| Term | Definition |
|---|
| amiss | improper; defective; faulty |
| antithesis | (a figure of speech) a contradiction that establishes a work's theme |
| auspicious | favorable circumstances |
| avaricious | greedy |
| behoove | to be necessary or proper |
| belie | to show to be false; to picture falsely |
| blasé | uninterested because of frequent exposure; nonchalant |
| calumnious | slanderous; defamatory; malicious |
| castellated | like a castle |
| circumvent | to avoid or get around by maneuvering |
| cleft | split or divided (past tense of cleave) |
| coalesce | to grow together; to fuse; to unite |
| collateral | property acceptable as security for a loan |
| contrition | sincere remorse for wrongdoing |
| crystalline | resembling crystal; transparent or distinct of structure or outline |
| cynical | suspicious of others' motives; negative and pessimistic |
| dearth | a scarce supply; a lack; a shortage |
| depreciate | to lesson the price for value of; to belittle |
| despotic | possessing and abusing unlimited power |
| desultory | occurring haphazardly; random |
| dire | fraught with danger; nearly hopeless; desperate |
| dominion | sovereignty; a territory of influence or control; a supreme authority |
| droll | amusingly odd; whimsically comical |
| encompass | to enclose or envelope or surround |
| entreat | to ask for earnestly (sincerely) |
| equivocation | an intentionally vague or ambiguous statement (pretty close to a flat-out lie) |
| expostulate | to reason with someone in an effort to dissuade or correct |
| felicity | happiness; bliss |
| filial | pertaining to a son or daughter |
| garish | loud and flashy; gaudy |
| hone | to sharpen or whetstone; to make perfect or more intense |
| idiom | an expression (or style of expression) peculiar to a given people |
| imminent | threatening or about to happen |
| impeccable | flawless; perfect |
| incantation | a ritual recitation; a charm or spell |
| incarnate | embodied in human form |
| incognito | with one's identity concealed or disguised |
| indiscriminate | unselective; haphazard; unrestrained |
| inexorable | relentless; inflexible; determined |
| inexplicable | difficult or impossible to explain |
| infuse | to fill or cause to be filled: infused them with a love of the land |
| jocund | cheerful and lighthearted in disposition or quality |
| lilting | a cheerful or lively manner of speaking: she joked with a lilting voice |
| myriad | constituting a large, indefinite number, innumerable |
| nascent | coming into existence; emerging |
| nonchalant | indifferent; careless; coolly unconcerned |
| opaque | impenetrable by light; dense or obscure |
| pall | a cover for a coffin; a gloomy effect or atmosphere |
| pedagogical | characterized by pedantic formality ; academically snobbish |
| perdition | eternal damnation; loss of the soul |
| peruse | to read or examine, typically with great care |
| pervasive | having the ability to spread throughout |
| portentous | full of unspecified significance; ominous |
| precept | a rule of conduct |
| prodigal | wastefully extravagant |
| proficient | having an advanced degree or level of competence |
| provocative | tending to provoke or stimulate |
| pulsate | to expand and contract rhythmically; beat |
| qualms | reservations; reluctance |
| quandary | a state of uncertainty or perplexity |
| rapt | deeply absorbed; engrossed; enraptured |
| reiterate | to repeat; to say again repeatedly |
| requiem | a mass for a dead person |
| rueful | feeling or expression of sorrow or regret for sins of offenses |
| suave | smoothly agreeable and courteous |
| subversive | intending to overthrow or undermine an established government |
| versatile (adj.) | capable of doing many things competently; changeable |
| fortitude (n.) | strength of mind that allows one to courageously face adversity |
| emissary (n.) | an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of another |
| diatribe (n.) | a bitter and abusive verbal attack or criticism |
| demagogue (n.) | a leader who obtains power by appealing to the emotions and prejudices of the populace (think of Hitler or Mussolini) |
| conjure (v.) | to produce or influence as if by magic |
| chasten (v.) | to chastise for the sake of moral improvement |
| beatific (adj.) | blissful; saintly |
| apocryphal (adj.) | of questionable authenticity; erroneous |
| aggregation (n.) | the state of being collected (e.g., the third phase of the liminal process) |
| sullen (adj.) | showing a brooding ill humor; morose or sulky (perhaps the perfect word to describe Hamlet) |
| superfluous (adj.) | beyond what is necessary or sufficient |
| surcease (v.) | to bring or come to an end |
| tactual (adj.) | tactile; relating to the sense of touch |
| transfix (v.) | to pierce or impale with a weapon; to render motionless with terror or amazement |
| umbrage (n.) | offense or resentment took umbrage at their rudeness (follows the verb to take) |
| usurp (v.) | to seize and hold without legal authority |
| voracious (adj.) | marked by an insatiable appetite; ravenous |
| zephyr (n.) | a gentle breeze; a light fabric or garment |
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