Words about words

Ais forAnxious

Anxious is another word for worried or nervous. When you are anxious you can be afraid of something other people might find normal, like answering the phone.

If you're worried or nervous all the time, you may have an anxiety disorder.

Vicky Hill / Inspired By (CC BY)

Ais forAny

Adjectives, Pronouns

You use the word any when you are talking about one or more things from a group, but it doesn't matter which ones you are talking about. For example, "just pick any of those sheep, they all look the same".

Kabsik Park / CC BY-SA

Ais forAppear

Verbs

Something appears when it comes into view. You may also use the word to describe something that is obvious, or that you have just discovered; "You appear to have the measles".

The cat in the picture just appeared at the window.

Stefan Goethals / CC BY-SA

Ais forAqua

Adjectives, Colors

Something is aqua if it is a bright blue-green. It might also be called cyan.

Leonid Mamchenkov / CC BY-SA

Ais forArgue

Verbs, Types of communication

An argument is a kind of conversation where two or more people who disagree with each other all put forward the reasons for their side of an argument. A structured argument is usually called a debate, and an argument that gets very heated can turn into a fight.

Omarius 14 / CC BY-SA

Ais forArid

Adjectives

A place is arid if very little rain falls there and it is very dry. Deserts are just very arid regions. Most arid areas still support a lot of life, with many creatures and plants that have adapted to not having a lot of water available.

Michael Coghlan / CC BY-SA

Ais forAround

Adverbs, Prepositions, Directions

Around is in a circular way. The dog in the picture has a scarf around his neck.

Aine / CC BY-SA

Ais forArtificial

Adjectives

Artificial is another word for fake. Something that is artificial is usually a copy of something natural like food or flowers. The flowers in the picture are artificial.

Chris Rycroft / CC BY-SA

Ais forAskew

Adjectives, Placements

Askew means that something is crooked or uneven. The house in the picture is askew.

Quinn Daedal / CC BY-SA

Ais forAsterisk

Punctuation

An asterisk is a symbol a little like a star that is used to mark a footnote, draw attention to something, or mark when something might be ambiguous.

Early Novels Database / CC BY-SA

Ais forAte

Past tense

Ate is the past tense of eat.

Don LaVange / CC BY-SA

Ais forAthletic

Adjectives

If you are athletic, you are physically fit due to playing sports or exercising.

Chris Hunkeler / CC BY-SA

Ais forAttractive

Adjectives

Attractive is another word for pretty, handsome or appealing. If you find something attractive, you tend to be drawn to it.

Josef Seibel / CC BY-SA

Ais forAustralian

Adjectives, Nationalities

Australian means a person from Australia or anything relating to Australia.

Stephanie Lefferts / CC BY-SA

Ais forAway

Adverbs, Directions

Something is away from you if it is a distance from you, or is being removed from you. The man in the picture is walking away. Parents often take toys away from children as a punishment.

Dare*2*Dream / CC BY-SA

Ais forAwoke

Past tense, Sleep

Awoke is the past tense of waking up, or another way of saying you are waking up.

You might say "I awoke at dawn". The word is also used in books and stories to show a person noticing an idea or truth, like "she awoke to the problem."

Photographic Dictionary / Generated Illustration

Bis forBaggy

Adjectives

Baggy means loose or roomy. The woman in the picture is wearing baggy clothes.

Seth Sawyers / CC BY-SA

Bis forBald

Adjectives, Hairstyles

You are bald if you have little or no hair on your head. Some men go bald as they get older, but other people shave off their hair to become bald.
The man in the picture is bald, but his dog certainly is not!

Fernando de Sousa / CC BY-SA