-
aberrant
deviating from normal or correct.
-
abscond
to leave secretly and hide, often to avoid the law.
-
advocate
to speak, plead, or argue for a cause, or in another’s behalf. (n) -- one who advocates.
-
aggrandize
to make greater, to increase, thus, to exaggerate.
-
amalgamate
to unite or mix. (n) -- amalgamation.
-
ambiguous
- adj.
- vague; subject to more than one interpretation
-
ambrosial
- adj.
- extremely pleasing to the senses, divine (as related to the gods) or delicious (n: ambrosia)
-
anachronism
- n.
- a person or artifact appearing after its own time or out of chronological order (adj: anachronistic)
-
anomalous
- adj.
- peculiar; unique, contrary to the norm (n: anomaly)
-
antediluvian
- adj.
- ancient; outmoded; (literally,before the flood)
-
antipathy
- n.
- hostility toward, objection, or aversion to
-
arbitrate
- v.
- to settle a dispute by impulse (n: arbitration)
-
assuage
- v.
- to make less severe; to appease or satisfy
-
attenuate
- v.
- weaken (adj: attenuated)
-
audacious
- adj.
- extremely bold; fearless, especially said of human behavior (n: audacity)
-
-
banal
- adj.
- commonplace or trite (n: banality)
-
barefaced
- adj.
- unconcealed, shameless, or brazen
-
blandishment
- n.
- speech or action intended to coax someone into doing something
-
bombast
- n.
- pompous speech (adj: bombastic)
-
breach
- n., v.
- a lapse, gap or break, as in a fortress wall. To break or break through.ex: Unfortunately, the club members never forgot his breach of ettiquette.
-
burgeon
- v., n.
- to grow or flourish; a bud or new growth (adj: burgeoning )
-
buttress
- v., n.
- to support. a support
-
cadge
- v.
- to get something by taking advantage of someone
-
caprice
- n.
- impulse (adj: capricious)
-
castigate
- v.
- to chastise or criticize severely
-
catalyst
- n.
- an agent of change (adj: catalytic; v. catalyze)
-
caustic
- adj.
- capable of dissolving by chemical action; highly critical: "His caustic remarks spoiled the mood of the party."
-
-
complaisant
- adj.
- willingly compliant or accepting of the status quo (n: complaisance)
-
-
corporeal
- adj.
- of or having to do with material, as opposed to spiritual; tangible. (In older writings, coeporeal could be a synonym for corporal. This usage is no longer common)
-
corporal
- adj.
- of the body: "corporal punishment." a non-commissioned officer ranked
- between a sergeant and a private.
-
corroborate
- v.
- to strengthen or support: "The witness corroborted his story." (n: corroboration)
-
craven
- adj., n.
- cowardly; a coward
-
culpable
- adj.
- deserving of blame (n: culpability)
-
dearth
- n.
- lack, scarcity: "The prosecutor complained about the dearth of concrete
- evidence against the suspect."
-
deference
- n.
- submission or courteous yielding: "He held his tongue in deference to his father." (n: deferential. v. defer)
-
depict
- v.
- to show, create a picture of.
-
deprecation
- n.
- belittlement. (v. deprecate)
-
depredation
- n.
- the act of preying upon or plundering: "The depredations of the invaders demoralized the population."
-
-
desiccate
- v.
- to dry out thoroughly (adj: desiccated)
-
diatribe
- n.
- a bitter abusive denunciation.
-
diffident
- adj.
- lacking self-confidence, modest (n: diffidence)
-
disabuse
- adj.
- to free a person from falsehood or error: "We had to disabuse her of the notion that she was invited."
-
disparaging
- adj.
- belittling (n: disparagement. v. disparage)
-
dispassionate
- adj.
- calm; objective; unbiased
-
dissemble
- v.
- to conceal one's real motive, to feign
-
dogged
- adj.
- stubborn or determined: "Her dogged pursuit of the degree eventually paid off."
-
dogmatic
- adj.
- relying upon doctrine or dogma, as opposed to evidence
-
eclectic
- adj.
- selecting or employing individual elements from a variety of sources: "Many modern decorators prefer an eclectic style." (n: eclecticism)
-
efficacy
- n.
- effectiveness; capability to produce a desired effect
-
effluent
- adj., n
- the quality of flowing out. something that flows out, such as a stream from a river (n: effluence)
-
emollient
- adj., n.
- softening; something that softens
-
emulate
- v.
- to strive to equal or excel (n: emulation)
-
encomium
- n.
- a formal eulogy or speech of praise
-
endemic
- adj.
- prevalent in or native to a certain region, locality, or people: "The disease was endemic to the region." Don't confuse this word with epidemic.
-
enervate
- v.
- to weaken or destroy the strength or vitality of: "The heatenervated everyone." (adj: enervating)
-
engender
- v.
- to give rise to, to propagate, to cause: "His slip of the toungue engendered much laughter."
-
enigma
- n.
- puzzle; mystery: "Math is an enigma to me." (adj: enigmatic)
-
ephemeral
- adj.
- lasting for only a brief time, fleeting (n: ephemera)
-
equivocal
- adj.
- ambiguous; unclear; subject to more than one interpretation -- often intentionally so: "Republicans complained that Bill Clinton's answers were equivocal." (v. equivocate)
-
erudite
- adj.
- scholarly; displaying deep intensive learning. (n: erudition)
-
esoteric
- adj.
- intended for or understood by only a few: "The esoteric discussion confused some people." (n: esoterica)
-
eulogy
- n.
- a spoken or written tribute to the deceased (v. eulogize)
-
exacerbate
- v.
- to increase the bitterness or violence of; to aggravate: "The decision to fortify the border exacerbated tensions."
-
exculpate
- v.
- to demonstrate or prove to be blameless: "The evidence tended to exculpate the defendant."(adj: exculpatory)
-
exorbitant
- adj.
- exceeding customary or normal limits, esp. in quantity or price: "The cab fare was exorbitant."
-
explicit
- adj.
- fully and clearly expressed
-
extant
- adj.
- in existence, still existing: The only extant representative of that species."
-
fathom
- n., v.
- a measure of length (six feet) used in nautical settings. to penetrate to the depths of something in order to understand it: "I couldn't fathom her reasoning on that issue."
-
fawn
- v.
- to seek favor or attention; to act subserviantly (n, adj: fawning)
-
feign
- v.
- to give false appearance or impression: "He feigned illness to avoid going to school." (adj: feigned)
-
fervid, fervent
- adj.
- highly emotional; hot: "The partisans displayed a fervent patriotism." (n: fervor)
-
fledgling
- n., adj.
- a baby bird; an inexperienced person; inexperienced.
-
florid
- adj.
- flushed with a rosy color, as in complexion; very ornate and flowery: "florid prose."
-
floundering
- adj.
- struggling: "We tried to save the floundering business."
-
garrulous
- adj.
- verbose; talkative; rambling: "We tried to avoid our garrulous neighbor."
-
gossamer
- n., adj.
- fine cobweb on foliage; fine gauzy fabric; very fine: "She wore a gossamer robe."
-
guile
- n.
- skillful deceit: "He was well known for his guile." (v. bequile; adj: beguiling. Note, however, that these two words have an additional meaning: to charm (v.) or charming (adj:), while the word guile does not generally have any such positive connotations)
-
guileless
- adj.
- honest; straightforward (n: guilelessness)
-
-
headlong
- adj., adv.
- headfirst; impulsive; hasty. impulsively; hastily; without forethought: "They rushed headlong into marriage."
-
homogenous
- adj.
- similar in nature or kind; uniform: "a homogeneous society."
-
iconoclast
- n.
- one who attacks traditional ideas or institutions or one who destroys sacred images (adj: iconoclastic)
-
-
-
implication
- n.
- insinuation or connotation (v. implicate)
-
imply
- v.
- to suggest indirectly; to entail: "She implied she didn't believe his story." (n: implication)
-
improvidence
- n.
- an absence of foresight; a failure to provide for future needs or events: "Their improvidence resulted in the loss of their home."
-
inchoate
- adj.
- in an initial or early stage; incomplete; disorganized: "The act of writing forces one to clarify incohate thoughts."
-
incorrigible
- adj.
- not capable of being corrected: "The school board finally decided the James was incorrigible and expelled him from school."
-
indelible
- adj.
- permanent; unerasable; strong: "The Queen made an indelible impression on her subjects."
-
ineffable
- adj.
- undescribable; inexpressible in words; unspeakable
-
infer
- v.
- to deduce: "New genetic evidence led some zoologists to infer that the red wolf is actually a hybrid of the coyote and the gray wolf."
-
ingenious
- adj.
- clever: "She developed an ingenious method for testing her hypothesis."(n: ingenuity)
-
ingenuous
- adj.
- unsophisticated; artless; straightforward; candid: "Wilson's ingenuous response to the controversial calmed the suspicious listeners."
-
inhibit
- v.
- to hold back, prohibit, forbid, or restrain (n: inhibition, adj: inhibited)
-
innocuous
- adj.
- harmless; having no adverse affect; not likely to provoke strong emotion
-
insensible
- adj.
- numb; unconscious: "Wayne was rendered insensible by a blow to the head." unfeeling; insensitive: "They were insensibile to the suffering of others.:
-
insipid
- adj.
- lacking zest or excitement; dull
-
insular
- adj.
- of or pertaining to an island, thus, excessively exclusive: "Newcomers found it difficult to make friends in the insular community."
-
intransigent
- adj.
- stubborn; immovable; unwilling to change: "She was so intransigent we finally gave up trying to convince her." (n: intransigence)
-
irascible
- adj.
- prone to outbursts of temper, easily angered
-
laconic
- adj.
- using few words; terse: "a laconic reply."
-
latent
- adj.
- present or potential but not evident or active (n: latency)
-
laudable
- adj.
- praiseworthy; commendable (v. laud)
-
leviathan
- n.
- giant whale, therefore, something very large
-
-
lucid
- adj.
- clear; translucent: "He made a lucid argument to support his theory."
-
lugubrious
- adj.
- weighty, mournful, or gloomy, especially to an excessive degree: "Jake's lugubrious monologues depressed his friends."
-
magnanimity
- n.
- generosity and nobility. (adj: magnanimous)
-
malevolent
- adj.
- malicious; evil; having or showing ill will: "Some early American colonists saw the wilderness as malevolent and sought to control it."
-
misanthrope
- n.
- one who hates people: "He was a true misanthrope and hated even himself."
-
misnomer
- n.
- incorrect name or word for something
-
-
mitigate
- v.
- to make less forceful; to become more moderate; to make less harsh or undesirable: "He was trying to mitigate the damage he had done." (n: mitigation)
-
nefarious
- adj.
- wicked, evil: "a nefarious plot."
-
noisome
- adj.
- harmful, offensive, destructive: "The noisome odor of the dump carried for miles."
-
obdurate
- adj.
- hardened against influence or feeling; intractable.
-
obviate
- v.
- to prevent by anticipatory measures; to make unnecessary:
-
occlude
- v.
- to close or shut off; to obstruct (n: occlusion)
-
opaque
- adj.
- not transparent or transluscent; dense; difficult to comprehend, as inopaque reasoning
-
ossified
- adj.
- turned to bone; hardened like bone; Inflexible: "The ossified culture failed to adapt to new economic conditions and died out."
-
panegyric
- n.
- a writing or speech in praise of a person or thing
-
-
pedantic
- adj.
- showing a narrow concern for rules or formal book learning; making an excessive display of one's own learning: "We quickly tired of his pedantic conversation." (n: pedant, pedantry).
-
perfidious
- adj.
- deliberately treacherous; dishonest (n: perfidy)
-
petulant
- adj.
- easily or frequently annoyed, especially over trivial matters; childishly irritable
-
philanthropy
- n.
- tendency or action for the benefit of others, as in donating money or property to a charitible organization
-
phlegmatic
- adj.
- not easily excited; cool; sluggish
-
placate
- v.
- to calm or reduce anger by making concessions: "The professor tried to placate his students by postponing the exam."
-
plastic
- adj.
- related to being shaped or molded; capable of being molded. (n: plasticity n: plastic)
-
plethora
- n.
- excessively large quantity; overabundance: "We received a p lethora of applications for the position."
-
ponderous
- adj.
- heavy; massive; awkward; dull: "A ponderous book is better than a sleeping pill."
-
pragmatic
- adj.
- concerned with facts; practical, as opposed to highly principled or traditional: "His pragmatic approach often offended idealists." (n: pragmatism)
-
precipice
- n.
- cliff with a vertical or nearly vertical face; a dangerous place from which one is likely to fall; metaphorically, a very risky circumstance
-
precipitate
- v., n.
- to fall; to fall downward suddenly and dramatically; to bring about or hasten the occurrence of something: "Old World diseases precipitated a massive decline in the American Indian population."
-
precursor
- n.
- something (or someone) that precedes another: "The assasination of the Archduke was a precursor to the war."
-
prevaricate
- v.
- to stray away from or evade the truth: "When we asked him what his intentions were, he prevaricated."(n: prevarication; prevaricator)
-
prodigal
- adj.
- rashly wasteful: "Americans' prodigal devotion to the automobile is unique."
-
propitiate
- v.
- to conciliate; to appease: "They made sacrifices to propitiate angry gods."
-
Pulchritudinous
- adj.
- beautiful (n: pulchritude)
-
pusillanimous
- adj.
- cowardly, timid, or irreselute; petty: "The pusillanimous leader soon lost the respect of his people."
-
quiescence
- n.
- inactivity; stillness; dormancy (adj: quiescent)
-
rarefy
- v.
- to make or become thin; to purify or refine (n: rarefaction, adj: rarefied)
-
reproof
- n.
- the act of censuring, scolding, or rebuking. (v. reprove).
-
-
sagacious
- adj.
- having a sharp or powerful intellect or discernment. (n: sagacity).
-
sanguine
- adj.
- cheerful; confident: "Her sanguine attitude put everyone at ease."(Sangfroid (noun) is a related French word meaning unflappibility. Literally, it means cold blood)
-
sate
- v.
- to satisfy fully or to excess
-
saturnine
- adj.
- having a gloomy or morose temperament
-
savant
- n.
- a very knowledgable person; a genious
-
sedulous
- adj.
- diligent; persevering; persistent: "Her sedulous devotion to overcoming her background impressed many." (n: sedulity; sedulousness; adv. sedulously)
-
specious
- adj.
- seemingly true but really false; deceptively convincing or attractive: "Her argument, though specious, was readily accepted by many."
-
superficial
- adj.
- only covering the surface: "A superficial treatment of the topic was all they wanted."
-
tacit
- adj.
- unspoken: "Katie and carmella had a tacit agreement that they would not mention the dented fender to their parents."
-
taciturn
- adj.
- habitually untalkative or silent (n: taciturnity)
-
temperate
- adj.
- exercising moderation and self-denial; calm or mild (n: temperance)
-
tirade (diatribe)
- n.
- an angry speech: "His tirade had gone on long enough."
-
tortuous
- adj.
- twisted; excessively complicated: "Despite public complaints, tax laws and forms have become increasingly tortuous." Note: Don't confuse this with torturous.
-
tractable
- adj.
- ability to be easily managed or controlled: "Her mother wished she were more tractable." (n: tractibility)
-
turpitude
- n.
- depravity; baseness: "Mr. Castor was fired for moral turpitude."
-
tyro
- n.
- beginner; person lacking experience in a specific endeavor: "They easily took advantage of the tyro."
-
vacuous
- adj.
- empty; without contents; without ideas or intelligence:: "She flashed a vacuous smile."
-
venerate
- v.
- great respect or reverence: "The Chinese traditionally venerated their ancestors; ancestor worship is merely a popular misnomer for this tradition." (n: veneration, adj: venerable)
-
verbose
- adj.
- wordy: "The instructor asked her verbose student make her paper more concise." (n: verbosity)
-
vex
- v.
- to annoy; to bother; to perplex; to puzzle; to debate at length: "Franklin vexed his brother with his controversial writings."
-
viscous
- adj.
- slow moving; highly resistant to flow: "Heintz commercials imply that their catsup is more viscous than others'." (n: viscosity)
-
volatile
- adj.
- explosive; fickle (n: volatility).
-
voracious
- adj.
- craving or devouring large quantities of food, drink, or other things. She is a voracious reader.
-
waver
- v.
- to hesitate or to tremble
-
wretched
- adj.
- extremely pitiful or unfortunate (n: wretch)
-
zeal
- n.
- enthusiastic devotion to a cause, ideal, or goal (n: zealot; zealoutry. adj: zealous)
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