| A | B |
|---|
| To abdicate is to step | down from a position of power |
| To abridge is to | shorten, condense, or lessen in length |
| To absolve is to | to forgive or free from blame |
| Abysmal | extremely wretched, bottomless |
| Acquiesce is to | comply passively, give in |
| To advocate is to | support, be in favour of |
| Aesthetic | concerned with beauty |
| Affinity | sympathy, attraction, kinship |
| Agenda | program, items slated to be done |
| Aggrandize | to make great |
| Allusion | an indirect reference |
| Altruistic is unselfish | concern for the welfare of others |
| Amnesty is an official | pardon for a group who have broken a law |
| Animosity | ill will, active dislike |
| Anomalous | irregular, abnormal, unusual |
| Arduous is a | difficult or laborious task |
| Augment | to increase or enlarge |
| Austere | stern or strict |
| Aversion | strong dislike, repugnance |
| Banal | commonplace, trite, unoriginal |
| Baroque | ornate, flamboyant |
| Begrudge | to concede reluctantly |
| Benediction | blessing, the opposite of a curse |
| Malediction | a curse, the opposite of a benediction |
| Benign | not harmful |
| Blanch | to turn pale |
| Blithe | happy, lighthearted, joyful |
| Botch | to bungle, to foul up |
| Bracing | invigorating |
| To broach is to open | up a subject for discussion |
| Buffoon | clown or fool |
| Bulwark | a defense structure |
| Cache | a hiding place |
| Callous | unfeeling and sensitive |
| Candour | truthfulness, honest, frankness |
| Capitulate | to surrender, to stop resisting |
| Catharsis is a(n) | emotional purification, release |
| Caustic | biting in humour |
| Censure | blaming or condemning |
| Chastise | criticize severely |
