Words beginning with G

229 words

• gadfly — a persistent critic who provokes those in authority
• gaffe — an embarrassing blunder in speech or conduct
• gainful — profitable; providing a proper income
• gainsay — to deny or contradict a statement
• gale — a very strong wind
• gallant — brave and noble in conduct
• gallantry — brave conduct, especially in the face of danger
• galling — annoying and humiliating at the same time
• gallows — the structure used to carry out a death sentence by hanging
• galvanise — to shock or excite someone into taking action
• gambit — a calculated move made to gain an advantage
• gamble — to take a risky action in the hope of gain
• gambling — staking money on an uncertain outcome
• gaming — the playing of games for stakes; the regulated online-game industry
• gamut — the complete range of something
• gap — a difference or shortfall between two figures or conditions
• garbage — household and municipal solid waste
• garble — to distort a message so that it is misunderstood
• gargantuan — enormous in size or scale
• garish — unpleasantly bright and showy
• garment — an article of clothing; the readymade-clothing trade
• garner — to collect or gather, especially support
• garnishee — a third party ordered by a court to pay a debtor’s money over to the creditor
• garrison — troops stationed in a fort or town, or the post itself
• garrulous — talking too much about unimportant things
• gatekeeper — one who controls access to a place, a resource or a record
• gateway — a point of entry, especially for trade or traffic
• gauge — to measure or judge something
• gaunt — thin and bony from illness or hunger
• gauntlet — an ordeal of sustained challenge or attack that must be endured
• gavel — the small mallet used to call a house or a court to order
• gazette — the official government journal in which notifications are published
• gazetted — notified in the official gazette; of an officer of Group A or B rank
• gazetteer — the official geographical and historical handbook of a district
• gender — the social categories of male and female and the roles attached to them
• gene — a unit of heredity carried in a living organism
• genealogy — a record of descent; the tracing of family lines
• generalisation — a broad statement drawn from a limited number of cases
• generalise — to draw a broad conclusion from limited instances
• generate — to produce or bring into being
• generation — all the people born at about the same time; the act of producing
• generative — capable of producing new content or output rather than merely retrieving it
• generic — relating to a whole class rather than a particular brand
• generosity — willingness to give more than is strictly required
• generous — giving freely; larger or more liberal than expected
• genesis — the origin or beginning of something
• genetic — relating to genes or to inheritance
• genial — friendly and cheerful in manner
• genocide — the deliberate killing of a whole national or ethnic group
• genome — the complete set of genes present in an organism
• genre — a recognised category of art, writing or music
• genteel — polite and refined, often in an affected way
• gentrification — the displacement of poorer residents as an area is redeveloped for the affluent
• gentry — people of good social position, especially landowners
• genuine — real and authentic; not fake
• genus — a rank in biological classification standing just above species
• geoengineering — deliberate large-scale technical intervention in the climate system
• geofencing — drawing a virtual boundary that raises an alert when it is crossed
• geography — the study of the earth’s physical features and of human settlement upon them
• geology — the science of the earth’s rocks, strata and structure
• geometric — increasing by repeated multiplication rather than by addition
• geomorphology — the study of landforms and of the processes that shape them
• geopolitical — relating to politics shaped by geography
• geopolitics — the bearing of geography on relations of power between states
• geospatial — relating to data tied to particular locations on the earth’s surface
• geostationary — of a satellite that remains above the same point on the equator
• geotagging — attaching location coordinates to a photograph, asset or record
• geothermal — relating to power or heat drawn from within the earth
• geriatric — relating to the health care of old people
• germ — a micro-organism causing disease; the earliest form of an idea
• germane — relevant and appropriate to the matter in hand
• germinate — to begin to grow or develop
• germplasm — living genetic material conserved for future breeding
• gerontocracy — a system in which power rests with the elderly
• gerontology — the study of ageing and of the problems of the elderly
• gerrymander — to redraw constituency boundaries for political advantage
• gestation — the period during which something develops before it appears
• gesticulate — to make expressive movements of the hands while speaking
• gesture — an action done to convey a feeling or intention
• geyser — a natural spring that throws up hot water and steam
• ghastly — shockingly frightful or unpleasant
• ghetto — a quarter of a city where a minority lives in poor, segregated conditions
• ghettoisation — the confining of a community to a separate, segregated locality
• ghost — existing only on paper; fictitious
• gift — a voluntary transfer of property made without consideration
• gig — short-term, task-based work carried on without a standing employment contract
• gigantic — extremely large in size or scale
• gigawatt — a unit of electrical power equal to one thousand megawatts
• gilt — a government security regarded as carrying almost no risk of default
• gimmick — a trick or device used mainly to attract attention
• gingerly — in a careful and cautious manner
• gist — the main point or substance of a text or speech
• giveaway — a concession or handout granted at the cost of the public exchequer
• glacial — extremely slow; icily cold
• glacier — a slow-moving mass of ice resting on land
• glamour — an attractive and exciting quality
• glare — a strong dazzling light; an angry stare
• glaring — very obvious and unacceptable
• glasnost — a policy of openness about the working of government
• glean — to gather information bit by bit from scattered sources
• glib — speaking fluently but without sincerity or thought
• glide — to move smoothly and by stages towards a set level
• glimmer — a faint sign or trace of something
• glimpse — a brief or partial view of something
• gloat — to show smug satisfaction at another’s misfortune
• global — relating to the whole world
• globalisation — the growing integration of world economies and cultures
• globalism — the belief that policy should be framed on a worldwide rather than a national basis
• gloomy — dark and depressing; without hope
• glorify — to praise something far beyond what it deserves
• gloss — to treat a serious matter too lightly, so as to conceal it
• glossary — an alphabetical list of special terms with explanations
• glowing — expressing great praise
• glut — an excessive supply of something
• glutton — a person who eats too much; one who eagerly takes on hardship
• gnaw — to bite persistently; to trouble the mind continuously
• goad — to provoke or urge someone into action
• goal — an aim or target set for policy or for an institution
• godsend — an unexpected but very welcome help
• goods — movable articles of trade, as distinct from services
• goodwill — friendly and helpful feeling; the established reputation of a business
• gorge — a deep narrow valley with steep sides
• gouge — to overcharge buyers by exploiting a scarcity
• govern — to conduct the affairs of a state; to regulate by rule
• governance — the manner in which authority is exercised in managing public affairs
• government — the body that exercises executive authority in a state
• governor — the constitutional head of a state
• governorship — the office or the tenure of a Governor
• grab — to seize something, especially land, without any right to it
• grace — an extra period allowed beyond a due date before a penalty applies
• gracious — courteous, kind and generous in manner
• gradation — arrangement in successive stages or ranks
• grade — a level in a scale of rank, pay or quality
• gradient — the degree of slope, or the rate at which something changes
• gradual — happening slowly and in stages
• gradualism — the policy of bringing about change in small, measured stages
• graduate — to move by degrees out of one category into a higher one
• graduated — arranged in successive stages or rates
• graduation — an upward movement out of a category; the completing of a degree
• graft — the use of a public office for dishonest gain
• grain — the harvested seed of cereal crops
• granary — a storehouse for grain; a region that supplies much of a country’s grain
• grandeur — splendour and impressiveness of appearance
• grandfathering — exempting existing cases from the operation of a new rule
• grandiose — impressive in an exaggerated and unrealistic way
• grandstand — to behave showily in order to impress onlookers
• grant — a sum given by government for a stated purpose
• grant-in-aid — assistance given by a higher government to a local body or an institution
• grantee — the person or body to which a grant is made
• granular — showing fine, disaggregated detail
• graphic — giving a vivid and explicit picture
• grapple — to struggle hard to deal with a problem
• grasp — to understand fully; to seize firmly
• grassland — land covered chiefly with grass and used mainly for grazing
• grassroots — the ordinary people, or the lowest tier of an organisation
• gratification — an illegal payment or favour obtained by a public servant
• gratify — to give pleasure or satisfaction to someone
• gratitude — the quality of being thankful
• gratuitous — uncalled for and without good reason
• gratuity — a lump sum paid to an employee on retirement
• gravamen — the essential substance of a complaint or a charge
• grave — serious and giving cause for alarm
• gravitas — seriousness and dignity of bearing
• gravitate — to be drawn naturally towards something
• gravity — seriousness or importance of a matter
• graze — to feed on growing grass
• grazing — the feeding of livestock on growing grass
• greed — an intense selfish desire for more than one needs
• green — environmentally sound; causing little damage to nature
• greenback — the United States dollar
• greenbelt — a band of open land around a city kept free of building
• greenfield — built on land not previously used for any such project
• greenhouse — relating to the gases that trap heat in the atmosphere
• greenwashing — making a false show of environmental responsibility
• gregarious — fond of company; sociable
• grey — not clearly covered by the rules; neither plainly legal nor plainly illegal
• grid — a network for distributing electricity; a framework of crossing lines
• gridlock — a complete standstill brought about by deadlock
• grievance — a real or supposed cause for complaint
• grievous — very severe or serious in nature
• grill — to question someone closely and severely
• grim — stern and forbidding; depressing
• grind — relentless, wearing routine labour
• grip — firm control over something
• grit — courage joined to sustained resolve
• grope — to search about uncertainly, as if in the dark
• gross — total, before deductions; flagrant
• grotesque — ugly or distorted in a shocking way
• ground — a reason or legal basis on which a claim rests
• groundbreaking — pioneering; introducing something entirely new
• groundless — not based on any good reason or evidence
• groundnut — the peanut, an important oilseed crop
• groundswell — a rapid build-up of public feeling
• groundwater — water held below the surface in aquifers
• grouping — a set of states or bodies that act together
• grovel — to behave in a servile, self-abasing manner
• growth — an increase in size, value or importance
• grudge — a persistent feeling of resentment
• grudging — given or granted unwillingly
• gruelling — extremely tiring and demanding
• gruesome — causing horror and disgust
• gruff — rough and abrupt in manner or voice
• grumble — to complain in a low, muttering way
• guarantee — a formal promise that something will be done or provided
• guarantor — a person who undertakes to pay another’s debt on default
• guarded — cautious and deliberately non-committal
• guardian — a person legally responsible for a minor or a ward
• guardianship — legal responsibility for a minor or for a person unable to act for himself
• guardrail — a safeguard built into a system to prevent misuse
• gubernatorial — relating to the office and powers of a Governor
• guerrilla — a member of a small irregular fighting force
• guesswork — estimation carried on without reliable evidence
• guidance — advice and direction given to someone
• guideline — a general rule or recommendation on how to act
• guild — an association of persons following the same trade or calling
• guile — clever but deceitful behaviour
• guileless — innocent and free from deceit
• guillotine — the closing of debate so that pending demands are put to the vote together
• guilt — the fact of having committed an offence; a feeling of remorse
• guise — an outward appearance adopted to conceal the truth
• gulf — a wide difference between groups or positions
• gullible — easily deceived or tricked
• gully — a deep channel cut into the soil by running water
• gumption — shrewd practical initiative
• gush — to flow out suddenly and in quantity
• gust — a sudden strong rush of wind
• gusto — great enthusiasm and enjoyment
• gyrate — to swing sharply up and down without settling
• gyre — a large circular system of ocean currents