| Term | Definition |
|---|
| hackneyed | a overused ; trite ; stale |
| hapless | a unlucky unlucky |
| harbinger | n a forerunner ; a signal of ; |
| hedonism | n the pursuit of pleasure as a way of life |
| hegemony | n leadership especially of one nation over another |
| heresy | n any belief that is strongly opposed to established beliefs |
| hermetic | a impervious to external influence ; airtight |
| heyday | n golden age ; prime prime |
| hiatus | n a break or interruption often from work ; |
| hierarchy | n an organization based on rank or degree ; pecking order |
| histrionic | a overly dramatic ; theatrical ; |
| homily | n a sermon |
| homogeneous | a uniform ; made entirely of one thing uniform |
| husbandry | n thrifty management of resources ; livestock farming |
| hyperbole | n an exaggeration used as a figure of speech ; exaggeration exaggeration |
| hypothetical | a uncertain ; unproven |
| iconoclast | n one who attacks popular beliefs or institutions |
| ideology | n a system of social or political ideas |
| idiosyncrasy | n a peculiarity ; an eccentricity |
| idyllic | a charming in a rustic way ; naturally peaceful |
| ignominy | n deep disgrace |
| illicit | a illegal ; not permitted |
| imminent | a just about to happen |
| immutable | a unchangeable |
| impartial | a fair ; not favoring one side or the other ; unbiased |
| impeccable | a flawless ; entirely without sin |
| Imperial` | a like an emperor or an empire |
| impervious | a not allowing anything to pass through ; impenetrable |
| impetuous | a impulsive ; extremely impatient ; |
| implement | v to carry out |
| impotent | a powerless ; helpless ; unable to perform sexual intercourse |
| impugn | v to attack especially to attack the truth or integrity of something |
| inane | a silly ; senseless |
| inaugurate | v to begin officially ; to induct formally into office |
| incandescent | a brilliant ; giving off heat or light |
| incantation | n a chant ; the repetition of statements or phrases in a way reminiscent of a chant |
| incense | a make very angry |
| incessant | a unceasing |
| incipient | a beginning ; emerging |
| incisive | a cutting right to the heart of the matter |
| incongruous | a not harmonious ; not consistent ; not appropriate not fitting in |
| incorrigible | a incapable of being reformed |
| increment | n an increase ; one in a series of increases |
| indifferent | a not caring one way or the other ; apathetic ; mediocre |
| indigenous | a native ; originating in that area |
| indigent | a poor |
| indignant | a angry especially as a result of something unjust or unworthy ; insulted |
| indolent | a lazy ; |
| indulgent | lenient ; yielding to desire |
| ineffable | a incapable of being expressed or described |
| inept | a clumsy ; incompetent ; gauche |
| inert | a inactive ; sluggish ; not reacting chemically |
| inexorable | a relentless ; inevitable ; unavoidable |
| infamous | a shamefully wicked ; having an extremely bad reputation ; disgraceful |
| infatuated | a foolish ; foolishly passionate or attracted ; made foolish ; foolishly in love |
| infer | v to conclude ; to deduce |
| infinitesimal | a very very very small ; infinitely small ; |
| ingenuous | a frank ; without deception ; simple ; artless ; charmingly na ve |
| inherent | a part of the essential nature of something ; intrinsic |
| injunction | n a command or order especially a court order |
| innate | a existing since birth ; inborn ; inherent |
| innocuous | a harmless ; banal |
| inordinate | a excessive ; unreasonable |
| insatiable | a hard or impossible to satisfy ; greedy ; avaricious |
| insidious | a treacherous ; sneaky ; |
| insinuate | v to hint ; to creep in hind |
| insipid | a dull ; bland ; banal |
| insolent | a arrogant ; insulting |
| instigate | v to provoke ; to stir up |
| insular | a like an island ; isolated |
| insurgent | n a rebel ; someone who revolts against a government |
| integral | a essential |
| intractable | a uncontrollable ; stubborn ; disobedient |
| intransigent | a uncompromising ; stubborn |
| intrinsic | a part of the essential nature of something ; inherent |
| introspective | a tending to think about oneself ; examining ones feelings |
| inundate | v to flood ; to cover completely with water ; to overwhelm |
| invective | n insulting or abusive speech |
| inveterate | a habitual ; firm in habit ; deeply rooted |
| irascible | a easily angered or provoked ; irritable |
| ironic | a meaning the opposite of what you seem to say ; using words to mean something other than what they seem to mean |
| irrevocable | a irreversible |
| itinerant | a moving from place to place |
| judicious | a exercising sound judgment |
| juxtapose | v to place side by side |
| kinetic | a having to do with motion ; lively ; active |
| labyrinth | n a maze ; something like a maze maze |
| laconic | a using few words especially to the point of seeming rude |
| lament | v to mourn |
| lampoon | v to satirize ; to mock ; to parody |
| languish | v to become weak listless or depressed ; |
| largess | n generous giving of gifts or the gifts themselves ; generosity ; philanthropy |
| latent | a present but not visible or apparent ; potential |
| laud | v to praise ; to applaud ; to extol ; to celebrate |
| legacy | n something handed down from the past ; a bequest |
| lethargy | n sluggishness ; laziness ; drowsiness ; indifference |
| levity | n lightness ; frivolity ; unseriousness |
| libel | n a written or published falsehood that injures the reputation of or defames someone ; |
| litigate | v to try in court ; to engage in legal proceedings |
| loquacious | a talking a lot or too much |
| lucid | a clear ; easy to understand ; |
| lugubrious | a exaggeratedly mournful |
| luminous | a giving off light ; glowing ; bright |
| machination | n scheming activity for an evil purpose |
| magnanimous | a forgiving ; unresentful ; noble in spirit ; generous |
| magnate | n a rich powerful or very successful businessperson |
| malaise | n a feeling of depression uneasiness or queasiness |
| malfeasance | n an illegal act especially by a public official |
| malinger | v to pretend to be sick to avoid doing work |
| malleable | a easy to shape or bend |
| mandate | n a command or authorization to do something ; the will of the voters as expressed by the results of an election |
| manifest | a visible ; evident |
| manifesto | n a public declaration of beliefs or principles usually political ones |
| marshal | v to arrange in order ; to gather together for the purpose of doing something ; |
| martial | a warlike ; having to do with combat |
| martyr | n someone who gives up his or her life in pursuit of a cause especially a religious one ; one who suffers for a cause ; one who makes a show of suffering in order to arouse sympathy |
| matriculate | v to enroll especially at a college |
| maudlin | a silly and overly sentimental |
| maverick | n a nonconformist ; a rebel |
| maxim | n a fundamental principle ; an old saying |
| mediate | v to help settle differences |
| mellifluous | a sweetly flowing |
| mendacious | a lying ; dishonest |
| mendicant | n a beggar beggar |
| mentor | n a teacher tutor counselor or coach ; especially in business an experienced person who shows an inexperienced person the ropes teacher tutor |
| mercenary | n a hired soldier ; someone who will do anything for money |
| mercurial | a emotionally unpredictable ; rapidly changing in mood |
| metamorphosis | n a magical change in form ; a striking or sudden change |
| microcosm | n the world in miniature |
| milieu | n environment ; surroundings |
| minuscule | a very tiny |
| misanthropic | a hating mankind |
| mitigate | v to moderate the effect of something |
| mollify | v to soften ; to soothe ; to pacify |
| monolithic | a massive solid uniform and unyielding |
| moribund | a dying |
| morose | a gloomy ; sullen gloomy sullen |
| mortify | a to humiliate |
| mundane | a ordinary ; pretty boring ; not heavenly and eternal |
| munificent | a very generous ; lavish lavish |
| myopia | a nearsightedness ; lack of foresight ; |
| myriad | n a huge number ; |
| narcissism | n excessive love of ones body or oneself |
| nebulous | a vague ; hazy ; indistinct ; |
| nefarious | a evil ; flagrantly wicked |
| neologism | n a new word or phrase ; a new usage of a word |
| nepotism | n showing favoritism to friends of family in business or politics |
| nihilism | n the belief that there are no values or morals in the universe |
| nominal | a in name only ; insignificant ; A-OK during rocket launches |
| nostalgia | n sentimental longing for the past ; homesickness; homesickness |
| notorious | a famous for something bad |
| novel | a new ; original ; |
| noxious | a harmful ; offensive ; |
| nuance | n a subtle difference or distinction |
| obdurate | a stubborn and insensitive |
| obfuscate | v to darken ; to confuse ; to make confusing |
| oblique | a indirect ; at an angle ; |
| oblivion | n total forgetfulness ; the state of being forgotten ; |
| obscure | a unknown ; hard to understand ; dark |
| obsequious | a fawning ; subservient ; sucking up to |
| obtuse | a insensitive ; blockheaded |
| officious | a annoyingly eager to help or advise |
| onerous | a burdensome ; oppressive |
| opaque | a impossible to see through ; impossible to understand |
| opulent | a luxurious |
| orthodox | a conventional ; adhering to established principles or doctrines especially in religion ; by the book |
| ostensible | a apparent but misleading ; professed |
| ostentatious | a excessively conspicuous ; showing off |
| pacify | v to calm someone down ; to placate |
| painstaking | a extremely careful ; taking pains =pains-taking = taking pains |
| palliate | v to relieve or alleviate something without getting rid of the problem ; to assuage ; to mitigate |
| palpable | a capable of being touched ; obvious ; tangible |
| paltry | a insignificant ; worthless |
| panacea | n something that cures everything |
| paradigm | n a model or example ; |
| paradox | n a true statement or phenomenon that nonetheless seems to contradict itself ; an untrue statement or phenomenon that nonetheless seems logical |
| parochial | a narrow or confined in point of view ; provincial |
| parody | n a satirical imitation |
| parsimonious | a stingy =stingy |
| partisan | n one who supports a particular person cause or idea |
| patent | a obvious =obvious |
| paternal | a fatherly ; fatherlike |
| pathology | n the science of diseases |
| patriarch | n the male head of a family or tribe |
| patrician | n a person of noble birth ; an aristocrat ; |
| patronize | v to treat as an inferior ; to condescend to |
| paucity | n scarcity =scarcity |
| peccadillo | n a minor offense |
| pedantic | a boringly scholarly or academic |
| pedestrian | a unimaginative ; banal unimaginative banal |
| pejorative | a negative ; disparaging negative disparaging |
| penchant | n a strong taste or liking for something ; a predilection |
| penitent | a sorry ; repentant ; contrite sorry repentant contrite |
| pensive | a thoughtful and sad |
| peremptory | a final ; categorical ; dictatorial categorical |
| perennial | a continual ; happening again and again or year after year continual |
| perfidy | n treachery treachery |
| perfunctory | a unenthusiastic ; careless careless; unenthusiastic |
| peripatetic | a wandering ; traveling continually ; itinerant |
| periphery | n the outside edge of something ; |
| perjury | n lying under oath |
| permeate | v to spread or seep through ; to penetrate |
| pernicious | a deadly ; extremely evil ; deadly |
| perquisite | n a privilege that goes along with a job ; a perk =perk |
| pertinent | a relevant ; dealing with the matter at hand ... relevant |
| perturb | v to disturb greatly |
| peruse | v to read carefully |
| pervade | v to spread throughout |
| petulant | a rude ; cranky ; ill-tempered cranky rude |
| philanthropy | n love of mankind especially by doing good deeds |
| philistine | n a smugly ignorant person with no appreciation of intellectual or artistic matters |
| pious | a reverent or devout ; outwardly and sometimes falsely reverent or devout ; hypocritical |
| pivotal | a crucial crucial |
| placate | v to pacify ; to appease ; to soothe |
| plaintive | a expressing sadness or sorrow |
| platitude | n a dull or trite remark ; a cliché |
| plebeian | n common ; vulgar ; low class ; bourgeois ; vulgar |
| plethora | n an excess |
| poignant | a painfully emotional ; extremely moving ; sharp or astute |
| polarize | v to break up into opposing factions or groupings |
| polemic | n a powerful argument often make to attack or refute a controversial issue |
| ponderous | a so large as to be clumsy ; massive ; dull massive dull |
| portent | n an omen ; a sign of something coming in the future |
| postulate | n something accepted as true without proof ; and axiom |
| pragmatic | a practical ; down to earth ; based on experience rather than theory |
| precedent | n an earlier example or model of something |
| precept | n a rule to live by ; a principle establishing a certain kind of action or behavior ; a maxim maxim; |
| precipitate | v to cause to happen abruptly |
| precipitous | a steep steep; |
| preclude | v to prevent something from ever happening |
| precursor | n forerunner ; something that goes before and anticipates or paves the way for whatever it is that follows |
| predilection | n a natural preference for something |
| preeminent | a better than anyone else ; outstanding ; supreme |
| preempt | v to seize something by prior right |
| premise | n an assumption ; the basis for a conclusion |
| prepossess | v to preoccupy ; to influence beforehand or prejudice ; to make a good impression on beforehand |
| prerogative | n a right or privilege connected exclusively with a position a person a class a nation or some other group or classification |
| prevail | v to triumph ; to overcome rivals ; with on upon or with to persuade ; |
| pristine | a original ; unspoiled ; pure |
| prodigal | a wastefully extravagant ; |
| prodigious | a extraordinary; enormous; vast ; |
| prodigy | n an extremely talented child; an extraordinary accomplishment or occurrence; wonder / |
| profane | a not having to do with religion; irreverent; blasphemous |
| profess | v to declare; to declare falsely or pretend cf professed professional a n |
| proficient | a thoroughly competent; skillful; very good at something at in n expert |
| profligate | a extravagantly wasteful and usually wildly immoral |
| profound | a deep several senses; ~sleep ~knowledge ~meaning ~thanks ~anxiety ~bow n profundity profoundness ; n |
| profuse | a flowing; extravagant |
| proletariat | n the industrial working class |
| proliferate | v to spread or grow rapidly |
| prolific | a abundantly productive; fruitful or fertile |
| promulgate | v to proclaim; to publicly or formally declare something |
| propensity | n a natural inclination or tendency; a predilection |
| propitious | a marked by favorable signs or conditions |
| proponent | n an advocate; a supporter of a position ; |
| proprietary | a characteristic of an owner of property; constituting property |
| propriety | n properness; good manners ; |
| prosaic | a dull; unimaginative; like prose as opposed to poetry |
| proscribe | v to outlaw; to prohibit ; |
| proselytize | v to convert someone from one religion or doctrine to another; to recruit converts to a religion or doctrine |
| protagonist | n the leading character in a novel play or other work; a leader or champion |
| protract | v to prolong prolong |
| provident | a preparing for the future; providing for the future; frugal |
| provincial | a limited in outlook to ones own small corner of the world; narrow |
| provisional | a conditional; temporary; tentative |
| proximity | n nearness |
| prudent | a careful; having foresight |
| purported | a rumored; claimed |
| putative | a commonly accepted; supposed; reputed |
| qualify | v to modify or restrict |
| qualitative | a having to do with the quality or qualities of something as opposed to the quantity |
| querulous | a complaining; grumbling; whining ; |
| quixotic | a romantic or idealistic to a foolish or impractical degree |
| ramification | n a consequence; a branching out |
| rancor | n bitter long-lasting ill will or resentment |
| rapacious | a greedy; plundering; avaricious |
| rebuke | v to criticize sharply |
| rebut | v to contradict; to argue in opposition to; to prove to be false |
| recalcitrant | a stubbornly defiant of authority or control; disobedient |
| recant | v to publicly take back and deny something previously said or believed; to openly confess error |
| reciprocal | a mutual; shared; interchangeable mutual |
| reclusive | a hermitlike; withdrawn from society |
| recondite | a hard to understand; over ones head |
| recrimination | n a bitter counteraccusation or the act of making a bitter counteraccusation |
| redolent | a fragrant fragrant |
| redundant | a unnecessarily repetitive; excessive; excessively wordy |
| refute | v to prove to be false; to disprove |
| reiterate | v to say again; to repeat |
| relegate | v to banish; to send away |
| relentless | a continuous; unstoppable |
| relinquish | v to release or let go of; to surrender; to stop doing |
| remonstrate | v to argue against; to protest; to raise objections |
| renaissance | n a rebirth or revival |
| renounce | v to give up formally or resign; to disown; to have nothing to do with anymore |
| reparation | n paying back; making amends; compensation ; |
| repercussion | n a consequence; an indirect effect |
| replenish | v to fill again; to resupply; to restore |
| replete | a completely filled; abounding ; |
| reprehensible | a worthy of blame or censure |
| reprisal | n a military action undertaken in revenge for another; an act of taking an eye for an eye ; |
| reproach | v to scold usually in disappointment; to blame; to disgrace |
| reprove | v to criticize mildly |
| repudiate | v to reject; to renounce; to disown to have nothing to do with |
| requisite | required necessary |
| resolute | determined; firm; unwavering |
| respite | n a period of rest or relief ; |
| reticent | a quiet; restrained; reluctant to speak especially about oneself |
| revere | v to respect highly; to honor |
| rhetoric | n the art of formal speaking or writing; inflated discourse |
| rigorous | a strict; harsh; severe ; |
| robust | a strong and healthy; vigorous |
| rogue | n a criminally dishonest persons; a scoundrel ; |
| rudimentary | a basic; crude; unformed or undeveloped ; |
| ruminate | v to contemplate; to ponder; to mull over |
| rustic | a rural lacking urban comforts or sophistication; primitive rural |
| saccharine | a sweet; excessively or disgustingly sweet |
| sacrilege | n a violation of something sacred; blasphemy |
| sacrosanct | a sacred; held to be inviolable |
| sagacious | a discerning; shrewd; keen in judgment; wise |
| salient | a sticking out; conspicuous; leaping ; |
| salutary | a healthful; remedial; curative |
| sanctimonious | a pretending to be devout; affecting religious feeling |
| sanguine | a cheerful; optimistic; hopeful |
| sardonic | a mocking; scornful |
| scintillate | v to sparkle either literally or figuratively |
| scrupulous | a strict; careful; hesitant for ethical reasons |
| scrutinize | v to examine very carefully |
| secular | a having nothing to do with religion or spiritual concerns |
| sedition | n treason; the incitement of public disorder or rebellion |
| sensory | a having to do with the senses or sensation |
| sentient | a able to perceive by the senses; conscious ... |
| sequester | v to set or keep apart ; |
| serendipity | accidental good fortune; discovering good things without looking for them |
| servile | submissive and subservient; like a servant |
| singular | unique; superior; exceptional; strange |
| slander | to speak badly about someone publicly; to defame; to spread malicious rumor |
| sloth | laziness; sluggishness |
| sobriety | the state of being sober; seriousness |
| solicitous | eager and attentive often to the point of hovering; anxiously caring or attentive |
| solvent | not broke or bankrupt; able to pay ones bills |
| soporific | sleeping inducing; extremely boring; very sleepy |
| sordid | vile; filthy; squalid filthy squalid vile |
| spawn | to bring forth; to produce a large number |
| specious | deceptively plausible or attractive |
| sporadic | stopping and starting; scattered; occurring in bursts every once in a while |
| spurious | false; fake false fake |
| squalor | filth; wretched degraded or repulsive living conditions |
| squander | to waste |
| stagnation | motionlessness; inactivity |
| static | stationary; not changing or moving |
| staunch | firmly committed; firmly in favor of; steadfast |
| steadfast | loyal; faithful loyal faithful |
| stigmatize | to brand with disgrace; to set a mark of disgrace upon |
| stipulate | to require something as part of an agreement |
| stoic | indifferent at least outwardly to pleasure or pain to joy or grief to fortune or misfortune |
| stratum | a layer; a level layer level |
| stricture | a restriction; a limitation; a negative criticism ; |
| strife | bitter conflict; discord; a struggle or clash |
| stringent | strict; restrictive |
| stymie | to thwart; to get in the way of; to hinder |
| subjugate | to subdue and dominate; to enslave |
| sublime | awesome; extremely exalted; lofty; majestic |
| subordinate | lower in importance position or rank; secondary |
| substantive | having substance; real; essential; solid; substantial |
| subtle | not obvious; able to make fine distinctions; ingenious; crafty |
| subversive | corrupting; overthrowing; undermining; insurgent |
| succinct | brief and to the point; concise |
| succumb | to yield or submit; to die ; |
| supercilious | haughty; patronizing |
| superficial | on the surface only; shallow; not thorough |
| superfluous | extra; unnecessary; redundant |
| surfeit | excess; an excessive amount; excess or overindulgence in eating or drinking |
| surreptitious | sneaky; secret |
| surrogate | substitute |
| sycophant | one who sucks up to others |
| synthesis | the combing of parts to form a whole ; |
| tacit | implied; not spoken implied |
| taciturn | untalkative by nature |
| tangential | only superficially related to the matter at hand; not especially relevant; peripheral ; |
| tangible | touchable; palpable touchable palpable |
| tantamount | equivalent to |
| tautological | redundant; circular ; redundant |
| temerity | boldness; recklessness; audacity boldness; recklessness; audacity |
| temperate | mild; moderate; restrained mild |
| tenable | defensible as in ones position in an argument; capable of being argued successfully; valid |
| tenacious | persistent; stubborn; not letting go |
| tenet | a shared principle or belief |
| tentative | experimental; temporary; uncertain |
| tenuous | flimsy; extremely thin |
| terse | using no unnecessary words; succinct succinct |
| theology | the study of god or religion |
| tirade | prolonged bitter speech |
| torpor | sluggishness; inactivity; apathy |
| touchstone | a standard; a test of authenticity or quality |
| tout | to praise highly; to brag publicly about |
| transcend | to go beyond or above; to surpass |
| transgress | to violate a law; to sin violate |
| transient | not staying for a long time; temporary |
| trepidation | fear; apprehension; nervous trembling fear |
| turpitude | shameful wickedness; depravity |
| ubiquitous | being everywhere at the same time |
| unconscionable | not controlled by conscience; unscrupulous |
| unctuous | oily both literally and figuratively; insincere |
| uniform | consistent; unchanging; the same for everyone consistent unchanging |
| unremitting | unceasing; unabated; relentless |
| unwitting | unintentional; ignorant; not aware |
| urbane | poised; sophisticated; refined |
| usurp | to seize wrongfully |
| utilitarian | stressing usefulness or utility above all other qualities; pragmatic |
| utopia | an ideal society |
| vacillate | to be indecisive; to waver ; |
| vapid | without liveliness; dull; spiritless |
| vehement | intense; forceful; violent |
| venal | capable of being bribed; willing to do anything for money; corrupt |
| venerate | to revere; to treat as something holy especially because of great age |
| veracity | truthfulness |
| verbose | using too many words; not succinct; circumlocutory |
| verisimilitude | similarity to reality; the appearance of truth; looking like real thing |
| vernacular | everyday speech; slang; idiom |
| vestige | a remaining bit of something; a last trace |
| vex | to annoy; to pester; to confuse |
| viable | capable of living; workable |
| vicarious | experienced performed or suffered through someone else; living through the experiences of another as though they were ones own experiences |
| vicissitude | upheaval; natural cange; change in fortune ; |
| vilify | to say vile things about; to defame ; |
| vindicate | to clear from all blame or suspicion; to justify |
| vindictive | seeking revenge |
| virtuoso | a masterful musician; a masterful practitioner in some other field |
| virulent | extremely poisonous; malignant; full of hate |
| visionary | a dreamer; someone with impractical goals or ideas about the future |
| Vitiate | to make impure; to pollute |
| vitriolic | caustic; full of bitterness |
| vocation | an occupation; a job ; |
| vociferous | loud; noisy |
| volatile | quick to evaporate; highly unstable; explosive |
| volition | will; conscious choice |
| wanton | malicious; unjustifiable; unprovoked |
| willful | deliberate; obstinate; insistent on having ones way |
| wistful | yearning; sadly longing |
| zealous | enthusiastically devoted to something; fervent |
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