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4,890 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 bastion | stronghold; something seen as a source of protection; Ex. the last bastion of male chauvinism |
| growl | low, guttural, menacing sound (as of a dog) |
| maverick | rebel; nonconformist (in a group) |
| lethargic | drowsy; dull; N. lethargy: state of sluggishness and inactivity |
| paraphernalia | equipment; odds and ends used in a particular activity; personal belongings; Ex. photographic paraphernalia; CF. married woman's property exclusive of her dowry |
| mores | conventions; moral standards; moral customs |
| timidity | lack of self-confidence or courage |
| understate | state with less truth than seems warranted by the facts; Ex. He understated the seriousness of the crime; N. understatement; OP. overstate |
| protocol | diplomatic etiquette; ceremony and etiquette observed by diplomats; first copy of a treaty before its ratification; Ex. Protocol demands that the queen meet him at the airport. |
| braid | plait; interweave strands or lengths of; make by weaving strands together; N: braided segment (as of hair) |
| acquiesce | assent; agree passively; comply without protest |
| favoritism | display of partiality toward a favored person |
| wake | trail of ship or other object through water; path of something that has gone before; Ex. hunger followed in the wake of the war |
| draught | current of air (through a room or to a fire); act of pulling roads; act of swallowing liquid or amount of liquid swallowed at a time |
| betoken | signify; indicate; be a sign of |
| aviary | enclosure for birds; large cage |
| waggish | humorous; mischievous; tricky |
| adapt | make or become suitable for a specific use; alter; modify; adjust; N. adaptation: act of adapting; composition recast into a new form; Ex. The play is an adaption of a short novel. |
| bugaboo | bugbear; object of baseless terror |
| foliage | masses of leaves; CF. defoliate |
| satellite | small body revolving around a larger one |
| bungle | mismanage; blunder; botch; blow; spoil by clumsy behavior |
| reinstate | restore to a previous condition or position |
| mnemonic | pertaining to memory; assisting the memory; N: device, such as as formula or rhyme, used as a mnemonic aid |
| conscript | draftee; person forced into military service; V. |
| contend | struggle; compete; assert earnestly; state strongly |
| functional | made for practical use only (without decoration); functioning; Ex. functional modern furniture; CF. functionalism |
| punctilious | minutely attentive (perhaps too much so) to fine points; stressing niceties of conduct or form; N. punctilio, punctiliousness: careful attention payed to every small exact detail |
| imbecility | weakness of mind; state of being an imbecile; N. imbecile: stupid person; fool |
| rebuke | scold harshly; criticize severely |
| facile | easily accomplished; ready or fluent; superficial; not deep; Ex. facile solution to a complex problem; Ex. facile speaker; N. facility: ability to do something easily and well; ease in doing resulting from skill or aptitude; something that facilitates an action; amenity; Ex. with great facility |
| hardy | (of people or animals) sturdy; robust; (of plants) able to stand inclement(stormy) weather |
| penury | extreme poverty; stinginess; ADJ. penurious: very poor; stingy |
| venal | capable of being bribed; corrupt; CF. vernal |
| flit | fly; fly or move lightly or quickly; dart lightly; pass swiftly by; Ex. a bee flitting from flower to flower |
| magnate | person of prominence or influence; powerful or influential person (in business or industry); Ex. oil magnate |
| botch | mismanage; blow |
| citadel | fortress |
| libidinous | lustful |
| mendicant | beggar; ADJ: living as a beggar |
| oaf | stupid awkward person; CF. elf |
| voyeur | Peeping Tom; person who derives sexual gratification from observing the sexual acts of others |
| docile | obedient; easily managed; submissive |
| vitiate | spoil the effect of; make inoperative; corrupt morally |
| narrative | related to telling a story; N: narrated account; story; V. narrate: tell (a story); CF. narration |
| derision | ridicule; ADJ. derisive; CF. derisory |
| cupidity | greed (for wealth); CF. cupid; CF. Cupid |
| savory | pleasant in taste; tasty; pleasing, attractive, or agreeable; Ex. savory reputation |
| rank | offensive in odor or flavor |
| quisling | traitor who aids invaders; CF. Vidkun Quisling |
| tact | skill or sensitivity in dealing with people without causing offence |
| fallacious | false; based on a fallacy; misleading; N. fallacy: false idea or notion; false reasoning; Ex. popular fallacy; Ex. fallacy of the argument |
| trim | make neat or tidy by clipping; reduce by removing what is unnecessary; ornament; decorate (round the edges); Ex. trim the cost; Ex. jacket trimmed with fur; N. ADJ: tidy; in good order |
| compartment | one of the parts into which an enclosed space is divided |
| squander | waste; spend foolishly |
| colloquy | informal discussion; conversation |
| refurbish | renovate; make clean, bright, or fresh (make new) again; make bright by polishing; Ex. refurbish an old theater; CF. furbish: polish |
| desolate | make desolate; forsake; abandon and desert |
| fumble | move the fingers and hands awkwardly (in search of something); mishandle or drop a ball that is in play; bungle; botch; spoil by mishandling; N. |
| misapprehension | error; misunderstanding; V. misapprehend |
| ameliorate | improve |
| isthmus | narrow neck of land connecting two larger bodies of land |
| skulduggery(skullduggery) | dishonest behavior or action; Ex. skulduggery in the election |
| celibate | abstaining from sexual intercourse; unmarried; N. celibacy |
| odium | detestation; quality of being odious; hatefulness; disrepute (resulting from hateful conduct) |
| deserts | what someone deserves |
| nugatory | worthless; futile |
| rendition | rendering; translation; artistic interpretation of a song, etc |
| incursion | temporary invasion; CF. excursion: short journey |
| terrestrial | on or relating to the earth |
| stigma | token of disgrace; brand; V. stigmatize: mark with a stigma; characterize as disgraceful |
| gross | total; fragrant; clearly wrong; (of people's behavior) coarse; corpulent; Ex. gross insolence/behavior; V: earn as a total amount; N: 12 dozens |
| doctrine | teachings in general; particular principle (religious, legal, etc.) taught; dogma; tenet; ADJ. doctrinal |
| misnomer | wrong or improper name; incorrect designation |
| proliferate | grow rapidly (in numbers); spread; multiply; N. proliferation |
| hindsight | understanding the nature of an event after it has actually happened |
| lucid | easily understood; clear; intelligible; N. lucidity |
| impenetrable | not able to be pierced or entered; beyond understanding; impossible to understand; Ex. impenetrable mystery |
| ghastly | horrible; terrifying; resembling ghosts; CF. aghast |
| tremulous | trembling; wavering |
| garish | overbright in color; unpleasantly bright; gaudy |
| euphony | sweet sound; ADJ. euphonious |
| pithy | concise and meaningful; substantial; meaty |
| girth | distance around something; circumference |
| lap | take in food or drink with one's tongue; splash gently; Ex. waves lapping the shore; N: front area from the waist to the knees of a seated person |
| asteroid | small planet |
| adulation | flattery; admiration that is more than is necessary or deserved |
| array | marshal; draw up in order; arrange in order; clothe splendidly; adorn; N: fine clothes; ordered group; Ex. in battle array |
| redoubtable | formidable; causing fear |
| approbation | approval |
| attrition | rubbing away by friction; gradual decrease in numbers or strength; reduction in the work force without firing employees; wearing away of opposition by means of harassment; Ex. a war of attrition |
| secession | withdrawal; V. secede: withdraw formally from membership |
| poignancy | quality of being deeply moving; keenness of emotion; ADJ. poignant: touching; deeply moving; (of sorrow, grief, etc.) painful; keenly distressing to the mind; Ex. poignant memory/anxiety; CF. prick |
| fodder | coarse food for cattle, horses, etc.; feed for livestock; CF. food |
| regale | entertain |
| warren | tunnels in which rabbits live; overcrowded living area; crowded conditions in which people live |
| distant | reserved or aloof; cold in manner; Ex. distant greeting; ADV. distantly |
| entrance | put under a spell(condition caused by magical power); carry away(fill with strong feeling) with emotion; put into a trance; fill with delight |
| heterogeneous | dissimilar; mixed; not homogeneous; consisting of dissimilar elements or plants |
| temperate | moderate; restrained; self-controlled; moderate in respect to temperature; CF. temperance: moderation and self-restraint; abstinence of alcoholic drinks; Ex. temperance society |
| glamor | compelling charm; ADJ. glamorous |
| disinterested | unprejudiced; free from bias and self-interest; objective |
| mosaic | picture made of small colorful inlaid tiles; ADJ. |
| arboreal | of or living in trees |
| uninhibited | unrepressed; free in behavior and feelings |
| amnesty | pardon (allowed by government to political criminals) |
| stint | supply; allotted amount of work; assigned portion of work; limitation; Ex. two-year stint in the army; Ex. without stint |
| spin | rotate swiftly; make (thread) by twisting (cotton, wool, etc.); N. |
| grumble | complain; mutter discontentedly; grouch; N. |
| recondite | abstruse; not easily understood; profound; secret |
| consonance | harmony; agreement |
| enduring | lasting; surviving; V. endure: bear (pain or suffering) for a long time; remain alive (in spite of difficulties); last; survive |
| concave | hollow; curved inwards; OP. convex |
| forward | presumptuous or bold |
| astigmatism | eye defect which prevents proper focus; OP. stigmatism |
| singular | being only one; individual; unique; extraordinary; odd; Ex. singular beauty/behavior |
| augury | omen; prophecy; sign of coming events; V. augur: predict; foretell; be a sign of (something in future) |
| tribulation | suffering; ordeal; distress; trial |
| cater | provide food and drink (for); cater to: try to satisfy (desires of a bad kind) |
| sartorial | pertaining to tailors or tailoring; Ex. a man of great sartorial elegance; CF. sartor: tailor |
| slur | slander; insult to one's character or reputation; V. |
| quarry | person or animal of pursuit; victim; object of a hunt; prey |
| queue | line (of waiting people or vehicles) |
| funereal | sad; solemn; suitable for a funeral |
| genre | particular variety of art or literature |
| amphibian | able to live both on land and in water; N. |
| ineluctable | irresistible; not to be escaped; unavoidable |
| appall | dismay; shock deeply |
| analgesia | condition of being unable to feel pain |
| resign | give up (a position, right, or claim); submit (oneself) passively |
| pang | sudden sharp feeling of pain |
| incontinent | lacking self-restraint; not continent; licentious |
| stickler | perfectionist; person who insists things be exactly right |
| inclined | tending or leaning toward; bent; V. incline: slant; dispose; be disposed; tend |
| episodic | (of a story or play) loosely connected; made up of separate and loosely connected parts; N. episode: incident in the course of an experience |
| seasonable | occurring at the proper time or season; opportune; Ex. seasonable intervention in the dispute |
| astringent | binding; causing contraction (stopping bleeding); harsh or severe; stringent; Ex. astringent criticism |
| quotidian | daily; commonplace; customary; Ex. quotidian routine |
| stanza | division of a poem (composed of two or more lines) |
| sentinel | sentry; lookout |
| saga | Scandinavian myth; any legend; long heroic narrative |
| aristocracy | hereditary nobility; privileged class; government by nobility; N. aristocrat |
| innuendo | indirect or subtle (derogatory) hint; insinuation; Ex. sexual innuendo |
| rag | scrap of cloth; ADJ. ragged: old and torn; seeming unfinished and imperfect; Ex. ragged debut/performance |
| conducive | helpful; contributive; V. conduce; Ex. conduce to/towards |
| slight | insult to one's dignity; snub; V: treat as if of small importance; insult; snub; ADJ. small in size; of small importance |
| tout | promote or publicize (one's goods or service); praise excessively (as a form of advertisement); CF. advertise |
| repugnance | disgust; strong dislike; loathing; ADJ. repugnant: arousing disgust; repulsive |
| cue | word or signal (as in a play to prompt another actor's speech or entrance); reminder or hint; V: give a cue to |
| soliloquy | talking to oneself (esp. in a play); CF. monologue: soliloquy; long speech by one person (often monopolizing a conversation) |
| fruition | bearing of fruit; fulfillment; realization; Ex. come to/be brought to fruition |
| termination | end; V. terminate |
| intermittent | periodic; on and off; stopping and starting at intervals |
| jocose | given to(having a tendency of) joking |
| blasphemy | irreverence; sacrilege; cursing; bad language about God or holy things; V. blasphem; ADJ. blasphemous; CF. sacrilege |
| consummate | complete; V. |
| consequential | self-important; significant; consequent; following as a result; Ex. consequential air; CF. subsequent |
| gainsay | deny |
| abolish | cancel; put an end to |
| convivial | pleasantly merry; festive; joyous; gay; characterized by joviality; jovial |
| gawk | stare foolishly; look in open-mouthed awe |
| betray | be unfaithful; reveal (unconsciously or unwillingly); Ex. Her trembling hands betray her anxiety. |
| cession | yielding to another; ceding |
| cogent | convincing |
| flaunt | display ostentatiously; Ex. ``Honey, if you've got it, flaunt it !'' |
| chaperon | older person who accompanies and supervises a young unmarried woman |
| conspire | take part in a conspiracy; (of events) work together; combine; Ex. Events conspired to produce great difficulties. |
| clemency | disposition to be lenient in deciding punishments; mildness as of the weather; ADJ. clement |
| nostrum | questionable medicine; quack medicine; CF. our (remedy) |
| scrutinize | examine closely and critically; N. scrutiny |
| archetype | prototype; primitive pattern |
| trite | hackneyed; commonplace |
| codify | arrange (laws or rules) as a code; classify; N. code: system of words used instead of ordinary writing; collection of laws, rules, established social customs |
| conflagration | great fire |
| subliminal | below the threshold of conscious perception; Ex. subliminal advertisement |
| duplicity | double-dealing; hypocrisy; being dishonest and deceitful; ADJ. duplicitous |
| epithet | word or phrase characteristically used to describe a person or thing; descriptive phrase to characterize a person (often contemptous) |
| peon | landless agricultural worker; bond servant; menial worker; N. peonage |
| thematic | of a theme; relating to a unifying motif or idea |
| plight | difficult condition; condition or state (esp. a bad state or condition); predicament |
| cohorts | group of people who share some common quality; armed band; a group of between 300 and 600 soldiers under one commander (in the ancient Rome) |
| labile | likely to change; unstable; Ex. emotionally labile; N. lability |
| panegyric | formal praise; encomium; Ex. I don't deserve such panegyrics. |
| apothecary | druggist; pharmacist |
| requisition | formal demand or request; Ex. requisition for more computing equipment; V. |
| ample | enough; abundant; spacious; large in size; Ex. ample opportunity/garden; N. amplitude: quality of being ample; abundance; largeness of space |
| unassuaged | unsatisfied; not soothed |
| exigency | urgent situation; ADJ. exigent |
| voodoo | religion practiced chiefly in Haiti |
| furrow | long shallow trench made by a plow; deep wrinkle in the skin; V. |
| gerontocracy | government ruled by old people |
| rarefied | made less dense (of a gas); V. rarefy: make less dense; N. rarefaction |
| madrigal | pastoral song; song for several singers without instruments |
| multilingual | having many languages; fluent in several languages |
| adept | expert at; very skilled |
| suffocate | die or kill from lack of air; suppress |
| deadlock | standstill resulting from the opposition of two unrelenting forces; stalemate |
| laconic | brief and to the point; using few words; terse |
| fake | not genuine; N: one that is not genuine; impostor; sham; V: counterfeit; Ex. fake the results of the experiment/the signature |
| apparition | ghost; phantom |
| scurrilous | abusive; obscene; indecent; Ex. scurrilous remark |
| consanguineous(consanguine) | having a common ancestor |
| diabolical | diabolic; devilish; fiendish |
| wither | (of a plant) dry up from loss of moisture; lose freshness; shrivel; decay |
| fresco | painting on wet plaster (usually fresh) |
| masochist | person who enjoys his own pain; CF. masochism |
| progenitor | ancestor |
| odoriferous | giving off an odor |
| asperity | sharpness; roughness; severity (of temper or weather); Ex. asperities of a Russian winter |
| salient | prominent; projecting beyond a line; conspicuous; Ex. salient features |
| brook | tolerate; endure; Ex. brook no interference; N: small stream |
| ductile | malleable; pliable; (of metals) easily pulled into shape; flexible; (of someone) easily influenced or controlled |
| subversive | tending to overthrow or ruin; V. subvert: overthrow completely (an established system); destroy completely; CF. undermine ? |
| monotony | sameness leading to boredom; monotonousness; ADJ. monotonous; CF. monotone |
| inkling | hint; slight indication |
| corrode | destroy or wear away gradually by chemical action (over a long period) |
| nirvana | in Buddhist teachings, the ideal state in which the individual loses himself in the attainment of an impersonal beatitude |
| ribald | marked by vulgar lewd humor; wanton; profane; N. ribaldry: ribald language or joke |
| elastic | able to spring back into shape; quick to recover (as from disappointment); able to adapt to change; Ex. elastic plans; N: elastic material |
| biennial | every two years |
| pugilist | boxer; CF. pugilism: boxing |
| eulogy | expression of praise, often on the occasion of someone's death; V. eulogize |
| limp | walk lamely; ADJ: lacking firmness; weak |
| coy | shy (flirtatiously); showing a (pretended) lack of self-confidence; modest; coquettish; CF. job offer¸¦ ¹Þ¾ÒÀ» ¶§ |
| ordain | decree or command; grant holy orders; predestine; install as a minister, priest, or rabbi; N. ordainment; CF. ordination |
| noisome | foul smelling; very unpleasant; unwholesome |
| semblance | outward appearance; guise; Ex. We called in the troops to bring a/some semblance of order to the city. |
| assert | state strongly or positively; demand recognition of (rights, claims, etc.); make a claim to (by forceful action); Ex. assert one's independence |
| calamity | disaster; misery |
| foil | defeat; frustrate; prevent from being successful; thwart; CF. fail |
| invocation | prayer for help (used in invoking); calling upon as a reference or support; act of invoking |
| retaliate | repay in kind (usually for bad treatment); V. retaliate |
| complicity | participation; involvement (in a questionable act or a crime) |
| tangible | able to be touched; real; concrete; palpable; possible to realize or understand; Ex. tangible proof |
| numismatist | person who collects coins; N. numismatics: study or collection of money, coins, and medals |
| supplant | take the place of unfairly; usurp; replace |
| progeny | children; offspring; descendants |
| list | tilt (as of a ship); lean over (to one side) |
| invoke | call and bring into use (a right or law); call on/upon (a higher power or god) for help; ask for; beg for; conjure (a spirit); Ex. invoke the veto power; Ex. invoke one's advisor/God |
| slither | slip or slide |
| precedent | something preceding in time which may be used as an authority or guide for future action; V. precede; CF. unprecedented |
| gaunt | lean and angular; thin and bony; emaciated; barren |
| dishearten | discourage |
| commensurate | equal in extent; of the same size |
| ethereal | like a spirit or fairy; unearthly light; heavenly; unusually refined; Ex. She has an ethereal beauty; CF. ether: upper air |
| archaic | antiquated; no longer used; belonging to the past; N. |
| longevity | long life; long duration |
| pan | criticize harshly |
| quintessence | purest and highest embodiment; perfect example; apotheosis; most essential element; Ex. quintessence of wit; ADJ. quintessential; CF. fifth essence |
| scanty | meager; insufficient |
| unseemly | unbecoming; not proper in behavior; indecent; Ex. leave with unseemly haste |
| rebuff | reject bluntly; snub; beat back; Ex. She rebuffed his invitation; N. |
| pulverize | crush or grind into very small particles |
| canny | shrewd in money matters; thrifty |
| influx | flowing into |
| overwrought | nervous or excited; extremely agitated; hysterical; wrought-up; CF. wrought: made or done |
| clientele | body of customers |
| patent | obvious; easily seen; open for the public to read; of or protected by a patent; Ex. patent to everyone; N. |
| wane | decrease in size or strength (after being full); grow gradually to an end; Ex. The moon waxes and wanes every month; N. |
| fetter | shackle; restrict the freedom of; N. chain or shackle for the foot of a prisoner; CF. foot |
| regeneration | spiritual rebirth; Ex. regeneration of the prisoners; V. regenerate: give or obtain new life; reform spiritually |
| pedagogy | teaching; art of education |
| jubilation | rejoicing; great joy |
| mete | measure; distribute; administer; Ex. mete out justice/punishment |
| pulmonary | pertaining to the lungs |
| rift | narrow opening in a large mass; break in a friendly relation; Ex. through a rift in the clouds; OP. reconcilation |
| exonerate | acquit; exculpate; free from blame or guilt |
| untoward | unexpected and adverse; unfortunate or unlucky; Ex. untoward encounter |
| ramp | slope; inclined plane or roadway (connecting two levels) |
| juncture | crisis; point in time; joining point; joint; act of joining |
| perspicuous | (of something) plainly expressed; easy to understand; Ex. perspicuous comments |
| devoid | empty; lacking |
| prefigure | be a sign of; foreshadow |
| indicative | suggestive; implying; serving to indicate |
| denigrate | blacken; defame |
| lexicon | dictionary |
| sober | serious; solemn; not drunken; abstemious or temperate; V: make or become sober |
| bode | foreshadow; portend |
| reparation | compensation (for loss or wrong); amends; Ex. make reparation for the damage; CF. repair |
| odious | arousing strong dislike; hateful(causing hatred); vile |
| maraud | move in search of plunder; Ex. marauding army |
| meager | scanty; inadequate |
| ceremonious | marked by formality; extremely formal and polite; CF. ceremony: conventional social courtesy |
| autonomous | self-governing; N. autonomy |
| vapid | lacking liveliness; dull and unimaginative; insipid and flavorless; Ex. vapid lecture |
| propitiate | appease; conciliate; make peaceful; ADJ. propitiatory |
| fledgling(fledgeling) | inexperienced; N: young bird that has acquired wing feathers and is learning to fly; inexperienced person |
| immaculate | spotless; flawless; absolutely clean |
| distinctive | clearly different from others of the same kind |
| transpose | reverse the order or position of |
| momentum | quantity of motion of a moving body; impetus; moving force |
| h 4 | ... |
| exploit | brave and successful act; deed or action, particularly a brave deed; CF. crossing the Atlantic ocean |
| sibylline | prophetic; oracular; N. sibyl: woman prophet (in the ancient world) |
| serrated | having a sawtoothed edge; Ex. serrated leaf |
| cohere | stick together |
| wistful | sadly thoughtful (because of desires or memories); sadly pensive; vaguely longing |
| gamely | in a spirited manner; with courage; Ex. fight gamely against a superior boxer; ADJ. game |
| spurn | reject disdainfully; scorn; Ex. She spurned all offers of help. |
| conservatory(conservatoire) | school of the fine arts (especially music or drama); glass-enclosed area; CF. conservancy |
| malcontent | person dissatisfied with existing state of affairs; discontented person; ADJ: discontented |
| killjoy | grouch; spoilsport; one who intentionally spoils the pleasure of others |
| discourse | serious speech, writing, or conversation; formal discussion (either written or spoken); conversation; V. |
| bifurcated | divided into two branches; forked |
| lucrative | profitable; producing wealth |
| qualms | uneasy feelings; misgivings; uneasy fears especially about matters of conscience; Ex. I have no qualms about giving this assignment to Helen. |
| fusion | union; coalition; V. fuse |
| clarion | shrill, trumpetlike sound; kind of trumpet used in former times |
| traverse | go through or across |
| cherubic | angelic; innocent-looking; N. cherub; CF. seraph: winged angel of the highest order |
| parasite | animal or plant living on another; toady; sycophant; CF. para-: beside |
| decomposition | decay; V. decompose: decay; break and separate into simple parts |
| industrious | diligent; hard-working; N. industry |
| metallurgical | pertaining to the art of removing metals from ores; N. metallurgy: science that deals with extracting metals from ores |
| dutiful(duteous) | (of people or their behavior) respectful; obedient (filled with a sense of duty) |
| indices | signs; indications; Ex. indices of a student's potential; CF. index: something that reveals or indicates; sign; Ex. cost-of-living index |
| disband | dissolve; disperse; (of a group) break up and separate; Ex. The club has disbanded. |
| supposititious | assumed; counterfeit; hypothetical |
| despot | tyrant; harsh, authoritarian ruler; CF. despotism |
| topple | become unsteady and fall down |
| apprise | inform |
| tardy | slow; sluggish; not on time; late; Ex. tardy arrival |
| sheer | pure; thin and transparent; very steep |
| optician | maker and seller of eyeglasses |
| deposition | testimony under oath; deposing; dethroning |
| legend | explanatory list of symbols on a map |
| aseptic | preventing infection; having a cleansing effect |
| farce | broad comedy; mockery; humorous play full of silly things happening; ADJ. farcical |
| acrid | bitter (to the taste or smell); sharp; bitterly pungent |
| raconteur | story-teller; one who tells stories with wit and skill |
| reduce | diminish; bring to a weaker or more difficult condition; demote; lower in rank; separate into components by analysis; Ex. reduced to the ranks; Ex. reduce the house to rubble; N. reduction |
| dart | move or throw suddenly and quickly |
| scholarly | full of learning; erudite; like a scholar; Ex. scholarly journal |
| cohesion | tendency to keep together |
| epoch | period of time |
| canard | unfounded false rumor; exaggerated false report |
| toss | throw lightly; move or lift (the head) with a sudden motion; flip (a coin) to decide something |
| phalanx | formation of infantry carrying overlapping shields and long spears; group of men packed together (for attack or defense) |
| bar | railing in a courtroom; legal profession; vertical line dividing a staff into equal measures; Ex. prisoner at the bar; V: shut in or out with bars; forbid; exclude; CF. barrister |
| lineaments | features especially of the face; distinctive shape or contour of the face; CF. line |
| validate | make valid; confirm; ratify |
| compelling | overpowering; irresistible in effect; holding one's attention; that compels one to do something; Ex. a compelling adventure story; V. compel |
| choreography | art of representing dances in written symbols; arrangement of dances |
| furor | frenzy; great anger and excitement; CF. fury |
| obituary | death notice (esp. in a newspaper); ADJ. |
| dialectical | relating to the art of debate; mutual or reciprocal; Ex. dialectical situation; N. dialectic: art of arriving at the truth by the exchange of logical arguments |
| oratorio | dramatic poem set to music; long musical work with singing but without acting; CF. cantata |
| sloth | slow moving tree-dwelling mammal; laziness; ADJ. slothful: lazy; indolent |
| simian | monkeylike; N: ape or monkey |
| inter | bury; N. interment |
| supersede | replace; cause to be set aside; make obsolete; N. supersession |
| coroner | public official who investigates any death thought to be of other than natural causes |
| perspicuity | clearness of expression; freedom from ambiguity |
| succulent | juicy; full of juice or sap; full of richness; N: succulent plant such as a cactus |
| ransack | search thoroughly; pillage (going through a place); Ex. Enemy soldiers ransacked the town. |
| dorsal | relating to the back of an animal; Ex. dorsal fin |
| protean | able to take on many forms; versatile; CF. Proteus: sea god to change his shape at will |
| conscientious | scrupulous; through and careful; Ex. conscientious worker |
| gape | open widely; open the mouth wide; stare wonderingly with the mouth open; CF. agape |
| perverse | purposely continuing to do something wrong; stubbornly wrongheaded; perverted; directed away from what is right; wicked and unacceptable; Ex. perverse satisfaction; Ex. Hannibal Lecter in a perverse mood; N. perversity |
| nexus | connection |
| mercantile | concerning trade or merchants |
| inestimable | impossible to estimate; (apprec) invaluable; of immeasurable worth |
| quixotic | idealistic but impractical; CF. Don Quixote |
| antipathy | aversion; dislike or opposition |
| chaste | morally pure; virginal; abstaining from illicit sexual acts; modest; simple (of a style of writing); not highly decorated; austere |
| incident | event; event that causes a crisis |
| distraught | upset; distracted by anxiety; very anxious and troubled almost to the point of madness; Ex. distraught with grief/worry |
| recreant | disloyal; cowardly; N: disloyal and cowardly person |
| disport | amuse; Ex. disport oneself; CF. divert |
| proxy | authorized agent; authority to act for another |
| leave-taking | farewell or departure |
| tender | offer formally; extend; Ex. tender one's resignation/the exact fare; N: formal offer; money; Ex. legal tender; ADJ: young and vulnerable; sensitive to the touch; sore; soft; delicate; Ex. child of tender years; Ex. tender wound |
| brunt | main impact or shock (of an attack or blow); Ex. brunt of the argument |
| junta | group of persons joined in political intrigue; cabal; group of military officers ruling a country after seizing power (by force) |
| materialism | preoccupation with physical comforts and things; excessive regard for worldly concerns (rather than spiritual matters) |
| analgesic | causing insensitivity to pain; N. |
| jurisprudence | science of law |
| dossier | file of documents on a subject or person; file; CF. bundle of papers labeled on the back |
| transparent | permitting light to pass through freely; easily detected; obvious; clear; Ex. transparent lie |
| virulent | (of a disease or poison) extremely harmful or poisonous; (of a feeling) hostile; bitter; N. virulence; CF. virus; CF. venom |
| bluster | blow in heavy gusts; threaten emptily; bully; speak in a noisy or bullying manner; CF. breeze, gust, gale |
| capacious | spacious |
| conspiracy | treacherous plot; secret plan against the law (by two or more people) |
| lectern | reading desk or stand for a public speaker |
| aria | operatic solo; a song sung by one person in an opera or oratorio |
| unique | without an equal; single in kind |
| posterity | descendants; future generations; Ex. go down to posterity; CF. posterior, anterior |
| pacifist | one opposed to force; antimilitarist; ADJ. N. pacifism: opposition to war as a means of resolving disputes |
| h 5 | ... |
| insatiable | not easily satisfied; unquenchable; Ex. insatiable appetite |
| exhilarating | invigorating and refreshing; cheering; V. exhilarate: make cheerful and excited; Ex. exhilarated by the ride in the sports car |
| bohemian | unconventional (in an artistic way) |
| ignoble | unworthy; not noble; dishonorable; Ex. ignoble deed |
| career | rush wildly; go at full speed |
| zeal | eager enthusiasm (to a cause or ideal); ADJ. zealous |
| miscellany | mixture of writings on various subjects; collection of various items |
| acquittal | deliverance from a charge; V. acquit: free from a charge or accusation; discharge from a duty; conduct (oneself) in a specified manner |
| evocative | tending to call up (emotions, memories) |
| titter | nervous giggle; nervous laugh; V. |
| glut | overstock; fill beyond capacity (with food); fill to excess; N: oversupply |
| devious | roundabout; erratic; deviating from the straight course; not straightforward; not completely honest; Ex. devious route |
| imperturbable | unshakably calm; placid |
| husbandry | frugality; thrift; economy; agriculture; farming; Ex. animal husbandry; CF. husbandman |
| ingrate | ungrateful person (not expressing thanks) |
| comport | bear one's self; behave; Ex. comport oneself; N. comportment |
| reprobation | severe disapproval; CF. approbation |
| arch- | chief; first; Ex. archbishop |
| incendiary | arsonist; ADJ: causing fire; of arson; Ex. incendiary bomb |
| glossary | brief explanation of words used in the text |
| helm | steering wheel of a ship; position of control |
| pretext | excuse |
| solvent | able to pay all depths; N. solvency |
| nauseous | causing nausea; feeling nausea |
| valor | bravery; ADJ. valiant: possessing valor; brave |
| impasse | predicament(dangerous condition) from which there is no escape; situation allowing for no further progress |
| foreboding | premonition of evil; feeling of coming evil; V. forebode: be a warning of (something unpleasant) |
| copious | plentiful |
| overturn | turn over; capsize; topple |
| fawning | courting favor by cringing and flattering; V. fawn: exhibit affection as a dog; seek favor or attention by obsequiousness |
| allegory | story, play, or picture in which characters are used as symbols; fable |
| retain | keep; maintain possession of; employ (esp. a lawyer or advisor); N. retainer: servant; fee paid to retain an advisor |
| mimicry | imitation |
| extrinsic | external; not essential or inherent; extraneous; OP. intrinsic |
| duration | length of time something lasts |
| truism | self-evident truth |
| absolve | pardon (an offense) |
| arsenal | storage place for military equipment |
| centrifugal | radiating; departing from the center |
| alms | money or goods given to the poor |
| shrew | scolding woman; very small mouselike animal |
| sordid | filthy; foul; base; vile; Ex. sordid bed/story |
| franchise | right or privilege granted by authority; right to vote; license to sell a product in a particular territory |
| enhance | increase; make greater (as in value, reputation, or usefulness); improve |
| anesthetic | substance that removes sensation with or without loss of consciousness; N. anesthesia |
| decadence | decay; fall to a lower level (of morality, civilization, or art); ADJ. decadent |
| ejaculation | exclamation; abrupt ejection (to discharge sperm); V. ejaculate |
| terse | concise; abrupt; pithy |
| vintner | wine merchant; winemaker; seller of wine |
| labyrinth | maze |
| detain | keep waiting; prevent from leaving or going; N. detention |
| self-indulgence | excessive indulgence of one's own desire |
| philology | study of language or words |
| recapitulate | summarize |
| odorous | having an odor |
| rustle | make slight sounds like silk moving or being rubbed together |
| licentious | amoral; lewd and lascivious; unrestrained |
| physiognomy | face (as showing the character and the mind); art of judging human character from facial features |
| awful | terrible; very bad |
| ravenous | extremely hungry; voracious |
| earmark | set aside (money or time) for a particular purpose |
| unaccountable | unexplicable; impossible to account for; unreasonable or mysterious |
| behoove(behove) | be suited to; be incumbent upon; be right and necessary; Ex. It behooves one to do. |
| badger | pester; annoy continually with demands; persuade by asking again and again; Ex. The children badgered me into taking them into the cinema; N: a kind of mountain animal |
| rumble | make or move with a deep rolling sound (as thunder or stomach) |
| sojourn | temporary stay; V: stay for a time |
| myopic | nearsighted; lacking foresight; N. myopia |
| tortuous | winding; full of curves; Ex. tortuous mountain road |
| cross | bad-tempered; showing ill-humor; angry |
| murmur | low, indistinct, continuous sound; V. CF. mumble |
| fret | be annoyed or vexed; Ex. fret over your poor grades; N: irritation of mind; ADJ. fretful |
| gaffe | social blunder |
| divest | strip (as of clothes); deprive (as of rights); dispossess; N. divestiture(divestment) |
| beatitude | blessedness; state of great happiness |
| sinecure | well-paid position with little responsibility; CF. sine cure: without care; CF. San Serif |
| squat | short and thick; stocky; Ex. ugly squat tower; V. N. |
| unintimating | unfrightening |
| provocative | arousing anger or sexual interest; annoying; Ex. provocative in tight jeans; V. provoke: incite to anger; cause (an unpleasant action or feeling); N. provocation |
| discomfit | frustrate; put to rout; defeat; disconcert; embarrass; perturb |
| tarry | linger; delay in starting or going; dawdle |
| prosperous | successful; rich; affluent; well-to-do; well-off |
| apotheosis | elevation to godhood; an ideal example of something |
| pinnace | small boat |
| transition | going from one state of action to another |
| maudlin | effusively sentimental |
| chameleon | lizard that changes color in different situations |
| aspersion | slanderous remark; Ex. cast aspersions on |
| ape | imitate or mimic (a person's behavior or manner) |
| render | give; deliver; provide; represent in verbal or artistic form; depict; perform; make; translate; Ex. render the song beautifully |
| galley | low ship with sails (rowed along by slaves) |
| curb | chain or strap used with a bit to restrain a horse; something that checks; V: check; restrain |
| buffet | strike forcefully; slap; batter; knock out; N: table with food set out for people to server themselves; meal at which people help themselves to food that's been set |
| seemly | (of behavior) proper; appropriate |
| decrepitude | state of collapse or weakness caused by illness or old age |
| protuberance | protrusion; swelling; bulge |
| benefit | advantage; anything that brings helpl, advantage, or profit; money provided by the government to the people; fund-raising public entertainment; Ex. unemployment benefit; V: receive benefits; be beneficial to; give benefits |
| memorialize | commemorate |
| h 6 | ... |
| condign | adequate; (of punishment) severe and well deserved |
| oscillate | vibrate pendulumlike; waver |
| theoretical | based on theory; not practical or applied; hypothetical |
| pundit | authority on a subject; expert; learned person |
| stereotype | one regarded as embodying a set image or type; fixed and unvarying representation; standardized mental picture often reflecting prejudice; Ex. stereotype of the happy slave; V: make a stereotype of; represent by a stereotype; Ex. It is wrong to stereotype people; Ex. stereotyped answer |
| brawny | muscular; having well-developed muscles |
| surfeit | satiate; feed or supply to excess; stuff; indulge to excess in anything; N: surfeiting; excessive amount; Ex. surfeit of food |
| hazard | venture; put in danger; risk; Ex. hazard a guess; N: possible source of danger |
| eloquence | expressiveness; persuasive speech; ADJ. eloquent: movingly expressive; expressing ideas well so that the hearers can be influeneced |
| fanciful | whimsical; visionary; imaginary; produced by imagination; Ex. fanciful scheme |
| factious | inclined to form factions; causing dissension |
| chassis | framework and working parts of an automobile; framework to which components are attached |
| inopportune | untimely; inappropriate or ill-timed; poorly chosen |
| alcove | nook; recess |
| vendetta | blood feud (esp. between two families); CF. Nina Williams |
| nemesis | someone seeking revenge; source of downfall or ruin; CF. Nemesis |
| accrue | come to one as a gain; accumulate over time; come about by addition; Ex. benefits that accrue from scientific research; Ex. interest accruing in a bank account; N. accrual |
| undertaker | funeral director; one whose business is to arrange burials |
| complementary | serving to complete something |
| jingoist | extremely aggressive and militant patriot; warlike chauvinist; N. jingoism: extreme nationalism |
| aquiline | curved; hooked; of or like an eagle; Ex. aquiline nose |
| lofty | very high |
| mordant | biting; sarcastic; stinging; (apprec.) incisive; cutting; Ex. mordant pen/wit |
| bombast | grandiloquent, pompous speech |
| shift | change position or place; exchange (one thing) for another; change in direction or position; Ex. shift the stolen goods; N. group of workers which takes turns with other groups; working period of such a group |
| deft | neat; skillful |
| homily | sermon; tedious moralizing lecture; serious warning; ADJ. homiletic |
| rankle | irritate; fester; annoy |
| mingle | mix together in close association |
| indeterminate | uncertain; not clearly fixed; indefinite |
| rotundity | roundness; sonorousness of speech |
| enumerate | list; mention one by one |
| congenial | pleasant; friendly; in agreement with one's tastes and nature; Ex. congenial weather |
| gist | essence; main point; substance |
| privation | lack of the basic necessities or comforts of life; hardship; want; CF. deprive |
| cataclysm | deluge; upheaval; earthquake; violent and sudden event or change |
| toxic | poisonous; N. toxicity |
| mutter | utter (complaining words) indistinctly in low tones |
| abjure | renounce upon oath |
| extradition | surrender of prisoner by one state to another; Ex. extradition treaty; V. extradite |
| quirk | sudden sharp turn or twist; startling twist; caprice; idiosyncrasy; peculiarity of behavior; Ex. by a quirk of fate |
| aspire | seek to attain (position or status); long for; Ex. aspire to become president; Ex. aspire to/after the leadership |
| stratagem | deceptive scheme; clever trick |
| arrogance | pride; haughtiness; ADJ. arrogant: unpleasantly self-important (with a strong confidence in one's own importance and a lack of respect for other people) |
| commune | small (often rural) community whose members share work and income; V: exchange thoughts or feelings; Ex. commune with nature |
| forestall | prevent by taking action in advance |
| inundate | flood; overflow; submerge; cover completely; Ex. inundated with work |
| fussy | fastidious; finicky; easily upset |
| estranged | separated; alienated; V. estrange: alienate (people in a family); N. estrangement |
| jetsam | things thrown from a ship (to lighten the ship) |
| bequeath | leave to someone by means of a will; hand down in his will; N. bequest |
| dauntless | bold; fearless |
| lien | legal claim or right on a property |
| congruent | in agreement; harmonious; corresponding; coinciding exactly; CF. congruous |
| expound | explain |
| obtuse | blunt; not sharp; stupid; slow in understanding |
| detrimental | harmful; damaging; N. detriment |
| mangy | shabby; wretched; suffering from mange; of bad appearance |
| putrefy | make or become putrid; N. putrefaction |
| hideous | repulsive to the sight; ugly; repugnant; Ex. hideous face/scream |
| abate | subside or moderate |
| annul | make void |
| egotism | tendency to speak or write of oneself excessively; conceit; self-importance |
| skeptic | sceptic; doubter; person who suspends judgment until he has examined the evidence supporting a point of view; ADJ. skeptical; N. skepticism; scepticism |
| audacious | daring; bold; N. audacity |
| compost | mixture of decaying organic matter used as fertilizer; V: put or make compost |
| heresy | opinion contrary to popular belief; opinion contrary to accepted religion; ADJ. heretical; CF. heretic |
| high-flown | highly pretentious or inflated |
| maniacal | raging mad; insane; N. maniac: insane person; CF. mania: disorder of the mind; intense enthusiasm |
| whorl | ring of leaves around stem; ring; circular arrangement; Ex. whorls on the fingers |
| petulant | touchy; peevish; ill-tempered |
| decimate | kill (usually one out of ten or every tenth man); destroy or kill a large part of |
| resolve | decide; settle; solve; separate; make a determined decision; N. resolution |
| brave | face courageously; Ex. brave the storm |
| viscous | (of a liquid) thick and sticky; gluey; viscid; CF. consistency |
| grovel | crawl or creep on ground; remain prostrate; behave in a servile manner |
| compliance | conformity in fulfilling requirements; readiness to yield; disposition to yield to others; V. comply |
| invalid | one incapacitated(disabled) by a chronic illness; ADJ: incapacitated by illness; not valid; null; V: allow to leave (a military force) because of ill-health |
| spurious | false; counterfeit; forged; illogical; Ex. spurious arguments |
| lechery | gross lewdness; lustfulness; ADJ. lecherous; N. lecher: lecherous man |
| entomology | study of insects |
| molt(moult) | periodically shed or cast off hairs or feathers (for replacement by a new growth) |
| expatiate | talk at length; speak or write in detail |
| tribute | tax levied by a ruler; payment made by one nation to another in acknowledgment of submission; mark of respect (such as praise or gift); Ex. pay tribute to |
| askance | with a sideways or indirect look (with disapproval or distruct); Ex. look askance at |
| dour | sullen; gloomy; stubborn |
| prate | talk idly; speak foolishly; boast idly |
| cardinal | chief; most important; N: priest; cardinal number: number that shows quantity rather thatn order |
| pastry | paste of flour and water (eaten when baked) |
| betroth | become engaged to marry |
| valediction | saying farewell; expression of leave-taking |
| hygiene | science and practice of the promotion and preservation of health; ADJ. hygienic: showing careful attention to cleanness (to prevent disease); Ex. hygienic condition |
| elaboration | addition of details; intricacy |
| homeostasis | tendency of a system or organism to maintain relative stability or internal equilibrium; CF. homeo-: constant; Ex. homeotherm |
| hostage | person who is kept as a prisoner by an enemy so that the other side will do what the enemy demands |
| resentment | indignation; bitterness; displeasure; V. resent: feel anger about |
| palimpsest | parchment or piece of writing material used for second time after original writing has been erased |
| h 7 | ... |
| vaporize | turn into vapor (steam, gas, fog, etc.) |
| lackadaisical | lacking interest or effort; lacking purpose or zest; lazy; halfhearted; languid |
| casualty | serious or fatal accident; person killed or wounded in an accident or battle |
| bulk | size or volume (esp. when very large); main part; Ex. The bulk of the work has already been done; ADJ. bulky: having great size |
| rectitude | moral correctness; moral uprightness; moral virtue; correctness of judgment |
| vainglorious | boastful; excessively conceited; N. vainglory: great vanity |
| filing | particle removed by a file |
| inveigh | denounce; utter censure or invective; Ex. inveigh against the evils of drink |
| pathetic | causing sadness, compassion, pity; touching |
| agnostic | one who is skeptical of the existence or knowability of a god or any ultimate reality |
| supererogatory | superfluous; more than needed or demanded |
| engross | occupy fully; absorb |
| orgy | wild drunken revelry; unrestrained indulgence in an activity; Ex. orgy of shopping |
| feral | (of an animal) not domestic; wild |
| hilarity | boisterous mirth(merriment; laughter); ADJ. hilarious: full of laughter |
| incandescent | strikingly bright; shining with intense heat; emitting visible light when heated; Ex. incandescent light bulb; CF. candle |
| forebears(forbears) | ancestors |
| disenfranchise | disfranchise; deprive of a civil right; OP. enfranchise |
| slink | move furtively; ADJ. slinky: stealthy; furtive; sneaky (as in ambush) |
| besmirch | soil; defile; make dirty |
| brood | sit on in order to hatch; think deeply or worry anxiously; N: the young of certain animals; group of young birds hatched at one time |
| beholden | obligated; indebted; owing thanks; obliged or indebted from gratitude |
| flay | strip off skin; plunder; remove the skin from; criticize harshly |
| sophomoric | immature; half-baked; like a sophomore |
| exculpate | clear from blame or guilt |
| perturb | disturb greatly |
| variegated | (esp. of a flower or leaf) many-colored |
| excerpt | selected passage (written or musical) taken from a longer work; V. |
| insolvent | bankrupt; lacking money to pay; N. insolvency |
| parley | conference (between opponents); CF. speak |
| compendium | brief, comprehensive summary; ADJ. compendious |
| gusty | windy |
| benison | blessing |
| don | put on; OP. doff |
| chaffing | bantering; joking |
| hive | box for bees; V: cause to go in a hive |
| catapult | slingshot; hurling machine; V: fire from catapult |
| aspirant | seeker after position or status |
| magistrate | official with power to administer the law |
| finite | limited |
| supplicant | one who supplicates; ADJ. |
| scrappy | quarrelsome |
| intelligentsia | intellectuals; members of the educated elite (often used derogatorily) |
| crochet | make (a piece of needlework) by looping thread with a hooked needle; N. CF. crotchet |
| epitome | perfect example or embodiment; brief summary; Ex. epitome of good manners; V. epitomize: make an epitome of; be an epitome of; embody |
| vagrant | wandering from place to place; roving; stray; moving in a random fashion; Ex. vagrant thoughts; N. vagrancy |
| falter | hesitate; weaken in purpose or action; walk or move unsteadily through weakness; N. |
| florid | ruddy; (of a complexion) reddish; flowery; very ornate; CF. rose |
| philatelist | stamp-collector; N. philately: stamp collecting |
| grotesque | fantastic; comically hideous; strange and unnatural (causing fear or amusement) |
| avalanche | great mass of falling snow and ice |
| accessible | easy to approach; obtainable |
| inane | silly; senseless; Ex. inane remarks; N. inanity |
| orientation | act of finding oneself in society; orienting |
| acidulous | slightly sour (in taste or manner); sharp; caustic |
| crabbed | sour; bad-tempered; peevish; difficult to read as handwriting |
| lagoon | shallow body of water or lake near a sea; lake separated from a sea by sandbars or coral reefs |
| unprepossessing | unattractive |
| airy | of air; high in the air; lofty; immaterial; unreal |
| acuity | sharpness (of mind or senses of sight or hearing) |
| integrate | make whole; combine; make into one unit |
| dispatch | speediness; prompt execution; message sent with all due speed; V: send to a specified destination; finish promptly; kill |
| knead | mix; work dough; mix and work into a uniform mass (with the hands); Ex. knead dough |
| spry | (esp. of older people) vigorously active; nimble |
| addiction | compulsive habitual need |
| bizarre | fantastic; violently contrasting; noticeably odd; strikingly unconventional |
| humane | marked by kindness or consideration; kind and compassionate; humanitarian |
| sycophant | servile flatterer; bootlicker; yes man; ADJ. sycophantic |
| swear-word | word considered offensive; Ex. ``bloody'' |
| sedate | composed (with no excitement); grave; V: administer a sedative to; CF. sedative |
| abet | assist usually in doing something wrong; encourage |
| monograph | scholarly article |
| preternatural | beyond what is normal in nature; supernatural; Ex. preternatural strength/forces |
| jurisdiction | right and power to apply the law; authority |
| despoil | plunder; sack; Ex. despoil the village |
| voluminous | having great volume (as of a garment or container); bulky; large |
| dapper | neat and trim (in appearance); (of small men) neat in appearance and quick in movements; neat; spry |
| sleigh | large vehicle drawn by a horse over snow or ice |
| sullen | silently showing ill humor or resentment; dark; gloomy |
| anathema | solemn curse; someone or something regarded as a curse; V. anathematize |
| destitute | extremely poor; lacking means of subsistence; utterly lacking; devoid; Ex. destitute of any experience |
| dismantle | take apart; disassemble |
| imperative | absolutely necessary; that must be done; critically important; expressing command; Ex. It is imperative that; N: something that must be done |
| disclaim | disown; renounce claim to; deny; CF. disclaimer |
| indoctrinate | cause to accept a doctrine without questioning it; Ex. indoctrinated with mindless anti-communism |
| indigence | poverty |
| interstice | narrow space between things |
| abode | dwelling place; home |
| avuncular | of or like an uncle |
| matin\'ee(matinee) | dramatic or musical performance given in the afternoon |
| welt | raised mark from a beating or whipping |
| strangle | kill by choking or suffocating; suppress |
| flotsam | drifting wreckage |
| eclipse | darken; extinguish; outshine; surpass; cause an eclipse |
| putative | supposed; reputed; generally regarded as such; Ex. putative father of the child |
| gerrymander | change voting district lines in order to favor a political party; N. CF. Elbridge Gerry + (sala)mander |
| implicate | incriminate; involve incriminatingly; show to be involved (in a crime); Ex. implicate someone in the crime |
| h 8 | ... |
| oblivion | obscurity; condition of being completely forgotten; forgetfulness |
| incompatible | inharmonious; N. incompatibility |
| assent | agree; accept; N. assessment |
| momentous | very important; N. moment; CF. momentary |
| seminal | related to seed or semen; germinal; creative; providing a basis for further development; influencing future developments; Ex. seminal research in a new field |
| histrionic | theatrical; excessively dramatic or emotional; affected; of actors or acting; N. histrionics: histrionic behavior |
| stockade | wooden enclosure or pen; fixed line of posts used as defensive barrier |
| stem | stop or check (the flow of); Ex. stem the bleeding from the slashed artery; N: main axis of a plant; stalk |
| vagary | capricious happening; caprice; whim; CF. wander |
| inculcate | teach (ideas or principles); instill |
| countermand | cancel; revoke (an order) |
| insularity | narrow-mindedness; isolation; ADJ. insular: of an island; isolated; narrow-minded; CF. peninsula |
| discriminating | able to see differences; discerning; prejudiced; N. discrimination |
| vouchsafe | grant condescendingly; guarantee; Ex. vouchsafe your fair return on your investment |
| rubble | fragments (esp. from a destroyed building) |
| abeyance | suspended action |
| sate | satisfy to the full; satisfy to excess; cloy |
| asymmetric | not identical on both sides of a dividing central line |
| rote | repetition; memorization through repetition without understanding; Ex. learn poetry by rote |
| immolate | offer or kill as a sacrifice (by fire) |
| malignant | tending to cause death; highly injurious; aggressively malevolent; Ex. malignant tumor |
| dysentery | inflammatory disorder of the lower intestinal tract |
| fray | brawl; fight; V: wear away or unravel by rubbing; have loose threads developing; cause to become worn out (a person's temper or nerves); CF. rub |
| agglomeration | collection; heap; V. agglomerate: gather into a rounded mass; N. aggolmeate: jumbled mass; heap |
| phylum | major classification, second to kingdom, of plants and animals; category ranking below a kingdom and above a class; division |
| hiatus | gap; pause; gap or interruption in space or time; break |
| irrevocable | unalterable; irreversible; impossible to revoke |
| contrivance | something contrived; machine or apparatus; clever deceitful plan; scheme |
| apostate | one who abandons his religious faith or political beliefs; N. apostasy |
| ratify | approve formally; confirm; verify |
| loft | room or space under the roof; attic |
| defray | provide for the payment of; undertake the payment of; pay |
| discerning | mentally quick and observant; having insight; perceptive; able to make good judgments; V. discern: perceive |
| chagrin | annoyance and disappointment; vexation (caused by humiliation or injured pride) |
| magisterial | authoritative; imperious; commanding; of a magistrate; Ex. magisterial study of Roman law; Ex. magisterial manner |
| warp | twist out of shape; N. |
| phenomena | observable facts; subjects of scientific investigation; SG. phenomenon: observable fact; very unusual person, thing, or event; marvel; wonder; CF. phenomenons; ADJ. phenomenal: very unusual; extraordinary; of a phenomenon; Ex. phenomenal strength |
| plaudit | praise; enthusiastic approval; round(succession or series) of applause; ADJ. plauditory; CF. applaud |
| litter | waste material thrown away (as bits of paper scattered untidily); V: cover untidily with scattered litter |
| advent | arrival |
| tenacious | holding fast (as to a belief); persistent |
| touchstone | stone used to test the fineness of gold alloys; criterion; standard |
| resound | (of a place) be filled with sound; (of a sound) sound loudly; sound back; echo; Ex. hall resounded with laughter |
| aperture | opening; hole; adjustable opening in a camera that limits the amount of light |
| coalition | partnership; league; union of separate political parties |
| defame | harm someone's reputation; malign; speak evil of; slander; N. defamation; ADJ. defamatory |
| nutrition | process of nourishing or being nourished; CF. malnutrition |
| sustenance | sustaining; means of livelihood, support, food, nourishment; something that maintains life; food |
| waive | give up temporarily; yield; N. waiver: waiving a right or claim; document that waives a right or claim |
| facilitate | help bring about; make less difficult |
| glean | gather leavings; gather grain left behind by reapers; gather bit by bit (facts or information) often with difficulty |
| novelty | something new; newness; ADJ. novel: new; original |
| avenge | take vengence for something or on behalf of someone; Ex. They avenged his death by burning the village; Ex. He swore to avenge his brother; Ex. They avenged themselves on their enemy. |
| emanate | issue forth; come out |
| shrivel | make or become shrunken and wrinkled (often by drying) |
| swell | long wave of water that moves continuously without breaking; V. |
| misconduct | immoral behavior; bad management; V. |
| fell | cruel; (of a disease) deadly |
| swear | vow; promise; use profane oaths; use offensive words |
| immune | resistant to; free or exempt from; N. immunity |
| decry | express strong disapproval of; condemn openly (something dangerous to the public); disparage; Ex. decry the violence of modern films |
| nomenclature | terminology(system of specialized words); system of names or naming things |
| bait | harass; tease; torment; Ex. badger baiting; N: food or other lure used to catch fish or trap animals |
| exposure | risk, particularly of being exposed to disease or to the elements; unmasking; act of laying something open; Ex. exposure of governmental corruption |
| ruminant | animal that ruminates; ADJ. |
| scorch | sear; N. |
| stock | standard; kept regularly in stock or supply; typical; routine; common; Ex. stock sizes of paper; Ex. stock excuse/character; N: goods for sale in a shop; OP. unique |
| imperceptible | unnoticeable; impossible to perceive; undetectable |
| collusion | conspiring in a fraudulent scheme to cheat or deceive others; V. collude |
| depravity | extreme corruption; wickedness; V. deprave |
| quorum | minimal number of members necessary to conduct a meeting |
| allude | refer indirectly; N. allusion: indirect reference |
| pendulous | hanging; suspended |
| pith | core or marrow; spongelike substance in the center of stems; essence; substance |
| psychosomatic | of the influence of the mind on the body (esp. with respect to disease) |
| nominal | in name only; of a name; trifling; (of a sum of money) very small; CF. nominate: propose as a candidate; appoint |
| soar | rise or fly high in the air; Ex. The rocket soared into the sky. |
| marred | damaged; disfigured; V. mar: spoil; disfigure |
| etymology | study of word parts; study of the origins of words |
| reprise | musical repetition; repeating of a piece of music; repeat performance; recurrent action; Ex. reprise in the finale; Ex. constant reprises |
| mammal | vertebrate animal whose female suckles its young |
| allure | entice; attract; tempt |
| fracas | brawl(noisy quarrel or fight) in which a number of people take part; melee |
| embitter | make bitter; fill with painful or bitter feelings; make sad and angry; Ex. He was embittered by many disappointments. |
| saunter | stroll(go for a leisurely walk) slowly; N. |
| determinate | having a fixed order of procedure; precisely defined; invariable; fixed; conclusive; final |
| alimentary | supplying nourishment |
| adore | love deeply and respect highly |
| condiments | seasonings; spices |
| forlorn | sad and lonely; wretched; desolate |
| certitude | certainty |
| outcast | one that has been excluded from a society; ADJ. |
| nether | lower; Ex. nether garments/regions |
| comity | courtesy; civility; Ex. comity of nations |
| bout | match; short period of great activity; Ex. wrestling bout; bout of drinking/flu |
| fell | cut or knock down (a tree or a person); bring down (with a missile) |
| barefaced | shameless and noticeable; blatant; bold; unconcealed; having no covering on the face; Ex. barefaced lie |
| h 9 | ... |
| demented | insane |
| subsume | include (as a member of a group); encompass |
| shun | keep away from; avoid deliberately; Ex. She has been shunned by her neighbors. |
| unimpeachable | that cannot be impeached; beyond doubt or question; blameless and exemplary |
| retard | delay (in development); ADJ. retarded: (as of a child) slower in development |
| toga | Roman outer robe |
| decree | authoritative order; edict; judgment of a court of law; V: order or judge by decree |
| conversant | familiar with; having knowledge of |
| douse | plunge into water or liquid; dip; immerse; drench; wet throughly; extinguish; throw water over; dowse |
| brooch | ornamental clasp; pin |
| indict | charge; N. indictment |
| gossamer | sheer; very light; like cobwebs; N: soft and sheer fabric; cobweb |
| pyromaniac | person with an insane desire to set things on fire |
| husband | use sparingly; conserve; save; Ex. husband one's energy; CF. house holder |
| ovoid | egg-shaped; CF. ovum; CF. ovulate |
| desecrate | profane; violate the sanctity of |
| relinquish | give up something (with reluctance); yield; release; Ex. relinquish power/the claim to the land/his hold on my arm |
| pervasive | spread throughout; V. pervade: (of smells, ideas, feelings) spread throughout; charge; permeate |
| ineffable | unutterable; not to be uttered; taboo; that cannot be expressed in speech; indescribable; unspeakable; inexpressible; Ex. ineffable name/joy |
| abstract | theoretical; not concrete; nonrepresentational |
| disproportion | lack of proportion (between the parts); ADJ. disproportionate |
| crevice | crack; fissure |
| extenuate | weaken; mitigate; lessen the seriousness of (bad behavior) |
| apathy | lack of caring; indifference; lack of concern or interest in important matters; Ex. He was sunk in apathy after his failure; ADJ. apathetic |
| secrete | conceal; hide away or cache; produce and release a substance into an organism; CF. secretive |
| meteoric | like a meteor; swift; momentarily brilliant; Ex. meteoric rise to fame; N. meteor |
| vertex | summit; highest point; PL. vertices |
| raspy | making a harsh noise; grating; harsh |
| authoritative | having the weight of authority; regarded as providing knowledge that can be trusted; reliable; peremptory and dictatorial; Ex. authoritative dictionary/manner; CF. definitive |
| tatter | torn piece of cloth; ADJ. tattered: (of clothes) old and torn; (of a person) dressed in old torn clothes |
| discordant | not harmonious; conflicting |
| recidivism | habitual return to crime (even after being punished); N. recidivist |
| commonplace | ordinary; N: something ordinary or common; trite remark |
| pandemic | widespread; affecting the majority of people; N: pandemic disease; CF. all people |
| prodigious | enormous; marvelous; extraordinary; Ex. prodigious amount/memory |
| glib | fluent (with insincerity or superficiality); facile; slick |
| effusion | pouring forth; unrestrained outpouring of feeling; V. effuse: pour out; ADJ. effusive: pouring forth; gushing |
| imprecation | curse; swearword |
| replicate | reproduce; duplicate |
| hibernal | wintry; wintery; of or like winter |
| unsullied | untarnished; CF. sully |
| figure | written symbols; number; amount represented in numbers; outline or silhouette of a thing or human body; person (well-known); impression; diagram; pattern; group in a dance; Ex. figure of speech; V. calculate with numbers; adorn with figures; appear; consider; Ex. My name did not figure in the list. |
| goad | urge on; drive with a goad; cause (someone) to do something by continued annoyance; Ex. They goaded him into doing it by saying he was a coward; N: sharp-pointed stick for driving cattle; stimulus; CF. annoy continually |
| sow | plant or scatter seed |
| requite | make return for; repay; reciprocate; revenge; N. requittal |
| flicker | burn unsteadily or fitfully; move waveringly; N: flickering movement or light; brief sensation; Ex. flicker of excitement |
| reciprocal | mutual; given and received in return; exchangeable; interacting; Ex. reciprocal trade agreement |
| laud | praise; N. ADJ. laudable: praiseworthy; ADJ. laudatory: expressing praise |
| expunge | cancel; remove a word or name (from a book or list); erase |
| notch | V-shaped cut in a surface; V. |
| translucent | partly transparent |
| repellent | driving away; disgusting; offensive; repulsive; unattractive; N. |
| institution | instituting; (building for the) organization; established custom, practice, or relationship in a society; mental hospital; Ex. institution of marriage |
| obstinate | stubborn; hard to control or treat; Ex. obstinate cough; N. obstinacy |
| riveting | holding one's attention; absorbing; engrossing |
| formality | ceremonious quality; ceremonious adherence to rules; something done just for form's sake; Ex. mere formality |
| hinterlands | back country; inner part of a country; OP. foreland |
| satyr | half-human, half-bestial being in the court of Dionysus (resembling a goat), portrayed as wanton(unrestrained) and cunning; lecher; CF. faun; CF. goat: lecherous man |
| throttle | strangle; regulate the speed of with a throttle; N: valve that regulates the flow; CF. throat ? |
| faction | party; clique (within a large group); dissension |
| pinion | restrain or immobilize by binding the wings or legs; N: bird's wing |
| filch | steal (things of small value) |
| sportive | playful; frolicsome; merry; CF. sport: play or frolic; CF. sportsmanlike |
| spontaneity | lack of premeditation; naturalness; freedom from constraint; ADJ. spontaneous: self-generated; unpremeditated; happening without being planned |
| concede | admit; acknowledge as being true (often reluctantly); yield; grant; Ex. concede a goal |
| galleon | large three-masted sailing ship |
| dissemble | disguise; hide the real nature of; pretend |
| missive | letter; written statement; CF. sent |
| temporize | gain time as by postponing an action; avoid committing oneself |
| veracity | truthfulness; adherence to the truth |
| valedictory | pertaining to farewell; N: farewell address (esp. at graduation exercises) |
| tithe | tax of one-tenth (contributed to a church); V: pay a tithe |
| lexicographer | compiler of a dictionary; CF. lexicography: work of compiling a dictionary |
| plumage | feathers of a bird; |
| molecule | the smallest particle (one or more atoms) of a substance that has all the properties of that substance |
| turmoil | extreme confusion; great commotion and confusion; Ex. throw the country into turmoil |
| endue | provide with some quality; endow |
| parsimony | stinginess; excessive frugality; ADJ. parsimonious |
| gouge | tear out; cut out (as if with a gouge); Ex. gouge his eyes out; N: chisel for cutting out hollow areas in wood |
| homely | not good-looking; unattractive |
| trajectory | path taken by a projectile; Ex. trajectory of a bullet |
| gallows | framework from which a noose is suspended (used for execution by hanging) |
| censorious | severely critical |
| aggregate | sum; total; ADJ. V: gather into a mass or whole; accumulate; add up to; Ex. aggregate 100 dollars |
| gnarled | twisted |
| beeline | direct quick route |
| baroque | highly ornate |
| anecdote | short story of an amusing or interesting event |
| serendipity | gift for finding valuable things by accident; accidental good fortune or luck; CF. The Three Princes of Serendip |
| lackluster | lacking luster(shine; gloss); dull |
| flag | droop; grow feeble; decline in vigor or strength; ADJ. flagging; CF. unflagging |
| egoism | excessive interest in one's self; belief that one should be interested in one's self rather than in others; selfishness; ADJ. egoistic, egoistical |
| gazette | official periodical publication; newspaper |
| scurvy | contemptible; despicable; N: disease caused by deficiency of Vitamin C |
| stringent | (of rules) binding; rigid; marked by scarcity of money; Ex. stringent economic conditions |
| unwitting | not knowing; unaware; unintentional; Ex. She was their unwitting accomplice; Ex. unwitting insult; CF. wit: know |
| patois | local or provincial dialect |
| h 10 | ... |
| exact | demand and obtain by force; Ex. exact a promise from him; N. exaction |
| emaciated | thin and wasted (from hunger or illness) |
| guileless | without deceit |
| centaur | mythical figure, half man and half horse |
| droop | bend or hang downward; become weakened; Ex. His shoulders drooped with tiredness; N. |
| finished | properly made and complete; Ex. finished product/performance |
| imbibe | drink in |
| dissertation | formal essay; treatise |
| discursive | (of a person or writing) digressing; rambling (without any clear plan) |
| dappled | spotted |
| servitude | slavery; compulsory labor imposed as a punishment |
| humor | indulge; comply with the wishes of; N. quality that makes something amusing; state of mind; mood; Ex. in a bad humor; Ex. out of humor |
| drudgery | hard unpleasant work; menial work |
| apex | tip; summit; climax; highest point |
| lancet | small surgical tool for making incisions |
| smart | intelligent; quick and energetic; fashionable; Ex. smart pace/restaurant; V: cause or feel a sharp pain; N: smarting pain |
| foul | very bad or disagreeable; very dirty; Ex. foul smell/flavor/temper/language/air/deed/weather/means; N. act against the rules; V. make or become foul; commit a foul |
| negate | cancel out; nullify; cause to have no effect; deny; N. negation |
| comestible | something fit to be eaten |
| plump | pleasantly fat; nicely rounded |
| interdict | prohibit; forbid; N. |
| urgent | compelling immediate action; pressing; persistent; importunate; Ex. urgent in his demands |
| isotope | varying from of an element |
| gusto | eager enjoyment; zest; enthusiasm |
| nihilist | one who considers traditional beliefs to be groundless and existence meaningless; absolute skeptic; revolutionary terrorist; CF. nihilism: belief that nothing has meaning or value; belief that destruction of existing political or social institutions is necessary for future improvement |
| obliterate | destroy completely; wipe out; Ex. obliterate the village |
| sleek | smooth and shining (as from good health); V. |
| relapse | return to a former state (esp. after improvement); N. |
| acetic | vinegary |
| frivolous | lacking in seriousness; flippant; self-indulgently carefree; unworthy of serious attention; relatively unimportant; trivial |
| anomaly | irregularity |
| insouciant | without concern or care; unconcerned; indifferent |
| commodious | spacious and comfortable |
| prize | pry; move with a lever; value highly; esteem; Ex. his most prized possession; N: something captured during war-time (esp. an enemy ship) |
| rapture | great joy and delight; ecstasy; ADJ. rapturous |
| grotto | small cavern |
| macerate | soften by soaking in liquid; waste away; Ex. macerate powdered wood to make paper |
| incite | arouse to action; goad; motivate; induce to exist; Ex. incite a riot/the crowd to rebellion |
| crass | very unrefined; grossly insensible; crude and undiscriminating; Ex. crass behavior |
| yore | time long past; Ex. in the days of yore |
| calorific | heat-producing; N. calorie |
| rake | immoral or dissolute person |
| invective | abuse |
| judicious | sound on judgment; wise |
| categorical | without exceptions; made without any doubt in mind; unqualified; absolute |
| chafe | warm by rubbing; make sore by rubbing; N. |
| captious | faultfinding; too critical |
| expropriate | take possession of (often for public use and without payment) |
| palm | conceal in the palm of the hand; palm off: pass off; Ex. palm off some bad oranges onto the lady/the painting as a real Renoir |
| intermediary | intermediate; acting as a mediator; N: mediator; go-between |
| implode | burst inward; CF. vaccum tube |
| credo | creed |
| malapropism | comic misuse of a word; CF. Mrs. Malaprop |
| pretension | pretentiousness; claim (without foundation); Ex. I make no pretensions to skill as an artist. |
| stint | set limits in amount or number; be thrifty; ADJ. stinting, unstinting; CF. stint:savings |
| lubricate | apply a lubricant to; N. lubricant: substance that reduces friction |
| advert | refer |
| comely | attractive; agreeable; having a pleasing appearance |
| ambivalence | the state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes or opinions |
| bereaved | deprived of (someone beloved through death) |
| glutton | someone who eats too much; ADJ. gluttonous: given to gluttony; greedy; CF. gluttony: habit of eating too much |
| lurk | stealthily lie in waiting; slink; exist unperceived |
| profound | deep; not superficial; complete; Ex. profound thinker/remark/silence/deafness; N. profundity |
| stipend | pay for services |
| mountebank | charlatan; boastful pretender |
| parchment | writing material made from the skin of a sheep or goat |
| cursory | casual; hastily done with little attention to detail |
| vilify | slander; speak evil of; N. vilification |
| doom | condemnation to a severe penalty; ruin; fate (esp. a tragic or ruinous one); V. |
| apposite | appropriate; fitting |
| hem | surround tightly so that movement is impossible; Ex. hem in; N. |
| venom | poison (of an animal); hatred; Ex. remarks full of venom; ADJ. venomous |
| retort | quick sharp reply; V. |
| saline | salty |
| plausible | conceivably true; having a show of truth but open to doubt; specious |
| gall | annoy; exasperate; chafe; N: skin sore caused by rubbing (as on the skin of a horse); exasperation |
| foster | rear; bring up (for a certain period only); encourage; promote the development of (feelings or ideas); Ex. help foster friendly relations; ADJ: giving parental care although not related by blood; Ex. foster parents |
| mortician | undertaker; CF. death |
| legerdemain | sleight(dexterity) of hand; CF. light of hand |
| obsessive | related to thinking about something constantly; of an obsession; preoccupying; N. obsession: compulsive preoccupation with a fixed idea; compulsive idea; V. obsess: preoccupy the mind of excessively |
| respiration | breathing; exhalation; ADJ. respiratory |
| charisma | divine gift; great popular charm or appeal; magnetism |
| empirical | based on experience |
| causal | implying a cause-and-effect relationship; N. causality |
| barterer | trader; V. barter: trade; exchange good for other goods rather than money |
| fundamental | basic; primary; essential |
| hostility | unfriendliness; hatred; enmity; ADJ. hostile |
| breed | produce young; rear; bring up; produce (an undesirable condition); N: kind or sort of animal or plant |
| gravity | seriousness; ADJ. grave |
| enact | make (a bill) into law |
| demur | object (because of doubts, scruples); raise an objection (showing qualms); hesitate; Ex. demur at the idea of working on Sunday |
| manumit | emancipate; free from slavery or bondage |
| omnipresent | universally present; ubiquitous |
| condole | express condolences; N. condolence: sympathy for someone who has experienced great sorrow |
| sour | having a sharp or acid taste; acid; tart; bad-tempered; V. |
| relic | surviving remnant (from an extinct culture); memento; keepsake; relics: corpse; Ex. ancient relics; Ex. relics of his travel; Ex. His relics are buried at X. |
| reckon | count; calculate; regard as; think; suppose |
| h 11 | ... |
| hoax | trick which makes someone take action; practical joke; Ex. hoax mail; V. |
| disparage | belittle |
| sphinx-like | enigmatic; mysterious |
| base | contemptible; morally bad; inferior in value or quality; Ex. base motives/conduct; Ex. base metal such as iron |
| extant | (of something written or painted) still in existence |
| puny | tiny; weak; insignificant |
| epistemologist | philosopher who studies the nature of knowledge; N. epistemology |
| sprightly | lively |
| procurement | obtaining; V. procure: obtain by effort; obtain (a prostitute) for another |
| eugenic | pertaining to the improvement of race; N. eugenics: study of hereditary improvement of the human race |
| pedant | scholar who overemphasizes book learning, trivial details of learning, or technicalities |
| hamper | obstruct; prevent the free movement of; N: ½Ä·áÇ°À̳ª ÀǺ¹ µîÀ» ´ã´Â ¹Ù±¸´Ï |
| champion | support militantly; fight for; N: person who fights for or supports strongly (a principle, movement, person, etc.) |
| jargon | language used by special group; technical terminology; gibberish; nonsensical or incoherent talk |
| intuition | immediate insight; power of knowing without reasoning; ADJ. intuitive; V. intuit: know by intuition |
| orthography | correct spelling; CF. ortho-: straight; correct; Ex. orthodontics |
| rustic | pertaining to country people; unsophisticated; simple; crude; uncouth; (of furniture) rough with the bark left on; N. rural person; rustic person |
| diffuse | wordy; verbose; rambling; spread out (like a gas); V: spread out in all directions; disperse; N. diffusion; CF. suffuse |
| taper | very thin candle; gradual decrease in the width of a long object; V. make or become gradually narrower toward one end |
| bearing | deportment; connection |
| ideology | system of ideas characteristic of a group or culture |
| sadistic | inclined to cruelty; N. sadism: delight in cruelty |
| malady | illness |
| lance | pierce with a lance; cut into; N: spearlike weapon |
| advocacy | support; active pleading on behalf of someone or something |
| trek | travel; journey; V: make a long difficult journey |
| wage | begin and continue (a war) |
| primogeniture | seniority by birth; state of being the first-born child; right of the eldest child (to inherit the entire property of one or both parents) |
| execrable | very bad; detestable |
| catharsis | purging or cleansing of any passage of the body; purging and weakening of strong emotions as a result of experiencing a dramatic work of art |
| malign | speak evil of; bad-mouth(criticize spitefully); defame; ADJ: harmful; Ex. malign influence |
| resumption | taking up again; recommencement; V. resume: begin or take up again; take or occupy again; Ex. Kindly resume your seats. |
| denounce | condemn; criticize; N. denunciation |
| carat(karat) | unit of weight for precious stones; measure of the purity of gold |
| enmity | ill will; hatred; hostility |
| demagogue | person who appeals to people's prejudice; false leader of people; CF. demagoguery |
| misogynist | hater of woman; CF. misogyny |
| lottery | contest in which winners are selected in a drawing of lots |
| buffoon | stupid person; clown |
| horticultural | pertaining to cultivation of gardens; N. horticulture: science or art of cultivating fruits, vegetables, or ornamental plants; CF. agriculture: science or art of farming or growing crops |
| depredation | plundering; destruction |
| headstrong | willful; stubborn; unyielding; determined to have one's own way; CF. no 'excessive' |
| pellucid | transparent; limpid(crystal clear); clear in meaning; easy to understand |
| cathartic | purgative; medicine that causes the bowels to empty; ADJ. |
| knell | tolling of a bell especially to indicate a funeral, disaster, etc.; sound of the funeral bell; V. |
| welter | confusion; turmoil; confused mass; bewildering jumble; Ex. welter of data |
| jaundice | medical condition in which the skin, the white part of the eyes, etc. turn yellow; V: affect with jaundice; affect with prejudice, envy, or hostility; bias |
| deleterious | harmful |
| insuperable | insurmountable; unbeatable; Ex. insuperable difficulties |
| irksome | annoying; tedious; V. irk: annoy |
| component | element; ingredient |
| scintillate | sparkle; flash; be animated; be full of life; Ex. scintillating conversation |
| corpus | collection (of writings or information); Ex. the corpus of Shakespear's works; Cf. corpse |
| weird | eerie; strange; unnatural |
| dawdle | loiter; hang around; waste time doing nothing |
| nascent | incipient; coming into being or existence; Ex. nascent ability in music |
| valid | logically convincing; sound; legally acceptable; effective; Ex. valid reasoning/passport |
| shambles | (place or scene of) complete disorder or ruin; wreck; mess; Ex. After the hurricane, the coast was a shambles. |
| gloss | brief explanation note or translation of a difficult expression; V. |
| commandeer | take (private property) for military use without needing permission or giving payment; draft for military purposes |
| rig | arrangement of masts and sails; V: equip (a ship) with rigging; ADJ. rigging: ropes that hold up a ship's sails |
| disbar | make (a lawyer) leave the bar or the legal profession |
| fitful | spasmodic; intermittent; irregular |
| altercation | noisy quarrel |
| apropos | with reference to; regarding; Ex. remarks apropos (of) the present situation; ADJ. ADV. |
| checkered(chequered) | marked by great changes in fortune; with many changes of fortuene; CF. checked: having a pattern of squares |
| insinuate | hint; imply; suggest indirectly; creep in; introduce or insert (oneself) by artful means; Ex. insinuate himself into the boss's favor; CF. ingratiate |
| muted | silent; muffled; toned down; Ex. muted traffic noise |
| dys- | abnormal; impaired |
| cornice | projecting molding on building (usually above columns or pillars); ó¸¶ Àå½Ä |
| alchemy | medieval chemistry |
| temper | moderate; make less severe; tone down or restrain; toughen (steel) as by alternate heating and cooling |
| nefarious | very wicked |
| mutilate | maim; injure lastingly; deprive of a limb or an essential part |
| infernal | pertaining to hell; devilish; N. inferno: place of fiery heat or destruction |
| inflated | exaggerated; pompous; enlarged (with air or gas) |
| polyglot | speaking several languages; multilingual; Ex. polyglot person/society; N. |
| hail | frozen rain drop; V: salute or greet; precipitate hail |
| bent | determined; Ex. bent on advancing in the business; N: natural talent or inclination |
| vindictive | disposed to revenge; vengeful; out for revenge; spiteful; intended to cause harm; malicious; Ex. vindictive streak |
| perfunctory | done routinely and with little care; superficial; not thorough; lacking interest, care, or enthusiasm; Ex. perfunctory kiss |
| facade(fa\c{c}ade) | front or face (of building); superficial or false appearance |
| bawdy | indecent; obscene; about sex in a rude funny way; CF. bawd |
| palliate | ease pain (without curing); make less severe or offensive (a crime or illness) |
| equitable | fair; impartial; OP. inequitable |
| prophetic | of a prophet or prophecy; having to do with predicting the future; N. prophecy; V. prophesy; N. prophet |
| impassive | without feeling; expressionless; imperturbable; stoical; Ex. impassive face |
| erode | eat away; wear away gradually by abrasion; Ex. The sea erodes the rocks. |
| provincial | pertaining to a province; limited in outlook; narrow; unsophisticated |
| trickle | flow in drops or in a thin stream; N. |
| frisk | move about playfully; froric; ADJ. frisky: playful |
| explicit | totally clear; definite; outspoken |
| purse | pucker; contract (lips) into wrinkles; N: wallet |
| engender | cause; produce; give rise to |
| queasy | experiencing nausea; nauseated; easily nauseated; squeamish; Ex. feel a little queasy |
| bestial | beastlike; brutal; inhuman; very cruel |
| din | continued loud noise; V: make a din; instill by wearying repetition |
| h 12 | ... |
| belie | contradict; give a false impression; disguise; Ex. The poor sales belied our high hopes; Ex. Her smile belies her true feeling of displeasure. |
| rehabilitate | restore to proper condition (health or useful life); restore the former rank of |
| bland | soothing or mild (food); agreeable; causing no trouble or offence |
| compulsion | compelling; strong desire that is difficult to control; irresistible impulse |
| venison | meat of a deer; CF. cow: beef; CF. pig: pork, ham, bacon; CF. calf: veal; CF. sheep: mutton; CF. lamb: lamb |
| euphoria | feeling of exaggerated or unfounded(ungrounded; baseless) well-being; feeling of great happiness or well-being (when unreasonable); ADJ. euphoriaric |
| tumid | (of a part of the body) swollen; distended; bombastic; pompous |
| tempo | speed of music |
| scapegoat | someone who bears the blame for others; whipping boy; CF. escape+goat |
| shove | push forward; push roughly; Ex. pushing and shoving to get on the bus; N. |
| tensile | capable of being stretched; of tension; Ex. tensile rubber |
| bound | leap or spring; limit or confine; constitute the limit of; Ex. bounded by Canada; N: leap or jumping; boundary; ADJ: certain; having a duty to do something (legally or morally); confined by bonds; Ex. We are bound to be late; Ex. I am bound to say my opinion; CF. bounce, rebound |
| tutelary | protective; pertaining to a guardianship; Ex. tutelary deities |
| odyssey | long, eventful, adventurous journey |
| abstemious | sparing in eating and drinking; temperate |
| gale | windstorm; gust of wind; emotional outburst (laughters, tears); Ex. gale of laughter |
| sentimental | swayed by sentiment; appealing to the sentiments |
| barb | sharp projection from fishhook, arrow, or other object; openly cutting remark |
| beneficial | helpful; useful; advantageous |
| billow | large wave of water; a great swell or surge (of smoke); V: surge, swell, roll in billows |
| verisimilar | having the appearance of truth or reality; probable or likely to be true; plausible |
| ravage | devastate; plunder; despoil; Ex. crops ravaged by storms |
| disconsolate | hopelessly sad (at the loss of something) |
| outmoded | no longer in fashion or use; no longer stylish; old-fashioned |
| ruminate | chew over and over (mentally or, like cows, physically); mull over(ponder) |
| epigram | witty thought or saying, usually short |
| mealymouthed | indirect in speech (when something unpleasant must be said); hypocritical; evasive |
| unerringly | infallibly; ADJ. unerring: making no mistakes |
| arcane | esoteric; secret; mysterious; known only to the initiated; Ex. arcane ritual; Ex. arcane process closed to the uninitiated listener |
| founder | person who establishes (an organization or business) |
| disgruntle | make discontented |
| monastic | related to monks or monasteries; removed from worldly concerns |
| unfaltering | steadfast; firm; not changing |
| porous | full of pores; like a sieve |
| snip | short quick cut with scissors; V: cut with scissors |
| canto | division of a long poem |
| elliptical | elliptic; oval; of an ellipse; containing an ellipsis; ambiguous either purposely or because key words have been left out |
| tractable | docile; easily managed; (of something) easily changed or molded; N. tractability |
| tantamount | equivalent in effect or value; Ex. This invasion is tantamount to a declaration of war; CF. amount |
| abbreviate | shorten |
| superfluous | excessive; overabundant; unnecessary; N. superfluity |
| unassuming | modest; Ex. the champion's unassuming manner |
| mannerism | distinctive behavioral trait; affected style in art (according to a set of styles) |
| inalienable | not to be taken away; nontransferable; Ex. inalienable rights |
| ephemeral | short-lived; fleeting |
| trough | long narrow container for feeding farm animals; lowest point (of a wave, business cycle, etc.); long narrow depression as between waves |
| morbid | given to unwholesome or unhealthy thought; moody; characteristic of disease; Ex. morbid curiosity; N. morbidity; CF. disease |
| grandiose | affectedly grand; pretentious; high-flown; ridiculously exaggerated; impressive; great in size or scope; grand; Ex. grandiose ideas |
| itinerant | wandering; traveling from place to place (to perform work); Ex. itinerant preacher |
| onslaught | vicious assault; fierce attack; Ex. unexpected onslaught of the enemy |
| executor | person designated to execute the terms of a will; ¿¹¼ú ÀÛÇ°ÀÇ Á¦ÀÛÀÚ |
| verbalize | put into words; ADJ. verbal: of words; spoken rather than written; oral; of a verb |
| exemplify | show by example; furnish an example; serve as an example of; Ex. His pictures exemplify that sort of painting. |
| expostulation | protest; remonstrance; reasoning with someone to correct or dissuade; V. expostulate |
| temerity | boldness; nerve; rashness; Ex. temerity to ask for a pay increase after only three day's work |
| misanthrope | one who hates mankind; misanthropist |
| manipulate | operate with one's hands; control or play upon (people, forces, etc.) artfully; maneuver; Ex. how to manipulate publicity and men; ADJ. manipulative |
| gall | bitterness of feeling; nerve; effrontery; ´ãÁó(bile); CF. gall bladder |
| obloquy | slander; disgrace; infamy |
| tint | slight degree of color; V: give a tint to |
| avarice | greediness for wealth |
| flutter | (of a bird with large wings) wave (the wings) lightly, rapidly, and irregularly; vibrate rapidly or erratically; fly by waving quickly; flitter; N. |
| transpire | (of a fact) become known; be revealed; happen; give off (watery waste matter) through pores |
| gracious | kind in a generous way (to someone less important) |
| console | lessen sadness or disappointment; give comfort; allay the sorrow of; N. consolation |
| bravado | swagger; assumed air of defiance; false show of bravery |
| unsavory | distasteful; disagreeable; morally offensive; Ex. unsavory activity/reputation |
| claustrophobia | fear of being locked in |
| dispirited | lacking in spirit |
| historical | connected with history; based on events in history (whether regarded as important or not) |
| circuit | closed circular line around an area; circumference; regularly repeated journey from place to place |
| elaborate | work out carefully; add more detail or information; ADJ. |
| censure | blame; criticize; express strong disapproval; N: severe criticism; strong disapproval |
| vampire | ghostly being that sucks the blood of the living |
| obnoxious | offensive; disagreeable; Ex. obnoxious smell |
| cubicle | small chamber used for sleeping or work |
| residual | remaining; left over; of a residue; N: residue |
| vogue | popular fashion; Ex. Jeans became the vogue. |
| cardiologist | doctor specializing in ailments of the heart |
| purveyor | furnisher of foodstuffs; caterer; V. purvey: supply (eg. food); furnish; CF. provide |
| spatial | relating to space |
| trance | hypnotic state; ecstatic state; detachment from one's physical surrounding (as in contemplation or daydreaming); CF. transition |
| frail | weak; N. frailty |
| incorporeal | without a material body; insubstantial |
| sear | burn the surface of; char or burn; brand; parch; cause (a plant) to wither |
| chimerical | fantastically improbable; highly unrealistic; N. chimera: unreal fancy; fire-breathing female creature |
| megalomania | mania for doing grandiose things; mental disorder characterized by delusions of wealth, power, or importance |
| caliber | ability; quality; diameter of the inside of a round cylinder; Ex. work of very high caliber |
| discord | conflict; lack of harmony; dissonance (when musical notes are played) |
| insubordination | disobedience; rebelliousness; ADJ. insubordinate |
| granary | storehouse for grain |
| moratorium | legal delay of payment or action; Ex. declare moratorium on the building of new houses |
| intolerant | not willing to accept ways of thinking different from one's own; CF. tolerant; CF. tolerate |
| contest | dispute; argue about the rightness of; compete for; try to win; Ex. contest the election results; Ex. contest a seat in Parliament; N. |
| natty | neatly or smartly dressed; dapper; smart; Ex. natty dresser |
| uxorious | excessively submissive or devoted to one's wife; CF. uxor: wife |
| reproach | blame (not angrily but sadly); express disapproval or disappointment; N. ADJ. reproachful |
| h 13 | ... |
| onus | burden; responsibility |
| rooster | cock; adult male chicken |
| beguile | deceive; mislead or delude; cheat; pass time pleasantly; charm or attract; Ex. beguiling smile |
| herbivorous | grain-eating; CF. herbivore |
| battalion | army unit made up of four or more companies |
| academic | related to a school; not practical or directly useful |
| ambience | environment; atmosphere; Ex. restraurant with a pleasant ambience; ADJ. ambient: completely surrounding; Ex. ambient temperature |
| perfidious | treacherous; disloyal; N. perfidy: treachery |
| wring | twist (to extract liquid); extract by twisting; wrench painfully (necks or hands) |
| dearth | scarcity |
| deport | send out of the country; behave; N. deportation, deportment |
| superannuated | retired or disqualified because of age; outmoded; obsolete |
| wag | shake repeatedly from side to side; Ex. The dog wagged its tail; N: humorous person; wit |
| bemused | confused; lost in thought; preoccupied |
| probe | explore with a probe or tools; investigate; N: slender instrument used to explore a wound or body cavity; device designed to investigate an unknown region; thorough investigation; Ex. space probe |
| wreak | inflict; Ex. wreak one's vengeance on |
| swathe | swath; wrap around; bandage; Ex. one's head swathed in bandages |
| choir | group of people who sing together (esp. during religious services); place for choir |
| infringe | violate (a law); encroach (the right of another person) |
| conundrum | riddle; difficult problem |
| premeditate | plan in advance; Ex. premeditated murder |
| pillage | plunder |
| pen | fenced enclosure for animals; confining space; Ex. sheep pen; V: confine in a pen; enclose |
| spangle | small shiny metallic piece sewn to clothing for ornamentation |
| avantgarde | group of artists whose work is based on the newest ideas and methods; CF. vanguard |
| convention | social or moral custom; established practice; formal meeting; international agreement |
| debilitate | weaken (esp. through heat, hunger, illness); enfeeble |
| speck | small piece or mark; Ex. speck of dust in the eye |
| unctuous | oily; bland; insincerely suave |
| effete | having lost one's original power; barren; worn out; exhausted |
| epaulet(epaulette) | ornament worn on the shoulder (of a uniform, etc.) |
| clipper | sailing vessel built for great speed |
| oculist | physician who specializes in treatment of the eyes |
| rabble | mob; noisy crowd |
| habituate | accustom or familiarize; addict |
| broil | cook by direct heat; N. |
| ingratiate | become popular with; bring (oneself) in favor of another; Ex. ingratiate himself with the boss |
| accommodate | oblige or help someone; adjust or bring into harmony; adapt; make enough space for; ADJ. accommodative; CF. accomodating: helpful and obliging |
| cognizance | knowledge; ADJ. cognizant; having knowledge; aware |
| prolong | lengthen; extend; draw out |
| herd | group of animals; crowd; one who looks after a herd; Ex. shepherd/goatherd; Ex. herd instinct; Ex. herdsman; V: come together in a herd; look after a herd; Ex. herd cattle |
| equanimity | calmness of temperament; composure |
| lethal | deadly |
| apoplexy | stroke; loss of consciousness caused by too much blood in the brain |
| fauna | animals of a period or region; CF. flora |
| appreciate | be thankful for; increase in worth; be thoroughly conscious of; ADJ. appreciable: enough to be felt; Ex. appreciable difference |
| intransigence | refusal of any compromise; stubbornness; ADJ. intransigent: uncompromising |
| intellect | higher mental powers; person of great intellectual ability |
| credulity | belief on slight evidence; gullibility; naivet\'e; ADJ. credulous |
| damn | condemn; criticize severely; condemn to everlasting punishment; doom; bring to ruin; N. damnation |
| embark | commence; go on board a boat; begin a journey |
| exult | rejoice |
| concerted | mutually agreed on; done together by agreement; Ex. concerted effort; CF. in concert: working together |
| innocuous | harmless |
| minatory | menacing; threatening |
| insurrection | rebellion; uprising |
| evanescent | fleeting; vanishing; soon disappearing; V. evanesce |
| hoard | stockpile; accumulate for future use; N: supply stored for future use |
| stealth | action of moving secretly or unseen; slyness; sneakiness; secretiveness; ADJ. stealthy |
| incognito | with identity concealed; using an assumed name; ADJ. |
| deflect | turn aside; turn away from a straight course |
| refectory | dining hall; room where meals are served (in a school) |
| exacerbate | worsen; aggravate; embitter |
| diverse | differing in some characteristics (from each other); various; N. diversity: variety; dissimilitude; lack of resemblance |
| ovation | enthusiastic applause |
| plane | carpenter's tool for smoothing and leveling wood; V. CF. flat |
| verbatim | word for word; in the same words; repeating the actual words exactly |
| flagrant | conspicuously wicked, bad, or offensive; blatant; outrageous |
| impale | pierce (with a sharp point); Ex. impaled by the spear |
| vigor | active strength; energy; enthusiasm; ADJ. vigorous |
| gourmet | connoisseur of food and drink; epicure |
| precocious | advanced in development; N. precocity |
| smug | self-satisfied; complacent |
| seethe | be violently disturbed; boil; (of a liquid) move about wildly as if boiling; Ex. The nation was seething with discontent. |
| equilibrium | balance of opposing forces; balance of the mind; equanimity |
| inextricable | from which it is impossible to get free; that cannot be untied; Ex. inextricable troubles; Ex. inextricable two histories |
| composure | mental calmness |
| inviolable | secure from corruption, attack, or violation(or profanation); unassailable; Ex. inviolable oath/rights; N. inviolability |
| avid | greedy; extremely eager for; Ex. avid learner; N. avidity |
| aureole | sun's corona; halo; bright circle of light |
| holster | leather pistol case (that hangs on a belt around the waist) |
| blunt | having a dull edge; abrupt and frank in speech or manner; brusque; V: make or become blunt |
| championship | position of champion; defense or support; competition held to determine a champion |
| incline | slope; slant; Ex. steep incline |
| cog | tooth projecting from a wheel |
| apprehensive | fearful; discerning |
| actuate | motivate; activate; cause to act |
| gerontology | study of the sociological phenomena associated with old age |
| bard | poet |
| larder | pantry; place where food is kept |
| cleft | N: split |
| rider | amendment or clause added to a legislative bill |
| jostle | shove; bump; push against (someone) rather roughly; Ex. jostled by the crowds |
| coquette | flirt; flirtatious woman; woman who tries to attract the admiration of men without sincere feelings; V. |
| exhume | dig out of the ground; remove from a grave |
| crypt | secret recess or vault usually used for burial; underground room (under a church) |
| resurrect | revive |
| h 14 | ... |
| zenith | point directly overhead in the sky; summit; acme; highest point |
| stamina | power of endurance; strength; staying power |
| blurt | utter impulsively from nervousness or excitement |
| extrapolation | projection; conjecture; V. extrapolate: infer (unknown information) from known information |
| vagabond | wanderer (without a permanent home); tramp |
| check | stop motion; curb or restrain |
| sophisticated | worldly wise and urbane; refined; complex; N. sophistication; V. sophisticate |
| solstice | point or time at which the sun is farthest from the equator |
| amalgamate | (of societies or groups) combine; unite in one body |
| auspicious | favoring success; giving signs of future success; Cf. auspices |
| pediatrician | physician specializing in children's diseases; N. pediatrics |
| elucidate | explain; make clear; clarify; enlighten; CF. lucid |
| foolhardy | rash; reckless; foolishly daring |
| erroneous | mistaken; wrong; incorrect |
| title | name (of a book, film, etc.); mark of rank; formal appellation as of rank or office (such as Lord or General); right or claim to possession; championship; Ex. title as head of the family; Ex. title to the estate |
| fallible | liable to err |
| alimony | payments made regularly to an ex-spouse after divorce |
| hirsute | hairy; having a lot of hair |
| militia | army composed of ordinary citizens rather than professional soldiers |
| sheaf | bundle of stalks of grain; any bundle of things tied together |
| rusticate | banish to the country; dwell in the country |
| ardor | heat; passion; zeal; ADJ. ardent |
| sonic | of sound or its speed in air; CF. subsonic, supersonic |
| leaven | add leaven to; cause to rise or grow lighter; enliven; N: agent, such as yeast, that causes dough to rise (by fermentation); element that lightens or enlivens |
| suborn | persuade to act unlawfully (especially to commit perjury); N. subornation |
| pare | cut away the outer covering or skin of (with a knife); trim; Ex. pare apples/expenses |
| misdemeanor | minor crime; misdeed; wrongdoing |
| tendentious | promoting a particular point of view; biased; having an aim; designed to further a cause; Ex. tendentious rather than truth-seeking; CF. tend: move in a certain direction |
| throes | violent anguish |
| nova | star that suddenly becomes much brighter and then returns to its original brightness |
| savor | enjoy; have a distinctive flavor, smell, or quality; N: taste or smell; distinctive quality |
| apolitical | having an aversion or lack of concern for political affairs |
| emancipate | set free; liberate |
| bovine | cowlike; placid and dull; slow-thinking; calm |
| expletive | meaningless word; interjection; profane oath; swear-word |
| agape | openmouthed |
| lampoon | ridicule; N: written attack ridiculing or satirizing a person, group, or institution |
| forte | strong point or special talent in a person's character |
| supple | flexible; limber; pliant |
| demerit | fault; bad quality |
| callus | area of thick hard skin |
| defoliate | destroy leaves; deprive of leaves (by the use of chemicals); N. defoliant |
| credence | belief |
| flip | send (something) spinning, often into the air, by striking with a light quick blow; turn over; Ex. flip over |
| prognosis | forecasted course of a disease; prediction; CF. prognostic |
| flounder | struggle and thrash about; proceed clumsily or falter (as in water, mud, snow, etc.); proceed in confusion |
| skiff | small light sailboat or rowboat |
| demoniac(demoniacal) | fiendish; cruel; N. demon: evil supernatural being; devil |
| ruse | trick to deceive; stratagem |
| sequester | isolate; segregate; seclude; retire from public life |
| transgression | violation of a law; sin; V. transgress: go beyond (a limit); violate; do wrong |
| analogous | comparable; similar |
| eclectic | selective; composed of elements drawn from disparate sources; selecting individual elements from a variety of sources; N. eclecticism |
| mangle | tear or cut to pieces; mutilate or disfigure; Ex. badly mangled bodies |
| waver | move or swing back and forth; be uncertain or unsteady in decision or movement; Ex. wavering between accepting and refusing |
| buccaneer | pirate |
| placid | peaceful; calm; Ex. placid child/lake |
| inscrutable | difficult to understand; impenetrable; not readily understood; mysterious |
| gaudy | flashy; showy |
| pigment | coloring matter (usually powder to be mixed with water or oil) |
| skittish | inconstant; capricious; frivolous; not serious; Ex. charming but skittish young woman; CF. skit |
| precept | practical rule guiding conduct; Ex. mother's precept |
| contumacious | stubborn and disobedient; resisting authority (esp. disobedient to an order made by a court) |
| solace | comfort in sorrow or trouble; consolation; V: comfort or console in time of sorrow or trouble |
| affliction | state of distress; trial; cause of distress or suffering; V. afflict: inflict grievous suffering on |
| introspective | looking within oneself; N. introspection: self-examination |
| contravene | contradict; oppose; violate (a rule, law, or custom); N. contravention |
| daunt | intimidate; frighten; discourage; dishearten |
| apogee | highest point; the point farthest from the earth; OP. perigee |
| mar | spoil the appearance of |
| temperament | characteristic frame of mind; disposition; emotional excess; ADJ. temperamental: of temperament; having frequent changes of temper; Ex. temperamental dislike of sports; Ex. temperamental actress |
| misadventure | mischance; ill luck; Ex. death by misadventure |
| flick | light stroke as with a whip; V: move with a light quick blow; strike with a light quick blow (as from a whip); Ex. flick the switch |
| plenitude | abundance; plenty; great amount; completeness; fullness; CF. plenary, plenty |
| preposterous | absurd; completely unreasonable; ridiculous |
| benefactor | gift giver; patron; person who does good or who gives money for a good purpose |
| suspense | state of being undecided; anxiety or apprehension resulting from uncertainty |
| gobble | eat very quickly |
| unfetter | liberate; free from chains; V. unfetter |
| incarnation | act of assuming a human body and human nature; one who personifies something; personification; Ex. previous incarnation/reincarnation |
| palette | board on which painter mixes pigments(coloring matters) |
| erudite | (of a person or book) learned; full of learning; scholarly; N. erudition |
| askew | crookedly; slanted; at an angle |
| ostensible | apparent; appearing as such; professed(pretended); pretended; Ex. ostensible purpose of the expedition |
| cringe | shrink back as if in fear; cower |
| perennial | something long-lasting; perennial plant; ADJ: lasting through the year or many years; lasting for a long time; enduring |
| generate | cause; produce; create |
| appraise | estimate value of; N. appraisal |
| executioner | person administering capital punishment |
| imperil | put in danger |
| uncanny | strange; mysterious; Ex. uncanny knack |
| sonnet | 14-line poetic verse form with a fixed rhyme pattern |
| compromise | adjust or settle by making mutual concessions; endanger the interests or reputation of; put into danger, disrepute, or a dishonorable position; Ex. compromise one's principle; N. |
| bestow | confer |
| addendum | addition; appendix to book; something that is added (as at the end of a speech or book) |
| anonymity | state of being nameless; anonymousness; ADJ. anonymous |
| maritime | bordering on(adjacent to) the sea; nautical; of the ships or the sea; Ex. Maritime Provinces |
| h 15 | ... |
| solicit | entreat; request earnestly; seek to obtain; Ex. solicit votes; CF. solicitor: one who solicits; chief law officer |
| fatuous | smugly and unconsciously foolish; inane; silly; N. fatuity, fatuousness |
| ingrained | deeply established; firmly rooted; Ex. ingrained dirt/prejudice |
| inclement | stormy; unkind; unmerciful; CF. clement |
| biting | sharply painful to the body or mind; Ex. biting wind/remarks |
| pronounced | distinct; very noticeable; Ex. pronounced limp |
| abstain | refrain; withhold from participation; intentionally not use one's vote; ±â±ÇÇÏ´Ù |
| meditation | reflection; thought; V. meditate |
| unguent | ointment |
| sift | put through a sieve to separate fine from coarse particles; sort or examine carefully |
| authoritarian | subordinating the individual to the state; completely dominating another's will; Ex. authoritarian regime/father |
| ruddy | reddish; (of the face) reddish and healthy-looking |
| rig | fix or manipulate; manipulate dishonestly for personal gain; Ex. rig the election |
| consort | associate with; keep company; N: husband or wife (or a ruler) |
| kaleidoscope | tube in which patterns made by the reflection in mirrors of colored pieces of glass, etc. produce interesting symmetrical effects; series of changing events; Ex. kaleidoscope of European history; CF. beautiful |
| deluge | flood; rush; V. |
| devout | pious; deeply religious; sincere; earnest; Ex. my devout hope |
| defection | desertion |
| conclusive | decisive; ending all debate |
| headlong | hasty; rash; headfirst; ADV. |
| antique | made in an earlier period and usu. valuable; N: object that was made in an earlier period and that is rare or valuable |
| handsome | large in quantity; generous; Ex. handsome reward |
| pitfall | hidden danger; concealed trap |
| dilettante | aimless follower of an art or a field of knowledge (not taking it seriously); amateur; dabbler; CF. delight |
| assurance | firm statement that something is certainly true; promise or pledge; certainty; confidence in one's own ability; self-confidence; Ex. In spite of all his assurances, he did not come back; Ex. assurance of his loyalty; Ex. The teacher lacked assurance in fron of his class; V. assure; tell firmly with confidence; ensure; make (something) certain to heappen; make (someone) feel sure; give confidence to; ADJ. assured: self-assured; confident in one's own ability; showing certainty |
| inordinate | beyond reasonable limits; unrestrained; excessive; Ex. inordinate demands |
| macabre | gruesome; grisly; ghastly; CF. of death |
| commemorate | honor the memory of; serve as a memorial to; Ex. commemorate the 100th anniversary/those who died in the war |
| belabor | harp on; dwell on tediously; explain or go over excessively or to a ridiculous degree; assail verbally; beat severely; attack physically |
| quiescent | dormant; temporarily inactive; at rest; N. quiescence |
| complacency | self-satisfaction; smugness; ADJ. complacent |
| confiscate | seize; take possession of (private property) by official order (usu. as a punishment); commandeer |
| hierarchy | arrangement by rank or standing; authoritarian body divided into ranks; body of persons having authority |
| notable | conspicuous; worthy of note; remarkable; important; distinguished; noted |
| shard | fragment generally of broken pottery (glass, clay bowl, or cup) |
| abase | lower; degrade; humiliate; make humble; make (oneself) lose self-respect |
| nonchalance | indifference; lack of concern; composure; ADJ. nonchalant: unconcerned; cool; indifferent; Ex. nonchalant attitude to his debts |
| bargain | agreement between two groups or people; something for sale at a price advantageous to the buyer; V: negotiate; trade; Ex. bargaining power |
| appellation | name; title |
| awry | distorted; crooked; bent; Ex. Our plans have gone awry. |
| diversion | act of turning aside; pastime; V. divert: turn aside from a course; distract; amuse |
| retrieve | recover; put right; find and bring in; regain; Ex. retrieve the situation |
| baffle | frustrate; perplex |
| bluff | pretense (of strength); deception; high cliff; ADJ: rough but good-natured |
| h | 4 |
| trunk | main wooden stem of a tree; human body excluding the head and limbs; torso; prehensile nose of an elephant |
| blas\'e | bored with pleasure or dissipation; uninterested or bored |
| sophist | teacher of philosophy; quibbler; employer of fallacious reasoning; N. sophism: plausible but fallacious argument |
| dire | warning of disaster; disastrous; (of needs and dangers) very great; urgent; Ex. dire prediction/need of food |
| sextant | navigation tool used to determine a ship's latitude and longitude (by measuring the altitudes of stars) |
| prudent | cautious; careful; prudential |
| seamy | sordid; base; filthy; unwholesome; Ex. seamy side of city life |
| constituency | voters represented by an elected official; district so represented; group of supporters (or constituents) |
| hindmost | furthest behind; farthest to the rear |
| bog | soft wet land; V: hinder or be hindered; Ex. bogged down in the mud |
| recluse | hermit; loner; ADJ. reclusive |
| ventilate | admit fresh air into to replace stale air |
| constraint | restraint; compulsion; repression of feelings; reticence; V. constrain: hold back; restrain; compel; oblige; confine forcibly; imprison |
| horde | crowd; swarm |
| pandemonium | wild tumult(commotion); wild noisy disorder; CF. Paradise Lost |
| impropriety | improperness; unsuitableness |
| ostracize | banish from a group; exclude from public favor; ban; Ex. His friends ostracized him. N. ostracism |
| ravine | narrow valley with steep sides; gorge; CF. gully, canyon |
| vigilant | watchful; on the alert; watchfully awake; alert to spot danger; N. vigilance |
| sway | swing from side to side; influence (someone) to change one's opinion; N. |
| ascertain | find out for certain; make certain |
| eccentric | irregular; odd; unconventional; whimsical; bizarre; not concentric |
| rasp | (of a sound) grate on (eg. nerves); make a harsh noise; have an unpleasant effect; rub with something rough; Ex. The cat's tongue rasped my hand. |
| recast | reconstruct (a sentence, story, statue, etc.); fashion again |
| effervescence | inner excitement or exuberance; showing high spirits; emitting bubbles forming inside; bubbling from fermentation or carbonation; ADJ. effervescent; V. effervesce |
| succumb | yield (to something overwhelming); give in; die; Ex. succumb to the illness |
| encipher | encode; convert a message into code; put into cipher |
| complaisant | trying to please; obliging; willing to please others |
| negligible | so small, trifling, or unimportant as to be easily disregarded |
| import | significance; importance; meaning |
| disinclination | unwillingness |
| scale | climb up; ascend; remove or come off in scales; N: flake of epidermis; ascending or descending series of musical tones |
| precipitous | steep; overhasty; precipitate |
| torpor | lethargy; sluggishness; dormancy; ADJ. torpid: lethargic; lazy; inactive; (of an animal) dormant; hibernating |
| bliss | complete happiness; ADJ. blissful |
| buffoonery | clowning |
| autocratic | having absolute unchecked power; dictatorial; N. autocrat, autocracy |
| denomination | religious group; unit in a system; name or designation; CF. denominator: common trait or characteristic |
| rickety | (of buildings) likely to break or fall apart; of rickets; CF. rickets; CF. vitamin D |
| drone | talk dully; buzz or murmur like a bee; N. |
| impertinent | insolent; rude; not pertinent; N. impertinence |
| enjoin | command; order; forbid |
| commonwealth | nation governed by the people; republic; people of a nation |
| idle | not working; not employed or busy; lazy; without purpose; useless; lacking substance; baseless; not based on truth; Ex. idle worker; Ex. talk idly; V. |
| exhort | urge (by strong argument or advice); Ex. The general exhorted his men to fight bravely; N. exhortation |
| rout | put to rout; stampede; drive out; N: complete defeat and disorderly retreat |
| tundra | rolling treeless plain in Siberia and arctic North America |
| indisputable | too certain to be disputed; beyond doubt |
| indulgent | humoring; yielding; lenient; showing indulgence |
| arable | fit for growing crops; Ex. arable land |
| imprudent | lacking caution; not prudent; injudicious |
| impel | drive or force onward; drive to take action; urge to action |
| h 16 | ... |
| scrupulous | conscientious; extremely thorough; Ex. scrupulous worker |
| rigid | hard and unbending; stiff and unyielding; fixed in behavior or views; strict; rigorous; Ex. rigid rule |
| versatile | having many talents; capable of working in many fields; having many uses or functions; N. versatility |
| mediocre | ordinary; commonplace; neither good nor bad |
| nourishment | something that nourishes; food |
| orthodox | traditional; (of someone) conservative in belief; adhering to an established doctrine |
| adherent | supporter; follower |
| hybrid | mongrel; mixed breed; V. hybridize |
| glaze | cover with a thin and shiny surface; apply a glaze to; N: thin, smooth, shiny coating (as for pottery); Ex. unglazed pottery |
| memorial | something, such as a monument or holiday, intended to honor the memory of a person or event; ADJ: commemorative |
| satiate | satisfy fully (physical needs such as hunger); sate; N. satiety: condition of being satiated |
| righteous | morally upright; just |
| castigation | punishment; severe criticism or disapproval |
| incarnate | endowed with flesh; invested with bodily form; personified; Ex. devil incarnate; V: give bodily form to; embody |
| expeditious | done with speed; quick; N. expedition |
| homespun | domestic; made at home; spun or woven at home; simple and ordinary; Ex. homespun philosophy |
| abscission | cutting off; separation |
| phoenix | symbol of immortality or rebirth; Ex. phoenix rising from its ashes |
| perceptive | insightful; showing a good ability at perceiving and understanding; aware; wise; of perception |
| taunt | deride or provoke; challenge in derision; N. |
| polarity | state of having two opposite qualities |
| constituent | supporter; voter; member of a constituency; component |
| excise | cut away; cut out; N: government tax on good produced and used inside a country; N. excision |
| prey | target of a hunt; victim; V: hunt and eat as prey; victimize; Ex. Cats prey on mice. |
| obsolete | outmoded; no longer used |
| vying | contending; CF. vie |
| impuissance | powerlessness; feebleness |
| distinct | clearly different; clearly noticed |
| healthful | conducive to good health; Ex. healthful mountain air |
| unequivocal | plain; clear; obvious |
| profligate | wasteful (of money); dissipated; wildly immoral; dissolute; N: profligate person; N. profligacy |
| opportunist | individual who sacrifices principles for expediency by taking advantage of circumstances; N. opportunism |
| sovereign | ruler in a monarchy; ADJ: (of a country) independent and self-governing; having supreme power; supreme; excellent |
| myriad | very large number; ADJ. CF. ten thousand |
| unfledged | immature; not having the feathers necessary to fly; CF. fledgling |
| rancid | having the odor of stale or decomposing fat; rank |
| pecuniary | pertaining to money |
| hurl | throw forcefully; shout out violently |
| founder | fail completely; sink; CF. flounder |
| sacrosanct | invioably sacred; most sacred; inviolable |
| conviction | judgment that someone is guilty of a crime; strongly held belief |
| cornucopia | horn (or horn-shaped container) overflowing with fruit and grain; symbol of abundance; horn of plenty |
| disgorge | surrender something (stolen); eject; vomit; OP. gorge |
| emend | correct (usually a text); N. emendation: correction of errors; improvement |
| hindrance | block; obstacle; V. hinder |
| cistern | reservoir or water tank |
| cipher | nonentity; worthless person or thing; zero; secret code; V. |
| bristling | rising like bristles; showing irritation |
| cadence | rhythmic rise and fall (of words or sounds); beat; regular beat of sound; rhythm |
| outlaw | fugitive from the law (excluded from legal protection); V: declare (someone) to be an outlaw; deprive of the protection of the law; declare illegal; Ex. Drinking has been outlawed. |
| gratis | free; without charge; ADJ. |
| stalemate | deadlock; situation in which further action is blocked |
| avert | prevent; avoid; turn away (eyes or thought); Ex. An accident was averted by his quick thinking; Ex. She averted her eyes from the terrible sight. |
| bleak | cold or cheerless; frigid; unlikely to be favorable; depressing |
| liquidate | settle accounts; pay off (a debt); clear up; eliminate; kill or abolish |
| concordat | formal agreement |
| prance | move about in a spirited manner (proudly and confidently) |
| conjecture | surmise; guess; V. |
| prodigal | wasteful; reckless with money; profuse; Ex. a mind prodigal of ideas; N. prodigality |
| dingy | (of things and place) dirty and dull; Ex. dingy street/curtain |
| ferocious | fierce; violent; N. ferocity |
| confidence | self-assurance; calm unworried feeling based on a strong belief in one's abilities; strong belief in the ability of a person or plan; trust or faith in a person or thing; something confided; secret; Ex. confidence in your ability; Ex. I'm telling you this in confidence; Ex. exchange confidences about their boyfriends; ADJ. confident |
| preen | make oneself tidy in appearance; feel self-satisfaction or pride; (of a bird) smooth or clean (feathers) with the beak; Ex. preen oneself on; CF. prune |
| adorn | decorate |
| malingerer | one who feigns illness to escape duty; V. malinger: feign illness to avoid work |
| crotchety | (of someone old) eccentric; odd; whimsical; bad-tempered; N. crotchet: odd or whimsical notion |
| ancestry | family descent; ADJ. ancestral |
| quack | charlatan; impostor |
| inductive | pertaining to induction or proceeding from the specific to the general |
| quietude | tranquillity; calmness |
| spartan | without attention to comfort; lacking luxury and comfort; sternly disciplined; Ex. spartan living condition/life |
| surreptitious | done secretly; secret; furtive; sneaky; hidden |
| undermine | weaken gradually; sap; dig a mine beneath |
| stultify | make stupid in mind; cause to appear or become stupid or inconsistent; suppress; frustrate or hinder; Ex. stultifying effect of uninteresting work; Ex. stultify free expression |
| querulous | given to complaining; complaining; fretful; whining |
| anodyne | drug that relieves pain or trouble; ÁøÅëÁ¦; opiate; ADJ. Ex. anodyne statement |
| comeuppance | deserts; well-deserved punishment or misfortune; rebuke |
| largess | generous gift (given to people who do not have enough) |
| endorse | approve; support; write one's signature on the back of; N. endorsement; CF. dorsal |
| pall | become boring; grow tiresome |
| frantic | wild; distraught as from fear or worry; Ex. frantic with fear |
| voluptuous | sensual; of or giving sensual pleasure; indulging in sensual pleasures; Ex. voluptuous lines; Ex. voluptuous life of the Romans; N. voluptuary: voluptuous person |
| clip | cut off with shears; fasten; N: something clipped off (as a short extract from film); clasp or fastener |
| podiatrist | doctor who treats ailments of the feet; chiropodist; N. podiatrics |
| philistine | narrow-minded person, uncultured and exclusively interested in material gain; uncultured person who is indifferent to artistic and cultural values; member of an ancient people in Palestine; OP. aesthete |
| assail | assault |
| boost | lift by pushing up from below; increase; raise; N: push upward; increase |
| diverge | vary; go in different directions from the same point; ADJ. divergent: differing; deviating |
| indelible | not able to be erased |
| hoodwink | deceive; delude |
| fabricate | build; lie; make up (a story) in order to deceive; Ex. fabricate the whole story; CF. fabric: underlying structure; Ex. fabric of society |
| minuscule(miniscule) | extremely small |
| bigotry | stubborn intolerance |
| forthcoming | happening in the near future; ready; willing to help; Ex. No answer was forthcoming. |
| seine | seine net; net for catching fish |
| enamored | in love; Ex. enamored of his own beauty; V. enamor: inspire with love |
| stammer | speak with involuntarily pauses or repetitions |
| h 17 | ... |
| hale | healthy |
| regent | a person who governs in place of a ruler who is ill, absent, or still a child; ADJ. Ex. the Prince regent |
| ingenue | ing\'enue; young innocent girl |
| grudge | deep feeling of dislike; Ex. grudge fight; V. |
| lugubrious | mournful; sorrowful |
| remit | transmit (money) in payment; free someone from a debt or punishment |
| glaring | (of something bad) highly conspicuous; harshly bright; shining intensely and blindingly |
| convene | come together; assemble; call to meet; Ex. convene the council |
| obsequy | funeral ceremony |
| subdue | less intense; quieter; Ex. subdued lighting; Ex. subdue: conquer; make less intense; quiet; Ex. subdue one's anger |
| dominate | control; rule; enjoy a commanding position in; overlook from a height; ³»·Á´Ùº¸´Ù |
| acrimonious | stinging; caustic; bitter in words or manner; N. acrimony: bitter ill-natured animosity in speech or behavior |
| inadvertently | unintentionally; by oversight; carelessly |
| antiquated | obsolete; old-fashioned; outdated |
| dregs | sediment in a liquid; lees; worthless residue |
| peer | one who has equal standing with another; nobleman; V: look intently; N. peerage; CF. peeress |
| rabies | disease passed on by the bite of an infected animal (causing madness and death) |
| rabid | of or suffering rabies; like a fanatic; extremely zealous; furious; CF. rabies: hydrophobia |
| absolute | complete; totally unlimited; having complete power; certain; not relative; Ex. absolute honesty/ruler; CF. absolutism |
| illicit | illegal |
| inveigle | deceive; lead astray by deception; wheedle(cajole); Ex. inveigle her into joining the club; CF. interest dishonestly |
| prosperity | good fortune and financial success; physical well-being |
| blare | loud or harsh roar or screech; dazzling blaze of light |
| candor | frankness; open honesty; ADJ. candid |
| talisman | charm; object believed to give supernatural powers to or protect its bearer |
| ubiquitous | being everywhere; omnipresent; N. ubiquity |
| multiplicity | state of being numerous or multiple; large number; Ex. multiplicity of details; ADJ. multiple: of more than one element |
| renovate | restore to good condition; renew |
| natal | connected with birth; CF. prenatal; CF. postnatal |
| nuptial | of marriage or the wedding ceremony; N; nuptials; wedding ceremony |
| premonition | forewarning; presentiment; foreboding |
| tempestuous | stormy; violent; impassioned; N. tempest: violent storm |
| ballast | heavy substance used to add stability or weight; V. supply with ballast |
| accolade | award of merit; strong praise and approval |
| gentility | those of gentle birth; high social class; refinement; quality of being genteel |
| retentive | holding; able to retain things (esp. facts in the mind); having a good memory |
| desperate | having lost all hope; despairing; reckless and violent because of loss of hope or despair; undertaken as a last resort |
| manifesto | public declaration of principles; statement of policy |
| covert | secret; hidden; implied; OP. overt |
| overweening | arrogant; presumptuous |
| extort | wring from; get money by threats, etc.; obtain by force or threats; CF. extortionate: exorbitant |
| trifle | something of little importance or value; small amount; Ex. a trifle; V: treat without seriousness; flirt |
| pungent | stinging; acrid; sharp in taste or smell; (of speech or writing) caustic; N. pungency |
| encompass | surround; include; Ex. His activities encompass publishing and computers. |
| surmise | guess; N. |
| graze | (of an animal) feed on growing grass; cause (an animal) to feed on grass; scrape (esp. the skin) or touch lightly in passing; brush; Ex. We can't graze the cattle till summer; N: surface wound |
| partiality | state of being partial; inclination; favorable bias; special fondness; preference |
| reaper | one who harvests grain; Ex. the Grim Reaper; V. reap: cut and gather (crop); harvest a crop |
| lull | moment of calm; period of reduced activity; Ex. a lull in the rain; V: cause to become less active; cause to sleep or rest; Ex. lull the opponents into a false sense of security; CF. lullaby |
| politic | prudent; judicious; well judged; expedient; well devised |
| papyrus | ancient paper made from stem of papyrus plant |
| specious | seemingly reasonable but incorrect; misleading (often intentionally) |
| postulate | self-evident truth; something assumed without proof; V: assume the truth of (as a basis of an argument) |
| genealogy | record of descent; lineage; ancestry; study of ancestry |
| mellifluous | (of words or a voice) sweetly or smoothly flowing; melodious; having a pleasant tune |
| leonine | like a lion |
| assimilate | absorb; take (food) into the body and digest it; understand (knowledge) completely and be able to use properly; cause to become homogeneous (the people of a country or race in the wasy of behaving or thinking) |
| dally | trifle with; toy with; treat without the necessary seriousness; procrastinate; waste time |
| queer | strange; eccentric; deviating from the normal |
| tribune | official of ancient Rome elected by the plebians to protect their rights; protector of the people |
| fathom | comprehend; investigate; determine the depth of; N. unit of measurement for the depth of water |
| promulgate | announce; proclaim a doctrine or law; make known by official publication |
| lateral | of or coming from the side |
| onomatopoeia | words formed in imitation of natural sounds |
| rudimentary | elementary; not developed; crude; N. rudiment: fundamental element or principle; Ex. rudiments of the language |
| gambol | romp; skip about; leap about playfully; frolic; N. |
| inclusive | tending to include all; all-inclusive; Ex. inclusive charge |