Glossary of 1,500 Common English Words
Browse the glossary using this index
Special | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | ALL
D |
---|
dam | ||
---|---|---|
a wall built across a river to hold back flowing water | ||
damage | ||
---|---|---|
to cause injury or destruction; n. harm; hurt or injury, usually to things | ||
dance | ||
---|---|---|
to move the body and feet to music; n. a series of steps, usually to music | ||
danger | ||
---|---|---|
a strong chance of suffering injury, damage or loss | ||
dark | ||
---|---|---|
having little or no light ("The room was dark.") | ||
date | ||
---|---|---|
an expression of time; a day, month and year | ||
daughter | ||
---|---|---|
a person's female child | ||
day | ||
---|---|---|
twenty-four hours; the hours of sunlight | ||
dead | ||
---|---|---|
not living | ||
deaf | ||
---|---|---|
not able to hear | ||
deal | ||
---|---|---|
to have to do with ("The talks will deal with the problem of pollution."); to buy or sell ("Her company deals in plastic.") | ||
debate | ||
---|---|---|
to argue for or against something; n. a public discussion or argument | ||
debt | ||
---|---|---|
something that is owed; the condition of owing | ||
decide | ||
---|---|---|
to choose; to settle; to judge | ||
declare | ||
---|---|---|
to say; to make a statement | ||
decrease | ||
---|---|---|
to make less in size or amount | ||
deep | ||
---|---|---|
going far down; a long way from top to bottom | ||
defeat | ||
---|---|---|
to cause to lose in a battle or struggle; n. a loss; the condition of having lost | ||
defend | ||
---|---|---|
to guard or fight against attack; to protect | ||
deficit | ||
---|---|---|
a shortage that results when spending is greater than earnings, or imports are greater than exports | ||
define | ||
---|---|---|
to give the meaning of; to explain | ||
degree | ||
---|---|---|
a measure of temperature | ||
delay | ||
---|---|---|
to decide to do something at a later time; to postpone; to cause to be late | ||
delegate | ||
---|---|---|
one sent to act for another; one who represents another | ||
demand | ||
---|---|---|
to ask by ordering; to ask with force | ||
democracy | ||
---|---|---|
the system of government in which citizens vote to choose leaders or to make other important decisions | ||
denounce | ||
---|---|---|
to accuse of being wrong or evil; to criticize severely | ||
dense | ||
---|---|---|
close together; thick | ||
deny | ||
---|---|---|
to declare that something is not true; to refuse a request | ||
depend | ||
---|---|---|
to need help and support | ||
deplore | ||
---|---|---|
to regret strongly; to express sadness | ||
deploy | ||
---|---|---|
to move forces or weapons into positions for action | ||
depression | ||
---|---|---|
severe unhappiness; a period of reduced business and economic activity during which many people lose their jobs | ||
describe | ||
---|---|---|
to give a word picture of something; to give details of something | ||
desert | ||
---|---|---|
a dry area of land | ||
design | ||
---|---|---|
to plan or create plans for | ||
desire | ||
---|---|---|
to want very much; to wish for | ||
destroy | ||
---|---|---|
to break into pieces; to end the existence of | ||
detail | ||
---|---|---|
a small part of something; a small piece of information | ||
develop | ||
---|---|---|
to grow; to create; to experience progress | ||
device | ||
---|---|---|
a piece of equipment made for a special purpose | ||
dictator | ||
---|---|---|
a ruler with complete power | ||
die | ||
---|---|---|
to become dead; to stop living; to end | ||
diet | ||
---|---|---|
usual daily food and drink | ||
different | ||
---|---|---|
not the same | ||
difficult | ||
---|---|---|
not easy; hard to do, make or carry out | ||
dig | ||
---|---|---|
to make a hole in the ground | ||
dinner | ||
---|---|---|
the main amount of food eaten at a usual time ("The family had its dinner at noon."); a special event that includes food ("The official dinner took place at the White House.") | ||
diplomat | ||
---|---|---|
a person who represents his or her government in dealing with another government | ||
direct | ||
---|---|---|
to lead; to aim or show the way ("He directed me to the theater."); ad. straight to something; not through some other person or thing ("The path is direct.") | ||
direction | ||
---|---|---|
the way (east, west, north, south); where someone or something came from or went to | ||
dirt | ||
---|---|---|
earth or soil | ||
dis | ||
---|---|---|
not (dishonest, disobey) | ||
disappear | ||
---|---|---|
to become unseen; to no longer exist | ||
disarm | ||
---|---|---|
to take away weapons; to no longer keep weapons; to make a bomb harmless by removing its exploding device | ||
discover | ||
---|---|---|
to find or learn something | ||
discuss | ||
---|---|---|
to talk about; to exchange ideas | ||
disease | ||
---|---|---|
a sickness in living things, often caused by viruses, germs or bacteria | ||
dismiss | ||
---|---|---|
to send away; to refuse to consider | ||
dispute | ||
---|---|---|
to oppose strongly by argument; n. an angry debate | ||
dissident | ||
---|---|---|
a person who strongly disagrees with his or her government | ||
distance | ||
---|---|---|
the amount of space between two places or objects ("The distance from my house to your house is two kilometers.") | ||
dive | ||
---|---|---|
to jump into water head first | ||
divide | ||
---|---|---|
to separate into two or more parts | ||
do | ||
---|---|---|
to act; to make an effort | ||
doctor | ||
---|---|---|
a person trained in medicine to treat sick people | ||
document | ||
---|---|---|
an official piece of paper with facts written on it, used as proof or support of something | ||
dog | ||
---|---|---|
a small animal that often lives with humans | ||
dollar | ||
---|---|---|
United States money, one hundred cents | ||
door | ||
---|---|---|
an opening for entering or leaving a building or room | ||
down | ||
---|---|---|
from higher to lower; in a low place | ||
dream | ||
---|---|---|
to have a picture or story in the mind during sleep; n. a picture or story in the mind during sleep; a happy idea about the future | ||
drink | ||
---|---|---|
to take liquid into the body through the mouth | ||
drive | ||
---|---|---|
to control a moving vehicle | ||
drop | ||
---|---|---|
to fall or let fall; to go lower | ||
drown | ||
---|---|---|
to die under water | ||
drug | ||
---|---|---|
anything used as a medicine or in making medicine; a chemical substance used to ease pain or to affect the mind | ||
dry | ||
---|---|---|
not wet; without rain | ||
during | ||
---|---|---|
through the whole time; while (something is happening) | ||
dust | ||
---|---|---|
pieces of matter so small that they can float in the air | ||
duty | ||
---|---|---|
one's job or responsibility; what one must do because it is right and just | ||