- cabal Dictionary lookup
(n.) a group of persons joined by a secret
The very idea that there could be a cabal cast suspicion on the whole operation. - cacophonous Dictionary lookup
(adj.) sounding jarring
The cacophonous sound from the bending metal sent shivers up our spines. - cacophony Dictionary lookup
(n.) a harsh, inharmonious collection of sounds; dissonance
The beautiful harmony of the symphony was well enjoyed after the cacophony coming from the stage as the orchestra warmed up.
The amateur band created more cacophony than beautiful sound. - cajole Dictionary lookup
(v.) to coax with insincere talk
To cajole the disgruntled employee, the manager coaxed him with lies and sweet talk.
The salesman will cajole the couple into buying the stereo. - calamity Dictionary lookup
(n.) disaster
The fire in the apartment building was a great calamity. - caliber Dictionary lookup
(n.) quality
The caliber of talent at the show was excellent. - callow Dictionary lookup
(adj.) being young or immature
With the callow remark the young man demonstrated his age.
Although the girl could be considered an adult, the action was very callow. - canard Dictionary lookup
(n.) a false statement or rumor
The canard was reported in a scandalous tabloid. - cant Dictionary lookup
(n.) insincere or hypocritical statements of high ideals; the jargon of a particular group or occupations
The theater majors had difficulty understanding the cant of the computer scientists.
The remarks by the doctor were cant and meant only for his associates. - caprice Dictionary lookup
(n.) a sudden, unpredictable or whimsical change
The caprice with which the couple approached the change of plans was evidence to their young age.
The king ruled by caprice as much as law. - capricious Dictionary lookup
(adj.) changeable; fickle
The capricious bride-to-be has a different church in mind for her wedding every few days. - captious Dictionary lookup
(adj.) disposed to find fault
A captious attitude often causes difficulties in a relationship. - carte blanche Dictionary lookup
(n.) unlimited authority
The designer was given carte blanche to create a new line for the fall. - cascade Dictionary lookup
(n; v.) waterfall; pour; rush; fall
The hikers stopped along the path to take in the beauty of the rushing cascade.
The water cascaded down the rocks into the pool.
He took a photograph of the lovely cascade.
The drapes formed a cascade down the window. - castigate Dictionary lookup
(v.) to punish through public criticism
The mayor castigated the police chief for the rash of robberies. - cataclysm Dictionary lookup
(n.) an extreme natural force
The earthquake has been the first cataclysm in five years. - catharsis Dictionary lookup
(n.) a purging or relieving of the body or soul
He experienced a total catharsis after the priest absolved his sins.
Admitting his guilt served as a catharsis for the man. - cavil Dictionary lookup
(v.) to bicker
The children are constantly caviling. - censor Dictionary lookup
(v.) to examine and delete objectionable material
The children were allowed to watch the adult movie only after it had been censored. - censure Dictionary lookup
(n.; v.) a disapproval; an expression of disapproval; to criticize or disapprove of
His remarks drew the censure of his employers.
A censure of the new show upset the directors.
Her parents censured her idea of dropping out of school. - ceremonious Dictionary lookup
(adj.) very formal or proper
The black-tie dinner was highly ceremonious.
- cessation Dictionary lookup
(n.)ceasing; a stopping
The cessation of a bad habit is often difficult to sustain. - chaffing Dictionary lookup
(n.) banter; teasing
The king was used to his jesters good-natured chaffing. - chagrin Dictionary lookup
(n.) a feeling of embarrassment due to failure or disappointment
To the chagrin of the inventor, the machine did not work.
She turned red-faced with chagrin when she learned that her son had been caught shoplifting. - charisma Dictionary lookup
(n.) appeal; magnetism; presence
She has such charisma that everyone likes her the first time they meet her. - charlatan Dictionary lookup
(n.) a person who pretends to have knowledge; an impostor; fake
The charlatan deceived the townspeople.
It was finally discovered that the charlatan sitting on the throne was not the real king. - chary Dictionary lookup
(adj.) cautious; being sparing in giving
Be chary when driving at night.
The chary man had few friends. - chaste Dictionary lookup
(adj.) virtuous; free of obscenity
Because the woman believed in being chaste, she would not let her date into the house. - chastise Dictionary lookup
(v.) to punish; discipline; admonish
The dean chastised the first-year student for cheating on the exam. - cherish Dictionary lookup
(v.) to feel love for
The bride vowed to cherish the groom for life. - chicanery Dictionary lookup
(n.) trickery or deception
The swindler was trained in chicanery.
A news broadcast is no place for chicanery. - chimera Dictionary lookup
(n.) an impossible fancy
Perhaps he saw a flying saucer, but perhaps it was only a chimera. - choleric Dictionary lookup
(adj.) cranky; cantankerous; easily moved to feeling displeasure
The choleric man was continually upset by his neighbors.
Rolly becomes choleric when his views are challenged. - circumlocutory Dictionary lookup
(adj.) being too long, as in a description or expression; a roundabout, indirect, or ungainly way of expressing something
It was a circumlocutory documentary that could have been cut to half its running time to say twice as much. - circumspect Dictionary lookup
(adj.) considering all circumstances
A circumspect decision must be made when so many people are involved. - citadel Dictionary lookup
(n.) a fortress set up high to defend a city
A citadel sat on the hill to protect the city below. - clandestine Dictionary lookup
(adj.) secret
The clandestine plan must be kept between the two of us! - cloture Dictionary lookup
(n.) a parliamentary procedure to end debate and begin to vote
Cloture was declared as the parliamentarians readied to register their votes. - cloying Dictionary lookup
(adj.) too sugary; too sentimental or flattering
After years of marriage the husband still gave cloying gifts to his wife.
Complimenting her on her weight loss, clothing and hairstyle was a cloying way to begin asking for a raise. - coagulate Dictionary lookup
(v.) to become a semisolid, soft mass; to clot
The liquid will coagulate and close the tube if left standing. - coalesce Dictionary lookup
(v.) to grow together
The bride and groom coalesced their funds to increase their collateral.
At the end of the conference the five groups coalesced in one room. - coda Dictionary lookup
(n.) in music, a concluding passage
By the end of the coda, I was ready to burst with excitement over the thrilling performance.
The audience knew that the concerto was about to end when they heard the orchestra begin playing the coda. - coddle Dictionary lookup
(v.) to treat with tenderness
A baby needs to be coddled. - coffer Dictionary lookup
(n.) a chest where money or valuables are kept
The coffer that contained the jewels was stolen. - cogent Dictionary lookup
(adj.) to the point; clear; convincing in its clarity and presentation
The lawyer makes compelling and cogent presentations, which evidently help him win 96 percent of his cases.
He made a short, cogent speech which his audience easily understood. - cogitate Dictionary lookup
(v.) to think hard; ponder; meditate
It is necessary to cogitate on decisions which affect life goals.
The room was quiet while every student cogitated during the calculus exam. - cognate Dictionary lookup
(adj.; n.) having the same family; a person related through ancestry
English and German are cognate languages.
The woman was a cognate to the royal family. - cognitive Dictionary lookup
(adj.) possessing the power to think or meditate; meditative; capable of perception
Cognitive thought makes humans adaptable to a quickly changing environment.
Once the toddler was able to solve puzzles, it was obvious that her cognitive abilities were developing. - cognizant Dictionary lookup
(adj.) aware of; perceptive
She became alarmed when she was cognizant of the man following her.
It was critical to establish whether the defendant was cognizant of his rights. - cohesion Dictionary lookup
(n.) the act of holding together
The cohesion of the group increased as friendships were formed.
The cohesion of different molecules forms different substances. - cohort Dictionary lookup
(n.) a group; band
The cohort of teens gathered at the athletic field. - collaborate Dictionary lookup
(v.) to work together; cooperate
The two builders collaborated to get the house finished. - colloquial Dictionary lookup
(adj.) having to do with conversation; informal speech
The colloquial reference indicated the free spirit of the group.
When you listen to the difference between spoken colloquial conversation and written work, you realize how good an ear a novelist must have to write authentic dialogue. - collusion Dictionary lookup
(n.) secret agreement for an illegal purpose
The authority discovered a collusion between the director and treasurer. - commiserate Dictionary lookup
(v.) to show sympathy for
The hurricane victims commiserated about the loss of their homes. - commodious Dictionary lookup
(adj.) spacious and convenient; roomy
The new home was so commodious that many new pieces of furniture needed to be purchased. - communal Dictionary lookup
(adj.) shared or common ownership
The communal nature of the project made everyone pitch in to help. - compatible Dictionary lookup
(adj.) in agreement with; harmonious
When repairing an automobile, it is necessary to use parts compatible with that make and model. - complaisance Dictionary lookup
(n.) the quality of being agreeable or eager to please
The complaisance of the new assistant made it easy for the managers to give him a lot of work without worrying that he may complain. - compliant Dictionary lookup
(adj.) complying; obeying; yielding
Compliant actions should be reinforced.
The slave was compliant with every order to avoid being whipped. - comport Dictionary lookup
(v.) fitting in
It was easy to comport to the new group of employees. - compromise Dictionary lookup
(v.) to settle by mutual adjustment
Labor leaders and the automakers compromised by agreeing to a starting wage of $16 an hour in exchange for concessions on health-care premiums. - conciliation Dictionary lookup
(n.) an attempt to make friendly or placate
The attempt at conciliation - conciliatory Dictionary lookup
(adj.) to reconcile
The diplomat sought to take a conciliatory approach to keep the talks going. - concise Dictionary lookup
(adj.) in few words; brief; condensed
The concise instructions were printed on two pages rather than the customary five. - conclave Dictionary lookup
(n.) any private meeting or closed assembly
The conclave was to meet in the executive suite. - confluence Dictionary lookup
(n.) a thing which is joined together
Great cities often lie at the confluence of great rivers. - confound Dictionary lookup
(v.) to lump together, causing confusion; to damn
The problem confounded our ability to solve it.
Confound you, you scoundrel! - conglomeration Dictionary lookup
(n.) a collection or mixture of various things
The conglomeration is made up of four different interest groups.
The soup was a conglomeration of meats and vegetables. - conjoin Dictionary lookup
(v.) to combine
The classes will conjoin to do the play. - conjure Dictionary lookup
(v.) to call upon or appeal to; to cause to be, appear, come
The smell of the dinner conjured images of childhood.
The magician conjured a rabbit out of a hat. - connoisseur Dictionary lookup
(n.) expert; authority (usually refers to a wine or food expert)
They allowed her to choose the wine for dinner since she was the connoisseur. - connotative Dictionary lookup
(adj.) containing associated meanings in addition to the primary one
Along with the primary meaning of the word, there were two connotative meanings.
The connotative meaning of their music was spelled out in the video. - consecrate Dictionary lookup
(v.) to declare sacred; to dedicate
We will consecrate the pact during the ceremony.
The park was consecrated to the memory of the missing soldier. - consequential Dictionary lookup
(adj.) following as an effect; important
His long illness and consequential absence set him behind in his homework.
The decision to move the company will be consequential to its success. - consort Dictionary lookup
(n.; v.) a companion, spouse; to associate
An elderly woman was seeking a consort.
They waited until dark to consort under the moonlight. - conspicuous Dictionary lookup
(adj.) easy to see; noticeable
The diligent and hardworking editor thought the obvious mistake was conspicuous. - constrain Dictionary lookup
(v.) to force, compel; to restrain
It may be necessary to constrain the wild animal if it approaches the town.
The student was constrained to remain in her seat until the teacher gave her permission to leave. - consummation Dictionary lookup
(n.) the completion; finish
Following the consummation of final exams, most of the students graduated. - contemporary Dictionary lookup
(adj.) living or happening at the same time; modern
Contemporary furniture will clash with your traditional sectional. - contempt Dictionary lookup
(n.) scorn; disrespect
The greedy, selfish banker was often discussed with great contempt. - contentious Dictionary lookup
(adj.) quarrelsome
The contentious student was asked to leave the classroom.
They hate his contentious behavior because every suggestion they give ends in a fight. - contest Dictionary lookup
(v.) to attempt to disprove or invalidate
I will attempt to contest the criminal charges against me. - contiguous Dictionary lookup
(adj.) touching; or adjoining and close, but not touching
There are many contiguous buildings in the city because there is no excess land to allow space between them.
- contravene Dictionary lookup
(v.) to act contrary to; to oppose or contradict
The story of the accused contravened the story of the witness.
The United Nations held that the Eastern European nation had contravened the treaty. - contrite Dictionary lookup
(adj.) regretful; sorrowful; having repentance
Regretting his decision not to attend college, the contrite man did not lead a very happy life.
A contrite heart has fixed its wrongs. - contumacious Dictionary lookup
(adj.) resisting authority
The man was put in jail for contumacious actions. - contusion Dictionary lookup
(n.) a bruise; an injury where the skin is not broken
The man was fortunate to receive only contusions from the crash. - conundrum Dictionary lookup
(n.) a puzzle or riddle
I spent two hours trying to figure out the conundrum.
The legend says that to enter the secret passageway, one must answer the ancient conundrum. - conventional Dictionary lookup
(adj.) traditional; common; routine
The bride wanted a conventional wedding ceremony, complete with white dresses, many flowers, and a grand reception party.
Conventional telephones are giving way to videophones. - converge Dictionary lookup
(v.) to move toward one point (opposite: diverge)
It was obvious that an accident was going to occur as the onlookers watched the two cars converge.
The two roads converge at the corner. - conviviality Dictionary lookup
(n.) a fondness for festiveness or joviality
His conviviality makes him a welcome guest at any social gathering. - convoke Dictionary lookup
(v.) a call to assemble
The teacher convoked her students in the auditorium to help prepare them for the play. - copious Dictionary lookup
(adj.) abundant; in great quantities
Her copious notes touched on every subject presented in the lecture. - corpulence Dictionary lookup
(n.) obesity
The corpulence of the man kept him from fitting into the seat. - correlate Dictionary lookup
(v.) to bring into mutual relation
The service man was asked to correlate the two computer demonstration pamphlets. - coterie Dictionary lookup
(n.) a clique; a group who meet frequently, usually socially
A special aspect of campus life is joining a coterie.
Every day after school she joins her coterie on the playground and they go out for a soda. - covenant Dictionary lookup
(n.) a binding and solemn agreement
With the exchange of vows, the covenant was complete. - cower Dictionary lookup
(v.) to huddle and tremble
The lost dog cowered near the tree.
The tellers cowered in the corner as the bandit ransacked the bank. - craven Dictionary lookup
(n.; adj.) coward; abject person; cowardly
While many fought for their rights, the craven sat shaking, off in a corner somewhere.
Craven men will not stand up for what they believe in. - culpable Dictionary lookup
(adj.) deserving blame; guilty
The convicted criminal still denies that he is culpable for the robbery. - curb Dictionary lookup
(n.) a restraint or framework
A curb was put up along the street to help drainage. - curmudgeon Dictionary lookup
(n.) an ill-tempered person
The curmudgeon asked the children not to play near the house. - cynic Dictionary lookup
(n.) one who believes that others are motivated entirely by selfishness.
The cynic felt that the hero saved the man to become famous.