64 words starting with A

• abase verb

  to lower someone’s dignity or self-respect, often your own

  He refused to abase himself by begging the teacher for extra marks.

  Like humble, demean, degrade

• aberrant adjective

  straying from what is normal or expected, often in a worrying way

  The scientist repeated the test because one aberrant result did not match the others.

  Like deviant, abnormal, atypical

• abeyance noun

  a state of being put aside for a while, not in use

  The plan for a new playground is in abeyance until the school finds more money.

  Like suspension, limbo

• abjuration noun

  a formal promise to give up a belief or claim

  The king’s abjuration of his claim to the throne surprised everyone at court.

  Like renunciation, repudiation

• abjure verb

  to formally and solemnly give up a belief, claim or habit

  After seeing the dentist, my brother abjured sweets for the whole of Dashain.

  Like renounce, forswear, repudiate

• ablution noun

  the act of washing yourself, often as part of a ritual

  Before entering the temple, the pilgrims performed their ablutions in the cold river.

  Like washing, cleansing, bathing

• abnegate verb

  to give up something you want or have a right to

  The monk abnegated all worldly comforts and lived simply in a mountain cave.

  Like renounce, relinquish, forgo

• abominate verb

  to hate something very strongly, finding it disgusting

  My grandfather abominates litter and picks up every wrapper he sees on the trail.

  Like loathe, detest, abhor

• abrogate verb

  to officially cancel a law, agreement or right

  The council abrogated the old rule that banned bicycles in the park.

  Like repeal, revoke, annul

• abscond verb

  to leave secretly and in a hurry, often taking something or escaping arrest

  The cat absconded with a whole fish while we were setting the table.

  Like flee, bolt, decamp

• abstemious adjective

  careful not to eat or drink too much

  My abstemious aunt eats only a small plate of rice, even at big feasts.

  Like temperate, moderate, sober

• abstinence noun

  the practice of choosing not to do or have something, especially food or drink

  During his week of abstinence from sugar, Ramesh refused every sweet offered to him.

  Like self-denial, abstention

• abstruse adjective

  very hard to understand because it is deep or obscure

  The professor’s lecture on quantum physics was too abstruse for most of the visitors.

  Like obscure, recondite, esoteric

• acerbic adjective

  sharp and harsh in a witty, critical way

  The film critic’s acerbic review made fun of every scene in the movie.

  Like caustic, biting, sardonic

• acme noun

  the highest point of achievement or excellence

  Winning the national science prize was the acme of her school career.

  Like peak, pinnacle, zenith

• acrimonious adjective

  full of bitter, angry feeling in speech or argument

  The acrimonious debate over the team captain left both sides refusing to speak to each other.

  Like bitter, rancorous, hostile

• acrimony noun

  bitter, angry feeling between people

  There was no acrimony after the match; both teams shook hands and laughed together.

  Like bitterness, rancor, animosity

• adjure verb

  to urge or command someone very seriously, as if under oath

  The guide adjured the trekkers never to leave the trail in thick fog.

  Like implore, beseech, urge

• adulation noun

  excessive praise or admiration

  The young cricketer was not spoiled by the adulation of his many fans.

  Like idolization, hero worship

• adulterate verb

  to make something worse by mixing in cheaper or impure things

  The shopkeeper was fined for adulterating his honey with sugar syrup.

  Like dilute, debase, doctor

• adumbrate verb

  to give a faint outline of something, or hint at what is coming

  The first chapter adumbrates the mystery that the detective solves at the end.

  Like foreshadow, outline, suggest

• aesthete noun

  a person who cares deeply about art and beauty

  An aesthete at heart, my uncle spends hours arranging flowers in perfect patterns.

  Like connoisseur, art lover

• affectation noun

  behavior that is put on to impress others and is not natural

  His fake British accent was an affectation that his classmates found amusing.

  Like pretension, pose, artificiality

• aggrandize verb

  to increase the power or importance of someone or something, or make them seem greater

  The general built huge statues to aggrandize his own name.

  Like glorify, exalt, magnify

• aggrieved adjective

  feeling resentful because you have been treated unfairly

  The aggrieved player argued that the referee had ignored a clear foul.

  Like resentful, wronged, offended

• agog adjective

  very eager and excited to see or hear something

  The children were agog as the magician pulled a rabbit out of his hat.

  Like eager, excited, expectant

• alacrity noun

  cheerful readiness and speed in doing something

  She accepted the invitation to visit Pokhara with great alacrity.

  Like eagerness, readiness, willingness

• amalgamate verb

  to join two or more things into one whole

  The two small schools amalgamated to form one larger school with better labs.

  Like merge, combine, unite

• amatory adjective

  relating to or expressing romantic love

  Medieval poets wrote amatory verses in which knights praised ladies they had only seen from afar.

  Like amorous, romantic

• amity noun

  friendly, peaceful relations, especially between groups or nations

  The sports festival helped build amity between the students of the two towns.

  Like friendship, goodwill, harmony

• anachronism noun

  something placed in the wrong time period, especially one that seems out of date

  A wristwatch on a statue of an ancient king would be an odd anachronism.

• anachronistic adjective

  belonging to a different time period, out of place in the present or past

  Using a typewriter in a modern office seems anachronistic.

  Like outdated, antiquated, archaic

• anathema noun

  something that a person strongly hates or rejects

  Wasting food is anathema to my grandmother, who saves every grain of rice.

  Like abomination, abhorrence

• anneal verb

  to heat metal or glass and let it cool slowly so it becomes tougher and less brittle

  Glassmakers anneal their bowls in a special oven so they will not crack.

  Like toughen

• anodyne adjective

  bland and safe, unlikely to offend or excite anyone

  The speaker gave an anodyne talk that nobody disagreed with or remembered.

  Like inoffensive, bland, innocuous

• anomalous adjective

  different from what is usual and hard to explain

  The anomalous reading on the thermometer turned out to be a broken sensor.

  Like irregular, abnormal, atypical

• antediluvian adjective

  ridiculously old-fashioned or very ancient

  My father still uses an antediluvian mobile phone that cannot take photos.

  Like outdated, archaic, antiquated

• aphorism noun

  a short, wise saying that states a general truth

  “Practice makes perfect” is an aphorism my music teacher repeats every lesson.

  Like maxim, adage, proverb

• aplomb noun

  calm self-confidence, especially in a difficult situation

  She answered the judges’ tough questions with complete aplomb.

  Like composure, poise, assurance

• apocryphal adjective

  widely told but probably not true

  The story that Newton discovered gravity when an apple hit his head is probably apocryphal.

  Like unverified, fictitious, dubious

• apogee noun

  the highest or most successful point; the point in an orbit farthest from Earth

  The rule of the Malla kings marked the apogee of Newar art and architecture.

  Like peak, climax, summit

• apoplectic adjective

  so angry that you can hardly speak

  The coach was apoplectic when the team arrived at the match without their shoes.

  Like furious, livid, enraged

• apostate noun

  a person who gives up a religion, party or belief they once held

  Once a loyal fan of the team, he became an apostate and now cheers for their rivals.

  Like defector, renegade, turncoat

• apotheosis noun

  the highest or most perfect example of something

  Many people see Mount Everest as the apotheosis of mountain climbing challenges.

  Like epitome, pinnacle, ideal

• apposite adjective

  especially suitable for the situation

  The teacher closed the science fair with an apposite quote about curiosity.

  Like apt, fitting, relevant

• approbation noun

  official approval or praise

  The plan for the school garden won the approbation of the principal.

  Like approval, praise, endorsement

• arrant adjective

  complete and total, used of bad things

  Saying the moon is made of cheese is arrant nonsense.

  Like utter, downright, absolute

• arrogate verb

  to take or claim something for yourself without any right

  The new student arrogated the best seat in class without asking anyone.

  Like appropriate, usurp, seize

• artless adjective

  simple, honest and natural, without trickery

  The child’s artless question about the stars made the whole audience smile.

  Like innocent, guileless, naive

• asperity noun

  harshness of tone or manner

  The librarian spoke with some asperity to the boys who were shouting.

  Like sharpness, harshness, acerbity

• asperse verb

  to attack someone’s reputation with false or damaging remarks

  The rival shopkeeper aspersed the baker by telling customers his bread was stale.

  Like slander, malign, defame

• aspersion noun

  an attack on someone’s reputation or character

  Please don’t cast aspersions on my cooking until you have tasted it.

  Like slur, slander, insult

• assay verb

  to test a metal or ore to find out what it contains

  The lab assayed the rock samples to see how much copper they held.

  Like analyze, test, examine

• asseverate verb

  to declare something firmly and seriously

  The boy asseverated that he had finished his homework before the football match.

  Like declare, affirm, assert

• assiduous adjective

  showing great care and steady, hard work

  Her assiduous practice on the madal made her the best drummer in the club.

  Like diligent, industrious, sedulous

• astringent adjective

  harsh or severe in manner; causing skin or tissue to tighten

  The judge’s astringent comments made the cooking contestants nervous.

  Like severe, caustic, harsh

• atavistic adjective

  coming back from the distant past or from far-off ancestors

  Our atavistic fear of the dark may come from ancestors who faced wild animals at night.

  Like primitive, ancestral, primal

• augur verb

  to be a sign of what will happen in the future

  The clear morning sky augured well for our trek to Nagarkot.

  Like bode, portend, foreshadow

• augury noun

  a sign of what will happen; an omen

  The farmers took the early rain as a happy augury for the rice harvest.

  Like omen, portent, sign

• august adjective

  grand, dignified and deserving great respect

  The august hall of the old university was full of portraits of famous scholars.

  Like dignified, majestic, venerable

• autocratic adjective

  ruling with total power and not listening to others

  The autocratic captain made every decision without asking the rest of the team.

  Like dictatorial, despotic, domineering

• aver verb

  to state firmly that something is true

  The guide averred that the view from the top was worth every step.

  Like assert, declare, affirm

• avuncular adjective

  kind and friendly toward younger people, like an uncle

  The avuncular shopkeeper always gave the children an extra piece of candy.

  Like kindly, genial, benevolent

• axiomatic adjective

  so obviously true that it needs no proof

  It is axiomatic that plants need light to grow.

  Like self-evident, obvious, unquestionable