Verb

verb

169 of 727

Other / Inward

audio

preen - To devote effort to making oneself look attractive and then admire one's appearance

Before every job interview, Fritz would preen himself in the mirror to make sure he looked presentable.

verb

170 of 727

Bad / War

Url audio

invasion - when an army or country uses force to enter and take control of another country:

World War II started with the invasion of Poland by Germany on September 1, 1939.

verb

171 of 727

Bad / Aggressive

Url audio

vie - To compete intensely with others for superiority or a desired goal.

During the World Cup, the best soccer teams vie for the championship title.

verb

172 of 727

Bad / Aggressive

audio

thwart - To prevent someone from accomplishing something

Jim suspected that Fred his office mate said negative things about him in order to thwart Jim from advancing in the company.

verb

173 of 727

Bad / Hostile

audio

shun - To persistently avoid, ignore, or reject (someone or something) through antipathy or caution

When David tried to join in the conversation at the club, they ignored him, and he suspected that he was being shunned because he had a different religion than they did.

verb

174 of 727

Good / Flexible

Url audio

juggle - To keep several objects in motion in the air at the same time; or to try to deal with two or more important jobs or activities at the same time

It wasn't easy for Beth to juggle working at her job from home and taking care of her kids when they came home from school.

verb

175 of 727

Good / Pleasure

audio

indulge - To allow yourself to do something that you enjoy, even when it may not be the best thing for you to do

Though Beverly was on a diet, every once in a while she would indulge in an ice cream sundae.

verb

176 of 727

Other / Move

audio

swerve - To turn aside abruptly from a straight line or course to avoid something in front of you.

The van swerved to avoid the car suddenly stopping in front of it.

verb

177 of 727

Bad / Stupid

Url audio

regress - To move backward in development or progress, often in a way that suggests deterioration or decline.

After making great strides in therapy, he seemed to regress emotionally after hearing the bad news.

verb

178 of 727

Good / Happy

audio

cavort - To jump or dance around excitedly

The kangaroos cavorted in the field without a care in the world.

verb

179 of 727

Good / Strong

Url audio

persevere - To continue in a course of action even in the face of great difficulty.

As they climbed the mountain, they were committed to persevere until they reached to peak, in spite of their exhaustion.

verb

180 of 727

Bad / Unfriendly

audio

goad - To provoke or annoy someone so as to stimulate some action or reaction

Max was the biggest 8th grader in the school yard, and he would often be aggressive with the other kids, trying to goad them into a fight that he knew he would win.