English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

agenda

noun

A list of items to be discussed or dealt with, especially at a meeting.

agender

adjective

Having no gender identity, or not identifying with any gender.

agent

noun

A person who acts on behalf of another, especially in business or legal matters.

agentship

noun

The job or role of being an agent.

ages

noun

A very long period of time.

ageusia

noun

A total loss of the ability to taste.

ageusic

adj

Unable to taste anything.

aggie

noun

A playing marble made of, or resembling, agate.

agglomerate

adj

Gathered together into a lump or mass.

agglomerative

adj

Tending to cluster or collect together.

agglutinative

adj

Sticky, or able to stick things together.

aggrandise

verb

A non-Oxford British English standard spelling of aggrandize.

aggrandize

verb

To make something bigger or greater.

aggravate

verb

To make a bad situation, problem, or injury worse.

aggravated

adj

Made more serious by additional harmful factors, especially in a legal context.

aggravating

adj

Making a situation or problem worse.

aggravation

noun

The act of making something worse, or a factor that does so.

aggregate

noun

A total formed by combining several separate amounts or items.

aggregation

noun

The act of bringing things together into one group.

aggress

verb

To attack someone.

aggression

noun

Hostile or violent behavior, especially the starting of a conflict or attack.

aggressive

adj

Ready or likely to attack or confront; hostile.

aggressively

adv

In a hostile, forceful, or determined manner.

aggressiveness

noun

The quality or state of being aggressive.

aggressor

noun

The person, group, or country that starts an attack or conflict.

aggrievance

noun

A feeling of being treated unfairly, or the unfair treatment itself.

aggrieve

verb

To make someone feel hurt or unhappy.

aggrieved

adj

Angry or upset because you feel you have been treated unfairly.

aggro

noun

British informal: trouble, hassle, or aggressive confrontation.

agh

intj

An exclamation of mild horror, disgust, or frustration.

agha

noun

An honorific title for high-ranking officials, used historically in Turkey and other Muslim regions.

aghast

adj

Filled with shock and horror, as if suddenly frightened.

agile

adj

Able to move quickly and easily; nimble.

agility

noun

The ability to move quickly, easily, and with control.

aging

noun

The natural process of growing older.

agitant

noun

Someone who stirs up strong feeling or action in others.

agitate

verb

To make someone anxious, upset, or unsettled.

agitated

adj

Anxious, upset, or unable to stay calm.

agitation

noun

A state of anxiety, restlessness, or emotional disturbance.

agitational

adj

Connected with efforts to stir up political feeling or action.

agitator

noun

Someone who stirs up strong feelings or pushes others toward political action, often seen as a troublemaker.

agitatrix

noun

A woman who works to stir up strong political feeling or action.

agitprop

noun

Propaganda spread through art, plays, writing and similar means, especially to support communist ideas.

agley

adv

Wrong or off course, not as it was meant to go.

aglow

adj

Glowing, or radiant with warmth, light, or emotion.

Agnes

name

A feminine given name of Ancient Greek origin, meaning "pure" or "chaste."

Agnew

name

A surname of Scottish or Irish origin.

agnise

verb

A non-Oxford British English standard spelling of agnize.

agnize

verb

To recognise or admit that something is true.

agnosia

noun

(medical) A condition in which a person cannot recognise objects through their senses, such as sight or touch.

agnostic

adj

Believing it is impossible to know for certain whether God or gods exist.

agnosticism

noun

The belief that we can never be completely certain about things that cannot be known through experience.

agnosy

noun

A lack of spiritual insight or understanding.

ago

adv

Used after a period of time to mean "before now."

agonising

adj

Extremely painful, either physically or emotionally.

agonist

noun

A person taking part in a struggle or contest, such as the main character in a story.

agonize

verb

To suffer great pain or distress.

agonizing

adj

Causing severe physical or mental pain.

agony

noun

Extreme physical pain or mental suffering.

agora

noun

An open public gathering place or marketplace in an ancient Greek city.

agoraphobia

noun

An anxiety disorder in which a person fears and avoids places or situations where escape might be difficult or help unavailable — crowds, public transport, open spaces, or leaving home at all.

agorism

noun

A political philosophy that aims to build a free society through informal, unofficial trade rather than through government.

agra

name

A large city in Uttar Pradesh, India, home to the Taj Mahal.

agrarian

adj

Relating to farming, farmland, or rural life.

agree

verb

To share the same opinion as someone else.

agreeable

adj

Pleasant and easy to like.

agreeably

adv

In a pleasant or friendly way.

agreed

adj

Settled or decided by mutual consent.

agreeing

noun

The act of coming to a shared opinion or arrangement.

agreement

noun

A shared understanding or arrangement between two or more people or groups.

agribusiness

noun

Large-scale farming run as a business, or companies that supply and support such farms.

agricultural

adj

Relating to farming or the production of crops and livestock.

agriculturalist

noun

A person who works in farming.

agriculture

noun

The practice of growing crops and raising animals for food and other products.

agriculturist

noun

A person who farms or grows plants for a living.

agrimony

noun

Any of several perennial herbaceous plants of the genus Agrimonia, bearing spikes of small yellow flowers.

Agrippa

name

A Latin family name (cognomen) borne by several notable Romans, including the statesman Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and Judean kings mentioned in the Bible.

Agrippina

name

A Roman feminine name, borne notably by the mother of Emperor Nero and the mother of Emperor Caligula.

agronomic

adj

Relating to the science of soil management and crop production.

agronomist

noun

A scientist who specialises in agronomy, the study of soil and crop production.

agronomy

noun

The science of managing crops and soil to produce food and other useful materials.

aground

adj

Of a boat or ship, stuck on the bottom of shallow water or on the shore.

ague

noun

A sudden, severe fever.

Aguilar

name

A surname of Spanish origin, especially common in Mexico.

Aguilera

name

A surname of Spanish origin.

Aguirre

name

A surname of Basque origin, via Spanish.

Agustin

name

A Spanish-language male given name, the Spanish form of Augustine.

ah

intj

An exclamation showing relief, understanding, surprise, or realization, depending on tone.

aha

intj

An exclamation of sudden understanding, discovery, or realization.

Ahab

name

A king of ancient Israel described in the Hebrew Bible, remembered for his conflicts with the prophet Elijah.

aharon

name

A male first name of Hebrew origin.

ahasuerus

name

A king of Persia, later identified with Xerxes.

ahead

adv

In front, or in the direction someone is facing or moving.

ahem

intj

A sound made to clear the throat, often to get someone's attention or hint at something without saying it directly.

ahemeral

adj

Happening in a repeating cycle that does not last exactly 24 hours.

ahi

noun

Yellowfin tuna, especially as served raw or seared in Hawaiian and Pacific-influenced cooking.

ahistorical

adj

Showing no awareness of history or historical background.

ahjussi

noun

A middle-aged or older Korean man, especially one addressed informally or affectionately.

Ahmad

noun

A male given name of Arabic or Persian origin, meaning "most praiseworthy."

Ahmadi

adjective

Relating to the Ahmadiyya movement, a religious community that grew out of Sunni Islam in the 19th century.

ahmadiyya

name

An Islamic denomination, considered by some to be a separate religion, founded by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who is considered to be the Mahdi.

Ahmed

noun

A male given name of Arabic origin, a variant of Ahmad, meaning "most praiseworthy."

Ahn

noun

A Korean surname.

ahold

noun

A grip or hold on something (usually in the phrase "get ahold of").

ahorse

adv

Riding on a horse.

ahorseback

adv

Riding on horseback.

ahoy

interjection

A call used to hail a ship or attract someone's attention, especially at sea.

ai

noun

Artificial intelligence; computer systems designed to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence.

aid

verb

To help or support someone, or to make something easier.

aida

noun

A type of coarse, evenly woven cotton fabric used for cross-stitch embroidery.

Aidan

noun

A male given name of Irish origin, also used occasionally for girls.

aide

noun

A person who assists someone, especially in a professional or political role.

Aiden

noun

A male given name, a common spelling variant of Aidan.

aiding

noun

The act of helping or assisting someone.

aidman

noun

A soldier who gives medical treatment to a military unit in the field.

AIDS

adjective

Slang for extremely annoying or frustrating.

aiglet

noun

The small hard tip on the end of a shoelace that stops it fraying and lets it pass through eyelets.

aigrette

noun

A decorative tuft of feathers, or something shaped like one, worn on a hat or in the hair.

Aiken

noun

A surname, originally derived from the given name Adam.

ail

verb

To cause someone pain or trouble, often used when asking what is wrong with them.

ailan

name

A male first name of Hebrew, variant of Elon origin.

Aileen

noun

A female given name of Irish origin, a variant of Eileen.

ailing

adjective

Sick or unwell, often over a long period.

ailment

noun

An illness, especially a minor or ongoing one.

ailon

name

A male first name of Hebrew, variant of Elon origin.

ailurophobia

noun

An extreme or irrational dread of cats and other feline animals.

aim

verb

To point a weapon or object at a target.

aimed

adjective

Directed or targeted toward something.

Aimee

noun

A female given name of French origin, meaning "beloved."

aiming

noun

The act of pointing something at a target, or of working toward a goal.

aimless

adjective

Lacking a clear purpose or direction.

aimlessly

adverb

In a manner without purpose or direction.

ain

determiner

A dialectal or archaic word for "own," meaning belonging to oneself.

Ainsley

noun

A surname of Old English origin, also used as a unisex given name.

air

noun

The mixture of gases that makes up Earth's atmosphere, which we breathe.

airbag

noun

A safety device in a vehicle that inflates instantly in a crash to cushion occupants.

airborne

adjective

Flying, or carried through the air.

airbrush

noun

A small handheld tool that sprays paint using compressed air, used for fine artwork or photo retouching.

aircraft

noun

Any vehicle capable of flying through the air, such as an airplane or helicopter.

airdock

noun

A huge hangar built to house airships.

airdrop

noun

A distribution of free cryptocurrency tokens sent directly to many people's wallets at once, usually to publicise a new project or to reward people who have already used it.

aired

adjective

Having been broadcast on television or radio.

airfare

noun

The cost of a plane ticket.

airfield

noun

An open area set up for aircraft to take off and land, usually smaller and less developed than an airport.

airflow

noun

The movement of air, especially around a flying aircraft or wing.

airhead

noun

An informal, mildly insulting term for a foolish or unintelligent person.

airheaded

adj

Silly and foolish.

airiness

noun

How light, open and full of air something is.

airing

noun

A broadcast of a television or radio programme.

airlift

noun

The transport of people or supplies by aircraft, especially in an emergency.