| A | B |
|---|
| arcane | secret; mysterious |
| archaic | old; antiquated |
| arrogant | acting superior; obnoxious, smug |
| articulate | able to speak clearly and effectively |
| ascendance | domination; controlling power |
| ascetic | person who rejects physical comfort & luxury for self discipline |
| asperity | roughness; harshness; irritability |
| assail | attack with words or force |
| assiduous | persistent; hard-working; diligent; attentive to detail |
| assuage | relieve; ease; pacify |
| astute | wise; insightfully cleaver; shrewd |
| atrophy | waste away; wither |
| audacious | brazen; brash; nervy |
| augment | make larger; increase |
| auspicious | taking place under promising conditions; likely to succeed |
| austere | stern; plain; without luxuries |
| avarice | greed |
| averse | feeling repelled; wanting to avoid |
| baleful | harmful; menacing |
| banal | boring; trite; insipid |
| beguile | to cheat or deceive, usually through charm |
| belie | to give an impression that is the opposite of the way things really are |
| belligerent | having a strong tendency to argue & fight |
| benediction | good wishes; a blessing |
| benevolent | kindhearted; good-natured; generous |
| benign | gentle; kind-hearted; mild |
| bequeath | to leave behind or hand down through a will; transmit |
| blight | decay; disease; widespread death |
