98 words starting with P

• painstaking adjective

  done with great care and effort

  Restoring the old temple was painstaking work that took years.

  Like meticulous, careful, thorough

• palatable adjective

  pleasant to taste; acceptable

  Adding a little honey made the bitter medicine more palatable.

  Like tasty, appetizing, acceptable

• palpable adjective

  so strong it can almost be touched or felt

  The excitement in the stadium was palpable.

  Like tangible, obvious, evident

• panacea noun

  a cure or solution for all problems or diseases

  Exercise is healthy, but it is not a panacea for every illness.

  Like cure-all, remedy

• paradoxical adjective

  seeming to contradict itself but possibly true

  It is paradoxical that resting can make you feel more tired.

  Like contradictory, self-contradictory, puzzling

• paramount adjective

  more important than anything else

  Safety is paramount when working with chemicals in the lab.

  Like supreme, foremost, chief

• parody noun

  a funny imitation of a writer, artist or style

  The students performed a parody of a famous nature documentary.

  Like spoof, imitation, send-up

• partisan adjective

  strongly supporting one side without fairness to the other

  The referee was accused of being partisan toward the home team.

  Like biased, one-sided, partial

• pastoral adjective

  relating to peaceful country life, especially farming and animals

  The painting showed a pastoral scene of sheep grazing beside a stream.

  Like rural, rustic, bucolic

• patron noun

  a person who supports an artist or cause with money; a regular customer

  The wealthy patron paid for the young musician’s lessons.

  Like sponsor, supporter, customer

• patronize verb

  to speak to someone as if they are less intelligent than you; to be a regular customer of

  Please don’t patronize me by explaining the rules three times.

  Like talk down to, condescend

• peculiar adjective

  strange or unusual; belonging only to one person or place

  The milk had a peculiar smell, so we didn’t drink it.

  Like strange, odd, unusual

• pedantic adjective

  too concerned with small details and rules, especially in showing off knowledge

  The pedantic student corrected the teacher’s tiny spelling slip.

  Like nitpicking, fussy, overprecise

• pedestrian adjective

  dull and ordinary, without imagination

  The film had beautiful scenery but a pedestrian story.

  Like dull, ordinary, uninspired

• peerless adjective

  better than all others; without equal

  Her peerless skill at chess won her the national title.

  Like unmatched, unrivaled, incomparable

• pejorative adjective

  showing disapproval or disrespect

  “Bookworm” can be pejorative, but she wore the name proudly.

  Like derogatory, disparaging, insulting

• penchant noun

  a strong liking for something or habit of doing it

  My sister has a penchant for spicy pickles.

  Like liking, fondness, taste

• pensive adjective

  thinking deeply, often in a slightly sad or serious way

  She sat pensive by the window, watching the rain.

  Like thoughtful, reflective, contemplative

• perceptive adjective

  quick to notice and understand things

  The perceptive teacher noticed that the shy boy needed help.

  Like observant, insightful, sharp

• perennial adjective

  lasting a very long time or happening again and again; (of plants) living for many years

  Traffic jams are a perennial problem in Kathmandu.

  Like lasting, constant, recurring

• perish verb

  to die, especially in an accident, disaster or harsh conditions

  Many plants perished in the early frost.

  Like die, expire, be destroyed

• permeate verb

  to spread through every part of something

  The smell of incense permeated the whole temple.

  Like pervade, fill, saturate

• pernicious adjective

  causing great harm in a slow, hidden way

  Plastic waste has a pernicious effect on rivers and the fish in them.

  Like harmful, damaging, insidious

• perpetrate verb

  to carry out something wrong or harmful

  Nobody would admit who had perpetrated the prank of hiding the teacher’s chalk.

  Like commit, carry out

• perpetual adjective

  never ending or changing; happening again and again

  The high peaks are covered in perpetual snow.

  Like permanent, eternal, endless

• perpetuate verb

  to make something, often a bad belief or situation, continue

  Old stories can perpetuate myths about snakes being evil.

  Like continue, maintain, preserve

• perplex verb

  to confuse and puzzle someone

  The tricky riddle perplexed everyone at the table.

  Like puzzle, confuse, baffle

• persevere verb

  to keep trying despite difficulties

  She persevered with the violin even when progress was slow.

  Like persist, keep going, endure

• persistent adjective

  continuing for a long time; refusing to give up

  A persistent cough kept him home from school for a week.

  Like continuing, determined, tenacious

• pertinent adjective

  directly related to the subject being discussed

  Please ask only questions pertinent to today’s lesson.

  Like relevant, applicable, related

• perturb verb

  to make someone worried or upset

  The strange noises in the night perturbed the campers.

  Like disturb, unsettle, trouble

• peruse verb

  to read or examine something carefully

  She perused the menu before choosing her momo.

  Like examine, study, scrutinize

• pervasive adjective

  spreading widely through every part of something

  The smell of smoke was pervasive after the forest fire.

  Like widespread, prevalent, ubiquitous

• pessimism noun

  the tendency to expect that bad things will happen

  His pessimism about the weather proved wrong when the sun came out.

  Like negativity, gloom, defeatism

• philanthropy noun

  the giving of money or help to improve others’ lives

  Her philanthropy paid for clean water in three villages.

  Like charity, generosity, benevolence

• pinnacle noun

  the highest point of achievement; a tall, pointed rock or tower

  Winning the national championship was the pinnacle of his career.

  Like peak, summit, height

• pivotal adjective

  of central importance; deciding what happens next

  The goal in the last minute was the pivotal moment of the match.

  Like crucial, central, decisive

• placid adjective

  calm and peaceful, with little movement; not easily upset

  The placid lake reflected the mountains perfectly.

  Like calm, peaceful, tranquil

• plagiarism noun

  copying someone else’s work or ideas and presenting them as your own

  The teacher warned that plagiarism in essays would earn a zero.

  Like copying, cheating

• plague verb

  to cause continual trouble or suffering

  Mosquitoes plagued the campers all night long.

  Like trouble, torment, bother

• plethora noun

  a very large amount, often more than is needed

  The market offered a plethora of vegetables, from bitter gourd to bamboo shoots.

  Like abundance, excess, glut

• pliable adjective

  easily bent without breaking; easily influenced

  Wet bamboo is pliable enough to weave into baskets.

  Like flexible, bendable, supple

• plight noun

  a difficult or dangerous situation

  The documentary showed the plight of snow leopards losing their habitat.

  Like predicament, difficulty, trouble

• poignant adjective

  causing a strong feeling of sadness or tender emotion

  The old letter from her grandfather was poignant to read.

  Like moving, touching, affecting

• polarize verb

  to divide people into two sharply opposed groups

  The question of school uniforms polarized the parents.

  Like divide, split

• ponder verb

  to think carefully about something for a long time

  She pondered the puzzle for an hour before solving it.

  Like consider, contemplate, reflect

• posterity noun

  all future generations of people

  The old manuscripts are being scanned and preserved for posterity.

  Like future generations, descendants

• potent adjective

  having great power or effect

  Chili peppers contain a potent chemical that makes your mouth burn.

  Like powerful, strong, effective

• pragmatism noun

  dealing with problems in a practical way rather than by ideals or theory

  Out of pragmatism, the team built the playground from old tires instead of waiting for new equipment.

  Like practicality, realism, common sense

• precarious adjective

  not secure; likely to fall or fail

  The stack of books on the edge of the desk looked precarious.

  Like unstable, shaky, risky

• precedent noun

  an earlier event or decision used as an example for later ones

  Giving one class an extra holiday would set a precedent for the others.

  Like example, model

• preclude verb

  to prevent something from happening or make it impossible

  Heavy snow precluded any chance of reaching the pass that day.

  Like prevent, rule out

• precocious adjective

  showing skills or abilities much earlier than usual

  The precocious six-year-old could already solve algebra problems.

  Like advanced, gifted

• precursor noun

  something that comes before and leads to a later development

  The abacus was a precursor of the modern calculator.

  Like forerunner, predecessor, ancestor

• predecessor noun

  a person who held a job or position before someone else

  The new principal kept many of her predecessor’s good ideas.

  Like forerunner, former holder

• predicament noun

  an unpleasant situation that is hard to get out of

  Finding himself locked out in the rain, he was in quite a predicament.

  Like plight, dilemma, difficulty

• predilection noun

  a special liking for something

  My father has a predilection for strong milk tea.

  Like preference, liking, fondness

• predominant adjective

  most common, strongest or most noticeable

  Green is the predominant color of the hills in the monsoon.

  Like main, dominant, prevailing

• preeminent adjective

  better or more famous than all others in a field

  He is the preeminent expert on Himalayan birds.

  Like leading, foremost, outstanding

• preempt verb

  to act first in order to prevent something from happening

  The teacher preempted complaints by announcing the rules early.

  Like forestall, anticipate, prevent

• premonition noun

  a strong feeling that something is about to happen

  She had a premonition that the bus would be late, so she left early.

  Like foreboding, hunch, presentiment

• preoccupied adjective

  thinking so much about one thing that you ignore others

  He was preoccupied with his exam and forgot his friend’s birthday.

  Like absorbed, distracted, engrossed

• preposterous adjective

  completely unreasonable and silly

  The claim that the moon is made of cheese is preposterous.

  Like absurd, ridiculous, ludicrous

• prerogative noun

  a special right belonging to a person or group

  Choosing the class trip destination is the teacher’s prerogative.

  Like right, privilege, entitlement

• presumptuous adjective

  too sure of yourself, so that you do things you have no right to do

  It was presumptuous of him to sit in the guest’s chair without asking.

  Like forward, overconfident, impertinent

• pretentious adjective

  trying to seem more important or clever than you really are

  He used pretentious long words just to impress his classmates.

  Like affected, pompous, showy

• pretext noun

  a false reason given to hide the real one

  She went to the kitchen on the pretext of getting water, but really wanted a sweet.

  Like excuse, pretense, cover

• prevail verb

  to win in the end; to be widespread

  After a long struggle, the smaller team prevailed in the final.

  Like win, triumph, succeed

• prevalent adjective

  common or widespread at a certain time or place

  Colds are prevalent in winter.

  Like widespread, common, rife

• pristine adjective

  in its original condition; perfectly clean and unspoiled

  The lake high in the mountains was pristine and crystal clear.

  Like unspoiled, untouched, spotless

• proclaim verb

  to announce something publicly and officially

  The king proclaimed a holiday to celebrate the harvest.

  Like announce, declare, pronounce

• procrastinate verb

  to delay doing something you should do

  If you procrastinate, you will have to finish the essay at midnight.

  Like delay, postpone, put off

• prodigious adjective

  remarkably great in size, amount or ability

  The elephant ate a prodigious amount of grass every day.

  Like enormous, huge, remarkable

• prodigy noun

  a young person with extraordinary talent

  The nine-year-old chess prodigy beat many adult players.

  Like genius, wonder, whiz kid

• proficient adjective

  good at something because of training and practice

  After a year of practice, she became proficient in typing.

  Like skilled, competent, expert

• profuse adjective

  given or flowing out in very large amounts

  After the long monsoon rains, the hillside was covered in profuse wildflowers.

  Like abundant, lavish, copious

• proliferate verb

  to increase quickly in number or spread rapidly

  Mobile phone shops have proliferated along the main roads of Kathmandu in recent years.

  Like multiply, mushroom, spread

• prolific adjective

  producing a great many works, results, or offspring

  The prolific author wrote more than sixty books for children during her life.

  Like productive, fruitful, fertile

• prolong verb

  to make something last longer in time

  We prolonged our stay in Pokhara by two days because the weather was so lovely.

  Like extend, lengthen, protract

• prone adjective

  likely to do or suffer something, usually something bad

  Old buses on mountain roads are prone to breaking down on steep climbs.

  Like liable, inclined, susceptible

• propagate verb

  to spread ideas or information widely; to grow new plants from a parent plant

  My grandmother propagates roses by planting cuttings from her old bushes.

  Like spread, disseminate, reproduce

• propensity noun

  a natural tendency to behave in a certain way

  Our puppy has a propensity to chew any shoe left near the door.

  Like tendency, inclination, proclivity

• prophetic adjective

  correctly describing or suggesting what will happen in the future

  His joke that the match would end in a tie turned out to be prophetic.

  Like predictive, prescient

• proponent noun

  a person who argues in favor of an idea or plan

  Our science teacher is a strong proponent of learning through hands-on experiments.

  Like advocate, supporter, champion

• propriety noun

  behavior that follows accepted rules of politeness and correctness

  The students behaved with great propriety during the visit to the old temple.

  Like decorum, decency, correctness

• prosaic adjective

  ordinary and dull, without imagination or excitement

  After the thrilling first chapter, the rest of the book felt rather prosaic.

  Like dull, mundane, commonplace

• prosperity noun

  the condition of having success and plenty of money

  Good harvests brought prosperity to the farming village for several years.

  Like wealth, affluence, well-being

• protagonist noun

  the main character in a story, play, or film

  The protagonist of the novel is a young girl who climbs Everest.

  Like hero, lead

• provincial adjective

  of a region outside the capital; narrow-minded and unsophisticated in outlook

  The provincial government built a new bridge across the river last year.

  Like regional, parochial, narrow-minded

• provisional adjective

  arranged for now but likely to be changed later

  The exam dates are provisional and may change if the holidays move.

  Like temporary, interim, tentative

• provocative adjective

  meant to cause anger, strong feelings, or debate

  The speaker asked a provocative question that got the whole class arguing.

  Like inflammatory, controversial, challenging

• provoke verb

  to deliberately cause a strong reaction, especially anger

  Please do not provoke the monkeys at the temple by waving food at them.

  Like incite, trigger, goad

• proximity noun

  nearness in space or time

  The proximity of our school to the river makes field trips easy.

  Like nearness, closeness

• prudence noun

  careful good judgment that avoids risks

  Prudence told us to turn back when dark clouds gathered over the pass.

  Like caution, wisdom, care

• prudent adjective

  acting with care and good sense to avoid risks

  It is prudent to carry extra water when trekking in the hills.

  Like wise, sensible, cautious

• pseudonym noun

  a false name used by a writer instead of the real one

  The author published her first stories under a pseudonym to keep her identity secret.

  Like pen name, alias

• punitive adjective

  intended as a punishment

  The school removed the punitive rule that kept late students out of class.

  Like disciplinary, penal

• pursuit noun

  the act of chasing or trying to achieve something; an activity done for enjoyment

  Her pursuit of a medical degree took many years of hard study.

  Like quest, chase, hobby