Barrons L

n labile

likely to change; unstable; Ex. emotionally labile; N. lability

laborious

demanding much work or care; tedious

labyrinth

maze

n laceration

torn ragged wound; V. lacerate: tear (the skin as with broken glass); wound

s rip

tear or be torn quickly and violently; Ex. The sail ripped under the force of the wind; N.

s rag

scrap of cloth; ADJ. ragged: old and torn; seeming unfinished and imperfect; Ex. ragged debut/performance

n lachrymose

producing tears; tearful

n lackadaisical

lacking interest or effort; lacking purpose or zest; lazy; halfhearted; languid

s halfhearted

exhibiting little interest or enthusiasm

n lackluster

lacking luster(shine; gloss); dull

n laconic

brief and to the point; using few words; terse

n laggard

slow; sluggish; N: one who lags; straggler

s lag

move or develop more slowly; straggle; Ex. lag behind the rest; N.

s straggle

stray or fall behind (a main group); spread out in a scattered group; Ex. straggling marathon racer; Ex. straggling branch

n lagoon

shallow body of water or lake near a sea; lake separated from a sea by sandbars or coral reefs

n laity

laypersons; laymen; persons not connected with the clergy

s layman

man who is not a cleric; man who is nonprofessional

lament

grieve; express sorrow; N. lamentation

n lampoon

ridicule; N: written attack ridiculing or satirizing a person

n lancet

small surgical tool for making incisions

s lance

pierce with a lance; cut into; N: spearlike weapon

languid

lacking energy or vitality; weary; sluggish; listless

languish

lose animation or strength

languor

lack of physical or mental energy; lassitude; depression

n lank

long and thin; Ex. Lank

n lap

take in food or drink with one's tongue; splash gently; Ex. waves lapping the shore; N: front area from the waist to the knees of a seated person

n larceny

theft; Ex. petit larceny

n larder

pantry; place where food is kept

n largess

generous gift (given to people who do not have enough)

lascivious

lustful

s lust

intense sexual desire; intense eagerness; V.

n lassitude

languor; weariness; listlessness

latent

present but not yet noticeable or active; dormant; hidden; N. latency; CF. potential

lateral

of or coming from the side

n latitude

freedom from narrow limitations

laud

praise; N. ADJ. laudable: praiseworthy; ADJ. laudatory: expressing praise

n lavish

liberal; wasteful; generous or wasteful in giving or using; abundant; profuse; great; Ex. decorated lavishly; V. give in abundance

n lax

careless; negligent; not paying enough attention; Ex. lax service

n leaven

add leaven to; cause to rise or grow lighter; enliven; N: agent

s enliven

make lively or spirited; animate

lechery

gross lewdness; lustfulness; ADJ. lecherous; N. lecher: lecherous man

n lectern

reading desk or stand for a public speaker

n leery

(of someone) suspicious; wary; cautious

n leeway

room to move; margin; latitude; Ex. leeway for the deadline

s margin

border; room; allowance beyond what is needed; Ex. margin of safety

s marginal

of a margin; barely within a limit; Ex. marginal effect/writing ability

legacy

gift made by a will; something handed down from an ancestor

legend

explanatory list of symbols on a map

n legerdemain

sleight(dexterity) of hand; CF. light of hand

leniency

mildness; permissiveness; ADJ. lenient: not severe in judgment or punishment

s permissive

allowing much freedom; lenient; Ex. permissive society

leonine

like a lion

lethal

deadly

lethargic

drowsy; dull; N. lethargy: state of sluggishness and inactivity

n levee

earthen or stone embankment to prevent flooding; CF. raise

n levitate

rise and float in the air (especially by magical means); CF. light

levity

lack of seriousness or steadiness; frivolity; lightness of manner

n levy

impose (a fine); collect (a payment); impose or collect (a tax); Ex. levy a tax on tobacco

lewd

lustful

n lexicographer

compiler of a dictionary; CF. lexicography: work of compiling a dictionary

n lexicon

dictionary

n liability

drawback; handicap; debts; obligation; responsibility; condition of being liable; ADJ. liable: likely; responsible (for paying)

liaison

contact that keeps parties in communication; communication between groups; one that maintains communication; go-between; secret love affair; V. liaise: keep a connection

libel

defamatory written statement; act of writing something that smears a person's character; V. ADJ. libelous

n libertine

debauched person; dissolute or licentious person; rou\'e; CF. free

s rou\'e

lecherous man

libidinous

lustful

n libido

psychic and emotional energy or urges behind human activity; sexual desire

n libretto

text of an opera or oratorio; CF. book

licentious

amoral; lewd and lascivious; unrestrained

s license

official or legal permission; latitude of action or speech; excessive freedom that causes harm or damage; V.

n lien

legal claim or right on a property

n ligneous

like wood

n lilliputian

extremely small; CF. Lilliput in Gulliver's Travels

n limber

flexible; supple; pliable; V.

n limbo

region near heaven or hell where certain souls are kept; prison (slang); Ex. Purgatory and Limbo

s abode

dwelling place; home

s abide

dwell; abide by: comply with; put up with; tolerate; Ex. abide by the rules; Ex. I can't abide rude people.

n limn

draw; outline; describe; CF. line ?

n limpid

crystal clear

lineage

descent; ancestry

n lineaments

features especially of the face; distinctive shape or contour of the face; CF. line

s feature

distinctive part of the faces (as the eyes or mouth); features: overall appearance of the face; prominent or distinctive quality; prominent article; film; V: make prominent

s linger

loiter or dawdle; be slow in leaving; delay going; continue or persist; be slow to disappear; Ex. The smell lingered for days.

s persist

continue in existence; last; continue in a course of action in spite of opposition; Ex. persist in/with something; ADJ. persistent

linguistic

pertaining to language

s lionize

treat (a person) as a celebrity

s liquidate

settle accounts; pay off (a debt); clear up; eliminate; kill or abolish

s list

tilt (as of a ship); lean over (to one side)

listless

lacking in spirit or energy; languid

n litany

supplicatory prayer; prayer in which the priest calls out and the people replies in the same words

n lithe

flexible; supple; CF. limber

s willowy

flexible; pliant; slender; CF. willow

n litigation

lawsuit; N. litigant: one party in a lawsuit; V. litigate

n litotes

understatement for emphasis; Ex. ``not bad(=pretty good)''

s understate

state with less truth than seems warranted by the facts; Ex. He understated the seriousness of the crime; N. understatement; OP. overstate

n livid

lead-colored; black and blue (as from a bruise); ashen; enraged; extremely angry

n loath

reluctant; unwilling; disinclined; Ex. Romeo and Juliet were both loath for him to go.

loathe

detest; ADJ. loathsome: arousing loathing; offensive; Ex. loathsome smell

n lode

metal-bearing vein(long deposit of an ore)

lofty

very high

s loft

room or space under the roof; attic

log

record of a voyage or flight; record of day-to-day activities; section of a trunk; V.

loiter

hang about/around; stand idly about; linger

n loll

lounge about

s lounge

stand

longevity

long life; long duration

n loom

appear or take shape (usually in an enlarged

s gallows

framework from which a noose is suspended (used for execution by hanging)

s noose

loop formed in a rope

n lope

gallop slowly

loquacious

talkative; N. loquacity

n lout

clumsy person; ADJ. loutish; CF. from countrysides ?

n low

moo; make the sound of a cow

s lubricate

apply a lubricant to; N. lubricant: substance that reduces friction

lucid

easily understood; clear; intelligible; N. lucidity

lucrative

profitable; producing wealth

n lucre

money; profit; Ex. filthy lucre

s filth

dirty matter; ADJ. filthy

n ludicrous

laughable; ridiculous; trifling

n lugubrious

mournful; sorrowful

n lull

moment of calm; period of reduced activity; Ex. a lull in the rain; V: cause to become less active; cause to sleep or rest; Ex. lull the opponents into a false sense of security; CF. lullaby

n lumber

move heavily or clumsily; Ex. The bear lumbered through the woods; N: timber

n lumen

unit of light energy (one candle's worth)

n luminary

celebrity (in a specific field); dignitary; object that gives light (as a celestial body)

s dignitary

person of high rank or position

n luminous

shining (esp. in the dark); issuing light; Ex. luminous paint/road signs

lunar

pertaining to the moon

s lunatic

insane; Ex. lunatic asylum

n lurid

wild; sensational; graphic; gruesome; horrible; Ex. lurid details of the murder

n lurk

stealthily lie in waiting; slink; exist unperceived

s slink

move furtively; ADJ. slinky: stealthy; furtive; sneaky (as in ambush)

n luscious

pleasing to taste or smell; delicious

n luster

shine; gloss (of a polished surface)

n lustrous

shining; brilliant; Ex. lustrous hair

n luxuriant

abundant; growing healthily and in large amounts; excessively ornate; rich and splendid; fertile; Ex. luxuriant forests/prose; CF. luxurious