| A | B |
|---|
| abate | subside or moderate |
| aberrant | abnormal or deviant |
| abject | wretched; lacking pride |
| abrasive | rubbing away; tending to grind down |
| absolute | complete; totally unlimited; certain |
| abstain | refrain; withold from participation |
| abstract | theoretical; not concrete; nonrepresentational |
| abstruse | obscure; profound; difficult to understand |
| acclaim | applaud; announce with great approval |
| accolade | award of merit |
| adversary | opponent |
| adverse | unfavorable; hostile |
| advocate | urge; plead |
| aesthetic | artistic; dealing with capapble of appreciation of the beautiful |
| affiable | easily approachable; warm, friendly |
| affinity | natural liking; kinship; similarity |
| affirmation | positive assertion; confirmation; solemn pledge by one who refuses to take an oath |
| aggressor | attacker |
| alienate | make hostile; separate |
| alleviate | relieve |
| anecdote | short account of an amusing or interesting event |
| anguish | acute pain; extreme suffering |
| animosity | active enmity; active hatred |
| antagonistic | hostile; opposed |
| antiquated | old-fashioned; obsolete |
| antithesis | contrast; direct opposite |
| apathy | lack of caring; indifference |
| apocryphal | untrue; made up |
| appease | pacify or soothe; relieve |
| appreciate | be thankful for; increase in worth; be thoroughly conscious of |
| ascetic | practicing self-denial; austere |
| aspire | seek to attain; long for |
| asssessment | evaluation; judgement |
| assuage | ease or lessen(pain); satisfy(hunger); soothe(anger) |
| astute | wise; shrewd |
| asylum | place of refuge; safety |
| atrophy | waste away |
| attentive | considerate; thoughful; paying attention |
| audacious | daring; bold |
| augment | increase; add to |
| benevolent | generous; charitable |
| benign | kindly; favorable |
| bequeath | leave to someone by a will; hand down |
| biased | slanted; prejudice |
| bland | soothing; mild; dull |
| blasphemy | irreverence; sacralege; cursing |
| bolster | support; reinforce |
| braggart | boastful person |
| brawn | muscular strength; sturdiness |
| brevity | conciseness; briefness |
| charlatan | quack; pretender to knowledge |
| choreography | art of representing dances in written symbols; arrangement of dances |
| chronicle | report; record (in chronological order) |
| civil | having to do with citizens or the state; courteous and polite |
| clamor | noise |
| clemency | disposition to be lenient; mildness, as of the weather |
| coercion | use of force to get someone's compliance |
| compelling | overpowering; irresistable in effect |
| compliance | readiness to yeild; conformity in fulfilling requirements |
| composure | mental calmness |
| confront | face; challenge |
| conscientious | scrupulous; careful |
| consistency | absence of contradiction; dependebility; uniformity; degree of thickness |
| consolidation | merger; combination |
| conspicuous | easliy seen; noticable; striking |
| contagion | infection |
| contemporary | person belonging to the same period |
| contempt | scorn, disdain |
| contend | stuggle; compete |
| contentious | quarrelsome |
| cursory | casual; hastily done |
| curtail | shorten; reduce |
| cynic | one who is skeptical or distrustful of human motives |
| daunt | intimidate |
| dawdle | loiter; waste time |
| debilitate | weaken; enfeeble |
| debunk | expose something |
| decorum | propriety; orderliness and good taste in manners |
| defame | harm someone's good reputation |
| deference | courteous in regard for another's wish |
