Abaft

(adv.) on or toward the rear of a ship

1. The passengers moved abaft of the ship so as to escape the fire in the front of the ship.

(v./n.) to leave behind; to give something up; freedom; enthusiasm; impetuosity

1. After failing for several years, he abandoned his dream of starting a grocery business.
2. Lucy embarked on her new adventure with abandon.

(v.) to degrade; humiliate; disgrace

1. The mother’s public reprimand abased the girl.  

2. The insecure father, after failing to achieve his own life-long goals, abased his children whenever they failed.

(v.) to shorten; compress; diminish

1. His vacation to Japan was abbreviated when he acquired an illness treatable only in the United States.

(v.) to reject, renounce, or abandon

1. Due to his poor payment record, it may be necessary to abdicate our relationship with the client.

Aberrant

 (adj.) abnormal; straying from the normal or usual path

1. The aberrant flight pattern of the airplane alarmed the air traffic controllers.

2. His aberrant behavior led his friends to worry the divorce had taken its toll.  

(n.) a state of temporary suspension or inactivity

1. Since the power failure, the town has been in abeyance.

Abhor

(v.) to hate

1. By the way her jaw tensed when he walked in, it is easy to see that she abhors him.
2. The dog abhorred cats, chasing and growling at them whenever he had the
opportunity.

(adj.) of the worst or lowest degree

1. The Haldemans lived in abject poverty, with barely a roof over their heads.

(v.) to give up

1. The losing team may abjure to the team that is winning.

(n.) a denial

1. The woman’s abnegation of her loss was apparent when she began to laugh.

(v.) to loathe; to hate

1. Randall abominated all the traffic he encountered on every morning commute.
2. Please do not abominate the guilty person until you hear the complete explanation.

(v.) to shorten; to limit

1. The editor abridged the story to make the book easier to digest.

(v.) to cancel by authority

1. The judge would not abrogate the law.

(adj.) happening or ending unexpectedly

1. The abrupt end to their marriage was a shock to everyone.

(v.) to go away hastily or secretly; to hide

1. The newly wed couple will abscond from the reception to leave on the honeymoon.

(v.) to forgive; to acquit

1. The judge will absolve the person of all charges.  

2. After feuding for many years, the brothers absolved each other for the many arguments they had.

(adj.) sparing in use of food or drinks

1. If we become stranded in the snow storm, we will have to be abstemious with our food supply.
2. In many abstemious cultures the people are so thin due to the belief that too much taken into the body leads to contamination of the soul.  

Abstinence

(n.) the act or process of voluntarily refraining from any action or practice; self-control; chastity

1. In preparation for the Olympic games, the athletes practiced abstinence from red meat and junk food, adhering instead to a menu of pasta and produce.

(adj.) hard to understand; deep; recondite

1. The topic was so abstruse the student was forced to stop reading.
2. The concept was too abstruse for the average student to grasp.

(adj.) very deep

1. The abysmal waters contained little plant life.

(v.) to comply with; to consent to

1. With defeat imminent, the rebel army acceded to hash out a peace treaty.

Acclaim  

(n.) loud approval; applause

1. Edward Albee’s brilliantly written Broadway revival of A Delicate Balance received wide acclaim.

Accolade

(n.) approving or praising mention; a sign of approval or

respect

1. Rich accolades were bestowed on the returning hero.  

2. Accolades flowed into her dressing room following the opening-night triumph.  

Accomplice

(n.) co-conspirator; partner; partner-in-crime

1. The bank robber’s accomplice drove the get- away car.  

Accrue

(v.) a natural growth; a periodic increase

1. Over the course of her college career, she managed to accrue a great deal of
knowledge.

2. The savings were able to accrue a sizable amount of interest each year.

3. During his many years of collecting stamps, he was able to accrue a large collection of valuable items.

 Acerbic

(adj.) tasting sour; harsh in language or temper

1. Too much Bay Leaf will make the eggplant acerbic.

2. The baby’s mouth puckered when she was given the acerbic medicine.

3. The columnist’s acerbic comments about the First Lady drew a strong denunciation from the President.

(v.) to agree without protest

1. The group acquiesced to the new regulations even though they were opposed to them.

2. After a hard-fought battle, the retailers finally acquiesced to the draft regulations.

Acrid

(adj.) sharp; bitter; foul smelling

1. Although the soup is a healthy food choice, it is so acrid not many people choose to eat it.

2. The fire at the plastics factory caused an acrid odor to be emitted throughout the surrounding neighborhood. 

Acrimony

(n.) sharpness or bitterness in language or manner

1. The acrimony of her response was shocking.