abeyance (a'bayans) n. suspension, being temporarily suspended or set aside.

Construction of the highway is in abeyance until we get agency approval

abjure (ab'joor) v. 1. to repudiate, renounce under oath. 2. to give up or reject.

When Joseph became a citizen, he had to abjure his allegiance to his country of origin.

abrogate ('abro_ayt) v. to abolish, do away with, formally revoke. The dictator

abrogated agreements that no longer suited his purposes.

abstemious (ab'steemeeus) adj. 1. using or consuming sparingly; used with

temperance or moderation. 2. eating and drinking in moderation; sparing in the indulgence of appetites or passions. After Vadeem gained 30 pounds, he decided he needed a more abstemious diet.

abstruse (ab'stroos) adj. difficult to comprehend, obscure. Albert Einsteins

abstruse calculations can be understood by only a few people.

abysmal (a'bizmal) adj. 1. extreme, limitless, profound. 2. extremely bad. It

was not surprising that the movie was a flop; the reviews were abysmal .

acrimonious (akr_'mohneeus) adj. bitter and sharp in language or tone.

Jasleen did not like her new neighbors; it was obvious in the acrimonious way she spoke to them.

adamant ('adamant) adj. 1. unyielding to requests, appeals, or reason. 2. firm,

inflexible. The senator was adamant that no changes would be made to the defense budget.

adroit (a'droit) adj. skillful, clever, or adept in action or in thought; dexterous,

deft. Priya is a very adroit seamstress; she should have your trousers fixed in no time

antipathy (an'tipathee) n. 1. a strong aversion or dislike. 2. an object of

aversion. After Inti stole Peters wallet, Peter had antipathy for his classmate

appraise (a'prayz) v. 1. to evaluate. 2. to establish value or estimate the worth

of. The art dealer appraised the value of the painting. apprise (a'pr_z) v. to give notice or information to; to make aware of, inform. The teacher apprised the class about when the midterm and final exams would occur