waffle v.#speak equivocally about an issue. When asked directly about the governor's involvement in the savings and loan scandal, the press secretary waffled, talking all around the issue.#waft v.#moved gently by wind or waves. Daydreaming, he gazed at the leaves that wafted past his window.#waggish adj.#mischievous; humorous; tricky. He was a prankster who, unfortunately, often overlooked the damage he could cause with his waggish tricks. wag, n.#waif n.#homeless child or animal. Although he already had eight cats, he could not resist adopting yet another feline waif.#waive v.#give up a claim or right voluntarily; refrain from enforcing; postpone considering. Although, technically, prospective students had to live in Piedmont to attend high school there, occasionally the school waived the residence requirement in order to enroll promising athletes.#wake n.#trail of ship or other object through water; path of something that has gone before. The wake of the swan gliding through the water glistened in the moonlight. Reporters and photographers converged on South Carolina in the wake of the hurricane that devastated much of the eastern seaboard.#wallow v.#roll in; indulge in; become helpless. The hippopotamus loves to wallow in the mud.#wan adj.#having a pale or sickly color; pallid. The convalescent looked frail and wan, her skin almost as white as the sheets on her sickbed.#wane v.#decrease in size or strength; draw gradually to an end. The verb wax, which means to grow in size, is an antonym for wane. As it burns, does a wax candle wane?#wanton adj.#unrestrained; willfully malicious; unchaste. Pointing to the stack of bills, Sheldon criticized Sarah for her wanton expenditures. In response, Sarah accused Sheldon of making an unfounded, wanton attack. #warble v.#sing; babble. Every morning the birds warbled outside her window. also n.#warrant v.#justify; authorize. Before the judge issues the injunction, you must convince her this action is warranted.#warranty n.#guarantee; assurance by seller. The purchaser of this automobile is protected by the manufacturer's warranty that the company will replace any defective part for five years or 50,000 miles.#wary adj.#very cautious. The spies grew wary as they approached the sentry.#wastrel n.#profligate. His neighbors denounced him as a wastrel who had dissipated his inheritance.#watershed n.#crucial dividing point. The invention of the personal computer proved a historic watershed, for it opened the way to today's Information Age.#wax v.#increase; grow. With proper handling, his fortunes waxed and he became rich.#waylay v.#ambush; lie in wait. They agreed to waylay their victim as he passed through the dark alley going home.#wean v.#accustom a baby to not nurse; give up a cherished activity. He decided he would wean himself away from eating junk food and stick to fruits and vegetables.#weather v.#endure the effects of weather or other forces. Reporters wondered whether Governor Gray Davis would weather his latest political challenge and remain in office, or whether he would be California's first governor to be recalled.#welter n.#turmoil; bewildering jumble. The existing welter of overlapping federal and state programs cries out for immediate reform.#wheedle v.#cajole; coax; deceive by flattery. She knows she can wheedle almost anything she wants from her father.#whelp n.#young wolf, dog, tiger, etc. This collie whelp won't do for breeding, but he'd make a fine pet.#whet v.#sharpen; stimulate. The odors from the kitchen are whetting my appetite; I will be ravenous by the time the meal is served.#whiff n.#puff or gust (of air, scent, etc.); hint. The slightest whiff of Old Spice cologne brought memories of George to her mind.#whimsical adj.# capricious; fanciful. In Mrs. Doubtfire, the hero is a playful, whimsical man who takes a notion to dress up as a woman so that he can look after his children, who are in the custody of his ex-wife. whimsy, n.#whinny v.#neigh like a horse. When he laughed through his nose, it sounded as if he whinnied.#whittle v.#pare; cut off bits. As a present for Aunt Polly, Tom whittled some clothespins out of a chunk of wood.#willful adj.#intentional; headstrong. Donald had planned to kill his wife for months; clearly, her death was a case of deliberate, willful murder, not a crime of passion committed by a hasty, willful youth unable to foresee the consequences of his deeds.#wily adj.#cunning; artful. If coyotes are supposed to be such sneaky, wily creatures, how does Road Runner always manage to outwit Wile E. Coyote?#wince v.#shrink back; flinch. The screech of the chalk on the blackboard made her wince.#windfall n.#unexpected lucky event. This huge tax refund is quite a windfall.#winnow v.#sift; separate good parts from bad. This test will winnow out the students who study from those who don't bother.#winsome adj.#agreeable; gracious; engaging. By her winsome manner, she made herself liked by everyone who met her.#wispy adj.#thin; slight; barely discernible. Worried about preserving his few wispy tufts of hair, Walter carefully massaged his scalp and applied hair restorer every night.#wistful adj.#vaguely longing; sadly thoughtful. With a last wistful glance at the happy couples dancing in the hall, Sue headed back to her room to study for her exam.#withdrawn adj.#introverted; remote. Rebuffed by his colleagues, the initially outgoing young researcher became increasingly withdrawn.#wither v.#shrivel; decay. Cut flowers are beautiful for a day, but all too soon they wither.#withhold v.#refuse to give; hold back. The tenants decided to withhold a portion of the rent until the landlord kept his promise to renovate the building.#withstand v.#stand up against; successfully resist. If you can withstand all the peer pressure in high school to cut classes and goof off, you should survive college just fine. #witless adj.#foolish; idiotic. If Beavis is a half-wit, then Butthead is totally witless.#witticism n.# witty saying; wisecrack. I don't mean any criticism, but that last witticism totally hurt my feelings.#wizardry n.#sorcery; magic. Merlin the Magician amazed the knights with his wizardry.#woe n.#deep, inconsolable grief; affliction; suffering. Pale and wan with grief, Wanda was bowed down beneath the burden of her woes.#worldly adj.#engrossed in matters of this earth; not spiritual. You must leave your worldly goods behind you when you go to meet your Maker.#wrath n.#anger; fury. She turned to him, full of wrath, and said, "What makes you think I'll accept lower pay for this job than you get?"#wrench v.#pull; strain; twist. She wrenched free of her attacker and landed a powerful kick to his kneecap.#writhe v.#twist in coils; contort in pain. In Dances with Snakes, the snake dancer wriggled sinuously as her boa constrictor writhed around her torso.#wry adj.#twisted; with a humorous twist. We enjoy Dorothy Parker's verse for its wry wit.#