| abacus |
frame
with balls used for calculating |
| abate |
to
lessen, subside |
| abdication |
formal relinquishing of power or authority; resignation |
| aberration |
straying
away from what is natural or normal; deviation |
| abet |
to help, encourage
someone in wrongdoing |
| abeyance |
suspended
action; temporary inactivity |
| abhor |
to
hate, detest |
| abide |
to be
faithful; to endure |
| abjure |
to promise
or swear to give up |
| abraded |
rubbed
off, worn away by friction |
| abrogate |
to repeal
or annul by authority |
| abscond |
to
go away suddenly (to avoid arrest) |
| abstruse |
difficult
to comprehend; obscure |
| abut |
to border
on |
| abysmal |
bottomless; profoundly, extremely bad
|
| acarpous |
effete; worn out; sterile;
no longer fertile |
| acclaimed |
welcomed
with shouts and approval |
| accolade |
praise,
approval |
| accretion |
the
growing of separate things into one; an addition |
| adamant |
kind
of stone; inflexible |
| admonitory |
containing a
warning; tending to admonish |
| adorn |
add
beauty to; decorate |
| adulteration |
making impure or poorer in quality |
| affable |
polite
and friendly |
| affinity |
a natural liking for something; an inherent similarity |
| aggravate |
to make
worse; to irritate |
| agile |
active,
quick-moving, well-coordinated |
| agog |
eager/excited |
| ail |
to cause pain or trouble to;
to be ill |
| alacrity |
eager
and cheerful readiness |
| alcove |
recessed part of a room; partially
enclosed space |
| allegiance |
duty,
support, loyalty |
| alleviate |
to make
(pain) easier to bear |
| alloy |
to
debase by mixing with something inferior; a mixture of two or more metals |
| aloof |
reserved,
seemingly indifferent |
| amalgamate |
mix,
combine, unite |
| ambidextrous |
able
to use the left hand and the right equally well |
| ambiguous |
doubtful,
uncertain; having several possible meanings or explanations |
| ambivalent |
having
both of two contrary desires; uncertain; unable to make a decision |
| ameliorate |
to improve,
make better |
| amortize |
to end
(a debt) by making periodic payments |
| anguish |
severe
suffering |
| animosity |
strong
dislike |
| antidote |
medicine
used against a poison or a disease |
| antithetical |
directly
opposed; opposite |
| apartheid |
brutal
racial discrimination |
| aplomb |
self-confidence |
| apostate |
one
who abandons long-held religious or political convictions |
| apotheosis |
deification,
glorification of a person to the rank of a God; the highest point of something |
| appease |
to make
quiet or calm; to soothe, pacify |
| apprehensive |
anxious or nervous about future happenings; perceptive |
| apprise |
to give
notice; to inform |
| approbation |
approval |
| apropos |
appropriate
to the situation, apt, pertinent |
| apt |
well-suited;appropriate; able to learn quickly |
| arabesque |
a
complex, ornate design; a ballet pose; a short musical piece |
| arboreal |
of or having to do with trees |
| ardor |
enthusiasm; passion; great warmth |
| arduous |
requiring much exertion; laborious; difficult to climb |
| argot |
jargon
slang |
| arrant |
completely such; downright; wandering |
| arrogance |
proud, self-important manner of behaviour |
| articulate |
to speak
distinctly; enunciate; expressing oneself clearly; connected by joints |
| ascend |
to go
or clime upward |
| ascertain |
to learn with certainty, determine |
| ascetic |
practicing
self-denial, austere, stark |
| ascribe |
to attribute to a certain cause or origin; to assign a quality (to someone or something) |
| aseptic |
surgically
clean (free of germs or microorganisms); lacking emotion |
| asperity |
roughness;
harshness, ill temper, irritability |
| aspersion |
slander; the act of slander |
| assail |
to
attack violently |
| assiduous |
diligent,
hard-working, sedulous; continuous, unremitting |
| assuage |
to make
something (pain, hunger, desire) less severe |
| asterisk |
the
symbol * used to indicate an omission or reference (e.g. omitted letters, a footnote) |
| astringent |
harsh, severe; biting, cutting (as wit or criticism); in medicine, substance that contracts tissue |
| astute |
having or displaying keen judgement; clever, shrewd |
| atonement |
amends or reparation made for a wrong or injury
death of Jesus |
| attenuate |
to reduce in strength, force or effectiveness (weaken, enervate) |
| attune |
to bring
into harmony or accord |
| audacious |
extremely daring or bold, sometimes to the point of recklessness; highly original or without regard for convention; insolent
|
| augury |
omen,
sign; the practice of divining or predicting |
| august |
majestic,
venerable |
| auspicious |
favorable, promising; fortunate,
successful, prosperous |
| austere |
severely
moral and strict; serious, solemn; very simple and plain |
| auxiliary |
additional, supplementary; helping,
supporting; a reserve or backup used when needed |
| aver |
affirm,
assert, prove, justify |
| aversion |
a strong
dislike;, antipathy; the act of turning away from (something) |
| avid |
enthusiastic, keenly devoted, eager,
greedy |
| avow |
to declare openly; to admit, acknowledge
|
| baleful |
having a harmful influence, pernicious; miserable, wretched
|
| balk |
to halt (i.e. at an unpleasant obstacle)
and refuse to go on |
| baneful |
causing
harm or ruin, pernicious; having a poisonous or destructive influence |
| barrage |
a barrier of gunfire intended to protect troops; an onslaught of spoken or written words |
| barren |
unfruitful, empty, unproductive (as land); incapable of producing offspring, sterile |
| bask |
to lie in, and
enjoy, warmth and light |
| beatify |
to
make blessedly happy; in religion, to declare a deceased person blessed |
| bedizen |
to
adorn, especially in a cheap, showy manner |
| belabor |
to work at or work on; to assail verbally or physically |
| bellicose |
of or relating to war; belligerent,
pugnacious |
| belligerent |
engaged in warfare; of or relating to war, warlike |
| benefactor |
one who gives aid, financial or otherwise, to another person or institution |
| benevolence |
kindness, goodwill (towards man or men); an act of kindness or charity |
| benign |
gentle and kind of disposition; mild (climate); in medicine, not malignant |
| bequest |
arrangement
to give smth at death |
| berate |
to scold
sharply |
| bereft |
(to be, or to have been) deprived or robbed of something; oft. used in relation to death: "bereft by his relative's passing" |
| bewilder |
to puzzle,
confuse; to lead mentally astray |
| bigot |
one stubbornly devoted to one's own beliefs, practices, etc, often leading to intolerance towards those not holding the same beliefs |
| bilge |
to bulge; the protuberant part of a cask, a bulge; slang; something offensive or worthless |
| blandishment |
coaxing or cajoling speech or action, flattery; anything alluring |
| bland |
comforting, soothing, smooth (in manner, quality or action); uninteresting, dull, insipid |
| blatant |
brazenly obvious; offensively obtrusive, noisy, clamorous, demanding attention |
| blithe |
having a cheerful or jocund disposition, light-hearted, carefree |
| bogus |
not genuine, fictitious, counterfeit, a sham |
| boisterous |
tumultuous, loud, noisy rough |
| bolster |
to hold up or support, often with great effort; a pillow or cushion acting as a physical support |
| boorish |
crude, uncultured, rude |
| brash |
impudent, tactlessly hasty or rash (esp. in social situations); a pile of debris |
| brass |
yellow
metal (an alloy of copper and zinc); a reddish yellow-gold color; impudence, bold self-assurance |
| brazen |
made of blass; like brass; of or exhibiting extreme, sometimes offensive, boldness or assurance |
| breach |
to break through or create an opening (in something); the opening resulting from a breach; a violation of a low or agreement |
| brittle |
easily
broken, fragile |
| broach |
to bring
up, introduce as a topic of conversation; to make public, announce, publish first; an incision |
| brook |
to
tolerate, endure; a small stream |
| buoyant |
able
to float; supporting a floating object; light-hearted, cheerful |
| burgeon |
to bud, sprout; to grow
forth, emerge |
| burnish |
to
polish, rub to a shine |
| cabal |
a secret association; the secret artifices or schemes of such an association, intrigue |
| cadge |
to hawk or peddle; to beg, to get by begging; the act or practice of begging |
| cajole |
to use
flattery or deceit to persuade, coax, wheedle |
| calipers |
measuring instrument used to measure diameters, thicknesses, etc.; to measure with such a tool |
| calumny |
intentional false accusation; slander,
aspersion |
| candid |
impartial, without undue bias; frank,
straightforward, open |
| cant |
insincere
talk, pretense; the shared or secret language of a particular profession, sect, religion, etc.; jargon, lingo |
| cantankerous |
bad-tempered, cranky, quarrelsome |
| canvass |
discuss
thoroughly sort of touting |
| castigate |
to discuss thoroughly, scrutinize, debate; to solicit or seek support, pledges, votes, etc (i.e. for an organization or political candidate) |
| castigation |
severe
punishment or criticism |
| catalyst |
something
that causes an increase in rate or precipitates an outcome |
| caustic |
bitingly, bitterly
sarcastic |
| censure |
a formal expression
of disapproval |
| centurion |
a leader
of a unit of 100 soldiers, originally of the Roman army |
| chary |
cautious, unrevealing |
| chastened |
to be restrained, moderated, put in one's place |
| chastisement |
severe punishment |
| chauvinist |
a
blindly, excessively devoted member of a group |
| chicanery |
legal
trickery; false argument |
| chisel |
steel
tool for shaping materials; to cut, shape with a chisel |
| churl |
a bad-tempered
person |
| clamor |
to shout,
complain with a lot of noise; a wall of loud, confused noise |
| clientele |
customers as a general whole |
| clinch |
to settle conclusively; to fasten, secure |
| cling |
to
resist separation; to hold on, stick to persistently |
| clot |
half-solid
lump formed from liquid |
| cloture |
to end a debate by voting in an assembly; the procedure for concluding debate and voting in an assembly |
| coagulation |
to change
to a thick or solid state |
| coalescing |
coming
together and uniting into one substance |
| coax |
to gradually persuade, convince someone to do something, often through flattery |
| coda |
a concluding passage
in a musical work that possesses a separate, distinct quality from the rest of the work |
| coddle |
to treat
with excessive care and tenderness |
| coerce |
to compel, force |
| coeval |
of
the same period, date |
| cogent |
clear, forceful,
convincing, often of thought, argument, writing |
| cogitate |
to think
deeply, meditate |
| cognizant |
being
fully aware of |
| colander |
a straining bowl |
| collusion |
secret, often illegal
agreement for a deceitful purpose |
| combustion |
the chemical process
of burning |
| commemorate |
to ceremonially honor the memory of |
| commodious |
having ample space, comfort |
| commuter |
a person
who regularly travels a fair distance from home to work |
| complaisance |
tending
to comply; willingness to please |
| compunction |
feeling
of regret for one's action |
| conceal |
to hide from view; to
keep secret |
| conceit |
too much pride; an artistic flourish or device |
| conciliatory |
intending to pacify, calm, smooth over |
| concord |
agreement
or harmony |
| concur |
to agree
in opinion; to happen together, at the same time |
| condense |
to increase
in density, concentration; to make shorter; to be transformed from gas to liquid |
| condone |
to give allowance, clearance for action, behaviour commonly deemed improper |
| congeal |
to make
or become solid or whole |
| conjoin |
to
join together |
| connoisseur |
an expert in a specific area of taste, culture (e.g.. in art) |
| connotation |
a tone or feeling that is suggested of a word or phrase in addition to its explicit meaning |
| consequential |
coming as a result; of some importance |
| console |
to give
comfort or sympathy to someone in grief or otherwise saddened |
| conspicuous |
quite visible, easily
seen; attracting attention |
| consternation |
surprised dismay |
| constrain |
to compel one towards a course of action; to intensely restrict |
| constrict |
to make
tight, smaller, or narrower |
| consume |
to take in; to eat, drink; to buy; to get
to the end of; to use up all the attention, energy, or supply of |
| consummate |
perfect; of exemplary quality, skill; to make
perfect; to complete, often through sexual intercourse |
| contemn |
to
scorn or despise |
| contentious |
argumentative; involving dispute or disagreement |
| contiguous |
touching,
neighboring; sharing a border; following in sequence |
| contrite |
feeling sincere regret, guilt for wrongdoing |
| contumacious |
insubordinate,
rebellious |
| conundrum |
a
riddle, dilemma; a tricky situation or problem |
| conviction |
formal announcement of someone's legal guilt; a firm belief, holding |
| convoke |
to call
together, summon |
| convoluted |
extremely complicated, tough to follow; extremely twisted, coiled |
| cordial |
warm
and sincere |
| cordon |
line or circle of officers, guards preventing access, entrance; to prevent entrance by blocking or surrounding ("cordon off") |
| cornucopia |
joyously abundant
supply of something |
| corporeal |
of or relating to the body, as opposed to the spirit |
| correlate |
to have
a shared, balanced relationship |
| corroboration |
additional, supporting evidence |
| countenance |
to
accept or approve of; a person's facial composition or expression |
| counterfeit |
forgery |
| countervail |
to counterbalance |
| covert |
covered up, secret, not displayed |
| covetous |
eagerly
desirous, possessive |
| cower |
to crouch,
shrink back in fear |
| coy |
strategically pretending to be shy, modest |
| crass |
lacking sensitivity, delicacy, intelligence |
| cravat |
piece
of linen worn as a necktie |
| craven |
cowardly |
| crease |
folded or crushed line, wrinkle, or ridge |
| credulity |
an overreadiness to believe things |
| credulous |
overly ready
to believe things |
| crush |
to press, squeeze, overwhelm; to disappoint badly; an intense, fleeting infatuation for someone |
| cryptic |
containing obscure, secret meaning |
| cumbersome |
heavy and awkward to carry; a burden to deal with |
| curmudgeon |
a bad-tempered, cranky
person, often applied to an older personality |
| curriculum |
course
of study |
| cursory |
overly quick,
hurried |
| curtail |
to shorten, reduce, or restrict |
| dainty |
small, delicate, precious; quite difficult to please |
| daunt |
to intimidate,
make fearful |
| dawdler |
a person
who wastes time, moves slowly |
| dearth |
a shortage, lack |
| debacle |
a sudden, thorough, embarrassing failure |
| decorum |
the display of proper, respectful social behaviour
|
| decree |
official order
given by authority |
| decry |
to strongly, publically disapprove
of |
| defer |
to postpone;
to humbly give way to another |
| deferential |
showing
respect |
| defiance |
open
disobedience or resistance |
| delineate |
to
portray, depict; to clearly mark out boundaries |
| deluge |
a great
flood; heavy rush, falling of water |
| demagogue |
a leader who gains favor, power by appealing to popular fears or crude desires rather than to reason |
| demur |
to raise objection, doubt |
| denigrate |
to blacken, sully, unfairly criticize |
| denouement |
the climax or closing period in a work where the plot is tied together and threads are resolved, mysteries revealed, etc. |
| deplete |
to use
until very little or none remains |
| deposition |
dethronement; the offering of testimony; the act of putting in, depositing |
| deprave |
to make
morally bad, corrupt |
| deprecate |
to protest
against; to present disapproval |
| dereliction |
state of desertion, abandonment and subsequent ruin |
| derision |
hostile, dismissive ridicule |
| derivative |
unoriginal, watered-down;
obtained, based from another source; a word derived from a root (derivatively is a derivative of derivative) |
| derogatory |
insulting and insensitive; damaging |
| descry |
to catch
sight of, often in the distance |
| desiccant |
substance
used to absorb moisture |
| desuetude |
cessation
of use; state of disuse |
| desultory |
aimless,
haphazard; lacking enthusiasm or focus |
| deter |
to discourage,
hinder |
| detraction |
a slandering, verbal attack |
| detumescence |
diminishing
or lessening of swelling, arousal |
| deviance |
a departure from common moral or social standards |
| dexterity |
skill
(esp. in handling) |
| diaphanous |
light, transparent ,
gauzy |
| diatribe |
a bitter
and violent attack in words |
| diffidence |
meek shyness, modesty |
| dilate |
to make or become larger, wider; to speak or write
comprehensively |
| disallow |
to refuse
to accept as valid |
| discern |
to make out, distinguish
with effort |
| discomfit |
to embarrass, make uncomfortable |
| disconcert |
to upset, unsettle, cause worry |
| discountenance |
to refuse
to approve of; to disrupt the stability of |
| discourse |
spoken or written expression; formal, authoritative discussion of a topic; to speak, write extensively, authoritatively |
| discredit |
to ruin the reputation of; to cause doubt in something |
| discreet |
careful, unobtrusive in one's behaviour or appearance |
| discrete |
individually
distinct |
| disdain |
contempt; a feeling of dismissiveness, disapproval |
| disencumber |
to free
from burden, obstacle, impediment |
| disheveled |
untidy |
| disingenuous |
insincere, decieving, often by not revealing the extent of one's knowledge |
| disinter |
to dig
up from the earth, often a corpse; to discover something well-hidden |
| dislodge |
to move,
force from a fixed place or position |
| dismal |
sad,
gloomy, miserable |
| disparate |
essentially
different |
| disproof |
facts or actions that prove something is untrue |
| dissemble |
to conceal true motives or feelings, often in speech
|
| disseminate |
to distribute, spread widely, especially ideas or information |
| dissent |
to express
a different, opposing opinion; the expression of this opinion |
| dissolution |
disintegration; closing down, breaking down of a body, assembly, etc.;
looseness in morals |
| distraught |
extremely upset and uncomfortable |
| divergence |
the state of developing, splitting in a different direction; a split, break in agreement |
| divestiture |
the action of selling off, getting rid of investments or interests |
| divulge |
to make known something private or secret
|
| doggerel |
poorly constructed verse approaching nonsense |
| dogmatic |
repeatedly asserting indisputable truth of a belief, principle |
| dolt |
a stupid, hollow-headed
fellow |
| dormant |
in
a temporary state of inactivity, rest |
| dote |
to show
much unwavering fondness for; to center one's attention |
| drawl |
a slow, relaxed
way of speaking, characterized by elongated vowel sounds; to speak in this manner |
| droll |
unusually, curiously amusing |
| drone |
to hum continuously in a low pitch; to monotonously go on and on; a male
bee or, figuratively, a person, who does no work; a remote-controlled, pilotless aircraft |
| drowsiness |
a lethargic, sleepy, half-awake feeling |
| dubious |
feeling
doubt; causing doubt in its truth or moral value |
| dud |
a thing of no
use; a good-for-nothing; not functioning properly |
| dulcet |
melodious,
harmonious, soothing |
| dupe |
to trick,
make a fool of; a victim of such deception |
| duplicity |
deliberate
deception |
| duress |
threats, pressure intended to compel one to go against one's will |
| dwarf |
abnormally small person, creature, or member of a species; to make something else appear tiny in comparison |
| dynamo |
a machine converting mechanical energy into electric energy; an especially energetic person |
| earthenware |
glazed pottery, especially dishes,
made of baked clay |
| ebullience |
exuberance;
outburst of hopeful feeling |
| ebullient |
overflowing
with enthusiasm, showing excitement; boiling |
| ecumenical |
representing, related to
the whole Christian world |
| edacious |
voracious,
devouring |
| eddy |
circular
or spiral movement, often of water or wind |
| edible |
able to be eaten; not poisonous |
| effete |
overdelicate, overrefined to the point of being ineffectual, impotent |
| efficacy |
the power, ability to produce a desired result |
| effluvia |
an outflow
in a stream of particles; a noxious, unpleasant odor or vapor |
| effrontery |
galling boldness, arrogance |
| egress |
an opening for exit, departure; the act of exiting; to go out |
| elaborate |
worked
out with much care, in great detail; lengthy, long-winded; to present in detail; to add more detail |
| elegy |
a poem of
lament; a melacholy, mournful work |
| elicit |
to draw
out, produce, often as a direct response to one's action or inquiry |
| eloquence |
the skillful, artful use of language |
| emaciate |
to make extremely, dangerously
thin or weak, often from lack of food |
| embellish |
to make more
beautiful or interesting by adding on decoration or details not previously present; to tell small lies in the service of improving a story or statement |
| embezzle |
to steal, misuse money belonging to one's company or a common trust |
| emote |
to display emotion in a theatrical or dramatic manner |
| empirical |
relying, based
on experiment, rather than through pure logic or reasoning |
| encapsulate |
to enclose
in capsule; to aptly express, characterize very succinctly |
| encomium |
writing or speech of warm, glowing praise |
| encumbrance |
a burden; something that blocks, gets in the way |
| endearing |
making lastingly
dear or liked |
| endemic |
regularly, problematically found in a certain type or area |
| endorse |
to give public, official support or recommendation; to write
one's name on the back of |
| enduring |
long-lasting, continuing |
| enervate |
to weaken,
deprive of strength |
| engender |
to give rise to, produce, make possible |
| engrave |
to deeply, permanently make an impression; to carve into a hard object |
| engrossing |
taking up all one's attention, time, because of its great interest |
| engulf |
to swallow
up or surround completely |
| enigma |
something
that is puzzling, paradoxical, difficult to understand |
| enmity |
open opposition, hostility |
| ensign |
a flag or badge, often representing nationality or association; a middle ranking navy or coast guard officer; a standard bearer |
| entangle |
to cause to be caught up, ensnared in; to put
into complicated, tough to escape difficulties |
| enthrall |
to capture the undivided attention of; to please
greatly; to enslave |
| entice |
to tempt
or persuade by offering something appealing, irresistable |
| entreat |
to ask
earnestly, pleadingly |
| enunciate |
to pronounce clearly, carefully; to clearly express a theory |
| enzyme |
a biologically produced catalyst |
| epicurean |
strongly devoted
to sensuous pleasure; or a person with this devotion |
| epistle |
a literary creation in the form of a letter; a letter from an Apostle in the New Testament |
| epithet |
an adjective describing a characteristic quality; an abusive, scathing description |
| epitome |
a perfect
example, representative of a type |
| equable |
steady,
regular; not easily disturbed, affected |
| equanimity |
calmness, evenness
of temperament |
| equilibrium |
state
of opposing forces being balanced |
| equipoise |
equal
distribution, balance of weight |
| equivocal |
having
an uncertain or double meaning; suspicious |
| equivocate |
to attempt
to deceive through ambiguous speech |
| eradicate |
to get
rid of entirely; to pull up by the roots |
| erratic |
irregular, unpredictable
in behaviour or opinion |
| erudite |
quite learned,
scholarly |
| eschew |
to avoid, not take part in |
| esoteric |
specialized, detailed to the point where only a small number can likely understand; abstruse |
| espouse |
to give one's support to; to marry |
| eulogy |
formal
praise, often of one who has just died |
| euphoria |
state of elated, intense excitement |
| euthanasia |
the painless killing of a patient suffering from terminal illness |
| evasive |
tending
to avoid directness, firm comittment; directed towards escape, avoidance |
| evince |
to
show, reveal clearly; to indicate |
| evoke |
to bring out, up; to recall |
| excoriation |
severe, brutal
criticism |
| exculpate |
to
clear from a charge of guilt |
| exhaustive |
complete,
thorough, comprehensive |
| exigency |
emergency;
an urgent situation |
| exoneration |
the official clearing, absolving of someone from blame, guilt, fault |
| exorbitant |
unjustifiably expensive or high |
| expatiate |
to
roam, wander; to speak or write freely and at some length |
| expedient |
a useful, convenient means, often somewhat improper or short-sighted; appropriate, suitable |
| expiation |
atonement |
| exploit |
to make complete use of; to use unfairly, selfishly |
| expostulate |
to argue
earnestly; to attempt to dissuade |
| expurgate |
to
remove obscenity, objectionable content; to censor |
| exscind |
to
cut out, cut away |
| extant |
still
in existence |
| extempore |
done without
previous thought or preparation |
| extenuate |
to reduce
the strength of; to partially excuse; to make thin |
| extinct |
no
longer living, in existence |
| extinguish |
to put out (as a fire or light); to end
the existence of; to cancel or nullify |
| extirpate |
to
search and destroy completely, exterminate |
| extol |
praise
highly, deeply |
| extort |
to obtain
by threats, violence, unfair pressure |
| extralegal |
outside
the law, not controlled by law |
| extricable |
able to be freed, separated from some entanglement |
| extrovert |
an exceptionally outgoing
person; a person concerned mostly with external matters |
| exuberance |
a state of vigorous energy, liveliness; a state of dramatic growth |
| facetious |
humorous, not serious, often cryptically or without appropriate respect |
| facile |
superficial, ignoring detail, complexity; easily or quickly
done |
| fallacious |
based
on an error in logic, reasoning, or argument |
| falter |
to waver; to move, proceed
in an uncertain, hesitant manner; |
| fatuous |
without
sense, foolish, silly |
| fawn |
a baby
deer; to excessively, slavishly express affection or devotion in order to win favor |
| feckless |
lacking
purpose or vitality; ineffective, careless |
| fecund |
fertile; capable of producing an abundance |
| feint |
a pretend or deceptive blow or attack; |
| felicitous |
apt, well chosen; fortunately pleasant |
| felon |
a person
convicted of a serious, often violent, crime |
| ferment |
to cause or undergo fementation; to stir up or develop unpleasantness, trouble |
| ferocity |
savage, determined
intensity and brutality |
| ferret |
a so-ugly-its-cute domesticated polecat; to vigorously dig, search |
| fervid |
excessively enthusiastic, passionate |
| fervor |
a burning, passionate feeling |
| fetid |
stinking, foul |
| fetter |
to
shackle, put in chains; to restrict movement or opportunity |
| feud |
a bitter, long-standing dispute or hostility, often violent |
| fidelity |
a complete loyalty, comittment, faithfulness to something;
the degree of accuracy, exactness in a reproduction |
| fidget |
to repeatedly, restlessly make small movements; to make nervous, uneasy |
| figurehead |
a powerless, stand-in ruler; the carved
image on the prow of a ship |
| finesse |
a delicate, subtle
way of dealing with a situation; graceful manipulation |
| finicky |
overly fussy, picky over decisions, needs |
| fission |
the splitting
or division of something into parts |
| fixate |
to intensely stare
at; to obsessively focus on to the exclusion of all else |
| flak |
broadly voiced criticism; anti-aircraft
guns |
| flamboyant |
brightly
colored; commonly attracting attention because of an exuberence, flashiness in style, behaviour |
| flaunt |
to show off, present rather brazenly, enthusiastically; to provocatively behave or dress |
| flax |
pale
yellow; a specific blue plant, or its famed fibrous content |
| fledged |
able
to fly, usually of a young bird; having recently taken on a specific role |
| fleet |
a very large group
of organized ships; quick-moving, light-stepping; to pass quickly |
| flinch |
to nervously react, draw back, wince instinctively to some stimulus, encounter; |
| flop |
to fall back, sit suddenly; to move
clumsily; to fail completely and notably |
| florid |
enthusiastically, intricately ornamental; containing a flushed red nature, often of a face |
| flout |
to blatantly reject, disregard; to mock, dismiss |
| fluke |
a lucky
stroke, success, unlikely to occur again |
| fluster |
to make one nervous or confused and thus upset their progress or movement |
| foible |
a slight defect, annoyance
of character |
| foil |
to prevent
from carrying out, succeeding; a person or thing that contrasts or conflicts with another so as to more clearly reveal their nature or strengths; thin sheet of flexible metal typically used for wrapping food |
| foment |
to stir up violence, conflict |
| foolproof |
incapable
of failure or error |
| foppish |
like
a man who pays too much attention to his clothes, appearance |
| forage |
to search widely for food, supplies or the search itself; food
for horses and cattle |
| forbear |
to patiently
refrain from taking action on a desire, impuse; ancestor, variant of forebear
|
| forbearance |
patience;
willingness to wait; delaying a claim on a debt |
| ford |
a shallow
area in a river, allowing one to cross |
| forestall |
to prevent an outcome
by taking action in advance; to preempt |
| forfeit |
to suffer
the loss of something on account of a violation of the rules |
| forge |
to make by heating or hammering; to build, produce, create something new; to produce a copy posing as genuine |
| forgery |
a work of counterfeit |
| forswear |
to renounce, give up; to commit perjury |
| foster |
to nurture, encourage the growth of; to develop in oneself |
| fracas |
a noisy and wild dispute, quarrel |
| fragile |
easily
injured, broken,cas or destroyed |
| fragrant |
sweet-smelling |
| frantic |
wildly
excited with joy, pain, or anxiety; somewhat out of control on account of a fast pace |
| frenetic |
wildly energetic,
frenzied |
| fret |
to be constantly worried; to cause concern; to wear away |
| fringe |
ornamental edge, border; part of hair over the forehead; far outside the mainstream, majority |
| froward |
intractable; stubborn; difficult to deal with |
| frugal |
economical, slightly overcautious with money |
| fulmination |
bitter, explosive
protest |
| fulsome |
excessively, offensively flattering |
| gainsay |
to
deny, oppose, contradict |
| garble |
to repeat something in a confused or distorted way |
| garment |
an article
of clothing |
| garner |
to
gather, collect, often information; to store up |
| garrulity |
talkativeness |
| garrulous |
too
talkative |
| gaucherie |
socially
awkward, inept behavior |
| germane |
relevant,
pertinent to |
| gist |
the general or central sense, point |
| glean |
to gather
facts or items piece by piece, bit by bit |
| glib |
smooth, overconfident, and insincere |
| glimmer |
weak, unsteady
light; to shine with such a light |
| gloat |
to observe one's own success or another's suffering with a distasteful pleasure |
| glut |
an overabundance; to supply in excess |
| gnaw |
to bite steadily; to cause persistent worry, anxiety |
| goad |
something encouraging, instigating action; to provoke, harass someone into a response or action |
| gorge |
to eat
greedily, excessively; a narrow valley with a stream |
| gossamer |
soft,
light, delicate material, like cobwebs |
| gouge |
tool
for cutting grooves in wood; to cut into brutally; to overcharge |
| grandiloquent |
using
pompous words, long-winded language |
| grave |
quite serious;
requiring consideration, alarm |
| graze |
to touch
or scrape lightly, in passing; to consume grass in a field |
| gregarious |
sociable, enjoying interaction, people; living in groups, communities, of animals or plants |
| grievous |
serious, dire, causing pain |
| grovel |
to crawl or lie face down; to shamefully beg, plead for favor or forgiveness |
| guile |
clever, sly smarts |
| gullible |
easily convinced of dubious claims; easily deceived, fooled |
| gush |
to burst, flow
out suddenly and abundantly; to express with great or exaggerated enthusiasm |
| gust |
a sudden burst of wind, rain, fire, emotion, etc. |
| hack |
to cut, chop at
roughly; to illegally gain access to information or servers on a computer; a hired riding horse; a writer, creator of unoriginal, shabby material |
| halcyon |
of a calm
and peaceful state or period |
| hallow |
to
make holy, consecrate |
| harangue |
a
long, passionate, and wildly critical speech |
| harbinger |
a person or thing that foretells the coming of something |
| harrow |
to cause great, lingering distress |
| haughty |
loudly arrogant,
conceited |
| heed |
to give
notice to, follow |
| heinous |
particularly awful, wicked, often of a crime |
| heresy |
belief dramatically or profoundly
contrary to what is generally accepted |
| hermetic |
completely sealed; protected, closed from the outside |
| heterogeneous |
made
up of different kinds |
| hew |
to cut, chop by striking; to follow, conform |
| highbrow |
of superior, often pretentious tastes |
| hirsute |
hairy,
shaggy |
| hoax |
mischievous, somewhat elaborate
trick of deception, misrepresentation |
| hoi polloi |
literally, "the many" in Greek; negative term for the common masses |
| hollow |
of an object, containing nothing; having concavity; of words, ideas, etc., shallow, insincere, empty |
| holster |
wearable leather
case for a pistol; to place a gun in its case |
| homiletics |
the art, skill
of preaching |
| hone |
stone
used for sharpening tools; to work at refining, making more effective, useful |
| hoodwink |
to trick,
mislead, pull a fast one |
| hospitable |
quite generous, friendly to guests or visitors |
| hubris |
excessive
pride, classically in matters concerning the Gods and fate |
| hush |
to make
or become silent |
| husk |
dry outer shell, layer; |
| hypocrisy |
falsely claiming beliefs, virtues that are not upheld in action or behaviour |
| iconoclast |
a person
who attacks popular, closely held beliefs |
| idiosyncrasy |
behaviour or mannerism that is distinct, peculiar to one's self |
| idolatry |
excessive
admiration, worship of |
| idyll |
an extremely idealized experience, memory, or conception, fantasy-like in its perfect, peaceful state |
| ignoble |
dishonorable; common in status |
| ignominious |
publically shameful, disgraceful |
| illicit |
unlawful,
forbidden |
| imbroglio |
a complicated, messy,
and embarrassing situation |
| immaculate |
pure,
faultless; extremely clean, spotless; sithout sin |
| imminent |
about
to come or happen very soon |
| immutable |
unchanging or unable to be changed |
| impair |
to damage, worsen |
| impassive |
unmoved; showing or feeling no sign of emotion, passion |
| impecunious |
having very little or no money |
| impede |
to hinder,
get in the way of, causing delay |
| impediment |
an obstacle, hindrance from doing something, often a personal defect |
| impending |
about to happen, come; imminent |
| imperative |
urgently
essential, necessary; of a commanding tone; the grammatical mood of command |
| imperious |
arrogant, commanding without justification |
| impermeable |
not allowing something to get through or affect |
| imperturbable |
calm; unable to be disrupted, excited |
| impervious |
not
allowing to pass through; unaffected by |
| impetuous |
acting in a sudden, somewhat reckless manner; moving, pproceeding very quickly |
| impiety |
lack
of reverence or dutifulness, often to G*d |
| implacable |
incapable of being stopped, calmed, appeased |
| implicate |
to declare, show someone else's role, responsibility in something, often a crime; to suggest, imply without explicitly stating; to necessarily involve |
| implicit |
strongly suggested
though not plainly expressed |
| implosion |
an inward collapse, often sudden and violent |
| importune |
to beg repeatedly, urgently; to offer sexual services |
| imprecation |
a spoken curse invoking evil |
| impromptu |
unplanned on, usually referring to a speech or performance |
| impudent |
brashly, shamelessly not displaying adequate respect |
| impugn |
to challenge the truth, honesty, value of something |
| impute |
to
attribute as a cause |
| inadvertent |
unintentional due to inattention; not planned, purposeful |
| inane |
senseless, stupid, utterly uninspired |
| inasmuch |
in so far as; to the degree or extent that |
| incense |
to make extremely
angry; substance burned for distinct, pleasant aroma |
| incessant |
unceasing,
continually repeating, in an annoying or unpleasant fashion |
| inchoate |
not
yet fully formed; rudimentary |
| incipient |
in its beginning state or stage; developing, becoming something |
| incise |
to engrave,
make a cut in |
| incite |
to stir
up, arouse to a state or fit of violence, anger |
| inclined |
to be favorably drawn, attracted to; to have a tendency towards, often a certain opinion; to turn away from a plane horizontally or vertically |
| incongruous |
out
of place; not in harmony or agreement |
| incorrigibile |
refusal or inability to reform, correct behaviour |
| incredulous |
skeptical;
unwilling to believe |
| inculcate |
to fix
firmly, instill, teach by force of repetition |
| incumbent |
required, expected as official
duty; of someone currently in office |
| incursion |
a brief, sudden attack, raid |
| indefatigability |
tirelessness; quality of never backing down, giving up, slowing pace |
| indelible |
unable to be erased, rubbed out; unforgettable |
| indigence |
poverty |
| indigenous |
native; originating in a certain place |
| indistinct |
not
easily heard, seen, or separated |
| indolence |
laziness; avoidence of activity |
| indomitable |
not
easily discouraged, subdued, defeated |
| indulge |
to gratify, enjoy the guilty pleasure of |
| indulgent |
inclined
to be overly generous, excessively lenient |
| ineffable |
too
great to be described in words; prohibited from being uttered |
| ineluctable |
inevitable, unavoidable |
| inept |
unskillful, clumsy, incompetent |
| ineptitude |
the condition, state of possessing incompetence, an inability to succeed |
| inferno |
hell; a giant, out-of-control fire |
| infuriate |
to fill
with fury or rage |
| infuse |
to put in, fill with; to instill
|
| ingenuous |
naive, sincere, child-like in simplicity |
| ingest |
to take a substance
in by swallowing; to take in and process information |
| inimical |
having antangonistic, harmful tendency or effect; hostile, unfriendly |
| inimitable |
defying imitation on account of excellence, singularity |
| innocuous |
causing
no harm and little attention |
| inscrutable |
seemingly impossible to understand, figure out |
| insensible |
lacking mental faculties, often from intoxication or violence; unconscious,
unresponsive; uncaring; unfeeling |
| insinuate |
to imply something quite bad about somebody without directly stating it |
| insipid |
without
taste or flavor; offensively uninspired |
| insouciant |
unconcerned, indifferent |
| insularity |
narrow-mindedness, incuriosity to different cultures, ideas; isolation in regards to knowledge of, contact with other cultures, groups |
| insurrection |
a violent, organized uprising against political authority |
| interdict |
to prohibit,
forbid; to intercept and prevent the distribution of |
| interim |
meantime; the preceding interval; a temporary arrangement |
| intersperse |
to scatter, place
here and there, place in-between |
| intransigent |
uncompromising; unwilling to change a stance, opinion |
| intrepid |
fearless, brave, undaunted |
| introspection |
reflection on or examination of
one's own thoughts and feelings |
| inundate |
to flood; to overwhelm a person with things to deal with |
| inure |
to accustom, desensitize someone to something unpleasant |
| invective |
abusive, cursing language |
| inveigh |
to viciously denounce, criticize in writing or speech |
| inveterate |
deep-rooted.
long-established, often of a habit or interest |
| invincible |
too strong to be defeated or stopped |
| involute |
complex, intricate |
| irascible |
easily angered |
| irate |
visibly, uncontrollably angry |
| ire |
great anger |
| irksome |
tiresome, annoying |
| irresolute |
exhibiting hesitancy, indecision
|
| irrevocable |
final
and unalterable |
| itinerate |
to
travel from place to place in fulfillment of duties |
| jabber |
to speak excitedly, rapidly, but with little meaning or direction |
| jibe |
also spelled gibeto
make fun of, insult, taunt; an insult |
| jocular |
characterized by joking, playfulness |
| judicious |
possessing or exercising sound, wise judgment |
| knit |
to draw, stitch together; to unite firmly |
| labyrinthine |
intricate, winding, maze-like |
| lachrymose |
prone to crying; causing tears |
| lackluster |
lacking energy, effort, spirit; (of
eyes or hair) dull |
| lament |
to show, express great sorrow; a song, poem, or other expression of grief, anguish |
| lassitude |
mental or physical weariness, tiredness |
| latent |
in existence, but not yet active or visible |
| laudatory |
expressing
or giving praise |
| lavish |
luxurious, elaborate; wildly generous |
| legacy |
money, property, or sense of heritage
handed down from ancestors |
| levee |
formal reception of guests;an embankment designed to prevent flooding from a river |
| levity |
humour, lightness in an encounter with something quite serious or demanding respect |
| libel |
a published statement that is false and that damages one's reputation |
| liberality |
the quality of freely giving, spending; the quality of being free from prejudice, open to new experiences, ideas |
| libertine |
an immoral, reckless person, especially in sexual matters; a freethinker in regards to religion |
| lien |
a right to another's property until a debt is repaid |
| limn |
to portray, depict through painting or words; to highlight with color or light
portray |
| limp |
to walk or move unevenly, with difficulty, often on account of an injury; lacking strength, energy, or firmness |
| lionize |
to treat with great attention, approval, and expectation |
| lithe |
thin, gentle, graceful, often of a body
twisting |
| loll |
to sit, relax in a lazy way; to hang out, droop |
| lope |
move
along with long strides |
| loquacious |
a tendency to ceaselessly talk |
| lucubrate |
to write
in a scholarly fashion |
| luculent |
easily
understood; lucid, clear |
| lugubrious |
appearing quite sad, mournful |
| lull |
to calm; to bring to sleep, quiet; to cause a false sense of security; a temporary pause in activity or intensity |
| lumber |
to move
in a clumsy, slow, heavy manner |
| luminary |
a light-giving celestial body; a particularly prominent, influential member of a field |
| lurk |
to hover
out of view, prepared to attack or unwantedly return |
| lustrous |
bright, shining, polished |
| macabre |
gruesome, ghastly, though fascinating, in its relationship with death |
| macerate |
to soften or break up by soaking, often in regards to food |
| machination |
a plot or scheme, often evil or sinister |
| maladroit |
tactless,
clumsy, awkward |
| malapropism |
unintentionally amusing misuse of a word or phrase for one resembling it |
| malevolence |
wishing or intending
to do evil |
| malign |
to speak ill of, often through lies, misrepresentations; bad in nature or effect |
| malinger |
to
fake an illness or injury in order to avoid work or duty |
| malleable |
easily shaped, changed without breaking; easily persuaded, influenced |
| manacle |
chains, shackles
for securing hands or feet |
| massacre |
a cruel, brutal killing of a large number of people; an embarrassing blowout of a sporting team or individual |
| matriculate |
to (intrans) enroll at a university as a student; to (trans) accept a student for enrollment |
| maudlin |
sentimental, self-pitying
in a silly or tearful way, often by way of the bottle |
| maul |
to savagely attack, usually by by tearing, clawing, or scratching; to defeat roughly, dominatingly |
| maverick |
an independent-minded, nonconforming person; an unbranded calf |
| mellifluous |
sweet, pleasant sounding |
| mendacity |
dishonesty |
| mendicant |
a beggar; disposed to begging |
| mercurial |
prone to sudden, unpredictable shifts in mood, behaviour; energetic, lively; of the planet or mineral mercury |
| meretricious |
attractive on the surface but of little value |
| mesmerize |
hypnotize; to sieze one's attention to the exclusion of all else |
| meticulous |
displaying great attention and care to detail |
| mettle |
quality
of endurance or courage in facing adversity |
| mettlesome |
courageous, high-spirited, resilient in facing challenges or demands |
| middling |
medium in size, amount, quality; neither good nor bad, but often below expectation |
| minatory |
suggesting or expressing a menace or threat |
| mince |
to slice, cut up into small pieces; to speak or walk with an affected cautiousness |
| misanthrope |
a person who hates mankind |
| mischievous |
tending to playfully cause trouble, often as an adolescent or pet; intending to cause trouble, as an action |
| miser |
a person who possesses, accumulates wealth yet spends very little |
| misogynist |
a man who hates women; reflecting this belief |
| moderation |
the quality, tendency of avoiding extremes, excess, often in behaviour or opinion; making something less extreme, intense |
| mollify |
to lessen one's anger, discomfort |
| molt |
to shed feathers, hair, skin in preparation for a new growth |
| morbid |
a rather unhealthy and strange preoccupation with disturbing matters, especially death or suffering |
| morose |
sullen, ill-tempered |
| muffler |
a cloth worn round the neck; silencer, especially of the car's engine |
| multifarious |
having varied, diverse types or parts |
| mundane |
of the earthly world, as opposed to the spiritual; commonplace, everyday, dull |
| myriad |
a very great number or variety |
| nadir |
rock-bottom;
the lowest point in the fortunes, condition of someone or something;
in astronomy the opposite of zenith |
| nascent |
recently coming into existence, with signs of growth, potential |
| nebulous |
cloud-like, hazy; vague, indistinct |
| negligent |
taking improperly little care |
| neophyte |
a person new to something; a new convert |
| nexus |
a connection or group of connections; the central place, point |
| nibble |
to take little bites; to show some limited interest in |
| noisome |
disgusting, often as a smell; harmful, unpleasant |
| nonchalant |
casual; not exhibiting much interest or anxiety |
| nonplussed |
greatly
surprised to the point of confusion, uncertainty; incommon
usage the word has come to mean much its opposite, probably
from the suggestive negation of "non"; so you must pay attention
to context |
| nostrum |
a
quack remedy |
| noxious |
harmful, unpleasant |
| nugatory |
worthless, trifling |
| obdurate |
stubborn, unwilling to change one's course or behaviour |
| obfuscate |
to make obscure, confusing |
| oblivious |
unaware, especially of surrounding occurrences |
| obloquy |
public criticism, abuse |
| obsequious |
overly eager to obey or serve |
| obstreperous |
noisy; difficult to contain |
| obtain |
to acquire, get; to be established or customary |
| obtrusive |
undesirably prominent, noticable; getting in the way |
| obtuse |
slow to understand; challenging to grasp, nderstand; of an angle more than 90 degrees and less than 180 |
| obviate |
to make unnecessary, remove; to avoid, prevent |
| occlude |
to block up, shut in, cover |
| odious |
repulsive |
| odium |
general contempt, dislike, often on account of particular actions |
| odor |
a distinctive smell, often unpleasant; a quality, feeling attached to something |
| officious |
too
eager or ready to help or offer advice; too assertive of one's authority |
| ominous |
threatening; signaling something bad is to happen |
| onerous |
demanding great, lengthy effort; possessing difficulty |
| opaqueness |
the quality of not
allowing light to pass through, not being able to be clearly understood |
| opprobrious |
showing
scorn or reproach; worthy of disgrace |
| ossify |
to
turn to bone; to be rigid, unchanging in thought, idea, development |
| ostensible |
seeming to be true, but possibly not |
| ostentation |
an excessive display of wealth, self-confidence
to obtain admiration or envy |
| ostracism |
the exclusion from a society or group |
| overhaul |
to take something apart or examine
thoroughly to determine its condition and make extensive changes if needed |
| overweening |
displaying excessive self-certainty; overbearing |
| paean |
song
of praise, thanks, or triumph |
| palate |
roof
of the mouth; sense of taste; taste or liking for |
| palatial |
magnificent; like a palace |
| palliate |
to lessen
the severity of, without curing |
| palpable |
capable of being felt, touched, understood |
| palpitate |
to tremble; to beat rapidly and irregularly |
| panegyric |
a formal, public work of praise; a eulogy |
| paradigm |
an influential, steering
model, example; an epitome |
| pariah |
a despised outcast |
| parsimonious |
economical, sparing to the point of miserliness |
| partisan |
one-sided; spiritedly, zealously committed to a party; a biased or fanatical upholder |
| patron |
a regular
customer; person who gives support, often to cultural or non-profit insitiutions |
| paucity |
scarcity, a lacking of |
| peccadillo |
a small, insignificant sin, violation |
| pedantic |
bookish, excessively concerned with learning |
| pedestrian |
commonplace, trite, unremarkable; a person who walks |
| pellucid |
transparent,
easy to understand |
| penchant |
a strong
inclination or liking |
| penitent |
feeling
or showing regret |
| penurious |
characterized by lack; poor |
| penury |
extreme poverty |
| peregrination |
a traveling, wandering through life, in the spiritual sense; the act of travel, often on foot or in foreign lands; a course of study, research |
| peremptory |
urgent, imperative; fixed, settled; not open to debate, argument |
| perfidious |
treacherous,
faithless |
| perfidy |
treachery; breaking of faith, trust |
| perfunctory |
done solely as a duty, requirement, without care or enthusiasm |
| perilous |
dangerous, risky |
| peripatetic |
ceaselessly wandering, roaming |
| perish |
to come to an end, cease to exist; to rot |
| perjury |
willfully false testimony while under oath |
| permeate |
to spread
into every part of |
| pernicious |
harmful,
injurious |
| perpetrate |
to commit a crime, evil, or error |
| personable |
pleasing, welcoming
in behaviour |
| perspicacity |
quick, accurate judgement, perception |
| pertain |
belong to; have reference to |
| pest |
a destructive or annoying
thing or person |
| petrify |
to
make hard, rocklike; to terrify into temporary paralysis |
| petrous |
in the temporal bone, the hard, stony region that makes up the inner ear; like stone |
| petulant |
unreasonably, childishly
impatient |
| philistine |
an
ignorant, unenlightened person, lacking cultural knowledge and curiosity |
| phlegmatic |
calm, sluggish, unemotional in temperment, character |
| picaresque |
involving
clever rogues or adventurers; wandering |
| pied |
of
mixed colors |
| pinch |
to be
too tight, constricted; to grip tightly between the thumb and finger |
| pine |
to waste
away through sorrow or illness; to experience great longing |
| pious |
reverent, devout to God; loyal, dutiful to family, friends, etc. |
| piquant |
aggreeably strong flavored; fascinating, racy |
| pique |
to hurt
the pride or self-respect of; to provoke a person to action or emotion |
| pitfall |
a covered
hole as a trap; a hidden danger, chance for error |
| pith |
an essential, central
part; importance |
| pivotal |
of vital importance |
| placate |
to soothe, pacify, appease |
| plaintive |
mournful, melancholy |
| plaque |
a flat plate of
metal hung on or affixed to something as commemoration of, memorial to an accomplishment or event; bacteria on teeth |
| platitude |
a
trite, unoriginal, empty observation |
| plea |
an appeal, request; the formal statement made by a defendant in court in response to an indictment |
| plead |
to argue for; to address
a court of law in defense of another party |
| plethora |
a glut, excess, overabundance |
| pliant |
easily bent, shaped, influenced |
| plod |
to move through something steadily yet very slowly; to trudge |
| pluck |
to pull off, pick (e.g..feathers, flowers); resilient courage, determination |
| plumb |
get
to the rootor bottom of; to measure the emotional or physical depth of |
| plummet |
to fall steeply and rapidly |
| plunge |
to suddenly, forcibly immerse in or penetrate something, often water |
| poignant |
deeply moving, touching; sharp, piercing, as a weapon |
| poncho |
thick woolen cloak originally from South America; a waterproof cloak made in this style |
| ponderous |
awkwardly heavy; tedious, over-serious, dull |
| portent |
a sign, omen, often of something quite significant |
| precarious |
uncertain, unstable, risky |
| precepts |
rules or guidelines
establishing standards of conduct, action, etc. |
| preclude |
to close; to prevent, make impossible something from happening |
| precursory |
preliminary; preceding something that is to follow
|
| predilection |
a preference, tendency towards |
| predominate |
to have
more power, strength than others |
| preen |
to tidy, clean, usually of a bird; to show off; to take abundant self-satisfaction in appearance |
| premature |
happening, existing before the expected or correct time; a baby born before the full term |
| preponderance |
superiority in number, weight, influence, etc. |
| presage |
an omen, warning
sign; to predict, foreshadow following events |
| presumption |
an overconfident assumption; taking-for-granted; arrogance |
| preternatural |
not
normal, usual, or regularly natural |
| prevalent |
common, in general use |
| prevaricate |
to stray from the truth or straight road; to deviate; to evade |
| prim |
neat,
formal; to adopt a prim appearance, pose |
| pristine |
pure, possessing its original nature, condition |
| probity |
uprightness, integrity |
| proclivity |
a tendency, predisposition |
| procrastination |
Hey kiddies, I'll get to this definition tomorrow. I will, I promise. The day after at the latest. |
| prodigal |
wasteful,
reckless with money or possessions; also one who has returned
home from such ways |
| prodigious |
enormous;
wonderful |
| profane |
worldly, secular;
having contempt for the sacred |
| profligacy |
shameless
immorality, wastefulness |
| profligate |
offensively wasteful, extravagant, indulgent |
| profundity |
depth in thought, observation, meaning |
| profuse |
abundant, lavish, copious |
| proliferate |
multiply, spread with great rapidity |
| prolix |
long-winded, overwordy |
| prone |
inclined, succeptible to some failing, bad condition; lying flat, face-down |
| propagation |
increasing
the number, extent of something, especially by procreation |
| propinquity |
nearness in time or place; affinity, similarity |
| propitiatory |
conciliatory
appeasing, serving, in attempt to gain favor |
| propitious |
suggestive of good fortunes, chances |
| prosaic |
everyday, unexceptional, generic
|
| proscribe |
denounce
as dangerous, forbid, often through law |
| protracted |
prolonged, drawn out |
| provident |
wisely frugal, economical in planning for the future
|
| provisional |
for
a temporary period only |
| provoke |
to force, encourage a strong or hostile response |
| prudence |
careful
forethought |
| prudish |
easily
shocked, excessively modest, especially in matters of sexuality |
| prune |
a dried
plum; an unpleasant, clueless person; as a verb, to cut off, trim |
| pry |
to inquire too curiously, closely into private matters; to open or get at something using force |
| pucker |
to gather together, wrinkle, fold, often used with a person's facial feature |
| pugnacious |
inclined to argument, dispute, fighting |
| puissance |
great strength, influence |
| punctilious |
displaying an intense
attention to details, trivialities, correct behaviour |
| pundit |
an expert,
authority on a subject, often called on to muse on in public |
| pungency |
the quality of sharpness, strength in a taste, smell, opinion, observation
s |
| purvey |
to provide,
supply in an occupational capacity |
| pusillanimous |
displaying timidity, cowardice
|
| putrefaction |
the process of becoming
rotten, decayed |
| pyre |
large
pile of flammable material, often for burning a corpse in a funeral ceremony |
| quack |
a fraudulent expert, usually employing rather outlandish methods
|
| quaff |
drink
deeply, often used with alcohol |
| quail |
to lose
courage, show fright; a small partridge-like bird |
| qualm |
a feeling
of doubt, uneasiness; temporary feeling of sickness |
| quandary |
a perplexed or confused state
over how to proceed in an unclear or challenging situation |
| quell |
to subdue,
quiet, suppress |
| quibble |
a very minor criticism, complaint; to object, argue a matter through minor criticisms |
| quiescent |
in a state of rest, stillness, inactivity
|
| quirk |
tendency
or action peculiar to someone or something |
| quixotic |
excessively idealistic,
ambitious to the point of impracticality |
| quotidian |
banal,
everyday, ordinary |
| rabble |
a faceless, misbehaving mob,
crowd; the vulgar, lower classes in general |
| raconteur |
a person skilled in
telling anecdotes |
| raffish |
low-cultured, vulgar, often attractively so
|
| ramify |
to form divisions or subdivisions; to branch out |
| rancorous |
of the feeling, quality of
bitterness, spitefulness, usually towards something specific |
| rant |
to speak or write in
extravagant, overzealous words and tones; a piece or act in this style |
| rapacious |
outrageously greedy as a person, savagely predatory as an animal
) |
| rarefy |
to
make thin; to make less dense; to add subtlety, refinement |
| rave |
to heap praise
with abundant enthusiasm; to speak in a rather wild, delirious manner |
| reactionary |
staunchly opposing
progress, especially with regard to liberal political movements, often a damning rhetorical characterization |
| rebuff |
to snub; to turn back an advance |
| recalcitrant |
obstinately disobedient |
| recant |
to take
back a former holding, belief as false, often publically and as heretical |
| recast |
to throw again; to refashion, remodel |
| recidivism |
the tendency for repeated relapses
into criminal behavior |
| reciprocity |
the state of two sides being in balance in the exchange of things or actions |
| recital |
a performance of music or dance in front of an audience, typically by an amateur, student; a detailed account of something |
| recluse |
a person
who prefers to live alone and avoid people |
| recompense |
a
repayment; a compensation or retribution for a loss, wrong |
| reconcile |
to settle
a disagreement, restore peace between oneself and an estranged party; to become acceptant, tolerant of |
| recondite |
little
known, abstruse |
| recreancy |
the quality of cowardice
|
| recuperate |
to regain strength, health after illness |
| redeem |
to get
back, recover; to rescue someone from sin; to make up for, atone |
| redoubtable |
formidable,
causing fear |
| refine |
to make
or become pure; to make more cultured, subtle in thought, behaviour |
| refractory |
stubborn,
unmanageable, untractable |
| refulgent |
shining,
brilliant in light |
| regale |
to lavishly
delight or entertain, often with a feast |
| regicide |
the crime
of killing a king; any person who commits the act |
| reiterate |
to say
or do again several times as way of emphasis |
| rejuvenation |
the act of becoming
young again in nature or appearance |
| relapse |
to fall
back again into a specific bad state, habit, illness, etc. |
| remonstrate |
to vigorously
protest, object, criticize |
| render |
to hand over; to deliver in return; to depict, represent (rendered the limbs with long brush strokes); to be brought and left in a condition (rendered speechless)
|
| renovate |
to restore
something into an improved condition |
| renowned |
celebrated,
well-known |
| repast |
a meal, amount of food; rest, relaxation |
| repel |
to force away, back; to be distateful or sickening to someone |
| repine |
to express or experience regretful discontentment |
| reproach |
to scold
upbraid, criticize, often familially; the act of such censure |
| reprobate |
a person
awash in sin, devoid of decency, spurned by God |
| repudiate |
to disown;
to refuse to accept or pay; to condemn in a thorough manner |
| repulsive |
causing
a repellent feeling of disgust |
| requite |
to repay,
give in return for, reciprocate; to avenge, retalitate for |
| rescind |
to repeal, cancel, take back, often formally |
| resigned |
unresisting,
submissive; characterized by uncomplaining tolerance to adversity, hardship |
| resilience |
the quality
of naturally, easily recovering original shape or condition |
| resort |
to frequently, often habitually, return to a place or condition |
| restive |
reluctant to move, content in stillness; obstinate, fixed in matters, opinions |
| resuscitation |
the revival of someone from unconsciousness; the restoration, revival of someone or something from disrepute, unpopularity, etc.
|
| retard |
to hinder, hold back, often in terms of progress, movement, achievement; an often offensive term for a mentally challenged individual
|
| reticent |
reserved in revealing feelings, thoughts; quiet, shy
|
| revere |
to have
deep, lasting respect for |
| reverent |
feeling
or showing deep respect |
| riddle |
a puzzling, difficult to understand
person or thing |
| rift |
a split,
crack; major dissension between former friends, partners |
| rivet |
a secure, metal pin used for joining two pieces of metal |
| roll |
in
addition to the many common meanings, an official list
of names or members |
| rotund |
plump; round; of a rich, extravagant style, tone |
| ruffian |
a violent
criminal, low-life |
| rumple |
to make
rough, untidy |
| sagacious |
possessing
sound, perceptive judgement; wise like a sage |
| salacious |
obscene, indecent and easily causing fleeting interest, enjoyment |
| salubrious |
healthy, pleasant |
| salutary |
producing beneficial, healthful effects |
| sanctimony |
condenscending, self-righteous, false piety
|
| sanction |
official approval, permission; threatened penalty for violation of law, agreement or reward for obedience
|
| sanguine |
cheerful,
optimistic, confident |
| sanity |
health
of mind; the ability to think reasonably, rationally |
| sash |
a long
strip worn around the waist or across the shoulder, often part of a uniform |
| satiate |
to
satisfy a desire, appetite fully; also sate |
| saturnine |
gloomy, morose of character; dark, mysterious of appearance
|
| savant |
a person
of great learning |
| savor |
to lingeringly appreciate the flavor, taste, experience of something
|
| sawdust |
tiny
bits of wood, caused from sawing |
| scabbard |
a sheath, cover
for a blade |
| scent |
a distinct smell, often pleasant
|
| scorch |
to burn the surface of; to cause something to dry up; to move at a high speed |
| scribble |
write or draw
hastily, carelessly |
| scurvy |
a disease caused by a vitamin C deficiency, resulting in swollen gums and opened sores, and commonly occuring, through history, to malnourished sailors; mean,
contemptible |
| secular |
of material, wordly matters, realms, in contrast to the spiritual or religious; of clergy not living in a monastery; occuring once in a hundred years
|
| sedulous |
persevering, dedicated in application or attention |
| seminal |
of
a seed, source; highly original and influential |
| sententious |
abounding in pithy sayings, proverbs; tending to pompous, self-righteous moralizing |
| sequence |
a specific order, in which related things, items follow one another; to arrange in a particular order |
| sere |
dry, withered, shrivelled; |
| sermon |
a discourse of a moral, religious nature, often a clergy member's discussion in church of a passage of scripture; a moralistic, self-righteous rebuke
|
| serrated |
having
a toothed edge |
| serration |
the point
a toothed edge |
| servile |
like
a slave; submissive, lacking independence of thought or action |
| sever |
to break
off completely; to keep distinct or apart |
| severance |
the act, state of separation, breaking off; the division of a single estate, set of assets into parts; ending employment |
| shallow |
having very little
depth; superficial, empty in character or intelligence |
| shard |
piece
of broken earthenware; a decayed or broken remnant, fragment of something |
| sheath |
cover, case
for the blade of a weapon or a tool; a tight-fitting dress |
| shrewd |
astute, far-seeing,
displaying sound judgement |
| shrill |
sharp, high-pitched,
piercing |
| shun |
to actively, persistently avoid; to physically withdraw, retreat |
| shunt |
to evade, avoid; to push; a route through which blood passes; to move a train from one rail to another |
| sidestep |
step
to one side, in order to avoid, evade |
| simper |
to
behave flirtiatously bashful; to smile coyly |
| sinuous |
highly curved, winding; complicated, intricate; agile, thin, graceful |
| skiff |
small
boat, often attached to a much larger one; to move swiftly, easily |
| skit |
a short
piece of humorous writing or performance |
| slack |
relatively sluggish,
dull, lazy; not tight, unrestrained |
| slake |
to
become less enthusiastic, eager; to subside, lessen |
| slate |
fine-grained dark blue-green rock commonly used for roofing-tiles or, long ago, writing; to criticize, scold harshly; to mark down, nominate someone for a position |
| sluggard |
a lazy,
slow-moving person |
| slur |
an insult, disparagement; to speak in a muddy, indistinct pacing in which words run into each other |
| smolder |
to
burn slowly without flame; to continue in a less visible, repressed
state; to feel silent anger, resentment; more commonly,
smoulder |
| snare |
a trap for catching something; entanglement; a temptation; to trap, catch |
| snub |
to purposefully ignore, offend; to rebuff, humiliate |
| soar |
rise with great majesty; fly high;
increase rapidly |
| sober |
self-controlled, avoiding excess in food or drink; stuffily serious-minded |
| sobriety |
quality
or condition of being sober, esp. avoiding alcohol, drugs |
| sodden |
heavily soaked,
saturated; weighed-down |
| soggy |
heavy
with water; swampy; slow-moving |
| solvent |
on solid financial footing; able to dissolve something else |
| somatic |
of, affecting
the body, as apart from the mind |
| soot |
black sticky, chalky
carbon particles formed from smoke, deposited on the sides of chimneys, factories, etc. |
| sophisticated |
wordly, subtle; grasping complexities; displaying knowing refinement |
| sophistry |
the use of intentionally deceptive reasonings, arguments; linguistic, logical trickery |
| sophomoric |
pretentious, immature, juvenile |
| soporific |
inducing, encouraging
sleep; excruciatingly boring |
| sordid |
wretched,
depraved; morally vile |
| spear |
weapon
with a sharp metal point on a long wooden shaft; to pierce or jab as if with a spear |
| specious |
superficially presenting truth, goodness but lacking real merit |
| splenetic |
of the spleen; bad-tempered,
irritable |
| splice |
to join together, unite two parts) |
| sponge |
aquatic porous animal; porous household
material used for washing; a person or thing who absorbs with ease; one who lives at the expense of others' |
| spurious |
false,
counterfeit |
| spurn |
to reject, refuse in a scornful way; to kick |
| squalid |
foul,
filthy, sickeningly neglected |
| squander |
to spend
wastefully |
| squat |
to crouch;to settle on property
without right, payment |
| stanch |
to
stop the flow of a fluid, often blood; firm, steadfast also staunch |
| steeply |
rising
or falling sharply |
| stentorian |
thunderous, powerful in sound, voice |
| stickler |
a person who is persistent, consistent in advocating a cause, principle; a prying, meddlesome person
|
| stigma |
mark
of shame or disgrace |
| stigmatize |
to brand, imprint; to give a disreputable name, unappealing characterization to |
| stingy |
giving up money, materials, or information with great unwillingness, hesitancy; greedy, cheap, parsimonious |
| stint |
a limited period of time spent, allotted for a particular task, job; to
stop, shorten; to set limits, keep in check |
| stipple |
to paint
with dots, spots, as opposed to line strokes |
| stipulate |
to demand as a necessary condition of some agreement |
| stolid |
revealing no emotion; dull, unmoved |
| stray |
to wander from a definite area; to deviate from a direct route or norm; an animal without owner, home |
| streak |
a long, thin line; a rapid flash of phenomena; to make level or even by rubbing; to move very quickly; to run through a public place naked or topless |
| striated |
ridged,
grooved, or banded |
| stride |
the length covered by one long step; to walk
with long, vigorous steps; swinging style of jazz piano |
| strut |
a
supporting bar; a stiff, confident manner of walking, self-presentation; to bulge, swell |
| Stygian |
resembling the Greek underworld, Styx; dark,
gloomy, hellish |
| stymie |
to
obstruct, block, frustrate |
| subdue |
to conquer; to bring under control or into submission; to reduce in intensity, volume, force |
| sublime |
of supreme moral, aesthetic, or spiritual quality; producing a sense of awe, wonder through great beauty, goodness |
| submerge |
to sink, press under water |
| suborn |
induce
false testimony by unlawful means, often bribery |
| subpoena |
written
order requiring a person to appear somewhere, usually in a court |
| substantiation |
the
act of giving solidity, validity, proof to |
| subsume |
place some idea, statement, instance
under or in another |
| succor |
assistance,
relief, especially in time of distress |
| suffice |
to be
enough for a specific purpose |
| suffocate |
(trans.)to stop, block the supply of air for a person or animal, often to the point of death; (intrans) to be subject to such breathlessness; to feel enclosed, stifled |
| sullied |
to
be stained, discredited, defiled |
| summarily |
without
delay, pause; in few words |
| sumptuous |
lavish,
magnificent, extravagant |
| sundry |
of
haphazardly various, diverse types; as plural noun, sundries,
small, miscellaneous items |
| supercilious |
haughty,
dismissive in character, behaviour; exhibiting a scornfully
superior air |
| superfluous |
in
excess of what is needed, wanted, sufficient; redundant |
| superimpose |
to
place one thing over another |
| supersede |
to
take the place of, succeed |
| supine |
supremely inactive, unmoving; lying face up |
| suppliant |
one who earnestly asks, beseeches; indicative of such petitioning |
| supplicate |
to make
a humble, sincere petition, often in the form of prayer |
| suppress |
to prevent
from being known, keep from sight, hold in or down; to put an end to |
| surcharge |
an additional cost,
charge, tax |
| surfeit |
excess, overindulgence, esp. with food or drink |
| susceptibility |
the
state of being especially vulnerable, liable to a particular
influence or condition |
| swerve |
to sway from a straight course suddenly, usually in avoidance of something |
| sycophant |
a person
who crudely, self-servingly flatters influential figures in seeking favor or advancement |
| synopsis |
a bare-boned summary
or outline of an event or narrative creation |
| taciturn |
I'm a little hesitant, reserved, and near-silent in describing this adjective |
| tadpole |
the limbless and quite cute form of a frog in its intial stage of development |
| talon |
a claw
of a bird of prey; the cards remaining on the table after a deal |
| tamp |
to tap
or drive down by repeated light blows |
| tamper |
to unrightly interfere
with, usually with an intent to damage or harm |
| tangential |
something only slightly connected, related; divergent from the subject at hand |
| tarnish |
to
lose or dull the shine, luster, or color of something; to mar,
sully something previously pure or clean |
| tassel |
ornamental
loose threads bound at one end and dangling free at the other;
they are commonly fixed to jewelry, curtains, or clothing |
| taunt |
to persistently mock, ridicule; insulting words or behavior |
| taut |
tightly
pulled or wound; tense; efficiently, well-executed, often of a creative work |
| tautology |
the uneccessary repetition of a meaning by using words that mean the same thing; "helpful assistance," "free gift" are some examples |
| tawdry |
gaudy, cheap, tacky |
| teetotal |
relating to the complete abstinence from alcohol consumption |
| temerity |
reckless
brashness |
| temperance |
abstinence
from alcohol; consistent moderation in the fulfillment of natural desires, appetites |
| temperate |
exercising
self-control; moderate; not given to extremes |
| tenacity |
the character of holding firmly or persistently to something, often a goal or opinion; possessing the ability, power to retain |
| tenuous |
loose,
flimsy, weak |
| tepid |
lukewarm;
lacking energy, force, or enthusiasm |
| terse |
brief, succinct; abrupt to the point of rudeness
|
| testiness |
easily irritated |
| thrift |
intelligently cautious in managing money and other materials; hearty growth of vegetation |
| thwart |
to successfully obstruct or frustrate a plan, attempt |
| timid |
generally lacking confidence, courage;
easily frightened |
| timorous |
fearful; easily subject to fear
|
| toady |
a self-serving
flatterer; to act in such a way |
| tonic |
a substance or agent
providing strength or energy; in music, the first note of a scale; soda pop |
| topple |
to collapse or threaten to collapse from imbalance; to overthrow |
| torment |
a state of intense
pain or suffering; to cause severe pain or suffering |
| torpid |
dormant, sluggish, slow |
| torque |
a force causing rotation; to rotate, twist |
| tortuous |
indirect, winding, twisting; morally corrupt, deceitful
|
| tout |
to strongly promote, praise; to aggressively solicit favors, support |
| tractable |
easily
controlled or guided |
| transgress |
to boldly violate, go beyond a standard or boundary, often a societal or moral one |
| transient |
not lasting; a person or thing that stays only briefly
|
| transitory |
brief, temporary; destined to pass |
| travesty |
ridiculous, grotesque imitation or parody; something dramatically inferior to its model |
| trenchant |
forcefully perceptive, cutting in language or character |
| trepidation |
a state of alarm or fear, usually manifested physically |
| trickle |
to flow
in drops; to come, pass bit by bit |
| trifling |
of very little importance or value |
| trite |
watered-down, shallow through overuse, repetition; unoriginal and unimaginative |
| truce |
an agreement to temporarily cease hostilities |
| truculence |
aggressiveness,
ferocity to the point of belligerence |
| trudge |
to walk
heavily, with great effort |
| turbid |
muddy, opaque, thick
|
| turbulence |
violent commotion or disturbance |
| turgid |
overly
ornate, overwrought, often used with writing; swollen or bloated |
| turmoil |
a condition of great trouble,
disturbance, uncertainty |
| turpitude |
wicked,
shameful, vile character; or an act of this nature |
| turquoise |
greenish-blue
precious mineral |
| tyro |
novice;
neophyte; also spelled tiro |
| ubiquitous |
being present or appearing to be present
everywhere or always |
| ulterior |
located
beyond what is seen or stated; occuring after |
| umbrage |
offense,
resentment; shade-giving leaves |
| uncouth |
quite noticably rough and
awkward in manners or appearance |
| underbid |
to make
a lower offer than someone else; to make an offensively low offer |
| undermine |
to weaken
gradually at the base; to work secretly to destroy, harm something or someone |
| undulate |
to
smoothly move, flow in wavelike fashion |
| unearth |
to discover
and bring to light |
| unencumbered |
without heavy burdens or responsibilities
|
| unfeigned |
sincere; naturally generated |
| unscathed |
unharmed,
unhurt, unaffected |
| untoward |
unfortunate,
inconvenient; inappropriate |
| upbraid |
to harshly scold,
reproach |
| urbane |
elegant, cosmopolitan
in manners, speech, dress |
| vacillation |
an
uncertain, hesitating action, movement |
| vagary |
an unpredictable, uncontrollable phenomenon, actions; a strange, fantastical
act or idea |
| vain |
excessively
proud of one's personal characteristics and appearance; to no effect or use |
| valiant |
showing or characterized by honorable courage |
| valorous |
of great courage in the heat of battle |
| vanquish |
to conquer, defeat |
| veer |
to change
direction in a somewhat sudden or haphazard manner |
| venal |
willing to sell one's influence, dignity for a bribe; corruptible |
| veneer |
pleasing surface
appearance covering a less appealing reality; a thin layer of material for inlaying wood |
| veneration |
a regard
of profound, complete respect |
| veracity |
committment to truthfulness; accuracy |
| verdant |
of the color green;
covered in vegetation; inexperienced |
| verisimilitude |
closely resembling something true or real |
| veritable |
being rightly so described, named; genuine |
| verve |
spirit
vigor, enthusiasm of expression, esp. in an artwork or composition |
| vestige |
a trace
or sign of something no longer present |
| vex |
to annoy, disturb; to talk at length with great energy |
| vigilant |
sharply and consistently alert in detecting and pointing out danger, injustice, or errors |
| vigorous |
strong, active in mind, body, or gesture |
| vilify |
to disparage; to slander visciously |
| vindictive |
intent on revenge; vengeful |
| virago |
a
loud, bad-tempered, nagging woman |
| visceral |
originating from physical instinct rather than reason; concerning the baser, cruder emotions |
| viscous |
of
a sticky consistency |
| vitiate |
to weaken;
to corrupt; to legally invalidate |
| vituperate |
to verbally abuse with great harshness |
| vivacious |
full of energy and spirit |
| volatile |
highly
unstable, mercurial, presenting the possibility of an explosive or violent outburst; in chemistry,
evaporating quickly |
| voluble |
Tending to speak in a steady stream of words, locquacious |
| waffle |
to
speak or write without clear conviction or consistency; a breakfast
cake with square indentations on both sides |
| waft |
to
calmly, lightly carry through the air or water; a briefly sensed sound
or smell |
| wag |
to
move something back and forth; a rascally wit |
| warmonger |
person
who actively, avidly advocates war, oft. used disparagingly |
| warrant |
authorization,
esp. a legal clearance for a law-inforcement official to search
property, arrest, etc.; to give justification for; to vouch
for |
| wean |
to
gradually withdraw from a dependency |
| weigh |
to
measure the heaviness or importance of something |
| welter |
to
tumble, roll about; to lie soaked in something, often blood;
a large confusion, mass of objects or people |
| wend |
to
go, proceed, often in an indirect route |
| whimsical |
pleasantly
offbeat or fanciful |
| wince |
to
exhibit bodily or mental pain through a grimace or shrinking
of the body |
| woo |
try
to win one's love or favor |
| writ |
written
order |
| yarn |
a somewhat incredible tale, often an adventure or mystery; thread
for knitting, weaving, etc. |
Chapter 2a: Section A : Vocabulary 
