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(n) A proverb, wise saying.
One way to bgin an infomal speech or an oral report os to quote an old ADAGE. |
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(n) a rich mass of ore in a mine; something very valuable, profitable, or rewarding; a source of wealth or prosperity; a very large amount; sudden profit or gain
The thrilling adventure movie set in Alaska proved to be a box-office BONANZA. |
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(adj)lacking politeness or good manners; lacking sensitivity; difficult to work with or deal with; rude.
The store manager instructed all the salesclerks to aviod CHURLISH replies to customers' questions. |
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(n)a fortress that overlooks and protects a city; any strong or commanding place.
A medieval CITADEL once guarded the capital city of the Greek island of Rhodes. |
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(v)to work with, work together
Several students plan to COLLABORATE on a geology project for the annual science fair. |
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(n) an order having the force of law;(v)to issue an order; to command firmly or forcefully.
"There went forth a DECREE from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed"
(Luke 2:1).
Why does nature always seem to DECREE nasty weather for our annual family picnic? |
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(adj)disagreeable in sound, jarring, lacking in harmony, conflicting
Their little spat struck a DISCORDANT note on our otherwise happy family get-together. |
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(v)to develop gradually; to rise to a higher level
Authors hpe that their notes, descriptions,and character sketches will EVOLVE into a book. |
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(n) a passage taken from a book, artical, ect.; (v)to take such a passage; to quote
My essay includes a long EXCERPT from a speech by Sojourner Truth.
If you EXCERPT some material from a reference book, be sure to enclose it in qoutation marks. |
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(v) to feel about hesitantly with the hands; to search blindly and uncertainly
When the power failed, we had to GROPE in the dark to find a working flashlight. |
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(v)to float or hang suspended over; to move back and forth uncertainly over or around
A large group of vultures HOVERED in the air above the wounded animal. |
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(v)to make or force one's way by pushing or elbowing; to bump, shove, brush against; to compete for
I tried not to JOSTLE other riders as I exited the crowded bus. |
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(n)a person who moves slowly or falls behind;(adj)falling behind: slow to move, act, or respond
Tour guides often have to urge laggards to keep up with the rest of the group.
Tenants who are laggard in paying rent run the risk of being forced to move. |
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(n. pl.) applause; enthusiastic praise or approval
The skaters who won the gold medals gratefully accepted the PLAUDITS of their fans. |
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(v)to make impossible, prevent, shut out
Three wrong answers will PRECLUDE any contestant from entering the quiz show's final round. |
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(v) to return, go back
Control of a property ussually REVERTS to the legal owner when a lease is up. |
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(n)broken stone or bricks; ruins
Bulldozers and wrecking balls soon reduced the damaged building to a heap of smoking RUBBLE. |
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(adj)of or relating to a slave; behaving like or suitable for a slave or a srvant, menial; lacking spirit or independence, abjectly submissive
Most serious performers prefer constructive criticism to SERVILE flattery. |
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(n)a watch, especially at night; any period of watchful attention
Thousands attended the solemn VIGIL at the Vietnam Memorial. |
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(v)to quarrel or argue in a noisy, angry way; to obtain by argument;to herd;(n)a noisy quarrel
My brother and sister always WRANGLE over whose turn it is to take out the trash.
The customer got into a nasty WRANGLE with the shopkeeper. |
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(n. pl.)ridiculous and unpredictable behavior or actions
The ANTICS of the chimpanzees amused the crowds at the zoo. |
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(adj.,part.)declared openly and without shame, ackknoledged
The governor was an EVOWED supporter of the plan to aid plublic libaries throughout the state. |
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(v)to exchange playful remarks, tease;(n)talk that is playfulans teasing
There is nothing my friends and i enjoy more than to BANTER good-naturedly for hours.
Casual BANTER helps to pass the time during a long journey. |
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(adj)giving freely, generous; plentful, given abundantly
On Thanksgiving Day, people all over America celebrated the BOUNTIFUL giftd of nature. |
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(adj.,part.)overcrowded, filled or occupied to excess
The doctor grew very concerned when the patient's lungs became CONJESTED with fluid. |
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(n)harm or loss; injury, damage; a disadvantage;a cause of harm, injury, loss, or damage
The home team survived a six-game losing streak with almost no DETRIMENT to its standing. |
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(adj)sturdy, not easily worn out or destroyed; lasting for a long time;(n. pl.)consumer goods used repeatedly over a series of years
Denim is a very DURABLE kind of fabric.
Most people own household DURABLE such as furniture and appliances. |
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(adj)entergetic,willing and able to start something new; showing boldness and imagination
An ENTERPRISING young person may turn a hobbyinto a way of earning money to pay for college. |
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(adj)economical, avoiding wast and luxury; scantly, poor, meager
At home, we usually prepare FRUGAL but nourishing and delicious meals. |
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(adj.,adv)with extreme care or caution
Difficult and demanding customers should be handled in a GINGERLY and courteous manner.
Pedestrains made their way GINGERLY along the slippery, snow-covered streets. |
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(v)to provide more that is needed or wanted;to feed or fill the piont of overstuffing;(n)an oversupply
Hollywood studios GLUTS theaters with big-budget action movies during the summer season.
When there is a GLUT of gasoline on the market, prices at the pump may drop dramatically. |
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(adj.,adv)in a disguised state, unfer an assumed name or identity;(n)the state of being disguised; a person in disguise
Just before the battle of Agincourt, Shakespeare's King Henry the fifth prowls through his camp INCOGNITO.
In a way, makeup artist are practitioners of the fine art of INCOGNITO. |
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(v)to make valueless, take away all force or effect
Lawyers will try to INVALIDATE the contract. |
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(adj)described in well-known stories; existing in old stories(legends) rather than i real life
Ajax was one of the most LEGENDARY Greek heroes who fought before the walls of troy. |
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(v)to cripple, disable, injure, mar, disfigure, mutilate
Each year, falls MAIM thousands of people, some of them for life. |
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(v)to make as small as possible, make the least of; to make smaller than before.
Whenever you are in a car, you should always wear your seatbelt to MINIMIZE the risk of injury in an accident. |
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(adj)slanting or sloping; not straightforward or direct
The boxer's OBLIQUE blow left his opponent unscathed. |
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(v)to change direction or course suddenly, turn aside, shift, swerve
The huge storm finally VEERED out to sea, leaving much destruction in its wake. |
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(v)to regard with reverence, look up to with great respect
In a number of religions, it is costomary for people to VENERATE saints and martyrs to the faith. |
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(adj)reckless;heartless, unjustifiable; loose in morals;(n)a spoiled, pampered person; one with low morals
The gas chambers at Auschwitz are a grim testimony WANTON cruelty of the Nazis.
The main character in the popular miniseries was a charming but heartless WANTON. |
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(v)to assign or distribute in shares or portions
The teacher ALLOT books and supplies to each student on the first day of school. |
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(v)to bring together, collect, gather, especially for oneself; to come together, assemble
A prudent investor can AMASS a fortune in the stock market over a long run. |
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(adj)bold, adventurous, recklessly daring
The audience cheered the AUDACIOUS feats of the trapeze artist. |
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(v)to yeild to a request or command
Employees who fail to COMPLY with the company's rules may lose their jobs. |
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(adj)not having or using, lacking
The old well on my grandparents property has long been DEVOIDED of water. |
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(n)an iron hook used to grab and hold;(v)to come to grips with, wrestle or fight with
A ship equipped with GRAPPLES may be used to recover large peices of wreckage from the ocean floor.
Store employees GRAPPLE with the thieves and held them until the police arrived. |
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(n)the choice part of a group of people or things;(adj)superior
Each year, the social ELITE of the community sponsors several events to benefit local charities.
You can get a fine education regardless whether or not you attend an ELITE school. |
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(v)to deprive of strength or ability; to make legally ineligible
In the 1940s and 1950s, polio INCAPACITATE many thousands of people each year all over the world. |
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(v)to urge on; to stir up, provoke, start, incite
Several demonstrators in the angry crowd did their best to INSTIGATE a riot. |
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(n)long life, long duration, length of life
The sea turtle is known for its LONGEVITY. |
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(adj)in every great numbers;(n)a very great number
Scientist continue to make new discoveries in their studies of the MYRIAD life-forms of the jungle.
You will find information on a MYRIAD of subjects on the Internet. |
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(n)a piont of view or general standpiont from which different things are veiwed, physiclly or mentally; the appearance to the eye of various objects at a given time, place, or distance
The designs for the children's playhouse were drawnto scale and in the right PERSPECTIVE. |
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(v)to trouble, make uneasy; to disturb greatly; to throw into confusion.
The rude and disruptive behavior os several party guests PERTURB the host and hostess. |
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(adj)immense; extraordinary in bulk, size, or degree
Few intellects have rivaled the PRODIGIOUS mind of Albert Einstein. |
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(adj)connected with or related to the matter at hand
I found several Web sites that provided information RELEVANT to the topic of my research. |
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(adj)extremely nervous and easily frightened; shy or timid; extremely cautious; unstable, undependable
Only an experienced and confident rider should mount a SKITTISH horse |
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(n)a rope or chain used to fasten something to a fixed object; the outer limit of strength or resources;(v)to fasten with rope or chain
Some young people find it difficult to break the emotional and financial TETHER that bind in them.
Before the storm, I TETHERED the boat securly to the dock. |
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(n)a sounding together; agreement or accord
The members of our new student orchestra needs to practice playing in UNISON. |
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(v)to compete; to strive for victory or superiority
Many actors VIE for the leading role in the famouse director's new film. |
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(adj)stubbornly self-willed; done on purpose, deliberate
After lengthy deliberations, the jury found the defendent guilty of WILLFUL murder. |
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