| Term | Definition |
|---|
| divulge | (v) to tell; to reveal (as a secret) |
| abet | (v) to assist or encourage, especially in wrongdoing |
| dogmatic | (adj) arrogant and stubborn about one's (often unproven) beliefs |
| insipid | (adj) lacking flavor; dull; not at all stimulating |
| extraneous | (adj) inessential; not constituting a vital part |
| coerce | (v) to force by using pressure, intimidation, or threats |
| jaundiced | (adj) prejudiced; hostile |
| meticulous | (adj) extremely careful about small details; precise |
| temerity | (n) recklessness; a foolish disregard of danger |
| gregarious | (adj) sociable; fond of the company of others |
| heresy | (n) the crime of holding a belief that goes against established doctrine |
| docile | (adj) easy to teach or manage |
| libation | (n) a drink, especially an alcoholic one |
| anathema | (n) a hated, repellant person or thing |
| banter | (n) teasing; playful conversation |
| castigate | (v) to criticize or punish for the purpose of correction |
| gauche | (adj) lacking social graces; tactless |
| ignominy | (n) public shame, disgrace, or dishonor |
| motley | (adj) made up of different, dissimilar parts; being of many colors |
| emaciated | (adj) extremely thin; wasted away |
| avarice | (n) greed; desire for wealth |
| furtive | (adj) stealthy; secretive |
| bacchanalian | (adj) wild and drunken |
| extradite | (v) to turn over or deliver to the legal jurisdiction of another government or authority |
| copious | (adj) numerous; large in quantity |
| irascible | (adj) easily angered |
| mercenary | (n) a professional soldier hired by a foreign army |
| bastion | (n) a strong defense or fort (one likened to these) |
| jettison | (v) to cast overboard; to discard |
| ostracize | (v) to banish; to shut out from a group or society by common consent |
| bigot | (n) one who is intolerant of differences in people |
| expunge | (v) to erase or eliminate |
| candid | (adj) outspoken; blunt |
| argot | (n) special words or phrases used by a specific group of people |
| negligence | (n) careless neglect, often resulting in injury |
| appease | (v) to calm ; to make satisfied (often only temporarily) |
| strident | (ad) harsh sounding; grating |
| chaos | (n) completely disorder |
| augment | (v) to enlarge; to increase in amount or intensity |
| jingoism | (n) extreme, chauvinistic patriotism, often favoring an aggressive, warlike foreign policy |
| rancor | (n) extreme hatred or ill will |
| inexorable | (adj) unrelenting; unavoidable |
| extol | (v) to praise highly |
| clement | (adj) merciful; lenient |
| cliché | (n) a worn-out idea or overused expression |
| adamant | (adj) unyielding; firm in opinion |
| diffident | (adj) lacking in self-confidence; shy |
| opus | (n) a creative work, especially a numbered composition |
| ostensible | (adj) professed but not necessarily true |
| disparity | (n) inequality; difference |
| condone | (v) to forgive or overlook an offense |
| nuance | (n) a slight or subtle degree of difference |
| connoisseur | (n) an expert in matters of culture, food, or wine |
| enigma | (n) a mystery; something seemingly inexplicable |
| apathy | (n) lack of interest; state of not caring |
| officious | (adj) excessively eager to deliver unasked-for or unwanted help |
| credence | (n) belief or trust |
| jaunty | (adj) having a buoyant, self-confident air; brisk and crisp |
| dilettante | (n) one who merely dabbles in an art or science |
| cult | (n) an organized group of people with an obsessive devotion to a person or set of principles |
| cynical | (adj) doubtful or distrustful of the goodness or sincerity of human motive |
| ambivalent | (adj) uncertain; unable to decide between two opposing points of view |
| demagogue | (n) a leader who appeals to citizens' emotions to obtain power |
| demure | (adj) quiet and modest; reserved |
| intrepid | (adj) without fear; brave |
| destitute | (adj) extremely poor; lacking necessities like food and shelter |
| erudite | (adj) scholarly; learned |
| dilemma | (n) a difficult choice; a seemingly unsolvable problem |
| culmination | (n) the highest point of attainment; the end or climax |
| concur | (v) to be of the same opinion; to agree with |
| abate | (v) to lessen in violence or intensity |
| decorum | (n) conformity to accepted standards of conduct; proper behavior |
| abhor | (v) to detest; to hate strongly |
| dole | (v) to distribute; to give out sparingly |
| gamut | (n) the whole range or extent |
| extrovert | (n) one who is outgoing; one who is energized rather than drained by interactions with others |
| droll | (adj) amusing in an odd or whimsical way |
| duplicity | (n) intentional deceit in speech or conduct |
| effigy | (n) a crude dummy or image representing a hated person or group |
| austere | (adj) stern; severe; plain |
| emulate | (v) to strive to be like; to imitate |
| sere | (adj) dry and withered |
| enhance | (v) to increase the value or beauty of something |
| contrite | (adj) feeling regret for having committed some wrongdoing |
| magnanimous | (adj) noble; generous in forgiving; free from petty feeling or acts |
| enunciate | (v) to pronounce clearly and distinctly |
| collaborate | (v) to work with another toward a goal |
| impound | (v) to confine; to retain in legal custody |
| impeccable | (adj) faultless; without sin or blemish |
| evoke | (v) to summon forth |
| inane | (adj) without sense or meaning; silly |
| unctuous | (adj) exaggeratedly or insincerely polite |
| expatriate | (n) one who chooses to live outside of or renounce his or her native country |
| frowzy | (adj) unkempt |
| heinous | (adj) hatefully or shockingly evil |
| expound | (v) to explain in detail; to clarify |
| cajole | (v) to persuade with false promises and flattery |
| inscrutable | (adj) not easily understood; hard to fathom |
| balk | (v) to refuse stubbornly or abruptly; to stop short and refuse to go on |
| acrimony | (n) ill-natured, bitter hostility |
| dour | (adj) stern and ill-humored |
| exult | (v) to rejoice; to feel triumphant |
| omniscient | (adj) having unlimited knowledge; all-knowing |
| feasible | (adj) reasonable; capable of being carried out |
| fiasco | (n) a complete, ridiculous failure |
| metier | (n) the work one is especially suited for; one's specialty; an occupation |
| fluctuate | (v) to raise and fall; to vary irregularly |
| harry | (v) to annoy or harass |
| incognito | (adj) disguised; pretending not to be oneself |
| lethargy | (n) lack of energy ; sluggishness |
| epistle | (n) a letter or literary composition in letter form |
| avid | (adj) enthusiastic; extremely interested |
| gadfly | (n) an irritating and persistent person |
| humility | (n) absence of vanity; humbleness |
| dolorous | (adj) exhibiting sorrow or pain |
| gargantuan | (adj) of huge or extraordinary size and power |
| arduous | (adj) difficult; requiring much effort |
| affable | (adj) friendly; agreeable; easy to talk to |
| grandiloquent | (adj) pompous or high-flown in speech |
| agragrian | (adj) having to do with farms, farmers, or the use of land |
| grimace | (n) a facial expression of fear, disapproval, or pain |
| harangue | (n) a long, strongly-expressed speech or lecture |
| formidable | (adj) arousing fear or awe |
| sycophant | (n) a flatterer; one who fawns on others in order to gain favor |
| explicit | (adj) clearly and openly stated; leaving nothing to the imagination |
| altercation | (n) a heated argument |
| lexicon | (n) a dictionary; a specialized vocabulary used in a particular field or place |
| hue | (n) a particular shade of a given color |
| galvanize | (v) to startle into sudden activity |
| sanction | (n) permission; support |
| hyperbole | (n) extreme exaggeration for effect and not meant to be taken literally |
| ominous | (adj) threatening; foreboding evil |
| audacity | (n) rude boldness; nerve |
| evince | (v) to demonstrate clearly; to prove |
| implacable | (adj) unable to be appeased or pacified |
| exhort | (v) to urge on with stirring words |
| incarcerate | (v) to put into prison; to confine |
| incisive | (adj) sharp; keen; cutting straight to the heart of the matter |
| expedient | (adj) practical; providing an immediate advantage |
| pertinent | (adj) having to do with the subject at hand; revelant |
| inert | (adj) unable to act or move; inactive; sluggish |
| circumvent | (v) to get around; to bypass |
| clandestine | (adj) secret |
| acquit | (v) to find not guilty of a fault or crime |
| deprecate | (v) to express disapproval of |
| barrister | (n) lawyer, (British) |
| adulation | (v) excessive praise or admiration |
| culinary | (adj) having to do with the kitchen or cooking |
| bawdy | (adj) indecent; humorously obscene |
| chastise | (v) to punish severely |
| jocose | (adj) joking, humorous |
| myriad | (n) a very large number |
| latent | (adj) present, but no active; hidden |
| pernicious | (adj) destructive; deadly |
| frugal | (adj) thrifty; economical in money matters |
| levity | (n) lightness of disposition; lack of seriousness |
| hoax | (n) a practical joke; a trick |
| amicable | (adj) friendly; peaceable |
| obstreperous | (adj) aggressively boisterous; stubborn and defiant |
| enraptured | (adj) delighted beyond measure |
| marital | (adj) having to do with marriage |
| bask | (v) to lie in or be exposed to warmth |
| genial | (adj) friendly; amiable |
| charlatan | (n) one who pretends to have professional knowledge in order to swindle others |
| mundane | (adj) commonplace; of the earth and not spiritual |
| fickle | (adj) likely to change on a whim or without apparent reason |
| juggernaut | (n) a terrible destructive or irresistible force |
| naive | (adj) simple in nature; not affected or worldly; especially innocent |
| nocturnal | (adj) having to do with the night, occurring at night |
| novice | (n) a beginner; one who is inexperienced |
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