Discover a variety of words that start with the letter “P,” ranging from common terms to more unique selections, and expand your vocabulary effectively.
- Pacify- To bring or restore peace.
- Pagan- A person holding religious beliefs other than major world religions.
- Palatial- Resembling a palace; grand or luxurious.
- Palette- A board on which an artist mixes paint.
- Palindrome- A word, phrase, or sequence that reads the same backward as forward.
- Palliative- Relieving pain or alleviating a problem without dealing with the underlying cause.
- Palpable- Able to be touched or felt; tangible.
- Panache- Distinctive and stylish elegance.
- Pandemic- A disease prevalent over a whole country or the world.
- Panorama- An unbroken view of the whole region surrounding an observer.
- Parable- A simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson.
- Paradigm- A typical example or pattern of something; a model.
- Paradox- A seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement that proves true upon investigation.
- Parallel- Lines equidistant from each other at all points.
- Paramount- More important than anything else; supreme.
- Paranoia- Irrational suspicion or mistrust of others.
- Parched- Dried out with heat; extremely thirsty.
- Parsimonious- Very unwilling to spend money or use resources.
- Partisan- A strong supporter of a party, cause, or person.
- Patent- A government authority or license conferring a right or title for a set period.
- Pathogenic- Causing disease.
- Patronize- Treat with an apparent kindness that betrays a feeling of superiority.
- Paucity- The presence of something only in small or insufficient quantities or amounts.
- Peccadillo- A small, relatively unimportant offense or sin.
- Pecuniary- Relating to, or consisting of money.
- Pedometer- A device that counts the number of steps taken by the wearer.
- Penchant- A strong or habitual liking for something or tendency to do something.
- Pendulum- A weight hung from a fixed point so that it can swing freely backward and forward.
- Penitent- Feeling or showing sorrow and regret for wrongdoing.
- Pensive- Engaged in, involving, or reflecting deep or serious thought.
- Perennial- Lasting or existing for a long or apparently infinite time.
- Perfidy- Deceitfulness; untrustworthiness.
- Perimeter- The continuous line forming the boundary of a closed geometric figure.
- Permeate- Spread throughout (something); pervade.
- Perpetuate- Make (something, typically an undesirable situation or an unfounded belief) continue indefinitely.
- Perquisite- A benefit that one enjoys or is entitled to on account of one’s job or position.
- Perturb- Make (someone) anxious or unsettled.
- Pervasive- Spreading widely throughout an area or a group of people.
- Pessimist- A person who tends to see the worst aspect of things or believe that the worst will happen.
- Petulant- Childishly sulky or bad-tempered.
- Phenomenon- A fact or situation that is observed to exist or happen.
- Philanthropy- The desire to promote the welfare of others.
- Phobia- An extreme or irrational fear of or aversion to something.
- Photogenic- Looking attractive in photographs or on film.
- Phraseology- The way in which words and phrases are used in speech or writing.
- Physicality- The physical presence of someone or something.
- Pilfer- Steal (things of little value).
- Pinnacle- The most successful point; the culmination.
- Pious- Devoutly religious.
- Piquant- Having a pleasantly sharp taste or appetizing flavor.
- Pithy- Concise and forcefully expressive.
- Placate- Make (someone) less angry or hostile.
- Plausible- (of an argument or statement) seeming reasonable or probable.
- Plethora- A large or excessive amount of (something).
- Pliable- Easily bent; flexible.
- Poignant- Evoking a keen sense of sadness or regret.
- Polemical- Relating to or involving strongly critical or disputatious writing or speech.
- Pompous- Affectedly grand, solemn, or self-important.
- Ponderous- Slow and clumsy because of great weight.
- Pontificate- Express one’s opinions in a pompous and dogmatic way.
- Portend- Be a sign or warning that (something, especially something momentous or calamitous) is likely to happen.
- Potentate- A monarch or ruler, especially an autocratic one.
- Pragmatic- Dealing with things sensibly and realistically based on practical rather than theoretical considerations.
- Precarious- Not securely held or in position; dangerously likely to fall or collapse.
- Precinct- A district of a city or town as defined for police purposes.
- Preclude- Prevent from happening; make impossible.
- Precursor- A person or thing that comes before another of the same kind; a forerunner.
- Predilection- A preference or special liking for something; a bias in favor of something.
- Preeminent- Surpassing all others; very distinguished in some way.
- Preferential- Involving preference or partiality; constituting a favor or privilege.
- Premeditate- Think out or plan (an action, especially a crime) beforehand.
- Preponderance- The quality or fact of being greater in number, quantity, or importance.
- Prescience- The fact of knowing something before it takes place; foreknowledge.
- Prestige- Widespread respect and admiration felt for someone or something on the basis of a perception of their achievements or quality.
- Presumptuous- (of a person or their behavior) failing to observe the limits of what is permitted or appropriate.
- Pretentious- Attempting to impress by affecting greater importance or merit than is actually possessed.
- Prevalent- Widespread in a particular area or at a particular time.
- Procrastinate- Delay or postpone action; put off doing something.
- Prodigious- Remarkably or impressively great in extent, size, or degree.
- Proficient- Competent or skilled in doing or using something.
- Profound- (of a state, quality, or emotion) very great or intense.
- Progeny- A descendant or the descendants of a person, animal, or plant; offspring.
- Prognosis- The likely course of a disease or ailment.
- Proliferate- Increase rapidly in numbers; multiply.
- Prologue- A separate introductory section of a literary or musical work.
- Prominent- Important; famous.
- Propagate- Spread and promote (an idea, theory, etc.) widely.
- Propensity- An inclination or natural tendency to behave in a particular way.
- Prophetic- Accurately describing or predicting what will happen in the future.
- Propitious- Giving or indicating a good chance of success; favorable.
- Prosaic- Having the style or diction of prose; lacking poetic beauty.
- Proselytize- Convert or attempt to convert (someone) from one religion, belief, or opinion to another.
- Prospectus- A printed booklet advertising a school or university to potential parents or students or giving details of a share offer for the benefit of investors.
- Prosperity- The state of being prosperous.
- Protagonist- The leading character or one of the major characters in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text.
- Protract- Prolong; extend the duration of.
- Providence- The protective care of God or of nature as a spiritual power.
- Proviso- A condition attached to an agreement.
- Prowess- Skill or expertise in a particular activity or field.
- Prudent- Acting with or showing care and thought for the future.