| |
| wade |
walk through a substance, such as water, that impedes
movement |
| waffle |
speak equivocally about an issue; N. |
| waft |
move gently (in air or in seas) by wind or waves; Ex.
leaves wafting past the window |
| wag |
shake repeatedly from side to side; Ex. The dog wagged
its tail; N: humorous person; wit |
| wage |
begin and continue (a war) |
| waggish |
humorous; mischievous; tricky |
| waif |
homeless child or animal; Ex. waifs and strays |
| waive |
give up temporarily; yield; N. waiver: waiving a right
or claim; document that waives a right or claim |
| wake |
trail of ship or other object through water; path of
something that has gone before; Ex. hunger followed in
the wake of the war |
| wallow |
roll in mud; indulge in; (of a ship) roll in a rough
sea; become helpless; Ex. wallow in the mud/luxury |
| wan |
having a pale or sickly color; pallid |
| wanderlust |
strong longing to travel |
| wane |
decrease in size or strength (after being full); grow
gradually to an end; Ex. The moon waxes and wanes every
month; N. |
| wangle |
achieve by cleverness or trick; wiggle out; fake; Ex.
She tried to wangle an invitation to the party. |
| wanton |
unrestrained; gratuitously cruel; willfully malicious;
unchaste; sexually improper; promiscuous; Ex. wanton spending/killing;
CF. having no just cause |
| warble |
(of a bird) sing; babble; N. |
| ward |
administrative division of a city; division in a hospital
or prison; incompetent person placed under the protection
of a guardian; V: guard; ward off: avert |
| warp |
twist out of shape; N. |
| warrant |
justification; written order that serves as authorization
(esp. a judicial writ); Ex. search/death warrant; V: justify;
guarantee |
| warranted |
justified; authorized |
| warranty |
guarantee; assurance by seller |
| warren |
tunnels in which rabbits live; overcrowded living area;
crowded conditions in which people live |
| wary |
very cautious; watchful |
| wastrel |
waster; profligate |
| waver |
move or swing back and forth; be uncertain or unsteady
in decision or movement; Ex. wavering between accepting
and refusing |
| wax |
increase gradually (as the moon); grow |
| waylay |
ambush; lie in wait for and attack |
| wean |
accustom a baby not to nurse; accustom (the young of
a mammal) to take nourishment other than by suckling;
give up a cherished activity; cause to gradually leave
(an interest or habit); Ex. wean oneself from cigarettes |
| weary |
tired after long work; V. |
| weather |
pass safely through (a storm or difficult period);
endure the effects of weather or other forces |
| weird |
eerie; strange; unnatural |
| well-bred |
of good upbringing; well-mannered and refined |
| welt |
raised mark from a beating or whipping |
| welter |
wallow (as in mud or high seas); lie soaked (as in
blood); Ex. The victims weltered in their blood. |
| wheedle |
deceive, persuade, or obtain by flattery; cajole; coax;
Ex. wheedle a promise out of her |
| whelp |
young animal (esp. of the dog or cat family); young
wolf, dog, tiger, etc. |
| whet |
sharpen; stimulate; Ex. whet someone's appetite |
| whiff |
puff or gust (of air, scent, etc.); short-lasting smell;
hint; Ex. whiff of perfume/scandal |
| whim |
sudden capricious idea; fancy |
| whimsical |
capricious; fanciful; amusingly strange |
| whimsy |
whim; tendency to behave amusingly strangely; Ex. story
full of whimsy |
| whine |
complain (in a sad voice); make a high sad sound (as
in pain or supplication) |
| whinny |
neigh like a horse; CF. neigh: make the sound which
horses make |
| whit |
small amount; smallest speck; Ex. not a whit of |
| whittle |
pare; cut away thin bits (from wood); fashion in this
way; reduce gradually; trim |
| wholesome |
conducive to mental or physical health; healthful |
| whorl |
ring of leaves around stem; ring; circular arrangement;
Ex. whorls on the fingers |
| wiggle |
wriggle; move from side to side with irregular twisting
motions |
| willful |
wilful; intentional; headstrong |
| willowy |
flexible; pliant; slender; CF. willow |
| wilt |
loose freshness; droop |
| wily |
crafty; cunning; artful; N. wile: deceitful stratagem |
| wince |
move back suddenly; shrink back; flinch; Ex. She winced
as she touched the cold body. |
| windfall |
fallen fruit; unexpected lucky event |
| winnow |
sift; separate the chaff from grain by blowing; separate
good parts from bad; CF. wind |
| winsome |
charming (in a childlike way); agreeable; gracious;
engaging |
| wisp |
small bunch (of hair); faint streak (of smoke) |
| wispy |
thin; slight; barely discernible |
| wistful |
sadly thoughtful (because of desires or memories);
sadly pensive; vaguely longing |
| withdrawn |
introverted; retiring; remote remote/distant in manner;
aloof |
| wither |
(of a plant) dry up from loss of moisture; lose freshness;
shrivel; decay |
| withhold |
refuse to give; hold back; Ex. withholding tax |
| withstand |
stand up against; resist successfully |
| witless |
lacking intelligence or wit; foolish; idiotic |
| witticism |
witty saying; wisecrack(clever joking remark) |
| wizardry |
sorcery; magic |
| wizened |
shriveled; withered; Ex. wizened apple/old lady |
| woe |
great sorrow; deep inconsolable grief; affliction;
suffering; Ex. financial woes |
| woeful |
sad; (of something bad) deplorable; deplorably bad;
Ex. woeful housing conditions |
| wont |
(the stated person's) habit or custom; habitual procedure;
ADJ. wonted: customary |
| worldly |
engrossed in matters of this earth; not spiritual;
of the material world |
| wrangle |
quarrel noisily; obtain through arguing; herd cattle;
N. |
| wrath |
anger; fury |
| wreak |
inflict; Ex. wreak one's vengeance on |
| wrench |
twist; pull; strain; Ex. He wrenched the gun out of
her hands. |
| wrest |
obtain by pulling violently; pull away; take by violence;
Ex. wrest victory from their grasp |
| wretch |
miserable person; bad or despicable person; ADJ. wretched:
miserable; bad; contemptible; vile |
| wring |
twist (to extract liquid); extract by twisting; wrench
painfully (necks or hands) |
| wrinkle |
small ridge on a smooth surface (face or cloth); V. |
| writ |
written command issued by a court (telling someone
to do or not to do something) |
| writhe |
twist in coils; contort in pain |
| wrongheaded |
stubbornly wrong |
| wry |
(esp. of an expression of the face) twisted; with a
humorous twist (expressing displeasure) |
