1.
abridge: v. to shorten/edit writing
I had to abridge my term paper because it was too long to read in class.
2.
abscond: v. to hide/conceal
The thief has absconded with over a million dollars and still remains at large.
3.
abstruse: adj. hard to understand
I found Clive's explanation that he couldn't attend the party because the full moon rose on a Wednesday to be somewhat abstruse; in fact, I had no idea what he was talking about.
4.
acclimate: v. to adapt
After moving to NYC from rural VT, it was difficult to acclimate myself to the noise and crowds of the city.
5.
adamant: adj. extremely stubborn
Rich was adamant about people taking their shoes off before entering his house, as he hates dirty floors.
6.
adept: adj. thoroughly proficient
Sarah was so adept at making pottery that she created an entire tea set in less than half an hour.
7.
admonish: v. to warn/disapprove
After she nearly died of fright, Jamie's mother admonished him for leaving his pet snake in the bathtub.
8.
aesthetic: adj. relating to beauty
The neon orange-and-green paisley sweater, a gift from her mother, offended Shelley's aesthetic sensibilities.
9.
affable: adj. friendliness, gracious
Ted is an affable guy; everyone admires his ability to calmly talk to anybody about anything.
10.
alacrity: n. eagerness, cheerful readiness
11.
alleviate: v. to relieve/lessen
Taking two aspirin is an effective way to alleviate headache pain.
12.
ambiguous: adj. open to more than one interpretation
The farmer's directions were rather ambiguous; while I thought he meant we should turn left after the barn, Bren thought we were supposed to turn the barn after we left.
13.
ambivalence: n. simultaneous contradictory feelings toward someone or something, 'mixed emotions'.
I felt ambivalence about the party; I wanted to see my friends, but I didn't want to run into my ex-boyfriend.
14.
amiable: adj. good-natured
15.
ample: adj. plentiful
Knowing ample parking was available, each of the dozen teammates decided to drive her own car to the game.
16.
anachronism: n. an error, misplacement, irregularity in chronology/time
While watching Romeo & Juliet I noticed an anachronism: Tybalt was wearing a pair of Heir Gordon sneakers.
17.
anomaly: n. irregularity
A hand with six fingers is an anomaly, as most hands have only five fingers.
18.
apathy: n. a lack of emotion
I tried to feign interest but could feel only apathy about my friends' disagreement; I really didn't care who was right.
19.
appease: v. to calm
To appease the crying baby, Jill gave him a bottle of warm milk.
20.
arduous: adj. difficult
The journey across the desert was an arduous one, taking several weeks in temperatures above a hundred degrees.
21.
arid: adj. practicing self-denial and spiritual discipline
The desert was so arid it couldn't even support a single cactus.
22.
ascetic: adj. practicing spiritual discipline
The monk lived in an ascetic manner, with only a bed and a chair in his small, plain hut.
23.
assiduous: adj. persistent/determined
Howard is an assiduous worker; he arrives at his job at 7 a.m. and doesn't leave until after 10 p.m.
24.
assuage: v. to appease; quench
After Hank hit his thumb with the sledgehammer, he assuaged the pain by dunking his hand in ice water.
25.
astute: adj. keen
Julia is so astute that she can determine the relationship between any two strangers within ten seconds.
26.
asylum: a place of retreat/security
27.
augment: v. to add/greaten
Chris decided to augment his income by taking on a second job on the weekends.
28.
austere: adj. strict, stern
Mrs. Shelton's appearance was so austere that even the bravest of her students didn't dare to laugh in her presence.
29.
aversion: n. intense dislike
Susie has such an aversion to raisins that she'd rather have her fingernails ripped off than eat them.
30.
banal: adj. lacking originality
Everyone thinks I got the scar on my arm from fighting off a pack of wolves, but its real origin is much more banal: I accidentally scraped it against an old nail on the wall.
31.
barren: adj. incapable of reproduction
The Sahara Desert is a barren place, with no vegetation of any kind for hundreds of miles.
32.
belie: v. to contradict
Elizabeth's great beauty belies her twisted, evil soul.
33.
benevolent: adj. kind; generous
My grandmother was an extremely benevolent woman who was always concerned with the welfare of others.
34.
blatant: adj. completely obvious
Although he tried to cover it up, Andy's mistake was so blatant that his boss noticed it right away.
35.
bliss: n. a state of complete happiness
Zoe experienced a feeling of bliss when she was told she'd won the state lottery and would never have to work again.
36.
cacophony: n. discordant sound
The first time Harold practiced his tuba, the cacophony drove his mother right out of the house.
37.
cajole: v. to urge/persuade
I tried to cajole my mother into letting me take her car by telling her that I would drive at least ten miles under the speed limit at all times.
38.
callous: adj. emotionally hardened; insensitive
The bully kicked sand not the weakling's blanket with a callous disrespect for his feelings.
39.
candor: n. honest/sincere expression
Keith regretted his request for candor when he asked me if I liked his new suit and I told him it was the ugliest thing I'd ever seen.
40.
cantankerous: adj. difficult/irritating to deal with
Every one of the sales representatives flatly refused to call on Mr. Tibbs, saying he was far too mean and cantankerous.
41.
capricious: adj. impulsive/unpredicatable
Jill is an extremely capricious person: we never know what she'll say or do next.
42.
castigate: v. to severely criticize or punish
The store manager castigated us for running in the aisles and knocking down several displays.
43.
caustic: adj. bitingly sarcastic
The dance teacher's caustic observations about Jane's lack of talent made Jane cry and flee the room.
44.
censure: n. the act of blaming' an official reprimand
The lawyer received a censure from the judge after he falsified documents in support of his client's claims.
45.
champion: v. to support
Joan championed the Humane society and worked tirelessly on the organization's behalf.
46.
clandestine: adj. secretive
The thief left the building in a clandestine manner, hoping to avoid detection.
47.
cogent: adj. convincing; persuasive
Her speech was brief and cogent, touching on all of the important points in an extremely effective manner.
48.
cohesive: adj. unity
In this company, our sales people wrk as a cohesive team, helping each other
49.
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