Word: Abet

Meaning: Incite or support, encourage (usually an offender or the commission of

an offence)
Form: Verb
Sentence: The judge ruled Mr. Cornwell guilty of aiding and abetting the main ac
cused in the bank-robbery case.
Synonyms: Uphold
Word: Abeyance
Meaning: Suspended action
Form: Noun
Sentence: With the pace of life in Indian metros getting faster by the day, many
of the old Indian traditions have fallen into abeyance and are no longer practi
ced
Word: Abject
Meaning: Sunk to a low condition, Degraded
Form: Adjective
Sentence: Within a space of five years, the Orchard family was transformed from
a state of plentiful extravagance to one of abject poverty.
Synonyms: Sordid, Squalid
Antonyms:
Word: Abjure
Meaning: To deny, To abandon one's claim or right
Form: Verb
Sentence: John has legally abjured himself from his father's wealth, saying that
he is not interested in inheriting money that has been earned unscrupulously
Word: Abnegation
Meaning: Lack of concern for one's own wishes
Form: Noun
Sentence: According to some religious preachers, self-abnegation is the only rou
te to a state of unlimited happiness.
Word: Abolish
Meaning: Cancel, Put an end to
Form: Verb
Sentence: Abraham Lincoln was instrumental in the abolition of slavery in the Un
ited States
Word: Abominable
Meaning: Very bad or unpleasant, Deserving hate
Form: Adjective
Sentence: I'm never going to that restaurant again, the food there is abominable

Word: Aboriginal
Meaning: Being the first or the earliest of its kind in a region
Form: Adjective
Sentence: The people of this region are supposed to be descendents of an aborigi
nal civilization that existed here more than 2500 years ago and was destroyed by
the invasion of Huns
Word: Abortive
Meaning: 1) Fruitless, Unsuccessful 2) Resulting in abortion
Form: Adjective
Sentence: After three abortive attempts, the hunters finally succeeded in killin
g the man-eating tiger in the jungle.
Word: Abrasive
Meaning: 1) Tending to graze the skin or hurt a person 2) causing annoyance or d
islike 3) (Substance) capable of rubbing or grinding
Form: Adjective & Noun
Sentence: Beneath his rather abrasive exterior personality, he hides a heart of
gold; a fact which very few people are aware of.
Synonyms: Jarring, Strident
Word: Abridge
Meaning: Condense or shorten
Form: Verb
Sentence: This abridged version of Crime and Punishment is actually more engross
ing than the complete version, and also quite well-written
Meaning: Abolish, Do away with
Form: Verb
Sentence: By abrogating the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA), the governme
nt has conceded to a long standing demand of the Association of Exporters
Word: Absolve
Meaning: Pardon (an offense)
Form: Verb
Sentence: According to Hindu mythology, a person can be absolved of all sins if
he breathes his last at the Indian town of Varanasi
Word: Abseil
Meaning: (Make) descend by using a rope fixed at higher point
Form: Noun & Verb
Sentence: The only way to escape from the fortress was to abseil down from the s
teep cliff on the western side of the mountain, a task which was almost impossib
le.
Word: Abstain
Meaning: Refrain, Withhold from participation
Form: Verb
Sentence: The opposition party has decided to abstain from participating in the
parliamentary proceedings for the day in protest of the proposed Taxation Bill
Word: Abstemious
Meaning: Sparing in eating and drinking
Form: Adjective
Sentence: He's known for his abstemious habits; you cannot persuade him to eat m
ore than what he wishes.
Word: Abstinence
Meaning: Restraint from eating or drinking
Form: Noun
Sentence: The month of Ramzaan is a period of abstinence for Mohammedan, during
which they are allowed to eat just one frugal meal in a day
Word: Abstract
Meaning: Theoretical, Not concrete
Form: Adjective
Sentence: It was a rather abstract discussion on the problem of adolescent crime
, without much reference to actual cases

Word: Abstruse
Meaning: Difficult to comprehend
Form: Adjective
Sentence: After two years of grueling research, the professor came up with a rat
her abstruse theory on the nature of nuclear reactions, which could not be under
stood by any of the doctoral students of Physics in the university.
Word: Abut
Meaning: 1) To touch or join at the border or side 2) Have a common boundary
Form: Verb
Sentence: The main reason for the bitterness between the two farmers was that th
eir fields did not have a clearly defined boundary and abutted on each other.

Word: Acaudal
Meaning: Tailless, Having no visible stem
Form: Adjective
Sentence: A species of acaudal monkeys has been sighted on a remote island in th
e Pacific, and the absence of a tail has surprised many a zoologist
Word: Acephalous
Meaning: 1) Headless 2) Without a leader
Form: Adjective
Sentence: With the sudden demise of its leader Mr. Rajiv Gandhi, the Congress Pa
rty was rendered acephalous and directionless
Word: Accede
Meaning: (1) Agree to a plan or suggestion (2) To take a high post or position a
fter someone has left it
Form: Verb
Sentence: After much persuasion, the teacher finally acceded to our request for
letting off the class a little early.
Word: Accessible
Meaning: Easy to approach; Obtainable, Reachable
Form: Adjective
Sentence: Because of its rough shoreline from all sides, the island was accessib
le only by a small row boat.
Word: Accessory
Meaning: Additional object, useful but not essential
Form: Noun & Adjective
Sentence: The car was shorn of all accessories and was a very basic model
Word: Acclaim
Meaning: Applaud, Announce with great approval
Form: Verb & Noun
Sentence: (1) Naipaul's new book has been widely acclaimed as his finest work on
India in over 30 years. (2) The film received considerable critical acclaim.

Word: Acclimatize
Meaning: Adjust to climate or environment; Adapt
Form: Verb
Sentence: They lived in London for three years but never really got acclimatized
to the cold and gloomy weather.
Word: Acclivity
Meaning: Sharp upward slope
Form: Noun
Sentence: The acclivity of this hill provides an ideal testing ground for buddin
g mountaineers
Word: Accomplice
Meaning: Partner in crime
Form: Noun
Sentence: The police concluded that the murder could not have been committed wit
hout the help of at least once accomplice
Word: Accost
Meaning: Approach and speak first to a person
Form: Verb
Sentence: A sinister looking man accosted me in the dark street and asked for mo
ney
Word: Accoutrements
Meaning: A soldier's equipment, other than clothing or weaponry
Form: Noun
Sentence: At these high altitudes, an oxygen cylinder is an essential part of ev
ery soldier's accoutrements.
Word: Accrue
Meaning: To increase by addition. Also, to come as a gain or an additional advan
tage.
Form: Verb
Sentence: (1) The interest on this bank account has accrued to an amount greater
than the principal. (2) Many benefits accrue to the society from free medical s
ervices provided by this organization

Word: Acerbity
Meaning: Harshness or bitterness of speech, manner, temper etc.
Form: Noun
Sentence: The acerbity in her speech can put off almost anyone; she urgently nee
ds to tone down the harsh words she uses
Word: Acidulous
Meaning: Slightly sour; sharp, caustic
Form: Adjective
Sentence: The apples grown in this area are particularly acidulous, perhaps beca
use of the presence of a small amount of hydrochloric acid in the soil of this r
egion
Word: Acme
Meaning: The top or highest point
Form: Noun
Sentence: Just when everyone thought that he had reached the acme of perfection
in the game of chess, he was outplayed by an unknown Armenian, playing his first
major tournament
Word: Acolyte
Meaning: An attendant or follower. Specifically, a person in the church who help
s a priest to perform religious ceremonies.
Form:

Word: Acoustics
Meaning: Science of sound or quality that makes a room easy or hard to hear in
Form: Noun
Sentence: The acoustics of this theater are so good that you do not need any ele
ctronic microphones to hear the smallest of sounds of an orchestra.
Synonyms:
Word: Acquiesce
Meaning: Assent, agree passively
Form: Verb
Sentence: In deciding the marriage of their daughter, parents in rural India tak
e the acquiescence of the daughter for granted
Word: Acquittal
Meaning: Deliverance from a charge
Form: Noun
Sentence: Despite a strong circumstantial evidence against him, he was acquitted
by the court of law presumably because of his excellent political connections.

Word: Acrid
Meaning: Sharp, Bitterly pungent
Form: Adjective
Sentence: A distinct, acrid smell of burning rubber filled the air, but no one c
ould tell where it was coming from.
Word: Acrimonious
Meaning: Stinging, caustic
Form: Adjective
Sentence: He let out a string of acrimonious remarks about the old man, when he
was told that his name did not figure in the old man's will
Word: Actuarial
Meaning: Calculating, Pertaining to insurance statistics
Form: Adjective
Sentence: He has a degree in Actuarial studies and is hence seeking an employmen
t in insurance and finance companies
Word: Actuate
Meaning: To activate, Put into action, Motivate
Form: Verb
Sentence: His efforts at making the business run are actuated by an ambition whi
ch borders on greed
Word: Acuity
Meaning: Sharpness
Form: Noun
Sentence: Her acuity of mind at the age of eighty is simply amazing; she can rec
all what many people of fifty would tend to forget
Word: Acute
Meaning: Quickly perceptive, brief and severe
Form: Adjective
Sentence: Dogs are known for having an acute sense of smell.
Word: Ad valorem
Meaning: According to the value, in proportion to the estimated value of goods
Form: Adverb & Adjective
Sentence: The finance ministry has decided to charge a 2 percent ad valorem duty
on the goods produced in the newly developed industrial township.
Synonyms:
Word: Adage
Meaning: Wise saying, proverb
Form: Noun
Sentence: The adage Pride goes before a Fall best describes the state of the Ind
ian cricketers who have been charged of match-fixing
Word: Adamant
Meaning: Inflexible, unyielding
Form: Adjective
Sentence: I tried to persuade her to accompany me to the store, but she was adam
ant on staying at home and watching television
Word: Adapt
Meaning: To become suitable for different conditions, To change according to the
situation
Form: Verb
Sentence: Try as he might, he could not adapt to the idea of having a woman as h
is boss.
Word: Addendum
Meaning: Addition, Appendix to book
Form: Noun
Sentence: The script of the documentary mentioned in chapter 2 of the report is
given as an addendum to this report.
Word: Addiction
Meaning: Compulsive, habitual need
Form: Noun
Sentence: Addiction to the Internet is proving to be a problem for parents of ma
ny children in urban India.
Word: Addle
Meaning: 1) Muddle, drive crazy, become rotten 2) Empty, muddled, unsound
Form: Verb & Adjective
Sentence: Working continuously for fifteen hours a day for months on end can add
le the brains of the sharpest individual
Word: Adduce
Meaning: To give an example, proof, or explanation
Form: Verb
Sentence: He had worked so hard; I cannot adduce any reason for his failure
Word: Adept
Meaning: Expert or thoroughly skilled
Form: Adjective & Noun
Sentence: You do not need an MBA degree to be adept at the art of selling if you
have the ability to persuade people
Word: Adhere
Meaning: Stick, To continue to follow or remain loyal to
Form: Verb
Sentence: The doctor has advised him to strictly adhere to the prescribed regime
n; otherwise there is a danger of relapse of the illness

Word: Adjunct
Meaning: Thing that is subordinate or incidental to another
Form: Noun
Sentence: My idea was considered by the company director as an adjunct to the ma
in proposal.
Synonyms: Affiliate
Word: Adjutant
Meaning: Staff officer assisting the commander (usu. in the army), Assistant
Form: Noun
Sentence: The adjutant of this army unit is a strict disciplinarian.

Word: Adjuration
Meaning: An earnest appeal, entreaty
Form: Noun
Sentence: His most sincere adjurations to the teacher to let him retake the exam
ination fell on deaf ears

Word: Adlib
Meaning: 1) Freely, without restraint 2) Speak without preparation
Form: Adjective & Verb
Sentence: At the Etos chain of restaurants, you pay a fixed price for a meal and
can eat ad lib.
Word: Admonish
Meaning: To warn (gently but firmly), to exhort, to reprove
Form: Verb
Sentence: The salesperson was gently admonished by the customer for not knowing
the specifications of the product well enough
Word: Adroit
Meaning: Highly skilled in the use of hands or in the exercise of mental faculti
es
Form: Adjective
Sentence: The seasoned politician was adroit at the art of turning social occasi
ons to his political advantage.
Word: Adulterate
Meaning: Make impure by mixing with baser substances
Form: Verb & Adjective
Sentence: The widespread adulteration of cement by unscrupulous traders has prov
ed to be a menace for the construction
Word: Adumbrate
Meaning: To give a sketchy representation of, To foreshadow a coming event vague
ly
Form: Verb
Sentence: He had an amazing power of adumbration bordering on the supernatural;
he somehow always knew when something very good or very bad was about to happen.

Word: Advent
Meaning: Arrival of important person or thing
Form: Noun
Sentence: The advent of e-mail has severely impacted the postal industry all ove
r the world.
Synonyms: Ingress
Word: Adventitious
Meaning: Accidental, casual, happening by chance
Form: Adjective
Sentence: In a most adventitious occurrence, the arrival of his baby coincided w
ith his getting a new job that paid him almost twice as before.
Synonyms: Fortuitous, Contingent
Word: Adversary
Meaning: Opponent, enemy
Form: Noun
Sentence: The thought of watching the old adversaries fight it out in the boxing
ring pulled a huge crowd to the stadium.
Word: Adverse
Meaning: Unfavorable, hostile
Form: Adjective
Sentence: The story of the ill-treatment of a former employee by the company dir
ector led to a lot of adverse publicity for the company