browse search

Comprehensive
Dictionary Suite
Help
Help
Help
 
A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H   I   J   K   L   M   N   O   P   Q   R   S   T   U   V   W   X   Y   Z
would like used as a tentative form of "want" in order to express a greater degree of politeness than "want" expresses or when the possibility of doing what one wants is not considered likely or certain.
wouldn't contracted form of "would not."
would rather used to express a preference for one thing over another (usu. fol. by an infinitive of a verb without "to" or a clause in the subjunctive mood, but can also be followed by a noun).
would've contracted form of "would have."
wound1 an injury to living tissue, usu. involving penetration or cutting of the external surface. [4 definitions]
wound2 past tense and past participle of wind2.
wound up in a state of excitement, nervousness, or anxiety.
wove past tense of "weave" and also archaic past participle of "weave."
woven a past participle of weave.
wow1 (informal) used to express amazement, pleasure, enthusiasm, or the like. [2 definitions]
wow2 a slow variation or distortion of the pitch of sound reproduced from a recording.
WPA abbreviation of "Works Progress Administration," the New Deal program in the U.S. (1935-43) that provided work for the unemployed during the Great Depression (later known as Work Projects Administration).
wpm abbreviation of "words per minute."
wrack1 severe damage or destruction.
wrack2 that which remains after something has been destroyed; wreckage, esp. of a ship. [2 definitions]
wrack3 variant of rack4.
wraith an apparition of a living person, believed to foreshadow his or her imminent death. [2 definitions]
wrangle to quarrel noisily or heatedly. [6 definitions]
wrap to cover, encircle, or enfold with something. [11 definitions]
wraparound something that wraps around or that has overlapping parts, esp. a skirt that wraps around with sufficient overlapping that it covers the body even though it is fastened only at the waist. [2 definitions]
wrapped up in engrossed or absorbed in (an activity, entertainment, or the like).