Words beginning with W

65 words

• wage — payment made for work, usually by the day or week
• waive — to give up a right or requirement voluntarily
• waiver — the formal giving up of a claim or requirement
• wane — to become gradually weaker or smaller
• wanton — deliberate and without any good reason
• ward — an administrative division of a town; a hospital section
• warden — an official appointed to supervise a place, institution or protected area
• warehouse — a large building where goods are stored before distribution
• warfare — sustained hostile conflict between organised groups or states
• warrant — to justify an action; a written order of a court
• warranty — a written undertaking to repair or replace a defective product
• wary — cautious about possible danger or trouble
• wastage — loss caused by careless use or spoilage
• wastewater — water contaminated by domestic or industrial use
• watchdog — a person or body that monitors others to prevent wrongdoing
• watchful — alert and carefully observant of possible danger or lapse
• waterborne — carried or transmitted through water
• waterlogging — saturation of soil with water to the point that land or crops are damaged
• watershed — a turning point; also the area draining into a river
• waterway — a river, canal or channel used for the movement of traffic
• waver — to become unsteady or hesitant
• wayward — behaving in an unpredictable and difficult way
• weaken — to make or become less strong or less effective
• wean — to make someone give up a habit or dependence by degrees
• weary — worn out by long effort, or made to feel so
• weather — to come safely through a difficult period
• weigh — to consider carefully before deciding
• weightage — the relative importance assigned to a factor in an assessment
• welfare — the health, comfort and support of a group of people
• welfarism — the doctrine that the state should provide extensively for social welfare
• welter — a large, disorderly mass of things heaped together
• wetland — land saturated with water that sustains a distinct ecosystem
• wherewithal — the money or means required to accomplish something
• whim — a sudden wish without any good reason
• whistleblower — a person who exposes wrongdoing inside an organisation
• whittle — to reduce something gradually by successive cuts
• wholesale — in large quantities; done on a large and indiscriminate scale
• wholesome — good for health or moral well-being
• widen — to make broader in extent, scope or coverage
• widespread — found or happening over a large area
• wield — to hold and use power or an instrument
• wilderness — an uncultivated and uninhabited area
• wildlife — undomesticated animals and plants living in natural surroundings
• wilful — done deliberately, in spite of knowing better
• windfall — an unexpected gain, especially of money
• winnow — to sift out what is unwanted so that only the worthy remains
• wisdom — good judgement built on knowledge and experience
• withdraw — to take back or remove something
• wither — to dry up and decay
• withhold — to refuse to give something
• withstand — to remain unharmed under pressure
• witness — a person who saw an event and can give evidence
• woo — to seek the favour, support or custom of someone
• workforce — all the people employed in an organisation or sector
• workload — the quantity of work assigned to a person or institution
• workmanship — the standard of skill shown in how something is made
• worsen — to become or make worse
• worthwhile — worth the time, money or effort spent
• wrangle — a long and complicated dispute
• wrath — extreme anger
• wreak — to cause great damage
• wrest — to take something away by force or effort
• writ — a formal order issued by a superior court
• wrongdoing — illegal, improper or dishonest conduct
• wrongful — unfair and unlawful