposition | noun: a slight illness; a certain degree of unwillingness |
| indistinct | adj. not clearly defined or easy to perceive or understand |
| indolence | noun: inactivity resulting from a dislike of work |
| induce | verb: reason or establish by induction; cause to do; cause to act in a specified manner; cause to arise; cause to occur rapidly; produce electric current by electrostatic or magnetic processes |
| inducement | noun: act of bringing about a desired result; a positive motivational influence |
| indulge | verb: enjoy to excess; give free rein to; yield (to); give satisfaction to; treat with excessive indulgence |
| indulgence | noun: the remission by the pope of the temporal punishment in purgatory that is still due for sins even after absolution; the act of indulging or gratifying a desire; a disposition to yield to the wishes of someone; an inability to resist the gratification of whims and desires; foolish or senseless behaviour |
| indulgent | adj. being favourably inclined; characterized by or given to yielding to the wishes of someone; tolerant or lenient |
| ineffectual | adj. not producing an intended effect; lacking in power or forcefulness; producing no result or effect |
| inestimable | adj. beyond calculation or measure |
| inexhaustible | adj. incapable of being entirely consumed or used up; that cannot be entirely consumed or used up |
| inexpressible | adj. defying expression |
| infallible | adj. incapable of failure or error |
| infamous | adj. having an exceedingly bad reputation |
| infamy | noun: evil fame or public reputation; a state of extreme dishonour |
| infancy | noun: the earliest state of immaturity; the early stage of growth or development |
| inferior | adj. of or characteristic of low rank or importance; of low or inferior quality; having an orbit between the sun and the Earth's orbit; lower than a given reference point; inferior in rank or status; falling short of some prescribed norm; written or printed below and to one side of another character; noun: one of lesser rank or station or quality; a character or symbol set or printed or written beneath or slightly below and to the side of another character |
| infernal | adj. being of a lower world of the dead; characteristic of or resembling hell; of or pertaining to or characteristic of a very uncontrolled and intense fire; expletives used informally as intensifiers; extremely evil or cruel; expressive of cruelty or befitting hell; noun: an inhabitant of hell |
| infinite | adj. total and all-embracing; having no limits or boundaries in time or space or extent or magnitude; of verbs; having neither person nor number nor mood (as a participle or gerund or infinitive); too numerous to be counted; noun: the unlimited expanse in which everything is located |
| infinity | noun: time without end |
| inflame | verb: become inflamed; get sore; cause inflammation in; arouse or excite feelings and passions; cause to start burning; catch fire |
| inflammable | adj. easily ignited |
| inflammation | noun: arousal to violent emotion; a response of body tissues to injury or irritation; characterized by pain and swelling and redness and heat; the act of setting something on fire; the state of being emotionally aroused and worked up |
| inflexibility | noun: the quality of being rigid and rigorously severe; a lack of physical flexibility |
| inflexible | adj. resistant to being bent; incapable of change; incapable of adapting or changing to meet circumstances; not making concessions |
| inflict | verb: impose something unpleasant |
| infringe | verb: advance beyond the usual limit; go against, as of rules and laws |
| infuse | verb: introduce into the body through a vein, for therapeutic purposes; undergo the process of infusion; let sit in a liquid to extract a flavour or to cleanse; fill, as with a certain quality; teach and impress by frequent repetitions or admonitions |
| ingrate | noun: a person who shows no gratitude |
| ingratiate | verb: gain favour with somebody by deliberate efforts |
| ingratitude | noun: a lack of gratitude |
| inhabit | verb: be present in; be inside of; inhabit or live in |
| inhabitant | noun: a person who inhabits a particular place |
| inheritance | noun: hereditary succession to a title or an office or property; any attribute or immaterial possession that is inherited from ancestors; (genetics) attributes acquired via biological heredity from the parents; that which is inherited; a title or property or estate that passes by law to the heir on the death of the owner |
| inhuman | adj. belonging to or resembling something nonhuman; without compunction or human feeling |
| inhumanity | noun: an act of atrocious cruelty; the quality of lacking compassion or consideration for others |
| iniquity | noun: absence of moral or spiritual values; an unjust act; morally objectionable behaviour |
| injunction | noun: (law) a judicial remedy issued in order to prohibit a party from doing or continuing to do a certain activity; a formal command or admonition |
| injurious | adj. tending to cause great harm; harmful to living things |
| injustice | noun: an unjust act; the practice of being unjust or unfair |
| innate | adj. present at birth but not necessarily hereditary; acquired during foetal development; being talented through inherited qualities; not established by conditioning or learning |
| innocence | noun: a state or condition of being innocent of a specific crime or offense; the quality of innocent naivete; the state of being unsullied by sin or moral wrong; lacking a knowledge of evil |
| innumerable | adj. too numerous to be counted |
| inquietude | noun: feelings of anxiety that make you tense and irritable |
| inquisition | noun: a severe interrogation (often violating the rights or privacy of individuals); a former tribunal of the Roman Catholic Church (1232-1820) created to discover and suppress heresy |
| inquisitor | noun: a questioner who is excessively harsh; an official of the ecclesiastical court of the Inquisition |
| insanity | noun: relatively permanent disorder of the mind |
| insatiable | adj. impossible to satisfy |
| insatiate | adj. impossible to satisfy |
| inscription | noun: the activity of inscribing (especially carving or engraving) letters or words; letters inscribed (especially words engraved or carved) on something; a short message (as in a book or musical work or on a photograph) dedicating it to someone or something |
| insecure | adj. lacking self-confidence or assurance; lacking in security or safety; not firm or firmly fixed; likely to fail or give way; not safe from attack |
| insensibility | noun: a lack of sensibility; devoid of passion or feeling; hardheartedness |
| insensible | adj. unresponsive to stimulation; incapable of physical sensation; unaware of or indifferent to; barely able to be perceived |
| inseparable | adj. not capable of being separated |
| insignificant | adj. not large enough to consider or notice; not worthy of notice; of little importance or influence or power; of minor status; signifying nothing; not important or noteworthy |
| insincere | adj. lacking sincerity |
| insinuate | verb: introduce or insert (oneself) in a subtle manner; give to understand |
| insipid | adj. not pleasing to the sense of taste; lacking interest or significance; lacking significance or impact; lacking taste or flavour or tang |
| insolent | adj. unrestrained by convention or propriety; marked by casual disrespect |
| inspect | verb: look over carefully; examine carefully for accuracy with the intent of verification; come to see in an official or professional capacity |
| inspiration | noun: arousing to a particular emotion or action; a product of your creative thinking and work; a sudden intuition as part of solving a problem; arousal of the mind to special unusual activity or creativity; the act of inhaling; the drawing in of air (or other gases) as in breathing; (theology) a special influence of a divinity on the minds of human beings |
| instantaneous | adj. occurring with no delay |
| instil | verb: enter drop by drop |
| instinct | adj. (followed by 'with')deeply filled or permeated; noun: inborn pattern of behaviour often responsive to specific stimuli |
| instruct | verb: give instructions or directions for some task; make aware of; impart skills or knowledge to |
| instructions | noun: a manual usually accompanying a technical device and explaining how to install or operate it |
| insuperable | adj. impossible to surmount; incapable of being surmounted or excelled |
| insupportable | adj. incapable of being justified or explained |
| insure | verb: take out insurance for; be careful or certain to do something; make certain of something; make certain of; protect by insurance |
| insurmountable | adj. not capable of being surmounted or overcome; impossible to surmount |
| intelligible | adj. well articulated or enunciated, and loud enough to be heard distinctly; capable of being apprehended or understood |
| intemperate | adj. given to excessive indulgence of bodily appetites especially for intoxicating liquors; excessive in behaviour; (of weather or climate) not mild; subject to extremes |
| intercede | verb: act between parties with a view to reconciling differences |
| intercession | noun: a prayer to God on behalf of another person; the act of intervening (as to mediate a dispute) |
| interfere | verb: come between so as to be hindrance or obstacle; get involved, so as to alter or hinder an action, or through force or threat of force |
| interference | noun: (American football) blocking a player's path with your body; the act of hindering or obstructing or impeding; any obstruction that impedes or is burdensome; a policy of intervening in the affairs of other countries; electrical or acoustic activity that can disturb communication |
| interim | adj. serving during an intermediate interval of time; noun: the time between one event, process, or period and another |
| interment | noun: the ritual placing of a corpse in a grave |
| interposition | noun: the act of interposing one thing between or among others; the action of interjecting or interposing an action or remark that interrupts |
| interrogate | verb: pose a series of questions to; transmit (a signal) for setting off an appropriate response, as in telecommunication |
| intimacy | noun: close or warm friendship; a feeling of being intimate and belonging together; a usually secretive or illicit sexual relationship |
| intimate | adj. marked by close acquaintance, association, or familiarity; thoroughly acquainted through study or experience; involved in a sexual relationship; having mutual interests or affections; of established friendship; having or fostering a warm or friendly and informal atmosphere; innermost or essential; noun: someone to whom private matters are confided; verb: give to understand; imply as a possibility |
| intimation | noun: a slight suggestion or vague understanding; an indirect suggestion |
| intrepidity | noun: resolute courageousness |
| intrigue | noun: a crafty and involved plot to achieve your (usually sinister) ends; a clandestine love affair; verb: cause to be interested or curious; form intrigues (for) in an underhand manner |
| intruder | noun: someone who intrudes on the privacy or property of another without permission |
| intrusion | noun: entrance by force or without permission or welcome; rock produced by an intrusive process; the forcing of molten rock into fissures or between strata of an earlier rock formation; entry to another's property without right or permission; any entry into an area not previously occupied |
| invalid | adj. no longer valid; having no cogency or legal force; noun: someone who is incapacitated by a chronic illness or injury; verb: force to retire, remove from active duty, as of firemen; injure permanently |
| inveterate | adj. having a habit of long standing |
| invisible | adj. impossible or nearly impossible to see; imperceptible by the eye; not prominent or readily noticeable |
| invoke | verb: cite as an authority; resort to; request earnestly (something from somebody); ask for aid or protection; summon into action or bring into existence, often as if by magic |
| involuntary | adj. not subject to the control of the will; controlled by the autonomic nervous system; without conscious control |
| irksome | adj. so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness |
| ironical | adj. characterized by often poignant difference or incongruity between what is expected and what actually is; humorously sarcastic or mocking |
| irreconcilable | adj. impossible to reconcile |
| irregular | adj. not occurring at expected times; independent in behaviour or thought; of a surface; not level or flat; lacking continuity or regularity; contrary to rule or accepted order or general practice; (of solids) not having clear dimensions that can be measured; volume must be determined with the principle of liquid displacement; (used of the military) not belonging to or engaged in by regular army forces; deviating from normal expectations; somewhat odd, strange, or abnormal; noun: merchandise that has imperfections; usually sold at a reduced price without the brand name; a member of an irregular armed force that fights a stronger force by sabotage and harassment |
| irregularity | noun: not characterized by a fixed principle or rate; at irregular intervals; an irregular asymmetry in shape; an irregular spatial pattern; behaviour that breaches the rule or etiquette or custom or morality; irregular and infrequent or difficult evacuation of the bowels; can be a symptom of intestinal obstruction or diverticulitis |
| irreparable | adj. impossible to repair, rectify, or amend |
| irreproachable | adj. free of guilt; not subject to blame |
| irresistible | adj. overpoweringly attractive; impossible to resist; overpowering |
| irresolute | adj. uncertain how to act or proceed |
| irresolution | noun: the trait of being irresolute; lacking firmness of purpose; doubt concerning two or more possible alternatives or courses of action |
| Iseult | noun: (Middle Ages) the bride of the king of Cornwall who (according to legend) fell in love with the king's nephew (Tristan) after they mistakenly drank a love potion that left them eternally in love with each other |
| ivory | noun: a hard smooth ivory coloured dentine that makes up most of the tusks of elephants and walruses; a shade of white the colour of bleached bones |
| jasmine | noun: any of several shrubs and vines of the genus Jasminum chiefly native to Asia |
| jealousy | noun: zealous vigilance; a feeling of jealous envy (especially of a rival) |
| Jerome | noun: (Roman Catholic Church) one of the great fathers of the early Christian Church whose major work was his translation of the Scriptures from Hebrew and Greek into Latin (which became the Vulgate); a saint and Doctor of the Church (347-420) |
| jewel | noun: a precious or semiprecious stone incorporated into a piece of jewellery; a person who is a brilliant and precious as a piece of jewellery; verb: adorn or decorate with precious stones |
| joy | noun: something or someone that provides pleasure; a source of happiness; the emotion of great happiness; verb: make glad or happy; feel happiness or joy |
| joyful | adj. full of or producing joy; full of high-spirited delight |
| Julian | adj. of or relating to or characteristic of Julius Caesar; noun: Roman Emperor and nephew of Constantine; he restored paganism as the official religion of the empire and destroyed Christian temples but his decision was reversed after his death (331?-363) |
| justification | noun: the act of defending or explaining or making excuses for by reasoning; something (such as a fact or circumstance) that shows an action to be reasonable or necessary; a statement in explanation of some action or belief |
| keyhole | noun: the hole where a key is inserted |
| kindle | verb: cause to start burning; catch fire; call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses) |
| kneel | noun: supporting yourself on your knees; verb: rest one's weight on one's knees |
| knight | noun: a chessman shaped to resemble the head of a horse; can move two squares horizontally and one vertically (or vice versa); originally a person of noble birth trained to arms and chivalry; today in Great Britain a person honoured by the sovereign for personal merit; verb: raise (someone) to knighthood |
| knob | noun: a round handle; a circular rounded projection or protuberance; an ornament in the shape of a ball on the hilt of a sword or dagger; any thickened enlargement |
| known | adj. apprehended with certainty |
| labyrinth | noun: complex system of paths or tunnels in which it is easy to get lost; a complex system of interconnecting cavities; concerned with hearing and equilibrium |
| lace | noun: a delicate decorative fabric woven in an open web of symmetrical patterns; a cord that is drawn through eyelets or around hooks in order to draw together two edges (as of a shoe or garment); verb: draw through eyes or holes; do lacework; add alcohol to (beverages); spin or twist together so as to form a cord; make by braiding or interlacing |
| laden | adj. burdened psychologically or mentally; filled with a great quantity; verb: fill or place a load on; remove with or as if with a ladle |
| laid | adj. set down according to a plan: "a carefully laid table with places set for four people" |
| lament | noun: a cry of sorrow and grief; a mournful poem; a lament for the dead; a song or hymn of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person; verb: express grief verbally; regret strongly |
| lamentable | adj. bad; unfortunate |
| lancet | noun: a surgical knife with a pointed double-edged blade; used for punctures and small incisions; an acutely pointed Gothic arch, like a lance |
| landlady | noun: a landlord who is a woman |
| languid | adj. lacking spirit or liveliness |
| languish | verb: become feeble; lose vigour, health, or flesh, as through grief; have a desire for something or someone who is not present |
| languor | noun: inactivity; showing an unusual lack of energy; a feeling of lack of interest or energy; a relaxed comfortable feeling |
| lapse | noun: a break or intermission in the occurrence of something; a failure to maintain a higher state; a mistake resulting from inattention; verb: drop to a lower level, as in one's morals or standards; end, at least for a long time; let slip; go back to bad behaviour; pass into a specified state or condition; pass by |
| lascivious | adj. driven by lust; preoccupied with or exhibiting lustful desires |
| latch | noun: catch for fastening a door or gate; a bar that can be lowered or slid into a groove; spring-loaded door lock that can only be opened from the outside with a key; verb: fasten with a latch |
| latent | adj. not presently active; potentially existing but not presently evident or realized |
| laudable | adj. worthy of high praise |
| laughable | adj. arousing or provoking laughter; incongruous; inviting ridicule |
| laughter | noun: the activity of laughing; the manifestation of joy or mirth or scorn; the sound of laughing |
| lave | verb: wash or flow against; wash one's face and hands; cleanse (one's body) with soap and water |
| law | noun: the learned profession that is mastered by graduate study in a law school and that is responsible for the judicial system; a rule or body of rules of conduct inherent in human nature and essential to or binding upon human society; a generalization that describes recurring facts or events in nature; legal document setting forth rules governing a particular kind of activity; the collection of rules imposed by authority; the branch of philosophy concerned with the law and the principles that lead courts to make the decisions they do; the force of policemen and officers |
| lawful | adj. conformable to or allowed by law; authorized, sanctioned by, or in accordance with law; according to custom or rule or natural law; having a legally established claim |
| lay | adj. not of or from a profession; concerning those not members of the clergy; noun: a narrative poem of popular origin; a narrative song with a recurrent refrain; verb: put in a horizontal position; lay eggs; prepare or position for action or operation; impose as a duty, burden, or punishment; put into a certain place or abstract location |
| leaden | adj. (of movement) slow and laborious; made heavy or weighted down with weariness; made of lead; darkened with overcast; lacking lightness or liveliness |
| legible | adj. (of handwriting, print, etc.) able to be read |
| legion | noun: a large military unit; association of ex-servicemen; a vast multitude; archaic terms for army |
| lengthen | verb: become long or longer; make longer |
| lenity | noun: mercifulness as a consequence of being lenient or tolerant |
| levity | noun: a manner lacking seriousness; feeling an inappropriate lack of seriousness |
| lewd | adj. suggestive of or tending to moral looseness; driven by lust; preoccupied with or exhibiting lustful desires |
| liberty | noun: freedom of choice; personal freedom from servitude or confinement or oppression; an act of undue intimacy; immunity from arbitrary exercise of authority: political independence; leave granted to a sailor or naval officer |
| licentious | adj. lacking moral discipline; especially sexually unrestrained |
| limb | noun: the graduated arc that is attached to an instrument for measuring angles; either of the two halves of a bow from handle to tip; one of the jointed appendages of an animal used for locomotion or grasping: arm; leg; wing; flipper; (astronomy) the circumferential edge of the apparent disc of the sun or the moon or a planet; any of the main branches arising from the trunk or a bough of a tree; any projection that is thought to resemble a human arm |
| linen | noun: white goods or clothing made with linen cloth; a fabric woven with fibres from the flax plant; a high-quality paper made of linen fibres or with a linen finish |
| linger | verb: take one's time; proceed slowly; remain present although waning or gradually dying; leave slowly and hesitantly; be about; move to and fro |
| linnet | noun: small Old World finch whose male has a red breast and forehead; small finch originally of the western United States and Mexico |
| lion | noun: large gregarious predatory feline of Africa and India having a tawny coat with a shaggy mane in the male; a celebrity who is lionized (much sought after); the fifth sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about July 23 to August 22; (astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Leo |
| liquor | noun: the liquid in which vegetables or meat have be cooked; an alcoholic beverage that is distilled rather than fermented; a liquid substance that is a solution (or emulsion or suspension) used or obtained in an industrial process |
| litter | noun: conveyance consisting of a chair or bed carried on two poles by bearers; the offspring at one birth of a multiparous mammal; rubbish carelessly dropped or left about (especially in public places); material used to provide a bed for animals; verb: give birth to a litter of animals; make a place messy by strewing garbage around; strew |
| liver | adj. having a reddish-brown colour; noun: large and complicated reddish-brown glandular organ located in the upper right portion of the abdominal cavity; secretes bile and functions in metabolism of protein and carbohydrate and fat; synthesizes substances involved in the clotting of the blood; synthesizes vitamin A; detoxifies poisonous substances and breaks down worn-out erythrocytes; liver of an animal used as meat; someone who lives in a place; a person who has a special life style |
| livid | adj. furiously angry; (of a light) imparting a deathlike luminosity; anaemic looking from illness or emotion; discoloured by coagulation of blood beneath the skin |
| lizard | noun: relatively long-bodied reptile with usually two pairs of legs and a tapering tail; a man who idles about in the lounges of hotels and bars in search of women who would support him |
| loaf | noun: a shaped mass of baked bread; verb: be about; be lazy or idle |
| loathsome | adj. highly offensive; arousing aversion or disgust; causing or able to cause nausea |
| lodge | noun: any of various native American dwellings; a small (rustic) house used as a temporary shelter; small house at the entrance to the grounds of a country mansion; usually occupied by a gatekeeper or gardener; English physicist who studied electromagnetic radiation and was a pioneer of radiotelegraphy (1851-1940); a hotel providing overnight lodging for travellers; a formal association of people with similar interests; verb: fix, force, or implant; provide housing for; be a lodger; stay temporarily; file a formal charge against |
| lodger | noun: a tenant in someone's house |
| lofty | adj. of imposing height; especially standing out above others; having or displaying great dignity or nobility; of high moral or intellectual value; elevated in nature or style |
| logician | noun: a person skilled at symbolic logic |
| lollop | verb: walk clumsily and with a bounce |
| longer | adv. for more time; noun: a person with a strong desire for something |
| lope | noun: a smooth three-beat gait; between a trot and a gallop; a slow pace of running; verb: run easily |
| loquacity | noun: the quality of being wordy and talkative |
| lordship | noun: the authority of a lord; a title used to address any British peer except a duke and extended to a bishop or a judge |
| lover | noun: a person who loves or is loved; a significant other to whom you are not related by marriage; an ardent follower and admirer |
| lovesick | adj. languishing because of love |
| lucifer | noun: lighter consisting of a thin piece of wood or cardboard tipped with combustible chemical; ignites with friction; a planet (usually Venus) seen just before sunrise in the eastern sky; (Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell |
| lurk | verb: lie in wait, lie in ambush, behave in a sneaky and secretive manner; wait in hiding to attack; be about |
| lust | noun: self-indulgent sexual desire (personified as one of the deadly sins); a strong sexual desire; verb: have a craving, appetite, or great desire for |
| lustful | adj. vigorously passionate; driven by lust; preoccupied with or exhibiting lustful desires; characterized by lust |
| lustre | noun: a surface coating for ceramics or porcelain; the visual property of something that shines with reflected light; a quality that outshines the usual |
| luxuriance | noun: the property of being lush and abundant and a pleasure to the senses |
| luxurious | adj. displaying luxury and furnishing gratification to the senses; rich and superior in quality |
| luxury | noun: something that is an indulgence rather than a necessity; wealth as evidenced by sumptuous living; the quality possessed by something that is excessively expensive |
| lyre | noun: a harp used by ancient Greeks for accompaniment |
| Macbeth | noun: king of Scotland (died in 1057) |
| madame | noun: title used for a married Frenchwoman |
| Madonna | noun: United States pop singer and sex symbol during the 1980s (born in 1958); the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honoured by Roman Catholics |
| magician | noun: someone who performs magic tricks to amuse an audience; one who practices magic or sorcery |
| Magistrature | noun: the position of magistrate |
| magnificence | noun: the quality of being magnificent or splendid or grand; splendid or imposing in size or appearance |
| magnificent | adj. characterized by grandeur |
| magnitude | noun: the property of relative size or extent (whether large or small); relative importance; a number assigned to the ratio of two quantities; two quantities are of the same order of magnitude if one is less than 10 times as large as the other; the number of magnitudes that the quantities differ is specified to within a power of 10 |
| Mahomet | noun: the Arab prophet who, according to Islam, was the last messenger of Allah (570-632) |
| maid | noun: an unmarried girl (especially a virgin); a female domestic |
| maiden | adj. serving to set in motion; noun: an unmarried girl (especially a virgin); (cricket) an over in which no runs are scored |
| majestic | adj. majestic in manner or bearing; superior to mundane matters; having or displaying great dignity or nobility; belonging to or befitting a supreme ruler |
| majesty | noun: impressiveness in scale or proportion |
| malady | noun: any unwholesome or desperate condition; impairment of normal physiological function affecting part or all of an organism |
| malevolence | noun: the quality of threatening evil; wishing evil to others |
| malevolent | adj. wishing or appearing to wish evil to others; arising from intense ill will or hatred; having or exerting a malignant influence |
| malice | noun: feeling a need to see others suffer; the quality of threatening evil |
| malicious | adj. having the nature of or resulting from malice |
| malignant | adj. dangerous to health; characterized by progressive and uncontrolled growth (especially of a tumour) |
| malignity | noun: quality of being disposed to evil; intense ill will; wishing evil to others |
| mandate | noun: the commission that is given to a government and its policies through an electoral victory; a document giving an official instruction or command; a territory surrendered by Turkey or Germany after World War I and put under the tutelage of some other European power until they are able to stand by themselves; verb: assign authority to; make mandatory; assign under a mandate |
| manhood | noun: the status of being a man; the state of being a man; manly qualities; the quality of being human |
| mania | noun: an irrational but irresistible motive for a belief or action; a mood disorder; an affective disorder in which the victim tends to respond excessively and sometimes violently |
| mankind | noun: all of the living human inhabitants of the earth |
| mansion | noun: a large and imposing house; (astrology) one of 12 equal areas into which the zodiac is divided |
| marble | noun: a small ball of glass that is used in various games; a sculpture carved from marble; a hard crystalline metamorphic rock that takes a high polish; used for sculpture and as building material; verb: paint or stain like marble |
| marguerite | noun: perennial subshrub of the Canary Islands having usually pale yellow daisy like flowers; often included in genus Chrysanthemum; tall leafy-stemmed Eurasian perennial with white flowers; widely naturalized; often placed in genus Chrysanthemum |
| maria | noun: valuable timber tree of Panama; a dark region of considerable extent on the surface of the moon |
| marquis | noun: nobleman (in various countries) ranking above a count; humourist who wrote about the imaginary life of cockroaches (1878-1937) |
| martial | adj. of or relating to the armed forces; (of persons) befitting a warrior; suggesting war or military life; noun: Roman poet noted for epigrams (first century BC) |
| martin | noun: any of various swallows with squarish or slightly forked tail and long pointed wings; migrate around Martinmas; United States singer (1917-1995); United States actress (1913-1990); United States actor and comedian (born in 1945); French bishop who is a patron saint of France (died in 397) |
| maternal | adj. characteristic of a mother; relating to or derived from one's mother; relating to or characteristic of or befitting a parent; related on the mother's side |
| matins | noun: the first canonical hour; at daybreak |
| matrimony | noun: the ceremony or sacrament of marriage; the state of being a married couple voluntarily joined for life (or until divorce) |
| meagre | adj. deficient in amount or quality or extent |
| meantime | adv. during the intervening time; noun: the time between one event, process, or period and another |
| mediation | noun: the act of intervening for the purpose of bringing about a settlement; negotiation to resolve differences conducted by some impartial party |
| medina | noun: the ancient quarter of many cities in northern Africa; a city in western Saudi Arabia; site of the tomb of Muhammad; the second most holy city of Islam |
| meditate | verb: reflect deeply on a subject; think intently and at length, as for spiritual purposes |
| Melchior | noun: (New Testament) one of the three sages from the east who came bearing gifts for the infant Jesus; usually represented as a king of Nubia; United States operatic tenor (born in Denmark) noted for his Wagnerian roles (1890-1973) |
| melodious | adj. containing or constituting or characterized by pleasing melody; having a musical sound; especially a pleasing tune |
| menace | noun: a threat or the act of threatening; something that is a source of danger; verb: act in a threatening manner; express a threat either by an utterance or a gesture; pose a threat to; present a danger to |
| mend | noun: sewing that repairs a worn or torn hole (especially in a garment); the act of putting something in working order again; verb: heal or recover; restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken |
| mercenary | adj. used of soldiers hired by a foreign army; profit oriented; marked by materialism; noun: a person hired to fight for another country than their own |
| merciful | adj. (used conventionally of royalty and high nobility) gracious; showing or giving mercy |
| mercy | noun: alleviation of distress; showing great kindness toward the distressed; something for which to be thankful; leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice; a disposition to be kind and forgiving; the feeling that motivates compassion |
| merit | noun: any admirable quality or attribute; the quality of being deserving (e.g., deserving assistance); verb: be worthy or deserving |
| merriment | noun: activities that are enjoyable or amusing; a gay feeling |
| merry | adj. quick and energetic; offering fun and gaiety; full of or showing high-spirited merriment |
| midst | noun: the location of something surrounded by other things |
| mighty | adj. having or showing great strength or force or intensity; adv. (Southern regional intensive) very |
| mingle | verb: get involved or mixed-up with; to bring or combine together or with something else; be all mixed up or jumbled together |
| miniature | adj. being on a very small scale; noun: copy that reproduces something in greatly reduced size; painting or drawing included in a book (especially in illuminated medieval manuscripts) |
| minstrel | noun: a performer in a minstrel show; a singer of folk songs; verb: celebrate by singing, in the style of minstrels |
| miraculous | adj. peculiarly fortunate or appropriate; as if by divine intervention; being or having the character of a miracle |
| misanthrope | noun: someone who dislikes people in general |
| misanthropy | noun: a disposition to dislike and mistrust other people; hatred of mankind |
| mischief | noun: reckless or malicious behaviour that causes discomfort or annoyance in others; the quality or nature of being harmful or evil |
| misconstrue | verb: interpret in the wrong way |
| miscreant | noun: a person without moral scruples |
| miserable | adj. characterized by physical misery; very unhappy; full of misery; contemptibly small in amount; of the most contemptible kind; deserving or inciting pity; of very poor quality or condition |
| misfortune | noun: unnecessary and unforeseen trouble resulting from an unfortunate event; an unfortunate state resulting from unfavourable outcomes |
| mistress | noun: a woman master who directs the work of others; an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man; a woman schoolteacher (especially one regarded as strict) |
| misty | adj. wet with mist; filled or abounding with fog or mist |
| mitigate | verb: make less severe or harsh; lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of |
| mitigation | noun: the action of lessening in severity or intensity; to act in such a way as to cause an offense to seem less serious; a partial excuse to mitigate censure; an attempt to represent an offense as less serious than it appears by showing mitigating circumstances |
| mock | adj. constituting a copy or imitation of something; noun: the act of mocking or ridiculing; verb: treat with contempt; imitate with mockery and derision |
| mockery | noun: humorous or satirical mimicry; showing your contempt by derision; a composition that imitates somebody's style in a humorous way |
| moderation | noun: the action of lessening in severity or intensity; quality of being moderate and avoiding extremes; the trait of avoiding excesses; a change for the better |
| modesty | noun: formality and propriety of manner; freedom from vanity or conceit |
| mogul | noun: a member of the Muslim dynasty that ruled India until 1857; a bump on a ski slope; a very wealthy or powerful businessman |
| moisten | verb: make moist; moisten with fine drops |
| momentary | adj. lasting for a markedly brief time |
| monarch | noun: large migratory American butterfly having deep orange wings with black and white markings; the larvae feed on milkweed; a nation's ruler or head of state usually by hereditary right |
| monastery | noun: the residence of a religious community |
| monastic | adj. of communal life sequestered from the world under religious vows; noun: a male religious living in a cloister and devoting himself to contemplation and prayer and work |
| monk | noun: a male religious living in a cloister and devoting himself to contemplation and prayer and work; United States jazz pianist who was one of the founders of the bebop style (1917-1982) |
| monkish | adj. befitting a monk; inclined to self-denial |
| monosyllable | noun: a word or utterance of one syllable |
| monotonous | adj. tediously repetitious or lacking in variety; sounded or spoken in a tone unvarying in pitch |
| monotony | noun: constancy of tone or pitch or inflection; the quality of wearisome constancy, routine, and lack of variety |
| monsieur | noun: used as a French courtesy title; equivalent to English 'Mr' |
| monster | noun: (medicine) a grossly malformed and usually nonviable foetus; an imaginary creature usually having various human and animal parts; a cruel wicked and inhuman person; a person or animal that is markedly unusual or deformed; someone or something that is abnormally large and powerful |
| monstrous | adj. abnormally large; distorted and unnatural in shape or size; abnormal and hideous; shockingly brutal or cruel |
| monument | noun: an important site that is marked and preserved as public property; a structure erected to commemorate persons or events; a burial vault (usually for some famous person) |
| moonbeam | noun: a ray of moonlight |
| moonlight | noun: the light of the moon; verb: work a second job, usually after hours |
| Moorish | adj. relating to or characteristic of the Moors; noun: a style of architecture common in Spain from the 13th to 16th centuries; characterized by the horseshoe (Moorish) arch |
| morality | noun: concern with the distinction between good and evil or right and wrong; right or good conduct; motivation based on ideas of right and wrong |
| morn | noun: the time period between dawn and noon |
| morose | adj. showing a brooding ill humour |
| morrow | noun: the next day |
| mortal | adj. unrelenting and deadly; subject to death; causing or capable of causing death; involving loss of divine grace or spiritual death; noun: a human being |
| mortality | noun: the quality or state of being mortal; the ratio of deaths in an area to the population of that area; expressed per 1000 per year |
| mortification | noun: (Christianity) the act of mortifying the lusts of the flesh by self-denial and privation (especially by bodily pain or discomfort inflicted on yourself); an instance in which you are caused to lose your prestige or self-respect; strong feelings of embarrassment; the localized death of living cells (as from infection or the interruption of blood supply) |
| moss | noun: tiny leafy-stemmed flowerless plants |
| motive | adj. causing or able to cause motion; impelling to action; noun: the psychological feature that arouses an organism to action toward a desired goal; the reason for the action; that which gives purpose and direction to behaviour; a theme that is elaborated on in a piece of music |
| mould | noun: container into which liquid is poured to create a given shape when it hardens; sculpture produced by moulding; a fungus that produces a superficial growth on various kinds of damp or decaying organic matter; loose soil rich in organic matter; verb: make something, usually for a specific function; form by pouring (e.g., wax or hot metal) into a cast or mould; form in clay, wax, etc |
| mouldy | adj. covered with or smelling of mould |
| mountebank | noun: a flamboyant deceiver; one who attracts customers with tricks or jokes |
| multitude | noun: the common people generally; a large gathering of people; a large indefinite number |
| Munich | noun: the capital and largest city of Bavaria in southwestern Germany |
| murderer | noun: a criminal who commits homicide (who performs the unlawful premeditated killing of another human being) |
| murderess | noun: a woman murderer |
| murmur | noun: a schwa that is incidental to the pronunciation of a consonant; a complaint uttered in a low and indistinct tone; a low continuous indistinct sound; often accompanied by movement of the lips without the production of articulate speech; an abnormal sound of the heart; sometimes a sign of abnormal function of the heart valves; verb: make complaining remarks or noises under one's breath; speak softly or indistinctly |
| muslin | noun: plain-woven cotton fabric |
| myrtle | noun: widely cultivated as a groundcover for its dark green shiny leaves and usually blue-violet flowers; any evergreen shrub or tree of the genus Myrtus |
| mystic | adj. relating to or characteristic of mysticism; relating to or resembling mysticism; having an import not apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence; beyond ordinary understanding; noun: someone who believes in the existence of realities beyond human comprehension |
| narration | noun: (rhetoric) the second section of an oration in which the facts are set forth; the act of giving an account describing incidents or a course of events; a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program |
| nearer | adv. (comparative of 'near' or 'close') within a shorter distance |
| nearest | adv. (superlative of 'near' or 'close') within the shortest distance |
| necessity | noun: anything indispensable; the condition of being essential or indispensable |
| needful | adj. necessary for relief or supply |
| needlework | noun: work (such as sewing or embroidery) that is done with a needle; a creation created or assembled by needle and thread |
| needy | adj. demanding or needing attention, affection, or reassurance to an excessive degree; poor enough to need help from others; noun: needy people collectively |
| neglect | noun: the state of something that has been unused and neglected; wilful lack of care and attention; failure to act with the prudence that a reasonable person would exercise under the same circumstances; the trait of neglecting responsibilities and lacking concern; lack of attention and due care; verb: leave undone or leave out; fail to attend to; give little or no attention to; fail to do something; leave something undone |
| neglectful | adj. failing in what duty requires; not showing due care or attention |
| negligence | noun: failure to act with the prudence that a reasonable person would exercise under the same circumstances; the trait of neglecting responsibilities and lacking concern |
| new | adj. unfamiliar; having no previous example or precedent or parallel; (of crops) harvested at an early stage of development; before complete maturity; in use after medieval times; not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered; other than the former one(s); different; unaffected by use or exposure; used of a living language; being the current stage in its development; lacking training or experience; original and of a kind not seen before; (of a new kind or fashion) gratuitously new; adv. very recently |
| newcomer | noun: any new participant in some activity; a recent arrival |
| nigh | adj. not far distant in time or space or degree or circumstances; being on the left side; adv. (of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; near in time or place or relationship |
| night | noun: darkness; the dark part of the diurnal cycle considered a time unit; the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside; the time between sunset and midnight; the period spent sleeping; a period of ignorance or backwardness or gloom; a shortening of nightfall; Roman goddess of night; daughter of Erebus; counterpart of Greek Nyx |
| nightgown | noun: lingerie consisting of a loose dress designed to be worn in bed by women |
| nightingale | noun: European songbird noted for its melodious nocturnal song; English nurse remembered for her work during the Crimean War (1820-1910) |
| nightmare | noun: a terrifying or deeply upsetting dream; a situation resembling a terrifying dream |
| noble | adj. having or showing or indicative of high or elevated character; of or belonging to or constituting the hereditary aristocracy especially as derived from feudal times; inert especially toward oxygen; impressive in appearance; noun: a titled peer of the realm |
| nobleman | noun: a titled peer of the realm |
| nocturnal | adj. belonging to or active during the night; of or relating to or occurring in the night |
| noisome | adj. offensively malodorous; causing or able to cause nausea |
| nonappearance | noun: failure to appear (especially as at court) |
| nook | noun: a sheltered and secluded place; an interior angle formed be two meeting walls |
| notorious | adj. having an exceedingly bad reputation |
| novelty | noun: originality by virtue of being new and surprising; cheap showy jewellery or ornament on clothing; a small inexpensive mass-produced article; originality by virtue of being refreshingly novel |
| novice | noun: someone new to a field or activity; someone who has entered a religious order but has not taken final vows |
| noviciate | noun: the period during which you are a novice (especially in a religious order) |
| numbers | noun: the fourth book of the Old Testament; contains a record of the number of Israelites who followed Moses out of Egypt; an illegal daily lottery |
| nuptials | noun: the social event at which the ceremony of marriage is performed |
| oath | noun: a commitment to tell the truth (especially in a court of law); to lie under oath is to become subject to prosecution for perjury; a solemn promise, usually invoking a divine witness, regarding your future acts or behaviour; profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger |
| obedience | noun: behaviour intended to please your parents; the act of obeying; dutiful or submissive behaviour with respect to another person; the trait of being willing to obey |
| obedient | adj. dutifully complying with the commands or instructions of those in authority |
| oblige | verb: bind by an obligation; cause to be indebted; provide a service or favour for someone; force or compel somebody to do something |
| obnoxious | adj. causing disapproval or protest |
| obscure | adj. not clearly understood or expressed; not drawing attention; not famous or acclaimed; marked by difficulty of style or expression; remote and separate physically or socially; difficult to find; verb: make obscure or unclear; make difficult to perceive by sight; make undecipherable or imperceptible by obscuring or concealing; make less visible or unclear; make unclear, indistinct, or blurred |
| obscurity | noun: the state of being indistinct or indefinite for lack of adequate illumination; an obscure and unimportant standing; not well known; the quality of being unclear or abstruse and hard to understand |
| observance | noun: the act of observing; taking a patient look; conformity with law or custom or practice etc.; the act of noticing or paying attention; a formal event performed on a special occasion |
| obstacle | noun: an obstruction that stands in the way (and must be removed or surmounted or circumvented); something immaterial that stands in the way and must be circumvented or surmounted |
| obstinacy | noun: resolute adherence to your own ideas or desires; the trait of being difficult to handle or overcome |
| obstinate | adj. resistant to guidance or discipline; stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing; tenaciously unwilling or marked by tenacious unwillingness to yield; verb: persist stubbornly |
| odious | adj. unequivocally detestable |
| offender | noun: a person who transgresses moral or civil law |
| older | adj. old in experience; advanced in years; ('aged' is pronounced as two syllables); used of the older of two persons of the same name especially used to distinguish a father from his son |
| omelette | noun: beaten eggs or an egg mixture cooked until just set; may be folded around e.g. ham or cheese or jelly |
| omission | noun: a mistake resulting from neglect; neglecting to do something; leaving out or passing over something; any process whereby sounds are left out of spoken words or phrases; something that has been omitted |
| opiate | noun: a narcotic drug that contains opium or an opium derivative |
| oppress | verb: come down on or keep down by unjust use of one's authority; cause to suffer |
| oppressive | adj. marked by unjust severity or arbitrary behaviour; weighing heavily on the senses or spirit |
| opprobrious | adj. (used of conduct or character) deserving or bringing disgrace or shame; expressing offensive reproach |
| opprobrium | noun: a state of extreme dishonour; state of disgrace resulting from public abuse |
| opulence | noun: wealth as evidenced by sumptuous living |
| opulent | adj. rich and superior in quality |
| oracle | noun: a shrine where an oracular god is consulted; a prophecy (usually obscure or allegorical) revealed by a priest or priestess; believed to be infallible; an authoritative person who divines the future |
| orator | noun: a person who delivers a speech or oration |
| oratory | noun: addressing an audience formally (usually a long and rhetorical address and often pompous) |
| ordeal | noun: a primitive method of determining a person's guilt or innocence by subjecting the accused person to dangerous or painful tests believed to be under divine control; escape was usually taken as a sign of innocence; a severe or trying experience |
| orifice | noun: an aperture or hole that opens into a bodily cavity |
| ornament | noun: something used to beautify; verb: be an ornament to; make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc. |
| orphan | adj. deprived of parents by death or desertion; noun: a young animal without a mother; the first line of a paragraph that is set as the last line of a page or column; a child who has lost both parents; someone or something who lacks support or care or supervision; verb: deprive of parents |
| ostensible | adj. represented or appearing as such; pretended; appearing as such but not necessarily so |
| outlet | noun: activity that frees or expresses creative energy or emotion; an opening that permits escape or release; a place of business for retailing goods; receptacle providing a place in a wiring system where current can be taken to run electrical devices |
| outrage | noun: a wantonly cruel act; the act of scandalizing; a disgraceful event; a feeling of righteous anger; verb: strike with disgust or revulsion; force (someone) to have sex against their will; violate the sacred character of a place or language |
| outward | adj. relating to physical reality rather than with thoughts or the mind; that is going out or leaving; adv. toward the outside |
| overgrown | adj. covered with growing plants; abounding in usually unwanted vegetation |
| overpower | verb: overcome by superior force; overcome, as with emotions or perceptual stimuli |
| overrule | verb: rule against |
| overspread | verb: spread across or over |
| overtake | verb: catch up with and possibly overtake; overcome, as with emotions or perceptual stimuli; travel past |
| overturn | noun: an improbable and unexpected victory; the act of upsetting something; verb: turn from an upright or normal position; cause to overturn from an upright or normal position; change radically; rule against; annul by recalling or rescinding; cause the downfall of; of rulers |
| pacify | verb: fight violence and try to establish peace in (a location); cause to be more favourably inclined; gain the good will of |
| paid | adj. marked by the reception of pay; involving gainful employment in something often done as a hobby; yielding a fair profit |
| palate | noun: the upper surface of the mouth that separates the oral and nasal cavities |
| Palestine | noun: an ancient country in southwestern Asia on the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea; a place of pilgrimage for Christianity and Islam and Judaism; a former British mandate on the east coast of the Mediterranean; divided between Jordan and Israel in 1948 |
| pallid | adj. abnormally deficient in colour as suggesting physical or emotional distress; lacking in vitality or interest or effectiveness; (of light) lacking in intensity or brightness; dim or feeble |
| pang | noun: a sudden sharp feeling; a sharp spasm of pain; a mental pain or distress |
| paradise | noun: (Christianity) the abode of righteous souls after death; any place of complete bliss and delight and peace |
| parchment | noun: skin of a sheep or goat prepared for writing on; a superior paper resembling sheepskin |
| Parisian | adj. of or relating to or characteristic of Paris or its inhabitants; noun: a native or resident of Paris |
| paroxysm | noun: a sudden uncontrollable attack |
| parricide | noun: the murder of your own father or mother; someone who kills his or her parent |
| partake | verb: consume; have, give, or receive a share of; have some of the qualities or attributes of something |
| partial | adj. being or affecting only a part; not total; showing favouritism; (followed by 'of' or 'to') having a strong preference or liking for; noun: a harmonic with a frequency that is a multiple of the fundamental frequency; the derivative of a function of two or more variables with respect to a single variable while the other variables are considered to be constant |
| partiality | noun: an inclination to favour one group or view or opinion over alternatives; a predisposition to like something |
| partisan | adj. devoted to a cause or party; adhering or confined to a particular sect or denomination or party; noun: a pike with a long tapering double-edged blade with lateral projections; 16th and 17th centuries; a fervent and even militant proponent of something; an ardent and enthusiastic supporter of some person or activity |
| partition | noun: a vertical structure that divides or separates (as a wall divides one room from another); (computer science) the part of a hard disk that is dedicated to a particular operating system or application and accessed as a single unit; the act of dividing or partitioning; separation by the creation of a boundary that divides or keeps apart; verb: separate or apportion into sections; divide into parts, pieces, or sections |
| passionate | adj. having or expressing strong emotions |
| pastoral | adj. of or relating to a pastor; suggestive of an idyll; charmingly simple and serene; used of idealized country life; relating to shepherds or herdsmen or devoted to raising sheep or cattle; noun: a literary work idealizing the rural life (especially the life of shepherds); a letter from a pastor to the congregation; a musical composition that evokes rural life |
| paternal | adj. characteristic of a father; belonging to or inherited from one's father; relating to or characteristic of or befitting a parent; related on the father's side |
| paternoster | noun: a type of lift having a chain of open compartments that move continually in a loop so that (agile) passengers can step on or off at each floor; (Roman Catholic Church) the Lord's Prayer in Latin; translates as 'our father' |
| pathetic | adj. inspiring scornful pity; inspiring mixed contempt and pity; deserving or inciting pity |
| patron | noun: a regular customer; someone who supports or champions something; the proprietor of an inn |
| Paul | noun: (New Testament) a Christian missionary to the Gentiles; author of several Epistles in the New Testament; even though Paul was not present at the Last Supper he is considered an apostle; United States feminist (1885-1977) |
| pavement | noun: the paved surface of a thoroughfare; walk consisting of a paved area for pedestrians; usually beside a street or roadway; material used to pave an area |
| pavilion | noun: large and often sumptuous tent |
| peaceable | adj. inclined or disposed to peace; disposed to peace or of a peaceful nature |
| peasant | noun: a country person; a crude uncouth ill-bred person lacking culture or refinement; one of a (chiefly European) class of agricultural laborers |
| pebble | noun: a small smooth rounded rock |
| peculiar | adj. characteristic of one only; distinctive or special; markedly different from the usual; beyond or deviating from the usual or expected; unique or specific to a person or thing or category |
| pecuniary | adj. relating to or involving money |
| pedestal | noun: an architectural support or base (as for a column or statue); a position of great esteem (and supposed superiority); a support or foundation |
| peep | noun: a secret look; the short weak cry of a young bird; verb: appear as though from hiding; speak in a hesitant and high-pitched tone of voice; make high-pitched sounds; of birds; cause to appear; look furtively |
| penance | noun: a Catholic sacrament; repentance and confession and satisfaction and absolution; voluntary self-punishment in order to atone for some wrongdoing; remorse for your past conduct |
| penetrate | verb: come to understand; pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance; insert the penis into the vagina or anus of; make one's way deeper into or through; become clear or enter one's consciousness or emotions; spread or diffuse through; enter a group or organization in order to spy on the members |
| penetration | noun: the act of entering into or through something; the act (by a man) of inserting his penis into the vagina of a woman; an attack that penetrates into enemy territory; the depth to which something penetrates (especially the depth reached by a projectile that hits a target); the ability to make way into or through something; clear or deep perception of a situation |
| penitence | noun: remorse for your past conduct |
| penitent | adj. feeling or expressing remorse for misdeeds; noun: (Roman Catholic Church) a person who repents for wrongdoing (a Roman Catholic may be admitted to penance under the direction of a confessor) |
| pensioner | noun: the beneficiary of a pension fund |
| perceptible | adj. easily perceived by the senses or grasped by the mind; capable of being perceived by the mind or senses; easily seen or detected |
| perdition | noun: (Christianity) the abode of Satan and the forces of evil; where sinners suffer eternal punishment |
| perfection | noun: the act of making something perfect; the state of being without a flaw or defect; an ideal instance; a perfect embodiment of a concept |
| perfidious | adj. tending to betray; especially having a treacherous character as attributed to the Carthaginians by the Romans |
| perfidy | noun: betrayal of a trust; an act of deliberate betrayal |
| perish | verb: pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life |
| perjury | noun: criminal offense of making false statements under oath |
| pernicious | adj. working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way; exceedingly harmful |
| perpetrator | noun: someone who perpetrates wrongdoing |
| perpetual | adj. occurring so frequently as to seem ceaseless or uninterrupted; uninterrupted in time and indefinitely long continuing; continuing forever or indefinitely |
| persecution | noun: the act of persecuting (especially on the basis of race or religion) |
| perseverance | noun: the act of persisting or persevering; continuing or repeating behaviour; persistent determination |
| persevere | verb: be persistent, refuse to stop |
| persist | verb: stay behind; be persistent, refuse to stop; continue to exist |
| personage | noun: another word for person; a person not meriting identification; a person whose actions and opinions strongly influence the course of events |
| personate | verb: attribute human qualities to something; pretend to be someone you are not; sometimes with fraudulent intentions |
| persuasion | noun: the act of persuading (or attempting to persuade); communication intended to induce belief or action; a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty |
| persuasive | adj. capable of convincing; tending or intended or having the power to induce action or belief |
| pert | adj. characterized by a lightly pert and exuberant quality |
| perusal | noun: reading carefully with intent to remember |
| peruse | verb: examine or consider with attention and in detail |
| pervade | verb: spread or diffuse through |
| pervert | noun: a person whose behaviour deviates from what is acceptable especially in sexual behaviour; verb: change the inherent purpose or function of something; practice sophistry; change the meaning of or be vague about in order to mislead or deceive; corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality |
| pestilential | adj. likely to spread and cause an epidemic disease |
| petition | noun: a formal message requesting something that is submitted to an authority; reverent petition to a deity; verb: write a petition for something to somebody; request formally and in writing |
| petitioner | noun: one praying humbly for something; someone who petitions a court for redress of a grievance or recovery of a right |
| petty | adj. contemptibly narrow in outlook; (informal) small and of little importance; inferior in rank or status; noun: larceny of property having a value less than some amount (the amount varies by locale) |
| phial | noun: a small bottle that contains a drug (especially a sealed sterile container for injection by needle) |
| philosophical | adj. characterized by the attitude of a philosopher; meeting trouble with level-headed detachment; characteristic of or imbued with the attitude of a philosopher or based on philosophy; of or relating to philosophy or philosophers |
| philtre | noun: a drink credited with magical power; can make the one who takes it love the one who gave it |
| Phoebus | noun: (Greek mythology) Greek god of light; god of prophesy and poetry and music and healing; son of Zeus and Leto; twin brother of Artemis |
| phoenix | noun: the state capital and largest city located in south central Arizona; situated in a former desert that has become a prosperous agricultural area thanks to irrigation; a constellation in the southern hemisphere near Tucana and Sculptor; a legendary Arabian bird said to periodically burn itself to death and emerge from the ashes as a new phoenix; according to most versions only one phoenix lived at a time and it renewed itself every 500 years; a large monocotyledonous genus of pinnate-leaved palms found in Asia and Africa |
| pickaxe | noun: a heavy iron tool with a wooden handle and a curved head that is pointed on both ends |
| pickle | noun: vegetables (especially cucumbers) preserved in brine or vinegar; informal terms for a difficult situation; verb: preserve in a pickling liquid |
| picturesque | adj. suggesting or suitable for a picture; pretty as a picture; strikingly expressive |
| piecemeal | adj. one thing at a time; adv. a little bit at a time |
| pierce | noun: 14th President of the United States (1804-1869); verb: make a hole into; penetrate or cut through with a sharp instrument; cut or make a way through; move or affect (a person's emotions or bodily feelings) deeply or sharply; sound sharply or shrilly |
| piety | noun: righteousness by virtue of being pious |
| pilgrim | noun: someone who journeys in foreign lands; someone who journeys to a sacred place as an act of religious devotion; one of the colonists from England who sailed to America on the Mayflower and founded the colony of Plymouth in New England in 1620 |
| pilgrimage | noun: a journey to a sacred place |
| pillage | noun: the act of stealing valuable things from a place; goods or money obtained illegally; verb: steal goods; take as spoils |
| pillar | noun: a fundamental principle or practice; a prominent supporter; (architecture) a tall cylindrical vertical upright and used to support a structure; a vertical cylindrical structure standing alone and not supporting anything (such as a monument); anything tall and relatively thin that approximates the shape of a column or tower |
| pillow | noun: a cushion to support the head of a sleeping person; verb: rest on or as if on a pillow |
| pinion | noun: a gear with a small number of teeth designed to mesh with a larger wheel or rack; wing of a bird; any of the larger wing or tail feathers of a bird; verb: cut the wings off (of birds); bind the arms of |
| pious | adj. having or showing or expressing reverence for a deity; devoutly religious |
| pitcher | noun: the position on a baseball team of the player who throws the ball for a batter to try to hit; an open vessel with a handle and a spout for pouring; (baseball) the person who does the pitching; the quantity contained in a pitcher |
| piteous | adj. deserving or inciting pity |
| plague | noun: an annoyance; any large scale calamity (especially when thought to be sent by God); any epidemic disease with a high death rate; a serious (sometimes fatal) infection of rodents caused by Yersinia pestis and accidentally transmitted to humans by the bite of a flea that has bitten an infected animal; a swarm of insects that attack plants; verb: annoy continually or chronically; cause to suffer a blight |
| plaguy | adj. causing irritation or annoyance; adv. in a disagreeable manner |
| plaintive | adj. expressing sorrow |
| playful | adj. full of fun and high spirits |
| playhouse | noun: plaything consisting of a small model of a house that children can play inside of |
| plead | verb: appeal or request earnestly; enter a plea, as in courts of law; offer as an excuse or plea; make an allegation in an action or other legal proceeding, especially answer the previous pleading of the other party by denying facts therein stated or by alleging new facts |
| pledge | noun: a drink in honour of or to the health of a person or event; someone accepted for membership but not yet fully admitted to the group; a deposit of personal property as security for a debt; a binding commitment to do or give or refrain from something; verb: promise solemnly and formally; bind or secure by a pledge; give as a guarantee; pay (an amount of money) as a contribution to a charity or service, especially at regular intervals; propose a toast to |
| plight | noun: a solemn pledge of fidelity; a situation from which extrication is difficult especially an unpleasant or trying one; verb: promise solemnly and formally; give to in marriage |
| pluck | noun: the act of pulling and releasing a taut cord; the trait of showing courage and determination in spite of possible loss or injury; verb: strip of feathers; pull lightly but sharply with a plucking motion; pull or pull out sharply; look for and gather; rip off; ask an unreasonable price; sell something to or obtain something from by energetic and especially underhanded activity |
| plunder | noun: goods or money obtained illegally; verb: steal goods; take as spoils; destroy and strip of its possession; plunder (a town) after capture; take illegally; of intellectual property |
| plunge | noun: a steep and rapid fall; a brief swim in water; verb: begin with vigour; cause to be immersed; dash violently or with great speed or impetuosity; fall abruptly; engross (oneself) fully; immerse briefly into a liquid so as to wet, coat, or saturate; thrust or throw into; drop steeply |
| poetical | adj. characteristic of or befitting poetry; of or relating to poetry |
| poignant | adj. keenly distressing to the mind or feelings; arousing affect |
| pomp | noun: ceremonial elegance and splendour; cheap or pretentious or vain display |
| pompous | adj. characterized by pomp and ceremony and stately display; puffed up with vanity |
| ponderous | adj. having great mass and weight and unwieldiness; laboured and dull; slow and laborious because of weight |
| pope | noun: the head of the Roman Catholic Church; English poet and satirist (1688-1744) |
| populace | noun: people in general considered as a whole |
| portal | noun: a grand and imposing entrance (often extended metaphorically); a short vein that carries blood into the liver; a site that the owner positions as an entrance to other sites on the internet |
| porter | noun: a very dark sweet ale brewed from roasted unmalted barley; a railroad employee who assists passengers (especially on sleeping cars); a person employed to carry luggage and supplies; United States writer of short stories whose pen name was O. Henry (1862-1910); United States composer and lyricist of musical comedies (1891-1946); United States writer of novels and short stories (1890-1980); someone who guards an entrance; verb: carry luggage or supplies |
| portmanteau | noun: a large travelling bag made of stiff leather; a new word formed by joining two others and combining their meanings |
| possessor | noun: a person who owns something |
| postillion | noun: someone who rides the near horse of a pair in order to guide the horses pulling a carriage (especially a carriage without a coachman) |
| posture | noun: characteristic way of bearing one's body; the arrangement of the body and its limbs; capability in terms of personnel and materiel that affect the capacity to fight a war; a rationalized mental attitude; verb: assume a posture as for artistic purposes; behave affectedly or unnaturally in order to impress others |
| potent | adj. having a strong physiological or chemical effect; (of a male) capable of copulation; having or wielding force or authority; having great influence |
| potion | noun: a medicinal or magical or poisonous beverage |
| prattle | noun: idle or foolish and irrelevant talk; verb: speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly |
| preacher | noun: someone whose occupation is preaching the gospel |
| precaution | noun: a precautionary measure warding off impending danger or damage or injury etc.; the trait of practicing caution in advance; judiciousness in avoiding harm or danger |
| precept | noun: a doctrine that is taught; rule of personal conduct |
| preceptor | noun: teacher at a university or college (especially at Cambridge or Oxford) |
| precious | adj. of high worth or cost; obviously contrived to charm; characterized by feeling or showing fond affection for; adv. extremely |
| precipice | noun: a very steep cliff |
| precipitation | noun: an unexpected acceleration or hastening; the act of casting down or falling headlong from a height; the falling to earth of any form of water (rain or snow or hail or sleet or mist); the process of forming a chemical precipitate; the quantity of water falling to earth at a specific place within a specified period of time; overly eager speed (and possible carelessness) |
| predicament | noun: a situation from which extrication is difficult especially an unpleasant or trying one |
| prediction | noun: the act of predicting (as by reasoning about the future); a statement made about the future |
| predominant | adj. having superior power and influence; most frequent or common |
| preferable | adj. more desirable than another |
| prejudice | noun: a partiality that prevents objective consideration of an issue or situation; verb: influence (somebody's) opinion in advance; disadvantage by prejudice |
| prejudicial | adj. tending to favour preconceived ideas; (sometimes followed by 'to') causing harm or injury |
| prepossession | noun: the condition of being prepossessed; an opinion formed beforehand without adequate evidence |
| presage | noun: a foreboding about what is about to happen; a sign of something about to happen; verb: indicate by signs |
| presentiment | noun: a feeling of evil to come |
| preservation | noun: the activity of protecting something from loss or danger; a process that saves organic substances from decay; the condition of being (well or ill) preserved; an occurrence of improvement by virtue of preventing loss or injury or other change |
| preserver | noun: someone who keeps safe from harm or danger; a cook who preserves fruits or meat; rescue equipment consisting of a buoyant belt or jacket to keep a person from drowning; a skilled worker who is employed to restore or refinish buildings or antique furniture |
| preside | verb: act as president |
| presumption | noun: a kind of discourtesy in the form of an act of presuming; audacious (even arrogant) behaviour that you have no right to; (law) an inference of the truth of a fact from other facts proved or admitted or judicially noticed; an assumption that is taken for granted |
| pretence | noun: the act of giving a false appearance; an artful or simulated semblance; a false or unsupportable quality; imaginative intellectual play; pretending with intention to deceive |
| prevail | verb: use persuasion successfully; prove superior; continue to exist; be valid, applicable, or true; be larger in number, quantity, power, status or importance |
| prey | noun: animal hunted or caught for food; a person who is the aim of an attack (especially a victim of ridicule or exploitation) by some hostile person or influence; verb: profit from in an exploitatory manner; prey on or hunt for |
| prioress | noun: the superior of a group of nuns |
| probability | noun: the quality of being probable; a probable event or the most probable event; a measure of how likely it is that some event will occur; a number expressing the ratio of favourable cases to the whole number of cases possible |
| probity | noun: complete and confirmed integrity; having strong moral principles |
| proceeds | noun: the income or profit arising from such transactions as the sale of land or other property |
| procession | noun: the group action of a collection of people or animals or vehicles moving ahead in more or less regular formation; the act of moving forward toward a goal; (theology) the origination of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost |
| proclaim | verb: state or announce; declare formally; declare someone to be something; of titles; praise, glorify, or honour; affirm or declare as an attribute or quality of |
| procure | verb: get by special effort; arrange for sexual partners for others |
| procuress | noun: a woman pimp |
| prodigy | noun: an impressive or wonderful example of a particular quality; an unusually gifted or intelligent (young) person; someone whose talents excite wonder and admiration; a sign of something about to happen |
| profane | adj. not holy because unconsecrated or impure or defiled; not sacred or concerned with religion; characterized by profanity or cursing; grossly irreverent toward what is held to be sacred; verb: violate the sacred character of a place or language; corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality |
| profess | verb: state insincerely; confess one's faith in, or allegiance to; practice as a profession, teach, or claim to be knowledgeable about; take vows, as in religious order; receive into a religious order or congregation; state freely; admit, make a clean breast of |
| profound | adj. situated at or extending to great depth; too deep to have been sounded or plumbed; coming from deep within one; of the greatest intensity; complete; showing intellectual penetration or emotional depths; from the depths of your being; (of sleep) deep and complete; far-reaching and thoroughgoing in effect especially on the nature of something |
| profusion | noun: the property of being extremely abundant |
| prohibit | verb: command against |
| prolix | adj. tediously prolonged or tending to speak or write at great length |
| prolong | verb: lengthen in time; cause to be or last longer; lengthen or extend in duration or space |
| prone | adj. lying face downward; having a tendency (to); often used in combination |
| prophetess | noun: a woman prophet |
| propitious | adj. presenting favourable circumstances; likely to result in or show signs or success |
| propriety | noun: correct or appropriate behaviour |
| prostitute | noun: a woman who engages in sexual intercourse for money; verb: sell one's body; exchange sex for money |
| prostitution | noun: offering sexual intercourse for pay |
| prostrate | adj. stretched out and lying at full length along the ground; lying face downward; verb: render helpless or defenceless; throw down flat, as on the ground; get into a prostrate position, as in submission |
| protector | noun: a person who cares for persons or property |
| proteus | noun: type genus of the Proteidae; (Greek mythology) a prophetic god who served Poseidon; was capable of changing his shape at will |
| provisions | noun: a stock or supply of foods |
| provocation | noun: needed encouragement; unfriendly behaviour that causes anger or resentment; something that incites or provokes; a means of arousing or stirring to action |
| prudence | noun: discretion in practical affairs; knowing how to avoid embarrassment or distress |
| prudent | adj. careful and sensible; marked by sound judgment |
| puerile | adj. of or characteristic of a child; displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity |
| pulpit | noun: a platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it |
| pulse | noun: the rhythmic contraction and expansion of the arteries with each beat of the heart; edible seeds of various pod-bearing plants (peas or beans or lentils etc.); the rate at which the heart beats; usually measured to obtain a quick evaluation of a person's health; (electronics) a sharp transient wave in the normal electrical state (or a series of such transients); verb: produce or modulate (as electromagnetic waves) in the form of short bursts or pulses or cause an apparatus to produce pulses; drive by or as if by pulsation; expand and contract rhythmically; beat rhythmically |
| puny | adj. (used especially of persons) of inferior size; inferior in strength or significance |
| purgatory | noun: (theology) in Roman Catholic theology the place where those who have died in a state of grace undergo limited torment to expiate their sins; a temporary condition of torment or suffering |
| purify | verb: remove impurities from, increase the concentration of, and separate through the process of distillation; make pure or free from sin or guilt; become clean or pure or free of guilt and sin |
| purity | noun: the state of being unsullied by sin or moral wrong; lacking a knowledge of evil; being undiluted or unmixed with extraneous material; a woman's virtue or chastity |
| purport | noun: the pervading meaning or tenor; the intended meaning of a communication; verb: have the often specious appearance of being, intending, or claiming; propose or intend |
| pursuit | noun: the act of pursuing in an effort to overtake or capture; a search for an alternative that meets cognitive criteria; a diversion that occupies one's time and thoughts (usually pleasantly); an auxiliary activity |
| pusillanimity | noun: contemptible fearfulness |
| putrid | adj. morally corrupt or evil; in an advanced state of decomposition and having a foul odour; of or relating to or attended by putrefaction |
| putridity | noun: the state of being putrid |
| quicken | verb: show signs of life; give life or energy to; give new life or energy to; move faster; make keen or more acute |
| quiver | noun: case for holding arrows; the act of vibrating; an almost pleasurable sensation of fright; a shaky motion; verb: shake with fast, tremulous movements; move back and forth very rapidly; move with or as if with a regular alternating motion |
| radiant | adj. radiating or as if radiating light |
| rage | noun: violent state of the elements; a state of extreme anger; something that is desired intensely; an interest followed with exaggerated zeal; a feeling of intense anger; verb: feel intense anger; be violent; as of fires and storms; behave violently, as if in state of a great anger |
| rake | noun: a long-handled tool with a row of teeth at its head; used to move leaves or loosen soil; a dissolute man in fashionable society; degree of deviation from a horizontal plane; verb: gather with a rake; level or smooth with a rake; move through with or as if with a rake; sweep the length of; scrape gently; examine hastily |
| rancour | noun: a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will |
| random | adj. lacking any definite plan or order or purpose; governed by or depending on chance; taken haphazardly |
| ransom | noun: the act of freeing from captivity or punishment; payment for the release of someone; money demanded for the return of a captured person; verb: exchange or buy back for money; under threat |
| rape | noun: the crime of forcing a woman to submit to sexual intercourse against her will; the act of despoiling a country in warfare; Eurasian plant cultivated for its seed and as a forage crop; verb: destroy and strip of its possession; force (someone) to have sex against their will |
| rapidity | noun: a rate that is rapid |
| rapier | noun: a straight sword with a narrow blade and two edges |
| rapture | noun: a state of being carried away by overwhelming emotion; a state of elated bliss |
| rapturous | adj. feeling great rapture or delight |
| rash | adj. imprudently incurring risk; marked by defiant disregard for danger or consequences; noun: a series of unexpected and unpleasant occurrences; any red eruption of the skin |
| rave | noun: an extravagantly enthusiastic review; a dance party that lasts all night and electronically synthesized music is played; verb: praise enthusiastically; participate in an all-night techno dance party; talk in a noisy, excited, or declamatory manner |
| ravisher | noun: a very attractive or seductive looking woman; someone who assaults others sexually |
| reap | verb: gather, as of natural products; get or derive |
| reappearance | noun: the act of someone appearing again; the event of something appearing again |
| reassure | verb: give or restore confidence in; cause to feel sure or certain; cause to feel sure; give reassurance to |
| recess | noun: an enclosure that is set back or indented; a small concavity; a pause from doing something (as work); an arm off of a larger body of water (often between rocky headlands); a state of abeyance or suspended business; verb: make a recess in; put into a recess; close at the end of a session |
| recluse | adj. withdrawn from society; seeking solitude; noun: one who lives in solitude |
| recognise | verb: accept (someone) to be what is claimed or accept his power and authority; perceive to be the same; be fully aware or cognizant of; express obligation, thanks, or gratitude for; express greetings upon meeting someone; detect with the senses; grant credentials to; show approval or appreciation of |
| recoil | noun: a movement back from an impact; the backward jerk of a gun when it is fired; verb: spring back, as from a forceful thrust; spring back; spring away from an impact; draw back, as with fear or pain; come back to the originator of an action with an undesired effect |
| recollect | verb: recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection |
| recollection | noun: something recalled to the mind; the process of remembering (especially the process of recovering information by mental effort); the ability to recall past occurrences |
| recompense | noun: the act of compensating for service or loss or injury; payment or reward (as for service rendered); verb: make payment to; compensate; make amends for; pay compensation for |
| reconcile | verb: come to terms; bring into consonance or accord; make compatible with; accept as inevitable |
| reconnoitre | verb: explore, often with the goal of finding something or somebody |
| recount | noun: an additional (usually a second) count; especially of the votes in a close election; verb: count again; narrate or give a detailed account of |
| rectitude | noun: righteousness as a consequence of being honourable and honest |
| redouble | verb: make twice as great or intense; double again; double in magnitude, extent, or intensity |
| refectory | noun: a communal dining-hall (usually in a monastery) |
| refinement | noun: the quality of excellence in thought and manners and taste; the result of improving something; a subtle difference in meaning or opinion or attitude; the process of removing impurities (as from oil or metals or sugar etc.); a highly developed state of perfection; having a flawless or impeccable quality |
| refrain | noun: the part of a song where a soloist is joined by a group of singers; verb: resist doing something; choose not to consume |
| refreshment | noun: activity that refreshes and recreates; activity that renews your health and spirits by enjoyment and relaxation; snacks and drinks served as a light meal |
| refuge | noun: a shelter from danger or hardship; act of turning to for assistance; something or someone turned to for assistance or security; a safe place |
| regain | verb: get or find back; recover the use of; come upon after searching; find the location of something that was missed or lost |
| regularity | noun: the quality of being characterized by a fixed principle or rate; a property of polygons: the property of having equal sides and equal angles |
| reign | noun: royal authority; the dominion of a monarch; the period during which a monarch is sovereign; a period during which something or somebody is dominant or powerful; verb: have sovereign power; be larger in number, quantity, power, status or importance |
| rein | noun: one of a pair of long straps (usually connected to the bit or the headpiece) used to control a horse; any means of control; verb: stop or check by or as if by a pull at the reins; stop or slow up one's horse or oneself by or as if by pulling the reins; keep in check; control and direct with or as if by reins |
| rejoice | verb: feel happiness or joy; to express great joy; be ecstatic with joy |
| rejoin | verb: join again; answer back |
| rekindle | verb: arouse again; kindle anew, as of a fire |
| reliance | noun: certainty based on past experience; the state of relying on something |
| relic | noun: an antiquity that has survived from the distant past; something of sentimental value |
| relinquish | verb: relinquish to the power of another; yield to the control of another; release, as from one's grip; turn away from; give up; part with a possession or right; do without or cease to hold or adhere to |
| reluctance | noun: a certain degree of unwillingness; (physics) opposition to magnetic flux (analogous to electric resistance) |
| remainder | noun: the number that remains after subtraction; the number that when added to the subtrahend gives the minuend; the part of the dividend that is left over when the dividend is not evenly divisible by the divisor; something left after other parts have been taken away; a piece of cloth that is left over after the rest has been used or sold; verb: sell cheaply as remainders |
| remedy | noun: a medicine or therapy that cures disease or relieve pain; act of correcting an error or a fault or an evil; verb: provide relief for; set straight or right |
| remembrance | noun: the ability to recall past occurrences; a recognition of meritorious service |
| remission | noun: (law) the act of remitting (especially the referral of a law case to another court); an abatement in intensity or degree (as in the manifestations of a disease); the act of absolving or remitting; formal redemption as pronounced by a priest in the sacrament of penance; a payment of money sent to a person in another place |
| remonstrance | noun: the act of expressing earnest opposition or protest |
| remorse | noun: a feeling of deep regret (usually for some misdeed) |
| remorseful | adj. feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses |
| rend | verb: tear or be torn violently |
| render | noun: a substance similar to stucco but exclusively applied to masonry walls; verb: cause to become; pass down; coat with plastic or cement; give or supply; give back; make over as a return; melt (fat or lard) in order to separate out impurities; restate (words) from one language into another language; bestow; show in, or as in, a picture; give an interpretation or rendition of; to surrender someone or something to another; provide or furnish with |
| rendezvous | noun: a meeting planned at a certain time and place; a place where people meet; a date; usually with a member of the opposite sex; verb: meet at a rendezvous |
| renew | verb: cause to appear in a new form; re-establish on a new, usually improved, basis or make new or like new |
| renewal | noun: the act of renewing; the conversion of wasteland into land suitable for use of habitation or cultivation; filling again by supplying what has been used up |
| renounce | verb: cast off or disown; turn away from; give up; leave (a job, post, or position) voluntarily; give up, such as power, as of monarchs and emperors, or duties and obligations |
| renunciation | noun: the act of renouncing; sacrificing or giving up or surrendering (a possession or right or title or privilege etc.); an act (spoken or written) declaring that something is surrendered or disowned; rejecting or disowning or disclaiming as invalid; the state of having rejected your religious beliefs or your political party or a cause (often in favour of opposing beliefs or causes) |
| repast | noun: the food served and eaten at one time |
| repay | verb: answer back; pay back; make repayment for or return something; act or give recompense in recognition of someone's behaviour or actions |
| repel | verb: force or drive back; cause to move back by force or influence; be repellent to; cause aversion in; reject outright and bluntly; fill with distaste |
| repent | verb: feel remorse for; feel sorry for; be contrite about; turn away from sin or do penitence |
| repentance | noun: remorse for your past conduct |
| repentant | adj. feeling or expressing remorse for misdeeds |
| repetition | noun: the act of doing or performing again; the repeated use of the same word or word pattern as a rhetorical device; an event that repeats |
| repine | verb: express discontent |
| repose | noun: a disposition free from stress or emotion; freedom from activity (work or strain or responsibility); the absence of mental stress or anxiety; verb: put or confide something in a person or thing; to put something (e.g. trust) in something; lie when dead; put in a horizontal position; lean in a comfortable resting position; be inherent or innate in |
| repress | verb: put down by force or intimidation; put out of one's consciousness; conceal or hide |
| reprieve | noun: the act of reprieving; postponing or remitting punishment; a warrant granting postponement (usually to postpone the execution of the death sentence); a (temporary) relief from harm or discomfort; an interruption in the intensity or amount of something; verb: relieve temporarily; postpone the punishment of a convicted criminal, such as an execution |
| reproach | noun: a mild rebuke or criticism; disgrace or shame; verb: express criticism towards |
| reproof | noun: an act or expression of criticism and censure; verb: censure severely or angrily |
| reptile | noun: any cold-blooded vertebrate of the class Reptilia including tortoises turtles snakes lizards alligators crocodiles and extinct forms |
| repugnance | noun: intense aversion; the relation between propositions that cannot both be true at the same time |
| repugnant | adj. offensive to the mind |
| repulse | noun: an instance of driving away or warding off; verb: force or drive back; cause to move back by force or influence; be repellent to; cause aversion in |
| repulsive | adj. possessing the ability to repel; so extremely ugly as to be terrifying; offensive to the mind |
| repute | noun: the state of being held in high esteem and honour; verb: look on as or consider |
| requisite | adj. necessary for relief or supply; noun: anything indispensable |
| resemblance | noun: similarity in appearance or external or superficial details |
| resentful | adj. full of or marked by resentment or indignant ill will |
| resentment | noun: a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will |
| resolute | adj. firm in purpose or belief; characterized by firmness and determination; characterized by quickness and firmness |
| respectable | adj. characterized by proper behaviour or conventional conduct; worthy of respect; large in amount or extent or degree; deserving of esteem and respect |
| respective | adj. considered individually |
| respects | noun: (often used with 'pay') a formal expression of esteem |
| respiration | noun: the metabolic processes whereby certain organisms obtain energy from organic molecules; processes that take place in the cells and tissues during which energy is released and carbon dioxide is produced and absorbed by the blood to be transported to the lungs; a single complete act of breathing in and out; the bodily process of inhalation and exhalation; the process of taking in oxygen from inhaled air and releasing carbon dioxide by exhalation |
| respite | noun: a pause from doing something (as work); a pause for relaxation; the act of reprieving; postponing or remitting punishment; an interruption in the intensity or amount of something; a (temporary) relief from harm or discomfort; verb: postpone the punishment of a convicted criminal, such as an execution |
| restrain | verb: hold back; to close within bounds, limit or hold back from movement; keep under control; keep in check; place limits on (extent or access); to compel or deter by or as if by threats |
| restraint | noun: the of act controlling by restraining someone or something; a device that retards something's motion; discipline in personal and social activities; a rule or condition that limits freedom; lack of ornamentation; the state of being physically constrained |
| resume | noun: a summary of your academic and work history; short descriptive summary (of events); verb: take up or begin anew; return to a previous location or condition; assume anew; give a summary (of) |
| resurrection | noun: a revival from inactivity and disuse; (New Testament) the rising of Christ on the third day after the Crucifixion |
| retrace | verb: reassemble mentally; to go back over again |
| retreat | noun: (military) withdrawal of troops to a more favourable position to escape the enemy's superior forces or after a defeat; (military) a bugle call signalling the lowering of the flag at sunset; (military) a signal to begin a withdrawal from a dangerous position; a place of privacy; a place affording peace and quiet; withdrawal for prayer and study and meditation; an area where you can be alone; verb: make a retreat from an earlier commitment or activity; move away, as for privacy; pull back or move away or backward; move back |
| revel | noun: unrestrained merrymaking; verb: celebrate noisily, often indulging in drinking; engage in uproarious festivities; take delight in |
| revelry | noun: unrestrained merrymaking |
| revenge | noun: action taken in return for an injury or offense; verb: take revenge for a perceived wrong |
| revengeful | adj. disposed to seek revenge or intended for revenge |
| reverence | noun: a reverent mental attitude; a profound emotion inspired by a deity; verb: regard with feelings of respect and reverence; consider hallowed or exalted or be in awe of |
| reverend | adj. worthy of adoration or reverence; noun: a title of respect for a clergyman; a member of the clergy and a spiritual leader of the Christian Church |
| reverential | adj. feeling or manifesting veneration |
| reverie | noun: an abstracted state of absorption; absentminded dreaming while awake |
| revile | verb: spread negative information about |
| revisit | verb: visit again |
| revival | noun: bringing again into activity and prominence; an evangelistic meeting intended to reawaken interest in religion |
| revive | verb: restore from a depressed, inactive, or unused state; be brought back to life, consciousness, or strength; return to consciousness; give new life or energy to; cause to regain consciousness |
| revolt | noun: organized opposition to authority; a conflict in which one faction tries to wrest control from another; verb: make revolution; cause aversion in; offend the moral sense of; fill with distaste |
| rhyme | noun: correspondence in the sounds of two or more lines (especially final sounds); a piece of poetry; verb: compose rhymes; be similar in sound, especially with respect to the last syllable |
| ribband | noun: a ribbon used as a decoration |
| riddle | noun: a coarse sieve (as for gravel); a difficult problem; verb: set a difficult problem or riddle; explain a riddle; speak in riddles; pierce with many holes; separate with a riddle, as grain from chaff; spread or diffuse through |
| ridge | noun: a beam laid along the edge where two sloping sides of a roof meet at the top; provides an attachment for the upper ends of rafters; any long raised border or margin of a bone or tooth or membrane; a long narrow natural elevation or striation; a long narrow range of hills; a long narrow natural elevation on the floor of the ocean; any long raised strip; verb: form into a ridge; spade into alternate ridges and troughs; throw soil toward (a crop row) from both sides; plough alternate strips by throwing the furrow onto an unploughed strip; extend in ridges |
| ridicule | noun: language or behaviour intended to mock or humiliate; the act of deriding or treating with contempt; verb: subject to laughter or ridicule |
| rigid | adj. incapable of or resistant to bending; designating an airship or dirigible having a form maintained by a stiff unyielding frame or structure; incapable of compromise or flexibility; incapable of adapting or changing to meet circumstances; fixed and unmoving |
| rigorous | adj. demanding strict attention to rules and procedures; rigidly accurate; allowing no deviation from a standard |
| riot | noun: a public act of violence by an unruly mob; a wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity; a joke that seems extremely funny; a state of disorder involving group violence; verb: take part in a riot; disturb the public peace by engaging in a riot; engage in boisterous, drunken merrymaking |
| ripe | adj. at the highest point of development especially in judgment or knowledge; fully developed or matured and ready to be eaten or used; fully prepared or eager; far along in time; most suitable or right for a particular purpose |
| ripen | verb: grow ripe; cause to ripen or develop fully |
| rivulet | noun: a small stream |
| roar | noun: the sound made by a lion; a very loud utterance (like the sound of an animal); a deep prolonged loud noise; verb: laugh unrestrainedly and heartily; make a loud noise, as of wind, water, or vehicles; act or proceed in a riotous, turbulent, or disorderly way; utter words loudly and forcefully; emit long loud cries; make a loud noise, as of animal |
| roast | adj. (meat) cooked by dry heat in an oven; noun: a piece of meat roasted or for roasting and of a size for slicing into more than one portion; negative criticism; verb: cook with dry heat, usually in an oven; subject to laughter or ridicule |
| robber | noun: a thief who steals from someone by threatening violence |
| robe | noun: any loose flowing garment; outerwear consisting of a long flowing garment used for official or ceremonial occasions; verb: clothe formally; especially in ecclesiastical robes |
| Robert | noun: United States parliamentary authority and author (in 1876) of Robert's Rules of Order (1837-1923) |
| rogue | noun: a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel |
| Rome | noun: the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church; capital and largest city of Italy; on the Tiber; seat of the Roman Catholic Church; formerly the capital of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire |
| ropy | adj. forming viscous or glutinous threads; of or resembling rope (or ropes) in being long and strong; (British informal) very poor in quality |
| rosary | noun: a string of beads used in counting prayers (especially by Catholics) |
| rosy | adj. presaging good fortune; of blush colour; having the pinkish flush of health; reflecting optimism |
| rotten | adj. having or disintegrated; usually implies foulness; very bad; damaged by decay; hence unsound and useless |
| roughhewn | adj. of stone or timber; shaped roughly without finishing |
| rouse | verb: cause to become awake or conscious; cause to be agitated, excited, or roused; force or drive out; become active |
| ruby | adj. of a colour at the end of the colour spectrum (next to orange); resembling the colour of blood or cherries or tomatoes or rubies; noun: a transparent piece of ruby that has been cut and polished and is valued as a precious gem; a transparent deep red variety of corundum; used as a gemstone and in lasers; a deep and vivid red colour |
| ruddy | adj. of a colour at the end of the colour spectrum (next to orange); resembling the colour of blood or cherries or tomatoes or rubies; inclined to a healthy reddish colour often associated with outdoor life |
| rueful | adj. feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses |
| rung | noun: a crosspiece between the legs of a chair; one of the crosspieces that form the steps of a ladder |
| rush | adj. done under pressure; not accepting reservations; noun: (American football) an attempt to advance the ball by running into the line; a sudden burst of activity; a sudden forceful flow; physician and American Revolutionary leader; signer of the Declaration of Independence (1745-1813); grasslike plants growing in wet places and having cylindrical often hollow stems; the act of moving hurriedly and in a careless manner; the swift release of a store of affective force; verb: urge to an unnatural speed; act or move at high speed; attack suddenly; step on it; run with the ball, in football; cause to occur rapidly; cause to move fast or to rush or race |
| rustic | adj. awkwardly simple and provincial; characteristic of the fields or country; used of idealized country life; characteristic of rural life; noun: an unsophisticated country person |
| rusty | adj. covered with or consisting of rust; of the brown colour of rust; ancient; impaired in skill by neglect |
| sabbath | noun: a day of rest and worship: Sunday for most Christians; Saturday for the Jews and a few Christians; Friday for Muslims |
| sable | adj. of a dark somewhat brownish black; noun: marten of northern Asian forests having luxuriant dark brown fur; a scarf (or trimming) made of sable; an artist's brush made of sable hairs; the expensive dark brown fur of the marten; a very dark black |
| sacrifice | noun: (sacrifice) an out that advances the base runners; the act of killing (an animal or person) in order to propitiate a deity; personnel that are sacrificed (e.g., surrendered or lost in order to gain an objective); a loss entailed by giving up or selling something at less than its value; the act of losing or surrendering something as a penalty for a mistake or fault or failure to perform etc.; verb: kill or destroy; make a sacrifice of; in religious rituals; endure the loss of; sell at a loss |
| sacrilege | noun: blasphemous behaviour; the act of depriving something of its sacred character |
| sacrilegious | adj. grossly irreverent toward what is held to be sacred |
| safeguard | noun: a precautionary measure warding off impending danger or damage or injury etc.; a document or escort providing safe passage through a region especially in time of war; verb: make safe; escort safely |
| sage | adj. of the grey-green colour of sage leaves; having wisdom that comes with age and experience; noun: aromatic fresh or dried grey-green leaves used widely as seasoning for meats and fowl and game etc; a mentor in spiritual and philosophical topics who is renowned for profound wisdom; any of various plants of the genus Salvia; a cosmopolitan herb |
| saint | noun: person of exceptional holiness; a person who has died and has been declared a saint by canonization; model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal; verb: declare (a dead person) to be a saint; hold sacred |
| sallow | adj. unhealthy looking; noun: any of several Old World shrubby broad-leaved willows having large catkins; some are important sources for tanbark and charcoal; verb: cause to become sallow |
| salute | noun: an act of greeting with friendly words and gestures like bowing or lifting the hat; a formal military gesture of respect; an act of honour or courteous recognition; verb: express commendation of; greet in a friendly way; recognize with a gesture prescribed by a military regulation; assume a prescribed position; honour with a military ceremony, as when honouring dead soldiers; become noticeable; propose a toast to |
| salvation | noun: saving someone or something from harm of from an unpleasant situation; a means of preserving from harm or unpleasantness; the state of being saved or preserved from harm; (Christianity) the act of delivering from sin or saving from evil |
| sanctity | noun: the quality of being holy |
| sang | noun: North American woodland herb similar to and used as substitute for the Chinese ginseng |
| sanguine | adj. confidently optimistic and cheerful; inclined to a healthy reddish colour often associated with outdoor life; noun: a blood-red colour |
| sash | noun: a framework that holds the panes of a window in the window frame; a band of material around the waist that strengthens a skirt or trousers |
| Satan | noun: (Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell |
| satiety | noun: the state of being satisfactorily full and unable to take on more |
| satin | noun: a smooth fabric of silk or rayon; has a glossy face and a dull back |
| satirical | adj. exposing human folly to ridicule |
| satisfactory | adj. meeting requirements; giving satisfaction |
| saturnine | adj. bitter or scornful; showing a brooding ill humour |
| savage | adj. without civilizing influences; (of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering; wild and menacing; marked by extreme and violent energy; noun: a member of an uncivilized people; a cruelly rapacious person; verb: criticize harshly or violently; attack brutally and fiercely |
| scabbard | noun: a sheath for a sword or dagger or bayonet |
| scarce | adj. deficient in quantity or number compared with the demand; not enough; hard to find; adv. by a small margin |
| scenery | noun: the painted structures of a stage set that are intended to suggest a particular locale; the appearance of a place |
| scent | noun: an odour left in passing by which a person or animal can be traced; any property detected by the olfactory system; a distinctive odour that is pleasant; verb: catch the scent of; get wind of; apply perfume to; cause to smell or be smelly |
| scoff | noun: showing your contempt by derision; verb: treat with contemptuous disregard; laugh at with contempt and derision |
| scorn | noun: open disrespect for a person or thing; lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike; verb: reject with contempt; look down on with disdain |
| scornful | adj. expressing extreme contempt |
| scrap | noun: a small piece of something that is left over after the rest has been used; the act of fighting; any contest or struggle; a small fragment of something broken off from the whole; worthless material that is to be disposed of; verb: make into scrap or refuse; have a disagreement over something; dispose of (something useless or old) |
| scruple | noun: an ethical or moral principle that inhibits action; uneasiness about the fitness of an action; a unit of apothecary weight equal to 20 grains; verb: have doubts about; raise scruples; hesitate on moral grounds |
| scruples | noun: motivation deriving logically from ethical or moral principles that govern a person's thoughts and actions |
| scrupulous | adj. having scruples; arising from a sense of right and wrong; principled; characterized by extreme care and great effort |
| scythe | noun: an edge tool for cutting grass; has a long handle that must be held with both hands and a curved blade that moves parallel to the ground; verb: cut with a scythe |
| seasonable | adj. in keeping with the season; done or happening at the appropriate or proper time |
| seclusion | noun: the act of secluding yourself from others; the quality of being secluded from the presence or view of others |
| secrecy | noun: the trait of keeping things secret; the condition of being concealed or hidden |
| secret | adj. the next to highest level of official classification for documents; not expressed; indulging only covertly; communicated covertly; not open or public; kept private or not revealed; not openly made known; having an import not apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence; beyond ordinary understanding; conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods; (of information) given in confidence or in secret; hidden from general view or use; designed to elude detection; noun: information known only to a special group; something that should remain hidden from others (especially information that is not to be passed on); something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained |
| seduce | verb: lure or entice away from duty, principles, or proper conduct; induce to have sex |
| seducer | noun: a man who takes advantage of women; a bad person who entices others into error or wrongdoing |
| seduction | noun: enticing someone astray from right behaviour; an act of winning the love or sexual favour of someone |
| seldom | adv. not often |
| selfish | adj. concerned chiefly or only with yourself and your advantage to the exclusion of others |
| semblance | noun: an outward or token appearance or form that is deliberately misleading; picture consisting of a graphic image of a person or thing; an erroneous mental representation |
| sensation | noun: an unelaborated elementary awareness of stimulation; a general feeling of excitement and heightened interest; a state of widespread public excitement and interest; the faculty through which the external world is apprehended; someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field |
| sensibility | noun: mental responsiveness and awareness; refined sensitivity to pleasurable or painful impressions; (physiology) responsiveness to external stimuli; the faculty of sensation |
| sentiment | noun: tender, romantic, or nostalgic feeling or emotion; a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty |
| sepulchral | adj. of or relating to a sepulchre; suited to or suggestive of a grave or burial; gruesomely indicative of death or the dead |
| sepulchre | noun: a chamber that is used as a grave |
| sequel | noun: a part added to a book or play that continues and extends it; something that follows something else |
| serenade | noun: a song characteristically played outside the house of a woman; a musical composition in several movements; has no fixed form; verb: sing and play for somebody |
| serene | adj. completely clear and fine; not agitated; without losing self-possession |
| sermon | noun: a moralistic rebuke; an address of a religious nature (usually delivered during a church service) |
| serpent | noun: an obsolete bass cornet; resembles a snake; a firework that moves in serpentine manner when ignited; limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous |
| servile | adj. submissive or fawning in attitude or behaviour; relating to or involving slaves |
| seventh | adj. coming next after the sixth and just before the eighth in position; noun: the musical interval between one note and another seven notes away from it; position seven in a countable series of things; one part in seven equal parts |
| sever | verb: set or keep apart; cut off from a whole |
| severity | noun: excessive sternness; extreme plainness; something hard to endure; used of the degree of something undesirable e.g. pain or weather |
| shaken | adj. disturbed psychologically as if by a physical jolt or shock |
| sharper | noun: a professional card player who makes a living by cheating at card games |
| shaven | adj. having the beard or hair cut off close to the skin |
| shepherd | noun: a clergyman who watches over a group of people; a herder of sheep (on an open range); someone who keeps the sheep together in a flock; verb: tend as a shepherd, as of sheep or goats; watch over like a shepherd, as a teacher of her pupils |
| shew | verb: establish the validity of something, as by an example, explanation or experiment |
| shield | noun: armour carried on the arm to intercept blows; a protective covering or structure; hard outer covering or case of certain organisms such as arthropods and turtles; verb: protect, hide, or conceal from danger or harm; hold back a thought or feeling about |
| shook | noun: a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment |
| shrewd | adj. marked by practical hard-headed intelligence; used of persons |
| shriek | noun: sharp piercing cry; a high-pitched noise resembling a human cry; verb: utter a shrill cry |
| shrill | adj. of colours that are bright and gaudy; being sharply insistent on being heard; having or emitting a high-pitched and sharp tone or tones; verb: utter a shrill cry |
| shrine | noun: a place of worship hallowed by association with some sacred thing or person; verb: enclose in a shrine |
| shrink | noun: a physician who specializes in psychiatry; verb: decrease in size, range, or extent; become smaller or draw together; reduce in size; reduce physically; wither, as with a loss of moisture; draw back, as with fear or pain |
| shroud | noun: a line that suspends the harness from the canopy of a parachute; burial garment in which a corpse is wrapped; (nautical) a line (rope or chain) that regulates the angle at which a sail is set in relation to the wind; verb: wrap in a shroud; cover as if with a shroud; form a cover like a shroud |
| shrunk | adj. reduced in size by being drawn together |
| shudder | noun: an involuntary vibration (as if from illness or fear); an almost pleasurable sensation of fright; verb: tremble convulsively, as from fear or excitement; shake, as from cold |
| shun | verb: avoid and stay away from deliberately; stay clear of; expel from a community or group |
| sierra | noun: a Spanish mackerel of western North America; a range of mountains (usually with jagged peaks and irregular outline) |
| siesta | noun: a nap in the early afternoon (especially in hot countries) |
| signify | verb: convey or express a meaning; make known with a word or signal; denote or connote |
| signor | noun: used as an Italian courtesy title; can be prefixed to the name or used separately |
| signora | noun: an Italian title or form of address for a married woman; an Italian title of address equivalent to Mrs. when used before a name |
| Silesia | noun: a sturdy twill-weave cotton fabric; used for pockets and linings; a region of central Europe rich in deposits of coal and iron ore; annexed by Prussia in 1742 but now largely in Poland |
| silken | adj. having a smooth, gleaming surface |
| Simon | noun: United States economist and psychologist who pioneered in the development of cognitive science (1916-2001); United States playwright noted for light comedies (born in 1927); United States singer and songwriter (born in 1942); one of the twelve Apostles (first century) |
| simplicity | noun: the quality of being simple or uncompounded; absence of affectation or pretence; a lack of penetration or subtlety; lack of ornamentation; freedom from difficulty or hardship or effort |
| sincerity | noun: a quality of naturalness and simplicity; the quality of being open and truthful; not deceitful or hypocritical; the trait of being serious; an earnest and sincere feeling |
| sinful | adj. having committed unrighteous acts; far more than usual or expected; characterized by iniquity; wicked because it is believed to be a sin |
| singular | adj. being a single and separate person or thing; grammatical number category referring to a single item or unit; composed of one member, set, or kind; the single one of its kind; beyond or deviating from the usual or expected; unusual or striking; noun: the form of a word that is used to denote a singleton |
| singularity | noun: the quality of being one of a kind; strangeness by virtue of being remarkable or unusual |
| sinner | noun: a person who sins (without repenting) |
| sire | noun: male parent of an animal especially a domestic animal such as a horse; a title of address formerly used for a man of rank and authority; the founder of a family; verb: make children |
| sisterhood | noun: a religious society of women who live together as sisters (especially an order of nuns); an association or society of women who are linked together by a common religion or trade or interest; the kinship relation between a female offspring and the siblings |
| sketch | noun: preliminary drawing for later elaboration; short descriptive summary (of events); a brief literary description; a humorous or satirical drawing published in a newspaper or magazine; verb: describe roughly or briefly or give the main points or summary of; make a sketch of |
| slacken | verb: make slack as by lessening tension or firmness; become looser or slack; become slow or slower; make less active or fast |
| slain | adj. killed; 'slain' is formal or literary as in "slain warriors"; noun: people who have been slain (as in battle) |
| slaughter | noun: the killing of animals (as for food); the savage and excessive killing of many people; a sound defeat; verb: kill a large number of people indiscriminately; kill (animals) usually for food consumption |
| sleepy | adj. ready to fall asleep |
| slew | noun: (often followed by 'of') a large number or amount or extent; verb: move obliquely or sideways, usually in an uncontrolled manner; turn sharply; change direction abruptly |
| slime | noun: any thick messy substance; verb: cover or stain with slime |
| slimy | adj. morally reprehensible; covered with or resembling slime |
| sluggish | adj. with little movement; very slow; slow and apathetic; (of business) not active or brisk |
| slumber | noun: a dormant or quiescent state; a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended; verb: be asleep |
| smaller | adj. small or little relative to something else |
| smile | noun: a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement; verb: change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure; express with a smile |
| snappish | adj. tending to speak irritably |
| snare | noun: a trap for birds or small mammals; often has a slip noose; strings stretched across the lower head of a snare drum; they make a rattling sound when the drum is hit; a surgical instrument consisting of wire hoop that can be drawn tight around the base of polyps or small tumours to sever them; used especially in body cavities; a small drum with two heads and a snare stretched across the lower head; something (often something deceptively attractive) that catches you unawares; verb: entice and trap; catch in or as if in a trap |
| snatch | noun: a weightlift in which the barbell is lifted overhead in one rapid motion; a small fragment; the act of catching an object with the hands; (law) the unlawful act of capturing and carrying away a person against their will and holding them in false imprisonment; obscene terms for female genitals; verb: to make grasping motions; to grasp hastily or eagerly; take away to an undisclosed location against their will and usually in order to extract a ransom |
| snowy | adj. of the white colour of snow; covered with snow; marked by the presence of snow |
| snug | adj. well and tightly constructed; offering safety; well protected or concealed; enjoying or affording comforting warmth and shelter especially in a small space; fitting closely but comfortably; noun: a small secluded room |
| soar | noun: the act of rising upward into the air; verb: go or move upward; fly upwards or high in the sky; rise rapidly; fly a plane without an engine; fly by means of a hang glider |
| socket | noun: a receptacle into which an electric device can be inserted; receptacle where something (a pipe or probe or end of a bone) is inserted; a bony hollow into which a structure fits |
| sofa | noun: an upholstered seat for more than one person |
| soften | verb: become soft or softer; make soft or softer; make (images or sounds) soft or softer; lessen in force or effect; make less severe or harsh; protect from impact; give in, as to influence or pressure |
| sold | adj. disposed of to a purchaser |
| solemn | adj. characterized by a firm and humourless belief in the validity of your opinions; dignified and sombre in manner or character and committed to keeping promises |
| solemnity | noun: a trait of dignified seriousness; a solemn and dignified feeling |
| solicit | verb: make a solicitation or petition for something desired; incite, move, or persuade to some act of lawlessness or insubordination; make a solicitation or entreaty for something; request urgently or persistently; approach with an offer of sexual favours; make amorous advances towards |
| solicitation | noun: the act of enticing a person to do something wrong (as an offer of sex in return for money); request for a sum of money; an entreaty addressed to someone of superior status |
| solicitous | adj. showing hovering attentiveness; full of anxiety and concern |
| solicitude | noun: a feeling of excessive concern |
| solidity | noun: the quality of being solid and reliable financially or factually or morally; the consistency of a solid; state of having the interior filled with matter |
| solitary | adj. remote or secluded; being the only one; single and isolated from others; characterized by or preferring solitude; lacking companions or companionship; of plants and animals; not growing or living in groups or colonies; noun: one who lives in solitude; confinement of a prisoner in isolation from other prisoners |
| solitude | noun: a solitary place; a state of social isolation; a disposition toward being alone |
| songstress | noun: a woman songster (especially of popular songs) |
| sooner | adv. comparatives of 'soon' or 'early'; more readily or willingly; noun: a native or resident of Oklahoma |
| sophistical | adj. plausible but misleading |
| soporific | adj. sleep inducing; inducing mental lethargy; noun: a drug that induces sleep |
| sorcerer | noun: one who practices magic or sorcery |
| sorcery | noun: the belief in magical spells that harness occult forces or evil spirits to produce unnatural effects in the world |
| sorrow | noun: an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement; sadness associated with some wrong done or some disappointment; something that causes great unhappiness; the state of being sad; verb: feel grief; eat one's heart out |
| sorrowful | adj. experiencing or marked by or expressing sorrow especially that associated with irreparable loss |
| sought | adj. being searched for; that is looked for |
| soul | noun: the human embodiment of something; a secular form of gospel that was a major Black musical genre in the 1960s and 1970s; deep feeling or emotion; the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life; a human being |
| sounder | noun: a device for making soundings |
| sovereign | adj. greatest in status or authority or power; (of political bodies) not controlled by outside forces; noun: a nation's ruler or head of state usually by hereditary right |
| spacious | adj. (of buildings and rooms) having ample space; very large in expanse or scope |
| Spaniard | noun: a native or inhabitant of Spain |
| spark | noun: a small fragment of a burning substance thrown out by burning material or by friction; Scottish writer of satirical novels (born in 1918); a small but noticeable trace of some quality that might become stronger; merriment expressed by a brightness or gleam or animation of countenance; a momentary flash of light; electrical conduction through a gas in an applied electric field; verb: emit or produce sparks; put in motion or move to act |
| specimen | noun: a bit of tissue or blood or urine that is taken for diagnostic purposes; an example regarded as typical of its class |
| spectacle | noun: a blunder that makes you look ridiculous; used in the phrase 'make a spectacle of' yourself; an elaborate and remarkable display on a lavish scale; something or someone seen (especially a notable or unusual sight) |
| spectator | noun: a close observer; someone who looks at something (such as an exhibition of some kind); a woman's pump with medium heel; usually in contrasting colours for toe and heel |
| spectre | noun: a mental representation of some haunting experience; a ghostly appearing figure |
| speculation | noun: a hypothesis that has been formed by speculating or conjecturing (usually with little hard evidence); an investment that is very risky but could yield great profits; continuous and profound contemplation or musing on a subject or series of subjects of a deep or abstruse nature; a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence |
| speedy | adj. accomplished rapidly and without delay; characterized by speed; moving with or capable of moving with high speed |
| spent | adj. having all been spent; drained of energy or effectiveness; extremely tired; completely exhausted |
| sphere | noun: any spherically shaped artefact; the geographical area in which one nation is very influential; a three-dimensional closed surface such that every point on the surface is equidistant from the centre; a solid figure bounded by a spherical surface (including the space it encloses); a particular environment or walk of life; a particular aspect of life or activity; the apparent surface of the imaginary sphere on which celestial bodies appear to be projected |
| spit | noun: the act of spitting (forcefully expelling saliva); a skewer for holding meat over a fire; a narrow strip of land that juts out into the sea; a clear liquid secreted into the mouth by the salivary glands and mucous glands of the mouth; moistens the mouth and starts the digestion of starches; verb: expel or eject (saliva or phlegm or sputum) from the mouth; utter with anger or contempt; drive a skewer through; rain gently |
| spleen | noun: a large dark-red oval organ on the left side of the body between the stomach and the diaphragm; produces cells involved in immune responses; a feeling of resentful anger |
| splendid | adj. having great beauty and splendour; characterized by grandeur |
| sportsman | noun: someone who engages in sports |
| spouse | noun: a person's partner in marriage |
| sprinkle | noun: the act of sprinkling or splashing water; a light shower that falls in some locations and not others nearby; verb: scatter with liquid; wet lightly; cause (a liquid) to spatter about, especially with force; rain gently; distribute loosely |
| squint | adj. (used especially of glances) directed to one side with or as if with doubt or suspicion or envy; noun: the act of squinting; looking with the eyes partly closed; abnormal alignment of one or both eyes; verb: cross one's eyes as if in strabismus; partly close one's eyes, as when hit by direct blinding light; be cross-eyed; have a squint or strabismus |
| stab | noun: a strong blow with a knife or other sharp pointed instrument; informal words for any attempt or effort; a sudden sharp feeling; verb: stab or pierce; poke or thrust abruptly; use a knife on |
| staid | adj. characterized by dignity and propriety |
| stain | noun: a soiled or discoloured appearance; (microscopy) a dye or other colouring material that is used in microscopy to make structures visible; an act that brings discredit to the person who does it; a symbol of disgrace or infamy; the state of being covered with unclean things; verb: colour for microscopic study; colour with a liquid dye or tint; produce or leave stains; make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically |
| staircase | noun: a way of access (upward and downward) consisting of a set of steps |
| stander | noun: an organism (person or animal) that stands |
| staple | adj. necessary foods or commodities; noun: paper fastener consisting of a short length of U-shaped wire that can fasten papers together; a short U-shaped wire nail for securing cables; a natural fibre (raw cotton, wool, hemp, flax) that can be twisted to form yarn; (usually plural) a necessary commodity for which demand is constant; material suitable for manufacture or use or finishing; verb: secure or fasten with a staple or staples |
| startle | noun: a sudden involuntary movement; verb: to stimulate to action; move or jump suddenly, as if in surprise or alarm |
| stature | noun: (of a standing person) the distance from head to foot; high level of respect gained by impressive development or achievement |
| stave | noun: one of several thin slats of wood forming the sides of a barrel or bucket; a crosspiece between the legs of a chair; (music) the system of five horizontal lines on which the musical notes are written; verb: burst or force (a hole) into something; furnish with staves |
| steeple | noun: a tall tower that forms the superstructure of a building (usually a church or temple) and that tapers to a point at the top |
| stepmother | noun: the wife of your father by a subsequent marriage |
| stern | adj. severe and unremitting in making demands; of a stern or strict bearing or demeanour; forbidding in aspect; not to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty; severely simple; noun: the rear part of a ship; United States concert violinist (born in Russia in 1920); the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on |
| steward | noun: someone who manages property or other affairs for someone else; an attendant on an airplane; the ship's officer who is in charge of provisions and dining arrangements; one having charge of buildings or grounds or animals; a union member who is elected to represent fellow workers in negotiating with management |
| stiffen | verb: make stiff or stiffer; become stiff or stiffer; restrict |
| stifle | noun: joint between the femur and tibia in a quadruped; corresponds to the human knee; verb: smother or suppress; be asphyxiated; die from lack of oxygen; impair the respiration of or obstruct the air passage of; conceal or hide |
| stillborn | adj. (of newborn infant) showing no signs of life at birth; not liveborn; failing to accomplish an intended result |
| stimulate | verb: cause to be alert and energetic; act as a stimulant; stir the feelings, emotions, or peace of; stir feelings in; cause to do; cause to act in a specified manner; provide the needed stimulus for; cause to occur rapidly |
| stipend | noun: a sum of money allotted on a regular basis; usually for some specific purpose |
| stipulate | verb: make an oral contract or agreement in the verbal form of question and answer that is necessary to give it legal force; specify as a condition or requirement in a contract or agreement; make an express demand or provision in an agreement; give a guarantee or promise of |
| stole | noun: a wide scarf worn about their shoulders by women |
| stolen | adj. taken dishonestly |
| stormy | adj. (especially of weather) affected or characterized by storms or commotion; characterized by violent emotions or behaviour |
| stout | adj. euphemisms for 'fat'; dependable; having rugged physical strength; inured to fatigue or hardships; noun: a garment size for a large or heavy person; a strong very dark heavy-bodied ale made from pale malt and roasted unmalted barley and (often) caramel malt with hops |
| strangle | verb: die from strangulation; kill by squeezing the throat of so as to cut off the air; struggle for breath; have insufficient oxygen intake; constrict (someone's) throat and keep from breathing; prevent the progress or free movement of; conceal or hide |
| stratagem | noun: a maneuverer in a game or conversation; an elaborate or deceitful scheme contrived to deceive or evade |
| stray | adj. not close together in time; noun: homeless cat; verb: wander from a direct course or at random; lose clarity or turn aside especially from the main subject of attention or course of argument in writing, thinking, or speaking; move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment |
| streamlet | noun: a small stream |
| strive | verb: to exert much effort or energy; attempt by employing effort |
| struck | adj. (used in combination) affected by something overwhelming |
| stung | adj. aroused to impatience or anger |
| stupidity | noun: a stupid mistake; a poor ability to understand or to profit from experience |
| stupor | noun: marginal consciousness; the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally |
| sublime | adj. lifted up or set high; inspiring awe; of high moral or intellectual value; elevated in nature or style; worthy of adoration or reverence; verb: vaporize and then condense right back again; change or cause to change directly from a solid into a vapor without first melting |
| sublunary | adj. of this earth; situated between the earth and the moon |
| submission | noun: the act of submitting; usually surrendering power to another; (law) a contention presented by a lawyer to a judge or jury as part of the case he is arguing; an agreement between parties in a dispute to abide by the decision of an arbiter; a legal document summarizing an agreement between parties in a dispute to abide by the decision of an arbiter; something (manuscripts or architectural plans and models or estimates or works of art of all genres etc.) submitted for the judgment of others (as in a competition); the condition of having submitted to control by someone or something else; the feeling of patient submissive humbleness |
| submissive | adj. inclined or willing to submit to orders or wishes of others or showing such inclination; abjectly submissive; characteristic of a slave or servant |
| subordinate | adj. lower in rank or importance; subject or submissive to authority or the control of another; (of a clause) unable to stand alone syntactically as a complete sentence; inferior in rank or status; noun: an assistant subject to the authority or control of another; a word that is more specific than a given word; verb: make subordinate, dependent, or subservient; rank or order as less important or consider of less value |
| subscribe | verb: adopt as a belief; receive or obtain by regular payment; offer to buy, as of stocks and shares; mark with one's signature; write one's name (on); pay (an amount of money) as a contribution to a charity or service, especially at regular intervals |
| subside | verb: wear off or die down; sink down or precipitate; sink to a lower level or form a depression; descend into or as if into some soft substance or place |
| subterfuge | noun: something intended to misrepresent the true nature of an activity |
| subterraneous | adj. lying beyond what is openly revealed or avowed (especially being kept in the background or deliberately concealed); being or operating under the surface of the earth |
| subtle | adj. faint and difficult to analyse; able to make fine distinctions; working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way; be difficult to detect or grasp by the mind |
| sufferer | noun: one who suffers for the sake of principle; a person suffering from an illness |
| suffice | verb: be sufficient; be adequate, either in quality or quantity |
| suite | noun: apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel); a musical composition of several movements only loosely connected; a matching set of furniture; the group following and attending to some important person |
| suitor | noun: a man who courts a woman |
| sullen | adj. darkened by clouds; showing a brooding ill humour |
| sulphurous | adj. characterized by oppressive heat and humidity; harsh or corrosive in tone; of or related to or containing sulphur or derived from sulphur |
| sultry | adj. characterized by oppressive heat and humidity; sexually exciting or gratifying |
| summon | verb: call in an official matter, such as to attend court; ask to come; make ready for action or use; gather or bring together |
| sunburnt | adj. suffering from overexposure to direct sunlight |
| sung | noun: the imperial dynasty of China from 960 to 1279; noted for art and literature and philosophy |
| sunk | adj. doomed to extinction |
| superintendence | noun: management by overseeing the performance or operation of a person or group |
| superintendent | noun: a caretaker for an apartment house; represents the owner as janitor and rent collector; a person who directs and manages an organization |
| superiority | noun: the quality of being superior; displaying a sense of being better than others; the quality of being a competitive advantage; the state of excelling or surpassing or going beyond usual limits |
| supernatural | adj. not existing in nature or subject to explanation according to natural laws; not physical or material; noun: supernatural forces and events and beings collectively |
| supernumerary | adj. more than is needed, desired, or required; noun: a minor actor in crowd scenes; a person serving no apparent function |
| superstition | noun: an irrational belief arising from ignorance or fear |
| superstitious | adj. showing ignorance or the laws of nature and faith in magic or chance |
| suppliant | adj. humbly entreating; noun: one praying humbly for something |
| supplicate | verb: ask humbly (for something); ask for humbly or earnestly, as in prayer; make a humble, earnest petition |
| supplication | noun: a humble request for help from someone in authority; the act of communicating with a deity (especially as a petition or in adoration or contrition or thanksgiving); a prayer asking God's help as part of a religious service |
| supportable | adj. capable of being borne though unpleasant |
| supposition | noun: the cognitive process of supposing; a hypothesis that is taken for granted; a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence |
| supposititious | adj. based primarily on surmise rather than adequate evidence |
| surgeon | noun: a physician who specializes in surgery |
| susceptible | adj. (often followed by 'of' or 'to') yielding readily to or capable of; easily impressed emotionally |
| suspense | noun: an uncertain cognitive state; excited anticipation of an approaching climax; apprehension about what is going to happen |
| suspiration | noun: an utterance made by exhaling audibly |
| sustenance | noun: the act of sustaining life by food or providing a means of subsistence; a source of materials to nourish the body; the financial means whereby one lives |
| swain | noun: a man who is the lover of a girl or young woman |
| swarthy | adj. naturally having skin of a dark colour |
| sway | noun: controlling influence; pitching dangerously to one side; verb: move back and forth or sideways; cause to move back and forth; move or walk in a swinging or swaying manner; win approval or support for |
| swept | adj. possessing sweep |
| swift | adj. moving very fast; noun: a small bird that resembles a swallow and is noted for its rapid flight; an English satirist born in Ireland (1667-1745); United States meat-packer who began the use of refrigerated railroad cars (1839-1903); common western lizard; seen on logs or rocks |
| swoon | noun: a spontaneous loss of consciousness caused by insufficient blood to the brain; verb: pass out from weakness, physical or emotional distress due to a loss of blood supply to the brain |
| sword | noun: a cutting or thrusting weapon that has a long metal blade and a hilt with a hand guard |
| sworn | adj. bound by or stated on oath; bound by or as if by an oath |
| symmetry | noun: (mathematics) an attribute of a shape or relation; exact reflection of form on opposite sides of a dividing line or plane; balance among the parts of something; (physics) the property of being isotropic; having the same value when measured in different directions |
| symphony | noun: a long and complex sonata for symphony orchestra; a large orchestra; can perform symphonies |
| taken | adj. be affected with an indisposition; having possession gained especially by force or effort; understood in a certain way; made sense of |
| talisman | noun: a trinket or piece of jewellery thought to be a protection against evil |
| talkative | adj. friendly and open and willing to talk; unwisely talking too much; full of trivial conversation |
| tame | adj. flat and uninspiring; brought from wildness into a domesticated state; very restrained or quiet; very docile; verb: correct by punishment or discipline; make fit for cultivation, domestic life, and service to humans; overcome the wildness of; make docile and tractable; adapt (a wild plant or unclaimed land) to the environment; make less strong or intense; soften |
| taper | noun: the property possessed by a shape that narrows toward a point (as a wedge or cone); a convex shape that narrows toward a point; stick of wax with a wick in the middle; a loosely woven cord (in a candle or oil lamp) that draws fuel by capillary action up into the flame; verb: diminish gradually; give a point to |
| tapestry | noun: a wall hanging of heavy handwoven fabric with pictorial designs; a heavy textile with a woven design; used for curtains and upholstery; something that resembles a tapestry in its complex pictorial designs |
| Tarquin | noun: according to legend, the seventh and last Etruscan king of Rome who was expelled for his cruelty (reigned from 534 to 510 BC) |
| tart | adj. harsh; tasting sour like a lemon; noun: a pastry cup with a filling of fruit or custard and no top crust; a small open pie with a fruit filling; a woman who engages in sexual intercourse for money |
| Tasso | noun: Italian poet who wrote an epic poem about the capture of Jerusalem during the First Crusade (1544-1595) |
| tearful | adj. filled with or marked by tears; showing sorrow |
| tedious | adj. using or containing too many words; so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness |
| temper | noun: a disposition to exhibit uncontrolled anger; the elasticity and hardness of a metal object; its ability to absorb considerable energy before cracking; a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling; a sudden outburst of anger; verb: make more temperate, acceptable, or suitable by adding something else; moderate; adjust the pitch (of pianos); harden by reheating and cooling in oil; restrain or temper; toughen (steel or glass) by a process of gradually heating and cooling |
| temperament | noun: an adjustment of the intervals (as in tuning a keyboard instrument) so that the scale can be used to play in different keys; excessive emotionalism or irritability and excitability (especially when displayed openly); your usual mood |
| tempest | noun: (literary) a violent wind; a violent commotion or disturbance |
| temple | noun: place of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deity; an edifice devoted to special or exalted purposes; the flat area on either side of the forehead; (Judaism) the place of worship for a Jewish congregation |
| temporal | adj. of this earth or world; not eternal; concerned with secular rather than sacred matters; of the material world; of or relating to the temples (the sides of the skull behind the orbit); of or relating to or limited by time; noun: the semantic role of the noun: phrase that designating the time of the state or action denoted by the verb: |
| temptation | noun: something that seduces or has the quality to seduce; the desire to have or do something that you know you should avoid; the act of influencing by exciting hope or desire |
| tempter | noun: a person who tempts others |
| tender | adj. (of plants) not hardy; easily killed by adverse growing condition; young and immature; easy to cut or chew; physically untoughened; given to sympathy or gentleness or sentimentality; having or displaying warmth or affection; hurting; (used of boats) inclined to heel over easily under sail; noun: ship that usually provides supplies to other ships; a boat for communication between ship and shore; car attached to a locomotive to carry fuel and water; something used as an official medium of payment; a formal proposal to buy at a specified price; someone who waits on or tends to or attends to the needs of another; verb: make tender or more tender as by marinating, pounding, or applying a tenderizer; make a tender of; in legal settlements; offer or present for acceptance; propose a payment |
| tenor | adj. of or close in range to the highest natural adult male voice; (of a musical instrument) intermediate between alto and baritone or bass; noun: the pitch range of the highest male voice; the general meaning or substance of an utterance; a settled or prevailing or habitual course of a person's life; the adult male singing voice above baritone; an adult male with a tenor voice |
| terminate | verb: bring to an end or halt; terminate the employment of; have an end, in a temporal, spatial, or quantitative sense; either spatial or metaphorical; be the end of; be the last or concluding part of |
| terrific | adj. causing extreme terror; very great or intense; extraordinarily good; used especially as intensifiers |
| terrify | verb: fill with terror; frighten greatly |
| theft | noun: the act of taking something from someone unlawfully |
| thirst | noun: a physiological need to drink; strong desire for something (not food or drink); verb: feel the need to drink; have a craving, appetite, or great desire for |
| thirteen | adj. being one more than twelve; noun: the cardinal number that is the sum of twelve and one |
| thirtieth | adj. coming next after the twenty-ninth in position; noun: position 30 in a countable series of things |
| thither | adv. to or toward that place; away from the speaker |
| thousandth | adj. the ordinal number of one thousand in counting order; noun: position 1,000 in a countable series of things; one part in a thousand equal parts |
| threshold | noun: the smallest detectable sensation; the starting point for a new state or experience; the sill of a door; a horizontal piece of wood or stone that forms the bottom of a doorway and offers support when passing through a doorway; the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can close; a region marking a boundary |
| thrice | adv. three times |
| throb | noun: an instance of rapid strong pulsation (of the heart); a deep pulsating type of pain; verb: pulsate or pound with abnormal force; expand and contract rhythmically; beat rhythmically; tremble convulsively, as from fear or excitement |
| throne | noun: the position and power of an exalted person (a sovereign or bishop) who is entitled to sit in a chair of state on ceremonial occasions; the chair of state of a monarch, bishop, etc.; a plumbing fixture for defecation and urination; verb: sit on the throne as a ruler; put a monarch on the throne |
| throng | noun: a large gathering of people; verb: press tightly together or cram |
| thrown | adj. twisted together; as of filaments spun into a thread; caused to fall to the ground |
| thrust | noun: verbal criticism; the act of applying force to propel something; a sharp hand gesture (resembling a blow); a strong blow with a knife or other sharp pointed instrument; the force used in pushing; verb: push forcefully; press or force; push upward; force (molten rock) into pre-existing rock; impose or thrust urgently, importunately, or inexorably; penetrate or cut through with a sharp instrument; place or put with great energy; make a thrusting forward movement |
| thunder | noun: a booming or crashing noise caused by air expanding along the path of a bolt of lightning; street names for heroin; a deep prolonged loud noise; verb: utter words loudly and forcefully; to make or produce a loud noise; move fast, noisily, and heavily; be the case that thunder is being heard |
| thunderstruck | adj. as if struck dumb with astonishment and surprise |
| ticklish | adj. difficult to handle; requiring great tact |
| tide | noun: the periodic rise and fall of the sea level under the gravitational pull of the moon; something that may increase or decrease (like the tides of the sea); there are usually two high and two low tides each day; verb: be carried with the tide; cause to float with the tide; rise or move forward |
| tiger | noun: large feline of forests in most of Asia having a tawny coat with black stripes; endangered; a fierce or audacious person |
| timid | adj. showing fear and lack of confidence; lacking conviction or boldness or courage; lacking self-confidence; noun: people who are fearful and cautious |
| timidity | noun: fearfulness in venturing into new and unknown places or activities; fear of the unknown or unfamiliar or fear of making decisions |
| timorous | adj. timid by nature or revealing timidity |
| tine | noun: prong on a fork or pitchfork or antler |
| toad | noun: any of various tailless stout-bodied amphibians with long hind limbs for leaping; semiaquatic and terrestrial species |
| token | adj. insignificantly small; a matter of form only ('tokenish' is informal); noun: a metal or plastic disk that can be used (as a substitute for coins) in slot machines; an individual instance of a type of symbol; something of sentimental value |
| tolerable | adj. capable of being borne or endured; about average; acceptable |
| toll | noun: a fee levied for the use of roads or bridges (used for maintenance); value measured by what must be given or done or undergone to obtain something; the sound of a bell being struck; verb: ring slowly; charge a fee for using |
| tomb | noun: a place for the burial of a corpse (especially beneath the ground and marked by a tombstone) |
| torch | noun: a light carried in the hand; consists of some flammable substance; a burner that mixes air and gas to produce a very hot flame; a small portable battery-powered electric lamp; tall-stalked very woolly mullein with densely packed yellow flowers; ancient Greeks and Romans dipped the stalks in tallow for funeral torches; verb: burn maliciously, as by arson |
| tore | noun: commonly the lowest moulding at the base of a column |
| torment | noun: the act of harassing someone; a severe affliction; intense feelings of suffering; acute mental or physical pain; extreme mental distress; a feeling of intense annoyance caused by being tormented; unbearable physical pain; verb: torment emotionally or mentally; treat cruelly; subject to torture |
| tormentor | noun: someone who torments; a flat at each side of the stage to prevent the audience from seeing into the wings |
| torn | adj. disrupted by the pull of contrary forces; having edges that are jagged from injury |
| torpidity | noun: inactivity resulting from lethargy and lack of vigour or energy; a state of motor and mental inactivity with a partial suspension of sensibility |
| torrent | noun: a violently fast stream of water (or other liquid); a heavy rain; an overwhelming number or amount |
| torture | noun: the deliberate, systematic, or wanton infliction of physical or mental suffering by one or more persons in an attempt to force another person to yield information or to make a confession or for any other reason; unbearable physical pain; the act of distorting something so it seems to mean something it was not intended to mean; intense feelings of suffering; acute mental or physical pain; extreme mental distress; verb: subject to torture; torment emotionally or mentally |
| tractable | adj. easily managed (controlled or taught or moulded); readily reacting to suggestions and influences |
| tradesman | noun: a merchant who owns or manages a shop |
| tragical | adj. very sad; especially involving grief or death or destruction |
| traitor | noun: someone who betrays his country by committing treason; a person who says one thing and does another |
| tranquil | adj. (of a body of water) free from disturbance by heavy waves; not agitated; without losing self-possession |
| tranquillity | noun: a state of peace and quiet; an untroubled state; free from disturbances; a disposition free from stress or emotion |
| tranquillize | verb: cause to be calm or quiet as by administering a sedative to; make calm or still |
| transgress | verb: pass beyond (limits or boundaries); act in disregard of laws, rules, contracts, or promises; spread over land, especially along a subsiding shoreline; commit a sin; violate a law of God or a moral law |
| transgression | noun: the action of going beyond or overstepping some boundary or limit; the act of transgressing; the violation of a law or a duty or moral principle; the spreading of the sea over land as evidenced by the deposition of marine strata over terrestrial strata |
| transmit | verb: send from one person or place to another; broadcast over the airwaves, as in radio or television; transmit or serve as the medium for transmission; transfer to another |
| treachery | noun: an act of deliberate betrayal; betrayal of a trust |
| tread | noun: structural member consisting of the horizontal part of a stair or step; the part (as of a wheel or shoe) that makes contact with the ground; the grooved surface of a pneumatic tire; a step in walking or running; verb: brace (an archer's bow) by pressing the foot against the centre; mate with; crush as if by treading on; tread or stomp heavily or roughly; apply (the tread) to a tire; put down or press the foot, place the foot |
| treasure | noun: a collection of precious things; any possession that is highly valued by its owner; accumulated wealth in the form of money or jewels etc.; art highly prized for its beauty or perfection; verb: be fond of; be attached to; hold dear |
| tremble | noun: a reflex motion caused by cold or fear or excitement; verb: move or jerk quickly and involuntarily up and down or sideways |
| trembler | noun: one who quakes and trembles with (or as with) fear |
| tress | noun: a hairdo formed by braiding or twisting the hair |
| tribute | noun: payment by one nation for protection by another; something given or done as an expression of esteem; payment extorted by gangsters on threat of violence |
| trice | noun: a very short time (as the time it takes the eye blink or the heart to beat); verb: hoist up or in and lash or secure with a small rope; raise with a line |
| trifle | noun: sponge cake spread with jam and soaked in wine; served with a custard sauce; something of small importance; a detail that is considered insignificant; verb: consider not very seriously; act frivolously; waste time; spend one's time idly or inefficiently |
| trigger | noun: an act that sets in motion some course of events; a device that activates or releases or causes something to happen; lever that activates the firing mechanism of a gun; verb: release or pull the trigger on; put in motion or move to act |
| Tristan | noun: (Middle Ages) the nephew of the king of Cornwall who (according to legend) fell in love with his uncle's bride (Iseult) after they mistakenly drank a love potion that left them eternally in love with each other |
| triumph | noun: the exultation of victory; a successful ending of a struggle or contest; verb: to express great joy; dwell on with satisfaction; prove superior; be ecstatic with joy |
| trivial | adj. obvious and dull; concerned with trivialities; not large enough to consider or notice; (informal) small and of little importance; of little substance or significance |
| troth | noun: a solemn pledge of fidelity; a mutual promise to marry |
| troublesome | adj. difficult to deal with |
| trumpet | noun: a brass musical instrument with a brilliant tone; has a narrow tube and a flared bell and is played by means of valves; verb: utter in trumpet-like sounds; proclaim on, or as if on, a trumpet; play or blow on the trumpet |
| trusty | adj. worthy of trust or belief; noun: a convict who is considered trustworthy and granted special privileges |
| tumble | noun: an acrobatic feat of rolling or turning end over end; a sudden drop from an upright position; verb: do gymnastics, roll and turn skilfully; suffer a sudden downfall, overthrow, or defeat; put clothes in a tumbling barrel, where they are whirled about in hot air, usually with the purpose of drying; fall suddenly and sharply; throw together in a confused mass; roll over and over, back and forth; fall down, as if collapsing; understand, usually after some initial difficulty; fall apart; fly around; cause to topple or tumble by pushing |
| tumult | noun: violent agitation; a state of commotion and noise and confusion; the act of making a noisy disturbance |
| tumultuous | adj. characterized by unrest or disorder or insubordination |
| tuneful | adj. having a musical sound; especially a pleasing tune |
| turban | noun: a traditional Muslim headdress consisting of a long scarf wrapped around the head; a small round woman's hat |
| turf | noun: range of jurisdiction or influence; the territory claimed by a juvenile gang as its own; surface layer of ground containing a mat of grass and grass roots; verb: cover (the ground) with a surface layer of grass or grass roots |
| turret | noun: a small tower extending above a building; a self-contained weapons platform housing guns and capable of rotation |
| twain | noun: two items of the same kind |
| twelve | adj. denoting a quantity consisting of 12 items or units; noun: the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one |
| twilight | adj. lighted by or as if by twilight; noun: the diffused light from the sky when the sun is below the horizon but its rays are refracted by the atmosphere of the earth; a condition of decline following successes; the time of day immediately following sunset |
| twine | noun: a lightweight cord; verb: make by twisting together or intertwining; coil around; form into a spiral shape; spin or twist together so as to form a cord; wrap or coil around |
| tyrannic | adj. of or relating to or associated with or resembling a dictatorship |
| tyrannical | adj. characteristic of an absolute ruler or absolute rule; having absolute sovereignty; marked by unjust severity or arbitrary behaviour; of or relating to or associated with or resembling a dictatorship |
| tyrant | noun: a cruel and oppressive dictator; any person who exercises power in a cruel way; in ancient Greece, a ruler who had seized power without legal right to it |
| urgency | noun: pressing importance requiring speedy action; an urgent situation calling for prompt action; the state of being urgent; an earnest and insistent necessity; insistent solicitation and entreaty |
| utensil | noun: an implement for practical use (especially in a household) |
| utmost | adj. (comparatives of 'far') most remote in space or time or order; highest in extent or degree; of the greatest possible degree or extent or intensity; noun: the greatest possible degree |
| utter | adj. total; without qualification; used informally as (often pejorative) intensifiers; verb: express audibly; utter sounds (not necessarily words); put into circulation; articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise; express in speech |
| utterance | noun: the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication |
| vacancy | noun: being unoccupied; an empty area or space |
| vacant | adj. without an occupant or incumbent; void of thought or knowledge |
| vagabond | adj. continually changing especially as from one abode or occupation to another; wandering aimlessly without ties to a place or community; noun: anything that resembles a vagabond in having no fixed place; a wanderer who has no established residence or visible means of support; verb: move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment |
| vain | adj. unproductive of success; characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance |
| valiant | adj. having or showing valour |
| vanity | noun: the quality of being valueless or futile; low table with mirror or mirrors where one sits while dressing or applying makeup; the trait of being unduly vain and conceited; feelings of excessive pride |
| vanquish | verb: come out better in a competition, race, or conflict |
| vase | noun: an open jar of glass or porcelain used as an ornament or to hold flowers |
| vault | noun: the act of jumping over an obstacle; an arched brick or stone ceiling or roof; a burial chamber (usually underground); a strong room or compartment (often made of steel) for safekeeping of valuables; verb: bound vigorously; jump across or leap over (an obstacle) |
| Vega | noun: the brightest star in the constellation Lyra; prolific Spanish playwright (1562-1635) |
| vehemence | noun: intensity or forcefulness of expression; the property of being wild or turbulent |
| veil | noun: a garment that covers the head and face; a vestment worn by a priest at High Mass in the Roman Catholic Church; a silk shawl; the inner membrane of embryos in higher vertebrates (especially when covering the head at birth); verb: to obscure, or conceal with or as if with a veil; make undecipherable or imperceptible by obscuring or concealing |
| vein | noun: one of the horny ribs that stiffen and support the wing of an insect; a blood vessel that carries blood from the capillaries toward the heart; a distinctive style or manner; a layer of ore between layers of rock; any of the vascular bundles or ribs that form the branching framework of conducting and supporting tissues in a leaf or other plant organ; verb: make a vein like pattern |
| velvet | adj. resembling velvet in having a smooth soft surface; smooth and soft to sight or hearing or touch or taste; noun: a silky densely piled fabric with a plain back |
| veneration | noun: religious zeal; the willingness to serve God; a profound emotion inspired by a deity |
| venetian | adj. of or relating to or characteristic of Venice or its people; noun: a resident of Venice |
| vengeance | noun: the act of taking revenge (harming someone in retaliation for something harmful that they have done) especially in the next life |
| venial | adj. easily excused or forgiven; warranting only temporal punishment |
| venom | noun: toxin secreted by animals; secreted by certain snakes and poisonous insects (e.g., spiders and scorpions); feeling a need to see others suffer |
| vent | noun: external opening of urinary or genital system of a lower vertebrate; a hole for the escape of gas or air; a slit in a garment (as in the back seam of a jacket); a fissure in the earth's crust (or in the surface of some other planet) through which molten lava and gases erupt; activity that frees or expresses creative energy or emotion; verb: expose to cool or cold air so as to cool or freshen; give expression or utterance to |
| veracity | noun: unwillingness to tell lies |
| verge | noun: a grass border along a road; the limit beyond which something happens or changes; a ceremonial or emblematic staff; a region marking a boundary; verb: border on; come close to |
| verify | verb: confirm the truth of; attach or append a legal verification to (a pleading or petition); to declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true; verify or regulate by conducting a parallel experiment or comparing with another standard, of scientific experiments |
| vermin | noun: any of various small animals or insects that are pests; e.g. cockroaches or rats; an irritating or obnoxious person |
| Verona | noun: a city in Veneto on the River Adige |
| verse | noun: a piece of poetry; a line of metrical text; literature in metrical form; verb: familiarize through thorough study or experience; compose verses or put into verse |
| versification | noun: the art or practice of writing verse; the form or metrical composition of a poem; a metrical adaptation of something (e.g., of a prose text) |
| vespers | noun: the sixth of the seven canonical hours of the divine office; early evening; now often made a public service on Sundays |
| vestry | noun: a room in a church where sacred vessels and vestments are kept or meetings are held; in the Protestant Episcopal Church: a committee elected by the congregation to work with the churchwardens in managing the temporal affairs of the church |
| vexation | noun: the act of troubling or annoying someone; something or someone that causes anxiety; a source of unhappiness; anger produced by some annoying irritation; the psychological state of being irritated or annoyed |
| vice | noun: a specific form of evildoing; moral weakness |
| vicious | adj. marked by deep ill will; deliberately harmful; (of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering; bringing or deserving severe rebuke or censure; having the nature of vice |
| victorious | adj. having won; experiencing triumph |
| vigilance | noun: vigilant attentiveness; the process of paying close and continuous attention |
| vigilant | adj. carefully observant or attentive; on the lookout for possible danger |
| vigorous | adj. characterized by forceful and energetic action or activity; strong and active physically or mentally |
| villa | noun: pretentious and luxurious country residence with extensive grounds; country house in ancient Rome consisting of residential quarters and farm buildings around a courtyard; detached or semidetached suburban house; Mexican revolutionary leader (1877-1923) |
| villain | noun: a wicked or evil person; someone who does evil deliberately; the principle bad character in a film or work of fiction |
| villainous | adj. extremely wicked |
| villainy | noun: a treacherous or vicious act; the quality of evil by virtue of villainous behaviour |
| vindicate | verb: clear of accusation, blame, suspicion, or doubt with supporting proof; maintain, uphold, or defend; show to be right by providing justification or proof |
| vindication | noun: the act of vindicating or defending against criticism or censure etc.; the justification for some act or belief |
| vindictive | adj. showing malicious ill will and a desire to hurt; motivated by spite; disposed to seek revenge or intended for revenge |
| vine | noun: a plant with a weak stem that derives support from climbing, twining, or creeping along a surface |
| viper | noun: venomous Old World snakes characterized by hollow venom-conducting fangs in the upper jaw |
| virgin | adj. being used or worked for the first time; in a state of sexual virginity; noun: a person who has never had sex; the sixth sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about August 23 to September 22; (astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Virgo |
| Virginia | noun: a town in north-eastern Minnesota in the heart of the Mesabi Range; a state in the eastern United States; one of the original 13 colonies; one of the Confederate States in the American Civil War; one of the British colonies that formed the United States |
| virtuous | adj. morally excellent; in a state of sexual virginity |
| visionary | adj. not practical or realizable; speculative; noun: a person with unusual powers of foresight; a person given to fanciful speculations and enthusiasms with little regard for what is actually possible |
| vivacity | noun: characterized by high spirits and animation |
| vizor | noun: a brim that projects to the front to shade the eyes; a piece of armour plate (with eye slits) fixed or hinged to a medieval helmet to protect the face |
| vociferous | adj. conspicuously and offensively loud; given to vehement outcry |
| void | adj. containing nothing; lacking any legal or binding force; noun: an empty area or space; the state of nonexistence; verb: clear (a room, house, place) of occupants or empty or clear (a place or receptacle) of something; excrete or discharge from the body; take away the legal force of or render ineffective; declare invalid |
| volley | noun: a tennis return made by hitting the ball before it bounces; rapid simultaneous discharge of firearms; verb: utter rapidly; make a volley; discharge in, or as if in, a volley; hit before it touches the ground; be dispersed in a volley |
| voluptuous | adj. displaying luxury and furnishing gratification to the senses; having strong sexual appeal; (of a woman's body) having a large bosom and pleasing curves |
| voyage | noun: a journey to some distant place; an act of traveling by water; verb: travel by boat propelled by wind or by other means |
| vulgar | adj. conspicuously and tastelessly indecent; being or characteristic of or appropriate to everyday language; of or associated with the great masses of people; lacking refinement or cultivation or taste |
| waggon | noun: a car that has a long body and rear door with space behind rear seat; any of various kinds of wheeled vehicles drawn by a horse or tractor |
| wail | noun: a cry of sorrow and grief; verb: cry weakly or softly; emit long loud cries |
| wakeful | adj. carefully observant or attentive; on the lookout for possible danger; marked by full consciousness or alertness; (of sleep) easily disturbed |
| wand | noun: a rod used by a magician or water diviner; a thin supple twig or rod; a thin tapered rod used by a conductor to lead an orchestra or choir; a ceremonial or emblematic staff |
| wanderer | noun: someone who leads a wandering unsettled life; a computer program that prowls the internet looking for publicly accessible resources that can be added to a database; the database can then be searched with a search engine |
| wanton | adj. casual and unrestrained in sexual behaviour; occurring without motivation or provocation; noun: lewd or lascivious woman; verb: behave extremely cruelly and brutally; engage in amorous play; spend wastefully; indulge in a carefree or voluptuous way of life; become extravagant; indulge (oneself) luxuriously; waste time; spend one's time idly or inefficiently |
| warfare | noun: the waging of armed conflict against an enemy; an active struggle between competing entities |
| warmer | noun: device that heats water or supplies warmth to a room |
| warrant | noun: a writ from a court commanding police to perform specified acts; a type of security issued by a corporation (usually together with a bond or preferred stock) that gives the holder the right to purchase a certain amount of common stock at a stated price; a written assurance that some product or service will be provided or will meet certain specifications; formal and explicit approval; verb: stand behind and guarantee the quality, accuracy, or condition of; show to be reasonable or provide adequate ground for |
| warrior | noun: someone engaged in or experienced in warfare |
| wary | adj. marked by keen caution and watchful prudence; openly distrustful and unwilling to confide |
| watch | noun: a purposeful surveillance to guard or observe; a small portable timepiece; a period of time (4 or 2 hours) during which some of a ship's crew are on duty; the period during which someone (especially a guard) is on duty; the rite of staying awake for devotional purposes (especially on the eve of a religious festival); a person employed to watch for something to happen; verb: observe with attention; observe or determine by looking; look attentively; see or watch; be vigilant, be on the lookout, be on one's guard, be careful; follow with the eyes or the mind; find out, learn, or determine with certainty, usually by making an inquiry or other effort |
| watchful | adj. carefully observant or attentive; on the lookout for possible danger; experiencing or accompanied by sleeplessness |
| waterfall | noun: a steep descent of the water of a river |
| waxen | adj. having the paleness of wax; made of or covered with wax |
| waylay | verb: wait in hiding to attack |
| wearisome | adj. so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness |
| weary | adj. physically and mentally fatigued; verb: exhaust or get tired through overuse or great strain or stress; get tired of something or somebody |
| weep | verb: shed tears because of sadness, rage, or pain |
| wherefore | noun: the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase 'the whys and wherefores' |
| whip | noun: a quick blow delivered with a whip or whip like object; an instrument with a handle and a flexible lash that is used for whipping; (golf) the flexibility of the shaft of a golf club; a dessert made of sugar and stiffly beaten egg whites or cream and usually flavoured with fruit; a legislator appointed by the party to enforce discipline; verb: strike as if by whipping; thrash about flexibly in the manner of a whiplash; subject to harsh criticism; defeat thoroughly; beat severely with a whip or rod; whip with or as if with a wire whisk |
| whisk | noun: a small short-handled broom used to brush clothes; a mixer incorporating a coil of wires; used for whipping eggs or cream; verb: whip with or as if with a wire whisk; brush or wipe off lightly; move somewhere quickly; move quickly and nimbly |
| wholesome | adj. sound or exhibiting soundness in body or mind; conducive to or characteristic of physical or moral well-being |
| wicker | noun: work made of interlaced slender branches (especially willow branches); slender flexible branches or twigs (especially of willow or some canes); used for wickerwork |
| wicket | noun: small opening (like a window in a door) through which business can be transacted; small gate or door (especially one that is part of a larger door); a small arch used as croquet equipment; cricket equipment consisting of a set of three stumps topped by crosspieces; used in playing cricket |
| widow | noun: a woman whose husband is dead especially one who has not remarried; verb: cause to be without a spouse |
| willow | noun: a textile machine having a system of revolving spikes for opening and cleaning raw textile fibres; any of numerous deciduous trees and shrubs of the genus Salix |
| witch | noun: a being (usually female) imagined to have special powers derived from the devil; a female sorcerer or magician; an ugly evil-looking old woman; a believer in Wicca; verb: cast a spell over someone or something; put a hex on someone or something |
| witchcraft | noun: the art of sorcery |
| withstand | verb: stand up or offer resistance to somebody or something; resist or confront with resistance |
| woebegone | adj. affected by or full of grief or woe; worn and broken down by hard use |
| woeful | adj. affected by or full of grief or woe; of very poor quality or condition |
| wood | noun: a golf club with a long shaft used to hit long shots; originally made with a wooden head; United States painter noted for works based on life in the Midwest (1892-1942); English writer of novels about murders and thefts and forgeries (1814-1887); English conductor (1869-1944); United States film actress (1938-1981); the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees; any wind instrument other than the brass instruments; the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area |
| woodcutter | noun: cuts down trees and chops wood as a job |
| workmanship | noun: skill in an occupation or trade |
| worm | noun: any of numerous relatively small elongated soft-bodied animals especially of the phyla Annelida and Chaetognatha and Nematoda and Nemertea and Platyhelminthes; also many insect larvae; screw thread on a gear with the teeth of a worm wheel or rack; a software program capable of reproducing itself that can spread from one computer to the next over a network; a person who has a nasty or unethical character undeserving of respect; verb: to move in a twisting or contorted motion, (especially when struggling) |
| worshipful | adj. showing great reverence for god; showing adoration |
| worthy | adj. morally admirable; meriting respect or esteem; having worth or merit or value; being honourable or admirable; worthy of being chosen especially as a spouse; noun: word is often used humorously |
| wrath | noun: belligerence aroused by a real or supposed wrong (personified as one of the deadly sins); intense anger (usually on an epic scale) |
| wreath | noun: flower arrangement consisting of a circular band of foliage or flowers for ornamental purposes; verb: encircle with or as if with a wreath |
| wreck | noun: a ship that has been destroyed at sea; something or someone that has suffered ruin or dilapidation; a serious accident (usually involving one or more vehicles); an accident that destroys a ship at sea; verb: smash or break forcefully |
| wretch | noun: performs some wicked deed; someone you feel sorry for |
| yard | noun: an enclosure for animals (as chicken or livestock); a long horizontal spar tapered at the end and used to support and spread a square sail or lateen; the enclosed land around a house or other building; an area having a network of railway tracks and sidings for storage and maintenance of cars and engines; a tract of land enclosed for particular activities (sometimes paved and usually associated with buildings); a tract of land where logs are accumulated; a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimetres; originally taken to be the average length of a stride; a unit of volume (as for sand or gravel) |
| yoke | noun: stable gear that joins two draft animals at the neck so they can work together as a team; fabric comprising a fitted part at the top of a garment; a connection (like a clamp or vice) between two things so they move together; support consisting of a wooden frame across the shoulders that enables a person to carry buckets hanging from each end; a pair of draft animals joined by a yoke; an oppressive power; two items of the same kind; verb: put a yoke on or join with a yoke; link with or as with a yoke; become joined or linked together |
| yonder | adj. distant but within sight ('yon' is dialectal); adv. at or in an indicated (usually distant) place ('yon' is archaic and dialectal) |
| younger | adj. used of the younger of two persons of the same name especially used to distinguish a son from his father |
| youthful | adj. suggestive of youth; vigorous and fresh |
| zealous | adj. marked by active interest and enthusiasm |
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