| Term | Definition |
|---|
| acute | severe, keen, sharp |
| aversion | opposition, strong dislike |
| cogent | convincing, forcefully persuasive |
| evince | to show plainly, exhibit |
| gist | main point, essence |
| hostile | opposition, antagonistic, angry |
| inevitable | unavoidable |
| intrinsic | essential, natural, inborn |
| jettison | discard, throw overboard |
| lucrative | profitable |
| paramount | supreme, foremost |
| prevalent | common, general, prevailling |
| rebuke | reprimand, reproach, criticize |
| remiss | careless, negligent |
| superficial | on the surface, slight |
| lethargic | lazy, sluggish |
| terse | concise, brief |
| transient | passing, fleeting |
| tussle | disorderly fighting, a rough struggle |
| vogue | fashion, popular things |
| to split hairs | to make fine distinctions |
| to strike while the iron is hot | to take an action at the right moment |
| once in a blue moon | on a very rare occasion |
| sleep on it | postpone a decision while giving it some thought |
| aegis | protection, sponsorship, shield |
| awesome | inspiring terror |
| conflagration | a great fire |
| congenial | suitable, friendly, comfortable |
| debris | ruins, fragments |
| deplorable | bad, pitiable, regrettable |
| detriment | damage |
| dispersed | scattered, spread, broken up |
| doddering | infirm from old age |
| eruption | bursting out |
| hoard | save, store up (v.); the things saved (n.) |
| imbibe | drink |
| initiate | to start |
| longevity | long duration of life |
| obliterate | wipe out, erase |
| puny | weak, unimportant |
| rue | regret |
| sage | wise man, philosopher |
| senile | infirm, weak from old age |
| virile | manly |
| in the doldrums | in a bored or depressed state |
| as broad as it is long | it makes very little difference |
| blow hot and cold | change between swing for and against something |
| burn the midnight oil | study or work late into the night |
| objectivity | treatment without personal influences |
| extraneous | not essential, foreign |
| therapeutic | medicinal, curative |
| ornamental | decorative |
| abyss | a bottomless gulf or pit |
| increment | an increase |
| manipulate | operate, control, handle |
| expunge | to erase, to eliminate |
| renounce | to give up, resign, cut off |
| disavow | to deny, refuse |
| innocuous | harmless |
| nefarious | extremely wicked, evil |
| candid | just, out-spoken |
| meandering | talk or walk randomly, cursive |
| menacing | threatening |
| truculent | fierce, cruel, aggressive, destructive |
| remorseful | regretful |
| ferocity | savagery |
| complacency | self-satisfaction |
| incensed | enraged |
| vehemence | rage, fervor, forcefulness |
| obsequious | submissively flattering |
| malevolence | ill will |
| dejected | sad, depressed |
| alacrity | cheerfulness, willingness |
| canonical | following accepted standards |
| berate | to scold harshly |
| incontrovertible | indisputable, can not be argued |
| instigate | to urge on, provoke, incite |
| apprehensive | worried, anxious; understanding |
| velvety | smooth and soft |
| suave | smoothly agreeable, polite |
| irate | angry |
| controversy | disagreement |
| opaque | not letting light through |
| circuitous | indirect, roundabout |
| resilient | quick to recover |
| affable | friendly |
| discriminate | to distinguish |
| disgruntled | displeased |
| avid | eager, ethusiastic |
| nonchalant | calm, unconcerned |
| ardent | very enthusiastic |
| vaunted | boasted, bragged |
| enervated | weakened |
| castigate | to punish or criticize severely |
| exonerate | free from blame |
| prescient | having foresight |
| filial | relating to a son or daughter |
| prankster | practical joker |
| altruistic | unselfish, concerned with the welfare of others |
| ambivalent | having opposing feelings |
| angular | lean, sharp cornered, gaunt |
| arrogant | haughty, overly proud |
| aversion | intense dislike |
| discern | to distinguish one thing from another |
| disdain | looking down with dislike |
| disparage | to belittle, to degrade |
| disparity | difference, inequality |
| embellish | to decorate, to beautify |
| engender | to cause, to produce, to create |
| insipid | boring and stupid |
| lament | to express grief verbally |
| laud | praise |
| obscure | difficult to see, vague |
| ostentatious | showy, pretentious |
| prodigal | extravagant, wasteful |
| repudiate | to reject, to disavow, to cut off |
| reticence | restraint in speech, reluctance to speak |
| revere | to honor, to regard with respect |
| serene | calm, peaceful |
| subtle | not obvious, elusive, delicate |
| superfluous | extra, unnecessary, overflow |
| taciturn | silent, not talkative |
| antithesis | the direct opposite |
| ascend | to rise |
| austere | strict; unadorned, ascetic |
| autonomous | independent |
| banal | commonplace, ordinary |
| benign | kind and gentle, beneficial |
| capricious | changing suddenly, fickle |
| dawdle | to waste time |
| defamation | to slander, to ruin reputation |
| reputation | general or public opinion (judgment) of someone, fame |
| esoteric | understood only by a small group or a select few |
| exacerbate | to aggravate, to make worse |
| extol | to praise |
| fastidious | having complicated and difficult requirements |
| furtive | sneaky |
| gregarious | sociable, seeking and enjoying the company of others |
| hypocrite | one who is insincere but pretends to be virtuous |
| innate | inborn |
| melancholy | depression of spirits |
| prolific | productive |
| reprove | to find fault with, scold, rebuke |
| symmetry | balance |
| tranquil | calm, peaceful, placid |
| venerate | to honor, to revere, to respect |
| abstruse | profound, difficult to understand |
| audacity | fearless daring, boldness |
| contrite | extremely apologetic, remorseful, repentant |
| credulous | gullible, easily believing |
| depravity | moral corruption |
| deprecate | to express strong disapproval of |
| didactic | instructive, intended to teach |
| dormant | inactive, sleeping |
| enigmatic | mysterious, not easily understood |
| erudite | scholarly |
| exotic | foreign; charmingly unfamiliar or strikingly unusual |
| fuse | to mix or to join (usually by melting) |
| immutable | unchangeable |
| incorrigible | uncorrectable, incapable of being reformed |
| loathe | to hate, to detest |
| mitigate | to make less severe |
| nullify | to cause not to be in effect, to negate |
| pacifistic | opposed to war or the use of force |
| pretentious | done for show, pompous |
| prologue | an introduction to a play or a loterature work |
| recant | take back a statement/opinion |
| servile | overly submissive |
| trepidation | fear, agitation, nervous; trembling |
| vilify | to slander, to abuse or belittle unjustly or maliciously |
| aesthetic | artistic, pertaining to a good sense of art |
| aloof | apart, indifferent |
| archaic | ancient; out of use |
| assuage | to mitigate, to calm, to satisfy |
| belie | to represent falsely |
| contentious | quarrelsome, inclined to argue |
| daunt | to intimidate, to dismay |
| debilitate | to weaken |
| discord | lack of agreement or harmony |
| disseminate | to spread abroad, to promulgate |
| dogmatic | stubbornly opinionated |
| duplicity | double-dealing, treachery |
| egocentric | self-centered, selfish |
| euphemism | an inoffensive expression that is substituted for one that is considered offensive |
| gluttonous | greedy for food and drink |
| mundane | ordinary, worldly |
| ominous | unfavorable, threateningly foreshadowing |
| petulance | rudeness, irritability |
| pompous | overly self important, conceited |
| precocious | talented beyond one's age |
| slothful | lazy, indolent |
| trivia | insignificant matters |
| verbose | wordy, very talkative |
| virulent | extremely poisonous; hateful |
| volatile | quickly changeable, easily vaporized |
| salve | anything that remedies or heals or soothes |
| ingenuous | innocent, simple, frank, sincere |
| decry | to condemn, express strong disapproval |
| integrity | moral soundness; an unreduced or unbroken completeness or totality |
| dexterity | skill, adroitness |
| renown | fame; honor |
| coagulate | thicken; congeal; clot |
| lackadaisical | lacking spirit or liveliness |
| avocation | a hobby; secondary or minor occupation |
| hapless | unfortunate |
| mania | madness |
| meticulous | extremely careful and precise |
| compulsion | an irresistible impulse to act (usually negatively) |
| flamboyant | richly and brilliantly colorful |
| adroit | skillful |
| reticent | inclined to keep silent; reserved; restraint in speech |
| admonitory | containing warning (often for the good) |
| partisan | devoted to a cause or party |
| staunch | firm in loyalty |
| vociferous | loud and noisy |
| tepid | lukewarm; unenthusiastic, marked by an absence of interest |
| consolatory | affording comfort or solace |
| bereft | sorrowful through loss or deprivation |
| adversity | misfortune, hardship |
| emblematic | symbolic |
| happenstance | an unexpected random event |
| devoid | lacking |
| intrigue | crafty dealings, underhanded plotting |
| rivet | direct one's attention on something |
| galvanize | to stimulate to action |
| mollify | to calm or soothe |
| pragmatic | practical rather than idealistic |
| essence | the most important ingredient; the crucial element |
| intricate | complicated; difficult to understand |
| perplex | to confuse or make complicated |
| digression | wandering away from the subject; off topic |
| deteriorate | become worse or disintegrate |
| fluctuate | be unstable; waving |
| comply | to obey |
| flinch | draw back, as with fear or pain |
| denounce | speak out against |
| magnanimous | generous, understanding, and tolerant; noble in spirit |
| prosperous | successful; rich; affluent |
| affluent | wealthy, rich |
| philanthropic | humanitarian; benevolent |
| extravagant | recklessly wasteful |
| parsimonious | stingy, miserly |
| sanctimonious | pretending to be righteous/holy |
| impetus | an impelling force or stimulus |
| nihilism | the delusion that things do not exist; a total rejection of established laws |
| ebullience | zestful or spirited enthusiasm |
| pessimistic | negative; opposite to optimistic |
| vigorous | strong and active physically or mentally |
| dynamism | the activeness of an energetic personality |
| despondency | feeling downcast, disheartened, and hopeless |
| bleak | unpleasantly cold and damp; without much hope |
| proponent | a person who pleads for a cause or propounds an idea |
| arbiter | someone chosen to judge and decide a disputed issue |
| prognosticator | someone who makes predictions of the future (usually on the basis of special knowledge) |
| finagle | achieve something by means of trickery or devious methods |
| perceptive | having the ability to perceive or understand; sensitive |
| ingenuity | cleverness, creativity |
| extinguish | put an end to |
| obstruct | block passage through |
| diminish | decrease in size, extent, or range |
| stall | a tactic used to mislead or delay |
| futile | unproductive of success; useless; pointless |
| epitomize | to be a typical example of; to represent; to typify or to exemplify |
| underscore | underline; emphasize |
| speculative | risky; based on guesswork rather than knowledge |
| understudy | an actor able to replace a regular performer when required |
| pseudonym | a pen name, name assumed by a writer |
| brainchild | a product of creative thinking and work |
| invocation | a call (usually upon a higher power) for assistance, support, or inspiration; a prayer |
| rebut | prove to be false or incorrect |
| quell | to put down forcibly; suppress |
| coerce | to compel, to force |
| squelch | suppress or crush completely |
| explicate | explain in detail |
| belligerent | characteristic of warlike |
| orator | a person who delivers a speech or oration |
| cryptic | of an obscure nature; secret |
| obfuscate | to confuse; to bewilder |
| improvisation | an unplanned performance |
| extemporaneous | done without preparation |
| judicious | sound on judgment; wise |
| indubitable | unquestionable |
| draconian | hard, severe, cruel |
| reluctant | unwilling |
| vulgar | lacking refinement, cultivation, or taste |
| exploitation | unfair usage of other people for profit |
| rarity | noteworthy scarcity |
| perpetuate | to make permanent or long lasting |
| debunk | to prove false and reveal the truth |
| augment | to make larger, increase |
| pursue | go in search of or hunt for; to involve in |
| belabor | to work on excessively; to thrash soundly |
| confound | confuse; puzzle |
| disenfranchise | deprive of civil right |
| discrete | separate; unconnected; abstract |
| contemporary | belonging to the present time; in the same era/generation |
| exquisite | finely done or made; very sharp or severe |
| eccentric | a person with an unusual or odd personality |
| chagrin | strong feelings of embarrassment or shame |
| paragon | an ideal instance; a model |
| caricature | a comical portrait; an exaggerated imitation |
| forgo | to do without; to give up |
| undermine | to weaken or ruin by degrees |
| apathy | lack of emotion or interest |
| wary | watchful, alert |
| desolation | loneliness; ruin |
| cynicism | sarcasm, criticism |
| versatility | having a wide variety of skills |
| skittish | extremely nervous and easily frightened |
| succinct | brief; compact |
| effusive | emotionally excessive; overly demonstrative |
| prescriptive | based on a standard or rules |
| extortion | getting money by threats |
| perjury | false testimony under oath |
| insurgency | an uprising; a rebellion |
| filibuster | a tactic for delaying or obstructing legislation by making long speeches |
| gerrymander | divide unfairly and to one's advantage |
| proliferate | grow rapidly |
| falter | the act of pausing uncertainly, speak haltingly, or walk unsteadily |
| redundancy | the attribute of being superfluous and unneeded |
| denizen | an inhabitant, resident; one who frequents a place |
| ensconce | settle comfortably; to hide |
| scourge | a whip; a ravage; to punish severely |
| pest | an organism that people consider harmful or inconvenient |
| convenient | suited to the comfort, purpose, or needs |
| pernicious | deadly, harmful |
| intrusive | coming without invitation or welcome |
| impulsive | having the power of driving or impelling; without forethought |
| enthrall | to charm/capture/attract |
| receptive | open and responsive to ideas or suggestions |
| decipher | to decode, to figure out |
| gibberish | sound that is nonsense |
| refract | to deflect sound or light |
| eradicate | destroy completely, as if down to the roots |
| persist | to continue steadily in a course of action, refuse to stop or be changed; to last, remain |
| retrench | to reduce, especially expenses |
| paucity | a scarcity |
| homogeneity | similarity, likeness |
| simulation | an imitation of a possible situation |
| solace | comfort in disappointment or misery |
| anathema | a cursed, detested person |
| hyperbole | an extreme exaggeration |
| ecstasy | extreme happiness |
| pedantic | showing off learning; bookish |
| acrimonious | stinging, caustic, bitter in temper or tone |
| ameliorate | to improve |
| amenable | open to or willing to follow advice or suggestion, tractable, malleable |
| amorphous | formless; lacking shape or definition |
| buoyant | able to float; cheerful and optimistic |
| cajole | to coax; to persuade through flattery or artifice |
| calamity | a serious disastrous event |
| debase | corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality |
| efface | make inconspicuous; wipe out |
| elucidate | to clarify, to explain clearly |
| ephemeral | short lived; fleeting |
| ferocity | savagery; fierceness |
| flourish | to thrive, to grow well |
| haughty | arrogant, condescending |
| impervious | incapable of being affected or penetrated |
| inane | silly, empty of meaning or value |
| indolence | laziness |
| infallible | free from error; absolutely dependable |
| inscrutable | of an obscure nature, mysterious |
| languid | lacking spirit or liveliness; without energy |
| malice | desire to harm others |
| oblique | slanting; indirect; devious, misleading |
| opulence | wealth |
| penitent | showing or feeling regret for wrongdoing, repentant |
| perfunctory | hasty and without attention to detail |
| antiquated | no longer used or useful; very old |
| arable | suitable for cultivation or growing crops |
| ascendancy | supremacy; domination |
| atrophy | waste away |
| clandestine | secret, concealed; underhanded |
| conciliate | to reconcile, to pacify, to renew a friendship |
| cursory | hasty, not thorough |
| derision | scoffing at, mockery, ridicule |
| enmity | hostility, hatred |
| extricate | to free, to disentangle |
| forbearance | patient endurance or toleration |
| frivolous | lacking in seriousness or importance |
| garrulous | talkative, rambling |
| impetuous | quick to act without thinking, impulsive |
| industrious | hardworking; not lazy |
| infamous | having a bad reputation; famous in a negative way |
| insolence | disrespecting, insulting or contemptuous behavior |
| levity | lightness of disposition; lack of seriousness |
| oblivion | state of being forgotten |
| paradoxical | seemingly contradictory but nonetheless possibly true |
| rancor | a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will |
| sycophant | a flatterer, a brownnoser |
| vacillating | uncertain in purpose or action |
| vivid | bright and distinct; vigorous; lively |
| abhor | find repugnant, hate |
| accolade | award of merit; strong praise and approval |
| ascetic | practices self denial as spiritual discipline |
| bequeath | to give or pass on by a will |
| charlatan | fraud; quack; con man |
| dearth | a lack, scarcity; a famine |
| diffidence | lack of self-confidence; shyness |
| effervescent | showing high spirits; bubbly |
| ethereal | heavenly; characterized by unusual lightness and delicacy |
| guile | the quality of being crafty |
| implausible | not believable; unlikely |
| incongruity | lack of harmony; disagreement |
| insularity | the state of being isolated or detached; narrow-mindedness |
| morose | gloomy or sullen; not friendly or sociable |
| placate | to appease, soothe, pacify |
| poignant | deeply affecting, touching; keen or sharp in taste or smell |
| provincial | lacking sophistication, narrow-minded |
| reiterate | to repeat |
| spontaneous | acting naturally on impulse |
| synthesis | combining parts into a whole |
| toxic | poisonous |
| vigilant | on alert; watchful |
| voluble | marked by a ready flow of speech |
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