Words starting with W — 625 entries

The 625 dictionary words that begin with the letter W, in alphabetical order, each with its first definition. Accents do not affect filing: an accented initial is shelved under its base letter.

• Willard17 sensesA surname originating as a patronymic.
• William3 sensesradiotelephony clear-code word for the letter W.
• Williams23 sensesA surname.
• Willie2 sensesA diminutive of the male given name William.
• willing2 sensesReady to do something, particularly something that requires change or effort; not objecting.
• Willing1 senseA surname.
• willingly1 senseOf one’s own free will; freely and spontaneously.
• willingness1 senseThe state of being willing
• Willis12 sensesAn English surname originating as a patronymic from the name Will.
• Willoughby8 sensesAny of several placenames in England and elsewhere: A village in Willoughby with Sloothby parish, East Lindsey district, Lincolnshire, England (OS…
• willow7 sensesAny of various deciduous trees or shrubs in the genus Salix, in the willow family Salicaceae, found primarily on moist soils in cooler zones in the…
• Willow4 sensesA female given name from English of modern usage.
• willpower1 senseThe unwavering strength of will to carry out one's wishes.
• Wills7 sensesA surname originating as a patronymic, meaning “son/daughter of Will”.
• willy8 sensesSelf-willed; willful.
• Willy1 senseA diminutive of the male given name William
• Wilma2 sensesA female given name from the Germanic languages, a contraction of Wilhelmina.
• Wilson27 sensesAn English, Scottish and northern Irish surname originating as a patronymic.
• wilt6 sensesTo droop or become limp and flaccid (as a dying leaf or flower).
• Wilt1 senseA surname.
• wimp4 sensesSomeone who lacks confidence or courage, is weak, ineffectual, irresolute and wishy-washy.
• win18 sensesTo reach some destination or object, despite difficulty or toil (now usually intransitive, with preposition or locative adverb).
• Win5 sensesA Winchester firearm.
• win-win1 senseThat benefits both or all parties, or that has two distinct benefits.
• winch10 sensesA machine consisting of a drum on an axle, a friction brake or ratchet and pawl, and a crank handle or prime mover (often an electric or hydraulic…
• Winch1 senseA surname from Old English.
• Winchester25 sensesA city in and the county town of Hampshire, England. A local government district with borough status in Hampshire; in full, the City of Winchester.
• wind36 sensesReal or perceived movement of atmospheric air usually caused by convection or differences in air pressure.
• Wind1 senseA surname
• winding23 sensesgerund of wind The act of winnowing (“subjecting food grain to a current of air to separate the grain from the chaff”).
• Winding1 senseA surname from Danish.
• windmill18 sensesA machine which translates linear motion of wind to rotational motion by means of adjustable vanes called sails.
• window15 sensesAn opening, usually covered by one or more panes of clear glass, to allow light and air from outside to enter a building or vehicle.
• Windows1 senseMicrosoft Windows, an operating system with a WIMP graphical user interface that dominates the personal computer market.
• windshield4 sensesA transparent screen made of glass, located at the front and back of a vehicle in front of its occupants to protect them from the wind force…
• Windsor40 sensesA market town in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, famous for Windsor Castle. See Windsor, Berkshire on…
• windy8 sensesAccompanied by wind.
• Windy2 sensesA locality in the Liverpool Plains council area, central New South Wales, Australia.
• wine8 sensesAn alcoholic beverage made by fermenting grape juice, with an ABV ranging from 5.5–16%.
• Wine1 senseA surname.
• wing41 sensesAn appendage of an animal's (bird, bat, insect) body that enables it to fly.
• Wing5 sensesA surname.
• winged5 sensesHaving wings.
• wingman4 sensesA pilot partner of another; a pilot who flies in the same wing or squadron.
• wings3 sensesA type of scuba harness with an attached buoyancy compensation device: see wikipedia:Backplate and wing
• wink13 sensesTo blink with only one eye as a message, signal, or suggestion, usually with an implication of conspiracy. (When transitive, the object may be the…
• winner2 sensesOne who has won or often wins.
• Winner3 sensesA surname.
• winnie1 senseSynonym of winnebago.
• Winnie4 sensesA diminutive of the female given name Winifred or, less often, of Winona.
• winning7 sensesThat constitutes a win.
• Winning1 senseA surname.
• winnings1 senseThe spoils of a win; something, usually money, that has been won, usually by gambling.
• WINS1 senseA Microsoft-based solution stack consisting of the Windows Server operating system, Internet Information Services web server, .NET Framework, and SQL…
• Winslow18 sensesA placename: A town and civil parish with a town council in Buckinghamshire, England, formerly in Aylesbury Vale district (OS grid ref SP7728).
• Winston12 sensesA male given name derived from the place name.
• winter7 sensesTraditionally the fourth of the four seasons, typically regarded as spanning either the period between the winter solstice to the spring equinox, or…
• Winter6 sensesA surname from the Germanic languages.
• winters1 senseIn the winter.
• Winters3 sensesA surname originating as a patronymic from Winter.
• wipe20 sensesTo move an object over, maintaining contact, with the intention of removing some substance from the surface. (Compare rub.)
• wiping3 sensesThe act by which something is wiped.
• wire27 sensesMetal formed into a thin, even thread, now usually by being drawn through a hole in a steel die.
• Wire1 senseA surname.
• wired9 sensesEquipped with wires, so as to connect to a power source or to other electric or electronic equipment; connected by wires.
• wireless6 sensesNot having any wires.
• wiring2 sensesA set of electric wires.
• Wisconsin3 sensesA state in the Upper Midwest region of the United States.
• wisdom8 sensesAn element of personal character that enables one to distinguish the wise from the unwise.
• Wisdom1 senseThe Wisdom of Solomon, a book of the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox canon of the Old Testament, considered apocryphal by Protestants.
• wise11 sensesShowing good judgement or the benefit of experience.
• Wise4 sensesA surname.
• wisely1 senseIn a wise manner; using good judgement.
• Wisely1 senseA surname.
• Wiser1 senseA surname.
• wish10 sensesA desire, hope, or longing for something or for something to happen.
• Wish1 senseA surname.
• wit8 sensesSanity.
• witch16 sensesA person (now usually particularly a woman) who uses magical or similar supernatural powers to influence or predict events, particularly one with…
• witchcraft4 sensesThe practice of witches; magic, sorcery, or the use of supernatural powers to influence or predict events.
• with16 sensesAgainst.
• with-4 sensesPrefix meaning "against", "in opposition to".
• withdraw20 sensesTo draw or pull (something) away or back from its original position or situation.
• withdrawal5 sensesReceiving from someone's care what one has earlier entrusted to them. Usually refers to money.
• withdrawing1 sensewithdrawal
• withdrawn2 sensesRemoved from circulation.
• wither7 sensesTo shrivel, droop or dry up, especially from lack of water.
• Wither1 senseA surname.
• withheld1 senseThat has been kept or held back from the possession or knowledge of another.
• withholding2 sensesThe deduction of taxes from an employee's salary.
• within5 sensesIn the inner part, spatially; physically inside.
• without7 sensesLacking something; failing.
• withstand2 sensesTo resist or endure (something) successfully.
• witness12 sensesAttestation of a fact or event; testimony.
• Witness1 senseA Jehovah's Witness.
• witnessing1 senseThe act of bearing witness.
• wits2 sensesSenses.
• witty5 sensesClever; amusingly ingenious.
• Witty1 senseA surname.
• wizard10 sensesSomeone, usually male, who uses (or has skill with) magic, mystic items, and magical and mystical practices.
• wo4 sensesA falconer's call to a hawk.
• Wo1 sensethe prefix of catalog entries in the Gliese star catalog, the Richard van der Riet Woolley expansion
• woe6 sensesGreat sadness or distress; a misfortune causing such sadness.
• woke6 sensesAwake: conscious and not asleep.
• woken1 senseTo make or become woke or woker.
• wolf13 sensesCanis lupus; the largest wild member of the canine subfamily.
• Wolf3 sensesThe constellation Lupus.
• Wolfe2 sensesA surname transferred from the given name of English and German origin, a variant of Wolf.
• Wolfgang1 senseA male given name from German.
• wolverine1 senseA solitary, fierce mammal of the Mustelidae family, Gulo gulo.
• Wolverine2 sensesA native or resident of the American state of Michigan.
• Wolves2 sensesWolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
• woman10 sensesAn adult female human.
• womb6 sensesIn female mammals, the organ in which the young are conceived and grow until birth; the uterus.
• Women1 senseThe fourth sura (chapter) of the Qur'an.
• won3 sensesThe currency of Korea, worth 100 jun in North Korea and 100 jeon in South Korea.
• wonder11 sensesA sense of awe, astonishment and curiosity, inspired by unexpected events, novel experiences and inexplicable circumstances, sometimes accompanied by…
• Wonder1 senseAny of the Wonders of the World.
• wondered1 senseWonderful, extraordinary.
• wonderful3 sensesTending to excite wonder; surprising, extraordinary.
• wonderfully2 sensesIn a wonderful manner. In an excellent manner.
• wondering2 sensesThe mental activity by which one wonders; a query, puzzlement, etc.
• wonderland2 sensesA place full of wonder or marvels.
• wondrous2 sensesWonderful; amazing, inspiring awe; marvelous.
• wong5 sensesLow-lying land, usually marshy.
• Wong1 senseA Chinese surname from Cantonese.
• wont4 sensesAccustomed or used (to or with a thing), accustomed or apt (to do something).
• woo3 sensesTo endeavor to gain someone's affection or support.
• Woo2 sensesA surname from Chinese.
• wood14 sensesThe substance making up the central part of the trunk and branches of a tree. Used as a material for construction, to manufacture various items, etc.…
• Wood14 sensesAn English topographic surname for someone who lived in or near a wood.
• wooden2 sensesMade of wood.
• Wooden1 senseA surname.
• Woodrow2 sensesA topographic surname from Middle English for a dweller in a row of houses near a wood.
• woods2 sensesA dense collection of trees, usually one covering a relatively small area; usually smaller than a forest.
• Woods6 sensesA topographic surname from Middle English, variant of Wood. Possibly patronymic.
• woody7 sensesCovered in woods; wooded.
• Woody1 senseA diminutive of the male given name Woodrow.
• woof20 sensesThe set of yarns carried by the shuttle of a loom which are placed crosswise at right angles to and interlaced with the warp; the weft.
• wook1 senseAn unwashed, unemployed moocher who enjoys traveling to festivals and crashes at other people's houses.
• wool8 sensesThe hair of the sheep, llama and some other ruminants.
• Wool1 senseA village and civil parish in Dorset, England, previously in Purbeck district (OS grid ref SY8486).
• word30 sensesThe smallest unit of language that has a particular meaning and can be expressed by itself; the smallest discrete, meaningful unit of language.…
• Word3 sensesScripture; the Bible.
• words3 sensesAngry debate or conversation; argument.
• work49 sensesEmployment. Labour, occupation, job.
• Work1 senseA surname.
• worked4 sensesDesigned or executed in a particular manner or to a particular degree.
• worker4 sensesOne who works: a person who performs labor for a living; traditionally, especially, manual labor.
• working14 sensesOperation; action.
• Working1 senseA surname from German.
• workout3 sensesAn exercise session; a period of physical exercise.
• workplace1 senseThe place where someone works.
• works5 sensesA factory or factories, or a similar collection(s) of industrial facilities.
• Works1 senseA surname.
• workshop6 sensesA room, especially one which is not particularly large, used for manufacturing or other light industrial work.
• world21 sensesThe subjective human experience, regarded collectively; human collective existence; existence in general; the reality we live in.
• World10 sensesThe specific world, or any of several specific constituent worlds, that humans live in, among any other (real or possible) worlds: Earth: the Earth…
• world-class2 sensesOf a standard that ranks among the best in the world.
• world-famous1 senseRenowned universally; known worldwide.
• worldly4 sensesConcerned with human or earthly matters, physical as opposed to spiritual.
• worlds1 senseTo a great extent; much; far.
• Worlds1 senseA surname.
• worldwide2 sensesSpanning the world; global.
• worm29 sensesA generally tubular invertebrate of the annelid phylum; an earthworm.
• Worm1 senseA surname.
• wormhole4 sensesA hole burrowed by a worm.
• Worms1 senseAn independent town in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
• worn2 sensesDamaged and shabby as a result of much use.
• worried1 senseThinking about unpleasant things that have happened or that might happen; feeling afraid and unhappy.
• worry9 sensesTo be troubled; to give way to mental anxiety or doubt.
• worrying2 sensesInducing worry.
• worse6 sensesLess skillfully.
• worship14 sensesThe devotion accorded to a deity or to a sacred object.
• Worship3 sensesA form of address of a mayor and other dignitaries
• worst8 sensessuperlative form of bad: most bad Most inferior; doing the least good.
• Worst1 senseA surname from German.
• worth9 sensesHaving a value of; proper to be exchanged for.
• Worth11 sensesA placename: A number of places in England: A village and civil parish in Dover district, Kent (OS grid ref TR3356).
• worthless1 senseHaving no worth or use; without value.
• worthwhile1 senseGood and important enough to spend time, effort, or money on.
• worthy7 sensesHaving worth, merit, or value.
• Worthy2 sensesA surname.
• would16 sensesPast tense of will; usually followed by a bare infinitive. Used to form the "anterior future", or "future in the past", indicating a futurity…
• wound5 sensesAn injury, such as a cut, stab, or tear, to a (usually external) part of the body.
• wounded3 sensesSuffering from a wound, especially one acquired in battle from a weapon, such as a gun or a knife.
• wow7 sensesAn indication of excitement, surprise, astonishment, or pleasure.
• wraith1 senseA ghost or specter, especially a person's likeness seen just after their death.
• wrap17 sensesTo enclose (an object) completely in any flexible, thin material such as fabric or paper.
• wrapped2 sensesEncased in a wrapping.
• wrapping2 sensesThe material in which something is wrapped.
• wraps1 senseFinished; hopeless.
• wrath7 sensesGreat anger; (countable) an instance of this.
• wreath4 sensesSomething twisted, intertwined, or curled.
• wreck12 sensesSomething or someone that has been ruined.
• wreckage1 senseSomething wrecked, especially the remains or debris of something which has been severely damaged or destroyed.
• wrecked3 sensesDestroyed, usually in an accident; damaged to the point of unusability.
• wrecking2 sensesThe act by which something is wrecked.
• wrench24 sensesA movement that twists or pulls violently; a tug.
• Wrench1 senseA surname transferred from the nickname.