a-

Usage

• abandon

  When you act with abandon, you give in to the impulse of the moment and behave in a wild, uncontrolled way.

• amalgamate

  When two or more things, such as organizations, amalgamate, they combine to become one large thing.

• aplomb

  If you deal with a difficult situation with aplomb, you deal with it in a confident and skillful way.

• aver

  If you aver that something is the case, you say firmly and strongly that you believe it is true.

• apropos

  When something is apropos, it is fitting to the moment or occasion.

• astringent

  When you are astringent towards someone, you speak to or write about them in a critical and hurtful manner.

• acolyte

  An acolyte is someone who serves a leader as a devoted assistant or believes in the leader's ideas.

• abase

  If you abase yourself, people respect you less because you behave in a way that shows that someone else has complete power over you.

• abate

  When something bad or painful abates, it becomes less strong or severe.

• aspersion

  An aspersion is an unkind remark or unfair judgment attacking someone's character or reputation.

• aspirate

  When you aspirate something, you draw out fluids by means of suction or you draw in air by inhaling it.

• awry

  If something goes awry, it does not happen in the way that was planned.

• adroit

  Someone who is adroit is skillful and clever, especially in thought, behavior, or action.

• aficionado

  If someone is an aficionado of something, such as soccer, they like it and know a lot about it; therefore, they are a true fan of it.

• abridge

  If you abridge a book or play, you make it shorter by making cuts to the original.

• abet

  When you abet someone, you help them in a criminal or illegal act.

• abeyance

  If something is in abeyance, it has been put on hold and is not proceeding or being used at the present time.

• ameliorate

  When you ameliorate a bad condition or situation, you make it less harmful in some way, thereby improving it.

• tantamount

  If one thing is tantamount to another thing, it means that it is equivalent to the other.

• abut

  When something abuts something else, it is next to it or forms a border with it.

• amass

  When you amass things, you gather them together or accumulate them.

• aspiration

  An aspiration is a personal goal or ambition that you want to achieve.

• paramount

  Something that is of paramount importance or significance is chief or supreme in those things.

• ascertain

  When you ascertain the truth of something, you determine or find it out for certain.

• aspire

  When you aspire to become a millionaire, you greatly desire it and therefore seek and aim for it ambitiously.

• astern

  If something is astern of a ship or aircraft, it is behind it.

• ascend

  When you ascend something, such as a mountain or a set of stairs, you go up or climb it.

• achieve

  When you achieve something, such as a high grade in math or running a mile, you do it successfully.