abate
to become, or make sth less strong
abed
in bed
aberrant
not socially acceptable
abet
to help, or encourage sb to do sth wrong
in abeyance
not being used for a period of
time
ablutions
act of washing yourself
aboard
on a ship, plane, bus etc.
abode
where sb lives
abolition
ending of sth
abominate
to feel hatred, or disgust
abomination
extremely unpleasant, disgusting
abortive
unsuccessful
above
board
legal and honest; in a legal and honest way
abridge
to make book, etc. shorter
absent minded
forgetful
abstainer
who chooses not to vote, who never drinks
alcohol
abstruse
difficult to understand
abundant
plentiful
abysmal
extremely bad
abyss
deep wide space, or hole that seems to have
no bottom
accede
to agree, to become king, or queen
accommodating
willing to help, obliging
accomplish
to achieve sth
in accord with sb/sth
in agreement with
accord with sth
to agree with sth
accountable
responsible
accoutrements
pieces of equipment for a
particular activity
accredited
officially recognized
accrue
to increase over a period of time
accursed
suffering from a curse, or black magic
ace
person who is very good at doing sth
Achilles
heel
weak point in sb’s character attacked by other
people
acme
peak
acquaintance
with
sb
slight friendship
make sb’s
acquaintance
to meet sb first time
acquiesce
to accept sth, even if you do not agree
acrimonious
bitter
acrobat
rope dancer
acronym a word
formed using initial letters of other words
act
up
to behave badly
acumen
ability to understand and decide things
quickly
ad
hominem
against person’s character
ad
nauseam
again and again in boring and annoying way
Adam’s
apple
lump at the front of the throat
adamantine
very strong and impossible to break
add
up
to seem reasonable
add-on
a thing that is added to sth else
adieu
goodbye
ad-infinitum
for ever
adjourn
to postpone
adjudicate
to make official decision
adjure
to order sb to do sth
Adonis
extremely attractive young man
adorable
attractive
adoration
great love, or worship
adore
to love very much, to like very much
adrenalin
hormone produced in the body due
to excitement, fear, or anger
adulation
excessive praise
the advent of
sb/sth
coming of invention, etc.
adventitious
happening by accident; not planned
advisable
sensible
advise sb of
sth
to inform
advisory
official warning
aeon
thousands of years
aerodrome
small airport
aesthete
who love art and beautiful things
affaire
love affair
affectation
behaviour, action to impress other people
affectionate
loving
affections
person’s feelings of love
affective
connected with emotions, attitudes
affliction
pain and suffering, or sth that
causes it
afforestation
process of planting areas of land with trees
aficionado
who likes a particular subject, etc. very
much and knows a lot about it
afloat
floating on water
afoot
being planned
afore mentioned
mentioned earlier
aftermath
situation existing after a war, an
accident, etc.
her mouth was
agape
wide open, because of surprise or shock
come of age
to become mature
age
of
consent
legal age to have sex
aggrandizement
increase in the power, or importance of a
person, or country
aggravate
to worsen
agonize over
sth
to spend a long time thinking and worrying
about sth
agreeable
pleasant and easy to like
aggrieved
feeling that you have been treated unfairly
aghast
horrified
ahead
of
earlier than
agog
excited
agonizing
causing severe physical, or mental pain
agrarian
relating to agricultural land
aide
who helps politician in their job
ailing
ill and not improving
air-liner
large plane that carries
passengers
airy-fairy
not clear, or practical
ajar
slightly open
aka
also known as
akin
to
similar
a la
in the same style as sb/sth else
alacrity
great willingness
alarm
anxiety, fear
alarmist
causing unnecessary anxiety, fear
albatross
a thing that causes problems, or prevents you
from doing sth
albeit
although
albumen
/ yoke white /
yellow part of egg
alchemy
mysterious power, or magic that can change
things
alcove
area in a room built farther back than the
rest of the wall
alfresco
outdoors
alibi
evidence that a person was in
another place during a crime
alienate
to make sb unfriendly towards you
she was all
smiles
she was smiling a lot
all manner of sb/sth
many different types of people, or
things
all the while
all the time
allege
to state sth without a proof
allegiance
continued support for a political party,
religion, etc.
allude
to mention indirectly
alluvial
made of sand and earth left by
rivers or floods
Alma
Mater
school, college, etc. where sb had studied
aloft
high in the air
altruism
giving more value to the other
people’s need or happiness than yourself
amalgamate
to merge
amass
to accumulate
amatory
related to sexual desire, or activity
ambience
character and atmosphere of a place
ambidextrous who
can do
things with
the left hand or the right hand equally well
ambit
scope of authority, etc.
ambivalent
having both good and bad feelings
ambrosia
food of the gods
ameliorate
to make sth better
amenable
willing to be influenced by sb/sth
make amends
for sth
to make up for sth
amenity
a feature that makes a place pleasant, or
easy to live in
basic
amenities
baths, showers, hot water, etc.
amicus curie
friendly lawyer of court
amiss
wrong
amity
friendly relationship between people, or
countries
amnesia
loss of memory
run amok
to behave violently
amour
secret love affair
ample
plenty of
anaemia
lack of red cells in blood
analgesic
painkiller
anathema
thing, or idea you hate
ancillary
auxiliary
androgynous
having both male and female characteristics
go angling
to catch fish with a line and hook
Anglo Saxon
whose ancestors were English
annals
historical record
annex
to occupy
anodyne
unlikely to offend anyone
anon
soon
anomie
lack of social, or moral standards
antagonistic
hostile
raise / up
the ante
to increase the level of sth
anthology
collection of poems, stories
anthropoid
(of an ape) looking like a human
anthropology
study of the origin, development, custom,
beliefs of human race
antics
silly and funny behaviour
antipathy
strong dislike
antiquary
who studies, collects, or sells
old and valuable objects
antique
(of furniture, jewellery, etc.) old and
valuable
antiquity
the ancient past of the Greeks and
Romans
apace
quickly
apathy
lack of interest or enthusiasm
apathetic
showing no interest
aphorism
short phrase
aphrodisiac
food, or drug that causes sexual arousal
apiary
where bees are kept
aplenty
in large amounts
apocalypse
situation causing very serious damage
apocryphal
well known but not true
apologist for sb/sth
who tries to defend a political
system, or religious ideas
apotheosis
best time in sb’s life, or career
appall
to shock sb very much
appalling
shocking
apparatchik
official in a large political organization
apparel
clothing
apparition
ghost
appellation
name, or title
apposite
appropriate
appendage
smaller, or less important part of sth large
appreciate
to realize, to be grateful
apprehend
to arrest, to understand, to fear
apprehension
fear that sth unpleasant may happen, act of
arresting sb
approbation
approval, or agreement
appropriate
sth
to take sth, sb’s ideas, etc. for your own
use
appropriate
sth for sth
to take, or give money, etc.
apropos of
with reference to
aquiline nose/features
eagle like
acquit
yourself well/badly
to perform, or behave well/badly
arable
related to wheat, etc.
arboreal
of, or living in trees
arcane
mysterious; difficult to understand
archetype
most typical, or perfect example
of sth
archipelago
group of islands and the sea surrounding them
ardent
passionate
ardour
passion
arid
(of land, or a climate) having little, or no
rain
aright
correctly
Armageddon
terrible war that could destroy the world
armistice
ceasefire
armoire
cupboard
up in arms
very angry and ready to protest
arm-twisting
use of a lot of pressure to persuade sb to do
sth
arriviste
who is determined to be accepted
as a member of a social group
arrogate
to
yourself sth
to claim, or take sth that you have no right to
arson crime of
setting fire to a building, etc.
artifact
object made by a person and of
historical interest
ascendancy
having dominant power, or control
look askance
at
sb/sth
to look with suspicion
asperity
harshness
aspersions
critical remarks
assassin
who murders
assent
approval
astringent
critical in a severe way
asunder
into pieces
atheism
belief that God does not exist
atop
on top of
atrocious
cruel, or violent
atrocity
cruel and violent act
attendant
upon
connected with
attenuate
to make sth weaker, or less effective
attire
clothes
au naturel
in natural way
audacious
bold
aught
anything
augment
to increase
august
impressive
augury
omen
aura
feeling, or particular quality that surrounds
a person, or place
aureole
circle of light
automaton
robot
autonomous
independent
autopsy
post-mortem
to little /
to no avail
with little/no success
avalanche
mass of snow, ice and rock that falls down
the side of a mountain
the
avant-garde
group of artist, who introduce new ideas
avenue
choice, or way of making
progress
averse to sth / to doing sth
not liking sth or wanting to do sth
aviary
large cage
avid
keen
avow
to say firmly and publicly
awash
with
water
covered with water
awe
struck
amazed, impressed
awful
bad, terrible
look/feel
awful
look/feel ill
awful lot
too much
awhile
for
a short time
axiom
rule, or principle that most people believe
to be true
axiomatic
self-evident
axis
agreement, or alliance between countries
