-
abscond
to depart clandestinely; to steal off and hide
-
aberrant
deviating from the norm
-
alacrity
eager and enthusiastic willingness
-
anomaly
deviation from the normal order
-
approbation
an expression of approval or praise
-
arduous
strenuous, taxing; requiring significant effort
-
assuage
to ease or lessen; to appease or pacify
-
audacious
daring and fearless; recklessly bold
-
austere
without adornment; bare; severly simple
-
axiomatic
taken as a given; possessing self-evident truth
-
canonical
following or in agreement with accepted, traditional standards
-
capricious
inclined to change one's mind impulsively; erratic, unpredictable
-
censure
to criticize severely; to officially rebuke
-
chicanery
trickery or subterfuge
-
connoisseur
an informed and astute judge in matters of taste; expert
-
convoluted
complex and complicated
-
disabuse
to undeceive; to set right
-
discordant
conflicting; dissonant or harsh in sound
-
disparate
fundamentally distinct or dissimilar
-
effrontery
extreme boldness; presumptuousness
-
eloquent
well-spoken, expressive, articulate
-
-
ennui
dissatistaction and restlessness resulting from boredom or apathy
-
equivocate
to use ambiguous language with a deceptive intent
-
erudite
very learned; scholarly
-
exculpate
exonerate; to clear of blame
-
exigent
urgentm pressing, requiring immediate action or attention
-
extemporaneous
improvised; done without preparation
-
filibuster
intentional obstruction
-
fulminate
to loudly attack or denounce
-
ingenuous
artless; frank and candid; lacking in sophistication
-
inured
accustomed to accepting something undesirable
-
irascible
easily angered; prone to temperamental outbursts
-
-
lucid
clear; easily understood
-
magnanimity
the quality of being generously noble in mind and heart
-
martial
associated with war and the armed forces
-
mundane
of the world; typical of or concerned with the ordinary
-
nascent
coming into being; in early developmental stages
-
nebulous
vague; clouldy; lacking clearly defined form
-
neologism
a new word, expression, or usage
-
noxious
harmful or injurious
-
obtuse
lacking sharpness of intellect
-
obviate
to anticipate and make unnecessary
-
onerous
troubling; burdensome
-
paean
a song or hymn of praise and thanksgiving
-
parody
a humorous imitation intended for ridicule or somic effect
-
perennial
recurrent through the year or many years
-
perfidy
intentional breach of faith
-
perfunctory
cursory; done without care or interest
-
perspicacious
acutely perceptive; having keen discernment
-
prattle
to babble meaninglessly
-
precipitate
acting with excessive haste or impulse (adj) to cause or happen before anticipated or required (v)
-
predilection
a disposition in favor of something; preference
-
prescience
forknowledge of events
-
prevaricate
to deliberately avoid the truth; to mislead
-
qualms
misgivings; reservations; causes fro hesitancy
-
-
refute
to disprove; to successfully argue against
-
relegate
to forcibly assign
-
-
solicitous
concerned and attentive; eager
-
sordid
characterized by filth, grime, or squalor; foul
-
sporadic
occurring only occasionally, or in scattered instances
-
squander
to waste by spending or using irresponsibly
-
static
not moving, active, or in motion
-
stupefy
to stun, baffle, or amaze
-
-
synthesis
the combination of parts to make a whole
-
torque
a force that causes rotation
-
tortuous
winding, twisting; excessively complicated
-
truculent
fierce and cruel; eager to fight
-
veracity
truthfulness, honesty
-
virulent
extremely harmful or poisonous
-
voracious
having an insatiable appetite for an activity or pursuit; ravenous
-
waver
to move to and fro; to sway
-
abate
to lessen in intensity or degree
-
accolade
an expression of praise
-
adulation
excessive praise; intense adoration
-
aesthetic
dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art or the beautiful
-
ameliorate
to make better or more tolerable
-
ascetic
one who practices rigid self-denial
-
-
axiom
a universally recognized principle
-
burgeon
to grow rapidly or flourish
-
bucolic
rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants
-
cacophony
harsh, jarring, discordant sound
-
canon
an established set of principles or code of laws
-
castigation
severe criticism or punishment
-
catalyst
a substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction without itself changing
-
caustic
burning or stinging; causing corrosion
-
chary
wary; cautious; sparing
-
cogent
appealing forcibly to the mind or reason; convincing
-
complaisance
the willingness to comply with the wishes of others
-
contentious
argumentative; quarrelsome; causing controversy or disagreement
-
contrite
regretful; seeking forgiveness
-
-
dearth
smallness of quantity or number; scarcity
-
demur
to question or oppose
-
didactic
intended to teach or instruct
-
discretion
cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions
-
disinterested
free of bias or self-interest; impartial
-
dogmatic
expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or unprovable principles
-
ebullience
the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings
-
eclectic
composed of elements drawn from various sources
-
-
emollient
soothing esp to the skin; making less harsh
-
empirical
based on observation or experiment
-
enigmatic
mysterious; obscure; difficult to understand
-
ephemeral
brief; fleeting
-
esoteric
intended for or understood by a small, specific group
-
eulogy
a speech honoring the dead
-
exonerate
to remove blame
-
facetious
playful; humorous
-
fallacy
an invalid or incorrec notion; a mistaken belief
-
furtive
marked by stealth; covert; surreptitious
-
gregarious
sociable; outgoing
-
harangue
to deliver a pompous speech or tirade
-
heretical
violating accepted dogma or convention
-
hyperbole
an exaggerated statement, often used as a figure of speech
-
impecunious
lacking funds; without money
-
incipient
beginning to come into being or to become apparent
-
inert
unmoving; lethargic; sluggish
-
innocuous
harmless; causing no damage
-
intransigent
refusing to compromise
-
inveigle
to obtain by deception or flattery
-
morose
sad; sullen; melancholy
-
odious
evoking intense aversion or dislike
-
opaque
impenetrable by light
-
oscillation
the act or state of swinging back and forth with a steady, uninterrupted rhythm
-
penurious
penny-pinching; excessively thrifty
-
pernicious
extremely harmful; potentionally causing death
-
peruse
to examine with great care
-
pious
extremely reverent or devout; showing strong religious devotion
-
precursor
one that precedes and indicates or annouces another
-
preen
to dress up; to primp
-
prodigious
abundant in size, force, or extent; extraordinary
-
prolific
producing large volumes or amounts; productive
-
putrefy
to rot; to decay and give off a foul odor
-
-
quiescence
stillness; motionlessness; quality of being at rest
-
redoubtable
awe-inspiring; worthy of honor
-
sanction
authoritative permission or approval
-
satire
a literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor or derision
-
squalid
sordid; wretched and dirty as from neglect
-
stoic
indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain
-
supplant
to take the place of
-
torpid
lethargic; sluggish; dormant
-
ubiquitous
existing everywhere at the same time; constantly encountered
-
urbane
sophisticated; refined; elegant
-
-
-
acumen
keen, accurate judgment or insight
-
adulterate
to reduce purity by combining with inferior ingredients
-
amalgamate
to combine several elements into a whole
-
archaic
outdated; associated with an earlier, perhaps more primitive, time
-
aver
to state as a fact; to declare or assert
-
bolster
to provide support or reinforcement
-
bombastic
pompous; grandiloquent
-
diatribe
a harsh denunciation
-
dissemble
to disguise or conceal; to mislead
-
eccentric
departing from norms or conventions
-
endemic
characteristic of or often found in a particular locality, region, or people
-
evanescent
tending to disappear like vapor; vanishing
-
exacerbate
to make worse or more severe
-
fervent
greatly emotional or zealous
-
fortuitous
happening by accident or chance
-
germane
relevant to the subject at hand; appropriate in subject matter
-
grandiloquence
pompous speech or expression
-
hackneyed
rendered trite or commonplace by frequent usage
-
halcyon
calm and peaceful
-
hedonism
devotion to pleasurable pursuits
-
hegemony
the consistent dominance of one state or ideology over others
-
iconoclast
one who attacks or undermines traditional conventions or institutions
-
idolatrous
given to intense or excessive devotion to something
-
impassive
revealing no emotion
-
imperturbable
marked by extreme calm, impassivity and steadiness
-
implacable
not capable of being appeased or significantly changed
-
impunity
immunity from punishment or penalty
-
inchoate
in an inital stage; not fully formed
-
infelicitous
unfortunate; inappropriate
-
insipid
without taste or flavor; lacking in spirit; bland
-
loquacious
extremely talkative
-
luminous
characterized by brightness and the emission of light
-
malevolent
having or showing often vicious ill will, spite, or hatred
-
malleable
capable of being shaped or formed; pliable
-
mendacity
the condition of being untruthful; dishonesty
-
meticulous
characterized by extreme care and precision; attentive detail
-
misanthrope
one who hates all other humans
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