| Term | Definition |
|---|
| jocose | jokingly or humerous |
| jodhpurs | riding breeches/horseback riders pants |
| joey | a baby animal, kangaroo |
| juvenescent | immature, young, youthful |
| juxtapose | to place side by side |
| killjoy | one who lessens the enjoyment of others |
| kinetic | energy generated from motion |
| kismet | unavoidable, fate, destiny |
| krotoscope | device to measure applause |
| kudos | applause or praise |
| lexicon | a limited wordbook or dictionary |
| libertarian | free thinking in actions, free will |
| lilliputian | a fancy way to say small person |
| limn | to capture in an artistic meaning |
| limpid | clear, transparent, easier to understand |
| livid | angry |
| logorrhea | repetitious speech, excessive talk |
| loup | half mask, covers your eyes and half your nose |
| lubricious | some one or something that is slippery |
| machination | a secret scheme or plot of some kind |
| maladroit | physically awkward or clumsy |
| malapropism | a humorous misapplication of a word |
| malfeasance | a somewhat official form of misconduct |
| malice | a desire to see a great deal of evil on another |
| malinger | to fake illness or as to escape duty |
| martinet | a very strict disiplinarian |
| maverick | a nonconformist, rebel |
| mawkish | overlly sentimental |
| melee | one step short of a riot |
| mercurial | quick mood changes |
| Mete | to distribute it in measured portions |
| metonymy | when you substitute an example of a thing for the thing etself |
| Mien | a persons demeanor revealing an inner state of mind |
| milieu | environment or conditions currounding a person or thing |
| mingy | mean spirited |
| minion | a servile follower |
| minutia | small trivial details |
| miscreant | depraved or villianisly wicked |
| mnemonic | a trick used to help remember something |
| mollify | to sooth or apease, to pacifiy |
| morose | moody, sulen, gloomy |
| mugwump | someone who is mutual on political issues |
| munificent | extremely generous |
| myopia | more figurative lack of vision |
| myriad | a lot, variety, abundance |
| narcolepsy | the overwellming desire for breif periods of sleep |
| nascent | coming into existance |
| neophyte | novice or beginner |
| nepenthe | anything that makes someone forget sorrow, pain |
| nephology | study of clouds |
| nepotism | showing favoritism to friends or relatives |
| nethermost | lowest, or farthest |
| nettlesome | irritating and annoying |
| nihilism | skeptical, lack of faith |
| nirvana | state of heaven on earth |
| nubbin | a lumpy stump, bumpy nub |
| nugatory | worthless, insignificant |
| nebulous | unclear, vague, ambiguious |
| nuance | slighty variation or difference |
| nefarious | villianish or vicious |
| obfuscate | to confuse |
| obliterate | to eliminate completely |
| obsequious | kowtow, try to win favor of |
| obtuse | unclear, slow to comprehend |
| obviate | anticipate, prevent |
| octogenarian | 80-89 years old |
| officious | meddling in other people's business without being asked |
| ombudsman | person who investigates complaints about wrong doings in the government |
| omnificent | have supreme creative power- God |
| ominous | seamingly evil, menecing, threatening |
| onomatopoeia | a word that sounds like what it defines |
| ostentatious | showy, intended to attract notice |
| otiose | idle, useless, lazy |
| overt | opened and observable |
| oxymoron | phrase that is internally controdictery |
| paladin | a heroic champion |
| palindrome | reads same backwards as forward |
| panacea | a cure for all ills |
| pandemic | describes a prevelance (very common) |
| panoply | an array of something |
| paraclete | a person called to advocate, intercede, mediate |
| paradigm | model example, standard for comparison |
| paroxysm | an outburst of emotion |
| pathetic fallacy | attribution of human emotions to nature |
| pathos | passion and emotion |
| patronize | to do business with, to condescend |
| penicil | short bristly tufts of fur on caterpillar (paint brush bristles) |
| peremptory | the tone of dictator/authority figure |
| perfidious | disloyal, treachourous, betraying |
| perfunctory | routine, automatic, done without thought or emotion |
| persevere | to persist, to never give up |
| pertinacious | someone who is stubborn, holding firmly to a belief |
| peruse | to review thouroughly |
| philistine | an uncultured person who tends to threaten your values |
| picaresque | roguish, devilish and out of control |
| piquant | pleasantly sharp or spicy in flavor |
| plangent | a deep, low, mournful sound |
| plethora | an excess, plenty |
| pontificate | to express opininos in an arrogant manner |
| precis | a summary of a book or article |
| predicable | something that can be stated as true |
| prevaricate | to present in a vague or misleading way |
| pristine | retaining an original or pure form |
| probity | honesty or integrity |
| promethean | daringly original |
| quagmire | swamp or bog |
| quash | to put an end to something |
| quasi | something that seams to be, but not really |
| querulous | one who complains a lot |
| quid pro quo | giving something and expecting something in return |
| quiescent | motionless or quiet |
| quixotic | romantic, but in a very idealistic way |
| raffish | tacky and cheap |
| rankle | to cause long lasting anger or resentment |
| recalcitrant | rebellious, stubborn, disobediant |
| recidivate | relapse especially into a bad habit |
| recondite | little known and obscure |
| reconnoiter | survey situation or place to find out more about it |
| recreant | one who is a traitor |
| rectitude | moral righteousness, honest, loyal |
| Red herring | misleading clue |
| redolent | fragrent or sweet smelling |
| refractory | difficult to manage, hard to raise |
| refulgent | shinning or gleaming |
| remonstrate | to plea in protest/to present an objection |
| renege | take back promise |
| restive | nervous and impatient |
| retrench | to cut back on economically |
| riposte | a sharp, usually clever, retort |
| rodomontade | a long, bragging boastful speech |
| rubric | a set of regulations for behavior |
| ruthful | having pitty, compassion, remorese |
| raucous | harsh and shrill, discortinate to the ears |
| remuneration | receive payment, reward |
| repudiate | to reject or recline |
| salient | most noteable, or most important |
| salubrious | promotes good health |
| sanguine | cheerful and optomistic, confident |
| sardonic | bitter or scornful |
| sedulous | diligent and persurviering |
| senescent | aging and becoming old, used to describe people |
| sequacious | follows a smooth and logical order |
| serendipity | something wonderful that happens suddenly |
| sipid | a pleasing taste |
| skulduggery | something sneaky and underhanded |
| sniffish | someone who is stuck up |
| sobriquet | a nickname, an assumed named |
| sonorous | deep, rich sound |
| soporific | something that produces sleep |
| spelunk | explore caves |
| spiniferous | to be covered with spines |
| spoonerism | the exchange of the first letter of 2 or more sylables or word |
| spurious | not genuine; deceptive, shaddy |
| squib | short, whitty composition or saying |
| stalwart | dependably coragous, imposing physical strength |
| stolid | unemotional or slow to express feelings |
| subjacent | lying directly under |
| subterfuge | your excuse to not do something |
| sultry | hot and humid, expresses or arouses desire |
| supercilious | haughty and contentious, arrogant |
| surfeit | plethora, excess or over indulgent |
| sybarite | a person who lives luxuriously and self indulges |
| sylph | slender graceful woman |
| synergy | syncronized energy, cooperative activity |
| taciturn | prefering to remain silent |
| tendentious | very predictible, having a particular tendency |
| trilemma | situation with 3 alternatives |
| ubiquitous | appearing everywhere at the same time |
| urbane | sophisticated, swave, worldly, elegant |
| usury | a lending institution, to lend money at illegally high interest rates |
| veracity | truth, conform to facts |
| vituperative | abusive but typically finds faults |
| wanton | something that is unprovoked, unjustified, out of control |
| whiffle | vasalate, go back and forth |
| xanadu | place of ideal beauty |
| xenophobia | fear or hatred of foreigners |
| yahoo | an utterly gross person, redneck |
| zaftig | woman who is pleasantly plump |
| zealous | eager and diligently devoted |
| zephyr | a gentle breeze |
Combine with other sets
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace