Word Smart II
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dunguyen1985 on July 4, 2008
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dunguyen1985
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SAT Prep, Word Smart, GRE preparation guided by Hasib bin Rafique, Number 9, Fgaffe, st.marks men who wanna study (see more)
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829 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 abase | to humiliate; to lower in esteem or dignity; to humble |
| abet | to support or encourage someone especially someone who as done something wrong |
| abeyance | suspension; temporary cessation ; obey |
| abjure | to repudiate; to take back; to refrain from |
| abomination | something despised or abhorred; extreme loathing |
| aboriginal | native; dating back to the very beginning |
| abound | to be very numerous |
| abrogate | to abolish or repeal formally; to set aside; to nullify |
| accede | to give in; to yeild; to agree |
| accentuate | to emphasize; to accent; to highlight |
| access | the right or ability to approach enter or use |
| acclaim | to praise publicly and enthusiastically |
| accord | to agree; to be in harmony; to grant or bestow |
| accouterments | personal clothing accessories or equipment; trappings |
| accrue | to accumulate over time |
| acquisitive | seeking or tending to acquire; |
| acquit | to find not guilty; to bahave or conduct oneself |
| acronym | a word made up of the initials of other words adage a traditional saying; a proverb |
| adduce | to bring forward as an example or as proof; to cite |
| adjourn | to suspend until another time |
| adjunct | something added to or connected with something else; an assistant |
| ad-lib | to improvise; speak or act spontanesously |
| advent | arrival; coming; beginning |
| adventitious | accidnetal; connected to but nonetheless unrelated; irrelevant |
| advocate | a person who argues in favor of a position |
| affidavit | a sworn written statement made before an official |
| affiliate | to become closely associated with |
| affliction | misery; illness;great suffering; a source of misery or great suffering |
| afford | to give; to supply; to confer upon |
| affront | insult; a deliberate act of disrespect |
| aftermath | consequence; events following some occurrence or calamity |
| aggrandize | to exaggerate; to cause to appear greater; to increasesomething in power reputation wealth etc |
| aggrieve | to mistreat; to do grievous injury to; to distress |
| aghast | terrified shocked |
| alchemy | a seemingly magical process of transformation |
| alienate | to estrange; to cause to feel unwelcome or unloved; to make hostile |
| allegiance | loyalty |
| allegory | a story in which the characters are symbols with moral or spiritual meanings |
| allot | to apportion allocate or assign allocate |
| altercation | a heated fight argument or quarrel |
| amass | to pile up; to accumulate; to collect for one's own use |
| amid | in the middle of |
| anathema | something or someone loathe or detested |
| ancillary | subordinate; providing assistance |
| angst | anxiety; fear; dread |
| annex | to add or attach |
| annuity | an annual allowance or income; the annual interest payment on an investment; any regular allowance or income |
| antedate | to be older than; to have come before |
| anterior | situated in front |
| anthology | a collection especially of literary works |
| antipodal | situated on opposite sides of the earth; exactly opposite |
| antiquity | ancientness; ancient times |
| aperture | an opening chasm |
| apex | highest point |
| apogee | the most distant point in the orbit of the moon or of an artificial satellite |
| apoplexy | stroke that is numbness and paralysis resulting from the sudden loss of blood flow to the brain |
| apostasy | abandonment or rejection of faith or loyalty |
| appalling | causing horror or consternation ; appellate- compell- |
| apparition | a ghost or ghostly object |
| appellation | a name |
| appendage | something added on to something else; a supplement |
| apportion | to distribute properionally; to divide into portions |
| apposite | distinctly suitable; pertinent |
| appraise | to estimate the value or quality of; to judge |
| apprise | to give notice to; to inform |
| appurtenance | something extra; an appendage; an accessory |
| apropos | appropriate; coming at the right time |
| apt | appropriate; having a tendency to; likely apposite apropos |
| archipelago | a large group of islands |
| archives | a place where historical documents or materials are stored; the documents or materials them |
| arid | very dry; lacking life interest or imagination |
| armament | implement of war; the process of arming for war |
| armistice | truce |
| arraign | to bring to court to answer an indictment; to accuse |
| arrant | utter; unmitigated; very bad |
| arrears | the state of being in debt; unpaid debts |
| arsenal | a collection of armaments; a facility for storing or producing armament; a supply of anything useful |
| articulate | to pronounce clearly; to express clearly |
| artisan | a person skilled in a craft |
| ascertain | to determine with certainty; to find out definitely |
| ascribe | to credit to or assign; to attribute |
| askance | with suspicion or disapproval |
| aspersion | a slanderous or damning remark |
| assail | to attack vigorously |
| assert | to claim strongly; to affirm |
| assess | to evaluate; to estimate; to appraise |
| astringent | harsh; severe; withering stringent- contingent- |
| asylum | a mental hospital or similar institution; refuge; a place of safety |
| atone | to make amends |
| atrophy | to wither away; to decline from disuse |
| attest | to give proof of; to declare to be true or correct; to give testimony |
| attribute | to credit to or assign; to ascribe |
| augur | to serve as an omen or be a sign; to predict or foretell |
| august | inspiring admiration or awe |
| auspices | protection; support; sponsorship |
| auxiliary | secondary; additional; giving assistance of aid |
| avail | to help; to be of use; to serve |
| aversion | a strong feeling of dislike |
| avert | to turn away; to prevent |
| avid | eager; enthusiastic avarice; arid- |
| bacchanal | a party animal; a drunken reveler; a drunken revelry or orgy |
| baleful | menacing; threatening |
| balk | to abruptly refuse to do something; ti stop short |
| ballyhoo | sensational advertising or promotion; uproar |
| balm | something that heals or soothes |
| bandy | to toss back and forth; to exchange |
| banter | an exchange of good-humored or mildly teasing remarks |
| baroque | extravagantly ornate; flamboyant in style |
| barrage | a concentrated outpouring of artillery fire or of anything else |
| bauble | a gaudy trinket; a small inexpensive on ornament |
| bedlam | noisy uproar and chaos; |
| begrudge | to envy another's possession or enj0yment of something; to be reluctant to give or to give grudgingly ; wistful |
| behest | command; order |
| bemoan | to mourn about; to lament |
| benediction | a blessing; an utterance of good wishes |
| benighted | ignorant; unenlightened |
| bestow | to present as a gift; to confer |
| bilious | ill-tempered; cranky irasible choleric |
| bivouac | a temporary encampment especially of soldiers |
| blanch | to turn pale; to cause to turn pale |
| bland | mild; tasteless; dull; unlively |
| blandishment | flattery |
| bliss | perfect contentment; extreme joy |
| bluster | to roar; to be loud; to be tumultous |
| bombast | pompous or pretentious speech of writing |
| bon vivant | a person who enjoys good food good drink and luxirious living |
| bona fide | sincere done or made in good faith; authentic; genuine |
| boon | a blessing; a benefit |
| boor | a rude or churlish person |
| booty | goods taken from an enemy in war; plunder; stolen or confiscated goods |
| botch | to bungle; to ruin through poor of clumsy effort |
| bracing | invigorating galvanize |
| brandish | to wave or display threateningly |
| bravado | a false show or ostentatious show of bravery or defiance |
| brawn | big muscles; great strength |
| brazen | impudent; bold |
| breach | a violation; a gap or break |
| brink | edge |
| bristle | to stiffen with anger; to appear in some way similar to hair standing on end |
| bromide | a dull obvious overfamilar saying; a cliche |
| brouhaha | uproar; hubbub |
| brusque | abrupt in manner; blunt |
| buffoon | a joker especially one who is coarse of acts like an ass |
| bulwark | a wall used as a defensive fortification; anything used as the main defense against anything else |
| cabal | a group of conspirators; the acts of such a group; a clique |
| cache | a hiding place; the things hidden in a secret place |
| calamity | a disaster |
| callous | insensitive; emotionally hardened |
| calumny | slander; a maliciously false statement |
| canon | a rule of law especially a religious one; a body of rules of laws; |
| cant | insincere of hypocritical speech |
| canvass | to seek votes or opinions; to conduct a survey |
| capacious | spacious; roomy; commodious |
| captivate | to fascinate; to enchant; to enrapture |
| carcinogenic | causing cancer |
| cardinal | most import; chief |
| careen | to swerve; to move rapidly without control; to lean to one side |
| cartography | the art of making maps and charts |
| cascade | a waterfall; anything resembling a waterfall |
| cataclysm | a violent upheaval; an earthquake; a horrible flood |
| cavalier | arrogant; haughty; carefree; casual |
| cavil | to quibble; to raise trivial objections |
| chaff | worthless stuff |
| chameleon | a highly changeable person |
| champion | to defend; to support |
| channel | to direct; to cause to follow a certain path |
| chaste | pure and unadorned; abstaining from sex |
| cherub | a supercute chubby-cheeked child; a kind of angel |
| chortle | to chuckle with glee |
| churl | a rude person; a boor |
| chutzpah | brazenness; audacity |
| cipher | zero; a nobody; a code; the solution to a code |
| circumnavigate | to sail or travel all the way around |
| citadel | a fortress defending a city; a stronghold; a bulwark |
| clandestine | concealed or secret usually for an evil or subversive purpose |
| classic | top-notch; highest quality; serving as a standard or model |
| cleave | to cling; to split rent |
| climatic | having to do with the climate |
| cloister | a covered walk with columns on one side that runs along the perimeter of a courtyard especially in a convent or monastery; a convent or monastery; a tranquil secluded place |
| clone | an exact duplicate; an organism genetically identical to another |
| clout | a blow; influence |
| cloy | to cause to feel too full especially when indulging in something Overly sweet; to become wearisome through excess |
| coddle | to baby |
| cogitate | to ponder; to meditate; to think carefully; ruminate deliberate |
| cohort | a group |
| commemorate | to honor the memory of; to serve as a memorial to |
| commiserate | to express sorrow or sympathy for; to sympathize with; to pity |
| commodious | spacious; roomy; capacious |
| compatible | harmonious; capable of functioning working or living together in harmony; consistent |
| competent | capable; qualified |
| compile | to gather together; to gather together into a book |
| comply | to act or be in accordance with |
| composed | calm; tranquil |
| compromise | a settlement of differences in which each side gives up something |
| compunction | remorse a feeling of uneasiness at doing something wrong |
| concave | curved inward like the inside of a circle or a shpere |
| concede | to acknowledge as true or right; to grant or yield |
| concentric | having the same center |
| concert | combined action; agreement |
| concoct | to create by mixing ingredients; to devise |
| concomitant | following from; accompanying; going along with |
| confederate | an ally; an accomplice |
| confer | to exchange ideas; to consult with; to bestow |
| confidant | a person with whom secrets or private thoughts are shared |
| configuration | arrangement |
| conflagration | a large fire |
| confluence | a flowing together |
| confound | to bewilder; to amaze; to throw into |
| congeal | to solidify; to jell |
| conjugal | having to do with marriage |
| connive | to conspire; to aid or encourage a wrong |
| conservatory | a greenhouse usually one attached to another structure; a music or drama school |
| consign | to hand over; to assign; to entrust; to banish |
| consolidate | to combine or bring together; to solidify; to strengthen |
| conspicuous | easily seen; impossible to miss |
| consternation | sudden confusion |
| constituency | the group of voters represented by a politician; a group of supporters for anything ; constitute |
| contempt | disdain; disgrace |
| continuum | a continuous whole without clear division into parts |
| contraband | smuggled goods |
| contretemps | an embracing occurrence; a mishap |
| contumely | rudeness; insolence; arrogance |
| conundrum | a puzzle or problem without a solution |
| convene | to gather together; to assemble; to meet |
| conversant | familiar; experienced |
| converse | the opposite |
| convey | to transport; to conduct; to communicate |
| conviction | strong belief; a determination of guilt |
| convolution | a twist or trun; the act of twisting or turning |
| copious | abundant; plentiful |
| cordial | gracious; warm; sincere loyalty |
| corollary | a proposition that follows easily |
| corporeal | material; tangible; having substance like the body |
| correlation | a mutual relation between two or more things |
| corrosive | eating away; destructive |
| corrugated | shaped with folds or waves |
| coterie | a group of close associates; a circleof freinds or associates |
| cower | to shrink away or huddle up in fear |
| crass | extremely unrefined; gross; stupid |
| craven | cowardly |
| crescendo | a gradual increase in the volume of a sound; a gradual increase in the intensity of anything |
| crestfallen | dejected; dispirited |
| crevice | a narrow split crack or fissure |
| cringe | to shrink back with fear; to cower; to be servile or suck up in a horrible way |
| critique | a critical review |
| crux | the central point; the essence |
| cuisine | a style of cooking |
| cull | to pick out from among many; to select; to collect |
| curb | to restrain or control |
| curmudgeon | a difficult bad-tempered person |
| cursory | quick and unthorough; hasty; superficial |
| debase | to lower in quality or value; to degrade |
| debunk | to expose the nonsense of |
| decree | an official order usually having the force of law |
| decry | to put down; to denounce |
| deem | to judge; to consider |
| deficit | a shortage especially of money |
| defile | to make filthy or foul; to desecrate desecrateconsecrate |
| deft | skillful |
| defunct | no longer in effect; no longer in existence 1. deceased; 2. demise |
| degrade | to lower in dignity or status; to corrupt; to deteriorate |
| deign | to condescend; to think it in accordance with one's dignity ~ condescend |
| deity | a god or goddness |
| dejected | depressed; disheartened |
| delectable | delightful; delicious ; deleterous |
| delinquent | neglecting a duty or law; late in payment lazy guilty |
| delve | to search or study intensively |
| demeanor | behavior; manner behavior |
| demise | death defunct |
| demography | the statistical study of characteristics of populations |
| demur | to object; to take exception |
| demure | shy; reserved; sedate |
| denomination | a classfication; a category name |
| denote | to signify; to indicate; to mark |
| denounce | to condemn |
| depict | to portray especially in a picture; to describe |
| deplete | to decrease the supply of; to exhaust; to use up |
| deplore | to regret; to condemn; to lament lamnet mourn |
| deploy | to station soldiers or armaments strategically; to arrange strategically |
| depose | to remove from office or position of power ;abdicate |
| depredate | to prey upon; to plunder |
| derelict | neglectful; delinquent; deserted; abandoned |
| desist | to stop doing something; renounce |
| devout | deeply religious; fervent devote |
| diatribe | a bitter abusive denunciation |
| dichotomy | division into two parts especially contradictory ones |
| diffuse | to cause to spread out; to cause to disperse; |
| dilapidated | broken-down; fallen into ruin devastate |
| dilate | to make larger; to become larger; to speak or write at length |
| dilemma | a situation in which one must choose between two equally attractive choices; any problem or predicament |
| diminution | the act or process of diminishing; reduction diminish |
| dire | disastrous; desperate |
| dirge | a funeral song |
| disaffect | to cause to lose affection; to estrange; to alienate; disgruntle |
| disarray | disorder; confusion |
| disclaim | to deny any claim to; to renounce |
| discomfit | to frustrate; to confuse ;frustrate; confuged |
| disconcert | to upset; to ruffle; to perturb |
| discourse | spoken or written expression in words; conversation |
| discrepancy | difference; inconsistency |
| discursive | rambling from one topic to another usually aimlessly |
| disgruntle | to make sulky and dissatisfied; to discontent |
| dismal | dreary; causing gloom; causing dread |
| dismay | to fill with dread; to discourage greatly to perturb |
| dispassionate | unaffected by passion; impartial; calm indifferent |
| disperse | to scatter; to spread widely; to disseminate |
| dispirit | to discourage; to dishearten; to lose spirit |
| disposition | characteristic attitude; state of mind; inclination; arrangement |
| disproportionate | out of proportion; too much or too little |
| disquiet | to make uneasy |
| dissemble | to conceal the real nature of; to act or speak falsely in order to |
| dissent | to disagree; to withhold approval |
| disservice | a harmful action; an ill turn |
| dissident | a person who disagrees or dissents |
| dissuade | to persuade not to |
| distinct | separate; different; clear and unmistakable |
| diurnal | occurring overy day; occurring during the daytime |
| divine | to intuit; to prophesy |
| divulge | to reveal especially to reveal something that has been a screat |
| document | to support with evidence especially written evidence |
| doldrums | low spirits; a state of inactivity |
| doleful | sorrowful; filled with frief |
| dolt | a stupid person; a dunce |
| dotage | senility; foolish affection |
| dour | forbidding; severe; gloomy |
| downcast | directed downward; dejected; depressed |
| downplay | to minimize; to represent as being insignificant; to play down |
| draconian | harsh; sever; cruel |
| droll | humorous; amusing in an odd often understated way |
| dross | worthless stuff especially worthless stuff arising |
| duress | coercion; compulsion by force or threat |
| ebb | to diminish; to recede |
| ecclesiastical | having to do with the church |
| eclipse | to block the light of; to overshadow; to reduce the significance of; |
| edict | an official decree |
| edifice | a big imposing building |
| effectual | effective; adequate |
| efficacy | effectiveness |
| effigy | a likeness of someone especially one used in expressing hatred for the person of whom it is a likeness |
| elation | a feeling of great joy |
| electorate | the body of people entitled to vote in an election; the voters |
| elegy | a mournful poem or other piece of writing; a mournful piece of music |
| elite | the best or most select group |
| elocution | the art of public speaking |
| emaciate | to make extremely thin through starvation or illness |
| emanate | to come forth; to issue |
| emancipate | to liberate; to free from bondage or restraint |
| embargo | a government order suspending foreign trade; a government order suspending the movement of freight-carrying ships in and out of the country's ports |
| embellish | to adorn; to beautify by adding ornaments; to add fanciful or fictitious embody to personify; to give physical form to |
| embroil | to involve in conflict; to throw into disorder |
| embryonic | undeveloped; rudimentary |
| emissary | a messenger of representative sent to represent another |
| empathy | identification with the feelings or thoughts of another |
| empower | to give power or authority to; to enable |
| endear | to make dear; to make beloved |
| engaging | charming; pleasing; attractive |
| enmity | deep hatred; animosity; ill will |
| ennui | boredom; listless lack of interest |
| ensue | to follow immediately afterward; to result |
| entail | to have as a necessary consequence; to involve |
| entity | something that exists; a distinct thing |
| entreat | to ask earnestly; to beg; to plead |
| entrepreneur | an independent business person; |
| enumerate | to name one by one; to list |
| envision | to imagine; to foresee |
| epicure | a person with refined taste in wine and food |
| epilogue | an afterword; a short concluding chapter of a book; a short speech at the end of a play |
| epoch | an era; a distinctive period of time |
| equestrian | having to do with horseback riding |
| estimable | worthy of admiration; capable of being estimated |
| estrange | to make unfriendly or hostile; to cause to feel removed from |
| ethics | moral standards governing behavior |
| eulogy | spoken or written tribute to a person especially a person who has just died |
| evince | to demonstrate convincingly; to prove |
| evoke | to summon farth; to draw forth; to awaken; to produce of suggest |
| excise | to remove by cutting or as if by cutting |
| exempt | excused; not subject ot |
| exhume | to unbury; to dig out of the ground |
| exodus | a mass departure or journey away |
| exorbitant | excessively costly; excessive |
| expiate | to make amends for; to atone for |
| explicate | to make a detailed explanation of the meaning of |
| exposition | explanation; a large public exhibition |
| expostulate | to reason with someone in order to warn or dissuade |
| expunge | to erase; to eliminate any trace of efface excise |
| exquisite | extraordinarily fine or beautiful; intense |
| extant | still in existence |
| extort | to obtain through force threat or illicit means |
| extremity | the outermost point or edge; the greatest degree; grave danger; |
| exuberant | highly joyous or enthusiastic; overflowing; lavish |
| facade | the front of a building; the false front of a building; the false front or misleading appearance of anything |
| facet | any of the flat polished surfaces of a cut gem; aspect |
| fallacy | a false notion or belief; a misconception |
| fathom | to understand; to penetrate the meaning of sound |
| faux | false |
| fawn | to exhibit affection; to seek favor through flattery; |
| feign | to make a false representation of; to pretend |
| fester | to generate pus; to decay erode corrosive |
| fetish | an object of obsessive reverence attention or interest |
| fiasco | a complete failure or disaster; an incredible |
| fiat | an arbitrary decree or order |
| fickle | likely to change for no good reason |
| figment | something made up or invented; a fabrication |
| fiscal | pertaining to financial matters; monetary |
| fledgling | inexperienced or immature |
| flippant | frivolously disrespectful; saucy; pert; flip |
| florid | ruddy; flushed; red-faced |
| fodder | coarse food for livestock; raw material |
| folly | foolishness; insanity; imprudence |
| foray | a quick raid or attack; an initial venture |
| forebode | to be an omen of; to predict; to foretell |
| foreclose | to deprive a mortgagor of his or her right to redeem a property; to shut out or exclude |
| forensic | related to or used in courts of law |
| forestall | to thwart prevent or hinder something from happening; to head off |
| forswear | to retract renounce or recant; to take back recant |
| forte | a person's strong point special talent or specialty |
| forthright | frank; outspoken; going straight to the point |
| foster | to encourage; to promote the development of |
| fragmentary | incomplete; disconnected; made up of fragments |
| fruitful | productive; producing good or abundant results; successful |
| fuel | to stimulate; to ignite; to kindle as if providing with fuel |
| fulminate | to denounce vigorously; to protest vehemently against something |
| gaffe | a social blunder; an embarrassing mistake; a faux pas |
| galvanize | to startle into sudden activity; to revitalize |
| gambit | a scheme to gain an advantage; a ploy |
| gamut | the full range of something |
| garner | to gather; to acquire; to earn |
| gastronomy | the art of eating well |
| generic | general; common; not protected by trademark |
| genesis | origin; creation; beginning |
| genocide | the extermination of a notional racial or religious group |
| germane | applicable; pertinent; relevant pertinent |
| ghastly | shockingly horrible; frightful; ghostlike |
| gratis | free of charge |
| grievous | tragic; agonizing; severe mourn bemoan; |
| grimace | to make an ugly disapproving facial expression |
| guise | appearance; semblance |
| habituate | to train; to accustom to a situation |
| halcyon | peaceful; carefree; |
| harass | to attack repeatedly; to torment or pester |
| harbinger | a precursor; an indication; an omen |
| harp | to repeat tediously; to go on and on about something |
| harry | to harass; to annoy |
| heinous | shockingly evil; abominable; atrocious |
| herald | a royal proclaimer; a harbinger |
| hoary | gray or white with age; ancient; stale |
| homage | reverence; respect |
| hubris | arrogance; excessive pride |
| hypocrisy | insincerity; two-facedness |
| imbue | to inspire; to permeate or tinge |
| impasse | a deadlock; a situation from which there is no escape |
| impeach | to accuse or indict; to challenge; call into question |
| impecunious | without money; penniless |
| impede | to obstruct or interfere with; to delay |
| impending | approaching; imminent; looming |
| impenetrable | incapable of being penetrated; impervious; incomprehensible |
| imperative | completely necessary; vitally important |
| impetuous | rash; overimpulsive; headlong |
| implication | something implied or suggested; ramification |
| importune | to urge with annoying persistence; to trouble |
| impoverish | to reduce to poverty; to make destitute |
| impregnable | unconquerable; able to withstand attack |
| impresario | a person who manages public entertainments especially operas but other events as well |
| impromptu | done without preparation on the spur of the moment |
| improvise | to perform without preparation; to make do with whatever materials are available |
| impunity | freedom from punishment or harm |
| inadvertent | unintentional; heedless; not planned insouciant |
| inalienable | sacred; incapable of being transferred lost or taken away |
| incarnation | embodiment |
| incendiary | used for setting property on fire; tending to arouse passion or anger; inflammatory |
| inclination | tendency; preference; liking |
| inculcate | to instill or implant by repeated suggestions or admonitions |
| incumbent | currently holding an office; obligatory |
| incursion | a hostile invasion; a raid |
| indict | to charge with a crime; to accuse of wrongdoing |
| induce | to persuade; to influence; to cause |
| ineluctable | inescapable; incapable of being resisted or avoided |
| ineradicable | incapable of being removed or destroyed or eradicated |
| inflammatory | fiery; tending to arouse passion or anger; incendiary |
| influx | inflow; arrival of large numbers of people or things; inundation |
| infraction | violation; infringement; the breaking of a law |
| infrastructure | the basic framework of a system; foundation |
| infringe | to violate; to encroach or trespass |
| infuse | to introduce into; to instill |
| ingratiate | to work to make yourself liked |
| inimical | unfavorable; harmful; detrimental; hostile |
| inimitable | impossible to imitate; incomparable; matchless; the best |
| innuendo | an insinuation; a sly hint |
| inquisition | ruthless questioning; an official investigation characterized by cruelty |
| insouciant | nonchalant; lighthearted; carefree |
| insufferable | unbearable; intolerable |
| insuperable | unable to be overcome; insurmountable; overwhelming |
| insurrection | an act of open rebellion against |
| integral | essential; indispensable |
| interim | meantime; an intervening time; a temporary arrangement |
| interloper | intruder; trespasser; unwanted person |
| interlude | an intervening episode; an intermission; a pause episode |
| interminable | seemingly unending; tediously long |
| intermittent | occasional; repeatedly starting and stopping; recurrent |
| intersperse | to place at intervals; to scatter among |
| intervene | to come between opposing groups; to mediate; to take place; to occur between times |
| intimate | to hint or imply |
| intricate | complicated; sophisticated; having many parts or facest |
| intrigue | a secret scheme; a crafty plot |
| invidious | causing envy or resentment; offensively harmful |
| inviolate | free from injury; pure |
| invoke | to entreat or pray for; to call on as in prayer; to declare to be in effect |
| iridescent | displaying glowing changing colors |
| jaunt | a short pleasure trip |
| jingoism | belligerent chauvinistic patriotism; warmongering |
| jocular | humorous; jolly; fond of joking |
| jubilation | exultant joy |
| junction | convergence; linkup; the act or state of being joined together |
| junta | a small grouup ruling a country after a coup d'etat |
| larceny | theft; robbery |
| lascivious | lustful; obscene; lewd |
| lavish | to spend freely or bestow generously; to squander |
| lax | negligent; lazy; irresponsible |
| layman | a nonprofessional; a person who is not a member of the clergy |
| liaison | connection; association; alliance; secret love affair |
| licentious | lascivious; lewd; promiscuous; amoral |
| limpid | transparent; clear; lucid |
| listless | sluggish; without energy or enthusiasm |
| litany | recital or list; tedious recounting |
| livid | discolored; black and blue; enraged |
| loath | extremely unwilling; reluctant |
| lobby | to urge legislative action; to exert influence |
| lout | boor; oaf; clod ;boor |
| ludicrous | ridiculous; absurd |
| lyrical | melodious; songlike; poetic |
| malapropism | humorous misuse of a word that sounds similar to the word intended but has a ludicrously different meaning |
| mania | crazed excessive excitement; insanity; delusion |
| marginal | related to or located at the margin or border; |
| at the lower limit of quality; | insignificant |
| materialistic | preoccupied with material things; greedy for possessions |
| mawkish | overly sentimental; maudlin |
| meander | to travel along a winding or indirect route; to ramble or stray from the topic |
| medium | the means by which something is conveyed or accomplished; a substance through which something is transferred or conveyed; |
| melancholy | gloomy; depressed and weary |
| melee | a brawl; a confused fight or struggle; a violent free for-all; tumultuous menagerie a collection of animals |
| meticulous | precise and careful about details; fussy |
| millennium | a period of 1000 years; a thousandth anniversary |
| more | marshy mucky ground |
| mode | method of doing; type; manner; fashion |
| modulate | to reduce or regulate; to lessen the intensity of |
| momentum | force of movement; speed; impetus |
| moratorium | s suspension of activity; a period of delay |
| mores | customary moral standards |
| motif | a recurring theme or idea |
| motley | extremely varied or diverse; heterogeneous; multicolored |
| municipal | pertaining to a city or town and its government |
| muse | to ponder; to meditate |
| muster | to assemble for battle or inspection; to summon up |
| mystic | otherworldly; mysterious; enigmatic |
| nebulous | vague or indistinct; unclear; hazy |
| nemesis | unconquerable opponent or rival; one who seeks just compensation or revenge to right a wrong |
| neophyte | beginner; novice |
| nirvana | a blissful painless worry-free state |
| noisome | offensive or disgusting; stinking; noxious |
| nomadic | wandering from place to place; without a permanent home |
| nomenclature | a set or system of names; a designation; a terminology |
| nonchalant | indifferent; coolly unconcerned; blasé |
| nullify | to repeal; to cancel; to void |
| obeisance | a bow or curtsy; deep reverence obedient obedience obeisant obey |
| objective | unbiased; unprejudiced |
| obtrusive | interfering; meddlesome; having a tendency to butt in obtrude compelling coerce |
| obviate | to make unnecessary; to avert |
| occult | supernatural; magic; mystical |
| odious | hateful; evil; vile |
| odyssey | a long difficult journey usually marked by many changes of fortune |
| olfactory | pertaining to the sense of smell |
| oligarchy | government by only a very few people |
| ominous | threatening; menacing; portending doom |
| omniscient | all-knowing; having infinite wisdom |
| opprobrious | damning; extremely critical; disgraceful |
| ordinance | law; regulation; decree |
| oscillate | to pulsate; to waver or vacillate between beliefs or ideas |
| osmosis | gradual or subtle absorption |
| ostracize | to shun; to shut out |
| oust | to eject; to expel; to banish |
| override | to overrule; to prevail over |
| overture | opening move; preliminary offer |
| oxymoron | a figure of speech in which two contradictory words or phrases are used together |
| palatable | pleasant to the taste; agreeable to the feelings |
| pallor | paleness; whiteness |
| pandemic | prevalent throughout a large area |
| panegyric | elaborate praise; eulogy |
| parable | religious allegory; fable; morality tale; palpable=touchable culpable=guilty |
| paragon | a model or pattern of excellence |
| parallel | similar comparable |
| paranoia | a mental illness in which the sufferer believes people are out to get him; unreasonable anxiety |
| paranormal | having to do with an event or events that can't be explained scientifically; supernatural |
| paroxysm | a sudden violent outburst; a severe attack |
| partition | division; dividing wall |
| pastoral | rural; rustic; peaceful and calm like the country |
| pathos | that which makes people feel pity or sorrow |
| patina | surface discoloration caused by age |
| patrimony | an inheritance especially from a father; a legacy |
| peculiar | unusual; bizarre; individual; belonging to a particular region |
| peregrination | wandering; traveling |
| perpetrator | the one who committed the act |
| perpetuate | to make something perpetual; to keep from perishing |
| perverse | contrary; stubborn |
| phantasm | apparition; ghost; phantom |
| phlegmatic | calm or indifferent; not easily roused to excitement |
| pilgrimage | religious o spiritual journey; excursion; peregrination |
| placebo | a fake medication; a fake medicatin used as a control in tests of the |
| platonic | nonsexual; purely spiritual |
| plausible | believable; convincing |
| pliable | flexible; easy to bend; easy to convince persuade or mold |
| plight | a dangerous distressing or unpleasant situation |
| plunder | to loot; o ransack |
| pluralism | a condition of society in which distinct groups exist and function together get retain their own identities |
| porous | filled with many tiny holes; permeable; absorbent |
| posterity | future generations; descendants; heirs |
| posthumous | occurring after one's death; published after the death of the author |
| posture | to act or speak artificially or affectedly |
| prattle | to chatter on and on; to babble childishly |
| precarious | dangerously insecure or unsteady |
| precocious | unusually mature; uncommonly gifted |
| predecessor | someone or something that precedes in time |
| predicament | a dangerous or unpleasant situation; a dilemma |
| predispose | to make susceptible; to put in a frame of mind for; to incline toward |
| predominant | most important; dominant; having power over others |
| pregnant | highly significant; overflowing |
| prelude | introduction; something that precedes something else |
| premeditated | planned beforehand; prearranged; plotted |
| preponderance | superiority in weight number size extent influence ext. majority; predominance |
| presage | to portend; to foreshadow; to forecast or predict |
| presentiment | the feeling that something especially bad is about to happen |
| presumably | probably; the assumption is that; doubtless |
| presuppose | to assume beforehand; to take for granted in advance; to require as a prior condition |
| primal | first; original; of the greatest importance |
| pristine | perfectly clean and untouched; uncontaminated |
| privation | lack of comforts or necessities; poverty |
| proclaim | to announce; declare; make known |
| procure | to obtain or acquire by special means |
| progeny | offspring; descendants |
| propagate | to reproduce; to multiply; to spread or disseminate |
| propound | to set forth or propose; to offer for consideration propose |
| protocol | diplomatic etiquette and customs |
| provocation | the act of provoking; incitement; cause |
| prowess | exceptional skill or strength; uncommon bravery |
| prurient | having lustful thoughts or desires; causing lust |
| pseudonym | a false name; an alias |
| psyche | the human soul; the mind; the spirit |
| pummel | to pound or punch with the fists ; plumb=plummet |
| punctilious | meticulously attentive to detail; scrupulously and sometimes annoyingly exact |
| pundit | an expert; an authority; a learned person erudite |
| pungent | sharp-tasting or sharp-smelling; acrid; causing or incisive ; repugnant- |
| punitive | inflicting a punishment |
| purblind | dim-sighted; practically blind; lacking understanding or imagination |
| puritanical | very severe and strict about morals |
| quaint | pleasantly old-fashioned; picturesque |
| quandary | state of perplexity; predicament |
| quasi | almost; near; resembling |
| quay | a landing on the edge of the water; wharf; pier |
| quell | to put an end to; to squelch; to suppress |
| query | a question; an inquiry |
| queue | a line or file |
| quiescent | motionless; at rest; still |
| quintessential | being the most perfect example of |
| quizzical | teasing; mocking; questioning; inquisitive |
| quotidian | daily; everyday; ordinary |
| rampant | widespread; uncontrollable; prevalent; raging |
| rapture | ecstasy; bliss; unequaled joy |
| rarefied | esoteric; interesting to a select group only; exalted |
| ratify | to confirm; to approve something formally |
| ratiocination | logical reasoning |
| rationale | underlying reason; basis; reasoning |
| raucous | stridently loud; harsh; rowdy |
| reactionary | ultraconservative; right-wing; backward-thinking |
| rebuff | to snub; to reject |
| recidivism | the act of repeating an offense |
| redeem | to buy back; to fulfill; to make up for; to rescue from sin |
| redress | to remedy; to make amends for |
| referendum | a public vote on a measure proposed or passed by a legislature |
| refractory | disobedient and hard to manage; resisting treatment |
| regime | a governing power; a system of government; |
| regimen | a regulated course |
| remission | the temporary or permanent disappearance of a disease; pardon |
| remuneration | payment; recompense |
| rend | to tear; to rip |
| render | to make; to cause to be; to provide; to depict |
| repartee | a quick witty reply; witty spirited conversation full of quick witty replies |
| replicate | to reproduce exactly; to duplicate; to repeat |
| repose | rest; tranqillity; relaxation |
| repress | to hold back; to conceal from oneself; to suppress |
| reprimand | stern reproof; official rebuke |
| reprisal | retaliation; revenge; counterattack |
| reprobate | a depraved wicked person; a degenerate |
| repugnant | repulsive; offensive; disgusting |
| resignation | passive submission; acquiescence |
| resplendent | brilliantly shining; radiant; dazzling |
| resurrection | return to life; revival |
| retort | to make a sharp reply |
| retrospect | looking backward; a review |
| revamp | to revise; to renovate |
| revel | to enjoy thoroughly; to take delight in; to carouse |
| revile | to scold abusively; to berate; to denounce |
| revulsion | loathing; repugnance; disgust |
| rhapsodize | to speak extremely enthusiastically; to gush |
| ribald | indecent or vulgar; off-color |
| rife | occurring frequently; widespread; common; swarming |
| rivet | to engross; to hold firmly |
| rout | to put to flight; to scatter; to cause a huge defeat |
| rue | to mourn; to regret |
| sally | a sudden rushing attack; an excursion; an expedition; a repartee; a clever rejoinder |
| salutation | greeting; welcome; opening words of greeting |
| sanction | official permission or approval; endorsement; punitive measure |
| sarcasm | irony; jokingly or bitingly saying the opposite of what is meant sneer |
| savant | a scholar; a very knowledgeable and learned person pundit erudite |
| scant | limited; meager; barely sufficient |
| schism | division; separation; discord or disharmony |
| scorn | to disdain; to find someone or something contemptible |
| seamless | without a seam; without anything to indicate where two things were joined together; smooth |
| secede | to withdraw from an alliance |
| seclusion | aloneness; withdrawal from other people |
| sect | a small religious subgroup or religion; any group with a uniting theme of purpose |
| sedentary | largely confined to sitting down; not physically active |
| self-made | having succeeded in life without help from others |
| sententious | preachy; pompous; excessively moralizing; self-righteous |
| serene | calm; peaceful; tranquil; untroubled |
| serpentine | snakelike in either shape or movement; winding as a snake travels |
| shackle | a manacle; a restraint |
| shibboleth | a distinctive word pronunciation or behavior that typifies a particular group; a slogan or catchword |
| shrewd | wily; cunning; sly |
| singular | exceptional; unique; unusual |
| skirmish | a fight between small numbers of troops; a brief conflict |
| skittish | nervous; easily startled; jumpy |
| slake | to quench; to satisfy; to assuage |
| solace | consolation; comfort |
| solidarity | sense of unity; a sense of sharing a common goal or attitude |
| sophomoric | juvenile; childishly goofy |
| sordid | morally vile; filthy; squalid |
| sovereign | supreme ruler; monarch |
| spate | a sudden outpouring |
| specious | something that seems correct or appropriate but that lacks real worth; deceptive; misleading; not genuine superfluous |
| specter | ghost; phantom |
| spectrum | a broad sequence or range of different but related thing s or ideas |
| spurn | to reject disdainfully; to scorn |
| stalwart | sturdily built; robust; valiant; unwavering |
| stark | utter; unmitigated; harsh; desolate |
| stint | to restrict or hold back on; to be frugal |
| stipend | income; allowance; salary |
| stolid | not easily roused to emotion; impassive; apathetic; phlegmatic |
| stout | plump; stocky; substantial |
| stratagem | a maneuver designed to outwit an enemy; a scheme; a ruse |
| stupendous | remarkable; extraordinary; remarkably large or extraordinarily gigantic |
| stupor | a stunned condition; near-unconsciousness; apathy; inertia |
| subside | to sink or settle; to diminish; to lessen |
| subsidiary | supplemental; additional; secondary or subordinate |
| subsidize | to provide financial aid; to make a financial contribution |
| substantiate | to prove; to verify; to confirm |
| subterfuge | artifice; a trick or stratagem; a ruse |
| suffice | to be sufficient; to be enough |
| suffrage | the right to vote |
| suffuse | to cover; to overspread; to saturate |
| sumptuous | luxurious; splendid; lavish |
| supersede | to take the place of; to supplant; to make something obsolete |
| supine | lying on one's back |
| supplication | humble prayer; earnest entreaty |
| suppress | to overpower; to subdue; to quash |
| surmise | to conjecture; to guess |
| surreal | having an unreal fantastic quality; hallucinatory; dreamlike |
| susceptible | capable of being influenced by something; capable of being or receptive to |
| sweeping | far-reaching; extensive; wide-ranging |
| systemic | affecting the entire system especially the entire body |
| tactical | having to do with tactics especially naval or military tactics; marked tactics or deft maneuvering |
| taint | contaminant; a trace of something spoiled contaminated off-flavor |
| tedium | dullness; monotony; boredom |
| teem | to swarm; to be inundated; to overrun |
| temporal | pertaining to time; pertaining to life; earthly existence; noneternal; short-lived |
| temporize | to stall; to cause delay through indecision; extemporize- |
| tepid | lukewarm; halfhearted |
| thorny | full of difficulties; tough; painful |
| threshold | the sill of a doorway; a house's or building's entrance; any point of beginning or entering |
| throttle | to choke; to strangle; to work a fuel lever or feed the flow of fuel to an engine |
| thwart | to prevent from being accomplished; to frustrate; to hinder |
| timorous | fearful; easily frightened |
| titillate | to excite; to stimulate; to tease |
| titular | in title or name only; nominal |
| toil | hard work; labor; drudgery; exhausting effort |
| tortuous | winding; twisting; serpentine; full of curves |
| toxic | poisonous |
| transfix | to cause to stand motionless with awe amazement emotion; to rivet |
| trauma | severe shock or distress; a violent wound; a wrenching experience |
| travesty | a grotesque or shameful imitation; a mockery; a perversion |
| trenchant | concise; effective; caustic; sarcastic cf. nonchalant=indifferent penchant- |
| triumvirate | a ruling coalition of three officials; any group of three working jointly |
| tryst | a secret meeting of lovers |
| tumult | violent noisy commotion; uproar; outbreak |
| turbid | murky; opaque; unclear |
| turmoil | state of great confusion or commotion |
| uncanny | extraordinary; unimaginable; seeming supernatural |
| underlying | basic; fundamental; only noticeable under scrutiny |
| undermine | to impair; to subvert; to weaken by excavating underneath |
| underpinning | a system of supports beneath; a foundation or basis |
| underscore | to underline; to emphasize |
| underwrite | to sponsor; to subsidize; to insure |
| unilateral | involving one side only; done on behalf of one side only; |
| usury | lending money at an extremely high rate of interest |
| vacuous | empty of content; lacking in ideas or intelligence |
| vagary | whim; unpredictable action; wild notion |
| vanquish | to conquer; to overpower |
| veneer | facade; coating; outward appearance |
| verdant | covered with green plants; leafy; inexperience |
| verge | border; brink; edge |
| verity | the quality of being true; something true |
| vie | to complete; to contest; to struggle |
| vigilant | constantly alert; watchful; wary |
| vignette | a small decorative design or drawing; a short literary sketch; a brief but expressive scene in a play or movie |
| viscous | thick; gluey; sticky |
| vivacious | lively; animated; full of pep |
| vogue | fashion; style |
| voluminous | large; extensive; having great volume |
| voluptuous | pleasant to the senses; luxurious; pleasure-seeking; extra full and shapely |
| voracious | having a huge appetite; ravenously |
| waft | to float; to drift; to blow |
| waive | to relinquish a right; to forgo; to put aside for the time being |
| wake | an all-night vigil kept over a dead body before it is buried; |
| wane | to decrease in strength or intensity; ti fade away; to decline in power |
| warrant | to justify; to provide grounds for; to guarantee |
| wary | cautions; watchful; carefull |
| wizened | shriveled; withered; shrunken |
| woe | suffering; affliction; distress |
| wrath | deep anger; fury |
| zeitgeist | the mood or spirit of the times |
| zenith | highest point; peak; pinnacle |
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