| Term | Definition |
|---|
| tender | v. to offer formally; n. a legal tender; something, esp. money, offered in payment |
| decry | v. to speak out against strongly or openly |
| capricious | adj. erratic; tending to change abruptly |
| referendum | n. direct popular vote on a law or measure of public policy |
| covenant | n. a binding agreement |
| dapper | adj. neat and trim in appearance |
| slovenly | adj. careless about one's own appearance |
| remonstrate | v. to make objections |
| candor | n. frankness or sincerity of expression |
| become | v. to be appropriate or suitable to; to look good with |
| couch | v. to phrase in a particular way |
| eclat | n. great brilliance, as of performance or achievement; conspicuous success |
| comely | adj. attractive or pleasing in appearance; pretty; handsome |
| crux | n. an essential or pivotal point; a perplexing difficulty |
| fathom | v. to measure the depth of; to understand |
| supplant | v. to take the place of |
| prosaic | adj. straightforward; lacking in imagination |
| disconcert | v. to make confused or uneasy |
| penchant | adj. a strong liking |
| interstices | n. small spaces between things |
| ecclesiastical | adj. relating to the church |
| ostentatious | adj. showy; pretentious |
| deference | n. yielding an opinion, desire, or position to another out of respect |
| palpable | adj. capable of being handled, touched , or felt; easily perceived |
| lassitude | n. a feeling of weakness |
| chary | adj. very cautious |
| homely | adj. unattractive, plain looking |
| posterity | n. future generations |
| shade | n. a small variation, a nuance; a small amount |
| maverick | one who rebels; a nonconformist; an individualist |
| piquant | adj. agreeably pungent or sharp in taste; tart; agreeably stimulating or interesting |
| canard | n. a false report |
| elysian | adj. heavenly or delightful |
| obsequious | adj. showing too great a willingness to serve or obey |
| bulwark | n. a wall or embankment used for a defensive fortification; something serving as a defense or safeguard, oft. figurative |
| innocuous | adj. harmless |
| amalgamate | v. to blend together into one; to unite |
| vociferous | adj. loud and vehement |
| latitude | n. freedom from normal limitations; room for movement or action |
| puerile | adj. childlike |
| rambunctious | adj. very loud and disorderly |
| prognosticate | v. to predict |
| august | adj. inspiring awe or admiration, esp. because of high rank or character |
| furrow | n. a trench in the earth made by a plow; a wrinkle |
| lineaments | n. any of the features of the body, usually the face |
| scintillate | v. to give off sparks; to be animated or briliant |
| scion | n. an heir; a descendant |
| svelte | adj. slender and graceful in outline |
| flower | v. to reach the best or most vigorous stage |
| beleaguered | adj. harassed; besieged |
| quixotic | adj. foolishly idealistic; extravagantly chivalrous |
| preempt | v. to take place of; to have priority or precedence over |
| sinecure | n. a paid position that requires little or no work |
| egregious | adj. outstanding for undesirable qualities; remarkably bad |
| desultory | adj. lacking a plan or purpose; unmethodical |
| visceral | adj. instinctive; relating to the internal organs |
| consecrate | v. to make or set apart as sacred |
| tantamount | adj. equivalent in effect or value |
| exonerate | v. to find blameless |
| manifest | adj. obvious; very clear; evident |
| mien | n. bearing or manner, esp. as revealing one's inner state of mind |
| rancid | adj. spoiled or rotten (esp. oils or fats) |
| embroil | v. to engage in trouble; to complicate |
| insidious | adj. subtly harmful; stealthy, sneaky |
| waggish | adj. mischievous; playful |
| protean | adj. easily taking on different forms |
| malinger | v. to act sick in order to avoid work |
| waif | n. a person without home or friends |
| occult | adj. relating to the supernatural; beyond human comprehension; mysterious |
| melange | n. a mixture; a hodgepodge |
| morass | n. an area of swampy ground; something that hinders |
| vicarious | adj. felt as if one were taking part in the experiences of another |
| rancorous | adj. bitter and resentful |
| regale | v. to delight or entertain |
| effect | v. to bring about |
| leaven | v. to add yeast; to fill (something) with a substance that changes it or makes it lighter |
| inordinate | adj. excessive, unrestrained |
| polyglot | adj. speaking many languages; n. one who speaks many languages |
| vapid | adj. lacking interest, animation or flavor |
| sublime | adj. of high spritual or moral worth |
| rote | n. mechanical memorization, oft. without full understanding |
| denouement | n. conclusion; resolution; the falling action of a story after its climax |
| germane | adj. fitting and appropriate |
| commiserate | v. to express sympathy |
| procure | v. to obtain or acquire |
| atrophy | n. wasting away, esp. of body tissue |
| imbue | v. to inspire; to permeate; to fill with a mood or tone |
| relegate | v. to assign to an obscure place or condition; to send away |
| fulminate | v. to issue a strong verbal attack |
| abet | v. to encourage, assist, or support, usually in wrongdoing |
| canvass | v. to ask for votes, opinions, etc.; to examine or discuss in detail |
| fortitude | n. strength of mind that allows one to endure adversity |
| exude | v. to give off; to emit; to radiate |
| bathos | n. excessive or trivial sentimentality; and abrupt transition in style from the elevated to the commonplace, producing a laughable effect |
| contumacious | adj. stubbornly disobedient; rebellious; insubordinate |
| confluence | n. joining together of different streams |
| lurid | adj. causing shock or horror; tastelessly vivid; glowing like fire through a haze |
| redress | v. to set right; to remedy |
| bromide | n. commonplace remark intended to calm; platitude |
| approbation | n. official approval |
| curtail | v. to cut short, abbreviate |
| congenital | adj. present since birth; being an essential characteristic |
| reticence | n. the quality or state of being silent or uncommunicative |
| verisimilitude | n. resemblance to the truth |
| hegemoney | n. strong influence; domination |
| shibboleth | n. a custom or phrase distinctive of a particular group, class, etc. |
| parochial | adj. restricted; limited; narrow; local |
| doctrinaire | adj. inflexibly maintaining an idea without regard to practically |
| ilk | n. kind; sort; class |
| multifarious | adj. having many different parts or forms; numerous and varied |
| licentious | adj. not moral; lawless; lewd |
| halcyon | adj. calm; peaceful |
| grisly | adj. inspiring horror because of appalling crudity or inhumanity; gruesome |
| gregarious | adj. seeking and enjoying the company of others; tending to move in a group |
| implicate | v. to inscriminate; to show or suggest involvement |
| concerted | adj. planned or accomplished together |
| deleterious | adj. harmful; destructive |
| impugn | v. to challenge; call into question |
| fatuous | adj. smugly foolish; complacently stupid |
| exiguous | adj. scanty; meager; small; slender |
| vagary | n. an erratic notion or action |
| kindred | adj. related or similar in origin or nature |
| caveat | n. a warning |
| forebear | n. a person from whom one is descended; an ancestor (usu. plural) |
| rococo | adj. elaborate or overdone |
| itinerant | adj. traveling from place to place, esp. for work |
| efficacy | n. the power to produce the desired effect |
| facetious | adj. playfully humorous |
| incessant | adj. never pausing; continuous; without a stop |
| incur | v. to acquire or sustain something undesirable |
| nuance | n. variation of meaning; subtlety |
| onus | n. an unpleasant task or duty; a burden or obligation |
| herald | v. to bear news; to announce |
| reliquary | n. a receptacle (such as a shrine) for displaying relics |
| abscond | v. to go away hastily and secretively; to hide |
| aback | adv. by surprise |
| timorous | adj. full of fear |
| promulgate | v. to make known by official announcement |
| improvident | adj. not preparing for the future; incautious |
| temerity | adj. willingness to do or say something that shocks or upsets people |
| balk | v. to stop short and refuse to continue |
| capacious | adj. able to contain or hold much |
| accede | v. to agree to something |
| eclectic | adj. composed of material from various sources |
| exigent | adj. requiring immediate action |
| pique | v. to arouse (interest, curiosity, etc.); to irritate |
| loquacious | adj. very talkative |
| enormity | n. great wickedness; an evil act |
| avocation | n. hobby |
| compass | n. area; range; scope |
| progenitor | n. a direct ancestor |
| behoove | v. to be necessary or proper for |
| cabal | n. a small group of secret plotters, i.e., against a government or authority |
| vacillate | v. to swing back and forth |
| tenuous | adj. weak; thin |
| paradigm | n. an example; a model |
| delineate | v. to draw the outline of; describe in words or gestures |
| emollient | adj. having a softening, smoothing effect; n. an agent that softens, esp. the skin |
| exult | v. to rejoice greatly |
| adduce | v. to show as an example or means of proving something |
| acumen | n. quickness and accuracy of judgement or insight |
| heterodox | adj. not in agreement with accepted beliefs, esp. religious dogma |
| entrenched | adj. dug in |
| prerogative | n. an exclusive right or privelege, esp. one that is the result of hereditary or official position |
| ramification | n. a development or consequence resulting from a course of action |
| propitious | adj. presenting favorable circumstances |
| empirical | adj. based on experience rather than a theory |
| tepid | adj. moderately warm; lacking force or enthusiasim |
| equivocal | adj. capable of multiple interpretations; unclear |
| argot | n. specialized vocabulary unique to a particular group |
| hermetic | adj. completely sealed, esp. from entry or escape of air |
| specious | adj. seeming to be truthful on the surface, but actually false |
| reciprocate | v. to give something in return |
| gauche | adj. socially awkward |
| broach | v. to raise for discussion |
| equanimity | n. evenness of temper, esp. as a characteristic state |
| adumbrate | v. to give a sketchy outline; to foreshadow |
| expatriate | v. to send into exile; n. one who has moved to a foreign country |
| construe | v. to interpret |
| recondite | adj. not easily understood |
| emolument | n. payment for an office or employment |
| anathema | n. someone or something that is hatred |
| inexorable | adj. not able to be persuaded; unyielding; unalterable |
| expunge | v. to erase; to eliminate completely |
| symposium | n. a meeting to discuss a topic, esp. where the participants form the audience and make presentations |
| hiatus | n. an interruption in activity or progress |
| subterfuge | n. a sneaky or devious method for avoiding difficulty or unpleasantness |
| intimate | v. to make known subtly; to hint |
| jingoism | n. an extreme patriotism |
| clandestine | adj. done in secret, esp. to conceal something improper |
| onerous | adj. burdensome, hard to bear |
| polemic | n. a controversial argument, esp. attacking a particular opinion |
| bravura | n. a showy display |
| stigma | n. a sign of disgrace; a mark that lowers a reputation |
| sedulous | adj. working hard and steadily; diligent |
| surreptitious | adj. done secretly, often of something unseemly or unethical |
| passe | adj. old fashioned; out-of-style |
| nascent | adj. coming into being; being born |
| panacea | n. a cure-all or an all-purpose solution |
| renegade | n. someone who rejects one group, cause,or allegiance for another |
| prurient | adj. tending to have or cause lustful thoughts |
| punitive | adj. inflicting or intended to inflict punishment |
| abjure | v. to renounce under oath; to give up or deny |
| mandarin | n. a high government official; a member of an elite group, esp. having high status in intellectual or cultural circles |
| sardonic | adj. bitterly sneezing; mocking; sarcastic |
| patent | adj. obvious; evident |
| valedictory | n. a farewell speech |
| indict | v. to formally accuse of criminal activity |
| estuary | n. the part of a river that meets a sea |
| interdict | v. to forbid or stop the activities or entry of |
| extradite | v. to deliver someone (e.g., a fugitive) to the authority of another government or jurisdiction |
| vernacular | n. informal speech; native language |
| dissemble | v. to deceive or conceal; to hide one's motives; to simulate |
| dappled | adj. spotted |
| quack | n. an untrained person who pretends to be a physician and dispenses medical advice and treatment |
| harrowing | adj. very distressing; painful |
| mercenary | adj. greedy; motivated by desire for money |
| self-abnegation | n. the putting aside of personal interest for the sake of others |
| reprehensible | adj. deserving to be severely criticized |
| secrete | v. to put or keep in a hiding place; to conceal |
| opprobrium | n. bad reputation or disgrace gained after a specific action |
| stentorian | n. extremely loud |
| pervade | v. to spread through, or be present throughout |
| parsimony | n. excessive care in spending; stinginess |
| sententious | adj. expressing much in few words; given to pompous moralizing |
| reverie | n. daydream |
| resign | v. to accept a bad situation |
| pantheon | n. all the gods of a people; a group highly respected in a field |
| marquee | n. a sign over the entrance to a public building |
| consort | v. to associate; to keep company |
| bilious | adj. bad-tempered; cross |
| amuck | adj. frenzied, esp. violently |
| segue | n. an easy, effective, or uninterrupted transition |
| lummox | n. a clumsy person |
| sanguine | adj. optimistic, cheerful |
| condign | adj. deserved (usu. of punishment) |
| gratuitous | adj. unnecessary or inappropriate |
| saturnine | adj. of a gloomy temperament |
| ruminate | v. to ponder at length |
| ersatz | adj. inferior imitation or substitute |
| mettle | courage; strength of character |
| parrot | v. to blindly repeat or copy |
| umbrage | n. offense; resentment |
| gaudy | adj. characterized by tasteless or showy colors |
| pedantic | adj. putting unnecessary stress on minor or purely academic knowledge |
| perspicacious | adj. having keen perception or understanding |
| somnolent | adj. sleepy |
| primate | n. a bishop of highest rank in a country or province |
| travesty | n. an imitation that makes a serious thing seem ridiculous |
| rhapsody | n. a state of great happiness; such a state expressed in speech or writing |
| moribund | adj. approaching death; nearly obsolete |
| overwrought | adj. extremely nervous or excited |
| ulterior | adj. lying beyond what is evident, revealed, or claimed |
| edict | n. an authoritative order issued publicly; a decree |
| choleric | adj. easily angered; bad-tempered |
| extemporaneous | adj. done with little or no preparation |
| peccadillo | n. a minor sin |
| jaundice | n. prejudice; bias; a yellowish discoloration of the skin |
| phlegmatic | adj. having a calm, sluggish temperament; unemotional |
| subsidy | n. monetary assistance |
| ineffable | adj. incapable of being expressed |
| histrionic | adj. overly dramatic, theatrical |
| rejoinder | v. to answer, esp. to another answer |
| raucous | adj. loud and harsh |
| forte | n. something at which a person excels |
| recapitulate | v. to summarize; to paraphrase |
| rectitude | n. conduct according to moral principles |
| eschew | v. to avoid; to shun |
| nonpareil | adj. having no equal |
| debase | v. to make lower in value, quality, or character |
| scourge | n. a cause of widespread suffering |
| internecine | adj. pertaining to conflict within a group; mutually destructive |
| maxim | n. a short saying expressing a general principle |
| rail | v. to speak bitterly or reproachfully |
| culpable | adj. deserving blame or punishment |
| acquiesce | v. to agree without protest |
| ad hoc | adj. for a specific purpose and no other; improvised |
| lugubrious | adj. sad or mouthful, esp. in a way that seems exxagerated or ridiculous |
| menagerie | n. a collection of wild and strange animals kept in cages |
| rapture | n. the experience of great joy; ecstacy |
| proclivity | n. a natural or habitual tendency or inclination |
| fortuitous | adj. occuring by chance |
| truculent | adj. inclined to fight; expressing violence or hostility |
| refractory | adj. stubbornly resistant to control, authority, or treatment |
| sycophant | n. one who seeks favor by flatteing people of wealth or influence |
| recreant | adj. showing faithless disloyalty; n. a disloyal coward |
| propensity | n. a natural inclination; a tendency |
| tractable | adj. easily managed or controlled |
| impalpable | adj. that which cannot be felt by touching; not easily understood |
| ad infinitum | adv. lasting forever; continuously |
| interloper | n. one who interferes with the affairs of others; a meddler |
| ascribe | v. to attribute to a specific source |
| encomium | n. high praise |
| abase | v. to lower in rank or prestige |
| aspersion | n. a remark that attacks one's reputation |
| defunct | adj. having ceased to exist or live |
| ostensible | adj. outwardly appearing as such |
| bifurcate | v. to divide into two parts |
| exculpate | v. to clear from blame or guilt |
| avarice | n. excessive desire for wealth |
| upshot | n. the decisive or final result |
| nondescript | adj. lacking distinction or individual character |
| incongruous | adj. lacking agreement; incompatible |
| effrontery | n. bold and insulting behavior |
| antediluvian | adj. very old; outdated |
| aboveboard | adj. without dishonesty or concealment |
| vacuous | adj. lacking substance or intelligence |
| hapless | adj. unfortunate; unlucky |
| affable | adj. friendly; easy to talk to |
| accost | v. to approach and speak to, usually aggressive |
| tumult | n. a great commotion or uproar |
| conceit | n. a fanciful idea or image, esp. an exxagerated poetic comparison; an extravagant construction |
| bereaved | adj. suffering the loss of a loved one |
| posit | v. to assume as a fact or principle |
| coven | n. a group of witches, usually 13 |
| arrogate | v. to claim for one's self unjustly |
| corps | n. a group of persons working together or related by a common association |
| abrogate | v. to cancel or repeal by authority |
| exuberant | adj. lively, happy, full of good spirits |
| engender | v. to beget; to cause; to promote |
| heinous | adj. extremely wicked; abominable |
| abrade | v. to wear down a surface by or as if by scraping |
| quid pro quo | n. an equal exchange or substitution |
| goad | n. a long stick used to prod animals; something used to urge on; v. to prod or urge, as if with a pointed stick |
| staunch | adj. strongly loyal |
| zeitgeist | n. the trend or spirit of the times |
| fastidious | adj. not easy to please; very critical or discriminating |
| truckle | v. to submit in a subservient manner to a superior; fawn |
| abate | v. to lessen in amount, intensity or strength |
| surrogate | n. substitute |
| vindictive | adj. seeking revenge; marked by a desire to hurt |
| benediction | n. blessing |
| disarming | adj. reducing or preventing critism with charm |
| expound | v. to explain in detail |
| vertiginous | adj. causing dizziness, as from spinning or heights |
| effervescent | adj. giving off gas bubbles; showing high spirits or excitement |
| cantankerous | adj. bad-tempered; quarrelsome |
| florid | adj. flushed with rosy color; over decorated |
| purport | v. to claim, esp. falsely |
| derelict | adj. abandoned; negligent |
| carte blanche | n. unrestricted power to act at one's own discretion |
| temporize | v. to act evasively in order to gain time |
| wizened | adj. wrinkled from aging |
| quirk | n. a rapid twist and turn; an indivisual mannerism |
| watershed | n. a critical point that marks a division |
| zephyr | n. a gentle, soft breeze |
| byzantine | adj. highly complicated or intricate; characterized by devious plotting |
| convalesce | v. to recover from illness; to recuperate |
| holistic | adj. dealing with something as a whole rather than by its indivisual parts |
| parisan | n. a strong, often militant, supporter |
| coterie | n. a small, often exclusive group of people who associate with one another frequently |
| corroborate | v. to strengthen; comfort; support |
| predilection | n. a preference |
| bawdy | adj. indecent or humorously coarse; lewd |
| cardinal | adj. of main importance; principal |
| diurnal | adj. daily; occuring during the daytime |
| proscribe | v. to prohibit or forbid; to denounce |
| foment | v. to stir up negative feelings, esp. those that lead to violent action |
| demagogue | n. a leader who obtains power by appealing to the emotions and passions of otherst |
| dictum | n. an authroitative, often formal, pronouncement |
| renumerate | v. to pay or compensate |
| debonair | adj. easy and carefree in manner |
| knell | v. to ring in a slow solemn way; n. the sound of a bell, esp. of one run at a funeral; an omen of death, failure, etc. |
| finesse | n. subtle skill in performance or in handling a situation |
| cadre | n. a group of trained, highly skilled people of training others |
| fractious | adj. disruptive or irritable |
| pittance | n. a small amount, esp. of money |
| sang-froid | n. coolness and composure, esp. in difficult circumstances |
| incumbent | adj. necessary or obligatory; n. a person who currently holds a particular position |
| trenchant | adj. keen and forceful; caustic |
| bivouac | n. temporary encampment, often in an unsheltered area |
| vituperative | adj. harshly critical |
| vitiate | v. to make faulty or impure; to spoil |
| turpitude | n. immoral behavior |
| vignette | n. a small design or portrait; a brief scene (as from a movie) or literary sketch |
| contentious | adj. always ready to argue; quarrelsome |
| laity | n. all the people not belonging to a given profession, esp. the clergy |
| altercation | n. a heated or noisy argument |
| variegated | adj. distinctly marked with different colors; diverse |
| delude | v. to make someone believe something that is untrue; to deceive |
| baleful | adj. harmful or threatening harm or evil |
| dogged | adj. refusing to give up despite difficulties |
| regress | v. to return for a previous state |
| manumit | v. to grant freedom to slaves; to emancipate |
| affected | adj. behaving in an artificial way to impress people |
| quail | v. to draw back in fear; lose heart of courage |
| obstinate | adj. unreasonably stubborn |
| repertoire | n. the range of pieces an artist is prepared to perform |
| quotidian | adj. daily; customary |
| disparate | adj. entirely unlike |
| impute | v. to assign credit, often of guilt or blame |
| paucity | n. smallness of number; scarcity |
| noisome | adj. disgustingly offensive; foul |
| table | v. to postpone consideration of |
| till | v. to prepare the soil for planting |
| gustatory | adj. relating to the sense of taste |
| maudlin | adj. excessively sentimental |
| congenial | adj. suited to one's needs or nature; friendly; sympathetic |
| privation | n. lack of basic necessities |
| impetuous | adj. characterized by sudden emotion, energy, etc.; impulsive and passionate |
| invective | n. language that abuses or denounces |
| patronize | v. to sponsor or support; to be kind or helpful in a snobbish way, as if dealing with an inferior |
| poignant | adj. sharply painful to the feelings |
| toady | n. a person who flatters others for self-serving reasons; a sycophant |
| compendium | n. a short, complete summary |
| redolent | adj. aromatic; fragrant; suggestive |
| perfunctory | adj. done without care or interest or merely as a form or routine |
| dowdy | adj. lacking in neatness or style; shabby |
| canon | n. a law or body of laws, esp. religious; an established principle or basis for judgement; The works of a writer that have been accepted as authentic |
| ocular | adj. relating to the eye or sense of sight |
| junta | n. a group of military officers ruling a country after seizing power |
| collude | v. to plot secretly for a deceitful or illegal purposee |
| husband | v. to use sparingly; to conserve |
| accrue | v. to come as a gain; to increase |
| kudos | n. glory; fame |
| mellifluous | adj. smooth and sweet; flowing with sweetness |
| convivial | adj. sociable; festive |
| oppugn | v. to oppose with argument; to contradict or call into question |
| gesticulate | v. to make gestures, esp. while speaking |
| flotsam | n. wreckage of a ship or its cargo found floating on the sea |
| manifold | adj. of many kinds; numerous and varied |
| tacit | adj. unspoken but understood; silent |
| implacable | adj. unable to be pacified; relentless |
| malediction | n. evil talk about someone; slander; a curse |
| raconteur | n. one who tells stories with skill |
| inchoate | adj. at an early stage of development; not well developed |
| diffident | adj. lacking self-confidence; timid; shy |
| muse | v. to meditate; to consider thoughtfully |
| condone | v. to pardon or overlook voluntarily |
| covert | adj. concealed or disguised; not openly practiced |
| adulterate | v. to make impure |
| ethereal | adj. delicate; soft; airy; intangible |
| anthropology | n. study of the origin, behavior, and culture of human beings |
| extant | adj. currently or actually existing |
| blandishment | n. a flattering act or remark; allurement; enticement |
| unpretentious | adj. modest; not showy |
| weather | v. to survive |
| insensible | adj. not able to feel or perceive; unresponsive |
| commensurate | adj. equal in proportion; having the same size, duration, etc. |
| salient | adj. important, prominent, most noticeable |
| recidivist | n. one who returns to criminal habits |
| venal | adj. capable of being bribed or corrupted |
| palliate | v. to lessen the pain or severity |
| lacuna | n. an empty space or missing portion |
| opine | v. to express an opinion |
| firebrand | n. one who stirs up trouble or revolt |
| jeremiad | n. an elaborate and lengthy tale of sadness |
| reproach | v. to express disapproval for a fault, usu. out of sense of disappointment |
| largess | n. generosity in giving gifts |
| martyr | n. one who chooses to die rather than to give up religious beliefs, or who suffers greatly to further a cause |
| ephemeral | adj. lasting for a short time; fleeting |
| ignominy | n. shame; dishonor |
| flighty | adj. unstable or easily excited |
| duress | n. strain or hardship, often illegally applied |
| credit | v. to believe; to trust |
| anachronism | n. something not belonging to a certain time period |
| legerdemain | n. trickery; deception; sleight of hand |
| precipitate | adj. moving rapidly and without caution |
| vocation | n. a regular occupation, esp. one for which a person is particularly suited |
| mean | adj. lowly, insignificant, petty |
| temperate | adj. consistent; moderate; without extremes |
| gestate | v. evolve, as in prenatal growth |
| garish | adj. marked by unpleasantly bright colors or excessive ornamentation |
| patina | n. thing greenish layer that forms on copper as a result of corrosion; the sheen on any surface produced by age or use |
| preponderance | n. superiority in weight, force, importance or influence |
| hidebound | adj. narrow-minded |
| obtuse | adj. slow in understanding; dull; stupid |
| penitent | adj. feeling regret |
| evanescent | adj. fading from sight; transient |
| mercurial | adj. easily changeable; erratic |
| lionize | v. to look upon or treat as a celebrity |
| palatable | adj. pleasant or acceptable to the taste |
| insular | adj. narrow in outlook; provincial |
| garrulous | adj. talking too much, esp. about trivial things |
| cavort | v. to leap about in a lively manner; to have lively or boisterous fun |
| epigram | n. a short, cleverly-worded statement |
| alacrity | n. cheerful willingness; swiftness |
| hedonist | n. someone who seeks only pleasure |
| foible | n. a minor weakness of character |
| gamut | n. an entire range or series |
| heyday | n. a time or success or popularity |
| fiat | n. an authoritative order; an arbitrary decree |
| fraternize | v. to associate in a friendly manner |
| attrition | n. gradual reduction |
| flaccid | adj. lacking firmness |
| autocracy | n. rule by one person with unlimited power |
| sumptuous | adj. of a size of splendor suggesting great expense; lavish |
| myopic | adj. near-sighted |
| hirsute | adj. having excessive body hair |
| purvey | v. to supply |
| mores | n. accepted rules of behavior |
| filibuster | v. to use a prolonged speech to delay legislative action; n. a speech that delays legislative action |
| lambent | adj. flickering, e.g., of a flame or light reflected on a surface |
| obeisance | n. a gesture, such as curtsy, that expresses respect or obedience |
| camaraderie | n. loyalty; a warm, friendly feeling among members of a group |
| dirge | n. slow, sad music, esp. a funeral hymn |
| unseemly | adj. not decent or proper |
| didactic | adj. intended to teach; inclined to teach excessively |
| disabuse | v. to free from error or falsehood |
| eddy | n. a current, as of water or air, moving contrary to the direction of the main current, esp. in a circular motion |
| gambit | n. a calculated, risky opening move |
| savant | n. a well-educated person; a scholar |
| precept | n. a rule of action or conduct |
| querulous | adj. inclined to find fault; complaining; full of complaint |
| hearsay | n. rumor; gossip |
| ado | n. trouble; fuss |
| macabre | adj. suggesting the horror of death |
| redoubtable | adj. fearsome; formidable |
| impasse | n. a dead-end |
| unctuous | adj. oily; showing insincere earnestness |
| aggrandize | v. to enlarge; increase in size, power or rank |
| sylvan | adj. characteristic of woods or forests |
| blase | adj. indifferent or bored with life; unimpressed as if because of too much worldly experience |
| stultify | v. to make absurdly useless, esp. by degrading; to make appear foolish |
| torpid | adj. inactive; sluggish; dormant |
| adjunct | n. something attached to another in a subordinate position |
| subjugate | v. to bring under control; to conquer |
| spurious | adj. not genuine; false |
| acquit | v. to declare free of guilt; to clear |
| undulate | v. to move in a wave-like motion |
| paroxysm | n. a sudden convulsion or outburst; a fit |
| mogul | n. a rich or powerful person |
| burnish | v. to polish |
| exhume | v. to dig up out of the ground |
| conflagration | n. large, disastrous fire |
| digest | n. a collection of previously published material, usu. In condensed form |
| travail | n. painfully difficult work; pain or suffering from mental or physical hardship |
| quiescent | adj. inactive, oft. Suggesting a temporary state |
| uncouth | adj. uncultured; crude |
| tightfisted | adj. stingy; miserly |
| purloin | v. to steal, oft. In violation of a trust |
| impotent | adj. powerless; helpless; ineffective |
| virulent | adj. extremely infectious or harmful; bitterly hostile |
| assiduous | adj. diligent; hard-working; constant |
| inception | n. commencement; beginning; origin |
| surfeit | n. an excess |
| petulant | adj. impatient or irritable, esp. over a minor annoyance |
| calumny | n. a false and maclicious statement; slander |
| irk | v. to irritate or be wearisome |
| emaciated | adj. made thin unnaturally; abnormally thin due to starvation |
| confound | v. to mix up or lump together indiscriminately; to confuse |
| leonine | adj. authoritative; commanding; like a lion |
| emanate | v. to send forth; to come forth |
| dour | adj. stern and humorless; silently ill-humored |
| dregs | n. the worst part; the sediment in a liquid |
| bungle | v. to handle badly; to botch or mess up |
| dogmatic | adj. arrogantly asserting unproved principles |
| inconsequential | adj. unimportant |
| humus | n. fertilizer; black soil for fertilizing |
| convoluted | adj. intricate; complicated |
| protege | n. one whose welfare, training, or career is promoted by another person |
| temper | v. to bring down in tone; to moderate; to soften |
| propitiate | adj. to appease or placate |
| abeyance | n. a suspension of activity |
| wayward | adj. stubbornly going against what is expected or required in order to satisfy one's own desires |
| profligate | adj. immorally wasteful |
| abhor | v. to detest; to shrink from in disgust |
| stalwart | adj. firm and resolute; having imposing physical strength |
| senescent | adj. aging; growing weak with age |
| schema | n. an outline or model, often drawn as a diagram |
| impertinent | adj. rude |
| sybarite | n. one devoted to luxury |
| ascetic | adj. self-denying |
| martinet | n. one who is strict in discipline, and enjoys authority too much |
| aquiline | adj. resembling or relating to eagles; curved (like an eagle's beak) |
| hovel | n. a living place that is very filthy and dirty |
| incarcerate | v. to restrict by imprisonment; to keep in prison |
| bandy | v. to pass (gossip, rumor, etc.) about freely and carelessly |
| anodyne | n. a pain-killer or anesthetic |
| beguile | v. to deceive by charm |
| litigant | n. one who is engaged in a lawsuit |
| upbraid | v. to criticize sharply, esp. by a figure of authority |
| stringent | adj. imposing strict standards of performance; constricted |
| specter | n. a ghost; a disturbing image or prospect |
| resuscitate | v. to revive, esp. from apparent death or unconsciousness |
| supercilious | adj. feeling or showing proud contempt |
| sanctimonious | adj. pretending holiness; hyprocritically devout |
| pusillanimous | adj. cowardly |
| beset | v. to attack from all sides; to trouble persistently |
| revile | v. to attack with harsh language |
| despondent | adj. so sad as to lack all hope |
| torrid | adj. parched with heat; ardent or passionate |
| fodder | n. feed for livestock; a resource |
| deem | v. to have as an opinion; to consider |
| inculcate | v. to teach or impress by frequent repetition; to instill |
| despoil | v. to deprive something of value |
| captious | adj. critically faultfinding |
| inveterate | adj. established for a long time; habitual |
| laconic | adj. brief in speech; using few words |
| obstreperous | adj. noisily and stubbornly defiant |
| edifice | n. a building; architectural monument |
| squalid | adj. having a dirty or lowly appearance |
| circumspect | adj. showing discretion and careful judgment |
| pernicious | adj. very harmful or destructive |
| cavalier | adj. casual, disdainful |
| incipient | adj. beginning to appear or be noticed |
| recrimination | n. a reply to one charge with a countercharge |
| utilitarian | adj. stressing practical use over other values |
| repartee | n. a quick witty reply; a series of such replies |
| tax | v. to make difficult or excessive demands upon |
| recalcitrant | adj. marked by stubborn defiance of authority or guidance |
| amenable | adj. responsive to advice or authority |
| vestige | n. a trace of something that once existed but has disappeared |
| rampant | adj. unrestrained |
| reprieve | v. to postpone or cancel punishment |
| connive | v. to cooperate secretly in wrongful action |
| scintilla | n. a small amount; a spark |
| castigate | v. to criticize severely, esp. in public |
| consign | v. to give to the care of another; to set apart |
| insouciant | adj. calm and untroubled; carefree; indifferent; |
| accolade | n. an award or honor; a sign of great respect |
| ire | n. anger |
| subsume | v. to include as part of a larger group |
| importune | v. to beg desperately and repeatedly |
| strident | adj. loud and shrill or grating |
| penury | n. lack of money, property, necessities |
| enclave | n. a country or other distinctly bounded area wholly surrounded by another area |
| iconoclast | n. one who attacks and seeks to destroy widely accepted ideas |
| pallid | adj. faint in color; pale |
| excoriate | v. to denounce sharply; to tear or wear the skin off |
| burgeon | v. to sprout or grow rapidly |
| bevy | n. a group, esp. of women or birds |
| nonplus | v. to put at a loss what to do or think |
| ensconce | v. to settle securely or snugly |
| renege | v. to fail to carry out a promise |
| desecrate | v. to violate the religious quality of something |
| neologism | n. new word of phrase |
| catharsis | n. purging of the emotions |
| conducive | adj. tending to be bring about |
| interlocutor | n. someone who takes part in a conversation, esp. formally |
| dilettante | n. one who engages an art with only superficial skill; an amateur |
| exposition | n. a statement intended to give background information or to explain something difficult |
| matriculate | v. to admit or be admitted into a group, esp. a college or university |
| fulsome | adj. disgusting because excessive or insincere; replusive |
| factious | adj. causing dissension |
| espouse | v. to give loyalty or support to; to adopt |
| countenance | n. appearance, esp. the expression of the face; v. to tolerate |
| feckless | adj. careless; irresponsible |
| epicure | n. one with refined tastes, esp. in food and wine |
| contravene | v. to act counter to; violate |
| imbroglio | n. a confused misunderstanding or disagreement |
| dichotomy | n. division with two contradictory parts |
| obdurate | adj. not easily moved to pity or sympathy |
| debilitated | adj. showing impairment of energy or strength |
| demur | v. to object; to disagree with something |
| efface | v. to rub out, as from a surface; to erase |
| libertine | adj. one who lives an immoral life |
| abstruse | adj. difficult to understand |
| aegis | n. a protection; sponsorship |
| coerce | v. to force by threat or intimidation |
| depreciate | v. to reduce in price or value |
| rout | n. a disorderly retreat or flight following a defeat; an overwhelming defeat; v. to defeat overwhelmingly |
| fetter | v. to confine, to restrain, or keep down; n. chains; shackles |
| own | v. to admit, esp. taking personal responsibility for one's own actions or thoughts |
| lachrymose | adj. causing tears; weeping or inclined to weep |
| paean | n. a song of joy, triumph, or praise |
| decadence | n. a period of decline, as in morals |
| contingent | adj. unpredictable because dependent on chance; dependent on something uncertain |
| debacle | n. an overwhelming defeat or rout |
| reproof | n. an expression of disapproval; a rebuke |
| emphatic | adj. done or expressed with force |
| ineluctable | adj. unable to be avoided; inescapable |
| disinterested | adj. free from bias |
| emblematic | adj. symbolic, representative of more |
| juncture | n. a point of time; a concurrence of events |
| nettle | v. to bother; to irritate |
| beget | v. to produce; to father offspring |
| appellation | n. name; title |
| invidious | adj. tending to arouse hostility or resentment |
| deadpan | adj. showing no expression |
| tautology | n. needless repetition of an idea in different words (e.g., "widow woman") |
| craven | adj. cowardly; contemptibly timid |
| quintessence | n. a pure substance or essence of something |
| extol | v. to praise highly and lavishly |
| jocular | adj. characterized by joking |
| incarnate | adj. in human form and shape |
| obviate | v. to stop from occurring; to prevent or make unnecessary |
| linchpin | n. a central element that holds other parts together |
| tribulation | n. great misery or distress |
| acrimony | n. bitter, shape hostility in speech or behavior |
| daunt | v. to make afraid; intimidate |
| bilk | v. to swindle; to cheat |
| fitful | adj, occurring in irregular outbursts; occurring in spurts |
| conspicuous | adj. easy to notice; obvious; apparent |
| advent | n. a coming or an arrival, esp. of something very important |
| trifle | n. something that lacks significance or worth |
| exact | v. to demand and obtain by force or authority |
| grandiloquent | adj, using excessively fancy or pompous words |
| cachet | n. a mark of distinction |
| extenuate | v. to lessen the seriousness of, esp. by giving partial excuses |
| manifesto | n. a public declaration of principles, often political |
| bequeath | v. to pass down to; to hand down, esp. in a will |
| disaffected | adj. resentful and rebellious, esp. against authority |
| perfidious | adj, marked by extreme treachery |
| deprecate | v. to express disapproval of |
| erstwhile | adj. former; of an earlier time |
| effigy | n. a representation of a person or group used esp. to demonstrate hatred |
| educe | v. to draw out; elicit |
| gainsay | v. to deny; declare false |
| odious | adj. arousing strong dislike or disgust |
| intransigent | adj, refusing to compromise or agree |
| adroit | adj. naturally skillful, esp. dealing with difficult circumstances |
| dilatory | adj. characterized by delay; tardy |
| cupidity | n, strong desire for wealth; greed |
| fraught | adj. full of a particular quality |
| auspicious | adj. marked by favorable circumstances |
| officious | adj. interfering; trying to give unwanted advice |
| colloquy | n. conversation, esp. a formal one |
| rapport | n. concord; trustful relationship; harmony |
| overt | adj. open; not hidden |
| quandary | n. a state of uncertainty, esp. about what course of action to take |
| plastic | adj. capable of being shaped or molded; easily influenced |
| comport | v. to conduct or behave oneself; to be compatible in agreement with |
| attenuate | v. to make thin; to reduce in force |
| mordant | adj. bitingly sarcastic |
| appropriate | v. to set apart for a specific use; to take possession of, often without permission |
| indolent | adj. lazy |
| iniquity | n. extreme immorality or injustice; wickedness |
| indelible | adj. incapable of being removed or erased |
| apotheosis | n. the ideal example; the elevation of a person to the rank of a god |
| qualify | v. to modify, limit, or restrict, as by giving exceptions |
| mendacious | adj. lying; false, esp. habitually |
| sanctify | v. to make holy; to make legitimate or binding |
| factitious | adj. produced artificially; not genuine |
| leviathan | n. something enormous and powerful; a sea monster |
| forbear | v. to be patient or avoid doing |
| avant-garde | n. a group active in inventing and applying new techniques, esp. in the arts |
| occasion | v. to cause; to provide an appropriate opportunity for |
| bombast | n. pompous speech |
| volition | n. a conscious choice or decision |
| propound | v. to suggest for consideration; to propose |
| retrench | v. to reduce, esp. expenses |
| philistine | n. a narrow-minded person with no interest in the arts |
| prolix | adj. wordy and tedious |
| soporific | adj. promoting sleep |
| pretext | n. an excuse; a strategy intended to conceal something |
| supplicate | v. to request with great humility, as though by praying |
| escapade | n. a reckless adventure |
| abstemious | adj. moderate, especially in eating and drinking |
| flounder | v. to proceed with clumsiness and confusion |
| marshal | v. to arrange in order |
| timbre | n. the distinguishing quality of a sound |
| dross | n. impurities formed on the surface of metals during melting; worthless, commonplace or trivial material |
| charlatan | n. a fake; one who pretends to have expert knowledge |
| misogyny | n. hatred of women |
| putative | adj. put forth or accepted as true on inadequate grounds; supposed |
| gnarled | adj. twisted; knotty |
| remiss | adj. careless in, or negligent about, attending to a task |
| impinge | v. to have an effect on something, esp. a negative one; to encroach |
| anthropocentric | adj. interpreting everything in terms of human experience and values |
| arbitrate | v. to settle a dispute or a fight between two parties |
| declaim | v. to recite a speech, poem etc; to announce formally |
| obfuscate | v. to make difficult to understand; to make indistinct |
| clemency | n. mercy, or leniency towards an offender |
| tome | n. a large, orten scholarly book |
| apocryphal | adj. probably untrue or true; of questionable authorship |
| seminal | adj. original and inspiring further similar efforts |
| cavalcade | n. an order of events; a procession |
| lexicographer | n. a person who writes or compiles dictionaries |
| mot juste | n. exactly the right word or expression |
| compunction | n. a feeling uneasiness caused by a sense of guilt |
| sequester | v. to move or set apart; to quarantine |
| tendentious | adj. having a bias; favoring a cause (usually in print) |
| felicitous | adj. well chosen; appropriate |
| stricture | n. a restraint or limit |
| turgid | adj. swollen, as from fluid; excessively ornate or complex in style |
| philander | n. of a man, to engage in sexual affairs, esp. casually |
| discursive | adj. covering a wide range of subjects; rambling |
| ingratiate | v. to bring oneself into another's favor or good graces by conscious effort |
| nexus | n. a connection or intersection |
| denigrate | v. to disgrace a reputation; to blacken; to belittle |
| stymie | v. to obstruct; to stump |
| uproarious | adj. extremely funny |
| modicum | n. a small quantity |
| unconscionable | adj. beyond reason; not restrained by conscience |
| procrustean | adj. showing merciless disregard for individual differences or special circumstances |
| serendipity | n. unexpected gift or discovery |
| callow | adj. inexperienced; not developed; immature |
| cavil | v. to argue in a petty fashion; make trifling objections |
| thespian | adj. relating to drama; n. an actor |
| philology | n. literary study, esp. as it involves the editing of texts and the history of languages |
| consternation | n. a sudden feeling of anxiety, shock, or confusion |
| veneer | n. an attractive, ultimately misleading outward show; thin layer |
| salacious | adj. lustful; obscene |
| pastiche | n. something (esp. a work of art, literature, or music) created from many different sources |
| fatalistic | adj. believing that all events are predestined and unavoidable |
| prevaricate | n. to avoid telling the truth |
| dais | n. raised platform |
| limpid | adj. perfectly clear; transparent |
| anthropomorphism | n. the attribution of human characteristics to animals or inanimate objects |
| trite | adj. worn out, used too often |
| cogent | adj. appealing forcibly to the mind; convincing |
| sate | v. to satisfy (any appetite or desire) fully |
| disingenuous | adj. not straightforward or candid; crafty |
| welter | n. a confused mass or jumble |
| evince | v. to give outward evidence of; to display clearly |
| prognosis | n. the anticipated progress of recovery |
| virtuoso | n. one with great skill, esp. in music or the arts |
| whet | v. to sharpen; to make keen |
| fop | n. a man who is preoccupied with his clothes and manners |
| meretricious | adj. attracting attention in a vulgar way |
| exhort | v. to urge strongly |
| abject | adj. of the lowest degree, brought low in condition |
| winsome | adj. charming, esp. in a childlike or innocent way |
| allay | v. to reduce the intensity of; to calm |
| eponym | n. a person after whom a place, people, disease, etc. is named |
| plucky | adj. showing courage in unfavorable circumstances |
| opulence | n. extreme wealth; luxuriousness; abundance |
| galvanize | v. to rouse; stir; spur |
| ebullient | adj. in high spirits; boiling or seeming to boil |
| turbid | adj. cloudy, muddy; in a state of turmoil |
| complicity | n. association or participation in a wrongful act |
| seemly | adj. proper or fitting with respect to established customs |
| carp | v. to complain; to seek fault, esp. over unimportant matters |
| repast | n. a meal |
| trepidation | n. strong fear or dread marked by trembling or hesitancy |
| impetus | n. an impelling or originating force |
| rescind | v. to take back or cancel |
| miasma | n. a noxious or poisonous atmosphere |
| tortuous | adj. winding, twisted |
| baroque | adj. fantastically over-decorated; gaudily ornate |
| propriety | n. good manners; proper behavior |
| sacrosanct | adj. very sacred, holy, or inviolable |
| quaff | v. to drink quickly or with enthusiasm |
| prostrate | adj. lying face down, esp. as asign of humility or worship; physically or emotionally exhausted |
| eke out | v. to add to with difficulty; to make just enough to continue |
| chicanery | n. deception by trickery |
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