1.

abase
cause to feel shame

2.

abash
cause to be embarrassed

3.

abate
become less in amount or intensity

4.

abbreviate
shorten

5.

abdicate
give up, such as power, as of monarchs and emperors

6.

aberrant
markedly different from an accepted norm

7.

aberration
a state or condition markedly different from the norm

8.

abet
assist or encourage, usually in some wrongdoing

9.

abeyance
temporary cessation or suspension

10.

abhor
find repugnant

11.

abject
of the most contemptible kind

12.

abjure
formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief

13.

ablution
the ritual washing of a priest's hands or of sacred vessels

14.

abnegation
the denial and rejection of a doctrine or belief

15.

abolish
do away with

16.

abominable
unequivocally detestable

17.

abominate
find repugnant

18.

aboriginal
having existed from the beginning

19.

abortive
failing to accomplish an intended result

20.

abrasive
causing irritation or erosion by friction

21.

abridge
lessen, diminish, or curtail

22.

abrogate
revoke formally

23.

abscission
the act of cutting something off

24.

abscond
run away, often taking something or somebody along

25.

absolute
perfect or complete or pure

26.

absolve
grant remission of a sin to

27.

abstain
choose not to consume

28.

abstemious
marked by temperance in indulgence

29.

abstinence
the trait of refraining from something, especially alcohol

30.

abstract
existing only in the mind

31.

abstruse
difficult to penetrate

32.

abusive
characterized by physical or psychological maltreatment

33.

abut
lie adjacent to another or share a boundary

34.

abysmal
resembling an abyss in depth; so deep as to be immeasurable

35.

abyss
a bottomless gulf or pit

36.

academic
associated with an educational institution

37.

accede
yield to another's wish or opinion

38.

accelerate
move faster

39.

accessible
capable of being reached

40.

accessory
a supplementary component that improves capability

41.

acclaim
enthusiastic approval

42.

acclimate
get used to a certain environment

43.

acclivity
an upward slope or grade, as in a road

44.

accolade
a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction

45.

accommodate
have room for; hold without crowding

46.

accomplice
a person who joins with another in carrying out some plan

47.

accord
concurrence of opinion

48.

accost
speak to someone

49.

accoutre
provide with military equipment

50.

accretion
an increase by natural growth or addition

51.

accrue
grow by addition

52.

acerbic
sour or bitter in taste

53.

acerbity
a sharp bitterness

54.

acetic
relating to a clear organic acid with a pungent odor

55.

acidulous
being sour to the taste

56.

acknowledge
declare to be true or admit the existence or reality of

57.

acme
the highest point of something

58.

acoustics
the study of the physical properties of sound

59.

acquiesce
to agree or express agreement

60.

acquittal
a judgment of not guilty

61.

acrid
strong and sharp, as a taste

62.

acrimonious
marked by strong resentment or cynicism

63.

acrophobia
a morbid fear of great heights

64.

actuarial
relating to statistics to calculate insurance premiums

65.

actuate
put in motion

66.

acuity
sharpness of vision

67.

acumen
shrewdness shown by keen insight

68.

acute
ending in a sharp point

69.

adage
a condensed but memorable saying embodying an important fact

70.

adamant
very hard native crystalline carbon valued as a gem

71.

adapt
make fit for, or change to suit a new purpose

72.

addendum
textual matter that is added onto a publication

73.

addiction
being dependent on something habit-forming

74.

addle
mix up or confuse

75.

address
the place where a person or organization can be found

76.

adept
having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude

77.

adhere
stick to firmly

78.

adherent
someone who believes and helps to spread a doctrine

79.

adjacent
having a common boundary or edge

80.

adjunct
something added to another thing but not essential to it

81.

adjuration
a solemn and earnest appeal to someone to do something

82.

adjutant
an officer who acts as an assistant to a more senior officer

83.

admonish
scold or reprimand; take to task

84.

adorn
make more attractive, as by adding ornament or color

85.

adroit
quick or skillful or adept in action or thought

86.

adulation
servile flattery; exaggerated and hypocritical praise

87.

adulterate
make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance

88.

advent
arrival that has been awaited

89.

adventitious
associated by chance and not an integral part

90.

adversary
someone who offers opposition

91.

adverse
in an opposing direction

92.

adversity
a state of misfortune or affliction

93.

advert
a public promotion of some product or service

94.

advocacy
active support of an idea or cause

95.

advocate
a person who pleads for a person, cause, or idea

96.

aegis
armor plate that protects the chest

aerie

97.

the lofty nest of a bird of prey, such as a hawk or eagle

aesthetic

98.

characterized by an appreciation of beauty or good taste

affable

99.

diffusing warmth and friendliness

100.

affected

influenced

101.

affidavit

written declaration made under oath

102.

affiliation

the act of becoming formally connected or joined

103.

affinity

a natural attraction or feeling of kinship

104.

affirmation

the act of asserting or stating something

105.

affix

attach to

106.

affliction

a cause of great suffering and distress

107.

affluence

abundant wealth

108.

affront

a deliberately offensive act

109.

agape

with the mouth wide open as in wonder or awe

110.

agenda

a list of matters to be taken up, as at a meeting

111.

agglomeration

the act of collecting in a mass

112.

aggrandize

add details to

113.

aggregate

a sum total of many heterogeneous things taken together

114.

aggressor

someone who attacks

115.

aghast

struck with fear, dread, or consternation

116.

agility

the gracefulness of a quick and nimble person or animal

117.

agitate

move or cause to move back and forth

118.

agnostic

a person who claims the existence of God is unknowable

119.

agog

highly excited

120.

agrarian

relating to rural matters

121.

alacrity

liveliness and eagerness

122.

alchemy

a pseudoscientific forerunner of chemistry in medieval times

123.

alcove

a small recess opening off a larger room

124.

alias

a name that has been assumed temporarily

125.

alienate

arouse hostility or indifference in

126.

alimentary

of or providing nourishment

127.

alimony

support paid by one spouse to another after separation

128.

allay

lessen the intensity of or calm

129.

allege

report or maintain

130.

allegiance

the act of binding yourself to a course of action

131.

allegory

a short moral story

132.

alleviate

provide physical relief, as from pain

133.

alliteration

use of the same consonant at the beginning of each word

134.

allocate

distribute according to a plan or set apart for a purpose

135.

alloy

a mixture containing two or more metallic elements

136.

allude

make an indirect reference to

137.

allure

the power to entice or attract through personal charm

138.

allusion

passing reference or indirect mention

139.

alluvial

relating to deposits carried by rushing streams

140.

aloof

remote in manner

141.

aloft

at or on or to the masthead or upper rigging of a ship

142.

altercation

noisy quarrel

143.

altruistic

showing unselfish concern for the welfare of others

144.

amalgamate

to bring or combine together or with something else

145.

amass

collect or gather

146.

amazon

a large, strong, and aggressive woman

147.

ambidextrous

equally skillful with each hand

148.

ambience

the atmosphere of an environment

149.

ambiguous

having more than one possible meaning

150.

ambivalence

mixed feelings or emotions

151.

amble

walk leisurely

152.

ambrosia

the food and drink of the gods

153.

ambulatory

able to walk about

154.

ameliorate

to make better

155.

amenable

disposed or willing to comply

156.

amend

make revisions to

157.

amenities

things that make you comfortable and at ease

158.

amiable

diffusing warmth and friendliness

159.

amicable

characterized by friendship and good will

160.

amiss

in an improper or mistaken or unfortunate manner

161.

amity

a state of friendship and cordiality

162.

amnesia

partial or total loss of memory

163.

amnesty

a warrant granting release from punishment for an offense

164.

amorally

without regard for the distinction between right and wrong

165.

amorous

inclined toward or displaying love

166.

amorphous

having no definite form or distinct shape

167.

amphibian

cold-blooded vertebrate living on land but breeding in water

168.

amphitheater

an oval large stadium with tiers of seats

169.

ample

more than enough in size or scope or capacity

170.

amplify

increase the volume of

171.

amputate

remove surgically

172.

amok

wildly; without self-control

173.

amulet

a trinket thought to be a magical protection against evil

174.

anachronism

something located at a time when it could not have existed

175.

analgesic

capable of relieving pain

176.

analogous

similar or equivalent in some respects

177.

analogy

drawing a comparison in order to show a similarity

178.

anarchist

an advocate of the abolition of governments

179.

anarchy

a state of lawlessness and disorder

180.

anathema

a formal ecclesiastical curse accompanied by excommunication

181.

ancestry

the descendants of one individual

182.

anchor

a mechanical device that prevents a vessel from moving

183.

ancillary

furnishing added support

184.

anecdote

short account of an incident

185.

anemia

a deficiency of re