|
| vacillate |
v. ~ (fml usu derog , ) keep changing one's mind; move backwards and forwards between two emotions |
| vacuous |
adj. showing or suggesting absence of thought or intelligence; inane |
| vagabond |
n. wanderer or vagrant, esp an idle or dishonest one |
| vagary |
n. strange,unusual or capricious change; whim |
| vagrant |
n. person without a settled home or regular work; tramp |
| vain |
adj. having too high an opinion of one's looks, abilities, etc; conceited ; |
| vainglorious |
adj. full of vainglory; conceited and boastful ; |
| valediction |
n. (words used in) saying farewell, esp on serious occasions |
| valedictory |
adj. serving as or accompanying a farewell |
| valid |
adj. legally effective because made or done with the correct formalities |
| validate |
v. make legally valid; ratify |
| valor |
bravery |
| vampire |
n. reanimated corpsebelieved by some to leave its grave at night and suck the blood of living people |
| vanguard |
n. the vanguard leading part of an advancing army or fleet |
| vantage |
n. position,etc that gives sb superiority or advantage |
| vapid |
adj. dull or uninteresting |
| vaporize |
to convert (as by the application of heat or by spraying) into vapor |
| variegate |
To mark with different shades or colors. |
| variegated |
adj. marked irregularlywith differently coloured patches, streaks, spots, etc |
| varnish |
n. hard shiny transparent coating applied to the surface of esp woodwork or metalwork |
| vassal |
n. man promising to fight for and be loyal to a king or lord in return for the right to hold land |
| vaunted |
[ vaunt: ] vt. to describe, praise, or display (one's success, possessions, etc.) boastfully |
| veer |
v. (esp of a vehicle) change direction or course |
| vegetate |
v. live a dull life with little activity or interest |
| vehement |
adj. showing or caused by strong feeling; passionate |
| velocity |
n. (usu of inanimate things ) speed, esp in a given direction |
| venal |
adj. ready to accept money for doing sth dishonest |
| vendetta |
n. hereditary feud between families in which murders are committed in revenge for previous murders |
| vendor |
n. person who sells food or other small items from a stall in the open air |
| veneer |
n. decorative wood or plastic glued to the surface of cheaper wood (for furniture, etc) , |
| venerable |
adj. deserving respect because of age, character, associations, etc |
| venerate |
v. respect (sb/sth) deeply; regard as sacred |
| venial |
adj. not serious; excusable |
| venison |
n. flesh of a deer used as meat |
| venom |
n. poisonous fluid of certain snakes, scorpions, etc, injected by a bite or sting |
| vent |
n. opening that allows air, gas, liquid, etc to pass out of or into a confined space , |
| ventilate |
v. cause air to enter and move freely through |
| ventral |
adj. of or on the abdomen |
| ventriloquist |
n. person skilled in this |
| venture |
n. project or undertaking,esp a commercial one where there is a risk of failure |
| venturesome |
adj. (of people) ready to take risks; daring |
| venue |
n. place where people agree to meet, esp for a sports contest or match |
| veracious |
adj. (of a person) truthful |
| veracity |
n. truthfulness; truth |
| verbalize |
put into words |
| verbatim |
adj. adv exactly as spoken or written; word for word |
| verbiage |
n. (use of) too many words, or unnecessarily difficult words,to express an idea, etc |
| verbose |
adj. using or containing more words than are needed |
| verdant |
adj. (of grass, vegetation, fields, etc) fresh and green |
| verdigris |
n. greenish-blue substance that forms on copper, brass and bronze surfaces |
| verge |
n. = soft shoulder (soft) |
| verisimilar |
having the appearance of truth probable |
| verisimilitude |
n. appearance or semblance ofbeing true or real |
| veritable |
adj. rightly named or called; real |
| verity |
n. truth (of a statement, etc) |
| vernacular |
n. language or dialect spoken in a particular country or region, as compared with a formal or written language |
| vernal |
adj. of, in or appropriate to the season of spring |
| versatile |
adj. turning easily or readily from one subject, skill or occupation to another |
| vertebrate |
n, adj having a backbone |
| vertex |
n. (fml) highest point or top; apex |
| vertigo |
n. feeling of losing one's balance, caused esp by looking down from a great height; dizziness |
| verve |
n. enthusiasm, spirit or vigour, esp in artistic or literary work |
| vestige |
n. small remaining part of what once existed; trace |
| veto |
n. constitutional right to reject or forbid a legislative proposal or action |
| vex |
v. anger or annoy (sb), esp with trivial matters |
| viable |
adj. sound and workable; feasible |
| viand |
food |
| vibrant |
adj. vibrating strongly; resonant |
| vicar |
n. clergyman in charge of a parish where tithes formerly belonged to another person or an institution |
| vicarious |
adj. felt or experienced indirectly, by sharing imaginatively in the feelings, activities, etc of another person |
| vicissitude |
n. (fml ) change in one's circumstances,esp for the worse |
| victuals |
n. food and drink; provisions ; |
| vie |
v. ~ with sb (for sth/to do sth); ~ for sth (fml ) compete keenly with sb (for sth); rival sb for sth |
| vigil |
n. staying awake, esp at night, to keep watch or to pray |
| vigilance |
watchfulness |
| vigilant |
adj. looking out for possible danger, trouble, etc; watchful or alert |
| vigilante |
n. member of a self-appointed group of people who try to prevent crime and disorder in a community |
| vignette |
n. illustration, esp on the title-page of a book, but not in a definite border |
| vigor |
active bodily or mental strength or force |
| vile |
adj. extremely disgusting |
| vilify |
v. (fml ) say evil or insulting things about (sb); slander |
| vindicate |
v. clear (sb/sth) of blame or suspicion |
| vindictive |
adj. having or showing a desire for revenge; unforgiving |
| vintner |
n. wine-merchant |
| violate |
v. break or be contrary to |
| viper |
n. any of various types of poisonous snake found in Africa, Asia and Europe , |
| virile |
adj. (of men) having procreative power; sexually potent |
| virtual |
adj. being or acting as what is described, but not accepted as such in name or officially |
| virtue |
n. moral goodness or excellence |
| virtuoso |
n. person who is exceptionally skilled in the techniques of a fine art, esp playing a musical instrument or singing |
| virulent |
adj. extremely harmful or deadly |
| virus |
n. simple organism, smaller than bacteria, and causing infectious disease |
| visage |
n. person'sface |
| visceral |
adj. of the viscera |
| viscid |
adhesive; gluey |
| viscous |
adj. not pouringeasily; thick and sticky |
| vise |
tool for holding work in place |
| vision |
n. power of seeing; sight |
| visionary |
adj. having or showing foresight or wisdom |
| vital |
adj. connected with or essential to life |
| vitiate |
v. weaken or spoil the quality or efficiency of (sth) |
| vitreous |
adj. having a glass-like texture or finish |
| vitriolic |
adj. savagely and bitterlyhostile |
| vituperative |
adj. vituperative debate, criticism, etc |
| vivacious |
adj. (esp of a woman) lively or high-spirited |
| vivid |
adj. strong and bright; intense |
| vivisection |
n. practice of performing surgical experiments on live animals for scientific research |
| vixen |
n. female fox |
| vociferous |
adj. loudor noisy; expressing one's views forcibly and insistently |
| vogue |
n. ~ current or prevailing fashion |
| volatile |
adj. changing rapidly into vapour |
| volition |
n. act of using one's will in choosing, making a decision, etc |
| volley |
n. simultaneous throwing or firing of a number of stones, bullets, etc |
| voluble |
adj. (of a person) speaking a lot; talkative |
| voluminous |
adj. (of clothing etc) using much material; loose-fitting or ample |
| voluptuous |
adj. giving a feeling of luxury or sensual pleasure |
| voodoo |
n. form of religion based on belief in witchcraft and magical rites, practised by blacks in the W Indies, esp in Haiti , |
| voracious |
adj. very greedy in eating; ravenous |
| vortex |
n. whirling mass of water, air, etc, as in a whirlpool or whirlwind |
| vouch |
v. ~ for sb/sth take responsibility for or express confidence in (a person, his behaviour, etc); guarantee |
| vouchsafe |
v. ~ sth (dated or fml ) grant sth (to sb) as a gift or privilege |
| voyeur |
n. person who gets pleasure from watching in secret others undressing or engaging in sexual activities |
| vulgar |
adj. lacking in good taste or refinement |
| vulnerable |
adj. ~ that can be hurt, wounded or injured |
| vulpine |
adj. of or like a fox |
| vulture |
n. large bird, usu with head and neck almost bare of feathers, that lives on the flesh of dead animals |
| vying |
pres p of vie |
