| Term | Definition |
|---|
| aberration | (n.) something that differs from the norm |
| abscond | (v.) to sneak away and hide |
| accolade | (n.) high praise, special distinction |
| accost | (v.) to approach and speak first |
| acquiesce | (v.) to agree without protesting |
| acquisitive | (adj.) able to get and to retain ideas or information; concerned with acquiring wealth or property |
| acuity | (n.) sharpness, particularly of the mind or senses |
| aggrandize | (v.) to increase or make greater |
| allay | (v.) to calm or pacify, set to rest; to lessen or relieve |
| avid | (adj.) desirous of something to the point of greed; intensely eager |
| banal | (adj.) hackneyed, trite, commonplace |
| bane | (n.) a burden |
| beguile | (v.) to trick, deceive |
| benign | (adj.) favorable, not threatening, mild |
| bestial | (adj.) beastlike; beastly, brutal; subhuman in intelligence and sensibility |
| bombastic | (adj.) excessively confident, pompous |
| cajole | (v.) to urge, coax |
| caucus | (n.) a meeting usually held by people working toward the same goal |
| celerity | (adj.) swiftness, rapidity of motion or action |
| chronological | (adj.) arranged in order of time |
| clandestine | (adj.) secret |
| cognizant | (adj.) aware, mindful |
| convivial | (adj.) festive, sociable, having fun together, genial |
| corsair | (n.) pirate; especially, a privateer of the Barbary Coast |
| coterie | (n.) a circle of acquaintances; a close-knit, often exclusive, group of people with a common intrest |
| counterpart | (n.) a person or thing closely resembling or corresponding to another; a complement |
| covenant | (n.) a solemn agreement |
| daunting | (adj.) tending to overwhelm or intimidate |
| debunk | (v.) to expose the sham or falseness of |
| delineate | (v.) to portray, sketch, or describe in accurate and vivid detail; to represent pictorially |
| demur | (v.) to object or take exception to; (n.) an objection |
| depraved | (adj.) marked by evil and corruption, devoid of moral principles |
| effrontery | (n.) shameless boldness, impudence |
| eloquent | (adj.) marked by forceful and fluent expression; vividly or movingly expressive or revealing |
| embellish | (v.) to decorate, adorn, touch up; to improve by adding details |
| enervate | (v.) to weaken or lessen the mental, moral, or physical vigor of; enfeeble, hamstring |
| ephemeral | (adj.) lasting only a short time, short-lived |
| epitome | (n.) a typical or ideal example; embodiment |
| esoteric | (adj.) intended for or understood by only a select few, private, secret |
| fecund | (adj.) fruitful in offspring or vegetation; intellectually productive |
| felicitous | (adj.) appropriate, apt, well chosen; marked by well-being or good fortune, happy |
| fiat | (n.) an arbitrary order or decree; a command or act of will or consciousness |
| figment | (n.) a fabrication of the mind; an arbitrary notion |
| flabbergast | (v.) to overwhelm with shock, surprise, or wonder; dumbfound |
| furtive | (adj.) done slyly or stealthily, sneaky, secret, shifty; stolen |
| garish | (adj.) glaring; tastelessly showy or overdecorated in a vulgar or offensive way |
| garner | (v.) to acquire as the result of effort; to gather and store away, as for future use |
| hallow | (v.) to set apart as holy or sacred, sanctify, consecrate; to honor greatly, revere |
| histrionic | (adj.) pertaining to actors and their techniques; theatrical, artificial, melodramatic |
| idiosyncrasy | (n.) a peculiarity that serves to distinguish or identify |
| ignominy | (n.) shame and disgrace |
| illusory | (adj.) misleading, deceptive; lacking in or not based on reality |
| inane | (adj.) silly, empty of meaning or value |
| indigent | (adj.) needy, impoverished |
| inordinate | (adj.) far too great, exceeding reasonable limits, excessive |
| insatiable | (adj.) so great or demanding that it cannot be satisfied |
| jettison | (v.) to cast overboard, get rid of as unnecessary or burdensome |
| largesse | (n.) generosity in giving; lavish or bountiful contributions |
| misanthrope | (n.) a person who hates or despises people |
| mundane | (adj.) earthly, worldly, relating to practical and material affairs; concerned with what is ordinary |
| nefarious | (adj.) wicked, depraved, devoid of moral standards |
| nuance | (n.) a subtle or slight variation (as in color, meaning, quality), delicate gradation or shade of difference |
| overweening | (adj.) conceited, presumptuous; excessive, immoderate |
| penchant | (n.) a strong attraction or inclination |
| perspicacity | (n.) keenness in observing and understanding |
| pertinacious | (adj.) very persistent; holding firmly to a course of action or a set of beliefs; hard to get rid of, refusing to be put off or denied |
| picayune | (adj.) of little value or importance, paltry, measly; concerned with trifling matters, small-minded |
| raiment | (n.) clothing, garments |
| ramify | (v.) to divide and spread out like branches; to separate into divisions |
| reputed | (adj.) according to reputation or general belief; having widespread acceptance and good reputation; (part.) alleged |
| sophistry | (n.) reasoning that seems plausible but is actually unsound; a fallacy |
| substantiate | (v.) to establish by evidence, prove; to give concrete or substantial form to |
| sumptuous | (adj.) costly, rich, magnificent |
| taciturn | (adj.) habitually silent or quiet, inclined to talk very little |
| ubiquitous | (adj.) present or existing everywhere |
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