| |
| pachyderm |
thick-skinned animal |
| pacifist |
one opposed to force; antimilitarist; ADJ. N. pacifism:
opposition to war as a means of resolving disputes |
| pacify |
soothe; make calm or quiet; subdue; bring peace to |
| padre |
chaplain (in the armed forces) |
| paean |
song of praise or joy; Ex. paeans celebrating the victory |
| painstaking |
taking pains; showing hard work; taking great care;
very careful and through |
| palatable |
agreeable; pleasing to the taste |
| palate |
roof of the mouth; sense of the taste |
| palatial |
of or suitable for a palace; magnificent |
| paleontology |
study of prehistoric life or fossils; CF. paleo-: ancient
or prehistoric; Ex. paleography: study of ancient written
documents |
| palette |
board on which painter mixes pigments(coloring matters) |
| palimpsest |
parchment or piece of writing material used for second
time after original writing has been erased |
| pall |
become boring; grow tiresome |
| pallet |
small poor bed; Ex. straw pallet |
| palliate |
ease pain (without curing); make less severe or offensive
(a crime or illness) |
| pallid |
pale; wan; Ex. pallid complexion |
| palm |
conceal in the palm of the hand; palm off: pass off;
Ex. palm off some bad oranges onto the lady/the painting
as a real Renoir |
| palpable |
tangible; (of something bad) easily perceptible; obvious;
Ex. palpable blunder |
| palpitate |
throb; beat rapidly; flutter; tremble; Ex. Her heart
began to palpitate. |
| paltry |
insignificant; petty; trifling; contemptible; Ex. paltry
sum; CF. trash |
| pan |
criticize harshly |
| panacea |
cure-all; remedy for all diseases |
| panache |
flair; manner of doing things without any difficulty
(causing admiration); flamboyance; bunch of feathers (on
a helmet); Ex. with great panache; |
| pandemic |
widespread; affecting the majority of people; N: pandemic
disease; CF. all people |
| Pandemonium |
wild tumult(commotion); wild noisy disorder; CF. Paradise
Lost |
| pander |
cater to (the low desires of others) |
| panegyric |
formal praise; encomium; Ex. I don't deserve such panegyrics. |
| pang |
sudden sharp feeling of pain |
| panoramic |
denoting an unobstructed and comprehensive view; N.
panorama: unbroken view of a wide area |
| pantomime |
acting without dialogue; V. |
| papyrus |
ancient paper made from stem of papyrus plant |
| parable |
short simple story teaching a moral |
| paradigm |
model; example that serves as a model; pattern; list
of all the inflectional forms of a word |
| paradox |
something apparently contradictory in nature (that
may nonetheless be true); statement that looks false but
is actually correct |
| paragon |
model of perfection; Ex. paragon of virtue |
| parallel |
similar; analogous; corresponding; N: parallel line;
person or thing that is parallel (to another); similarity;
Ex. know of no parallel to the case; Ex. without parallel;
V: be similar to; make parallel; Ex. Your experience parallels
mine; CF. unp |
| parallelism |
state of being parallel; similarity; analogy |
| parameter |
limit; independent variable; Ex. parameters of the
problem; Ex. within the parameters of the budget |
| paramount |
foremost in importance; supreme; CF. para-: beyond;
above; Ex. paranormal |
| paramour |
illicit lover |
| paranoia |
psychosis marked by delusions of grandeur or persecution;
N: ADJ: paranoid, paranoiac |
| paraphernalia |
equipment; odds and ends used in a particular activity;
personal belongings; Ex. photographic paraphernalia; CF.
married woman's property exclusive of her dowry |
| paraphrase |
restate a passage in one's own words while retaining
thought of author; N: restatement of a text in other words |
| parasite |
animal or plant living on another; toady; sycophant;
CF. para-: beside |
| parched |
extremely dry; very thirsty; V. parch: make or become
extremely dry (by exposure to heat) |
| parchment |
writing material made from the skin of a sheep or goat |
| pare |
cut away the outer covering or skin of (with a knife);
trim; Ex. pare apples/expenses |
| pariah |
social outcast; Ex. Mariah the pariah |
| parish |
area in the care of a single priest and served by one
main church |
| parity |
equality; close resemblance; CF. disparate |
| parlance |
language; manner of speaking; idiom; Ex. in legal/common
parlance |
| parley |
conference (between opponents); CF. speak |
| parochial |
narrow in scope or outlook; provincial; related to
parishes |
| parody |
humorous imitation; spoof; takeoff; travesty; V. |
| paroxysm |
fit or attack of pain, laughter, rage; sudden outburst |
| parquet |
floor made of wood strips inlaid in a mosaic like matter;
CF. strip: long narrow piece |
| parry |
ward off a blow; deflect; Ex. He parried the unwelcome
question very skillfully; N. |
| parsimony |
stinginess; excessive frugality; ADJ. parsimonious |
| partial |
incomplete; favoring one side over another; having
a liking for something |
| partiality |
state of being partial; inclination; favorable bias;
special fondness; preference |
| partisan |
one-sided; prejudiced; committed to a party (with dislike
of any others); N: strong supporter of a party; guerrilla |
| partition |
divide into parts |
| parvenu |
upstart; newly rich person |
| pass\'e |
old-fashioned; past the prime |
| pass_off |
present falsely; represent falsely to be |
| passive |
not active; acted upon; receiving an action without
acting in return; accepting without resistance |
| paste |
smooth viscous mixture as of flour(powder made by crushing
grain) and water (used as an adhesive); V: cause to adhere
by applying paste |
| pastiche |
imitation of another's style in musical composition
or in writing; work of art openly imitating the works
of other artists |
| pastoral |
rural; of rural life; idyllic; of a pastor |
| pastry |
paste of flour and water (eaten when baked) |
| patent |
obvious; easily seen; open for the public to read;
of or protected by a patent; Ex. patent to everyone; N. |
| pathetic |
causing sadness, compassion, pity; touching |
| pathological |
pertaining to disease; N. pathology: study of disease |
| pathos |
tender sorrow; pity; quality in art or literature that
produces these feelings; Ex. pathos that runs through
the novel |
| patina |
green crust on old bronze works or copper; tone slowly
taken by varnished painting |
| patois |
local or provincial dialect |
| patriarch |
father and ruler of a family or tribe |
| patrician |
noble; aristocratic; N: person of high rank; aristocrat;
CF. member of the governing classes in ancient Rome; CF.
plebian |
| patrimony |
property inherited from a father |
| patronize |
support; act superior toward; treat in a condescending
manner; be a customer of; N. patron: one that supports;
regular customer; N. patronage; CF. boycott |
| paucity |
scarcity; dearth |
| pauper |
very poor person |
| peccadillo |
slight offense or fault; CF. sin |
| pecuniary |
pertaining to money |
| pedagogue |
teacher; CF. child leader |
| pedagogy |
teaching; art of education |
| pedant |
scholar who overemphasizes book learning, trivial details
of learning, or technicalities |
| pedantic |
bookish; showing off learning; marked by an excessive
ostentatious concern for book learning; N. pedantry |
| peddle |
travel about selling (wares); CF. foot |
| pedestal |
support or base as for a pillar or statue |
| pedestrian |
ordinary; dull; unimaginative(lacking in imagination);
going on foot; Ex. pedestrian prose; N. |
| pediatrician |
physician specializing in children's diseases; N. pediatrics |
| pedigree |
ancestry; lineage |
| peer |
one who has equal standing with another; nobleman;
V: look intently; N. peerage; CF. peeress |
| peerless |
having no equal; incomparable |
| peevish |
bad-tempered; irritable; V. peeve: make angry |
| pejorative |
(of a word or phrase) suggesting that someone is of
little value; negative in connotation; having a belittling
effect; Ex. Many women now considers ``housewife'' a pejorative
expression, because it patronized them. |
| pell-mell |
in confusion; disorderly; Ex. dash pell-mell |
| pellucid |
transparent; limpid(crystal clear); clear in meaning;
easy to understand |
| pen |
fenced enclosure for animals; confining space; Ex.
sheep pen; V: confine in a pen; enclose |
| penance |
self-imposed punishment for sin; Ex. do penance for
one's sins; CF. penitent |
| penchant |
strong inclination; strong liking (esp. for something
that is disapproved of by other people); Ex. penchant
for fast cars |
| pendant(pendent) |
hanging down from something; pending; N: ornament (hanging
from a necklace etc.) |
| pending |
not yet decided or settled; impending; Ex. pending
decision; PREP. while awaiting; until; Ex. delay the decision
pending his return |
| pendulous |
hanging; suspended |
| penetrate |
enter into; pierce; permeate; see through; grasp the
inner significance of; understand |
| penitent |
repentant; N. |
| penology |
study of prison management and criminal rehabilitation |
| pensive |
dreamily or deeply thoughtful; sadly thoughtful; thoughtful
with a hint of sadness; contemplative; CF. think over |
| penumbra |
partial shadow (in an eclipse); CF. almost shadow |
| penury |
extreme poverty; stinginess; ADJ. penurious: very poor;
stingy |
| peon |
landless agricultural worker; bond servant; menial
worker; N. peonage |
| perceptive |
insightful; showing a good ability at perceiving and
understanding; aware; wise; of perception |
| percussion |
striking one object against another sharply; Ex. percussion
instrument; N: striking together of two bodies; sound
caused by percussion |
| perdition |
damnation; complete ruin; hell |
| peregrination |
journey; V. peregrinate |
| peremptory |
demanding and leaving no choice; imperative; Ex. peremptory
decree/knock |
| perennial |
something long-lasting; perennial plant; ADJ: lasting
through the year or many years; lasting for a long time;
enduring |
| perfidious |
treacherous; disloyal; N. perfidy: treachery |
| perforate |
pierce; put a hole through |
| perfunctory |
done routinely and with little care; superficial; not
thorough; lacking interest, care, or enthusiasm; Ex. perfunctory
kiss |
| perigee |
point of moon's orbit when it is nearest the earth;
CF. apogee |
| perimeter |
outer boundary; length of the outer boundary; circumference |
| peripatetic |
walking about from place to place (to work); moving;
Ex. peripatetic school of philosophy |
| peripheral |
of a periphery; marginal; outer; of minor importance;
not central; Ex. peripheral nerve/interest |
| periphery |
outside edge especially of a round surface; perimeter;
Ex. periphery of the town |
| perjury |
false testimony while under oath; V. perjure oneself:
testify falsely under oath |
| permeable |
that can be permeated; penetrable; porous; allowing
liquids or gas to pass through; V. permeate: spread or
flow throughout; charge |
| permissive |
allowing much freedom; lenient; Ex. permissive society |
| pernicious |
very harmful; deadly; very destructive; Ex. pernicious
effect/anemia |
| peroration |
conclusion of an oration; perorating; V. perorate:
conclude a speech; speak at great length |
| perpetrate |
commit an offense; do (something wrong) |
| perpetual |
everlasting |
| perpetuate |
make perpetual; make something last for a long time;
preserve from extinction; N. perpetuity |
| perquisite(perk) |
any gain above stipulated salary; Ex. perquisites such
as free meals and a car |
| persevere |
continue steadily in spite of difficulties |
| persist |
continue in existence; last; continue in a course of
action in spite of opposition; Ex. persist in/with something;
ADJ. persistent |
| personable |
attractive (in personality or appearance) |
| personify |
represent (an inanimate object) as a person; be the
embodiment or perfect example of; Ex. She is evil/patience
personified; N. personification |
| perspicacious |
(of someone) having insight; penetrating; astute |
| perspicuity |
clearness of expression; freedom from ambiguity |
| perspicuous |
(of something) plainly expressed; easy to understand;
Ex. perspicuous comments |
| pert |
(esp. of a girl or young woman) impertinent; forward;
trim; jaunty; Ex. pert young miss/hat |
| pertinacious |
holding tenaciously to an action; stubborn; persistent |
| pertinent |
suitable; to the point; relevant |
| perturb |
disturb greatly |
| peruse |
read through with care; N. perusal |
| pervasive |
spread throughout; V. pervade: (of smells, ideas, feelings)
spread throughout; charge; permeate |
| perverse |
purposely continuing to do something wrong; stubbornly
wrongheaded; perverted; directed away from what is right;
wicked and unacceptable; Ex. perverse satisfaction; Ex.
Hannibal Lecter in a perverse mood; N. perversity |
| perversion |
corruption; turning from right to wrong |
| pervert |
corrupt; turn from right to wrong; misuse; Ex. perverted
sexual desire/scientific knowledge; N: person whose sexual
behavior is not natural |
| pessimism |
belief that life is basically bad or evil; gloominess;
tendency to take the gloomiest possible view of a situation;
ADJ. pessimistic |
| pestilential(pestilent) |
causing plague; tending to cause death; baneful; N.
pestilence: fatal epidemic disease (esp. bubonic plague) |
| pestle |
tool for mashing or grinding substances in a hard bowl
or mortar |
| petrify |
turn to stone; cause to become stonelike; stun or paralyze |
| petty |
trivial; unimportant; very small; small-minded; petty-minded |
| petulant |
touchy; peevish; ill-tempered |
| phalanx |
formation of infantry carrying overlapping shields
and long spears; group of men packed together (for attack
or defense) |
| pharisaical |
pertaining to the Pharisees, who paid scrupulous attention
to tradition; self-righteous; hypocritical |
| pharisee |
Pharisee: member of an ancient Jewish group that emphasized
strict observance of the Mosaic law (considering themselves
very holy); hypocritical self-righteous person |
| phenomena |
observable facts; subjects of scientific investigation;
SG. phenomenon: observable fact; very unusual person,
thing, or event; marvel; wonder; CF. phenomenons; ADJ.
phenomenal: very unusual; extraordinary; of a phenomenon;
Ex. phenomenal strength |
| philanderer |
faithless lover; flirt |
| philanthropist |
lover of mankind; doer of good; N. philanthropy |
| philatelist |
stamp-collector; N. philately: stamp collecting |
| Philistine |
narrow-minded person, uncultured and exclusively interested
in material gain; uncultured person who is indifferent
to artistic and cultural values; member of an ancient
people in Palestine; OP. aesthete |
| philology |
study of language or words |
| phlegmatic |
calm and unexcitable; not easily disturbed; CF. phlegm:
sticky mucus produced in the respiratory tract |
| phobia |
morbid fear |
| phoenix |
symbol of immortality or rebirth; Ex. phoenix rising
from its ashes |
| phylum |
major classification, second to kingdom, of plants
and animals; category ranking below a kingdom and above
a class; division |
| physiognomy |
face (as showing the character and the mind); art of
judging human character from facial features |
| physiological |
pertaining to the science of the function of living
organisms; N. physiology |
| piebald |
of different colors; mottled; spotted in different
colors (esp. in black and white); Ex. piebald horse; CF.
pie+bald |
| piecemeal |
one part at a time; gradually; in stages; Ex. read
a novel piecemeal |
| pied |
piebald; variegated(many-colored); multicolored |
| piety |
devoutness; reverence for God; ADJ. pious |
| pigment |
coloring matter (usually powder to be mixed with water
or oil) |
| pilfer |
steal things of small value; filch; snitch |
| pillage |
plunder |
| pillory |
punish by placing in a wooden frame or pillory; subject
or expose to criticism and ridicule; N. |
| pinch |
squeeze between the thumb and a finger, or other edges;
Ex. I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming.
N: amount that can be held between the thumb and a finger |
| pine |
long for; yearn; languish from longing or grief; decline |
| pinion |
restrain or immobilize by binding the wings or legs;
N: bird's wing |
| pinnace |
small boat |
| pinnacle |
peak; highest point; acme; Ex. pinnacle of fame |
| pious |
devout; religious; N. piety |
| piquant |
pleasantly tart-tasting; spicy; pleasantly stimulating;
Ex. piquant situation when my old enemy asked for my help |
| pique |
irritation; resentment from wounded pride (eg. loss
in a contest); V: provoke; arouse; annoy; cause to feel
resentment; Ex. pique her curiosity |
| piscatorial |
pertaining to fishing; CF. Pisces |
| pitfall |
hidden danger; concealed trap |
| pith |
core or marrow; spongelike substance in the center
of stems; essence; substance |
| pithy |
concise and meaningful; substantial; meaty |
| pittance |
small amount (of money); small allowance or wage |
| pivotal |
of a pivot; central; critical; crucial |
| placate |
pacify; bring peace to; conciliate; appease |
| placebo |
harmless substance prescribed as a dummy pill |
| placid |
peaceful; calm; Ex. placid child/lake |
| plagiarize |
steal another's ideas or writings and pass them off
as one's own; Ex. ideas plagiarized from my article; N.
plagiarism; CF. kidnap |
| plaintive |
expressing sorrow; mournful; Ex. plaintive song |
| plait |
braid; interwine; interweave strands or lengths of;
make by weaving strands together; Ex. plaited hair; N:
braided length as of hair o fabric; CF. pigtail, ponytail |
| plane |
carpenter's tool for smoothing and leveling wood; V.
CF. flat |
| plaster |
paste that hardens to a smooth solid and is used for
coating walls; V. |
| plasticity |
ability to be molded; ADJ. plastic: capable of being
shaped or molded; Ex. plastic material such as clay |
| platitude |
trite remark; commonplace statement; ADJ. platitudinous |
| platonic |
purely spiritual; theoretical; without sensual desire |
| plaudit |
praise; enthusiastic approval; round(succession or
series) of applause; ADJ. plauditory; CF. applaud |
| plausible |
conceivably true; having a show of truth but open to
doubt; specious |
| plebeian |
common; vulgar; pertaining to the common people; N:
common people in ancient Rome; CF. patrician |
| plebiscite |
direct vote by the entire electorate (on an important
issue) |
| plenary |
(of power) complete; full; fully attended by all qualified
members; Ex. plenary power |
| plenitude |
abundance; plenty; great amount; completeness; fullness;
CF. plenary, plenty |
| plethora |
excess; overabundance; Ex. a plethora of excuses |
| pliable |
flexible; easily influenced; yielding; adaptable |
| pliant |
flexible; easily influenced |
| plight |
difficult condition; condition or state (esp. a bad
state or condition); predicament |
| ploy |
strategem to gain an advantage; tactic; Ex. management
ploy |
| pluck |
courage; V: pull off or out; pull out the hair or feathers
of; ADJ. plucky: courageous; brave |
| plumage |
feathers of a bird; |
| plumb |
exactly vertical; N: weight on the end of a line; V:
examine very carefully or critically in order to understand;
measure depth (by sounding); Ex. plumb the depth of |
| plumber |
one who installs and repairs pipes and plumbing(pipes) |
| plume |
feather, esp. large or showy one; something that rises
into the air (like the shape of a feather); Ex. plume
of smoke: 滚几 备抚 |
| plummet |
fall sharply; fall straight down; Ex. Stock prices
plummeted. |
| plump |
pleasantly fat; nicely rounded |
| plutocracy |
society ruled by the wealthy |
| podiatrist |
doctor who treats ailments of the feet; chiropodist;
N. podiatrics |
| podium |
pedestal; raised platform |
| poignancy |
quality of being deeply moving; keenness of emotion;
ADJ. poignant: touching; deeply moving; (of sorrow, grief,
etc.) painful; keenly distressing to the mind; Ex. poignant
memory/anxiety; CF. prick |
| poise |
good judgment with composure; balance; V: place in
a carefully balanced position |
| polar |
of a pole; characterized by opposite extremes; Ex.
polar opposites |
| polarity |
state of having two opposite qualities |
| polarize |
split into opposite extremes or camps |
| polemic |
attack or defense of an opinion; controversy or refutation;
argument in support of point of view; N. polemics: art
of debate or controversy |
| polemical(polemic) |
aggressive in verbal attack; disputatious (rather than
simply expressing opinions) |
| politic |
prudent; judicious; well judged; expedient; well devised |
| polity |
(particular form of) political organization; form of
government of nation or state; Ex. student polity |
| polygamist |
one who has more than one spouse at a time; CF. bigamy;
CF. polyandry |
| polyglot |
speaking several languages; multilingual; Ex. polyglot
person/society; N. |
| pomposity |
self-important behavior; acting like a stuffed shirt(pompous
person); ADJ. pompous: self-important |
| ponderous |
having great weight; weighty; unwieldy; lacking lightness;
dull; Ex. ponderous body/style of writing |
| pontifical |
pertaining to a bishop or pope; pompous or pretentious;
CF. pontiff: pope; bishop |
| pore |
study industriously; ponder; scrutinize; Ex. pore over
the book; N. |
| porous |
full of pores; like a sieve |
| porridge |
soft food made by boiling oatmeal |
| portend |
foretell; presage; be a sign or warning of; N. portent:
sign; omen; forewarning |
| portly |
stout; corpulent |
| pose |
assume a particular posture; put forward; present;
affect a particular attitude (to impress others); Ex.
pose a threat; N. |
| poseur |
person who pretends to be sophisticated, elegant, etc.,
to impress others; person who poses; CF. pose |
| posterity |
descendants; future generations; Ex. go down to posterity;
CF. posterior, anterior |
| posthumous |
after death (as of child born after father's death
or book published after author's death); coming or occurring
after one's death; Ex. posthumous fame/novel |
| postmortem |
autopsy; ADJ: occurring after death; of a postmortem |
| postulate |
self-evident truth; something assumed without proof;
V: assume the truth of (as a basis of an argument) |
| posture |
assume an affected pose; act artificially; N: pose;
attitude |
| potable |
suitable for drinking; drinkable |
| potent |
powerful; convincing; persuasive; greatly influential |
| potentate |
monarch; sovereign |
| potential |
expressing possibility; latent; N: capacity for growth |
| potion |
dose (of liquids); liquid dose |
| potpourri |
heterogeneous mixture; medley; mixture of dried flower
petals a pot (to give a pleasant smell to a room) |
| poultice |
soothing application applied to sore and inflamed portions
of the body |
| pr\'ecis |
abstract; concise summing up of main points; concise
summary of a text |
| practicable |
feasible |
| practical |
based on experience; of or acquired through practice
(rather than theory); useful; Ex. practical man |
| pragmatic |
practical (as opposed to idealistic); concerned with
practical worth or impact of something; Ex. pragmatic
test of the skill |
| pragmatist |
practical person; N. pragmatism: pragmatic way of dealing
with things |
| prance |
move about in a spirited manner (proudly and confidently) |
| prank |
mischievous trick |
| prate |
talk idly; speak foolishly; boast idly |
| prattle |
talk idly; babble; N. CF. prate |
| preamble |
introductory statement |
| precarious |
unsafe; lacking in stability; uncertain; risky; Ex.
precarious living |
| precedent |
preceding (in time, rank, etc.) |
| precept |
practical rule guiding conduct; Ex. mother's precept |
| precinct |
division of a city for election or police purposes;
precincts: space that surrounds a building; Ex. precincts
of the college |
| precipice |
cliff; dangerous position; Ex. on the edge of the precipice |
| precipitant |
something that causes a substance in a chemical solution
to separate out in solid form; OP. solvent |
| precipitate |
hurl downward; throw headlong; hasten; cause to happen
sooner; condense and fall as rain or snow; cause (a solid
substance) to be separated from a solution; ADJ. hasty;
rash; premature; sudden |
| precipitous |
steep; overhasty; precipitate |
| precise |
exact |
| preclude |
make impossible; prevent; exclude; eliminate |
| precocious |
advanced in development; N. precocity |
| precursor |
forerunner; predecessor |
| predator |
predatory animal or bird; predatory person; creature
that seizes and devours another animal; person who robs
or exploits others; ADJ. predatory: living by preying
on other organisms; plundering; N. predation |
| predecessor |
former occupant of a post |
| predetermine |
determine in advance; predestine; settle or decide
beforehand; influence markedly |
| predicament |
difficult situation; tricky or dangerous situation;
dilemma |
| predilection |
preference; partiality |
| predispose |
give an inclination toward (in advance); make susceptible
to; Ex. predispose people to certain cancer; N. predisposition |
| preeminent |
outstanding; superior |
| preempt |
prevent in advance; head off(forestall); forestall
by acting first; appropriate for oneself before others;
supplant; take the place of; displace; Ex. preempt any
attempts; ADJ. preemptive |
| preen |
make oneself tidy in appearance; feel self-satisfaction
or pride; (of a bird) smooth or clean (feathers) with
the beak; Ex. preen oneself on; CF. prune |
| prefatory |
introductory; of a preface |
| prefigure |
be a sign of; foreshadow |
| prehensile |
capable of grasping or holding (esp. by wrapping around);
Ex. prehensile tails |
| prelate |
church dignitary; priest of high position in the church
(esp. bishop) |
| prelude |
introduction; introductory performance or event; forerunner |
| premeditate |
plan in advance; Ex. premeditated murder |
| premise |
assumption; postulate; proposition upon which an argument
is based |
| premonition |
forewarning; presentiment; foreboding |
| premonitory |
serving to warn |
| preponderance |
superiority of power, quantity, etc.; V. preponderate:
be greater in power, weight, or importance; ADJ. preponderant |
| prepossessing |
attractive; CF. preoccupying ? |
| preposterous |
absurd; completely unreasonable; ridiculous |
| prerogative |
privilege; unquestionable right; CF. ask before |
| presage |
foretell; be a warning or sign of; N: presentiment;
foreboding; omen |
| prescience |
ability to foretell the future; knowledge of actions
before they occur; ADJ. prescient |
| presentiment |
premonition; foreboding; feeling something will happen;
anticipatory fear |
| prestige |
respect or admiration; impression produced by achievements
or reputation; ADJ: causing admiration; ADJ. prestigious:
having prestige |
| presume |
take for granted; assume; act overconfidently; take
liberties; presume on/upon: take unfair advantage of (someone's
kindness or connection); N. presumption |
| presumptuous |
going beyond what is right; excessively forward; arrogant;
taking liberties |
| pretend |
feign; pretend to: claim to possess; make pretensions
to; Ex. I don't pretend to much expertise; N. pretense |
| pretension |
pretentiousness; claim (without foundation); Ex. I
make no pretensions to skill as an artist. |
| pretentious |
ostentatious; showy; pompous; making unjustified claims;
overambitious; Ex. pretentious films that claim to be
art |
| preternatural |
beyond what is normal in nature; supernatural; Ex.
preternatural strength/forces |
| pretext |
excuse |
| prevail |
be widespread; triumph over; gain victory; prevail
on: persuade; induce; Ex. Justice has prevailed; Ex. prevail
on someone to do something |
| prevalent |
widespread; generally accepted |
| prevaricate |
lie; hide the truth (by equivocating) |
| prey |
target of a hunt; victim; V: hunt and eat as prey;
victimize; Ex. Cats prey on mice. |
| prim |
proper to the point of affectation; very precise and
formal; exceedingly proper |
| primal |
first in rank or importance; being first in time; original;
Ex. man's primal innocence |
| primary |
first in rank or importance; principal; earliest in
time; Ex. primary stages; N. CF. first |
| primate |
group of mammals including humans |
| prime |
period of ideal or peak condition; earliest or beginning
stage; Ex. in the prime of life; Ex. prime of the year(spring);
ADJ: first in importance or rank; first; V: make ready;
prepare |
| primogeniture |
seniority by birth; state of being the first-born child;
right of the eldest child (to inherit the entire property
of one or both parents) |
| primordial |
existing at the beginning (of time); rudimentary |
| primp |
groom oneself with care; adorn oneself |
| pristine |
unspoiled; remaining in a pure state; characteristic
of earlier times; primitive; Ex. an old book in pristine
condition |
| privation |
lack of the basic necessities or comforts of life;
hardship; want; CF. deprive |
| privy |
secret; hidden; not public; made a participant in something
secret; Ex. privy chamber government; Ex. be privy to
a discussion; CF. private |
| prize |
pry; move with a lever; value highly; esteem; Ex. his
most prized possession; N: something captured during war-time
(esp. an enemy ship) |
| probe |
explore with a probe or tools; investigate; N: slender
instrument used to explore a wound or body cavity; device
designed to investigate an unknown region; thorough investigation;
Ex. space probe |
| probity |
uprightness; honesty; incorruptibility |
| problematic |
causing a problem; open to doubt; doubtful; unsettled;
questionable; Ex. Whether the arena will ever be completed
is problematic. |
| proclivity |
inclination; natural tendency (esp. towards something
bad) |
| procrastinate |
postpone; delay or put off |
| procurement |
obtaining; V. procure: obtain by effort; obtain (a
prostitute) for another |
| prod |
poke (with a pointed object); stir up; urge; goad to
action; N: pointed object used to prod; prodding |
| prodigal |
wasteful; reckless with money; profuse; Ex. a mind
prodigal of ideas; N. prodigality |
| prodigious |
enormous; marvelous; extraordinary; Ex. prodigious
amount/memory |
| prodigy |
highly gifted child; person with exceptional talents;
marvel; wonder |
| profane |
violate; desecrate (something holy); treat unworthily;
be profane for; ADJ: secular; nonreligious; irreverent
for holy things |
| profligate |
wasteful (of money); dissipated; wildly immoral; dissolute;
N: profligate person; N. profligacy |
| profound |
deep; not superficial; complete; Ex. profound thinker/remark/silence/deafness;
N. profundity |
| profusion |
great amount; plenty; overabundance; excess; lavish
expenditure; Ex. profusion of choices; ADJ. profuse: plentiful;
copious; giving or given abundantly; extravagant |
| progenitor |
ancestor |
| progeny |
children; offspring; descendants |
| prognosis |
forecasted course of a disease; prediction; CF. prognostic |
| prognosticate |
predict (according to present indications) |
| prohibitive |
so high as to prohibit purchase or use; tending to
prevent the purchase or use of something; prohibiting;
inclined to prevent or forbid; Ex. prohibitive tax |
| projectile |
missile; fired or thrown object (such as stone or bullet) |
| proletarian |
member of the working class; blue collar guy; N. proletariat:
working class (who have to work for wages) |
| proliferate |
grow rapidly (in numbers); spread; multiply; N. proliferation |
| prolific |
producing offspring or fruit in abundance; fertile;
fecund; abundantly fruitful; producing abundant works;
Ex. prolific writer |
| prolixity |
tedious wordiness; verbosity; ADJ. prolix: wordy; verbose;
diffuse |
| prologue |
introduction (to a poem or play) |
| prolong |
lengthen; extend; draw out |
| prominent |
protruding(sticking out); conspicuous; notable; eminent |
| promiscuous |
mixed indiscriminately; indiscriminate; not choosing
carefully; indiscriminate in the choice of sexual partners;
irregular, particularly sexually; Ex. promiscuous life/girl;
N. promiscuity |
| promontory |
headland |
| promote |
advance in rank; advance; help to flourish; advocate;
help actively in forming; publicize or popularize; Ex.
Milk promotes health; Ex. promote a match/bill; Ex. promote
a new product |
| prompt |
cause; urge; provoke; provide a cue (for an actor);
ADJ: done without delay; done at the right time; punctual;
on time; N: reminder or cue |
| promulgate |
announce; proclaim a doctrine or law; make known by
official publication |
| prone |
inclined to; likely to (suffer); prostrate; lying with
the front downward; Ex. prone to disease/make mistakes;
Ex. accident-prone |
| prong |
pointed projecting part |
| pronounced |
distinct; very noticeable; Ex. pronounced limp |
| prop |
support placed under or against something; V. |
| propagate |
increase in number by producing young; multiply; spread;
Ex. Most plants propagate by seed; Ex. newspaper propagating
their ideas |
| propellant(propellent) |
substance which propels or drives forward (such as
an explosive charge or a rocket fuel) |
| propensity |
natural inclination |
| prophetic |
of a prophet or prophecy; having to do with predicting
the future; N. prophecy; V. prophesy; N. prophet |
| prophylactic |
used to prevent disease; N: something prophylactic;
condom; N. prophylaxis: prevention of disease |
| propinquity |
nearness (in space or relationship); proximity; kinship |
| propitiate |
appease; conciliate; make peaceful; ADJ. propitiatory |
| propitious |
favorable; auspicious; advantageous; fortunate; Ex.
propitious day/sign |
| proponent |
supporter; backer; opposite of opponent |
| propound |
put forth for consideration or analysis; set forth;
Ex. propound a problem/theory |
| propriety |
fitness; quality of being proper; correct conduct;
conformity to prevailing customs and usages; CF. proprietor,
proprietary |
| propulsive |
driving forward; N. propulsion |
| prosaic |
lacking in imagination; dull and unimaginative; matter-of-fact(concerned
with facts, not imagination or feelings); factual; CF.
prose |
| proscenium |
part of stage in front of curtain; front arch of a
stage |
| proscribe |
prohibit; ostracize; banish; outlaw |
| proselytize |
(induce someone to) convert to a religion or belief;
N. proselyte: new convert to a doctrine or religion |
| prosody |
art of versification; study of the metrical structure
of verse |
| prosper |
become successful (esp. financially); thrive; grow
well; Ex. children prospering under his care |
| prosperity |
good fortune and financial success; physical well-being |
| prosperous |
successful; rich; affluent; well-to-do; well-off |
| prostrate |
stretch out full on ground; make prostrate; enervate;
Ex. prostrating illness; ADJ: lying face down; having
lost all strength |
| prot\'eg\'e |
person receiving protection and support from a patron |
| protagonist |
leader or noticeable supporter of an idea; chief character
in a play or story |
| protean |
able to take on many forms; versatile; CF. Proteus:
sea god to change his shape at will |
| protocol |
diplomatic etiquette; ceremony and etiquette observed
by diplomats; first copy of a treaty before its ratification;
Ex. Protocol demands that the queen meet him at the airport. |
| prototype |
original work used as a model by others |
| protract |
prolong; lengthen in time; draw out |
| protrude |
stick out; jut; project; Ex. protruding teeth |
| protuberance |
protrusion; swelling; bulge |
| provenance |
place of origin; origin or source of something; Ex.
Gunpowder is of Chinese provenance; CF. come |
| provender |
dry food for livestock; fodder |
| proverb |
adage; someone or something well known for notoriety;
ADJ. proverbial: of a proverb; widely known; ADV. proverbially |
| providence |
quality of being provident; divine care; god's care;
Providence: god; Ex. It seemed like providence that the
doctor happened to be there; ADJ. providential: of divine
providence; fortunate |
| provident |
providing for future needs; displaying foresight; thrifty;
preparing for emergencies; OP. improvident |
| provincial |
pertaining to a province; limited in outlook; narrow;
unsophisticated |
| provision |
act of providing; something provided; preparatory measure;
provisions: necessary supplies (esp. food); stipulation;
condition in an agreement; Ex. According to the provisions
of the agreement |
| provisional |
tentative; temporary |
| proviso |
stipulation; condition in an agreement; provision |
| provocative |
arousing anger or sexual interest; annoying; Ex. provocative
in tight jeans; V. provoke: incite to anger; cause (an
unpleasant action or feeling); N. provocation |
| prowess |
extraordinary ability; military bravery; Ex. prowess
in battle |
| proximity |
nearness; ADJ. proximate |
| proxy |
authorized agent; authority to act for another |
| prude |
excessively modest or proper person (who is easily
shocked by improper things, esp. of a sexual nature);
N. prudery; ADJ. prudish: excessively concerned with propriety |
| prudent |
cautious; careful; prudential |
| prune |
cut away; trim |
| prurient |
having or causing lustful desires and thoughts; arousing
immoderate sexual desire |
| pry |
inquire impertinently (someone else's private affairs);
use leverage to raise or open something; prize; N. pries:
tool for prying |
| pseudonym |
pen name; fictitious name assumed by an author; ADJ.
pseudonymous |
| psyche |
soul; mind |
| psychiatrist |
doctor who treats mental diseases |
| psychic |
of psyche; mental; of or possessing extraordinary mental
powers |
| psychopathic |
pertaining to mental dearrangement; N. psychopath:
person with an antisocial personality disorder |
| psychosis |
mental disorder; ADJ. N. psychotic |
| psychosomatic |
of the influence of the mind on the body (esp. with
respect to disease) |
| pterodactyl |
extinct flying reptile; CF. wing+finger |
| pucker |
gather into wrinkles or folds; N: wrinkle or fold |
| pudding |
hot sweet dish |
| puerile |
childish; immature; CF. puer: boy |
| pugilist |
boxer; CF. pugilism: boxing |
| pugnacity |
combativeness; disposition to fight; ADJ. pugnacious:
(of people) belligerent; combative in nature |
| puissant |
powerful; strong; potent; N. puissance: power |
| pulchritude |
beauty; comeliness; ADJ. pulchritudinous |
| pulmonary |
pertaining to the lungs |
| pulpit |
raised platform used in preaching (in a church) |
| pulsate |
throb; beat regularly; vibrate regularly |
| pulse |
rhythmical throbbing of arteries; brief sudden change
in a normally constant quantity; V: pulsate |
| pulverize |
crush or grind into very small particles |
| pummel |
pommel; beat or pound with fists |
| punctilious |
minutely attentive (perhaps too much so) to fine points;
stressing niceties of conduct or form; N. punctilio, punctiliousness:
careful attention payed to every small exact detail |
| pundit |
authority on a subject; expert; learned person |
| pungent |
stinging; acrid; sharp in taste or smell; (of speech
or writing) caustic; N. pungency |
| punitive |
punishing; Ex. punitive measures |
| puny |
tiny; weak; insignificant |
| purchase |
secure grasp or hold; firm grasp or footing |
| purgatory |
place of spiritual expiation; temporary state or place
in which the souls must expiate their sins |
| purge |
remove or get rid of something or someone unwanted;
eliminate; free from blame or guilt; cleanse or purify
(esp. of sin, guilt, or defilement); N. |
| purport |
intention; purpose; meaning; V: claim; profess; Ex.
order which purports to be signed by the general |
| purported |
alleged; claimed; reputed or rumored; Ex. purported
Satanists |
| purse |
pucker; contract (lips) into wrinkles; N: wallet |
| purveyor |
furnisher of foodstuffs; caterer; V. purvey: supply
(eg. food); furnish; CF. provide |
| pushy |
disagreeably aggressive |
| pusillanimous |
cowardly; lacking courage; fainthearted |
| putative |
supposed; reputed; generally regarded as such; Ex.
putative father of the child |
| putrefy |
make or become putrid; N. putrefaction |
| putrescent |
becoming putrid; putrefying |
| putrid |
decayed and foul-smelling; foul; rotten; decayed; N.
putridity |
| puzzle |
baffle or confuse by a difficult problem; ponder over
a problem in an effort to solve; clarify or solve by reasoning;
Ex. puzzle out the answer; N. |
| pyromaniac |
person with an insane desire to set things on fire |
