Association of British Scrabble Players

Study > A- State Words


Now updated for CSW19. New words, if any, and new inflections of existing words, are shown in red.


aback towards the back.
abaft toward or at the stern of a ship.
abask in genial warmth.
abeam in a line at right angles to the length of a vessel, on the beam.
abed in bed.
abegging in the process of begging.
abeigh aloof.
ablaze on fire.
abloom in flower.
ablow in a blowing state.
ablush blushing; ruddy.
aboard into, in, or on a ship, train, or airplane.
aboil on the boil.
aboon abune above.
aborning during birth; while being born.
above in a position higher than that of; (noun) the upper part > ABOVES.
abreast side by side.
abrim full to the brim.
abroach in a condition to allow liquor to run out.
abroad not in one's own country; (noun) a place abroad > ABROADS.
abubble bubbling.
abuilding in the process of being built.
abune see ABOON.
aburst in a bursting condition.
abuzz in a buzz; buzzing.
acock defiantly.
acold cold.
acrawl crawling.
across from one side of to the other.
adays by day, daily.
adoors at the door; of the door; as, out adoors.
adown from a higher to a lower situation; downward.
adoze dozing.
adrift drifting.
adry in a state of thirst or dryness.
adust burnt; scorched; (verb) to scorch > ADUSTS, ADUSTING, ADUSTED.
afar far off; (noun) a great distance > AFARS.
afield in the field.
afire being on fire.
aflame flaming.
afloat floating.
aflutter in a flutter; agitated.
afoot on foot.
afore before.
afoul in entanglement, in collision with.
afresh anew.
afront in front, abreast.
against in opposition to.
agape with mouth wide open. Note also a noun, a Christian love feast, with plurals AGAPAE, AGAPAI, AGAPES.
agast aghast; also a verb, to terrify > AGASTS, AGASTING, AGASTED.
agaze at gaze, gazing.
agazed (Shakesp.) struck with amazement.
agee ajee off the straight; ajar.
aghast shocked by something horrible.
aglare glaring.
agleam gleaming, shining.
aglee agly agley aside, askew.
aglimmer glimmering.
aglitter glittering.
aglow glowing.
agly see AGLEE.
ago past; since.
agog in a state of eager curiosity.
agoing going.
agone gone, past.
agood in good, in earnest.
agrin in the act of grinning; also a noun, a kind of protein > AGRINS.
aground on the ground.
ahead at or to the front.
aheap in a heap; huddled together.
aheight aloft; on high.
ahent ahind ahint behind.
ahigh on high.
ahind see AHENT.
ahint see AHENT.
ahold aholds near the wind; as, to lay a ship aholds.
ahorse ahorseback on horseback.
ahull with sails furled, and helm lashed to the lee side.
ahungered ahungry anhungered anhungred oppressed with hunger.
ajar partly open.
ajee see AGEE.
akimbo with hands on hips and elbows turned outwards.
akin related by blood.
alane alone.
alee on the lee side.
aleft on or to the left.
alength at full length; lengthwise.
alight on fire; (verb) to come down from something > ALIGHTS, ALIGHTING, ALIGHTED or ALIT.
alike having close resemblance.
alist listing, leaning to one side.
alive having life.
aloft in or into the air.
alone apart from others > ALONELY.
alongside beside, side by side with.
alongst along.
aloof distant in interest or feeling > ALOOFLY.
aloud audibly.
alow alowe ablaze.
amain to a high degree; exceedingly; at full speed.
amidmost in the very middle of.
amidst in the midst of.
amiss wrong; (noun) an evil, a misdeed > AMISSES.
amissing wanting, lost.
amok amuck in a murderous rage; frenzied; (noun) a murderous rage > AMOKS, AMUCKS. [Malay amoq, or 'in a homicidal rage'].
among in the midst of.
amongst among.
amornings of a morning.
amort spiritless, dejected.
amuck see AMOK.
anear near; (verb) to draw near to > ANEARS, ANEARING, ANEARED.
aneath beneath.
anenst anent about; concerning.
anew afresh, again.
anhungered see AHUNGRY.
anhungred see AHUNGRY.
anigh nigh.
anight by night.
anow enough. Also ENOW.
apace in a state of haste.
apart not together.
apeak apeek of an anchor, with the ship directly over it. Also APEAK.
apert open, public.
apiece separately, one each.
aplenty in a state of plentifulness.
apoop on the poop, astern.
aport on or towards the port side.
aquiver quivering.
arear arere (Spenser) backward, behind. AREAR can also be a noun: an overdue unpaid debt > AREARS
arew arrow in a row.
aright right; correctly.
ariot in riot, riotously.
aripple in a ripple.
around on all sides of.
arow see AREW.
ascared scared.
ascaunt asconce sideways, obliquely; askance.
asea at sea.
ashake in a shaking state.
ashine shining.
ashiver shivering.
ashore toward or on the shore.
askance sideways; obliquely; with a side glance; (verb) to turn aside > ASKANCES, ASKANCING, ASKANCED.
askant sideways; obliquely; with a side glance; (verb) to turn aside > ASKANTS, ASKANTING, ASKANTED.
askew to one side.
asklent athwart, aslant.
aslant slanting.
asleep sleeping.
aslope on a slope.
aslosh Sloshing.
asmear smeared over.
asmoulder smouldering.
asparkle sparkling.
aspout spoutingly.
asprawl in a sprawling posture.
aspread in a spreading state.
asprout in a sprouting state.
asquat in a squatting position.
asquint with a squint.
astarboard on or towards the starboard.
astare in a state of staring.
astern at the stern of a ship.
astir moving about.
astoop in a stooping or inclined position.
astraddle in a straddling position; astride.
astrand stranded.
astray off the right course.
astride with one leg on each side.
astrut protrudingly, distendedly.
asudden suddenly.
asunder into pieces.
aswarm in a swarm.
asway in a swaying state.
aswim swimming.
aswing in a state of swinging.
aswirl in a swirling state.
aswoon in a swoon.
athirst in a state of thirst.
athrill in a thrill.
athrob in a throbbing state.
athwart across; transversely.
atilt in the manner of a tilter; in the position, or with the action, of one making a thrust.
atingle tingling.
atop on top of.
atremble in a trembling state.
atrip of an anchor when it is just drawn out of the ground, in a perpendicular position.
atwain in twain; asunder.
atween between.
atwitter in a twittering state.
atwixt betwixt.
avant before.
awa away.
awake not asleep; (verb) to wake up > AWAKES, AWAKING, AWAKED or AWOKE, AWOKEN.
awanting missing; wanting.
aware conscious of, alert > AWARER, AWAREST.
awash overflowing with.
awatch in a watchful state.
awave in a wave, in waves.
awayes away.
awearied wearied.
aweary weary.
aweather on the weather side; in the direction from which the wind blows; -- opposed to alee; as, helm aweather!
aweigh of an anchor: just raised perpendicularly above the ground in weighing. Of a ship, crew, etc.: just about to set sail.
awheel awheels on wheels.
awhile for a while.
awhirl in a whirling state.
awork at work; in action.
awrack in a state of wreck.
awrong wrongly.
awry twisted to one side; crooked; amiss.
ayelp in a state of yelping.
ayont beyond.