Verbs - 2 (26-50)


Adduce (v):  uh-doos, uh-dyoos
If you adduce something such as a fact or reason, you mention it in order to support an argument  = cite
We can adduce evidence to support the claim

Adhere (v):  ad-heer
If you adhere to a rule or agreement, you act in the way that it says you should = stick
I have adhered strictly to the rules

Adulterate (v):  uh-duhl-tuh-reyt
If something such as food or drink is adulterated, someone has made its quality worse by adding water or cheaper products to it = spoil
This petrol was adulterated with Kerosene

Advocate  (v):   ad-vuh-keyt
If you advocate a particular action or plan, you recommend it publicly = support
We advocate peace rather than war

Aggrandize (v):  uh-gran-dahyz, ag-ruhn-dahyz (30)
To aggrandize someone means to make them seem richer, more powerful, and more important than they really are = increase
At the dinner table, my father would go on and on, showing off, aggrandizing himself

Agitate (v):  aj-i-teyt
If people agitate for something, they protest or take part in political activity in order to get it = stir up, disturb
Unions are agitating for higher pay

Allay (v):  uh-ley
If you allay someone’s fears or doubts, you stop them feeling afraid or doubtful = calm, pacify
The president made a statement to allay public anxiety

Allege (v):  uh-lej
If you allege that something bad is true, you say it but do not prove it = state without proof
It was alleged that the policeman had accepted bribes

Alleviate (v):  uh-lee-vee-eyt
If you alleviate pain, suffering, or an unpleasant condition, you make it less intense or severe = relieve
A number of measures were taken to alleviate the problem

Allocate (v):  al-uh-keyt
If one item or share of something is allocated to a particular person or for a particular purpose, it is given to that person or used for that purpose = assign
You should allocate the same amount of time to each question

Allude (v):  uh-lood
If you allude to something, you mention it in an indirect way = refer
The problem had been alluded briefly in earlier discussions

Allure (v):  uh-loor
The allure of something or someone is the pleasing or exciting quality that they have = attract
The company allured me with their offer of a high salary

Amalgamate (v):  uh-mal-guh-meyt
When two or more things, especially organizations, amalgamate or are amalgamated, they become one large thing = combine
A number of colleges have a amalgamnated to form the new  university

Amass (v):  uh-mas
If you amass something such as money or information, you gradually get a lot of it = accumulate
For 25 years, Darwin amassed evidence to support his theories

Amble (v):  am-buhl (40)
When you amble, you walk slowly and in a relaxed manner = stroll, walk
They ambled along for miles

Ameliorate (v):  uh-meel-yuh-reyt, uh-mee-lee-uh-
If someone or something ameliorates a situation, they make it better or easier in some way = make better
Steps have been taken to ameliorate the situation

Amplify (v):  am-pluh-fahy
If you amplify a sound, you make it louder, usually by using electronic equipment = enlarge
The music was amplified with microphones

Amputate (v):  am-pyoo-teyt
To amputate someone’s arm or leg means to cut all or part of it off in an operation because it is diseased or badly damaged = cut off
To save his life, doctors amputated his legs

Anneal (v):  uh-neel
to make metal or glass hard by heating it and then slowly letting it get cold = slow cooling
After the glass is annealed, it will be less subject to chipping and cracking

Annihilate (v):  uh-nahy-uh-leyt
To annihilate something means to destroy it completely = destroy
Bombs annihilated the city

Annotate (v):  an-uh-teyt
If you annotate written work or a diagram, you add notes to it, especially in order to explain it = comment
The new edition is fully annotated by the author

Annul (v): uh-nuhl
If an election or a contract is annulled, it is declared invalid, so that legally it is considered never to have existed = make void
The marriage was annulled last month

Appease (v):  uh-peez
If you try to appease someone, you try to stop them from being angry by giving them what they want = placate, satisfy
In ancient times, people sacrified animals , and even human beings, to appease the gods

Append (v):  uh-pend
When you append something to something else, especially a piece of writing, you attach it or add it to the end of it
= attach
She appended a note at the end of the letter

Appraise (v):  uh-preyz (50)
If you appraise something or someone, you consider them carefully and form an opinion about them = estimate
The project was appraised by experts and found it was over estimated