| |
| vacillate |
waver (in opinion); fluctuate; sway to and fro; N.
vacillation |
| vacuous |
empty; lacking in ideas; inane; stupid; Ex. vacuous
expression; N. vacuity |
| vagabond |
wanderer (without a permanent home); tramp |
| vagary |
capricious happening; caprice; whim; CF. wander |
| vagrant |
homeless wanderer |
| vain |
full of self-admiration; conceited; without result;
unsuccessful; N. vanity |
| vainglorious |
boastful; excessively conceited; N. vainglory: great
vanity |
| valediction |
saying farewell; expression of leave-taking |
| valedictory |
pertaining to farewell; N: farewell address (esp. at
graduation exercises) |
| valid |
logically convincing; sound; legally acceptable; effective;
Ex. valid reasoning/passport |
| validate |
make valid; confirm; ratify |
| valor |
bravery; ADJ. valiant: possessing valor; brave |
| vampire |
ghostly being that sucks the blood of the living |
| vanguard |
forerunners; foremost position of an army; advance
forces; foremost position in a trend or movement; CF.
rearguard |
| vantage |
position giving an advantage (such as a strategic point);
CF. vantagepoint |
| vapid |
lacking liveliness; dull and unimaginative; insipid
and flavorless; Ex. vapid lecture |
| vaporize |
turn into vapor (steam, gas, fog, etc.) |
| variegate |
change the appearance of (by marking with different
colors) |
| variegated |
(esp. of a flower or leaf) many-colored |
| varnish |
paint used to coat a surface with a glossy film; glossy
coating produced by using this substance; Ex. nail varnish;
V. |
| vassal |
in feudalism, one who held land of a superior lord;
subordinate or dependent |
| vaunted |
boasted; bragged; highly publicized; V. vaunt: boast;
brag |
| veer |
change in direction; swerve |
| vegetate |
live in a monotonous way (without interests or activity);
CF. vegetation: plants of an area; CF. vegetarian; CF.
vegan |
| vehement |
forceful; intensely emotional; with marked vigor; strong;
N. vehemence |
| velocity |
speed |
| venal |
capable of being bribed; corrupt; CF. vernal |
| vendetta |
blood feud (esp. between two families); CF. Nina Williams |
| vendor |
seller |
| veneer |
thin surface layer (of good quality wood, glued to
a base of inferior material); cover; surface show; fa\c{c}ade;
V. |
| venerable |
deserving high respect; commanding respect; CF. command:
deserve and get |
| venerate |
revere; treat with great respect |
| venial |
(of a fault or sin) forgivable; trivial |
| venison |
meat of a deer; CF. cow: beef; CF. pig: pork, ham,
bacon; CF. calf: veal; CF. sheep: mutton; CF. lamb: lamb |
| venom |
poison (of an animal); hatred; Ex. remarks full of
venom; ADJ. venomous |
| vent |
release or discharge through a vent; express (esp.
unfairly); utter; Ex. He vented his wrath on his family. |
| ventilate |
admit fresh air into to replace stale air |
| ventral |
abdominal |
| ventriloquist |
someone who can make his or her voice seem to come
from another person or thing (without moving lips or jaws);
N. ventriloquism, ventriloquy |
| venture |
risk; expose to risk; dare; undertake a risk; N. |
| venturesome |
(of a person) bold; adventurous; daring; (of an action)
risky |
| venue |
location; place (of a crime, trial, gathering, etc.);
CF. come |
| veracious |
(of a person) truthful |
| veracity |
truthfulness; adherence to the truth |
| verbalize |
put into words; ADJ. verbal: of words; spoken rather
than written; oral; of a verb |
| verbatim |
word for word; in the same words; repeating the actual
words exactly |
| verbiage |
pompous array of words; too many unnecessary words;
wordiness |
| verbose |
wordy; N. verbosity |
| verdant |
green; covered with green plants or grass; lush in
vegetation; Ex. verdant meadows |
| verdigris |
green coating or patina on copper which has been exposed
to the weather |
| verge |
border; edge, rim, or margin; Ex. on the verge of:
very near to; V: border on |
| verisimilar |
having the appearance of truth or reality; probable
or likely to be true; plausible |
| verisimilitude |
appearance of truth; quality of appearing to be true
or real; likelihood; Ex. verisimilitude of her performance
as Lady Macbeth |
| veritable |
being truly so; real or genuine; actual; not false
or imaginary |
| verity |
quality of being true; lasting truth or principle;
Ex. the verity of his testimony; Ex. one of the eternal
verities |
| vernacular |
living language (as compared to the official language);
language spoken in a country or region; natural style;
Ex. lapse into the vernacular |
| vernal |
pertaining to spring |
| versatile |
having many talents; capable of working in many fields;
having many uses or functions; N. versatility |
| vertebrate |
having a backbone or spinal column; N: group of animals
having a segmented spinal column |
| vertex |
summit; highest point; PL. vertices |
| vertigo |
severe dizziness; giddiness |
| verve |
enthusiasm (as in artistic performance or composition);
liveliness; vigor |
| vestige |
trace; remains; Ex. vestiges of some ancient religion |
| veto |
vested power to reject a bill; exercise of this right;
V: prevent or forbid by exercising the power of veto |
| vex |
annoy; distress |
| viable |
capable of maintaining life; feasible; practical or
workable; Ex. viable scheme |
| viand |
food; CF. live |
| vibrant |
full of vigor or energy; vibrating |
| vicar |
parish priest; representative |
| vicarious |
experienced as if one were taking part in the experience
of another; done by a deputy for other people; acting
as a substitute; Ex. vicarious thrill at the movies; Ex.
the vicarious sufferings of Christ |
| vicissitude |
change (esp. from good to bad); change of fortune;
CF. the last emperor of China |
| victuals |
food; provisions; V. victual: provide with food |
| vie |
contend; compete |
| vigil |
keeping watch (during normal sleeping hours); Ex. all-night
vigil |
| vigilant |
watchful; on the alert; watchfully awake; alert to
spot danger; N. vigilance |
| vigilante |
one who without authority assumes law enforcement powers |
| vignette |
small drawing placed at the beginning or end of a chapter;
picture; short literary sketch; short written description
of a character or scene |
| vigor |
active strength; energy; enthusiasm; ADJ. vigorous |
| vile |
despicable; unpleasant; disgusting; Ex. vile slander |
| vilify |
slander; speak evil of; N. vilification |
| vindicate |
clear from blame; free from blame or accusation (with
supporting proof); exonerate; substantiate; justify or
support; avenge; Ex. vindicate one's client; Ex. vindicate
one's claim; CF. vindicator |
| vindictive |
disposed to revenge; vengeful; out for revenge; spiteful;
intended to cause harm; malicious; Ex. vindictive streak |
| vintner |
wine merchant; winemaker; seller of wine |
| violate |
break (a law); defile; desecrate; assault sexually;
Ex. violate graves |
| viper |
poisonous snake |
| virile |
manly; having masculine spirit or strength; full of
strength |
| virtual |
in essence; existing in essence though not in actual
form; for practical purposes; Ex. virtual ruler/space |
| virtue |
goodness; moral excellence; good quality; advantage;
Ex. by virtue of; Ex. make a virtue of necessity |
| virtuoso |
highly skilled artist (esp. in music); Ex. piano virtuoso |
| virulent |
(of a disease or poison) extremely harmful or poisonous;
(of a feeling) hostile; bitter; N. virulence; CF. virus;
CF. venom |
| virus |
disease communicator |
| visage |
face; appearance |
| visceral |
felt in one's inner organs; N. viscera: internal body
organs; CF. eviscerate |
| viscid |
adhesive; gluey |
| viscous |
(of a liquid) thick and sticky; gluey; viscid; CF.
consistency |
| vise |
vice; tool for holding work in place; clamping device |
| vision |
eyesight; foresight; mental image produced by the imagination;
experience of seeing the supernatural |
| visionary |
produced by imagination; fanciful; mystical; showing
foresight; N: one having foresight; one given to speculative
impractical ideas |
| vital |
full of life; animated; vibrant and lively; critical;
of great importance; necessary to stay alive; of life;
living; breathing; N. vitality; V. vitalize |
| vitiate |
spoil the effect of; make inoperative; corrupt morally |
| vitreous |
of glass; pertaining to or resembling glass; V. vitrify:
change into glass; CF. petrify |
| vitriolic |
causing sharp pain to the mind; caustic; corrosive;
sarcastic; of vitriol; N. vitriol: sulphuric acid (which
burns flesh deeply); bitterly abusive expression; caustic
expression; CF. glass |
| vituperative |
abusive; scolding; V. vituperate: berate; scold; rail
against abusively |
| vivacious |
lively or animated; sprightl sprightly/lively |
| vivid |
(of light or color) bright and distinct; evoking lifelike
mental images; Ex. vivid red hair/description |
| vivisection |
act of dissecting living animals |
| vixen |
female fox; ill-tempered woman; CF. shrew |
| vociferous |
clamorous; noisy; V. vociferate: cry out loudly (when
complaining) |
| vogue |
popular fashion; Ex. Jeans became the vogue. |
| volatile |
changeable; of a quickly changing nature (as of temper);
mercurial; tending to violence; evaporating rapidly; Ex.
volatile character/situation in the street |
| volition |
act of using one's will; act of making a conscious
choice; Ex. She selected this dress of her own volition. |
| volley |
simultaneous discharge of a number of shots; V. |
| voluble |
fluent; talkative; glib; N. volubility |
| voluminous |
having great volume (as of a garment or container);
bulky; large |
| voluptuous |
sensual; of or giving sensual pleasure; indulging in
sensual pleasures; Ex. voluptuous lines; Ex. voluptuous
life of the Romans; N. voluptuary: voluptuous person |
| voodoo |
religion practiced chiefly in Haiti |
| voracious |
ravenous; eating large quantities of food; exceedingly
eager; insatiable; Ex. voracious animal/reader |
| vortex |
whirlwind; whirlpool; center of turbulence; predicament
into which one is inexorably plunged |
| vouch |
give a personal guarantee; Ex. I can vouch for his
integrity; N. voucher |
| vouchsafe |
grant condescendingly; guarantee; Ex. vouchsafe your
fair return on your investment |
| voyeur |
Peeping Tom; person who derives sexual gratification
from observing the sexual acts of others |
| vulgar |
of the common people; deficient in refinement; not
refined; coarse; Ex. vulgar display of wealth; N. vulgarism:
vulgarity; crudely indecent word; CF. vulgarian: vulgar
person; boor; lout |
| vulnerable |
susceptible to wounds or attack; N. vulnerability |
| vulpine |
like a fox; crafty |
| vulture |
carrion-eating birds |
| vying |
contending; CF. vie |
