Words Starting with

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.