English Vocabulary Dictionary | Word Meanings, Definitions & Examples
easily bent or flexible; adaptable
"The metal is pliable enough to be shaped into jewelry."
flexible; easily influenced or adaptable
"She has a pliant personality that adapts well to new situations."
a difficult or dangerous situation
"The refugees described their plight during the war."
to work slowly and steadily, often with effort or difficulty
"He plodded through his homework despite feeling tired."
slow-moving and unexciting; showing steady effort
"The movie was entertaining but a bit plodding in the middle."
a secret plan or scheme, often with bad intentions
"The villain made a plot to steal the treasure."
a large farming tool used to break up and turn over soil before planting crops
"The oxen pulled the heavy plough across the field."
a clever plan or action designed to gain an advantage
"She used a clever ploy to win the debate."
to take hold of and quickly remove; to gather courage or determination
"She plucked a flower from the garden."
having or showing courage and determination
"The plucky child rescued the kitten from the tree."
a device used to connect or block an opening
"She inserted the plug into the socket."
a small round fruit with smooth red or purple skin, sweet flesh, and a single large seed
"The purple plum was juicy and delicious."
the feathers covering a bird's body
"The peacock's plumage was vibrant and eye-catching."
to measure the depth of water or examine closely
"They used a line to plumb the depth of the lake."
a person who installs or repairs water pipes
"The plumber fixed the leaking pipe in the kitchen."
a large, soft feather or something resembling a feather
"The soldier wore a red plume on his helmet."
to fall straight down at high speed
"Stock prices plummeted after the sudden market crash."
Falling or dropping suddenly and steeply; decreasing rapidly
"The fertility rate in Bangladesh is plummeting."
having a full, rounded shape; pleasantly fat
"The cat was plump and well-fed."
a person who steals goods, especially during war or civil disorder
"The plunderers ransacked the village after the battle."
to jump or dive quickly; to fall sharply
"She plunged into the swimming pool."
a verb tense expressing an action completed before another past action
"By the time she arrived, he had finished his homework, showing the pluperfect tense."
denoting more than one person or thing
"The word 'cats' is the plural of 'cat'."
the state of being multiple; the greater part or majority
"In the election, she won by a plurality of votes."
in addition to; a positive aspect or advantage
"She received an A plus on her exam."
a system of government where the wealthy hold power
"The country was ruled as a plutocracy."
abbreviation for post meridiem; after midday
"The meeting is scheduled at 3 pm."
operated by air or gas under pressure
"The factory uses pneumatic tools for assembly."
a small, enclosed space in clothing for carrying items
"He put his phone in his pocket."
A digital audio or video file or recording, usually part of a themed series, that can be downloaded from a website to a media player or computer.
"Podcasts are great for improving listening."
a doctor specializing in foot care
"I have an appointment with the podiatrist for my ankle pain."
a small platform on which a person stands to speak or conduct an orchestra
"The speaker stepped onto the podium to deliver the speech."
a piece of writing that expresses ideas, feelings, or tells a story in a distinct form, often using rhyme or meter
"She wrote a beautiful poem for her mother."
poetry; the art or composition of poems
"The anthology was filled with romantic poesy."
a person who writes poems
"The poet wrote about love and nature."
an inferior or trivial poet
"He was mocked as a poetaster by the literary critics."
having qualities of poetry; expressive, beautiful, or imaginative
"Her speech had a poetic rhythm that captivated the audience."
the study or theory of poetry and its principles
"He wrote a book on poetics explaining the art of verse."
a literary form that uses rhythmic and metaphorical language to express emotions or ideas
"She loves reading poetry in her free time."
the quality of evoking a keen sense of sadness or regret; emotionally touching
"The poignancy of the farewell brought tears to everyone's eyes."
evoking a keen sense of sadness or regret; deeply touching
"The movie's ending was so poignant that many in the audience were moved to tears."
a particular spot, location, or position in space
"The mountain peak is the highest point in the region."
having a sharp end; direct and unambiguous
"She made a pointed remark about his behavior."
graceful and elegant bearing in a person; composure under stress
"She maintained her poise even under intense questioning."
a substance that is capable of causing death or illness
"The snake's bite contains deadly poison."
Containing poison; capable of causing illness or death.
"Some mushrooms are highly poisonous."
to push something with a finger or a pointed object
"He poked the fire with a stick."
relating to the North or South Pole; opposite in nature or character
"Penguins live in polar regions of the Earth."
a large white bear that lives in the Arctic regions
"The polar bear swims in the icy Arctic waters."
the state of having two opposite or contradictory tendencies, opinions, or aspects
"The polarity between the two political parties is growing stronger."