A
abacus n. soroban
abandoned adj. cade, derelict, profligate
abate v. mitigate, palliate, quash
abdicate v. abjure, abnegate, demit
abject adj. craven, fawning, ignominious
able adj. habile
abnormal adj. heteroclite, preternatural
abnormality n. deuteropathy
abolish v. disestablish, extirpate
abominable adj. flagitious, odious
Abominable Snowman yeti
aborigine n. autochthon, indigenous inhabitant
abound v. exuberate
abridge v. attenuate, epitomize
abscond v. decamp
absent-minded adj.
distrait, distraite
absinth n. wormwood
absolute adj. 1. rank, unmitigated; 2. assoluta, inviolable,
peremptory
absolution, grant shrive
absorbent adj. bibulous
absorption n. immersion, prepossession
abstain v. eschew, forbear
abstention n. abstemiousness
abstract adj. noetic
abstract n. compendium, epitome
abstract v. prescind
abstruse adj. involuted, recondite
absurdity n. b tise
abundance n. cornucopia, plenitude, profligacy
abuse v. calumniate, castigate, rail, revile, traduce
abuse n. aspersion, billingsgate, calumniation, castigation, obloquy, opprobrium, traducement
academic adj. moot
accept v. stomach
accessible adj. pervious
accessory n. ancillary, appurtenance, parergon
accident n. allision, fortuity
accidental adj. adventitious, aleatory, fortuitous, serendipitous
acclaim n. clat, kudos
accomplish v. compass, effectuate
accomplished adj. compleat, consummate
accomplishments n. res gestae
account n. hexaemeron
accrue v.redound
accumulation n. alimentation, hypertrophy
accusation n. gravamen, impeachment
accuse v. impeach, implead, inculpate, recriminate
accusing adj. accusatory, criminative
accustom v. acculturate, inure, wont
achievement n. capstone, tour de force
acknowledge v. avouch, homologate
acme n. apogee, ne plus ultra
acquiescence n. complaisance
acquit v. exculpate
acronym n. initialism
active adj. volitant
actor n. deuteragonist, onnagata, protagonist
actress n. ing nue, soubrette
actual adj. veridical
actuality n. entelechy
adage n. aphorism, apothegm
adapt v. indigenize, quadrate
adaptation n. rifacimento
added adj. postiche
addition n. 1. additament, adjunct, appendicle; 2. parogoge
additional adj. adscititious
address n. allocution, apostrophe, salutatory
address v. apostrophize
adherent n. ideologue, pr cisian
adhesive adj. viscid, viscoid, viscose
adjacent adj. limitrophe, vicinal
adjunct n. appanage
adjust v. collimate
administer v. adhibit
admirer n. votary
admit v. intromit
adoring adj. idolatrous, seraphic
adorn v. bedizen, emmarble, titivate
adornment n. frippery, garniture
adulation n. blandishment, fulsomeness, sycophancy
adulterated adj. adulterine
adulterer n. Ischys
adultery n. cuckoldry, fornication
advance n. anabasis
Advent n. Parousia
adventure n. emprise
adventurer n. filibuster, landloper
adviser n. consigliere, consultor
advisory adj. exhortatory, hortative, hortatory
advocate n.paladin, paraclete
affected adj. minikin, missish, niminy-piminy, pr cieuse, pr cieux, recherch
affected speech euphuism, periphrasis
affecting adj. connotative, emotive
affection n. coraz n, dotage, predilection
affirm v. asseverate, predicate
affix v. adhibit
affront n. l se majest, lese majesty
afraid adj. disquieted, fearsome, pavid
afresh adv. de nouveau, de novo
after a death post obitum
after a meal postprandial
after a war postbellum
aftereffect n. sequela
afterlife n. futurity
aftermath n. rowen
after the fact ex post facto, post factum
after the Fall postlapsarian
after the Flood postdiluvian
agent n. comprador, minence grise
agile adj. lissome, yare
agility n. alacrity, celerity, legerity
aging adj. senescent
agitate v. commove, discompose
agitated adj. corybantic, overwrought
agitator n. agent provocateur, incendiarist
agnosticism n. nescience
agrarian adj. agrestic, predial
agreeable adj. complaisant, consensual, consonant, conversable, ingratiating, sapid, sipid
aggressive adj. assaultive, officious
agricultural adj. geoponic, georgic
aide n. coadjutant
aimlessness n. circuity, fecklessness
air, stale fug
air hole spiracle
airs &
Anyone looking to improve his or her vocabulary and anyone who loves words will be enthralled by this unique and impressive thesaurus that provides only the most unusual -- or is it recondite? --words for each entry.
Eugene Ehrlich, formerly a member of the department of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University, is the author of numerous reference books on language, including Amo, Amos, Amat, and More and The Highly Selective Thesaurus for the Extraordinary Literate. He is also the coeditor of the Oxford American Dictionary.