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ostile; bitter; N. 
virulence; CF. virus; CF. venom 
virus disease communicator 
visage face; appearance 
visceral felt in one's inner organs; N. viscera: internal body organs; CF. eviscerate 
viscid adhesive; gluey 
viscous (of a liquid) thick and sticky; gluey; viscid; CF. consistency 
vise vice; tool for holding work in place; clamping device 
visionary produced by imagination; fanciful; mystical; showing foresight; N: one having 
foresight; one given to speculative impractical ideas 
vision eyesight; foresight; mental image produced by the imagination; experience of seeing 
the supernatural 
vital full of life; animated; vibrant and lively; critical; of great importance; necessary to stay 
alive; of life; living; breathing; N. vitality; V. vitalize 
vibrant full of vigor or energy; vibrating 
vitiate spoil the effect of; make inoperative; corrupt morally 
vitreous of glass; pertaining to or resembling glass; V. vitrify: change into glass; CF. petrify 
vitriolic causing sharp pain to the mind; caustic; corrosive; sarcastic; of vitriol; N. vitriol: sulphuric 
acid (which burns flesh deeply); bitterly abusive expression; caustic expression; CF. glass 
vituperative abusive; scolding; V. vituperate: berate; scold; rail against abusively 
vivacious lively or animated; sprightly 
sprightly lively 
vivisection act of dissecting living animals 
vixen female fox; ill-tempered woman; CF. shrew 
vociferous clamorous; noisy; V. vociferate: cry out loudly (when complaining) 
vogue popular fashion; Ex. Jeans became the vogue. 
Barron's word list 50 
volatile changeable; of a quickly changing nature (as of temper); mercurial; tending to violence; 
evaporating rapidly; Ex. volatile character/situation in the street 
volition act of using one's will; act of making a conscious choice; Ex. She selected this dress of her 
own volition. 
voluble fluent; talkative; glib; N. volubility 
volley simultaneous discharge of a number of shots; V. 
voluminous having great volume (as of a garment or container); bulky; large 
bulk size or volume (esp. when very large); main part; Ex. The bulk of the work has already 
been done; ADJ. bulky: having great size 
voodoo religion practiced chiefly in Haiti 
voracious ravenous; eating large quantities of food; exceedingly eager; insatiable; Ex. voracious 
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animal/reader 
vortex whirlwind; whirlpool; center of turbulence; predicament into which one is inexorably 
plunged 
vouchsafe grant condescendingly; guarantee; Ex. vouchsafe your fair return on your investment 
vouch give a personal guarantee; Ex. I can vouch for his integrity; N. voucher 
voyeur Peeping Tom; person who derives sexual gratification from observing the sexual acts 
of others 
vulnerable susceptible to wounds or attack; N. vulnerability 
vulpine like a fox; crafty 
craft skill (esp. with one's hands); skill in deceiving people; guile; ADJ. crafty: cleverly 
deceitful; cunning 
vulture carrion-eating birds 
vying contending; CF. vie 
waffle speak equivocally about an issue; N. 
waft move gently (in air or in seas) by wind or waves; Ex. leaves wafting past the window 
waggish humorous; mischievous; tricky 
wag shake repeatedly from side to side; Ex. The dog wagged its tail; N: humorous person; 
wit 
waif homeless child or animal; Ex. waifs and strays 
waive give up temporarily; yield; N. waiver: waiving a right or claim; document that waives 
a right or claim 
wake trail of ship or other object through water; path of something that has gone before; Ex. 
hunger followed in the wake of the war 
wallow roll in mud; indulge in; (of a ship) roll in a rough sea; become helpless; Ex. wallow in 
the mud/luxury 
wan having a pale or sickly color; pallid 
wanderlust strong longing to travel 
wane decrease in size or strength (after being full); grow gradually to an end; Ex. The moon 
waxes and wanes every month; N. 
wangle achieve by cleverness or trick; wiggle out; fake; Ex. She tried to wangle an invitation 
to the party. 
wiggle wriggle; move from side to side with irregular twisting motions 
fake not genuine; N: one that is not genuine; impostor; sham; V: counterfeit; Ex. fake the 
results of the experiment/the signature 
wanton unrestrained; gratuitously cruel; willfully malicious; unchaste; sexually improper; 
promiscuous; Ex. wanton spending/killing; CF. having no just cause 
warble (of a bird) sing; babble; N. 
warp twist out of shape; N. 
warranted justified; authorized 
warrant justification; written order that serves as authorization (esp. a judicial writ); Ex. 
search/death warrant; V: justify; guarantee 
warranty guarantee; assurance by seller 
warren tunnels in which rabbits live; overcrowded living area; crowded conditions in which 
people live 
wary very cautious; watchful 
wastrel waster; profligate 
wax increase gradually (as the moon); grow 
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waylay ambush; lie in wait for and attack 
ambush act of lying in wait to attack by surprise; sudden attack made from a concealed position; 
Ex. lie in ambush; V. 
wean accustom a baby not to nurse; accustom (the young of a mammal) to take nourishment 
other than by suckling; give up a cherished activity; cause to gradually leave (an 
interest or habit); Ex. wean oneself from cigarettes 
weather pass safely through (a storm or difficult period); endure the effects of weather or 
other forces 
welt raised mark from a beating or whipping 
welter confusion; turmoil; confused mass; bewildering jumble; Ex. welter of data 
welter wallow (as in mud or high seas); lie soaked (as in blood); Ex. The victims weltered in 
their blood. 
wheedle deceive, persuade, or obtain by flattery; cajole; coax; Ex. wheedle a promise out of her 
whelp young animal (esp. of the dog or cat family); young wolf, dog, tiger, etc. 
whet sharpen; stimulate; Ex. whet someone's appetite 
whiff puff or gust (of air, scent, etc.); short-lasting smell; hint; Ex. whiff of perfume/scandal 
whimsical capricious; fanciful; amusingly strange 
whim sudden capricious idea; fancy 
whimsy whim; tendency to behave amusingly strangely; Ex. story full of whimsy 
whinny neigh like a horse; CF. neigh: make the sound which horses make 
whit small amount; smallest speck; Ex. not a whit of 
whittle pare; cut away thin bits (from wood); fashion in this way; reduce gradually; trim 
pare cut away the outer covering or skin of (with a knife); trim; Ex. pare apples/expenses 
whorl ring of leaves around stem; ring; circular arrangement; Ex. whorls on the fingers 
willful wilful; intentional; headstrong 
wilt loose freshness; droop 
wily crafty; cunning; artful; N. wile: deceitful stratagem 
wince move back suddenly; shrink back; flinch; Ex. She winced as she touched the cold 
body. 
start move suddenly or involuntarily; Ex. start at the sight of a snake 
windfall fallen fruit; unexpected lucky event 
winnow sift; separate the chaff from grain by blowing; separate good parts from bad; CF. wind 
sift put through a sieve to separate fine from coarse particles; sort or examine carefully 
winsome charming (in a childlike way); agreeable; gracious; engaging 
wispy thin; slight; barely discernible 
wisp small bunch (of hair); faint streak (of smoke) 
wistful sadly thoughtful (because of desires or memories); sadly pensive; vaguely longing 
withdrawn introverted; retiring; remote 
remote distant in manner; aloof 
wither (of a plant) dry up from loss of moisture; lose freshness; shrivel; decay 
shrivel make or become shrunken and wrinkled (often by drying) 
withhold refuse to give; hold back; Ex. withholding tax 
withstand stand up against; resist successfully 
witless lacking intelligence or wit; foolish; idiotic 
witticism witty saying; wisecrack(clever joking remark) 
wizardry sorcery; magic 
wizened shriveled; withered; Ex. wizened apple/old lady 
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woe great sorrow; deep inconsolable grief; affliction; suffering; Ex. financial woes 
woeful sad; (of something bad) deplorable; deplorably bad; Ex. woeful housing conditions 
wont (the stated person's) habit or custom; habitual procedure; ADJ. wonted: customary 
worldly engrossed in matters of this earth; not spiritual; of the material world 
wrangle quarrel noisily; obtain through arguing; herd cattle; N. 
herd group of animals; crowd; one who looks after a herd; Ex. shepherd/goatherd; Ex. herd 
instinct; Ex. herdsman; V: come together in a herd; look after a herd; Ex. herd cattle 
wrath anger; fury 
wreak inflict; Ex. wreak one's vengeance on 
wrench twist; pull; strain; Ex. He wrenched the gun out of her hands. 
wrest obtain by pulling violently; pull away; take by violence; Ex. wrest victory from their 
grasp 
writ written command issued by a court (telling someone to do or not to do something) 
writhe twist in coils; contort in pain 
wry (esp. of an expression of the face) twisted; with a humorous twist (expressing 
displeasure) 
xenophobia fear or hatred of foreigners; N. xenophobe 
yen strong desire; longing; urge; Ex. yen for travel 
yeoman man or farmer owning small estate; middle-class farmer 
yield amount produced; crop; income on investment; profit obtained from an investment; V: 
produce; give in; surrender 
yoke join together; unite; N: crossbar used to joining two draft animals 
yokel rustic; country bumpkin; 
yore time long past; Ex. in the days of yore 
zany comic; crazy; N: clown; comical person (given to outlandish behavior) 
zeal eager enthusiasm (to a cause or ideal); ADJ. zealous 
zealot one who is zealous; fanatic; person who shows excessive zeal 
zenith point directly overhead in the sky; summit; acme; highest point 
zephyr gentle breeze; west wind