| Term | Definition |
|---|
| conventional | normal |
| undermine | to weaken |
| dismissive | condescending |
| aesthetic | beautiful |
| objective | unbiased |
| reconcile | to make up |
| speculative | uncertain |
| accessible | friendly |
| decorum | good manners |
| impulsive | rash |
| deride | to mock |
| suppress | to hold down |
| complacent | overconfident |
| reverent | honoring; respectful |
| disparage | to insult; put down |
| relevant | related; pertinent |
| prudent | careful; cautious |
| refute | to prove wrong |
| inevitable | unavoidable |
| innocuous | harmless |
| convey | to communicate |
| profound | wise; deep |
| ironic | having a second meaning |
| ambivalent | undecided; conflicted |
| pragmatic | practical |
| innovative | new; revolutionary |
| rational | based on reason; logic |
| abstract | not concrete; vague |
| distinct | different; clear |
| felicitous | pleasing |
| resolute | determined |
| diverse | varied |
| trivial | unimportant |
| discern | to see clearly |
| enhance | to improve; strengthen |
| redundant | extra; not needed |
| tempered | mild; moderate |
| dubious | doubtful; implausible |
| depict | to describe a scene |
| compelling | arousing an urge |
| indifferent | not caring about |
| embellish | to make additions to |
| supplant | to replace as better |
| fabricate | to make or devise |
| plausible | believable |
| parallel | something equal to |
| eradicate | to wipe out; destroy |
| dominant | having complete power |
| deleterious | harmful |
| discord | disagreement |
| futile | useless; hopeless |
| indulgent | giving in to wishes |
| indignant | insulted about pride |
| eclectic | varied |
| vindicate | to prove right after all |
| exemplary | outstanding |
| inhibit | to block or hold back |
| discredit | to harm a reputation |
| contemporary | occurring now |
| provoke | to arouse strong feelings |
| solicitous | eager to help |
| daunting | intimidating; scary |
| skepticism | doubt |
| coherent | orderly; logical |
| autonomy | self-government; free will |
| comprehensive | all-inclusive |
| ambiguous | interpretable in 2 ways |
| pretentious | thinking oneself is better |
| rhetoric | impressive sounding words |
| ephemeral | short-lived; not lasting |
| spurious | not genuine; false |
| valid | well-grounded; logical |
| contempt | disrespect |
| restrained | calm and collected |
| mundane | boring; uninspired |
| impetuous | rash; impulsive |
| repudiate | to reject someone/thing |
| definitive | conclusive; not unsure |
| debunk | to prove wrong |
| divergent | separate from; split apart |
| digress | to wander off-topic |
| sustain | to support; keep going |
| incongruous | not matching; out-of-place |
| diffident | shy; reserved; not confident |
| subtle | very slight; hard to notice |
| transient | short-lived; not lasting |
| serene | peaceful; quiet |
| inconsequential | unimportant |
| scrutinize | to examine very closely |
| assert | to state or claim |
| foster | to promote; encourage |
| perplex | to confuse |
| narrative | a story or history |
| prosaic | ordinary; dull |
| substantiate | to back up with evidence |
| optimistic | hopeful |
| tranquil | calm; peaceful |
| denounce | to publicly put down |
| condescend | to talk down to |
| partisan | supporting one side |
| prosperity | financial success |
| lucid | clear; easily understood |
| advocate | a supporter; proponent |
| distinguish | to see as different |
| superficial | only on the surface |
| illusory | seemingly real but not |
| apprehensive | having great doubt; fear |
| nostalgia | fondness for the past |
| benevolent | kind; generous; helpful |
| sympathy | sharing feelings |
| corrupt | to ruin one's morals |
| polemical | arguing a radical position |
| belie | to contradict |
| mock | to ridicule; make fun of |
| compromised | to make insecure |
| disdain | to despise |
| presumption | a bold assumption |
| caustic | burning; sarcastic |
| deferential | respectful |
| subjective | based on one's perspective |
| capricious | unpredictable; impulsive |
| animated | lively; vigorous |
| endorse | to support; authorize |
| auspicious | promising; lucky |
| exacerbate | to worsen something bad |
| obscure | not easily noticed |
| dogmatic | stubbornly opinionated |
| extravagant | fancy; luxurious |
| venerate | to honor; worship |
| gregarious | friendly; outgoing |
| attain | to achieve a goal |
| elude | to avoid being caught |
| tenacious | persistent |
| mediate | to help reach agreement |
| meticulous | careful; thorough |
| negligible | unimportant |
| equanimity | calm under pressure |
| mitigate | to improve a bad situation |
| transitory | brief; short-lived |
| immutable | not able to be changed |
| evoke | to stir the senses |
| cursory | hurried and superficial |
| rancor | extreme bitterness |
| authentic | genuine; true; real |
| reserved | quiet and modest |
| intuitive | knowing by instinct |
| satirize | to make fun of by imitation |
| devoid | lacking; free from |
| concise | short and clear |
| erroneous | wrong; mistaken |
| collaborate | to work together |
| thwart | to block or impede |
| spontaneous | without planning ahead |
| implement | to put into practice |
| underscore | to emphasize |
| explicate | to explain |
| exasperate | to frustrate someone |
| momentous | extremely important |
| pertinent | important; relevant |
| conspicuous | obvious; easily seen |
| amiable | friendly; nice |
| widespread | widely spread; common |
| pervasive | being everywhere at once |
| prophetic | foretelling the future |
| cynical | lacking faith in humanity |
| tenuous | thin; flimsy; insubstantial |
| innate | inborn; from birth |
| explicit | clearly stated; not implied |
| distort | to misrepresent |
| challenge | to question the truth |
| acclaim | high praise; renown |
| moderate | not extreme |
| legitimate | justified by law or rule |
| patronize | to treat condescendingly |
| exacting | demanding; meticulous |
| contentious | looking for a fight |
| conscientious | careful; thoughtful |
| diligent | careful; hardworking |
| deter | to discourage |
| initiate | to start; begin |
| champion | to support a cause |
| mediocre | second-rate; average |
| domestic | relating to the home |
| pedantic | overly academic; picky |
| wary | cautious; careful about |
| vulnerable | able to be hurt; weak |
| opportunist | one who takes advantage |
| discriminating | selective |
| adept | skillful |
| anachronistic | out-of-date; dated |
| provincial | narrow-minded; limited |
| obstinate | stubborn about opinions |
| heresy | a statement against beliefs |
| articulate | able to speak well; clearly |
| formal | proper; standard |
| detached | unemotional; unbiased |
| conformist | someone who follows |
| complement | to go well with |
| intrepid | brave; fearless |
| feasible | possible; workable |
| proponent | a supporter |
| reprehensible | deserving great blame; evil |
| extol | to praise highly; commend |
| compatible | well-matched |
| radical | not moderate; extreme |
| erratic | unpredictable |
| inherent | inborn; essential; innate |
| resilient | quickly bouncing back |
| tractable | obedient; easy to control |
| clandestine | secretive |
| commend | to praise; extol |
| adversity | a difficult situation |
| convoluted | complicated; incoherent |
| empathy | see things as others see |
| inundate | to flood; overwhelm |
| genial | friendly; kind |
| insolvent | lacking financial stability |
| impede | to block; hinder |
| equivocal | unclear on purpose |
| decisive | definite; resolute |
| transcend | to surpass; move beyond |
| prohibitive | tending to prevent |
| dilatory | late; not prompt |
| divisive | creating disagreement |
| tolerant | accepting; able to deal with |
| cerebral | intellectual; brainy |
| cantankerous | irritable; nasty |
| consensus | group opinion |
| notion | an idea; a hypothesis |
| compound | to combine; to increase |
| circumscribe | to restrict |
| tentative | not final; unsure |
| enigmatic | puzzling.; mysterious |
| colleague | a co-worker |
| regenerate | to grow back; regain |
| hackneyed | overdone; overused; trite |
| preclude | to make impossible |
| attribute | to point to as the cause |
| naïve | unsophisticated; innocent |
| abundant | plentiful; not scarce |
| chronological | in time order |
| exorbitant | excessive; unreasonable |
| didactic | for the purpose of teaching |
| idiosyncratic | quirky; odd |
| banal | ordinary; dull; boring |
| static | not moving |
| extraneous | unnecessary; irrelevant |
| notorious | famous in a bad way |
| salutary | beneficial; healthy |
| ardent | extremely eager |
| impenetrable | unable to be understood |
| amicable | friendly |
| trite | hackneyed; overdone |
| toxic | harmful; poisonous |
| disparity | inequality |
| incisive | sharp; clever; perceptive |
| allude | to hint at; refer to indirectly |
| verbose | wordy; wordy; wordy |
| account | a report; description |
| anecdote | a brief (humorous) story |
| affectation | behavior just for effect |
| resignation | accepting a bad outcome |
| composure | calm under difficulties |
| florid | flowery in language |
| amenable | willing; cooperative |
| condone | to allow; overlook |
| tedious | dull and repetitive |
| officious | bossy |
| exploit | to take advantage of |
| assiduous | hardworking and dedicated |
| neutral | not taking sides |
| scrupulous | highly moral; fair |
| laconic | using few words |
| authoritarian | demanding obedience |
| refinement | elegance; improvement |
| incorporate | to add as part into a whole |
| predator | a hunter |
| incredulous | highly skeptical |
| hypothesis | a theory; educated guess |
| duplicity | deceitfulness; sneakiness |
| languid | lazy; lacking energy |
| orthodox | traditional; conservative |
| ominous | threatening; as an omen |
| tacit | implied; to approve silently |
| astute | insightful; wise |
| aspect | appearance from one view |
| peremptory | bossy; cutting others off |
| vignette | a brief scene description |
| intrusive | butting in; tactless |
| prevalent | common; widespread |
| indisputable | certain; absolute |
| merit | praiseworthy excellence |
| lament | to regret deeply; grieve |
| exonerate | to free from blame |
| terse | short and to the point |
| sensibility | preference or taste |
| evanescent | fleeting; short-lived |
| renowned | famous in a good way |
| indigenous | native; originating from |
| repressed | held down or held back |
| ingenuous | naïve; childlike |
| adulation | deep; excessive admiration |
| expedient | simple and efficient |
| vapid | dull; unexciting |
| encompass | to include; to encircle |
| exclusive | shutting out; only for a few |
| scarce | rare; not abundant |
| engaging | interesting and exciting |
| urbane | sophisticated; mannerly |
| sanguine | overly optimistic |
| sarcasm | biting; caustic remarks |
| adversary | an opponent |
| surreptitious | sneaky; clandestine |
| vicarious | living through another |
| parochial | narrow-minded; limited |
| revival | a return to life |
| improvise | to wing it; without planning |
| apathetic | not caring; indifferent |
| corroborate | to support with evidence |
| unprecedented | highly unusual; never seen |
| alleviate | to lessen one's pain |
| prominent | well-known; standing out |
| circumspect | careful; cautious |
| adroit | skilled |
| amalgam | a grouping |
| antagonistic | looking to fight |
| brusque | rude |
| censure | to publicly scold |
| cite | to refer to |
| competent | able |
| connotation | built-in meaning |
| constraint | limitation |
| debilitating | crippling |
| deprecate | to point out faults |
| dispassionate | lacking passion |
| dissension | disagreement |
| doctrinaire | a stubbornly opinionated person |
| eccentric | offbeat; strange |
| egotist | one concerned with self |
| empirical | based on experimental results |
| enduring | long-lasting |
| facetious | playfully humorous |
| frugal | careful with money |
| gullible | falling for jokes |
| hypocritical | saying one thing but doing another |
| impartial | neutral; unbiased |
| impassioned | full of passion |
| intricate | highly detailed |
| longevity | state of lasting long |
| oblivious | lacking awareness |
| obsolete | outdated |
| preoccupation | an obsession of the mind |
| qualified | made an exception to |
| reciprocity | returning the favor |
| reclusive | like a hermit |
| reflective | carefully pondering |
| renounce | to publicly give up something |
| resentment | bitterness |
| rigorous | requiring high effort |
| routine | run-of-the-mill |
| scorn | contempt or disdain |
| shortcoming | a lacking quality |
| solemn | quiet; prayerful |
| supplement | to add to |
| therapeutic | promoting health |
| vitality | liveliness; health |
| whimsical | unpredictable |
Combine with other sets
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace