| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Abasement | humiliation; degradation |
| Abhor | hate |
| Abrasive | rough; coarse; harsh |
| Abrogate | cancel; deny; repeal |
| Absolution | forgiveness; pardon; release |
| Abstain | desist; go without; withdraw |
| Abstemious | self denying; refraining from indulging |
| Abstruse | difficult to understand; obscure |
| Accolade | tribute; honor; praise |
| Acquiesce | to agree to; give in to |
| Acrid | sharp; pungent (used of smells and tastes) |
| Acrophobia | fear of heights |
| Acuity | sharpness (mental or visual) |
| Adamant | forceful; inflexible |
| Adroit | skilful |
| Adulation | strong admiration; worship |
| Adversity | hardship |
| Advocate | support |
| Aesthetic | concerning art or beauty |
| Affable | friendly; social; easygoing |
| Alacrity | eagerness; enthusiasm; quickness |
| Alchemy | medieval chemistry; attempt to change base metal into gold |
| Alibi | an excuse that shows someone was not at a crime scene |
| Allay | to lessen |
| Alleviate | make less severe |
| Aloof | distant; detached; cold |
| Altruism | putting others first; being self-sacrificing |
| Amass | accumulate |
| Ambiguity | uncertainty; vagueness |
| Ambiguous | unclear in meaning; can be interpreted in different ways |
| Ambivalence | lack of clarity; wavering; being undecided |
| Ambulatory | able to walk around (used of hospital patients) |
| Bigot | narrow-minded, prejudiced person |
| Bilk | cheat; defraud |
| Billowing | swelling; fluttering; waving |
| Blasphemy | speech which offends religious sentiments |
| Blatant | obvious |
| Blighted | damaged; destroyed; ruined |
| Blithe | free-spirited; carefree |
| Blunderbuss | 1. ancient weapon (type of gun); 2. a clumsy person |
| Bolster | support; prop up |
| Bombast | arrogant, pompous language |
| Boorish | ill-mannered |
| Bourgeois | middle class |
| Braggart | someone who boasts |
| Brawny | muscular |
| Brevity | being brief |
| Bristle | to show irritation |
| Broach | start to discuss; approach |
| Brusque | blunt; abrupt |
| Bulwark | fortification; barricade; wall |
| Bureaucracy | officialdom |
| Burgeon | grow; flourish; put forth new shoots |
| Burnish | polish |
| Buttress | strengthen; support |
| Byline | the line that tells you who wrote an article |
| Cacophony | discordant loud noises |
| Cajole | coax |
| Caldron | huge cooking pot |
| Callow | immature |
| Candid | frank; honest |
| Candor | frankness; openness |
| Cantankerous | bad-tempered; quarrelsome |
| Capacious | spacious |
| Counterfeit | fake; false |
| Covert | hidden; undercover |
| Cower | recoil in fear or servility; shrink away from |
| Credible | believable |
| Creditable | praiseworthy |
| Credulous | gullible; ready to believe anything |
| Crepuscular | active at dawn and dusk |
| Cringe | recoil; flinch; shy away |
| Cryptic | puzzling; enigmatic |
| Curtail | cut short |
| Cynical | believing that people act only out of selfish motives |
| Debility | weakness; incapacity |
| Debunking | exposing false claims or myths |
| Decathlon | an athletic competition with ten events |
| Decorum | dignified, correct behavior [decorous (a)] |
| Decoy | lure; trap; trick |
| Deference | respect |
| Defoliate | cause leaves to fall off |
| Defunct | no longer in existence |
| Degradation | deprivation; poverty; debasement |
| Deleterious | harmful |
| Deliberate | to think over deeply |
| Delineation | demarcation; explanation; definition; outlining |
| Demur | hesitate; refuse |
| Denounce | condemn; speak out against |
| Deplete | use up; lessen |
| Deplore | regret |
| Depravity | moral corruption |
| Deprecate | criticize; denounce |
| Deride | ridicule; make fun of; mock |
| Derogatory | uncomplimentary |
| Desecrate | to damage or pollute a holy place |
| Enfranchise | give voting rights |
| Engender | cause |
| Enhance | improve; make better or clearer |
| Enigma | puzzle; mystery |
| Ensconce | establish firmly in a position |
| Enshroud | cover |
| Enunciation | clear pronunciation; accent; articulation |
| Envenom | to cause bitterness and bad feeling |
| Ephemeral | short-lived |
| Epicure | someone who appreciates good food and drink |
| Epistle | a letter (form of communication) |
| Epistolary | concerned with letters; through correspondence |
| Epitomized | typified; characterized; personified |
| Equivocate | speak ambiguously; avoid telling the truth |
| Err | make a mistake |
| Erratic | wandering; irregular |
| Esoteric | obscure and difficult to understand |
| Espouse | promote; take up; support |
| Etymology | the study of word origins |
| Eulogy | praise |
| Euphemism | a polite phrase to cover something unpleasant |
| Euphony | pleasant sounds |
| Evacuate | vacate; empty; abandon |
| Exacerbate | make worse |
| Exasperated | frustrated; annoyed |
| Exceptionable | very bad (something which we should object to) |
| Exculpate | free someone from blame; pardon; acquit |
| Execrable | very, very bad |
| Exegesis | scholarly explanation or interpretation |
| Exemplary | outstandingly good; setting a fine example |
| Exemplify | to serve as a good example |
| Exhaustive | complete and thorough |
| Hamper | hinder; obstruct |
| Hangar | storage area (like garage) for a plane |
| Harangue | noisy, attacking speech |
| Harbingers | indicators; bringers of warnings |
| Hasten | hurry; accelerate; rush |
| Haughtiness | arrogance; pride |
| Headstrong | stubborn; willful |
| Hedonism | self indulgence; pleasure-seeking |
| Hedonist | a pleasure seeker |
| Heed | listen to |
| Heresy | against orthodox opinion |
| Hiatus | interruption; pause |
| Hidebound | rigid in opinions |
| Hieroglyphics | 1. picture writing; 2. writing which is difficult to read or enigmatic |
| Hinder | obstruct |
| Histrionic | theatrical; exaggerated |
| Hoary | old |
| Hone | sharpen; increase; whet |
| Hyperbole | grossly exaggerated speech |
| Hypochondriac | a person obsessed with health; having imaginary illnesses |
| Hypocritical | insincere |
| Iconoclast | person who opposes orthodoxy |
| Idiosyncrasy | a personal peculiarity; something unique to an individual |
| Ignominious | shameful |
| Ignominy | shame [ignominious (a) = shameful] |
| Illuminate | to light up or make clear |
| Illusory | deceptive; false; misleading |
| Immoderate | excessive; extreme |
| Immutable | unchanging; permanent |
| Impartial | unbiased; neutral |
| Impecunious | having no money |
| Impious | wicked; profane |
| Kindle | to start a fire |
| Knotty | complex; difficult to solve |
| Labyrinth | a maze |
| Labyrinthine | complicated; highly convoluted |
| Laceration | a cut |
| Lachrymose | tearful; sad |
| Lackluster | dull; monotonous; bland |
| Laconic | using few words; brief; to the point |
| Lamentation | expression of regret or sorrow |
| Lampoon | ridicule; spoof |
| Lance | spear; spike; javelin |
| Languid | tired; slow |
| Languish | decay; fade away; get weaker |
| Larceny | theft; robbery; stealing |
| Largess | generosity |
| Laud | praise |
| Lavish | on a grand scale; wasteful |
| Lax | careless; not strict |
| Legend | 1. key to map; 2. myth or story |
| Legion | in large numbers |
| Lethargic | tired; without energy |
| Levity | flippancy; joking about serious matters |
| Libertarian | someone who opposes tyranny |
| Liniment | soothing lotion |
| Lithe | flexible; supple |
| Livid | very angry |
| Lobbyist | person who tries to persuade someone to support a particular cause |
| Lofty | snooty; arrogant; haughty |
| Longevity | long life |
| Loquacious | talkative |
| Lucid | clear |
| Ludicrous | ridiculous; silly |
| Noxious | harmful; poisonous; lethal |
| Nuance | something subtle; a fine shade of meaning |
| Nullify | to counter; make unimportant |
| Nuzzle | cuddle; snuggle |
| Obdurate | stubborn |
| Obfuscate | deliberately make something difficult to understand |
| Objective | unbiased; not subjective |
| Oblique | indirect; slanting |
| Obliterate | destroy; demolish; eradicate |
| Oblivious | totally unaware |
| Obscure | difficult to understand; partially hidden |
| Obscured | hidden; covered; buried |
| Obsequious | servile; submissive |
| Obsession | a dominating concern |
| Obsolete | no longer valid |
| Obstreperous | noisy and boisterous |
| Obtuse | mentally dull |
| Obviate | avoid; make unnecessary |
| Odious | hateful |
| Officious | domineering; intrusive; meddlesome |
| Ogle | stare at; observe in an obvious manner |
| Olfactory | concerned with the sense of smell |
| Ominous | threatening |
| Omnipotent | all-powerful |
| Omniscient | all-knowing |
| Onerous | burdensome; hard to undertake |
| Onus | burden |
| Opaque | does not let light through |
| Opulent | wealthy; rich; magnificent |
| Ordain | 1. destine; 2. confer holy orders on a priest |
| Ornate | highly decorated |
| Orthodox | conventional |
| Placid | calm; peaceful |
| Plagiarism | taking credit for someone else's writing or ideas |
| Plaintiff | petitioner (in court of law) |
| Plaudit | statement giving strong praise |
| Plausible | can be believed; reasonable |
| Plethora | an excess |
| Pliable | flexible; not stubborn |
| Plumage | feathers of a bird |
| Plummet | fall suddenly and steeply |
| Podium | raised platform |
| Poignant | deeply moving; strongly affecting the emotions |
| Poised | calm; collected; self-possessed |
| Polemical | causing debate or argument |
| Ponderous | weighty; slow and heavy |
| Pontificate | speak pompously or dogmatically |
| Portend | foretell |
| Portent | a warning sign; omen |
| Poseur | someone who puts on an act |
| Posterity | future generations |
| Posthumous | after death |
| Postulate | hypothesize; propose |
| Potable | suitable for drinking |
| Potent | powerful; compelling; strong |
| Pragmatic | practical |
| Pragmatist | practical person; one who is concerned with usefulness |
| Preamble | introductory material |
| Precarious | unstable; risky |
| Precedent | a previous occurrence used as a guide |
| Precept | guiding principle |
| Precinct | district of a city |
| Precipice | steep slope |
| Precipitous | done in a hurry |
| Remuneration | payment for work done |
| Renown | fame |
| Replete | full |
| Reprehensible | shameful; very bad |
| Reprieve | a respite; postponement of a sentence |
| Repudiate | shun; eschew |
| Rescind | retract; repeal |
| Resignation | acceptance of fate |
| Resolution | determination |
| Resonant | echoing |
| Respite | a break; intermission |
| Resplendent | shining; glowing |
| Restorative | a tonic |
| Retention | preservation; withholding |
| Reticent | restrained; holding something back; uncommunicative |
| Retraction | withdrawal; cancellation of a statement |
| Revere | worship |
| Riddled | full of (usually full of holes) |
| Rife | common |
| Rigor | thoroughness |
| Robust | strong; healthy; tough |
| Rotund | round |
| Ruminate | think over something; ponder |
| Ruse | trick; stratagem |
| Saccharin | falsely sweet |
| Sacrosanct | very holy; inviolable |
| Sagacious | wise |
| Sage | a wise person |
| Salacious | lecherous; erotic |
| Sallow | yellowish |
| Salubrious | health-giving |
| Salutary | something which teaches you a lesson; beneficial |
| Talisman | lucky charm |
| Tangent | going off the main subject |
| Tangible | can be touched |
| Tardy | slow; late; overdue; delayed |
| Tawdry | of little value; gaudy |
| Tedium | boredom |
| Temper | to moderate; soften |
| Tenacious | stubborn; resolute; holding firm to a purpose |
| Tentative | not certain |
| Tenuous | flimsy; not solid |
| Terse | concise; to the point |
| Therapeutic | medicinal; curative |
| Thwart | prevent; frustrate |
| Timorous | cowardly; fearful |
| Tirade | stream of verbal abuse |
| Titter | giggle quietly |
| Tome | large book |
| Torpid | inactive; lazy; stagnant |
| Torpor | dormancy; sluggishness; inactivity |
| Totter | walk unsteadily |
| Tractable | obedient; dutiful; polite |
| Tranquil | peaceful |
| Transcribe | copy |
| Transgress | go astray; disobey; commit a sin |
| Transient | short-lived; ephemeral |
| Traverse | to move across |
| Trepidation | fear |
| Trinket | something of little value; knick-knack |
| Trite | unoriginal; dull |
| Trivial | unimportant |
| Truant | shirker; someone absent without permission |
| Truncate | cut short |
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