 | Term | Definition |
| |
volatile |
changeable; explosive; evaporating rapidly |
| |
volition |
act of making a conscious choice; wish |
| |
voluble |
fluent; glib; talkative |
| |
voluminous |
bulky; large |
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voracious |
ravenous |
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vortex |
whirlwind; whirlpool; center of turbulence; predicament into which one is inexorably plunged |
| |
vouchsafe |
grant condescendingly; guarantee |
| |
voyeur |
Peeping Tom |
| |
vulnerable |
susceptible to wounds |
| |
vulpine |
like a fox; crafty |
| |
waffle |
speak equivocally about an issue |
| |
waft |
moved gently by wind or waves |
| |
waggish |
mischievous; humorous; tricky |
| |
waif |
homeless child or animal |
| |
waive |
give up temporarily; yield |
| |
wake |
trail of ship or other object through water; path of something that has gone before; (2) in the w---e of --> following |
| |
wallow |
roll in; indulge in; become helpless |
| |
wan |
having a pale or sickly color; pallid |
| |
wanderlust |
strong longing to travel |
| |
wane |
decrease in size or strength; draw gradually to an end |
| |
wangle |
wiggle out; fake |
| |
wanton |
unrestrained; willfully malicious; unchaste |
| |
warble |
sing; babble |
| |
warranted |
justified; authorized |
| |
warranty |
guarantee; assurance by seller |
| |
warren |
tunnels in which rabbits live; crowded conditions in which people live |
| |
wary |
very cautious |
| |
wastrel |
profligate (<-extravagant) |
| |
wax |
increase; grow |
| |
waylay |
ambush; lie in wait |
| |
wean |
accustom a baby not to nurse; *give up a cherished activity* |
| |
weather |
endure the effects of weather or other forces |
| |
welt |
mark from a beating or whipping |
| |
welter (n) |
turmoil; bewildering jumble |
| |
welter (v) |
wallow |
| |
wheedle |
cajole; coax; deceive by flattery |
| |
whelp |
young wolf, dog, tiger, etc. |
| |
whiff |
puff or gust (of air, scent, etc.); hint |
| |
whimsical |
capricious; fanciful |
| |
whinny |
neigh like a horse |
| |
whit |
smallest speck |
| |
whittle |
pare; cut off bits |
| |
whorl |
ring of leaves around stem; ring |
| |
willful |
intentional; headstrong |
| |
wily |
cunning; artful |
| |
wince |
shrink back; flinch |
| |
windfall |
fallen fruit; unexpected lucky event |
| |
winnow |
sift; separate good parts from bad |
| |
winsome |
agreeable; gracious; engaging |
| |
wispy |
thin; slight; barely discernible |
| |
wistful |
vaguely longing; sadly pensive |
| |
withdrawn |
introverted; *remote* |
| |
wither |
shrivel; decay |
| |
withhold |
refuse to give; hold back |
| |
withstand |
stand up against; successful resist |
| |
witless |
foolish; idiotic |
| |
witticism |
witty saying; wisecrack |
| |
wizardry |
sorcery; magic |
| |
wizened |
withered; shriveled |
| |
woe |
deep, inconsolable grief; affliction; suffering |
| |
wont |
custom; habitual procedure |
| |
worldly |
engrossed matters of this earth; not spiritual |
| |
wrangle |
quarrel; obtain through arguing; herd cattle |
| |
wrest |
pull away; take by violence |
| |
writ |
written command issued by a court |
| |
writhe |
twist in coils; contort in pain |
| |
wry |
twisted; with a humorous twist |
| |
xenophobia |
fear or hatred of foreigners |
| |
yen |
longing; urge |
| |
yeoman |
man owning small estate; middle-class farmer |
| |
yield (n) |
amount produced; crop; income on investment |
| |
yield (v) |
give in; surrender |
| |
yoke |
join together, unite |
| |
yokel |
country bumpkin |
| |
yore |
time long past |
| |
zany |
crazy; comic |
| |
zeal |
eager enthusiasm |
| |
zealot |
fanatic; person who shows excessive zeal |
| |
zenith |
point directly overhead in the sky; summit |
| |
zephyr |
gentle breeze; west wind |
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