Abase – to humiliate, to degrade

Abate – to reduce or to lessen

Abdicate – to give up a position, usually one of great power or authority

Abduct – to kidnap, take by force

Aberration – something that differs from what’s normal

Abet – to aid, assist, encourage

Abhor – to hate, detest

Abide – to put up with; to remain

Abject – wretched, pitiful

Abjure – to reject, renounce

Abnegation – denial of comfort to oneself

Abort – to give up on a half-finished project or effort

Abridge – to cut down, shorten; shortened

Abrogate – to abolish, usually by authority

Abscond – to sneak away and hide

Absolution – freedom from blame, guilt, sin

Abstain – to freely choose not to commit an action

Abstruse – hard to comprehend

Accede- to agree

Accentuate – to stress, highlight

Accessible – obtainable, reachable

Acclaim – high praise

Accolade – high praise, special distinction

Accommodating – helpful, obliging, polite

Accord – an agreement

Accost – to confront verbally

Accretion – slow growth in size or amount

Acerbic – biting, bitter in tone or taste

Acquiesce – to agree without protesting

Acrimony – bitterness, discord

Acumen – keen insight

Acute – sharp, severe; having keen insight

Adamant – impervious, immovable, unyielding

Adept – extremely skilled

Adhere – to stick to something; to follow devoutly

Admonish – to caution, criticize, reprove

Adorn – to decorate

Adroit – skillful, dexterous

Adulation – extreme praise

Adumbrate – to sketch out in a vague way

Adverse – antagonistic, unfavorable, dangerous

Advocate – to argue in favor of; a person who argues in favor

Aerial – somehow related to the air

Aesthetic – artistic, related to one’s sense of beauty

Affable – friendly, amiable

Affinity – a spontaneous feeling of closeness

Affluent – rich, wealthy

Affront – an insult

Aggrandize – to increase or make greater

Aggregate – a whole or total; to gather into a mass

Aggrieved – distressed, wronged, injured

Agile – quick, nimble

Agnostic – doubting the existence of God

Agriculture – farming

Aisle – a passageway between rows of seats

Alacrity – eagerness, speed

Alias – a false or identity

Allay – to soothe, ease, put to rest

Allege – to assert, usually without proof

Alleviate – to relieve, make more bearable

Allocate – to distribute, set aside

Aloof – reserved, distant

Altercation – a dispute, fight

Amalgamate – to bring together, unite

Ambiguous – uncertain, variably interpretable

Ambivalent – having opposing feelings

Ameliorate – to improve

Amenable – willing, compliant

Amenity – an item that increases comfort

Amiable – friendly

Amicable – friendly

Amorous – showing love, particularly affectionate

Amorphous – without a fixed or definitive shape or type

Anachronistic – out of its proper time

Analgesic – something that reduces pain

Analogous – similar to, so that an analogy can be drawn

Anarchist – one who opposes and wants to eliminate all forms of government and law

Anathema – something cursed, a detestable person

Anecdote – a short, humorous account

Anesthesia – a substance that causes loss of sensation

Anguish – extreme sadness, torment

Animated – lively

Annex – to incorporate a space; a space attached to a larger space

Annul – to make void or invalid

Anomaly – something that does not fit into the normal order

Anonymous – being unknown, unrecognized

Antagonism – hostility
Antecedent – something that came before

Antediluvian – ancient; before Noah’s flood

Anthology – a selected collection of writings, songs, etc.

Antipathy – a strong dislike, repugnance

Antiquated – old, out of date

Antiseptic – clean, sterile

Antithesis – the absolute opposite

Anxiety – intense uneasiness

Apathetic – lacking concern, non-emotional

Apocryphal – probably fictitious, probably false or wrong

Appalling – inspiring shock, horror, disgust

Appease – to calm, satisfy

Appraise – to assess worth or value

Apprehend – to seize, arrest; to perceive, understand, grasp

Approbation – praise

Appropriate – to take and make use of

Aquatic – relating to water

Arable – suitable for growing crops

Arbiter – one who can resolve a dispute or make a decision

Arbitrary – based on random factors

Arbitration – the process or act of resolving a dispute

Arboreal – of or relating to trees

Arcane – obscure, secret, known only by a few

Archaic – of or relating to an earlier period in time, outdated

Archetypal – the most representative or typical example of something

Ardor – extreme vigor, energy, enthusiasm

Arid – excessively dry

Arrogate – to take without justification

Artifact – a remaining piece from an extinct culture or place

Artisan – a craftsman

Ascertain – to perceive, to receive, to learn

Ascetic – practicing restraint as a means of self-discipline, usually religious

Ascribe – to assign, credit, attribute to

Aspersion – a curse, expression of ill-will

Aspire – to long for or to aim toward

Assail – to attack

Assess – to evaluate

Assiduous – hard-working, diligent

Assuage – to ease, pacify

Astute – very clever, crafty

Asylum – a place of refuge, a sanctuary; institution for the insane

Atone – to repent, make amends

Atrophy – to wither away, decay

Attain – to achieve, arrive at

Attribute – to credit/assign; a facet or trait

Atypical – not typical, unusual

Audacious – excessively bold

Audible – able to be heard

Augment – to add to, expand

Auspicious – favorable, indicative of good things

Austere – very bare, bleak

Avarice – excessive greed

Avenge – to seek revenge

Aversion – a particular dislike for something

Balk – to stop, block abruptly

Ballad – a love song

Banal – dull, commonplace

Bane – a burden

Bard – a poet, or a singer

Bashful – shy, excessively timid

Battery – a device that supplies power; assault, beating

Beguile – to trick, deceive

Behemoth – large creature; something of tremendous power or size

Benevolent – marked by goodness or doing good

Benign – favorable, not threatening, mild

Bequeath – to pass on in a will, give or donate legally

Berate – to scold vehemently

Bereft – devoid of, without

Beseech – to beg, plead, implore

Bias – a tendency, inclination, prejudice

Bilk – cheat, defraud

Blandish – to coax by using flattery

Blemish – an imperfection, flaw

Blight – a plague, disease; a scar or mark of discoloration

Boisterous – loud and full of energy

Bombastic – excessively confident, pompous

Boon – a gift or blessing

Bourgeois – an upper middle-class person, a successful capitalist

Brazen – excessively bold, brash

Brusque – short, abrupt, dismissive

Buffet – to strike with force; arrangement of food on a table

Burnish – to polish, shine

Buttress – to support, hold up; something that offers support

Cacophony – tremendous noise, disharmonious sound

Cadence – a rhythm, progression of sound

Cajole – to urge, coax

Calamity – an event with disastrous consequences

Calibrate – to set, standardize

Callous – harsh, cold, unfeeling

Calumny – an attempt to spoil someone else’s reputation by spreading lies

Camaraderie – brotherhood, partnership, jovial unity

Candor – honesty, frankness

Canny – shrewd, careful

Canvas – a piece of cloth for an artist to paint; to cover, inspect

Capacious – very spacious

Capitulate – to surrender

Capricious – subject to whim, fickle

Captivate – to get the attention of, hold

Carouse – to party, celebrate

Carp – to annoy, pester

Catalog – to list, enter onto a list; a list or collection

Catalyze – to charge, inspire

Caucus – a meeting usually held by people working toward the same goal

Caustic – bitter, biting, acidic

Cavort – to leap about, behave boisterously

Censure – harsh criticism; to rebuke formally

Cerebral – related to the intellect

Chaos – absolute disorder

Chastise – to criticize severely

Cherish – to feel or show deep affection toward something

Chide – to voice disapproval

Choreography – the arrangement of dances

Chronicle – a written history; to write a detailed history