Word List - P

Md. Akhtar H.
All "P"
459 words 1 learner

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words only definitions & notes
  1. pachyderm
    a large mammal with thick skin, such as an elephant or hippo
  2. pacifist
    someone opposed to violence as a means of settling disputes
  3. pacify
    ease the anger, agitation, or strong emotion of
  4. padre
    a chaplain in one of the military services
  5. paean
    a hymn of praise
  6. painstaking
    characterized by extreme care and great effort
  7. palatable
    acceptable to the taste or mind
  8. palate
    the surface of the mouth separating oral and nasal cavities
  9. palatial
    relating to or being a large and stately residence
  10. paleontology
    the earth science that studies fossil organisms
  11. palette
    a board on which an artist mixes paints
  12. palimpsest
    a manuscript on which more than one text has been written
  13. pall
    burial garment in which a corpse is wrapped
  14. pallet
    a hand tool with a flat blade for mixing and shaping clay
  15. palliate
    lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of
  16. pallid
    pale, as of a person's complexion
  17. palm
    the inner surface of the hand
  18. palpable
    capable of being perceived
  19. palpitate
    beat rapidly
  20. paltry
    contemptibly small in amount or size
  21. pan
    shallow container made of metal
  22. panacea
    hypothetical remedy for all ills or diseases
  23. panache
    distinctive and stylish elegance
  24. pandemic
    existing everywhere
  25. pandemonium
    a state of extreme confusion and disorder
  26. pander
    yield to; give satisfaction to
  27. panegyric
    formally expressing praise
  28. pang
    a sudden sharp feeling
  29. panoramic
    as from an altitude or distance
  30. pantomime
    a performance using gestures and movements without words
  31. papyrus
    tall sedge of the Nile valley yielding fiber
  32. parable
    a short moral story
  33. paradigm
    a standard or typical example
  34. paradox
    a statement that contradicts itself
  35. paragon
    a perfect embodiment of a concept
  36. parallel
    being everywhere equidistant and not intersecting
  37. parallelism
    similarity by virtue of corresponding
  38. parameter
    a constant in the equation of a curve that can be varied
  39. paramount
    more important than anything else; supreme
  40. paramour
    a lover, especially a secret or illicit one
  41. paranoia
    a mental disorder characterized by delusions of persecution
  42. paraphernalia
    equipment consisting of miscellaneous articles
  43. paraphrase
    express the same message in different words
  44. parasite
    an animal or plant that lives in or on a host
  45. parched
    extremely thirsty
  46. parchment
    a superior paper resembling sheepskin
  47. pare
    strip the skin off
  48. pariah
    a person who is rejected from society or home
  49. parish
    a local church community
  50. parity
    functional equality
  51. parlance
    a manner of speaking natural to a language's native speakers
  52. parley
    a negotiation between enemies
  53. parochial
    relating to or supported by or located in a parish
  54. parody
    a composition that imitates or misrepresents a style
  55. paroxysm
    a sudden uncontrollable attack
  56. parquet
    a floor made of a patterned wood inlay
  57. parry
    impede the movement of
  58. parsimony
    extreme stinginess
  59. partial
    being or affecting only a segment
  60. partiality
    an inclination to favor one group or view over alternatives
  61. partisan
    a fervent and even militant proponent of something
  62. partition
    separation by the creation of a boundary that divides
  63. parvenu
    a person who has suddenly risen to a higher economic status
  64. passe
    out of fashion
  65. pass off
    cause to be circulated and accepted in a false character or identity
  66. passive
    lacking in energy or will
  67. paste
    an adhesive made from water and flour or starch
  68. pastiche
    a work of art that imitates the style of some previous work
  69. pastoral
    devoted to raising sheep or cattle
  70. pastry
    any of various baked foods made of dough or batter
  71. patent
    a document granting an inventor sole rights to an invention
  72. pathetic
    deserving or inciting pity
  73. pathological
    relating to the study of diseases
  74. pathos
    a quality that arouses emotions, especially pity or sorrow
  75. patina
    a fine coating of oxide on the surface of a metal
  76. patois
    a regional dialect of a language
  77. patriarch
    the male head of family or tribe
  78. patrician
    a person of refined upbringing and manners
  79. patrimony
    an inheritance coming by right of birth
  80. patronize
    provide support for
  81. paucity
    an insufficient quantity or number
  82. pauper
    a person who is very poor
  83. peccadillo
    a petty misdeed
  84. pecuniary
    relating to or involving money
  85. pedagogue
    someone who educates young people
  86. pedagogy
    the profession of a teacher
  87. pedant
    a person who is preoccupied with rules and learning
  88. pedantic
    marked by a narrow focus on or display of learning
  89. peddle
    sell or offer for sale from place to place
  90. pedestal
    an architectural support or base
  91. pedestrian
    a person who travels by foot
  92. pediatrician
    a medical specialist in the care of children
  93. pedigree
    the ancestry or lineage of an individual
  94. peer
    look searchingly
  95. peerless
    eminent beyond or above comparison
  96. peevish
    easily irritated or annoyed
  97. pejorative
    expressing disapproval
  98. pell-mell
    in a wild or reckless manner
  99. pellucid
    transmitting light; able to be seen through with clarity
  100. pen
    a writing implement with a point from which ink flows
  101. penance
    voluntary self-punishment in order to atone for something
  102. penchant
    a strong liking or preference
  103. pendant
    an adornment that hangs from a piece of jewelry
  104. pendent
    an adornment that hangs from a piece of jewelry
  105. pending
    awaiting conclusion or confirmation
  106. pendulous
    hanging loosely or bending downward
  107. penetrate
    pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance
  108. penitent
    feeling or expressing remorse for misdeeds
  109. penology
    the branch of criminology concerned with prison management
  110. pensive
    deeply or seriously thoughtful
  111. penumbra
    a region of light shadow around the darkest part of a shadow
  112. penury
    a state of extreme poverty or destitution
  113. peon
    a laborer who is obliged to do menial work
  114. perceptive
    of or relating to awareness via the senses
  115. percussion
    the act of exploding a detonator that explodes when struck
  116. perdition
    the place or state in which one suffers eternal punishment
  117. peregrination
    traveling or wandering around
  118. peremptory
    putting an end to all debate or action
  119. perennial
    lasting an indefinitely long time
  120. perfidious
    tending to betray
  121. perforate
    make a hole into or between, as for ease of separation
  122. perfunctory
    hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough
  123. perigee
    the nearest point in an orbit around the Earth
  124. perimeter
    a line enclosing a plane area
  125. peripatetic
    traveling especially on foot
  126. peripheral
    on or near an edge or constituting an outer boundary
  127. periphery
    the outside boundary or surface of something
  128. perjury
    criminal offense of making false statements under oath
  129. permeable
    allowing fluids or gases to pass or diffuse through
  130. permissive
    not strict in discipline
  131. pernicious
    exceedingly harmful
  132. peroration
    the concluding section of a rhetorical address
  133. perpetrate
    perform an act, usually with a negative connotation
  134. perpetual
    continuing forever or indefinitely
  135. perpetuate
    cause to continue or prevail
  136. perquisite
    an incidental benefit for certain types of employment
  137. perk
    an incidental benefit awarded for certain types of employment (especially if it is regarded as a right)
  138. persevere
    be persistent, refuse to stop
  139. persist
    refuse to stop
  140. personable
    pleasant in manner and appearance
  141. personify
    attribute human qualities to something
  142. perspicacious
    mentally acute or penetratingly discerning
  143. perspicuity
    clarity as a consequence of being easily understandable
  144. perspicuous
    transparently clear; easily understandable
  145. pert
    characterized by a lightly saucy or impudent quality
  146. pertinacious
    stubbornly unyielding
  147. pertinent
    being of striking appropriateness
  148. perturb
    disturb in mind or make uneasy or cause to be worried
  149. peruse
    examine or consider with attention and in detail
  150. pervasive
    spreading or spread throughout
  151. perverse
    deviating from what is considered moral or right or proper
  152. perversion
    the action of corrupting something
  153. pervert
    corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality
  154. pessimism
    a general disposition to expect the worst in all things
  155. pestilential
    likely to spread and cause an epidemic disease
  156. pestilent
    likely to spread and cause an epidemic disease
  157. pestle
    a hand tool for grinding and mixing substances in a mortar
  158. petrify
    change into stone
  159. petty
    small and of little importance
  160. petulant
    easily irritated or annoyed
  161. phalanx
    any closely ranked crowd of people
  162. pharisaical
    excessively or hypocritically pious
  163. pharisee
    a self-righteous or sanctimonious person
  164. phenomenon
    any state or process known through the senses
  165. philanderer
    a man who likes many women
  166. philanthropist
    someone who makes charitable donations
  167. philatelist
    a collector and student of postage stamps
  168. Philistine
    of or relating to ancient Philistia or its culture or its people
  169. philology
    the humanistic study of language and literature
  170. phlegmatic
    showing little emotion
  171. phobia
    an anxiety disorder characterized by irrational fear
  172. phoenix
    a legendary bird that burned to death and emerged reborn
  173. phylum
    the major taxonomic group of animals and plants
  174. physiognomy
    the human face
  175. physiological
    relating to the study of the functioning of organisms
  176. piebald
    having sections or patches colored differently and brightly
  177. piecemeal
    one thing at a time
  178. pied
    having sections or patches colored differently and brightly
  179. piety
    righteousness by virtue of being religiously devout
  180. pigment
    dry coloring material
  181. pilfer
    make off with belongings of others
  182. pillage
    steal goods; take as spoils
  183. pillory
    a wooden instrument of punishment on a post
  184. pinch
    squeeze tightly between the fingers
  185. pine
    a coniferous tree
  186. pinion
    wing of a bird
  187. pinnace
    a boat for communication between ship and shore
  188. pinnacle
    a slender upright spire at the top of a buttress or a tower
  189. pious
    having or showing or expressing reverence for a deity
  190. piquant
    having an agreeably pungent taste
  191. pique
    call forth, as an emotion, feeling, or response
  192. piscatorial
    relating to or characteristic of the activity of fishing
  193. pitfall
    an unforeseen or unexpected or surprising difficulty
  194. pith
    spongelike central cylinder of the stems of flowering plants
  195. pithy
    concise and full of meaning
  196. pittance
    an inadequate payment
  197. pivotal
    being of crucial importance
  198. placate
    cause to be more favorably inclined
  199. placebo
    an innocuous or inert medication
  200. placid
    calm and free from disturbance
  201. plagiarize
    take without referencing from someone's writing or speech
  202. plaintive
    expressing sorrow
  203. plait
    a hairdo formed by braiding or twisting the hair
  204. plane
    an unbounded two-dimensional shape
  205. plaster
    a mixture of lime or gypsum with sand and water
  206. plasticity
    the property of being physically malleable
  207. platitude
    a trite or obvious remark
  208. platonic
    free from physical desire
  209. plaudit
    enthusiastic approval
  210. plausible
    apparently reasonable, valid, or truthful
  211. plebeian
    of or associated with the great masses of people
  212. plebiscite
    a vote determining public opinion on a question
  213. plenary
    full in all respects
  214. plenitude
    a full supply
  215. plethora
    extreme excess
  216. pliable
    capable of being shaped or bent or drawn out
  217. pliant
    capable of being shaped or bent or drawn out
  218. plight
    a situation from which extrication is difficult
  219. ploy
    a maneuver in a game, conversation, or situation
  220. pluck
    pull lightly but sharply
  221. plumage
    the covering of feathers on a bird
  222. plumb
    exactly vertical
  223. plumber
    a specialist who installs and repairs pipes
  224. plume
    the feather of a bird
  225. plummet
    drop sharply
  226. plump
    sufficiently fat so as to have a pleasing fullness of figure
  227. plutocracy
    a political system governed by the wealthy people
  228. podiatrist
    a specialist in care for the feet
  229. podium
    a platform raised above the surrounding level
  230. poignancy
    a quality that arouses emotions, especially pity or sorrow
  231. poise
    hold or carry in equilibrium
  232. polar
    of or existing within the Arctic or Antarctic Circles
  233. polarity
    a relation between two opposite attributes or tendencies
  234. polarize
    cause to divide into conflicting positions
  235. polemic
    a verbal or written attack, especially of a belief or dogma
  236. polemical
    of or involving dispute or controversy
  237. polemic
    a verbal or written attack, especially of a belief or dogma
  238. politic
    marked by artful prudence, expedience, and shrewdness
  239. polity
    the form of government of a social organization
  240. polygamist
    someone married to two or more people at the same time
  241. polyglot
    a person who speaks more than one language
  242. pomposity
    lack of elegance from being puffed up with vanity
  243. ponderous
    having great mass and weight and unwieldiness
  244. pontifical
    proceeding from or ordered by or subject to a pope
  245. pore
    any tiny hole admitting passage of a liquid
  246. porous
    full of holes
  247. porridge
    soft food made by boiling meal or legumes in water or milk
  248. portend
    indicate by signs
  249. portly
    fairly large
  250. pose
    assume a bearing as for artistic purposes
  251. poseur
    a person who habitually pretends to be something he is not
  252. posterity
    all future generations
  253. posthumous
    occurring or coming into existence after a person's death
  254. postmortem
    occurring or done after death
  255. postulate
    maintain or assert
  256. posture
    the arrangement of the body and its limbs
  257. potable
    suitable for drinking
  258. potent
    having or wielding force or authority
  259. potentate
    a powerful ruler, especially one who is unconstrained by law
  260. potential
    existing in possibility
  261. potion
    a medicinal or magical or poisonous beverage
  262. potpourri
    a collection containing a variety of sorts of things
  263. poultice
    a medical dressing spread on a cloth and applied to the skin
  264. precis
    a sketchy summary of the main points of an argument
  265. practicable
    capable of being done with means at hand
  266. practical
    guided by experience and observation rather than theory
  267. pragmatic
    concerned with practical matters
  268. pragmatist
    an adherent of a theory of observable practical consequences
  269. prance
    move or step in a lively, spirited, or showy way
  270. prank
    a ludicrous or grotesque act done for fun and amusement
  271. prate
    speak about unimportant matters rapidly and incessantly
  272. prattle
    speak about unimportant matters rapidly and incessantly
  273. preamble
    a preliminary introduction, as to a statute or constitution
  274. precarious
    not secure; beset with difficulties
  275. precedent
    an example that is used to justify similar occurrences
  276. precept
    a rule of personal conduct
  277. precinct
    an administrative district of a city or town
  278. precipice
    a very steep cliff
  279. precipitant
    done with very great haste and without due deliberation
  280. precipitate
    bring about abruptly
  281. precipitous
    extremely steep
  282. precise
    sharply exact or accurate or delimited
  283. preclude
    make impossible, especially beforehand
  284. precocious
    characterized by exceptionally early development
  285. precursor
    something indicating the approach of something or someone
  286. predator
    any animal that lives by preying on other animals
  287. predecessor
    one who goes before you in time
  288. predetermine
    establish beforehand
  289. predicament
    an unpleasant or difficult situation
  290. predilection
    a predisposition in favor of something
  291. predispose
    make susceptible
  292. preeminent
    greatest in importance, degree, or significance
  293. preempt
    acquire for oneself before others can do so
  294. preen
    clean with one's bill
  295. prefatory
    serving as an introduction or preface
  296. prefigure
    indicate by signs; be an early indication of
  297. prehensile
    adapted for grasping especially by wrapping around an object
  298. prelate
    a senior clergyman and dignitary
  299. prelude
    something that introduces what follows
  300. premeditate
    consider, ponder, or plan beforehand
  301. premise
    a statement that is held to be true
  302. premonition
    an early warning about a future event
  303. premonitory
    warning of future misfortune
  304. preponderance
    exceeding in heaviness; having greater weight
  305. prepossessing
    creating a favorable impression
  306. preposterous
    inviting ridicule
  307. prerogative
    a right reserved exclusively by a person or group
  308. presage
    a foreboding about what is about to happen
  309. prescience
    the power to foresee the future
  310. presentiment
    a feeling of evil to come
  311. prestige
    a high standing achieved through success or influence
  312. presume
    take to be the case or to be true
  313. presumptuous
    going beyond what is appropriate, permitted, or courteous
  314. pretend
    make believe with the intent to deceive
  315. pretension
    the advancing of a claim
  316. pretentious
    creating an appearance of importance or distinction
  317. preternatural
    existing outside of or not in accordance with nature
  318. pretext
    a fictitious reason that conceals the real reason
  319. prevail
    be larger in number, quantity, power, status or importance
  320. prevalent
    most frequent or common
  321. prevaricate
    be deliberately ambiguous or unclear
  322. prey
    animal hunted or caught for food
  323. prim
    affectedly dainty or refined
  324. primal
    having existed from the beginning
  325. primary
    of first rank or importance or value
  326. primate
    any mammal of the group including monkeys, apes, and humans
  327. prime
    of or relating to the first or originating agent
  328. primogeniture
    right of inheritance belonging exclusively to the eldest son
  329. primordial
    having existed from the beginning
  330. primp
    dress or groom with elaborate care
  331. pristine
    immaculately clean and unused
  332. privation
    the act of stripping someone of food, money, or rights
  333. privy
    informed about something secret or not generally known
  334. prize
    something given for victory or superiority in a contest or competition or for winning a lottery
  335. probe
    an exploratory action or expedition
  336. probity
    complete and confirmed integrity
  337. problematic
    making great mental demands
  338. proclivity
    a natural inclination
  339. procrastinate
    waste time or postpone doing what one should be doing
  340. procurement
    the act of getting possession of something
  341. prod
    push against gently
  342. prodigal
    recklessly wasteful
  343. prodigious
    great in size, force, extent, or degree
  344. prodigy
    an unusually gifted or intelligent person
  345. profane
    grossly irreverent toward what is held to be sacred
  346. profligate
    unrestrained by convention or morality
  347. profound
    situated at or extending to great depth
  348. profusion
    the property of being extremely abundant
  349. progenitor
    an ancestor in the direct line
  350. progeny
    the immediate descendants of a person
  351. prognosis
    a prediction of the course of a disease
  352. prognosticate
    make a prediction about; tell in advance
  353. prohibitive
    tending to discourage, especially of prices
  354. projectile
    a weapon that is forcibly propelled toward a target
  355. proletarian
    belonging to or characteristic of the working class
  356. proliferate
    grow rapidly
  357. prolific
    intellectually productive
  358. prolixity
    boring verbosity
  359. prologue
    an introductory section of a novel or other literary work
  360. prolong
    lengthen in time; cause to be or last longer
  361. prominent
    conspicuous in position or importance
  362. promiscuous
    casual and unrestrained in sexual behavior
  363. promontory
    a natural elevation
  364. promote
    assign to a higher position
  365. prompt
    according to schedule or without delay
  366. promulgate
    state or announce
  367. prone
    having a tendency
  368. prong
    a pointed projection
  369. pronounced
    strongly marked; easily noticeable
  370. prop
    a support placed beneath or against something to hold it up
  371. propagate
    multiply through reproduction
  372. propellant
    any substance that moves forward with force
  373. propellent
    any substance that propels
  374. propensity
    a natural inclination
  375. prophetic
    foretelling events as if by supernatural intervention
  376. prophylactic
    preventing or contributing to the prevention of disease
  377. propinquity
    the property of being close together
  378. propitiate
    make peace with
  379. propitious
    presenting favorable circumstances
  380. proponent
    a person who argues for a cause or puts forward an idea
  381. propound
    put forward, as of an idea
  382. propriety
    correct behavior
  383. propulsive
    having the power to move forward with force
  384. prosaic
    lacking wit or imagination
  385. proscenium
    the part of a stage between the curtain and the orchestra
  386. proscribe
    command against
  387. proselytize
    convert or try to convert someone to another religion
  388. prosody
    the study of poetic meter and the art of versification
  389. prosper
    make steady progress
  390. prosperity
    the condition of having good fortune
  391. prosperous
    in fortunate circumstances financially
  392. prostrate
    stretched out and lying at full length along the ground
  393. protege
    a person who receives support from an influential patron
  394. protagonist
    the principal character in a work of fiction
  395. protean
    taking on different forms
  396. protocol
    forms of ceremony and etiquette observed by officials
  397. prototype
    a standard or typical example
  398. protract
    lengthen in time; cause to be or last longer
  399. protrude
    extend out or project in space
  400. protuberance
    something that bulges out or projects from its surroundings
  401. provenance
    where something originated or started
  402. provender
    food for domestic livestock
  403. proverb
    a condensed but memorable saying embodying an important fact
  404. providence
    prudence and care exercised in the management of resources
  405. provident
    giving something useful for the future
  406. provincial
    associated with an administrative district of a nation
  407. provision
    the activity of supplying something
  408. provisional
    under terms not final or fully worked out or agreed upon
  409. proviso
    a stipulated condition
  410. provocative
    serving or tending to excite or stimulate
  411. prowess
    a superior skill learned by study and practice
  412. proximity
    the property of being close together
  413. proxy
    a person authorized to act for another
  414. prude
    a person excessively concerned about propriety and decorum
  415. prudent
    marked by sound judgment
  416. prune
    cultivate, tend, and cut back the growth of
  417. prurient
    characterized by lust
  418. pry
    be nosey
  419. pseudonym
    a fake name used to engage in some activity
  420. psyche
    that which is responsible for one's thoughts and feelings
  421. psychiatrist
    a specialist in the treatment of mental disorders
  422. psychic
    a person sensitive to things beyond natural perception
  423. psychopathic
    suffering from an undiagnosed mental disorder
  424. psychosis
    severe mental disorder in which contact with reality is lost
  425. psychosomatic
    used of illness or symptoms resulting from neurosis
  426. pterodactyl
    extinct flying reptile
  427. pucker
    gather something into small wrinkles or folds
  428. pudding
    any of various soft sweet desserts thickened usually with flour and baked or boiled or steamed
  429. puerile
    displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity
  430. pugilist
    someone who fights with fists for sport
  431. pugnacity
    a natural disposition to be hostile
  432. puissant
    powerful
  433. pulchritude
    physical beauty, especially of a woman
  434. pulmonary
    relating to or affecting the lungs
  435. pulpit
    a platform raised to give prominence to the person on it
  436. pulsate
    expand and contract rhythmically
  437. pulse
    the steady movement of the body's blood-pumping organ
  438. pulverize
    make into a powder by breaking up or cause to become dust
  439. pummel
    strike, usually with the fist
  440. punctilious
    marked by precise accordance with details
  441. pundit
    an expert who publicly gives opinions via mass media
  442. pungent
    strong and sharp to the sense of taste or smell
  443. punitive
    inflicting punishment
  444. puny
    of inferior size
  445. purchase
    acquire by means of a financial transaction
  446. purgatory
    a temporary state of the dead in Roman Catholic theology
  447. purge
    rid of impurities
  448. purport
    have the often misleading appearance of being or intending
  449. purportedly
    allegedly but not definitely true
  450. purse
    a container used for carrying money and small personal items
  451. purveyor
    someone who supplies provisions, especially food
  452. pushy
    marked by aggressive ambition and energy and initiative
  453. pusillanimous
    lacking in courage, strength, and resolution
  454. putative
    purported
  455. putrefy
    decay with an offensive smell
  456. putrescent
    in a state of decay or decomposition
  457. putrid
    of or relating to the process of decay
  458. puzzle
    be uncertain about
  459. pyromaniac
    a person with a mania for setting things on fire
Created on Mon Sep 17 07:51:09 EDT 2012 (updated Thu Sep 27 14:19:44 EDT 2012)

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