| |
| saboteur |
one who commits sabotage; destroyer of property; N.
sabotage: destruction of property (usually carried out
secretly) |
| saccharine |
cloying sweet; characteristic of sugar or saccharin |
| sacrilegious |
desecrating; profane; N. sacrilege: desecration, misuse,
or theft of something sacred |
| sacrosanct |
invioably sacred; most sacred; inviolable |
| sadistic |
inclined to cruelty; N. sadism: delight in cruelty |
| saga |
Scandinavian myth; any legend; long heroic narrative |
| sagacious |
wise; perceptive; shrewd; having insight; N. sagacity |
| sage |
person celebrated for wisdom; wise person; ADJ: wise |
| salacious |
lascivious; lustful; Ex. salacious monk |
| salient |
prominent; projecting beyond a line; conspicuous; Ex.
salient features |
| saline |
salty |
| sallow |
(of the skin) yellowish and unhealthy-looking; sickly
in color; Ex. sallow complexion due to jaundice |
| salubrious |
healthful; conducive to health or well-being; socially
desirable; Ex. salubrious area; CF. health |
| salutary |
tending to improve; beneficial; wholesome; Ex. The
punishment had a salutary effect on the boy; CF. health |
| salvage |
rescue (goods or property) from loss; N: saving; property
saved |
| sanctimonious |
displaying ostentatious or hypocritical devoutness;
N. sanctimony: hypocritical piety |
| sanction |
approve; ratify; N: permission; penalty intended to
enforce compliance |
| sanctuary |
place of refuge; shelter; shrine; holy place; Ex. The
outlaw was granted sanctuary in the church. |
| sanguinary |
bloody; with much bloodshed |
| sanguine |
optimistic; cheerful; hopeful; of the color of blood;
red |
| sap |
diminish; weaken; undermine the foundations of (a fortification);
Ex. The element kryptonite sapped his strength. |
| sarcasm |
cutting ironic remark; scornful remarks; stinging rebuke;
ADJ. sarcastic |
| sardonic |
scornfully mocking; disdainful; sarcastic; cynical;
Ex. sardonic smile |
| sartorial |
pertaining to tailors or tailoring; Ex. a man of great
sartorial elegance; CF. sartor: tailor |
| sate |
satisfy to the full; satisfy to excess; cloy |
| satellite |
small body revolving around a larger one |
| satiate |
satisfy fully (physical needs such as hunger); sate;
N. satiety: condition of being satiated |
| satire |
form of literature in which irony, sarcasm, and ridicule
are employed to attack human vice and folly |
| satirical |
using satire; mocking |
| saturate |
soak thoroughly; imbue; impregnate; charge; fill to
capacity |
| saturnine |
morose; gloomy; Ex. Do not be misled by his saturnine
countenance. |
| satyr |
half-human, half-bestial being in the court of Dionysus
(resembling a goat), portrayed as wanton(unrestrained)
and cunning; lecher; CF. faun; CF. goat: lecherous man |
| saunter |
stroll(go for a leisurely walk) slowly; N. |
| savant |
scholar; learned person; CF. savoir: know |
| savor |
enjoy; have a distinctive flavor, smell, or quality;
N: taste or smell; distinctive quality |
| savory |
pleasant in taste; tasty; pleasing, attractive, or
agreeable; Ex. savory reputation |
| scabbard |
case for a sword blade; sheath |
| scad |
a great quantity; Ex. scads of clothes |
| scaffold |
temporary platform for workers (to work at heights
above the ground); bracing framework; platform for execution |
| scale |
climb up; ascend; remove or come off in scales; N:
flake of epidermis; ascending or descending series of
musical tones |
| scanty |
meager; insufficient |
| scapegoat |
someone who bears the blame for others; whipping boy;
CF. escape+goat |
| scavenge |
hunt through discarded materials for usable items or
food; search, especially for food; N. scavenger: one who
scavenges; animal that feeds on refuse and carrion |
| scenario |
plot outline; screenplay(script for a movie); opera
libretto; outline of possible future events |
| schematic |
of a schema or scheme; relating to an outline or diagram;
using a system of symbols; N. schema: diagrammatic representation;
outline |
| scheme |
systematic plan; plot; clever dishonest plan; orderly
arrangement of elements; Ex. health insurance scheme;
Ex. a scheme to escape taxes; Ex. a color scheme; Ex.
a story with no scheme; V: contrive a scheme |
| schism |
division into factions (esp. within a religious body);
split |
| scholarly |
full of learning; erudite; like a scholar; Ex. scholarly
journal |
| scintilla |
trace; minute amount; shred; least bit; Ex. There is
not a scintilla of truth; CF. spark |
| scintillate |
sparkle; flash; be animated; be full of life; Ex. scintillating
conversation |
| scion |
detached plant shoot used in grafting; descendant |
| scoff |
laugh (at); mock; ridicule; Ex. scoff at their threats |
| scorch |
sear; N. |
| score |
number of points; written form of a musical composition;
reason; group of 20; notch or incision; Ex. full/vocal
score; Ex. Don't worry on that score; V: mark with lines
or notches; Ex. score the paper to make it easy to fold |
| scotch |
stamp out(put an end to); thwart; hinder; Ex. scotch
the rumor; CF. cut; CF. 劝悼阑 临捞绰 狼固 |
| scourge |
lash; whip (formerly used for punishment); source of
severe punishment; V: whip; afflict |
| scowl |
frown angrily; N: angry frown |
| scrap |
small bit or fragment; discarded waste material; fight;
Ex. a scrap of paper/cloth; V: break into parts for disposal;
discard as worthless; fight; quarrel |
| scrappy |
quarrelsome |
| scraps |
leftover food |
| screech |
unpleasant high sharp sound; shriek; V. |
| scrimmage |
disorderly fight between two or more people |
| scruple |
hesitate for ethical reasons; fret about; Ex. She did
not scruple to read his diary; N: uneasy feeling arising
from conscience; conscience |
| scrupulous |
conscientious; extremely thorough; Ex. scrupulous worker |
| scrutinize |
examine closely and critically; N. scrutiny |
| scuffle |
struggle confusedly; move off in a confused hurry;
N. CF. scuffling twins ? |
| scurrilous |
abusive; obscene; indecent; Ex. scurrilous remark |
| scurry |
move hastily; hurry; move briskly |
| scurvy |
contemptible; despicable; N: disease caused by deficiency
of Vitamin C |
| scuttle |
sink (a ship) by cutting holes in the hull; scrap;
discard; N: small hatch in a ship's deck or hull |
| seamy |
sordid; base; filthy; unwholesome; Ex. seamy side of
city life |
| sear |
burn the surface of; char or burn; brand; parch; cause
(a plant) to wither |
| season |
enhance the flavor of by adding a spice, etc.; inure;
harden; N. seasoning: something used in seasoning |
| seasonable |
occurring at the proper time or season; opportune;
Ex. seasonable intervention in the dispute |
| seasonal |
of a particular season; Ex. seasonal rise in employment |
| seasoned |
experienced |
| secession |
withdrawal; V. secede: withdraw formally from membership |
| seclusion |
isolation; solitude; V. seclude: set apart from others;
isolate |
| secrete |
conceal; hide away or cache; produce and release a
substance into an organism; CF. secretive |
| sect |
separate religious body; faction; group of people with
common beliefs within a larger group |
| sectarian |
of a sect; narrow-minded; parochial; N: member of a
sect; narrow-minded person |
| secular |
worldly; not pertaining to church matters or religion;
temporal |
| sedate |
composed (with no excitement); grave; V: administer
a sedative to; CF. sedative |
| sedentary |
requiring sitting; done while sitting; not moving from
one place to another; settled; Ex. sedentary job/population |
| sedition |
conduct or language inciting rebellion; rebellion;
resistance to authority; insubordination; ADJ. seditious |
| seduce |
lead away from proper conduct; entice; ADJ. seductive |
| sedulous |
diligent; assiduous; paying attention; N. sedulity |
| seedy |
run-down; decrepit; disreputable; having many seeds;
Ex. seedy downtown hotel |
| seemly |
(of behavior) proper; appropriate |
| seep |
pass slowly through small openings; ooze; trickle;
N. seepage |
| seethe |
be violently disturbed; boil; (of a liquid) move about
wildly as if boiling; Ex. The nation was seething with
discontent. |
| seine |
seine net; net for catching fish |
| seismic |
pertaining to earthquakes |
| selective |
careful in choosing; having an effect only on certain
things; not general; Ex. eclectic weed killer |
| self-indulgence |
excessive indulgence of one's own desire |
| self-righteous |
sure of one's own righteousness; moralistic |
| semblance |
outward appearance; guise; Ex. We called in the troops
to bring a/some semblance of order to the city. |
| seminal |
related to seed or semen; germinal; creative; providing
a basis for further development; influencing future developments;
Ex. seminal research in a new field |
| seminary |
school for training future ministers; secondary school,
especially for young women |
| senility |
old age; feeblemindedness of old age; ADJ. senile:
resulting from old age; showing the weakness of body or
mind from old age; Ex. senile dementia |
| sensitization |
process of being made sensitive or acutely responsive
to an external agent or substance; V. sensitize: make
or become sensitive |
| sensual |
devoted to the pleasures of the sense; carnal; voluptuous;
Ex. sensual woman/curves/lips |
| sensuous |
giving pleasure to the senses; pertaining to the physical
senses; operating through the senses; sensuous feeling
of soft velvet on the skin |
| sententious |
pithy; terse; concise; aphoristic |
| sentient |
capable of sensation and conscious; aware; sensitive;
Ex. sentient creature; N. sentience |
| sentimental |
swayed by sentiment; appealing to the sentiments |
| sentinel |
sentry; lookout |
| septic |
of or causing sepsis; putrid; producing putrefaction;
N. sepsis: poisoning of part of the body (producing pus) |
| sepulcher |
tomb; V: place in a sepulcher; ADJ. sepulchral |
| sequester |
isolate; segregate; seclude; retire from public life |
| sere |
sear; parched; dry |
| serendipity |
gift for finding valuable things by accident; accidental
good fortune or luck; CF. The Three Princes of Serendip |
| serenity |
calmness; placidity; ADJ. serene |
| serpentine |
winding; twisting; of or like a serpent; Ex. serpentine
course of the river; N. serpent: snake |
| serrated |
having a sawtoothed edge; Ex. serrated leaf |
| servile |
slavish; cringing; N. servility |
| servitude |
slavery; compulsory labor imposed as a punishment |
| sever |
separate; cut off (a part) from a whole; break up (a
relationship); N. severance; CF. severance pay: extra
pay given an employee upon leaving a position |
| severity |
harshness; intensity; sternness; austerity; ADJ. severe:
harsh; strict; extremely violent or intense |
| sextant |
navigation tool used to determine a ship's latitude
and longitude (by measuring the altitudes of stars) |
| shack |
crude cabin |
| shackle |
chain; fetter; confine with shackles; N. |
| shade |
slight difference in degree; nuance; degree of color;
Ex. shades of meaning/grey |
| sham |
pretend; feign; ADJ: not genuine; fake; Ex. sham jewelry;
N: something that is not what it appears; impostor; pretense;
Ex. The agreement was a sham. |
| shambles |
(place or scene of) complete disorder or ruin; wreck;
mess; Ex. After the hurricane, the coast was a shambles. |
| Shangri-la |
imaginary remote paradise on earth; CF. Lost Horizon |
| shard |
fragment generally of broken pottery (glass, clay bowl,
or cup) |
| shaving |
very thin piece, usually of wood (cut from a surface
with a sharp blade) |
| sheaf |
bundle of stalks of grain; any bundle of things tied
together |
| shear |
remove (fleece or hair) by cutting; remove the hair
or fleece from; cut with or as if with shears; N: shears;
pair of scissors |
| sheathe |
place into a case; insert into or provide with a sheath;
Ex. He sheathed his dagger; N. sheath: case for a blade |
| shed |
small roofed structure for storage and shelter; V:
pour forth; lose by natural process; repel without allowing
penetration; radiate; cast; Ex. shed tears/light/water/skin/leaves |
| sheer |
pure; thin and transparent; very steep |
| sherbet |
flavored dessert ice |
| shift |
change position or place; exchange (one thing) for
another; change in direction or position; Ex. shift the
stolen goods; N. group of workers which takes turns with
other groups; working period of such a group |
| shimmer |
shine with a flickering light; glimmer intermittently;
Ex. The moonlight shimmered on the water; N. |
| shirk |
avoid (responsibility, work, etc.); malinger |
| shoddy |
made of inferior material; sham; not genuine; inferior;
dishonest; Ex. shoddy goods/trick |
| shoot |
new growth from a plant |
| shove |
push forward; push roughly; Ex. pushing and shoving
to get on the bus; N. |
| shrew |
scolding woman; very small mouselike animal |
| shrewd |
clever; astute |
| shrivel |
make or become shrunken and wrinkled (often by drying) |
| shudder |
shake uncontrollably; tremble; V. |
| shuffle |
mix together; jumble; move (something) from one place
to another; slide (the feet) along the ground while walking;
Ex. shuffle papers from one pile to another; N. |
| shun |
keep away from; avoid deliberately; Ex. She has been
shunned by her neighbors. |
| shunt |
move (a railway train) from one track to another; turn
aside; divert; sidetrack; Ex. shunt traffic around an
accident; N. |
| shyster |
lawyer using questionable methods; unscrupulous practioner |
| sibling |
brother or sister |
| sibylline |
prophetic; oracular; N. sibyl: woman prophet (in the
ancient world) |
| sidereal |
relating to stars; Ex. sidereal day |
| sidetrack |
switch (a railroad car) to a siding; divert from a
main issue; N. CF. siding: short section of railroad track
connected by switches with a main track |
| sift |
put through a sieve to separate fine from coarse particles;
sort or examine carefully |
| significant |
expressing a meaning; important; Ex. significant smile;
N. significance: importance; meaning; V. signify: denote;
mean; signal; make known; matter; be significant |
| silt |
sediment deposited by running water (at the entrance
to a harbor or by a bend in a river) |
| simian |
monkeylike; N: ape or monkey |
| simile |
comparison of one thing with another, using the word
like or as |
| simper |
smirk; smile in a silly way; smile affectedly |
| simplistic |
oversimplified |
| simulate |
feign; imitate |
| sinecure |
well-paid position with little responsibility; CF.
sine cure: without care; CF. San Serif |
| sinewy |
(of meat) tough; strong and firm; muscular; N. sinew:
tendon; strong cord connecting a muscle to a bone |
| singular |
being only one; individual; unique; extraordinary;
odd; Ex. singular beauty/behavior |
| sinister |
evil; ominous |
| sinuous |
twisting; winding; bending in and out; not morally
honest |
| siren |
apparatus for making sounds; womanlike creature |
| skeptic |
sceptic; doubter; person who suspends judgment until
he has examined the evidence supporting a point of view;
ADJ. skeptical; N. skepticism; scepticism |
| skiff |
small light sailboat or rowboat |
| skim |
read or glance through quickly; touch lightly in passing;
brush; remove from the surface of a liquid |
| skimp |
provide or use scantily; live very economically; Ex.
skimp on necessities; ADJ. skimpy: inadequate in amount;
scanty; stingy; niggardly |
| skinflint |
miser; stingy person |
| skirmish |
minor fight; minor battle in war; V. |
| skittish |
inconstant; capricious; frivolous; not serious; Ex.
charming but skittish young woman; CF. skit |
| skulduggery(skullduggery) |
dishonest behavior or action; Ex. skulduggery in the
election |
| skulk |
move furtively and secretly; Ex. He skulked through
the less fashionable sections of the city. |
| slack |
moving slowly; sluggish; inactive; (of a rope) loose;
negligent; lax; Ex. slack season; Ex. slack in one's work;
N. V. |
| slacken |
slow up; loosen; make or become slack |
| slag |
glassy residue from smelting metal; dross; waste matter |
| slake |
satisfy (thirst); quench; sate |
| slander |
defamation; utterance of false and malicious statements;
V. ADJ. slanderous |
| slap |
hit quickly with the flat part of the hand; N. CF.
smack |
| slapdash |
hasty and careless; haphazard; sloppy(carelessly done) |
| slaughter |
killing of animals for food; massacre; V: butcher (animals)
for food; kill in large numbers |
| slavish |
of or like a slave; servile; showing no originality;
copied very closely; Ex. slavish devotion/copy of the
original |
| sleazy |
shabby and dirty; flimsy; insubstantial; Ex. sleazy
back-street hotel/fabric |
| sledge |
large sled drawn by work animals |
| sleek |
smooth and shining (as from good health); V. |
| sleeper |
one that achieves unexpected success; something originally
of little value or importance that in time becomes very
valuable |
| sleigh |
large vehicle drawn by a horse over snow or ice |
| sleight |
dexterity; CF. sleight of hand: legerdemain; quickness
of the hands in doing tricks |
| slew |
large quantity or number; Ex. slew of errands left |
| slick |
make smooth or glossy; N: smooth surface; Ex. oil slick;
ADJ: smooth; glossy; deftly executed; adroit; glib |
| slight |
insult to one's dignity; snub; V: treat as if of small
importance; insult; snub; ADJ. small in size; of small
importance |
| slink |
move furtively; ADJ. slinky: stealthy; furtive; sneaky
(as in ambush) |
| slipshod |
slovenly; careless; sloppy; untidy; shabby; Ex. slipshod
work |
| slither |
slip or slide |
| sloth |
slow moving tree-dwelling mammal; laziness; ADJ. slothful:
lazy; indolent |
| slough |
(of a snake) shed or cast off (dead outer skin); N:
outer layer that is shed |
| slovenly |
untidy; careless in work habits; slipshod; N. sloven:
one who is habitually untidy or careless |
| sluggard |
lazy person |
| sluggish |
lazy; slow; inactive; lethargic; CF. slug: nail with
no shell |
| sluice |
artificial channel for directing or controlling the
flow of water (with a gate to regulate the flow) |
| slur |
pronounce indistinctly; speak indistinctly; mumble |
| sly |
clever in deceiving; secretive; not telling one's intentions |
| smart |
intelligent; quick and energetic; fashionable; Ex.
smart pace/restaurant; V: cause or feel a sharp pain;
N: smarting pain |
| smattering |
slight knowledge; small scattered number or amount;
Ex. smattering of German |
| smear |
spread or cover with a sticky substance; N: mark made
by smearing |
| smelt |
melt (ore) for separating and removing the metal; melt
or blend ores changing their chemical composition |
| smirk |
conceited smile; offensively self-satisfied smile (often
at someone else's misfortune); V. |
| smolder |
smoulder; burn slowly without flame; be liable to break
out at any moment; exist in a suppressed state; Ex. smoldering
anger |
| smother |
kill from lack of air; suppress; cover thickly; Ex.
smothered in little stickers |
| smudge |
dirty mark with unclear edges made by rubbing; V. |
| smug |
self-satisfied; complacent |
| sneak |
move, give, or take in a quiet, stealthy way; N: one
who sneaks; ADJ. sneaky |
| snicker |
half-stifled(suppressed) laugh; V. |
| snip |
short quick cut with scissors; V: cut with scissors |
| snivel |
complain or whine tearfully; run at the nose; snuffle;
Ex. Don't come back sniveling to me. |
| snub |
ignore or behave coldly toward; Ex. I made a suggestion
but she snubbed me; N. |
| snuffle |
sniffle; sniff repeatedly (in order to keep liquid
from running out of the nose) |
| soar |
rise or fly high in the air; Ex. The rocket soared
into the sky. |
| sober |
serious; solemn; not drunken; abstemious or temperate;
V: make or become sober |
| sobriety |
moderation (especially regarding indulgence in alcohol);
seriousness |
| sodden |
thoroughly soaked; dull or stupid as if from drink |
| sojourn |
temporary stay; V: stay for a time |
| solace |
comfort in sorrow or trouble; consolation; V: comfort
or console in time of sorrow or trouble |
| solder |
repair or make whole by using a metal alloy; N: metal
alloy (usually tin and lead) used in the molten state
to join metallic parts |
| solecism |
nonstandard grammatical construction; construction
that is flagrantly incorrect grammatically; violation
of social etiquette |
| solemnity |
seriousness; gravity |
| solicit |
entreat; request earnestly; seek to obtain; Ex. solicit
votes; CF. solicitor: one who solicits; chief law officer |
| solicitor |
lawyer in the lower court of law |
| solicitous |
anxious; worried; concerned; eager; Ex. solicitous
to do something; N. solicitude |
| soliloquy |
talking to oneself (esp. in a play); CF. monologue:
soliloquy; long speech by one person (often monopolizing
a conversation) |
| solitude |
state of being alone; seclusion; ADJ. solitary: existing
or living alone (esp. by choice); remote or secluded;
single; sole; Ex. solitary life/inn; Ex. no solitary piece
of proof |
| solstice |
point or time at which the sun is farthest from the
equator |
| soluble |
able to be dissolved in a liquid; able to be worked
out or solved |
| solvent |
substance that dissolves another; ADJ: capable of dissolving
another substance |
| somatic |
pertaining to the body; bodily; physical |
| somber |
dark; gloomy; melancholy; depressing; CF. shadow |
| somnambulist |
sleepwalker; V. somnambulate; N. somnambulism |
| somnolent |
half asleep; drowsy; N. somnolence |
| sonic |
of sound or its speed in air; CF. subsonic, supersonic |
| sonnet |
14-line poetic verse form with a fixed rhyme pattern |
| sonorous |
resonant; producing a full deep sound; producing sound |
| soothsayer |
one who foretells the future |
| sophist |
teacher of philosophy; quibbler; employer of fallacious
reasoning; N. sophism: plausible but fallacious argument |
| sophisticated |
worldly wise and urbane; refined; complex; N. sophistication;
V. sophisticate |
| sophistry |
seemingly plausible but fallacious reasoning; sophism |
| sophomoric |
immature; half-baked; like a sophomore |
| soporific |
sleep-causing; marked by sleepiness; drowsy |
| sordid |
filthy; foul; base; vile; Ex. sordid bed/story |
| sound |
in good condition; showing good judgment or good sense;
thorough; complete; Ex. sound mind/investment/training |
| sour |
having a sharp or acid taste; acid; tart; bad-tempered;
V. |
| sovereign |
ruler in a monarchy; ADJ: (of a country) independent
and self-governing; having supreme power; supreme; excellent |
| sovereignty |
complete independence and self-government (of a country);
supremacy of authority; power to govern |
| sow |
plant or scatter seed |
| spangle |
small shiny metallic piece sewn to clothing for ornamentation |
| spare |
give; use; refrain from harming; save from experiencing;
exempt; Ex. spare me 5 minutes; Ex. Take this money and
spare my life; Ex. The emperor was spared the onus; ADJ:
kept in reserve; free for other use; unoccupied; Ex. spare
time |
| sparse |
not thick; thinly scattered; scanty |
| Spartan |
without attention to comfort; lacking luxury and comfort;
sternly disciplined; Ex. spartan living condition/life |
| spasmodic |
fitful; periodic; of or like a spasm; N. spasm: sudden
involuntary muscular contraction; sudden burst of energy
or emotion |
| spat |
squabble; minor dispute; minor quarrel |
| spate |
sudden flood or rush; Ex. spate of accidents |
| spatial |
relating to space |
| spatula |
broad-bladed instrument used for spreading or mixing |
| spawn |
lay eggs (in large numbers); produce offspring (in
large numbers); N: eggs of aquatic animals |
| specious |
seemingly reasonable but incorrect; misleading (often
intentionally) |
| speck |
small piece or mark; Ex. speck of dust in the eye |
| spectral |
ghostly; N. specter: spectre; ghost; phantom |
| spectrum |
colored band produced when a beam of light passes through
a prism; broad and continuous range; Ex. whole spectrum
of modern thoughts |
| speechless |
unable for the moment to speak (because of strong feeling);
Ex. speechless with anger |
| spendthrift |
someone who wastes money; CF. thrift: accumulated wealth |
| sphinx-like |
enigmatic; mysterious |
| spin |
rotate swiftly; make (thread) by twisting (cotton,
wool, etc.); N. |
| splice |
join together end to end to make one continuous length;
fasten together; unite; Ex. splice two strips of tape;
N. |
| spoilsport |
one who spoils the pleasure of others |
| spontaneity |
lack of premeditation; naturalness; freedom from constraint;
ADJ. spontaneous: self-generated; unpremeditated; happening
without being planned |
| spoof |
parody |
| spoonerism |
accidental transposition of sounds in successive words;
Ex. ``Let me sew you to your sheet'' for ``Let me show
you to your seat''; CF. William Spooner |
| sporadic |
occurring irregularly; intermittent |
| sportive |
playful; frolicsome; merry; CF. sport: play or frolic;
CF. sportsmanlike |
| sprout |
begin to grow; give off shoots or buds; N: new growth
on a plant; shoot |
| spruce |
neat and trim in appearance; smart; Ex. Be spruce for
your job interview; V. |
| spry |
(esp. of older people) vigorously active; nimble |
| spurious |
false; counterfeit; forged; illogical; Ex. spurious
arguments |
| spurn |
reject disdainfully; scorn; Ex. She spurned all offers
of help. |
| squabble |
minor quarrel; bickering; V: engage in a minor quarrel;
Ex. squabbling children |
| squalor |
condition of being squalid; filth; degradation; dirty
neglected state; ADJ. squalid: dirty; sordid; morally
repulsive; Ex. squalid story |
| squander |
waste; spend foolishly |
| squash |
crush; quash; suppress |
| squat |
short and thick; stocky; Ex. ugly squat tower; V. N. |
| squeamish |
easily shocked or sickened by unpleasant things; fastidious;
Ex. A nurse should not be squeamish. |
| squelch |
produce a splashing sound (when stepping through mud);
crush; squash; |
| staccato |
played in an abrupt manner; marked by abrupt sharp
sound; Ex. staccato applause |
| stagnant |
(of water) not flowing (often bad-smelling); motionless;
stale; not developing; inactive; dull; Ex. stagnant industrial
output |
| staid |
serious and sedate; sober; Ex. staid during the funeral
ceremony |
| stalemate |
deadlock; situation in which further action is blocked |
| stalwart |
physically strong; brawny; steadfast; strong in mind
or determination; Ex. stalwart supporter; N: stalwart
follower |
| stamina |
power of endurance; strength; staying power |
| stammer |
speak with involuntarily pauses or repetitions |
| stamp |
step on heavily (so as to crush or extinguish); put
an end to; imprint or impress with a mark, design, or
seal; shape with a die; characterize; Ex. machine stamping
out car bodies; Ex. newspaper stamping him as a liar;
N. stamping; implement us |
| stampede |
sudden frenzied rush (of panic-stricken animals or
people); V: participate in or cause stampede; Ex. stampede
before the price rises |
| stanch |
stop or check flow of blood; Ex. stanch the gushing
wound |
| standstill |
condition of no movement or activity; stop |
| stanza |
division of a poem (composed of two or more lines) |
| start |
move suddenly or involuntarily; Ex. start at the sight
of a snake |
| stately |
formal; ceremonious; grand in style or size; majestic |
| static |
having no motion; unchanging; lacking development;
N. stasis: stable state |
| statute |
law enacted by the legislature |
| statutory |
created by statute or legislative action; regulated
by statute; Ex. statutory age limit |
| steadfast |
steadily loyal; unswerving; steady |
| stealth |
action of moving secretly or unseen; slyness; sneakiness;
secretiveness; ADJ. stealthy |
| steep |
soak; saturate; Ex. steep the fabric in the dye bath;
ADJ: precipitous |
| stellar |
pertaining to the stars; of a star performer; outstanding;
Ex. stellar attraction of the entire performance |
| stem |
stop or check (the flow of); Ex. stem the bleeding
from the slashed artery; N: main axis of a plant; stalk |
| stem_from |
arise from; originate from |
| stench |
strong foul odor; reek; stink |
| stentorian |
(of the voice) extremely loud; CF. Stentor: a loud
herald in the Iliad |
| stereotype |
one regarded as embodying a set image or type; fixed
and unvarying representation; standardized mental picture
often reflecting prejudice; Ex. stereotype of the happy
slave; V: make a stereotype of; represent by a stereotype;
Ex. It is wrong to ster |
| sterile |
incapable of producing young; free from microorganism;
V. sterilize |
| stickler |
perfectionist; person who insists things be exactly
right |
| stifle |
suppress; extinguish; inhibit; smother or suffocate |
| stigma |
token of disgrace; brand; V. stigmatize: mark with
a stigma; characterize as disgraceful |
| stilted |
bombastic; stiffly pompous; Ex. stilted rhetoric; CF.
stiff: formal |
| stink |
stench; V: emit a strong foul odor |
| stint |
supply; allotted amount of work; assigned portion of
work; limitation; Ex. two-year stint in the army; Ex.
without stint |
| stipend |
pay for services |
| stipple |
paint or draw with dots or short strokes |
| stipulate |
state as a necessary condition (of an agreement); make
express conditions; specify; Ex. He stipulated payment
in advance |
| stock |
standard; kept regularly in stock or supply; typical;
routine; common; Ex. stock sizes of paper; Ex. stock excuse/character;
N: goods for sale in a shop; OP. unique |
| stockade |
wooden enclosure or pen; fixed line of posts used as
defensive barrier |
| stodgy |
dull; stuffy; boringly conservative; Ex. stodgy book |
| stoic |
stoical; impassive; unmoved by joy or grief; N. CF.
stoicism |
| stoke |
stir up a fire or furnace; feed plentifully |
| stolid |
dull; impassive; showing little emotion when strong
feelings are expected |
| stoop |
bend forward and down; lower or debase oneself; fall
to a lower standard of behavior by doing something; condescend;
Ex. stoop to lying |
| stout |
rather fat; strong in body; sturdy; resolute; determined;
strong in determination; Ex. stout stick/supporter |
| straggle |
stray or fall behind (a main group); spread out in
a scattered group; Ex. straggling marathon racer; Ex.
straggling branch |
| strangle |
kill by choking or suffocating; suppress |
| stratagem |
deceptive scheme; clever trick |
| stratified |
divided into classes; arranged into strata; V. stratify |
| stratum |
layer of earth's surface; layer of society; PL. strata |
| strew |
spread randomly; sprinkle; scatter; Ex. flower girl
strewing rose petals |
| striated |
marked with parallel bands; striped; grooved; Ex. striated
rocks; V. striate; N. stria: thin groove or line |
| stricture |
severe and adverse criticism; critical comments; limit
or restriction |
| strident |
loud and harsh; insistent; N. stridency |
| stringent |
(of rules) binding; rigid; marked by scarcity of money;
Ex. stringent economic conditions |
| strut |
supporting bar; CF. airplane wing building support |
| studied |
carefully contrived; calculated; unspontaneous; deliberate;
thoughtful; Ex. studied remark |
| studious |
given to diligent study |
| stultify |
make stupid in mind; cause to appear or become stupid
or inconsistent; suppress; frustrate or hinder; Ex. stultifying
effect of uninteresting work; Ex. stultify free expression |
| stumble |
trip and almost fall; proceed unsteadily; act falteringly;
N. |
| stump |
base of a tree trunk left after the rest has been cut
down; V: walk in a heavy manner; baffle; puzzle |
| stun |
make unconscious or numb as by a blow; amaze; astound |
| stupefy |
stun; make numb (as with a drug); amaze |
| stupor |
state of being stupefied; state of apathy; daze; lack
of awareness |
| sturdy |
strong and firm (in the body) |
| stygian |
unpleasantly dark; gloomy; hellish; deathly; CF. Styx:
the chief river in the subterranean land of the dead |
| stymie |
thwart; present an obstacle; stump |
| suavity |
urbanity; polish; ADJ. suave: smooth and courteous |
| subaltern |
subordinate |
| subdue |
less intense; quieter; Ex. subdued lighting; Ex. subdue:
conquer; make less intense; quiet; Ex. subdue one's anger |
| subjective |
influenced by personal feelings; occurring or taking
place within the mind; unreal; Ex. subjective sensation
of the ghostly presence |
| subjugate |
conquer; bring under control |
| sublimate |
refine; purify; replace (natural urges) with socially
acceptable activities; change between a solid state and
a gaseous state |
| sublime |
causing deep feelings of wonder, joy, respect, etc.;
exalted; noble and uplifting; utter |
| subliminal |
below the threshold of conscious perception; Ex. subliminal
advertisement |
| submerge |
place under water; dip; go under water; cover completely
(as with water); Ex. submerged in work |
| submissive |
willing to obey orders; yielding; timid |
| subordinate |
occupying a lower rank; inferior; submissive; N. V:
put in a lower rank or class |
| suborn |
persuade to act unlawfully (especially to commit perjury);
N. subornation |
| subpoena |
writ(written command issued by a court) summoning a
witness to appear in court; V: summon with a subpoena |
| subsequent |
following in time or order; later |
| subservient |
behaving like a slave; servile; obsequious; subordinate;
N. subservience |
| subside |
sink to a lower level; settle down; sink to the bottom
(as a sediment); descend; grow quiet; become less; moderate;
abate |
| subsidiary |
serving to assist; subordinate; secondary; of a subsidy;
N. |
| subsidy |
direct financial aid by government, etc.; V. subsidize:
assist with a subsidy |
| subsistence |
existence; means of subsisting; means of support; livelihood;
V. subsist: exist; maintain life (at a meager level) |
| substantial |
of substance; material; solid; essential or fundamental;
ample; considerable; well-to-do; wealthy |
| substantiate |
support (a claim) with evidence; establish with evidence;
verify |
| substantive |
substantial; essential; pertaining to the substance;
substantial; considerable; Ex. substantive issues |
| subsume |
include (as a member of a group); encompass |
| subterfuge |
stratagem(deceptive scheme); pretense; evasion; Ex.
resort to a harmless subterfuge |
| subtlety |
perceptiveness; ingenuity; delicacy; ADJ. subtle: delicate;
so slight as to be difficult to detect; able to make fine
distinctions; clever; Ex. subtle mind/differences in meaning |
| subversive |
tending to overthrow or ruin; V. subvert: overthrow
completely (an established system); destroy completely;
CF. undermine ? |
| succor |
assist (someone in difficulty); aid; comfort; N. |
| succulent |
juicy; full of juice or sap; full of richness; N: succulent
plant such as a cactus |
| succumb |
yield (to something overwhelming); give in; die; Ex.
succumb to the illness |
| suckle |
give or take milk at the breast or udder |
| suffocate |
die or kill from lack of air; suppress |
| suffragist |
advocate of the extension of voting rights (for women);
CF. suffrage |
| suffuse |
spread through or over (with a color or liquid); charge;
Ex. A blush suffused her cheeks. |
| suitor |
man who is courting a woman |
| sullen |
silently showing ill humor or resentment; dark; gloomy |
| sully |
defile; soil; tarnish; Ex. sully one's hands in menial
labor |
| sultry |
(of weather) hot; sweltering; sensual; voluptuous |
| summation |
act of finding the total; summing-up; summary (esp.
one given by the judge at the end of a trial) |
| sumptuous |
grand suggesting great expense; lavish; rich; Ex. sumptuous
feast |
| sunder |
separate; part; CF. asunder |
| sundry |
miscellaneous; various; several; N. sundries: small
miscellaneous items |
| superannuated |
retired or disqualified because of age; outmoded; obsolete |
| supercilious |
haughty; arrogant; condescending; patronizing; CF.
eyebrow, cilium |
| supererogatory |
superfluous; more than needed or demanded |
| superficial |
of the surface; not deep; shallow; not thorough; trivial;
Ex. superficial analysis/knowledge |
| superfluous |
excessive; overabundant; unnecessary; N. superfluity |
| superimpose |
place over something else |
| supernumerary |
person or thing excess of what is necessary; extra;
ADJ: additional to the usual or necessary number |
| supersede |
replace; cause to be set aside; make obsolete; N. supersession |
| supine |
lying on back; passive; inactive; Ex. The defeated
pugilist lay supine; Ex. supine acceptance of the decision |
| supplant |
take the place of unfairly; usurp; replace |
| supple |
flexible; limber; pliant |
| suppliant |
entreating; beseeching; N. |
| supplicant |
one who supplicates; ADJ. |
| supplicate |
petition humbly; pray to grant a favor |
| supposition |
assumption; hypothesis; surmise; V. suppose |
| supposititious |
assumed; counterfeit; hypothetical |
| suppress |
put an end to forcibly; subdue; stifle; overwhelm;
inhibit the expression of; check; prevent from being published
or made public; Ex. suppress a smile; Ex. suppress the
magazine/truth |
| surfeit |
satiate; feed or supply to excess; stuff; indulge to
excess in anything; N: surfeiting; excessive amount; Ex.
surfeit of food |
| surge |
powerful movement of or like a wave; V. |
| surly |
bad-tempered; rude; cross |
| surmise |
guess; N. |
| surmount |
overcome |
| surpass |
exceed |
| surreptitious |
done secretly; secret; furtive; sneaky; hidden |
| surrogate |
substitute; person or thing used in place of another;
Ex. surrogate mother; ADJ. |
| surveillance |
close observation of a person (esp. one under suspicion);
watching; guarding |
| susceptible |
impressionable; easily influenced; sensitive; having
little resistance as to a disease; likely to suffer; receptive
to; capable of accepting; Ex. susceptible to persuasion/colds;
Ex. The agreement is not susceptible of alteration; N.
susceptibility |
| suspend |
cause to stop for a period; interrupt; hold in abeyance;
defer; hang from above; exclude for a period from a position;
Ex. suspended state; Ex. suspend judgment; Ex. suspended
from the team; N. suspension |
| suspense |
state of being undecided; anxiety or apprehension resulting
from uncertainty |
| sustain |
suffer (harm or loss); experience; support; prop; maintain;
keep in existence; nourish (to maintain life); Ex. sustain
the family/the trapped miners |
| sustenance |
sustaining; means of livelihood, support, food, nourishment;
something that maintains life; food |
| suture |
stitches sewn to hold the cut edges of a wound or incision;
material used in sewing; V: sew together a wound |
| swagger |
walk or behave with an over-confident manner |
| swamp |
wetland; marsh; V: flood; overwhelm; drench in with
liquid |
| swarm |
large group of insects moving in a mass; crowd of people
or animals; V: move in a crowd or mass |
| swarthy |
(of a skin or complexion) dark; dusky; Ex. swarthy
Italian ? |
| swathe |
swath; wrap around; bandage; Ex. one's head swathed
in bandages |
| sway |
swing from side to side; influence (someone) to change
one's opinion; N. |
| swear |
vow; promise; use profane oaths; use offensive words |
| swear-word |
word considered offensive; Ex. ``bloody'' |
| swell |
long wave of water that moves continuously without
breaking; V. |
| swelter |
(of a person) suffer from oppressive heat; be oppressed
by heat |
| swerve |
deviate; turn aside sharply from a straight course;
Ex. swerve from the principle; Ex. The car swerved to
the right. |
| swill |
drink greedily |
| swindler |
cheater |
| swipe |
hit with a sweeping motion; N. |
| sybarite |
lover of luxury; person devoted to pleasure and luxury;
CF. Sybaris: an ancient Greek city in Italy |
| sycophant |
servile flatterer; bootlicker; yes man; ADJ. sycophantic |
| syllogism |
logical formula consisting of a major premise, a minor
premise and a conclusion; deceptive or specious argument |
| sylvan |
pertaining to the woods or the country |
| symbiosis |
interdependent relationship (between groups, species)
often mutually beneficial; ADJ. symbiotic; CF. together
+ life |
| symmetry |
arrangement of parts so that balance is obtained; congruity;
ADJ. symmetrical |
| synchronous |
similarly timed; simultaneous with; occurring at the
same time; V. synchronize |
| synoptic |
providing a general overview; summary; N. synopsis |
| synthesis |
combining parts or separate things into a whole; the
whole so formed; PL. syntheses; V. synthesize |
| synthetic |
not natural; artificial; resulting from synthesis;
Ex. synthetic fiber; N. |
