| abeyance |
n. |
a temporary suspension of function or activity
|
| abominate |
v. |
to hate extremely; to abhor; to detest |
| abrogate |
v. |
to repeal, annul, or abolish an authoritative act, for example, a law, or decree |
| abstemious |
adj. |
refraining from pleasure, and from food or strong drink in
particular |
| abstruse |
adj. |
difficult to comprehend, obscure |
| acerbic |
adj. |
sour, harsh, severe |
| adulterate |
v. |
to corrupt or debase, to make impure |
| alacrity |
n. |
cheerfullness, a readiness or promptness to act or serve
|
| alloy |
v. |
to reduce the purity of a metal by mixing with one less
valuable; to debase by mixing something inferior |
| amalgamate |
v. |
to mix, to blend, to unite, to alloy with mercury
|
| ameliorate |
v. |
to improve, to make better |
| anachronistic |
adj. |
erroneous in date, characterized by being out of its
historical time |
| anagram |
n. |
a word or phrase made from another by rearranging its
letters |
| anathema |
n. |
a ban or curse, a person or thing considered hateful
|
| anhydrous |
adj. |
without water, specifically, water of crystallization
|
| anomalous |
adj. |
deviating from the general rule, unexpected
|
| antipathy |
n. |
inherent adversion or antagonism |
| apocryphal |
adj. |
false, spurious, of doubtful authenticity |
| apotheosis |
n. |
a glorification to the point of making a god
|
| arduous |
adj. |
steep and therefore difficult to ascend, difficult to do,
requiring exertion, dangerous |
| assiduous |
adj. |
diligent, industrious |
| attenuation |
n. |
the act of making fine or thin |
| audacious |
adj. |
bold or adventuresome |
| auspicious |
adj. |
having omens of success; fortunate |
| autonomy |
n. |
self-government, the right of the individual to govern
himself according to one's own reason |
| aver |
v. |
to confirm, to declare to be true |
| bane |
n. |
poison, the cause of injury or mischief |
| beatify |
v. |
to make happy, to bless, to ascribe extraordinary virtue to,
to regard as saintly or blessed |
| bedizen |
v. |
to adorn, especially in a cheap, showy manner
|
| bilge |
n. |
the protuberance of a cask, usually around the middle
|
| blandishment |
n. |
flattery, enticement |
| breach |
n. |
the act of breaking or state of being broken, a gap, a
break, or rupture |
| broach |
v. |
to open up, to mention a subject |
| bruit |
n. |
clamor, uproar |
| burnish |
v. |
to polish by friction |
| cajole |
v. |
to coax, to wheedle |
| calcify |
v. |
to change into a hard, stony condition |
| calk |
v. |
to stop up cracks with filler to prevent the admission of
water |
| calumniate |
v. |
to slander, to accuse a person falsely |
| capitulate |
v. |
to surrender, to give up, to stop resisting
|
| capricious |
adj. |
whimsical, fickle, changeable |
| castigate |
v. |
to chastise, to correct by punishing |
| chastened |
adj. |
corrected, punished |
| coda |
n. |
a final passage in music bringing a composition to a formal
close |
| codicil |
n. |
an appendix or supplement, an addition to a will
|
| coeval |
adj. |
of the same period, existing at the same time
|
| cognizant |
adj. |
having knowledge of something, informed |
| coltish |
adj. |
wanton, frisky, gay |
| compendium |
n. |
a summary, an abstract |
| conjoin |
v. |
to join together, to unite |
| contemn |
v. |
to scorn or despise |
| contentious |
adj. |
argumentative, quarrelsome |
| contumacious |
adj. |
insubordinate, rebellious, disobedient |
| conundrum |
n. |
a perplexing question, a riddle |
| convoluted |
adj. |
rolled up in the form of spiral, coiled |
| countenance |
v. |
to favor, to approve, to give support to |
| craven |
adj. |
cowardly, base |
| cupidity |
n. |
inordinate greed for wealth or power |
| daunt |
v. |
to frighten or intimidate |
| dearth |
n. |
scarcity, lack |
| debacle |
n. |
a breakup, an overthrow, a sudden great disaster
|
| demur |
v. |
to hesitate, to take exception to, to object
|
| denouement |
n. |
the outcome, the solution, the unraveling of a plot
|
| derelict |
adj. |
remiss. negligent |
| derelict |
adj. |
remiss. negligent |
| desiccate |
v. |
to dry completely, to preserve by drying |
| desuetude |
n. |
the cessation of use, disuse |
| desultory |
adj. |
random, passing from one thing to another in a disorganized
way |
| detumescence |
n. |
diminution of swelling |
| diaphanous |
adj. |
transparent or translucent, gauzy |
| diffidence |
n. |
modesty, humility, self-doubt |
| dilatory |
adj. |
causing or tending to cause delay, procrastinating
|
| dilettante |
n. |
a dabbler, a trifler, one who pursues an art desultorily
|
| discombobulate |
v. |
to upset |
| disingenuousness |
n. |
insincerity, cunning, craftiness |
| disparage |
v. |
to belittle, to show disrespect for |
| disparate |
adj. |
not able, dissimilar, distinct or different in kind
|
| dissemble |
v. |
to hide, to conceal, to disguise |
| dissolute |
adj. |
loose in behavior and morals, lewd, debauched
|
| divestiture |
n. |
the deprivation of rank, rights, etc.; the stripping of
clothing, arms |
| doggerel |
n. |
trivial, poorly constructed verse |
| dogmatic |
adj. |
arrogant, dictatorial, authoritative |
| dross |
n. |
waste matter, refuse, any worthless material separated from
the better part |
| ductility |
n. |
the quality of being easily molded or easily led
|
| dulcet |
adj. |
melodious, harmonious |
| ebullience |
n. |
an overflow by boiling, an overflow of enthusiasm, high
spirits |
| eclectic |
adj. |
composed of materials or principles gathered together from
several different places or fields |
| efficacious |
adj. |
effective, capable of producing the desired results
|
| effluvia |
n. |
an outflow in the form of a vapor or stream of invisible
particles, a noxious odor or vapor |
| effrontery |
n. |
boldness, impudence |
| empathy |
n. |
intellectual identification of oneself with another
|
| empirical |
adj. |
based solely on experiements or experience |
| emulate |
v. |
to strive for equality, to compete with successfully
|
| enervate |
v. |
to weaken, to enfeeble |
| enfetter |
v. |
to bind |
| enfranchise |
v. |
to set free, to admit to citizenship, to naturalize
|
| enigma |
n. |
a puzzle, a perplexing statement, a riddle |
| ensconce |
v. |
to cover or shelter, to place comfortably or securely
|
| ephemeral |
adj. |
fleeting, short-lived, transitory |
| epitome |
n. |
a part or thing that is representative of the
characteristics of the whole, a brief summary or abstract
|
| equanimity |
n. |
evenness of mind, calm, composure |
| equipose |
n. |
equal distribution of weight, equilibrium |
| equipose |
n. |
equal distribution of weight, equilibrium |
| equivocate |
v. |
to make vague statements, to mislead intentionally by making
an ambiguous remark |
| erudite |
adj. |
learned, scholarly |
| euphoric |
adj. |
feeling well, buoyant, vigorous |
| evanescent |
adj. |
vanishing, fleeting |
| evince |
v. |
to show clearly, to indicate, to manifest |
| excoriate |
v. |
to flay, to strip, to scratch, to denounce strongly
|
| exculpate |
v. |
to clear from a charge of guilt or fault |
| exonerate |
v. |
to disburden, to relieve of blame, to clear of an imputation
of guilt |
| expunge |
v. |
to blot out, to obliterate, to erase |
| extrapolate |
v. |
to estimate or infer on the basis of certain known variables
|
| extricable |
adj. |
capable of being released, set free or disentangled
|
| factious |
adj. |
causing dissension |
| fallacious |
adj. |
faulty in logic, producing error or mistake, misleading and
disappointing |
| fatuous |
adj. |
complacently stupid or inane |
| felicitous |
adj. |
suitable to the occasion, apt |
| fervid |
adj. |
intense, zealous, impassioned |
| fester |
v. |
to form pus, to become more and more virulent, to rankle, to
grow embittered |
| fester |
v. |
to form pus, to become more and more virulent, to rankle, to
grow embittered |
| fiat |
n. |
an order issue by a legal authority, a sanction or
authorization |
| flout |
v. |
to mock, to sneer |
| foment |
v. |
to stir up, to arouse, to incite, to instigate
|
| frenetic |
adj. |
frantic, frenzied |
| froward |
adj. |
not willing to yield or comply with what is required
|
| frugal |
adj. |
economical, not spending freely |
| fulminate |
v. |
to explode with sudden violence, to shout denunciations
|
| fulsome |
adj. |
disgusting or offensive, especially because of excess
|
| gainsay |
v. |
to deny, to contradict |
| garble |
v. |
to confuse or mix up, to select, to suppress, distort a
story in order to mislead |
| garish |
adj. |
gaudy, too showy |
| garner |
v. |
to store, to gather up and save |
| garrulous |
adj. |
talkative, loquacious |
| germinate |
v. |
to sprout, to start developing or growing |
| gist |
n. |
the main point |
| glut |
v. |
to feed, fill or supply to excess |
| gossamer |
adj. |
light, thin, filmy |
| gratuitous |
adj. |
free, voluntary, not required |
| grouse |
v. |
to complain, to grumble |
| grovel |
v. |
to behave humbly or abjectly |
| hallow |
v. |
to consecrate, to make holly |
| hapless |
adj. |
unlucky, unfortunate |
| hedonistic |
adj. |
self-indulgent, living a life of pleasure |
| hermetic |
adj. |
completely sealed, magical |
| hirsute |
adj. |
hairy, shaggy |
| hone |
v. |
to rub and sharpen |
| ignominious |
adj. |
shameful, dishonorable, disgraceful |
| imbroglio |
n. |
an involved or confusing situation, a confused disagreement
or entanglement |
| immolate |
v. |
to sacrifice, to kill or offer as a sacrifice
|
| impervious |
adj. |
incapable of being penetrated |
| imprecation |
n. |
an invoking of evil, a curse |
| incarcerate |
v. |
to imprison |
| incursion |
n. |
a running in, an invasion, a raid |
| indefatigability |
n. |
the quality of not being easily exhausted |
| indomitable |
adj. |
not easily discouraged or subdued |
| ineluctable |
adj. |
not to be avoided, certain, inevitable |
| ingenuous |
adj. |
frank, open, candid |
| ingratiate |
v. |
to bring oneself into another's favors or good graces
|
| insalubrity |
n. |
unhealthfulness, unwholesomeness |
| insalubrity |
n. |
unhealthfulness, unwholesomeness |
| inscrutable |
adj. |
incapable of being discovered or comprehended
|
| insipid |
adj. |
tasteless, without flavor, wanting spirit or animation
|
| insolvent |
adj. |
unable to pay debts, bankrupt |
| insouciant |
adj. |
unconcerned, carefree |
| intemperance |
n. |
lack of moderation or restraint, addiction to excessive
amounts of alcoholic beverages |
| intransigence |
n. |
refusal to come to an agreement or compromise
|
| intrepid |
adj. |
fearless, brave, undaunted |
| invective |
n. |
a violent verbal attack, a denunciation |
| inveigh |
v. |
to attack verbally, to denounce |
| jocose |
adj. |
merry, given to jesting |
| lachrymose |
adj. |
teary-eyed, mournful, sad |
| laconic |
adj. |
brief, short, pithy |
| lassitude |
n. |
weakness, weariness, languor |
| laudatory |
adj. |
praising |
| lionize |
v. |
to treat as celebrity |
| loquacious |
adj. |
talkative, garrulous |
| loutish |
adj. |
clumsy and stupid, boorish |
| lugubrious |
adj. |
mournful, very sad |
| maladroit |
adj. |
clumsy, awkward, bungling |
| malleable |
adj. |
yielding, amenable, adapting |
| mellifluous |
adj. |
flowing sweetly |
| mendicant |
n. |
a beggar |
| meretricious |
adj. |
alluring by false, showy charms, tawdry |
| metamorphose |
v. |
to change from one form to another |
| minion |
n. |
a favorite, especially one who is a servile follower
|
| misanthropy |
n. |
hatred or distrust of people |
| mitigate |
v. |
to alleviate, to relive, to soften |
| mnemonic |
adj. |
assisting the memory |
| mordant |
adj. |
biting, cutting, caustic or sarcastic |
| morose |
adj. |
gloomy, sullen |
| motility |
n. |
the quality of having the inherent power of motion
|
| multifarious |
adj. |
characterized by great variety or diversity
|
| munificence |
n. |
the quality of being extremely generous |
| nadir |
n. |
the lowest point, the time of greatest depression
|
| narcissism |
n. |
self-love, excessive interest in one's own appearance,
comfort or importance |
| nefarious |
adj. |
wicked, vile |
| nexus |
n. |
a connection, tie or link |
| noisome |
adj. |
noxious to health |
| obdurate |
adj. |
hardened and unrepenting, stubborn, inflexible
|
| obfuscate |
v. |
to darken, to obscure, to muddle |
| obsequious |
adj. |
excessivley willing to serve or obey, servile
|
| obstreperous |
adj. |
noisy, vociferous |
| obtuse |
adj. |
not sharp or pointed, blunt; also, dull-witted
|
| officious |
adj. |
unnecessarily accommodating, meddlesome |
| onerous |
adj. |
burdening, oppressive, laborious |
| opaque |
adj. |
not letting light pass though, not reflecting light, hard to
understand, obscure |
| oscillate |
v. |
to swing to and fro, to be indecisive in purpose or opinion
|
| ossify |
v. |
to settle or fix rigidly into a practice, to become bone
|
| overwrought |
adj. |
overworked, fatigued, nervous, strained |
| paean |
n. |
a song of praise or triumph |
| palliate |
v. |
to make something appear less serious than it is
|
| palpable |
adj. |
that which can be touched, felt or handled, easily perceived
by the senses |
| panegyric |
n. |
a formal speech or praise, a eulogy |
| paradigm |
n. |
a pattern, model, or example |
| paradox |
n. |
a statement that seems contradictory |
| pariah |
n. |
an outcast, someone rejected and despised by others
|
| paucity |
n. |
dearth, scarcity, lack |
| pedagogy |
n. |
the profession or function of teaching |
| pellucid |
adj. |
transparent, easy to understand |
| penury |
n. |
lack of money or property, indigence |
| peregrination |
n. |
the act of traveling from one country to another, wandering
|
| perfidious |
adj. |
violating good faith, proceeding from treachery
|
| perfunctory |
adj. |
performed without care or interest, done automatically
|
| peripheral |
adj. |
pertaining to the outer region of something, as opposed to
the center or core |
| perspicacious |
adj. |
having keen judgment or understanding |
| petrous |
adj. |
like a rock, hard, stony |
| petulant |
adj. |
impatient or irritable |
| phlegmatic |
adj. |
sluggish, dull, apathetic |
| pillory |
v. |
to punish, to hold up to public scorn |
| piquant |
adj. |
agreeably pungent, stimulating |
| pique |
n. |
resentment at being slighted |
| placate |
v. |
to appease or pacify |
| placebo |
n. |
a medicine given merely to humor a patient, especially a
preparation containing no medicine at all |
| plethora |
n. |
overabundance, excess |
| postulate |
v. |
to claim, to assume without proof to be true
|
| precipitous |
adj. |
very steep, by extension, hasty or rash |
| precocious |
adj. |
characterized by premature development |
| predilection |
n. |
a preconceived liking, a preference |
| prig |
n. |
a person who affects great propriety, a smug or pedantic
person |
| proclivity |
n. |
a natural tendency to do something, an inclination, a
leaning towards something |
| prodigality |
n. |
reckless wastefulness |
| profuse |
adj. |
poured forth, given or produced freely and abundantly
|
| proliferate |
v. |
to reproduce in quick succession |
| prolix |
adj. |
long and wordy |
| propinquity |
n. |
nearness in time, place or relationship, affinity of nature
|
| propitiatory |
adj. |
having the power to make atonement |
| prosaic |
adj. |
dull, commonplace, tedious |
| proscribe |
v. |
to outlaw, banish, exile or prohibit |
| proselytize |
v. |
to make converts |
| protuberance |
n. |
the part of a thing that protrudes, a bulge
|
| pundit |
n. |
a person of great learning |
| quaff |
v. |
to drink or swallow in large quantities |
| quixotic |
adj. |
extravagantly chivalrous or romantically idealistic,
impractical |
| raffish |
adj. |
disreputable, tawdry |
| rail |
v. |
to speak bitterly or reproachfully, to complain violently
|
| ramify |
v. |
to be divided or subdivided, to branch |
| rampant |
adj. |
flourishing, spreading unchecked, violent and uncontrollable
in action |
| rapacious |
adj. |
given to plunder, voracious, greedy |
| rarefaction |
n. |
the making of something thinner or less dense, the making of
something purer or more refined |
| ratiocination |
n. |
the act or process of something |
| raucous |
adj. |
harsh, hoarse, rough-sounding |
| recalcitrant |
adj. |
obstinate, refusing to obey authority, noncompliant
|
| recidivism |
n. |
a chronic relapse into antisocial behavior patterns
|
| recondite |
adj. |
profound, abstruse, concealed |
| recreancy |
n. |
cowardice, a cowardly giving up |
| redoubtable |
adj. |
formidable, to be feared or dreaded |
| refractory |
adj. |
stubborn, obstinate |
| refute |
v. |
to prove a person or argument wrong |
| reprobate |
n. |
a depraved, vicious person |
| reticent |
adj. |
habitually silent, uncommunicative |
| ribald |
adj. |
characterized by coarse joking, vulgar |
| rubric |
n. |
a heading, title, or category |
| salient |
adj. |
conspicuous, prominent, highly relevant |
| sanguine |
adj. |
cheerful, confident, optimistic |
| saturnine |
adj. |
gloomy, morose |
| saucy |
adj. |
impudent, rude |
| savant |
n. |
a knowledgeable or learned person |
| sedulous |
adj. |
assiduous, diligent, persevering |
| seminal |
adj. |
like seed, constituting a source, originative
|
| sententious |
adj. |
short and pithy, often full of maxims and proverbs, trite
|
| shard |
n. |
a piece or fragment of an earthen vessel or of any brittle
substance |
| sinuous |
adj. |
winding, serpentine, undulating |
| slake |
v. |
to assuage, to satisfy, to allay |
| sloth |
n. |
habitual indolence or laziness |
| sophomoric |
adj. |
self-assured although immature, affected, bombastic
|
| soporific |
adj. |
tending to cause sleep, characterized by sleepiness
|
| spate |
n. |
an unusually large outpouring |
| specious |
adj. |
simulating, resembling or apparently corresponding with
right or truth |
| splenetic |
adj. |
bad-tempered, irritable |
| sporadic |
adj. |
happening from time to time, not constant or regular,
occasional |
| spurious |
adj. |
counterfeit, fraudulent |
| squalid |
adj. |
foul, filthy, extremely dirty |
| staid |
adj. |
sober, sedate, steady |
| stentorian |
adj. |
extremely loud or powerful |
| stigma |
n. |
a mark of disgrace or reproach, a mark or sign indicating
that something is not normal |
| stymie |
v. |
to hinder or obstruct, to check or blot |
| sunder |
v. |
to part, to separate, to break apart |
| sundry |
adj. |
various, miscellaneous, separate |
| surreptitious |
adj. |
secretive, cladestine |
| sycophant |
n. |
a person who seeks favor though flattery, a parasite
|
| tacit |
adj. |
silent |
| tawdry |
adj |
cheap, gaudy, showy |
| tenacity |
n. |
persistence, firmness of hold |
| tendentious |
adj. |
characterized by a deliberate tendency or aim
|
| tenuous |
adj. |
unsubstantial, slight, flimsy, weak |
| timorous |
adj. |
fearful, timid |
| torpor |
n. |
a state of dormancy, dullness, apathy |
| tractable |
adj. |
easily led, taught or managed |
| transient |
adj. |
temporary, fleeting |
| trenchant |
adj. |
keen, penetrating, incisive |
| trepidation |
n. |
fear, agitation |
| truculence |
n. |
the quality of being fierce, savage or cruel
|
| turbid |
adj. |
thick, dense, cloudy |
| turgid |
adj. |
swollen, bloated, inflated |
| turpitude |
n. |
wickedness, shamefulness |
| untoward |
adj. |
perverse, unruly, unseemly |
| upbraid |
v. |
to scold or chide, to reprove, ro reproach |
| vacillate |
v. |
to hesitate, to waver |
| vacuity |
n. |
the quality of being empty, lack of intelligence, inanity
|
| vapid |
adj. |
tasteless, flavorless, dull, uninteresting |
| venerate |
v. |
to look upon with deep respect, to revere |
| viscid |
adj. |
thick, sticky, viscous |
| volatile |
adj. |
evaporating rapidly, lively, changeable or fickle
|
| voluble |
adj. |
speaking glibly, talking with ease |
| welter |
v. |
to roll about or wallow |
| zeal |
n. |
ardor, eager interest or
enthusiasm |
