| Term | Definition |
|---|
| belligerent (adj) | warlike; quarrelsome |
| irascible (adj) | easily angered |
| volatile (adj) | explosive; tending to evaporate quickly |
| rebuttal (n) | refutation; opposing response to an argument |
| regute (v) | to disprobe; to rebut forcefully |
| incite (v) | to urge into action |
| pugnacious (adj) | quarrelsome; warlike |
| acrimony (n) | bitterness of feeling; harsh words |
| appalling (adj) | shocking; causing dismay |
| cacophony (n) | discord; harsh sounds |
| abysmal (adj) | extremely bad; wretched |
| acrid (adj) | harsh smelling or tasting |
| deplorable (adj) | worthy of reproach or censure |
| ambulatory (adj) | capable of moving around |
| deviate (v) | to swerve or deflect |
| influx (n) | a flowing in |
| peripatetic (adj) | traveling from place to place |
| impel (v) | to put into motion |
| expedite (v) | to speed up the progress of |
| raze (v) | to destroy completely |
| jettison (v) | to throw overboard |
| abort (v) | to terminate prematurely |
| purge (v) | to cleanse of something unwanted |
| forgo (v) | to give something up |
| deplete (v) | to decrease the supply of |
| dearth (n) | lack; scarcity |
| altruism (v) | selflessness |
| amiable (adj) | friendly; agreeable |
| philanthropist (n) | one who does good; lover of mankind |
| congenial (adj) | friendly and pleasant |
| munificent (adj) | generous |
| decorum (n) | propriety; good manners |
| pedantic (adj) | showy about knowledge |
| grandiose (adj) | pretentious; ridiculously exaggerated |
| bombastic (adj) | pompous; using inflated language |
| braggart (n) | one who boasts; a showoff |
| ostentatious (adj) | showy; pretentious |
| pompous (adj) | possessing excessive self-esteem; pretentious |
| swagger (v) | to walk or strut in an arrogant manner |
| dogged (adj) | determined; unwilling to give up |
| inexorable (adj) | relentless |
| obstinate (adj) | stubborn |
| intractable (adj) | difficult to manage |
| contentious (adj) | quarrelsome |
| pertinacity (n) | stubbornness |
| steadfast (adj) | unchanging; unswerving |
| adroit (adj) | dexterous; skillful |
| unerring (adj) | committing no mistakes; perfect |
| adept (adj) | highly skilled |
| aptitude (n) | a natural ability; intelligence |
| paragon (n) | a model of excellence; perfection |
| consummate (adj) | perfection in every respect; highly skilled |
| nefarious (adj) | wicked; sinful |
| repugnant (adj) | offensive; repulsive |
| infamous (adj) | famous for bad deeds; notorious |
| odious (adj) | worthy of dislike; arousing feelings of dislike |
| malevolent (adj) | wishing harm to others; evil |
| malefactor (n) | an evil-doer |
| abominable (adj) | loathsome; unpleasant |
| charlatan (n) | a fraud; a quack |
| ruse (n) | a crafty scheme |
| subterfuge (n) | a scheme; an attempt to deceive |
| pilfer (v) | to steal |
| swindle (v) | to cheat |
| gullible (adj) | easily deceived |
| hedonist (n) | a pleasure seeker |
| ascetic (n) | one who lives a holy life of self-denial |
| anarchist (n) | one who opposes all political authority |
| pacifist (n) | an individual who is opposed to violence |
| atheist (n) | one who does not believe that God exists |
| nihilist (adj) | one who rejects moral distinctions and knowable "truths" |
| despot (n) | a tyrant; one who rules oppressively |
| vindicate (V) | to clear from blame |
| assuage (v) | to soothe anger or pain; to satisfy a hunger |
| mollify (v) | to soothe the anger of |
| exonerate (v) | to clear from accusation |
| placate (v) | to soothe; to mollify |
| exculpate (v) | to free from blame |
| cajole (v) | to persuade by using flattery; sweet-talk |
| exhort (v) | to urge strongly |
| coerce (v) | to persuade through the use of force |
| induce (v) | to cause |
| coax (v) | to persuade by using flattery |
| provoke (v) | to stir up; to excite |
| obligatory (adj) | required |
| tactile (adj) | able to be sensed by touch |
| alfactory (adj) | relating to the sense of smell |
| gustatory (adj) | relating to the sense of taste |
| auditory (adj) | relating to the sense of hearing |
| discern (v) | to perveive as separate; to sense keenly |
| palpable (adj) | detectable by touch |
| thwart (v) | to stop something before it is able to succeed |
| abstain (v) | to refrain from action |
| deterrent (n) | something that acts to discourage |
| impede (v) | to slow the progress of, to block |
| hinder (n) | to slow the progress of |
| curtail (v) | to make less |
| impediment (n) | something that works to impede progress; a hindrance |
| destitute (adj) | completely penniless |
| frugal (adj) | economical; good with your money |
| remuneration (n) | payment for services |
| impecunious (adj) | without money |
| improvident (adj) | failing to provide for the future |
| parsimony (n) | excessive thriftiness |
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