-
ADULTERATE
to make impure
The restauranteur made his ketchup las longer by ADULTERATING it with water
-
ABYSS
an extremely deep hole
-
ABSTAIN
to choose not to do something
-
ABSCOND
to leave secretly
The patron ABSCONDED from the restaurant without paying his bill by sneaking out the back door.
-
ABATE
To reduce in amount, degree, or severity.
As the hurricane's force ABATED, the winds dropped and the sea became calm.
-
ADVOCATE
To speak in favor of
-
AESTHETIC
concerning the appreciation of beauty
-
AGGRANDIZE
To increase in power, influence, and reputation
-
ALLEVIATE
to make more bearable
-
AMALGAMATE
to combine; to mix together
-
AMBIGUOUS
doubtful or uncertain; able to be interpreted several ways
-
AMELIORATE
to make better; to improve
-
ANACHRONISM
something out of place in time
-
ANALGOUS
similar or alike in some way; equivalent to
-
ANOMALY
deviation from what is normal
-
ANTAGONIZE
to annoy or provoke to anger
-
ANTIPATHY
extreme dislike
-
APATHY
lack of interest or emotion
-
ARBITRATE
to judge a dispute between two opposing parties
-
ARCHAIC
ancient; old-fashioned
-
ARDOR
intense and passionate feeling
-
ARTICULATE
able to speak clearly and expressively
-
ASSUAGE
to make something unpleasant less severe
-
ATTENUATE
to reduce in force or degree; to weaken
-
AUDACIOUS
fearless and daring
-
AUSTERE
severe or stern in appearance; undecorated
-
BANAL
predictable, cliched, boring
-
BOMBASTIC
pompous in speech and manner
-
CACOPHONY
harsh, jarring noise
-
CANDID
impartial and honest in speech
-
CAPRICIOUS
changing one's mind quickly and often
-
CASTIGATE
to punish or criticize harshly
-
CATALYST
something that brings about a change in something else
-
-
CHAOS
great disorder or confusion
-
CHAUVINIST
someone prejudiced in favor of a group to which he or she belongs
-
CHICANERY
Deception by means of craft or guile
-
COGENT
Convincing and well reasoned
-
CONDONE
to overlook, pardon, or disregard
-
CONVOLUTED
intricate and complicated
-
CORROBORATE
to provide supporting evidence
-
CREDULOUS
too trusting; gullible
-
CRESENDO
steadily increasing volume or force
-
DECORUM
appropriateness or behavior or conduct; propriety
-
DEFERENCE
respect, courtesy
-
DERIDE
to speak of or treat with contempt; to mock
-
DESICCATE
to dry out thoroughly
-
DESULTORY
jumping from one thing to another; disconnected
-
DIATRIBE
an abusive, condemnatory speech
-
DIFFIDENT
lacking self-confidence
-
DILATE
to make larger; to expand
-
DILATORY
intended to delay
-
DILETTANTE
someone with an amateurish or superficial interest in a topic
-
DIRGE
a funeral hymn or mournful speech
-
DISABUSE
to set right; to free from error
-
DISCERN
to perceive; to recognize
-
DISPARATE
fundamentally different; entirely unlike
-
DISSEMBLE
to present a false appearance; to disguise one's real intentions or character
-
DISSONANCE
a harsh or disagreeable combination, of ten of sounds
-
DOGMA
a firmly held opinion, often a religious belief
-
DOGMATIC
dictatorial in one's opinions
-
DUPE
to deceive; a person who is easily deceived
-
ECLECTIC
selecting from or made up from a variety of sources
-
-
ELEGY
a sorrowful poem or speech
-
ELOQUENT
persuasive and moving, especially in speech
-
EMULATE
to copy; to try to equal or excel
-
ENERVATE
to reduce in strength
-
ENGENDER
to produce, cause, or bring about
-
ENIGMA
a puzzle; a mystery
-
ENUMERATE
to count, list, or itemize
-
EPHEMERAL
lasting a short time
-
EQUIVOCATE
to use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead
-
ERRATIC
wandering and unpredictable
-
ERUDITE
learned, scholarly, bookish
-
ESOTERIC
known or understood by only a few
Only a handful of experts are knowledgeable about the ESOTERIC world of particle physics
-
-
EULOGY
speech in praise of someone
-
EUPHEMISM
use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful one
The funeral director preferred to use the EUPHEMISM "sleeping" instead of the word dead.
-
-
EXCULPATE
to clear from blame; prove innocent
-
EXIGENT
urgent; requiring immediate action
-
EXONERATE
to clear of blame
-
EXPLICIT
clearly stated or shown; forthright in expression
-
FANATICAL
acting excessively enthusiastic;filled with extreme, unquestioned devotion
-
-
FERVID
intensely emotional; feverish
-
FLORID
excessively decorated or embellished
-
FOMENT
to arouse or incite
-
FRUGALITY
a tendency to be thrifty or cheap
-
GARRULOUS
tending to talk a alot
-
-
-
HOMOGENOUS
of a similar kind
-
ICONOCLAST
one who opposes established beliefs, customs, and institutions
-
IMPERTURBABLE
not capable of being disturbed
-
IMPERVIOUS
impossible to penetrate; incapable of being affected
-
IMPETUOUS
quick to act without thinking
-
IMPLACABLE
unable to be calmed down or made peaceful
-
INCHOATE
Not fully formed; disorganized
-
INGENUOUS
showing innocence or childlike simplicity
-
INIMICAL
hostile, unfriendly
-
-
INSIPID
lacking interest or flavor
-
INTRANSIGENT
uncompromising; refusing to be reconciled
-
INUNDATE
to overwhelm; to cover with water
-
IRASCIBLE
easily made angry
-
-
LAMENT
to express sorrow; to grieve
-
LAUD
To give praise; to glorify
-
LAVISH
to give unsparingly (v.); extremely generous or extravagant (adj.)
-
LETHARGIC
acting in an indifferent or slow, sluggish manner
-
-
LUCID
clear and easily understood
-
LUINOUS
bright, brilliant, glowing
-
MALINGER
to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill
-
MALLEABLE
capable of being shaped
-
METAPHOR
a figure of speech comparing two different things; a symbol
-
METICULOUS
extremely careful about details
-
MISANTHROPE
a person who dislikes others
-
MITIGATE
to soften; to lessen
-
MOLLIFY
to calm or make less severe
-
MONOTONY
Lack of variation
-
NAIVE
lacking sophistication or experience
-
OBDURATE
hardened in feeling; resistant to persuasion
-
OBSEQUIOUS
overly submissive and eager to please
-
OBSTINATE
stubborn, unyielding
-
OBVIATE
to prevent; to make unnecessary
-
OCCLUDE
to stop up; to prevent the passage of
-
OPAQUE
impossible to see through; preventing the passage of light
-
OPPROBRIUM
public disgrace
-
OSTENTATION
excessive showiness
-
PARADOX
a contradiction or dilemma
-
PARAGON
model of excellence or perfection
-
PENDANT
someone who shows off learning
-
PERFIDIOUS
willing to betray one's trust
-
PERFUNCTORY
done in a routine way; indifferent
-
-
PHILANTHROPY
charity; a desire or effort to promote goodness
-
PLACATE
to soothe or pacify
-
PLASTIC
Able to be molded, altered, or bent
-
-
PRAGMATIC
practical as opposed to idealistic
-
PRECIPITATE
to throw violently or bring about abruptly; lacking deliberation
-
PREVARICATE
to lie or deviate from the truth
-
PRISTINE
fresh and clean; uncorrupted
-
PRODIGAL
lavish, wasteful
-
PROLIFERATE
to increase in number quickly
-
PROPITIATE
to conciliate; to appease
-
PROPRIETY
correct behavior; obedience to rules and customs
-
PRUDENCE
wisdom, caution, or restraint
-
PUNGENT
sharp and irritating to the senses
-
-
RAREFY
to make thinner or sparser
-
REPUDIATE
to reject the validity of
-
RETICENT
silent, reserved
-
RHETORIC
effective writing or speaking
-
SATIATE
to satisfy fully or overindulge
-
SOPORIFIC
causing sleep or lethargy
-
SPECIOUS
deceptively attractive; seemingly plausible but fallacious
-
STIGMA
a mark of shame or discredit
-
STOLID
unemotional; lacking sensitivity
-
-
TACIT
done without using words
-
TACITURN
silent, not talkative
-
TIRADE
long, harsh speech or verbal attack
-
TORPOR
extreme mental and physical sluggishness
-
TRANSITORY
temporary, lasting a brief time
-
VACILLATE
to sway physically; to be indecisive
-
VENERATE
to respect deeply
-
VERACITY
filled with truth and accuracy
-
-
-
VOLATILE
easily aroused or changeable; lively or explosive
-
WAVER
to fluctuate between choices
-
WHIMSICAL
acting in a fanciful or capricious manner; unpredictable
-
|
|
