Words beginning with S

240 words

• sabotage — deliberate damage done to obstruct something
• sacrosanct — too important to be changed or criticised
• safeguard — a measure taken to protect against harm
• sagacious — showing sound judgement gained from experience
• salient — most noticeable or important
• salutary — producing a good effect, though often unpleasant at first
• sanction — official permission; also a penalty imposed to enforce a rule
• sanctity — the quality of being sacred or inviolable
• sanctuary — a protected area for wildlife; a place of safety
• sanguine — hopeful and confident about the future
• sanitation — arrangements for clean water supply and waste disposal
• satire — writing that uses humour to expose folly
• saturate — to fill something completely so no more can be taken in
• savings — money kept aside rather than spent
• scandal — an action that causes public outrage
• scanty — too little in amount
• scapegoat — a person blamed for the faults of others
• scarce — available in insufficient quantity
• scarcity — a serious shortage of something needed
• scathing — severely critical
• scatter — to throw or spread in different directions
• scenario — a possible situation imagined for planning
• sceptical — doubting that something is true or worthwhile
• schedule — a timetable; a list appended to a statute
• schism — a split of a group into opposing sections
• scope — the range of matters something deals with
• scorn — strong contempt for something considered worthless
• scourge — a cause of great suffering
• scrap — to abandon a plan or discard something as useless
• scrupulous — very careful to do what is right and exact
• scrutinise — to examine something very closely
• scrutiny — close and critical examination
• scuttle — to deliberately cause a plan to fail
• seasonal — occurring only at a particular time of year
• seasoned — experienced and skilled through long practice
• secession — the formal withdrawal of a region from a state
• seclusion — the state of being kept apart from others
• secondment — temporary transfer of an employee to another organisation
• secrecy — the practice of keeping information hidden
• secretariat — the administrative office of a government or organisation
• sectarian — relating to differences between religious or political groups
• sector — a distinct part of an economy or activity
• secular — not connected with religion; treating all faiths equally
• sedentary — involving much sitting and little exercise
• sediment — solid matter that settles at the bottom of water
• sedition — speech or action inciting rebellion against the state
• seep — to flow slowly through small openings
• segregate — to separate one group from another
• seizure — the act of taking possession of goods by legal authority
• selective — choosing only some out of a larger number
• semblance — an outward appearance of something, often false
• seminal — strongly influencing later developments
• seniority — rank based on length of service
• sensational — presented so as to cause excitement rather than inform
• sensible — showing good practical judgement
• sensitise — to make people aware of an issue
• sentiment — a general feeling or opinion held by people
• sequence — a set of things following one another in order
• serene — calm and untroubled
• servile — excessively willing to obey others
• session — a period during which a body meets for business
• setback — a reverse in progress
• settlement — an agreement ending a dispute; a place where people live
• sever — to cut off or end completely
• severity — the quality of being harsh or serious
• shackle — to restrict someone’s freedom of action
• shatter — to break suddenly into pieces; to destroy hopes
• shelve — to postpone a plan indefinitely
• shield — to protect from harm or criticism
• shortfall — the amount by which something falls short of a target
• shortlist — to select a smaller group for final consideration
• shrewd — having sharp practical judgement
• shrink — to become smaller in size or number
• shun — to deliberately avoid someone or something
• sift — to examine closely in order to separate what matters
• signatory — a party that has signed an agreement
• significance — the importance or meaning of something
• signify — to be a sign of something; to indicate
• silt — fine soil carried and deposited by water
• simmer — to be present but not yet erupt
• simplify — to make something easier to do or understand
• simultaneous — happening at the same time
• sinister — suggesting that something evil is likely
• sizeable — fairly large
• skew — to distort a result by unequal treatment
• skirmish — a short unplanned fight or dispute
• slack — showing little care or effort; loose
• slander — a false spoken statement that damages a reputation
• slash — to reduce something sharply
• sluggish — slow-moving and lacking energy
• slump — a sudden severe fall in demand or prices
• smuggle — to take goods illegally across a border
• snub — to insult someone by ignoring them
• sober — serious and restrained in judgement
• solace — comfort in a time of sorrow
• solemn — formal, serious and dignified
• solicit — to ask for something formally
• solidarity — unity arising from shared interests
• solitary — single and alone
• solvency — the ability to pay one’s debts
• sombre — dark and gloomy in mood
• soothe — to calm a person or reduce pain
• sophisticated — highly developed and complex
• sordid — morally dirty and shameful
• sovereignty — supreme independent authority of a state
• span — to extend across a period or distance
• spark — to set something off
• sparse — thinly spread out
• spate — a sudden large number of similar events
• spearhead — to lead an effort or campaign
• specialisation — concentration on a particular field of work
• specification — a detailed statement of what is required
• specimen — a sample taken as representative of the whole
• specious — seeming correct but actually wrong
• spectrum — a wide range of related things
• speculate — to form an opinion without firm evidence; to invest riskily
• speculation — guesswork; risky buying in the hope of a price rise
• spendthrift — a person who spends money wastefully
• sphere — an area of activity or influence
• spike — a sudden sharp increase
• spillover — an effect that spreads beyond its original area
• spiral — to increase in a continuous and uncontrolled way
• splinter — to break away into a small separate group
• spokesperson — a person appointed to speak on behalf of a body
• sponsor — to support an activity or a proposal financially or formally
• spontaneous — happening naturally without being planned
• sporadic — occurring at irregular intervals
• sprawl — the untidy spreading of a town over a large area
• spur — to encourage something to happen faster
• spurious — not what it claims to be, false
• squalor — filthy and wretched living conditions
• squander — to waste money or an opportunity
• squatter — a person occupying land or a building without right
• stabilise — to make something steady and unlikely to change
• stability — the state of being steady and unlikely to change suddenly
• stagnant — not flowing or not developing
• stagnation — a lack of growth or activity over time
• stakeholder — a person or group with an interest in a decision
• stalemate — a situation in which neither side can advance
• stall — to stop making progress; to delay deliberately
• stalwart — a loyal and reliable long-serving member
• stampede — a sudden panicked rush of a crowd
• stance — a publicly stated position on an issue
• standardise — to make things conform to one common form
• standstill — a situation of no movement at all
• staple — a main item of food or trade
• stark — severe and plain, with nothing softened
• starve — to suffer or die from lack of food; to deprive of resources
• stature — the standing a person has earned by achievement
• statute — a law passed by a legislature
• statutory — required or created by law
• staunch — firm and loyal in support
• steadfast — firm and unchanging in purpose
• steer — to guide the direction of something
• stem — to stop the flow or spread of something
• stern — serious and severe in manner
• stewardship — responsible care of resources entrusted to one’s charge
• stifle — to prevent something from developing or being expressed
• stigma — a mark of social disgrace attached to a condition
• stimulus — something that encourages activity or growth
• stint — a fixed period of work in a particular post
• stipend — a fixed regular payment, often to a trainee
• stipulate — to state a requirement as part of an agreement
• stockpile — a large reserve accumulated for future use
• stoic — enduring hardship without complaint
• stoke — to encourage a feeling or situation to grow
• strategic — planned with a long-term aim in view
• stratum — a layer or level within a society or material
• streamline — to make a process simpler and more efficient
• strenuous — requiring great effort
• stricture — a severe criticism recorded formally
• stride — a significant step forward in progress
• strife — bitter conflict between groups
• stringent — strict and firmly enforced
• strive — to make great efforts to achieve something
• stronghold — a place where a group has strong support
• structural — relating to the basic framework of something
• stumble — to make a mistake or falter while proceeding
• stunt — to prevent normal growth
• subdue — to bring under control
• subjugate — to bring a people under complete control
• submerge — to cover completely with water
• submission — a statement or document formally presented
• subordinate — lower in rank or importance
• subsequent — coming after something in time
• subservient — too willing to obey another’s wishes
• subside — to become less intense; to sink to a lower level
• subsidiary — less important; a company controlled by another
• subsidise — to support financially so that the price stays low
• subsistence — the minimum needed to stay alive
• substantiate — to support a claim with evidence
• substantive — having real importance; dealing with the substance of a matter
• subterfuge — a deceitful trick used to avoid something
• subtle — delicate and not immediately obvious
• subversive — seeking to undermine an established system
• succession — the order in which one person follows another in a post or right
• succinct — briefly and clearly expressed
• succumb — to give way to pressure, illness or temptation
• suffice — to be enough for a purpose
• suffrage — the right to vote in elections
• summarily — immediately and without the usual formalities
• summit — a meeting of heads of state; the highest point
• summon — to order someone to appear officially
• superannuation — retirement on reaching the prescribed age
• superficial — dealing only with the surface, not thorough
• superfluous — more than is needed, unnecessary
• supersede — to replace something that has become outdated
• supervision — the act of overseeing work being done
• supplant — to take the place of another, especially by force or guile
• supplement — something added to make good a deficiency
• suppress — to forcibly put an end to something; to keep information hidden
• supremacy — the state of being superior to all others
• surcharge — an additional charge levied on top of the normal one
• surety — a person who takes responsibility for another’s obligation
• surge — a sudden strong increase
• surmise — to guess on the basis of incomplete evidence
• surmount — to overcome a difficulty
• surpass — to be greater or better than
• surplus — an amount left over after needs are met
• surrender — to give up possession or oneself to authority
• surreptitious — done secretly to avoid being noticed
• surveillance — close watch kept over a person or place
• survival — the state of continuing to live or exist
• susceptible — easily affected or influenced by something
• suspicion — a belief that something is wrong without proof
• sustain — to keep something going over time; to suffer damage
• sustainable — able to be continued without exhausting resources
• sustenance — food and support needed to stay alive
• sway — to influence someone’s opinion
• swift — happening quickly and promptly
• swindle — to cheat someone out of money
• sycophant — a person who flatters the powerful for advantage
• symbolic — representing something larger rather than having direct effect
• symptomatic — showing the presence of a larger problem
• synchronise — to make two things happen at the same time
• syndicate — a group formed to promote a common, often improper, interest
• synopsis — a brief summary of a longer text
• synthesis — the combining of parts into a connected whole
• systematic — done according to a fixed plan or method
• systemic — affecting the whole system rather than one part