Sunday, September 7, 2008

P

Pachyderm elephant

Pacifist one who opposes all violence

Pacify appease

Pact agreement

Paean a song of praise

Pagan heathen, ungodly

Page attendant

Pageant exhibition, show

Pains great effort, attention to detail

Painstaking taking great care, thorough

Palatial grand, splendid

Palaver babble, nonsense

Paleolithic stone age

Paleontologist one who studies fossils

Pall to become dull or weary

Palliate assuage

Pallid pale, sallow

Palpable touchable

Palpitate beat, throb

Palsy paralysis

Paltry scarce

Pan criticize

Panacea cure-all

Panache flamboyance

Pandemic widespread, plague

Pandemonium din, commotion

Pander cater to people’s baser instincts

Panegyric praise

Pang short sharp pain

Panoply full suit of armor

Panorama vista

Pant gasp, puff

Pantomime mime

Pantry storeroom

Papyrus paper

Parable allegory

Paradigm a model

Paragon standard of excellence

Parameter limit

Paramount chief, foremost

Paramour lover

Paranoid obsessively suspicious, demented

Paranormal supernatural

Parapet rampart, defense

Paraphernalia equipment

Paraphrase restatement

Parcel package

Parchment paper

Pare peel

Parenthetical in parentheses

Pariah outcast

Parish fold, church

Parity equality

Parlance local speech

Parlay increase

Parley conference

Parochial provincial

Parody imitation, ridicule

Parole release

Paroxysm outburst, convulsion

Parrot mimic

Parry avert, ward off

Parsimonious stingy

Parson clergyman

Partake share, receive, consume

Partial incomplete

Partiality bias

Parting farewell, severance

Partisan supporter

Partition division

Parvenu newcomer, social climber

Pasquinade satire

Passé outmoded

Passim here and there

Pastel pale

Pasteurize disinfect

Pastoral rustic

Patent obvious

Paternal fatherly

Pathetic pitiful

Pathogen agent causing disease

Pathogenic causing disease

Pathos emotion

Patrician aristocrat

Patrimony inheritance

Patronize condescend

Patronymic a name formed form the name of a father

Patter walk lightly

Paucity scarcity

Paunch stomach

Pauper poor person

Pavilion tent

pawn (noun) tool, stooge

pawn (verb) pledge

pax peace

peaked wan, pale, haggard

peal reverberation, outburst

peccadillo a minor fault

peculate embezzle

peculiar unusual

peculiarity characteristic

pedagogical pertaining to teaching

pedagogue dull, formal teacher

pedant pedagogue

pedantic bookish

peddle sell

pedestrian common

pedigree genealogy

peerage aristocracy

peevish cranky

pejorative insulting

pell-mell in a confused manner

pellucid transparent

pen write

penance atonement

penchant inclination

pend depend, hang

pending not decided, awaiting

penitent repentant

pensive sad

penurious stingy

penury poverty

peon common worker

per se in itself

perceptive discerning

percolate ooze, permeate

perdition damnation

peregrination wandering

peremptory dictatorial

perennial enduring, lasting

perfectionist purist, precisionist

perfidious treacherous (of a person)

perforate puncture

perforce by necessity

perfunctory careless

perigee point nearest to the earth

perilous dangerous

peripatetic walking about

periphery outer boundary

perish die

perishable decomposable

perjury lying

permeate spread throughout

permutation reordering

pernicious destructive, evil

peroration conclusion

perpendicular at right angles

perpetrate commit

perpetual continuous, everlasting

perpetuate cause to continue

perpetuity eternity

perplex puzzle, bewilder

perquisite reward, bonus

persecute harass

persevere persist, endure

persona social facade

personable charming, friendly

personage official, dignitary

personify embody, exemplify

personnel employees

perspicacious keen

perspicacity discernment, keenness

persuasive convincing

pert flippant, bold

pertain to relate

pertinacious persevering

pertinent relevant

perturbation agitation

peruse read carefully

pervade permeate

pessimist cynic, naysayer

pestilence disease

petite small

petition a written request

petrify calcify, shock

petrology study of rocks

pettifogger unscrupulous lawyer

petty trivial, niggling

petulant irritable, peevish

phantasm apparition

phenomena unusual natural events

philanthropic charitable

philanthropist altruist

philatelist stamp collector

philippic invective

Philistine barbarian

Philosophical contemplative

Phlegmatic sluggish

Phobia fear

Phoenix rebirth

Physic laxative, cathartic

Physique frame, musculature

Picaresque roguish, adventurous

Picayune trifling

Piecemeal one at a time

Pied mottled, brindled

Piety devoutness

Pilfer steal

Pillage plunder

Pillory punish by ridicule

Pine languish, to long for someone or something

Pinnacle highest point

Pious devout, holy

Piquant tart-tasting, spicy

Pique sting, arouse interest

Piscine pertaining to fish

Piteous sorrowful, pathetic

Pithy concise

Pitiable miserable, wretched

Pittance alms, driblet

Pittance trifle

Pivotal crucial

Pixilated eccentric, possessed

Placard poster

Placate appease

Placid serene

Plagiarize pirate, counterfeit

Plaintive expressing sorrow

Platitude trite remark

Platonic nonsexual

Plaudit acclaim

Pleasantry banter, persiflage

Plebeian common, vulgar

Plebiscite referendum

Plenary full

Plentiful abundant

Pleonasm redundancy, verbosity

Plethora overabundance

Pliable flexible

Pliant supple, flexible

Plight sad situation

Plucky courageous

Plumb measure

Plummet sudden shart fall

Plutocrat wealthy person

Plutonium radioactive material

Poach steal

Podgy fat

Podium stand, rostrum

Pogrom massacre, mass murder

Poignant pungent, sharp, heartbreaking

Polemic a controversy

Polity methods of government

Poltroon dastard

Polychromatic many-colored

Polygamist one who has many wives

Ponder muse, reflect

Ponderous heavy, bulky

Pontiff bishop

Pontificate to speak at length

Pootroon coward

Porcine pig-like

Porous permeable, spongy

Porridge stew

Portend signify, augur

Portent omen

Portly large

Portmanteau suitcase

Posit stipulate

Posterior rear, subsequent

Posterity future generations

Posthaste hastily

Posthumous after death

Postulate supposition, premise

Potent powerful

Potentate sovereign, king

Potion brew

Potpourri medley

Potter aimlessly busy

Pragmatic practical

Prate babble

Prattle chatter

Preamble introduction

Precarious dangerous, risky

Precedent an act that serves as an example

Precept principle, law

Precinct neighborhood

Precipice cliff

Precipitate cause

Precipitous steep

Précis summary

Precise accurate, detailed

Preclude prevent

Precocious more developed than is expected at a particular age

Preconception prejudgment, prejudice

Precursor forerunner

Predacious plundering

Predecessor one who proceeds

Predestine foreordain

Predicament quandary

Predicate to base an opinion on something

Predilection inclination

Predisposed inclined

Preeminent supreme

Preempt commandeer

Preen groom

Prefabricated ready-built

Prefect magistrate

Preference choice

Preferment promotion

Prelate primate, bishop

Preliminary introductory

Prelude introduction

Premeditate plan in advance

Premonition warning

Prenatal before birth

Preponderance predominance

Prepossessing appealing, charming

Preposterous ridiculous

Prerequisite requirement

Prerogative right, privilege

Presage omen

Prescribe urge

Presentable acceptable, well-mannered

Preside direct, chair

Pressing urgent

Prestidigitator magician

Prestige reputation, renown

Presume assume, deduce

Presumptuous assuming, overconfident

Presuppose assume

Pretense affectation, excuse

Pretentious affected, inflated

Preternatural abnormal, supernatural

Pretext excuse

Prevail triumph

Prevailing common, current

Prevalent widespread

Prevaricate lie

Prick puncture

Priggish pedantic, affected

Prim formal, prudish

Primal first, beginning

Primate head, master

Primogeniture first-born child

Primp groom

Princely regal, generous

Prismatic many-colored, sparkling

Pristine pure, unspoiled

Privation hardship

Privy aware of private matters

Probe examine

Probity integrity

Problematic uncertain, difficult

Proboscis snout

Procedure method, process

Proceeds profit

Proclaim announce

Proclivity inclination

Procreate beget

Proctor supervise

Procure acquire

Procurer pander

prod urge

prodigal wasteful

prodigious marvelous, enormous

prodigy a person with extraordinary ability or talent

profane blasphemous

profess affirm, admit

proffer bring forward for consideration

proficient skillful

profiteer extortionist

profligate licentious, prodigal

profound deep, knowledgeable

profusion overabundance

progenitor ancestor

progeny children

prognosis forecast

prognosticate foretell

progressive advancing, liberal

proletariat working class

proliferate increase rapidly

prolific fruitful, productive

prolix long-winded

prologue introduction

prolong lengthen in time

promenade stroll, parade

promethean inspirational

promiscuous sexually indiscreet

promontory headland, cape

prompt induce

prompter reminder

promulgate publish, disseminate

prone inclined, predisposed

propaganda publicity, misinformation

propellant rocket fuel

propensity inclination

prophet prognosticator

prophylactic preventive

propinquity nearness

propitiate satisfy

propitious auspicious, favorable

proponent supporter, advocate

proportionate commensurate

proposition offer, proposal

propound propose

proprietor manager, owner

propriety decorum

prosaic uninspired, flat

proscenium platform, rostrum

proscribe prohibit

proselytize recruit, convert

prosody study of poetic structure

prospective expected, imminent

prospectus brochure

prostrate supine

protagonist main character in a story

protean changing readily

protégé ward, pupil

protocol code of diplomatic etiquette

proton particle

protract prolong

protuberance bulge

provender food

proverb maxim

proverbial well-known

providence foresight, divine protection

provident having foresight, thrifty

providential fortunate

province bailiwick, district

provincial intolerant, insular

provisional temporary

proviso stipulation

provisory conditional

provocation incitement

provocative titillating

provoke incite

prowess strength, expertise

proximity nearness

proxy substitute, agent

prude puritan

prudence discretion, carefulness

prudent cautious, using good judgment

prudish puritanical

prurient lewd

pseudo false

pseudonym alias

psychic pertaining the psyche or mind

psychopath madman

psychotic demented

puberty adolescence

puckish impish, mischievous

puerile childish

pugilism boxing

pugnacious combative

puissant strong

pulchritude beauty

pulp paste, mush

pulpit platform, priesthood

pulsate throb

pulverize crush

pun wordplay

punctilious meticulous

pundit learned or politically astute person

pungent sharp smell or taste

punitive punishing

puny weak, small

purblind obtuse, stupid

purgative cathartic, cleansing

purgatory limbo, netherworld

purge cleanse, remove

puritanical prim

purlieus environs, surroundings

purloin steal

purport claim to be

purported rumored

purposeful determined

pursuant following, according

purvey deliver, provide

purview range of understanding, field

pusillanimous cowardly

putative reputed

putrefy decay

putsch a sudden attempt to overthrow a government

pygmy dwarf

pyrotechnics fireworks

pyrrhic a battle won with unacceptable losses

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