Ameliorate (uh MEEL yuh rayt)
Definition: to make better or more tolerable
Sentence: My great-uncle's gift of several million dollars considerably ameliorated my financial condition. Affable (AF uh bul)
Definition: Easy to talk to; friendly
Sentence: Susan was an affable girl; she could strike up a pleasant conversation with almost anyone. Avarice (AV ur is)
Definition: greed; excessive love of riches
Sentence: To be avaricious is to love wealth above all else and not to share it with other people. Auspicious (aw SPISH us)
Definition: favorable; promising; pointing to a good result
Sentence: A clear sky in the morning is an auspicious sign on the day of
a picnic. Aberration (ab hu RAY shun)
Definition: something not typical; a deviation from the standard
Sentence: A snowstorm in June is an aberration; snow doesn't normally
fall in June. Aloof (uh LOOF)
Definition: uninvolved; standing off; keeping one's distance
Sentence: Al, on the roof, felt very aloof. Abject (AB jekt)
Definition: hopeless; extremely sad and servile; defeated; utterly bummed
out
Sentence: An abject person is one who is crushed and without hope. A
slave would be abject, in all likelihood. Avow (uh VOW)
Definition: to claim; to declare boldly; to admit
Sentence: At the age of 25, Louis finally avowed that he couldn't stand
his mother's apple pie. Aphorism (AF uh riz um)
Definition: a brief, often witty saying; a proverb
Sentence: Benjamin Franklin was fond of aphorisms. He was frequently
aphoristic. Assuage (uh SWAYJ)
Definition: to soothe; to pacify; to ease the pain of; to relieve
Sentence: Beth was extremely angry, but I assuaged her by promising to
leave the house and never return. Affectation (af ek TAY shun)
Definition: unnatural or artificial behavior, usually intended to impress
Sentence: Bucky's English accent is an affectation. He spent only a week
in England, and that was several years ago. Alacrity (uh LAK ri tee)
Definition: cheerful eagerness or readiness to respond
Sentence: David could hardly wait for his parents to leave; he carried
their luggage out to the car with great alacrity. Abhor (ab HOR)
Definition: to hate very, very much; to detest
Sentence: Emanuel abhorred having anvils dropped on his head. Antithesis (an TITH uh sis)
Definition: the direct opposite
Sentence: Erin is the antithesis of Erika; Erin is bright and beautiful;
Erika is dull and plain. Apotheosis (uh pahth ee OH sis)
Definition: elevation to divine status; the perfect example of something
Sentence: Geoffrey is unbearable to be with. He thinks he is the
apotheosis of masculinity. Audacity (aw DAS uh tee)
Definition: boldness; reckless daring; impertinence
Sentence: Ivan had the audacity to tell that nice old lady to shut up. Ardent (AHR dunt) - passionate
Example: Larry's ardent wooing finally got on Cynthia's nerves, and she
told him to get lost. Abash (uh BASH) - to make ashamed; to embarrass
Example: Meredith felt abashed by her inability to remember her lines in
the school chorus of "Old McDonald Had a Farm." Ameliorate (uh MEEL yuh rayt) - to make better or more tolerable
Example: My great-uncle's gift of several million dollars considerably
ameliorated my financial condition. Adulation (aj uh LAY shun) - wild or excessive admiration; flattery
Example: The rock star grew to abhor the adulation of his fans. Archaic (ahr KAY ik) - extremely old; ancient; outdated
Example: The tribe's traditions are archaic. They have been in force for thousands of years. Artifice (AHRT uh fus) - a clever trick; cunning
Example: The Trojan Horse was an artifice designed to get the soldiers inside the walls. Accolade (AK uh layd) - an award; an honor
Example: This word is generally used in the plural. The first break-dancing troupe to perform in Carnegie Hall, the Teflon Toughs, received the accolades of the critics as well as of the fans. Avarice (AV ur is) - greed; excessive love of riches
Example: To be avaricious is to love wealth above all else and not to share it with other people. Awry (uh RYE) - off course; twisted to one side
Example: When we couldn't find a restaurant, out dinner plans went awry Auspicious (aw SPISH us) - favorable; promising; pointing to a good result
Example: A clear sky in the morning is an auspicious sign on the day of a
picnic. Aberration (ab hu RAY shun) - something not typical; a deviation from the
standard
Example: A snowstorm in June is an aberration; snow doesn't normally fall
in June. Aloof (uh LOOF) - uninvolved; standing off; keeping one's distance
Example: Al, on the roof, felt very aloof.