1.

abase
cause to feel shame; hurt the pride of
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
She is not abased or dejected, but exalted, rather.
Sinclair, May

2. aberration
a state or condition markedly different from the norm
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
While Tampa Bay has taken a huge nosedive a year after going 10-6, maybe
that 2010 success was an aberration.
Seattle Times (Dec 26, 2011)

3. abhor
find repugnant
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
There are sane readers who abhor gratuitous violence but love Reachers
menacing wisecracks.
New York Times (Sep 20, 2011)

4. abject
most unfortunate or miserable
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Mr. Jobling stood wringing his hands helplessly, his flaccid features
expressive of abject despair.
Douglas, Hudson

5. abrasive
sharply disagreeable; rigorous
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
He has always been focused, driven, demanding and, as a result, very
difficult and abrasive, Mr. Norman said.
New York Times (Oct 7, 2011)

6. abstain
choose not to consume
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Griffin felt that he had better abstain from questioning, and let his host run
on.
Marsh, Richard

7. abstract
existing only in the mind; separated from embodiment
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Presenting an abstract concept, waving our arms trying to describe it, we will
lose our audience right away.
Inc (Feb 20, 2012)

8. abundant
present in great quantity
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Fringing and barrier reefs are abundant throughout the archipelago,
surrounding nearly every island.
Gabel, Norman E.

9. accentuate
to stress, single out as important
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
It was a carefully studied costume; and he accentuated its eccentricity by
adopting theatrical attitudes and an air of satisfied negligence.
Leblanc, Maurice

10. acclimate
get used to a certain climate
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
The Jets will leave Friday for Denver, the better to acclimate to the
altitude and change in time zone.
New York Times (Oct 14, 2010)

11. accomplice
a person who joins with another in carrying out some plan (especially an
unethical or illegal plan)
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Tiller, the thief, and a supposed accomplice, are under arrest.
Various

12. accord
concurrence of opinion
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Friday's accord removes one of two main sticking points that have been
holding up a strategic partnership agreement between the two countries.
Wall Street Journal (Mar 9, 2012)

13. acerbic
harsh or corrosive in tone
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
They were complaining, sometimes yelling, and maybe a bit acerbic.
New York Times (Mar 29, 2012)

14. acme
the highest level or degree attainable; the highest stage of development
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Paris wholly has got to the acme of its frenzy; whirled, all ways, by panic
madness.
Various

15. acquiesce
to agree or express agreement
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
I favored building a fire and staying there till morning, but Frank preferred
pushing on to camp, so Iacquiesced.
Shields, George O.

16. acquit
pronounce not guilty of criminal charges
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
He said that in the absence of other evidence, the accused is acquitted and
discharged.
New York Times (Jan 9, 2012)

17. acrimonious
marked by strong resentment or cynicism
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
At times, the two groups squabble like schoolchildren, and the exchange
gets acrimonious.
BBC (Feb 9, 2010)

18. acute
extremely sharp or intense
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Labor shortages are already so acute in many Chinese industrial zones that
factories struggle to find enough people to operate their assembly lines.
New York Times (Mar 31, 2012)

19. adamant
impervious to pleas, persuasion, requests, reason
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
But high profile or no, Mr. Kors is adamant about keeping his personal life
under wraps even as his wedding day approaches.
New York Times (Aug 5, 2011)

20. adept
having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
He proved an adept playmaker, however, making several nice passes and
finishing with 7 assists.
New York Times (Jan 7, 2012)

21. adhere
stick to firmly
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Adhering to strict safety standards has kept me alive in some very
dangerous situations.
Time (Mar 18, 2012)

22. admonish
take to task
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
"Children, children, stop quarrelling, right here in public!" admonished Mrs.
Dering, in a low, shocked tone.
Perry, Nora

23. adorn
make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Old master reproductions adorn chianti-colored walls; tapestries hang in the
restrooms.
Seattle Times (Feb 9, 2012)

24. adroit
quick or skillful or adept in action or thought
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Neither is he adroit in the exercise of his duty; instead performs it
bunglingly; his thoughts preoccupied, and eyes wandering about.
Reid, Mayne

25. adulation
servile flattery; exaggerated and hypocritical praise
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Taylor, a demagogue of the Democratic party, was hypocritically appealing to
his "horny handed neighbors" in language of feigned adulation.
Levy, T. Aaron

26. adversity
a state of misfortune or affliction
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Forty years in the wilderness, meeting adversities together, fighting
enemies, marching as one host, made them a nation.
Hurlbut, Jesse Lyman

27. advocacy
active support of an idea or cause etc.; especially the act of pleading or
arguing for something
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
That sentiment faded after the 1930s, he said, as
consumer advocacy focused more on protecting shoppers.
New York Times (Nov 11, 2011)

28. aesthetic
concerning or characterized by an appreciation of beauty or good taste
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
In old-fashioned, aesthetic terms, his glossy, color pictures of modern
housing projects in Turkish cities under moody, gray skies are beautiful.
New York Times (Oct 14, 2011)

29. affable
diffusing warmth and friendliness
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
She is restless, irritable, out of sorts, censorious, complaining at home;
animated, gracious,affable, complaisant abroad.
Hyde, William De Witt

30. affinity
a close connection marked by community of interests or similarity in
nature or character
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Malaysia has a close affinity with many Middle Eastern nations through their
shared religion.
Reuters (Feb 12, 2012)

31. affliction
a cause of great suffering and distress
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Firm and exceptional natures are thus moulded out of miseries, misfortunes
and afflictions.
Leonard, Arthur Glyn

32. affluent
having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Affluent families can afford guns, which are more efficient for bagging some
elusive animals than a poorer households typical snare trap.
New York Times (Dec 27, 2011)

33. aggrandize
add details to
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Louis XIV. was growing increasingly ambitious of enlarging his domains
and aggrandizing his power.
Abbott, John S. C. (John Stevens Cabot)

34. agile
moving quickly and lightly
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Are not many beasts physically stronger, more nimble and agile than man?
Nordau, Max Simon

35. agrarian
relating to rural matters
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Were not an agrarian society any longer, where more hands help farm the
land.
New York Times (Jun 20, 2011)

36. alacrity
liveliness and eagerness
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
The men obeyed with alacrity, as all were glad to go, lying in camp so long.
Terrill, J. Newton

37. alienate
arouse hostility or indifference in where there had formerly been love,
affection, or friendliness
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Keeping schools closed and blocking certain public services is not a strategy
we support and couldalienate public opinion and play into the governors hand.
New York Times (Feb 18, 2011)

38. allege
report or maintain
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
David is alleged to have written several Psalms, but of this there is little
evidence beyond pious assertion.
Bradlaugh, Charles

39. allegiance
the act of binding yourself (intellectually or emotionally) to a course of
action
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Notwithstanding this good fortune, Pontiac daily saw his followers dropping
off from theirallegiance; for even the boldest had lost heart.
Parkman, Francis

40. allegory
an expressive style that uses fictional characters and events to describe
some subject by suggestive resemblances; an extended metaphor
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Achingly beautiful, quiet and graceful, his award-winning novel Waiting is a
love story superimposed on a political allegory.
The Guardian (Feb 16, 2011)

41. alleviate
provide physical relief, as from pain
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Lewis said he got a Synvisc shot an injection commonly used
to alleviate arthritic symptoms in his left knee on Monday.
Washington Post (Mar 7, 2012)

42. allude
make a more or less disguised reference to
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
In his State of the Union address Tuesday night, Mr. Obama turned up the
heat, alluding to the plan without fleshing out details.
New York Times (Jan 27, 2012)

43. aloof
remote in manner
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Too much focus on official duties can make an incumbent look isolated
and aloof.
New York Times (Mar 12, 2012)

44. altruistic
showing unselfish concern for the welfare of others
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
The gesture was not necessarily altruistic; he was hoping for a donation in
return.
New York Times (Jan 24, 2011)

45. ambiguous
having more than one possible meaning
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
"The election law in New York is written in an ill-defined, ambiguous way,"
Goldfeder said, adding that he did not believe any laws were broken.
Reuters (Sep 16, 2011)

46. ambivalent
uncertain or unable to decide about what course to follow
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
"If managers are ambivalent, or wavering, then investor uncertainty
increases and the stocks become more volatile."
Reuters (Oct 26, 2011)

47. ameliorate
to make better
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Possessed of broadly humanitarian sympathies, he became interested
in ameliorating the conditions of imprisoned debtors.
Bolton, Herbert Eugene

48. amiable
diffusing warmth and friendliness
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
He was also remarkable for his amiable and cheerful manners.
Anonymous

49. amicable
characterized by friendship and good will
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Thus, by kindness, the natives of this region were won to friendship,
and amicable relations were established.
Abbott, John S. C. (John Stevens Cabot)

50. amnesty
a warrant granting release from punishment for an offense
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
After three years in prison, he was released last October in an amnesty that
freed about 200 political detainees.
Seattle Times (Mar 5, 2012)

51. amorphous
having no definite form or distinct shape
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
The problem is that where genes are tidy bits of DNA, the environment is
huge, amorphous and hard to quantify.
New York Times (Jun 9, 2010)

52. ample
more than enough in size or scope or capacity
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Both are highly respected and well known, with ample experience in
development and economic policy making.
New York Times (Mar 22, 2012)

53. anachronism
something located at a time when it could not have existed or occurred
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Today, the British monarchy seems like even more of an anachronism, notes
my friend Merida, a London bureau friend now living in New York.
Time (Apr 20, 2011)

54. analogous
similar or equivalent in some respects though otherwise dissimilar
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
The two conditions, although apparently analogous, are, in reality, very
different.
Various

55. anecdote
short account of an incident (especially a biographical one)
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
With his fourth book, Business at 16, Mr. Bagchi hopes to get teenagers
interested in business, partly by using fictional anecdotes, including boy-
meets-girl stories.
New York Times (Nov 29, 2011)

56. animosity
a feeling of ill will arousing active hostility
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
In this brutal contest, two opposing teams face off against each other with
competing agendas, borrowed tuxedos and tight smiles concealing
deep animosities.
New York Times (Jan 14, 2011)

57. annihilate
kill in large numbers
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Men deployed may fall back and escape; a mass of columns under direct
artillery fire must surrender or be annihilated.
Morse, John

58. anomaly
deviation from the normal or common order or form or rule
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
In this view, crises can be understood only as anomalies, the consequences of
unusual outside shocks.
BusinessWeek (Dec 6, 2011)

59. anonymous
having no known name or identity or known source
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Throughout the process, the targeted consumers are tagged with an
alphanumeric code, removing their names and making the data anonymous.
New York Times (Feb 21, 2012)

60. antagonism
an actively expressed feeling of dislike and hostility
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
It bred a sense of resentment and secret antagonism which he took less
pains to hide, from that night.
Prichard, Katharine Susannah

61. antecedent
someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a
grandparent)
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Paul Bunyan is known by his mighty works; his antecedents and personal
history are lost in doubt.
Laughead, W. B.

62. anthropomorphic
suggesting human characteristics for animals or inanimate things
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
The same anthropomorphic fallacy that accords human attributes to giant
corporations like BP distorts clear thinking about how to limit their political
influence.
Salon (Jul 28, 2010)

63. anticipate
be excited or anxious about
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
I will continue to sit here as usual, waiting, grinning, tapping
and anticipating my future.
New York Times (Mar 22, 2012)

64. antipathy
a feeling of intense dislike
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
At any rate, they had, as a matter of fact, produced widespread discontent
and bitter antipathiesbetween classes.
Stephen, Leslie

65. antithetical
sharply contrasted in character or purpose
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Memorisation has a bad reputation in education today, dismissed
as antithetical to creativity.
The Guardian (Apr 10, 2011)

66. apathy
an absence of emotion or enthusiasm
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
When not thus engaged, his days were passed in listless apathy.
Anonymous

67. aptitude
inherent ability
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
If there is such a thing as inherited aptitude for art it certainly showed
itself in the family of Bach.
Forkel, Johann Nikolaus

68. arbitrary
based on or subject to individual discretion or preference or sometimes
impulse or caprice
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
The pieces dont build or develop, sections are carelessly joined, endings
seem arbitrary.
New York Times (Jun 4, 2011)

69. arcane
requiring secret or mysterious knowledge
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Not just the knowledge of world geography but the very conceptualisation of
space in this late medieval map looks to us remote and arcane.
The Guardian (Apr 24, 2010)

70. archaic
so extremely old as seeming to belong to an earlier period
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
There are other advantages as well to reading the classics electronically
you can tap archaicwords on the screen for an instant definition.
Time (Feb 9, 2012)

71. archetype
something that serves as a model or a basis for making copies
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
In many ways, Mr. Romney and Mr. Huntsman embody the Mormon archetype:
clean-cut, Republican American family men.
New York Times (Nov 18, 2011)

72. ardent
characterized by intense emotion
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Age, study, experience, retirement, reflection, had in no wise dimmed the
fire of his ardentnationalism.
McCarthy, Justin

73. arduous
characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion; especially physical
effort
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
He seemed about thirty-five years of age, though the trace
of arduous mental and physical exertion gave him a rather worn and older
appearance.
Lindley, Augustus F.

74. aristocratic
belonging to or characteristic of the nobility or aristocracy
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Several aristocratic families were stripped of their status after World War
II, limiting the number of royal matches.
BusinessWeek (Feb 16, 2012)

75. artifice
a deceptive maneuver (especially to avoid capture)
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
But small men use lying artifices and disguises to protect themselves.
Hillis, Newell Dwight

76. ascetic
pertaining to or characteristic of an ascetic or the practice of rigorous
self-discipline
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Another frequent cause of visions is long-continued fasting combined with
more or less asceticdevotion.
Vere, Maximilian Schele de

77. aspire
have an ambitious plan or a lofty goal
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Indias leaders, eager for a bigger footprint in global affairs, now aspire to a
permanent seat on an expanded United Nations Security Council.
New York Times (Mar 31, 2012)

78. assimilation
the social process of absorbing one cultural group into harmony with
another
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
On the contrary, they themselves become Americanised, thanks to that
faculty of assimilationwhich they possess in a high degree.
Allyn, Jack

79. assuage
provide physical relief, as from pain
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Moreover, I became at rest within myself, and the gaping, aching void which
has filled my vitals these many days, became assuaged.
Hamilton, J. Angus

80. atone
make amends for
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
But let us pause for a moment to remember what redeeming actually
is: atoning or making up for some mistake or wrongdoing.
New York Times (Jan 25, 2011)

81. attest
provide evidence for; stand as proof of; show by one's behavior,
attitude, or external attributes
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Anticipating compensation, thousands flooded treatment centers seeking
medical certificatesattesting to their cholera.
New York Times (Mar 31, 2012)

82. attire
clothing of a distinctive style or for a particular occasion
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
She was elegantly and fashionably attired, wearing rich earrings, gold chain
and locket, three valuable rings in addition to her wedding-ring, and so forth.
Whymper, Frederick

83. attribute
an abstraction belonging to or characteristic of an entity
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
This means that fundamentally important attributes such as common sense
and curiosity are starting to take primacy.
Washington Post (Mar 29, 2012)

84. attribution
assigning to a cause or source
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
But borrowing from sample essays found online or other online sources
without attribution, even unintentionally, might result in your application
being rejected.
BusinessWeek (Dec 15, 2011)

85. audacious
disposed to venture or take risks
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
It was such an audacious, daring thing that the very thought made her dizzy.
Stokes, Katherine

86. audible
heard or perceptible by the ear
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Tavannes answered--but his words were barely audible above the deafening
uproar.
Weyman, Stanley J.

87. augment
enlarge or increase
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Computer engineers, in high demand but short supply, can command six-
figure salaries right out of college, augmented by signing bonuses and equity
or stock options.
New York Times (Jan 25, 2012)

88. augur
predict from an omen
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
But ultimately the numbers augured an inescapably grim fate: Lieberman's
approval rating in Connecticut bottomed out at just 31 percent last fall.
Time (Jan 19, 2011)

89. augury
an event that is experienced as indicating important things to come
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
It was altogether a pretty picture, that seemed to be a happy augury of the
good times in store.
Oxley, J. Macdonald (James Macdonald)

90. auspicious
auguring favorable circumstances and good luck
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
The coast at the point at which he reached it seemed specially designed by
nature for his favorable and auspicious reception.
Johnson, Willis Fletcher

91. austere
severely simple
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Adams was poor, simple, ostentatiously austere; the blended influence of
Calvinistic theology and republican principles had indurated his whole
character.
Stark, James H.

92. authentic
conforming to fact and therefore worthy of belief
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
This census is not considered authentic, as many transparent errors were
found in various parts of it.
Casseday, Ben

93. authoritarian
characteristic of an absolute ruler or absolute rule; having absolute
sovereignty
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
But, he said, all the ingredients of a repressive regime,
an authoritarian regime, are there.
New York Times (Dec 13, 2011)

94. authoritative
of recognized authority or excellence
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
His plays are being revived, and an authoritative and exhaustive edition of
his writings is being issued by a leading publishing house.
Ingleby, Leonard Cresswell

95. avarice
reprehensible acquisitiveness; insatiable desire for wealth (personified as
one of the deadly sins)
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Greed about getting or keeping money pertains to avarice, not necessarily to
simony.
Callan, Charles Jerome

96. avenge
take revenge for a perceived wrong
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
But Amon-Ra of Thebes avenged the dishonour that had been done him, and
stirred up his adorers to successful revolt.
Sayce, A. H. (Archibald Henry)

97. aversion
a feeling of intense dislike
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Our peculiar aversion, nay, our dread, of various alimentary substances are
well known.
Millingen, J. G. (John Gideon)

98. avid
marked by active interest and enthusiasm
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
An avid runner, Moyer eventually began arriving six hours early on game days
to exercise on an underwater treadmill.
New York Times (Mar 21, 2012)

99. avuncular
resembling a uncle in kindness or indulgence
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
He is a consummate retail politician, given to small talk and
an avuncular style.
New York Times (Feb 27, 2011)

100. awe
an overwhelming feeling of wonder or admiration
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
The aurora deeply impressed him, inspiring feelings of awe and reverence.
Mudge, Zachariah Atwell