1. Abate: to make less; decline
abatement: reduction
abdicate: to give up a powerful position
aberrant: abnormal
aberration: abnormality
aboveboard: honest and open
abrasive: rough
abridge: to shorten
abrupt: sudden and unexpected
abstemious: not doing things to give pleasure; moderate
abstinence: to stop a practice that one often enjoys
abstruse: difficult to understand
abundant: plentiful
abysmal: poor in quality; appalling
accede: to agree
accolade: praise
accommodate: to provide lodging or room
accord: to give something to somebody; agree
accumulate: accrue
acerbic: (of manner or speech) harsh and sharp
acme: highest point
acne: PIMPLE
acquiesce: to agree without arguing
acquisitive: greedy
acrimonious: bitter
acumen: insight
adhere: to stick firmly to
adjudicate: to act as a judge
adjunct: attachment
admonish: rebuke
adroit: skillful
adulation: praise that is more than necessary; flattery
adulatory: admiring; excessive in praise or admiration
adversity: unfortunate conditions
advocate: support
aegis: protection or patronage
aesthetic: pertaining to beauty and the appreciation of beauty
affected: not natural
affirm: to state something as the truth
affliction: a thing that causes suffering
affluence: abundance of money; wealth
affront: insult
aficionado: enthusiast
aggravate: to make worse
aghast: shocked
agile: active
agitate: rouse
agitation: anxiety
agnostic: a skeptic

2. agnosticism: infidelity
akin: related or like something
alibi: excuse
align: to line in a straight line so that they are parallel to something
allay: reduce
allegory: parable
allocate: assign
allure: bewitch
allusion: hint
ally: partner
aloft: high up in the air
aloof: detached
altruism: concerned for the happiness of others before one's own
altruistic: unselfish
amalgamate: unite; combine
amalgamation: joining; mixing; combining
amateurish: unskilled
ambiguity: vagueness
ambivalence: doubt; inconstitency
ambivalent: mixed feelings about an opinion or person
ameliorate: to improve
amendable: willing to be influenced; malleable
amiable: friendly
amicable: harmonious
amity: harmony
amorous: ardent
amorphous: no definite shate
amphibious: living on both land and water
ample: plentiful
anachronism: misdate
anachronistic: archaic
analgesic: painkiller
anarchist: person who believes in lawlessness or disorder
anatomical: concerned with the study of the structure of the human or animal bodies
ancillary: subsidiary
anecdote: narrative
anguish: suffering
animated: lively
annul: abolish
anomaly: irregularity
anonymous: nameless
antagonism: resentment
antagonize: enrage
anthropomorphize: personify
anticipatory: prompt
antidote: cure
antipathy: hostility
antiquarian: person who studies and collects and sells antiques
antique: old

3. antithesis: opposite
antithetical: opposite
apathetic: indifferent
apathy: indifference
ape: to imitate
aplomb: confidence and self control
apocalyptic: prophetic
apogee: highest or furthest point
apostate: denouncer
apostle: promoter
appalling: shocking
apparent : obvious
apparition: ghost
appease: mollify
appraisal: judgement
appraise: judge
apprehend: to understand
apprehension: fear
apprehensive: worried
approbation: approval
apt: suitable
aptitude: skill
arable: farmable
arbiter: authority
arbitration: mediation; judgement
arboreal: living in trees
arcane: secret
archaic: old-fashioned
archetypal: classical; typical
archetype: model
archipelago: group of many islands
arduous: laborious
aristocratic: noble
aroma: fragrance
articulate: to enunciate
ascetic: austere
ascribe: apply; attribute
assail: attack
assault: assail
assemblage: collection
assiduous: industrious
assimilate: digest
assuage: relieve
atheism: non-belief
atheist: non-believer
atrophy: to waste away: wither
attenuate: to make thin or slender
attribute: ascribe
audacity: boldness, often disrespectful

4. audit: to examine accounts officially
augment: add
augur: portend
aura: atmosphere
auspicious: favorable
authentic: true
autocrat: dictator
autocratic: tyrannical
autonomy: self-government
avant-garde: modern; forward
avaricious: greedy
avocation: a favorite activity
avuncular: uncle-like
backlash: repercussion
baffle: to be too difficult for somebody to understand; confuse; perplex
banality: platitude; uninteresting
bane: torment
baneful: harmful
barb: hurtful remark; insult
barque: elaborate