common words.......for vocab building

deepak K.
250 words 3 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. abate
    become less in amount or intensity
  2. aberrant
    markedly different from an accepted norm
  3. abeyance
    temporary cessation or suspension
  4. abscond
    run away, often taking something or somebody along
  5. abstemious
    marked by temperance in indulgence
  6. admonish
    scold or reprimand; take to task
  7. adulterate
    make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance
  8. aesthetic
    characterized by an appreciation of beauty or good taste
  9. aggregate
    a sum total of many heterogeneous things taken together
  10. alacrity
    liveliness and eagerness
  11. alleviate
    provide physical relief, as from pain
  12. amalgamate
    bring or combine together or with something else
  13. ambiguous
    having more than one possible meaning
  14. ambivalence
    mixed feelings or emotions
  15. ameliorate
    make better
  16. anachronism
    locating something at a time when it couldn't have existed
  17. analogous
    similar or equivalent in some respects
  18. anarchy
    a state of lawlessness and disorder
  19. anomalous
    deviating from the general or common order or type
  20. antipathy
    a feeling of intense dislike
  21. apathy
    an absence of emotion or enthusiasm
  22. appease
    make peace with
  23. apprise
    inform somebody of something
  24. approbation
    official acceptance or agreement
  25. appropriate
    suitable for a particular person, place, or situation
  26. arduous
    characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion
  27. artless
    simple and natural; without cunning or deceit
  28. ascetic
    someone who practices self denial as a spiritual discipline
  29. assiduous
    marked by care and persistent effort
  30. assuage
    provide physical relief, as from pain
  31. attenuate
    become weaker, in strength, value, or magnitude
  32. audacious
    disposed to venture or take risks
  33. austere
    of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor
  34. autonomous
    existing as an independent entity
  35. aver
    declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true
  36. banal
    repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse
  37. belie
    be in contradiction with
  38. beneficent
    doing or producing good
  39. bolster
    support and strengthen
  40. bolster up
    support and strengthen
  41. bombastic
    ostentatiously lofty in style
  42. boorish
    ill-mannered and coarse in behavior or appearance
  43. burgeon
    grow and flourish
  44. burnish
    polish and make shiny
  45. buttress
    a support usually of stone or brick
  46. cacophonous
    having an unpleasant sound
  47. capricious
    determined by chance or impulse rather than by necessity
  48. castigation
    verbal punishment
  49. catalyst
    substance that initiates or accelerates a chemical reaction
  50. caustic
    capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action
  51. absolutism
    a form of government in which the ruler is unconstrained
  52. absurdity
    the state or quality of being ridiculous
  53. accomplice
    a person who joins with another in carrying out some plan
  54. accustom
    familiarize psychologically or physically
  55. acoustics
    the study of the physical properties of sound
  56. adolescent
    a person who is older than 12 but younger than 20
  57. agitated
    physically disturbed or set in motion
  58. amenities
    things that make you comfortable and at ease
  59. ample
    more than enough in size or scope or capacity
  60. annul
    cancel officially
  61. astonished
    filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise
  62. astounding
    bewildering or striking dumb with wonder
  63. atrocity
    an act of shocking cruelty
  64. attire
    clothing of a distinctive style or for a particular occasion
  65. audacity
    aggressive or outright boldness
  66. avert
    turn away or aside
  67. zealot
    a fervent and even militant proponent of something
  68. whimsical
    determined by chance or impulse rather than by necessity
  69. welter
    a confused multitude of things
  70. wary
    marked by keen caution and watchful prudence
  71. warrant
    formal and explicit approval
  72. volatile
    liable to lead to sudden change or violence
  73. vituperative
    marked by harshly abusive criticism
  74. viscous
    having a relatively high resistance to flow
  75. viable
    capable of life or normal growth and development
  76. verbose
    using or containing too many words
  77. veracious
    habitually speaking the truth
  78. parley
    a negotiation between enemies
  79. bizarre
    conspicuously or grossly unconventional or unusual
  80. credulity
    tendency to believe readily
  81. cynic
    someone who is critical of the motives of others
  82. venerate
    regard with feelings of respect and reverence
  83. vacillate
    be undecided about something
  84. truculence
    stubborn and defiant aggressiveness
  85. transgression
    the violation of a law or a duty or moral principle
  86. tractable
    easily managed
  87. tortuous
    marked by repeated turns and bends
  88. torpor
    a state of motor and mental inactivity
  89. tirade
    a speech of violent denunciation
  90. tenuous
    lacking substance or significance
  91. tangential
    of superficial relevance if any
  92. tacit
    implied by or inferred from actions or statements
  93. paucity
    an insufficient quantity or number
  94. compliance
    the act of submitting, usually surrendering power to another
  95. ailment
    an often persistent bodily disorder or disease
  96. chicanery
    the use of tricks to deceive someone
  97. coagulate
    change from a liquid to a thickened or solid state
  98. coda
    the closing section of a musical composition
  99. cogent
    powerfully persuasive
  100. commensurate
    corresponding in size or degree or extent
  101. compendium
    a publication containing a variety of works
  102. complaisant
    showing a cheerful willingness to do favors for others
  103. compliant
    disposed to act in accordance with someone's wishes
  104. conciliatory
    making or willing to make concessions
  105. condone
    excuse, overlook, or make allowances for
  106. confound
    be confusing or perplexing to
  107. connoisseur
    an expert able to appreciate a field
  108. contention
    the act of competing as for profit or a prize
  109. contentious
    showing an inclination to disagree
  110. contrite
    feeling or expressing pain or sorrow
  111. conundrum
    a difficult problem
  112. converge
    be adjacent or come together
  113. convoluted
    highly complex or intricate
  114. craven
    lacking even the rudiments of courage; abjectly fearful
  115. daunt
    cause to lose courage
  116. decorum
    propriety in manners and conduct
  117. default
    an option that is selected automatically
  118. deference
    courteous regard for people's feelings
  119. delineate
    represented accurately or precisely
  120. denigrate
    attack the good name and reputation of someone
  121. deride
    treat or speak of with contempt
  122. derivative
    a compound obtained from another compound
  123. desiccate
    lacking vitality or spirit; lifeless
  124. desultory
    marked by lack of definite plan, purpose, or enthusiasm
  125. deterrent
    something immaterial that interferes with action or progress
  126. diatribe
    thunderous verbal attack
  127. dichotomy
    a classification into two opposed parts or subclasses
  128. diffidence
    lack of self-assurance
  129. diffuse
    spread out; not concentrated in one place
  130. digression
    a message that departs from the main subject
  131. dirge
    a song or hymn of mourning as a memorial to a dead person
  132. disabuse
    free somebody from an erroneous belief
  133. discerning
    having or revealing keen insight and good judgment
  134. discordant
    not in agreement or harmony
  135. discredit
    the state of being held in low esteem
  136. discrepancy
    a difference between conflicting facts or claims or opinions
  137. discrete
    constituting a separate entity or part
  138. disingenuous
    not straightforward or candid
  139. disinterested
    unaffected by concern for one's own welfare
  140. disjointed
    taken apart at the points of connection
  141. dismiss
    stop associating with
  142. disparage
    express a negative opinion of
  143. disparate
    fundamentally different or distinct in quality or kind
  144. dissemble
    behave unnaturally or affectedly
  145. obsolete
    no longer in use
  146. usher
    someone employed to conduct others
  147. espouse
    choose and follow a theory, idea, policy, etc.
  148. exuberant
    joyously unrestrained
  149. vanguard
    the leading units moving at the head of an army
  150. protagonist
    the principal character in a work of fiction
  151. detrimental
    causing harm or injury
  152. grudgingly
    in a reluctant manner
  153. impasse
    a situation in which no progress can be made
  154. flabbergasted
    as if struck dumb with astonishment and surprise
  155. devastate
    cause extensive destruction or ruin utterly
  156. apocalyptic
    of or relating to a catastrophe
  157. hunker
    squat, hunch, or crouch down
  158. obliterate
    remove completely from recognition or memory
  159. paramount
    more important than anything else; supreme
  160. sarcastic
    expressing or expressive of ridicule that wounds
  161. conjure
    summon into action or bring into existence
  162. spawn
    the mass of eggs deposited by fish or amphibians or mollusks
  163. vogue
    a current state of general acceptance and use
  164. foster
    providing nurture though not related by blood or legal ties
  165. tranquil
    free from disturbance by heavy waves
  166. reverent
    feeling or showing profound respect or veneration
  167. raucous
    unpleasantly loud and harsh
  168. betray
    deliver to an enemy by treachery
  169. miniature
    being on a very small scale
  170. boisterous
    marked by exuberance and high spirits
  171. stertorous
    having a heavy snoring sound
  172. euphonious
    having a pleasant sound
  173. obscure
    not clearly understood or expressed
  174. trickle
    run or flow slowly, as in drops or in an unsteady stream
  175. ravage
    cause extensive destruction or ruin utterly
  176. endure
    undergo or be subjected to
  177. avian
    pertaining to or characteristic of birds
  178. succumb
    give in, as to overwhelming force, influence, or pressure
  179. perish
    pass from physical life
  180. pedagogy
    the profession of a teacher
  181. adage
    a condensed but memorable saying embodying an important fact
  182. irk
    irritate or vex
  183. nap
    a short period of sleep
  184. guile
    the quality of being crafty
  185. obdurate
    stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing
  186. abscond
    run away, often taking something or somebody along
  187. xenophobia
    a fear of foreigners or strangers
  188. fiance
    a man who is engaged to be married
  189. fiasco
    a complete failure or collapse
  190. scuttle
    move about or proceed hurriedly
  191. farce
    a comedy characterized by broad satire
  192. metaphor
    a figure of speech that suggests a non-literal similarity
  193. odyssey
    a long wandering and eventful journey
  194. connotation
    an idea that is implied or suggested
  195. cherish
    be fond of
  196. demystify
    make something easier to understand
  197. connoisseur
    an expert able to appreciate a field
  198. realism
    the attribute of accepting the facts of life
  199. lynch
    kill without legal sanction
  200. lethal
    of an instrument of certain death
  201. frown
    a facial expression of dislike or displeasure
  202. chauvinist
    a person with a prejudiced belief in his own superiority
  203. notorious
    known widely and usually unfavorably
  204. legacy
    a gift of personal property by will
  205. sage
    a mentor in spiritual and philosophical topics
  206. salubrious
    promoting health
  207. sanction
    official permission or approval
  208. satiate
    fill to satisfaction
  209. savour
    the taste experience when a savory condiment is taken into the mouth
  210. shard
    a broken piece of a brittle artifact
  211. skeptic
    someone who habitually doubts accepted beliefs
  212. solicitous
    full of anxiety and concern
  213. soporific
    inducing sleep
  214. specious
    plausible but false
  215. stigma
    a symbol of disgrace or infamy
  216. sporadic
    recurring in scattered or unpredictable instances
  217. stint
    supply sparingly and with restricted quantities
  218. stipulate
    make an express demand or provision in an agreement
  219. stolid
    having or revealing little emotion or sensibility
  220. strut
    walk in a proud, confident way
  221. subpoena
    a writ issued to compel the attendance of a witness
  222. supposition
    the cognitive process of conjecturing
  223. paragon
    a perfect embodiment of a concept
  224. partisan
    a fervent and even militant proponent of something
  225. paucity
    an insufficient quantity or number
  226. frivolous
    not serious in content, attitude, or behavior
  227. flippant
    showing an inappropriate lack of seriousness
  228. elated
    exultantly proud and joyful; in high spirits
  229. discretion
    power of making choices unconstrained by external agencies
  230. dubious
    fraught with uncertainty or doubt
  231. lacuna
    a blank gap or missing part
  232. serene
    not agitated
  233. stance
    a rationalized mental attitude
  234. vindicate
    show to be right by providing justification or proof
  235. reconcile
    come to terms
  236. lambaste
    censure severely or angrily
  237. foist
    force onto another
  238. arbitrary
    based on or subject to individual discretion or preference
  239. deprecate
    express strong disapproval of; deplore
  240. convergence
    the act of coming closer
  241. solicit
    request urgently or persistently
  242. pilgrimage
    a journey to a sacred place
  243. exult
    feel extreme happiness or elation
  244. sanctuary
    a consecrated place where sacred objects are kept
  245. sanguine
    confidently optimistic and cheerful
  246. conglomeration
    a sum total of many varied things taken together
  247. rhetoric
    study of the technique for using language effectively
  248. riddle
    pierce with many holes
  249. adamant
    very hard native crystalline carbon valued as a gem
  250. adamant
    very hard native crystalline carbon valued as a gem
Created on Thu Aug 18 13:08:35 EDT 2011 (updated Wed Feb 22 12:30:02 EST 2012)

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