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abate
to lessen in intensity or degree
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accolade
an expression of praise
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adulation
excessive praise; intense adoration
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aesthetic
dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art or the beautiful
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ameliorate
to make better or more tolerable
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ascetic
one who practices rigid self-denial, esp. as an act of religious devotion
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avarice
greed, esp. as an act of religios devotion
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axiom
a universally recognized principle
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burgeon
to grow rapidly or flourish
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bucolic
rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants
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cacophony
harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance
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canon
an established set of principles or code of law, often religious in nature
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castigation
severe criticism or punishment
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catalyst
a substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction without itself changing; a person or thing that causes change
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caustic
burning or stinging; causing corrosion
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chary
wary; cautious; sparing
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cogent
appealing forcibly to the mind or reason; convincing
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complaisance
the willingness to comply with the wishes of others
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contentious
argumentative; quarrelsome; causing controversy or disagreement
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contrite
regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness
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dearth
smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack
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demur
to question or oppose
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didactic
intended to teach or instruct
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discretion
cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions
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disinterested
free of bias or self-interest; impartial
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dogmatic
expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or unprovable principles
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ebullience
the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thought and feelings
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eclectic
composed of elements drwn from various sources
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elegy
a mourful poem, esp. one lamenting the dead
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emollient
soothing, esp. to the skin; making less harsh; mollifying; an agent that softens or smoothes the skin
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empirical
based on observation or experiment
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enigmatic
mysterious; obscure; difficult to understnd
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ephemeral
brief; fleeting
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esoteric
intended for or understood by a smal, specific group
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eulogy
a speech honoring the dead
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exonerate
to remove blame
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facetious
playful; humorous
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fallacy
an invalid or incorrect notion; a mistaken belief
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furtive
marked by stealth; covert; surreptitious
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gregarious
sociable; outgoing; enjoying the company of other people
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harangue
to deliver a pompous speech or tirade; a long, pompous speech
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heretical
violating accepted dogma or convention
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hyperbole
an exaggerated statement, often used as a figure of speech
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impecunious
lacking funds; without money
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incipient
beginning to come into being or become apparent
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inert
unmoving; lethargic; sluggish
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innocuous
harmless; causing no damage
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intransigent
refusing to compromise
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inveigle
to obtain by decetion or flattery
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morose
sad; sullen; melancholy
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odious
evoking intense aversion or dislike
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opaque
impenetrable by light; not reflecting light
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oscillation
the act or state of swinging back and forth with a steady, uninterrupted rhythm
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penurious
penny-pinching; excessively thrifty; ungenerous
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pernicious
extemely harmful; potentially causing death
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peruse
to examine with great care
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pious
extremely reverent or devout; showing strong religioug devotion
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precursor
one that precedes and indicates or announces another
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preen
to dress up; to primp; to groom oneself with elaborate care
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prodigious
abundant in size, force, or extent; extraordinary
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prolific
producing large volumes or amounts; producing
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putrefy
to rot; to decay and give off a foul odor
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quiescence
stillness; motionlessness; quality of being at rest
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redoubtable
awe-inspiring; worthy of honor
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sanction
authoritative permission or approval; a penalty intended to enforce compliance; to give permission or authority to
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satire
a literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor or derision
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squalid
sordid; wretched and dirty as from neglect
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stoic
indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain steadfast
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supplant
to take the place of; supersede
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torpid
lathergic; sluggish; dormant
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ubiquitous
existing everywhere at the same time; constantly encountered; widespread
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urbane
sophisticated; refined; elegant
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vilify
to defame; to characterized harshly
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