| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Prosaic | Not fanciful or imaginative |
| Anachronistic | Chronologically misplaced |
| Pathological | Caused by or evidencing a mentally disturbed condition |
| Megalomaniac | A pathological egotist |
| extemporaneous | With little or no forethought |
| Eclectic | Selecting what seems best of various styles or ideas |
| Superlative | An exaggerated expression (usually of praise) |
| Caustic | Harsh or corrosive in tone |
| rebuttal | The speech act of refuting |
| Draconian | Unusually severe or cruel |
| Mellifluent | Pleasing to the ear |
| Rancorous | Showing deep-seated resentment |
| Salubrious | Promoting health; healthful |
| Deleterious | Harmful to living things |
| Postulate | Take as a given |
| Ruminate | Reflect deeply on a subject |
| tenuous | Lacking substance or significance |
| Intrepid | Invulnerable to fear or intimidation |
| Evanescent | Tending to vanish like vapour |
| Misogyny | Hatred of women |
| Homogenous | All of the same or similar kind or nature |
| Carcinogenic | Causing or tending to cause cancer |
| Intractable | Difficult to manage or mould |
| Enigmatic | Not clear to the understanding |
| Holistic | Emphasizing the organic or functional relation between parts and the whole |
| Semiotics | Functions of signs and symbols |
| Aggregate | Formed of separate units gathered into a mass or whole |
| Plethora | Extreme excess |
| Opulent | Rich and superior in quality |
| Precocious | Characterized by exceptionally early development or maturity |
| Rambunctious | Noisy and lacking in restraint or discipline |
| Nefarious | Extremely wicked |
| Sinuous | Curved or curving in and out |
| Transient | Lasting a very short time |
| Intransigent | Impervious to pleas, persuasion, requests, reason |
| Omniscient | Infinitely wise |
| Omnipotent | Having unlimited power |
| Precarious | Affording no ease or reassurance |
| Benign | Not dangerous to health; not recurrent or progressive |
| Oblique | Indirect, departing from the accepted or proper way |
| Assuage | Cause to be more favourably inclined; Satisfy |
| Duress | Compulsory force or threat |
| Concede | Acknowledge defeat |
| Conciliatory | Making or willing to make concessions |
| Capitulate | Surrender under agreed conditions |
| Castigate | Inflict severe punishment on |
| Expurgate | Edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate |
| Circumvent | Avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing |
| Forbear | Refrain from doing |
| Flout | Treat with contemptuous disregard |
| Blighted | Spoiled or rotten |
| Pellucid | transparently clear; easily understandable |
| Curt | Marked by rude or peremptory shortness |
| Ethereal | Of heaven or the spirit |
| Furtive | Secret and sly or sordid |
| Aseptic | Sterile; free from emotion |
| Graft | The act of grafting something onto something else |
| Cantankerous | Having a difficult and contrary disposition |
| Aver | To declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true |
| Adjective | A word that expresses an attribute of something |
| Noun | A person, place, thing, quality, or action |
| Copula | An equating verb that links the subject with the complement of a sentence |
| Predicate | Affirm or declare as an attribute or quality of |
| Verb | A content word that denotes an action, occurrence, or state of existence |
| Abscond | Run away; usually includes taking something or somebody along |
| Euphemism | An inoffensive or indirect expression that is substituted for one that is considered offensive |
| Contrite | Feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offences |
| Rueful | regretful |
| Appendage | A part that is joined to something larger |
| Cadaver | The dead body of a human being; corpse |
| Recondite | incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge |
| Poignant | Arousing affect, powerfully moving |
| Peremptory | Not allowing contradiction or refusal |
| Caveat | A warning against certain acts |
| Placid | Not easily irritated |
| Docile | Easily handled or managed |
| Impervious | Not admitting of passage or capable of being affected |
| Erroneous | Containing or characterized by error |
| Philanthropy | Voluntary promotion of human welfare |
| Vitiate | Invalidate; take away the legal force of or render ineffective |
| Intemperate | Excessive in behaviour |
| Nadir | The lowest point of something |
| Tantamount | Being essentially equal to something |
| Burgeon | To grow and flourish |
| Apostolic | Of or relating to or deriving from the Apostles or their teachings |
| Tempestuous | Characterized by violent emotions or behaviour |
| Expository | Serving to expound or set forth |
| Dialectic | system of reasoning that arrives at the truth by the exchange of logical arguments |
| Galvanize | To stimulate to action |
| tithe | A levy of one tenth of something |
| Cogent | Powerfully persuasive |
| Substantive | Having a firm basis in reality and being therefore important |
| Indomitable | Impossible to subdue |
| Retrograde | Going from better to worse |
| Suffrage | A legal right guaranteed by the 15th amendment to the US Constitution |
| Incongruous | Lacking in harmony or compatibility or appropriateness |
| Erudite | Having or showing profound knowledge |
| Mottled | Having spots or patches of colour |
| Zephyr | A slight wind (usually refreshing) |
| Meticulous | Marked by precise accordance with details |
| Compunction | A feeling of deep regret (usually for some misdeed) |
| Debunk | Expose while ridiculing; especially of pretentious or false claims and ideas |
| Occlude | Block passage through |
| Aggress | Take the initiative and go on the offensive |
| Rostrum | A platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it |
| Rapscallion | A deceitful and unreliable scoundrel |
| Capricious | Changeable; determined by chance |
| Propensity | An inclination to do something |
| Autocrat | A cruel and oppressive dictator |
| Dubious | Fraught with uncertainty or doubt |
| Veracity | Unwillingness to tell lies |
| Archipelago | A group of many islands in a large body of water |
| Affable | Diffusing warmth and friendliness |
| Miscreant | A person without moral scruples |
| Extricate | Release from entanglement of difficulty |
| Roister | Engage in boisterous, drunken merrymaking |
| Juju | A charm superstitiously believed to embody magical powers |
| Efficacious | Effective; capable of being effective |
| Animatronics | The construction of robots to look like animals (developed for Disneyland) |
| Codicil | A supplement to a will |
| Pejorative | Expressing disapproval |
| Bohemian | Unconventional, especially in appearance and behaviour |
| Crux | The most important point |
| Aboriginal | Pertaining to the earliest known inhabitants |
| Amnesty | A general pardon extened to a large group of people |
| Ambivalent | Having opposing attitudes towards a object |
| Anomaly | irregularity, abnormality |
| Apartheid | A social policy or racial segregation involving political and economic and legal discrimination against people who are not Whites |
| Bilateral | Having two sides or parts |
| Cache | A secret store of valuables or money |
| Cabal | A plot to carry out some harmful or illegal act; an illegal faction |
| Intrigue | A crafty and involved plot to achieve your (usually sinister) ends |
| clandestine | Conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods |
| Cornucopia | A superabundance |
| Collage | Any collection of diverse things |
| Cohort | A company of companions or supporters |
| Conurbation | An aggregation or continuous network of urban communities |
| Cosmopolitan | Of worldwide scope or applicability; a citizen of the world |
| Credo | Any system of principles or beliefs |
| Cynic | Someone who is critical of the motives of others |
| Curriculum | An integrated course of academic studies |
| Decorum | Correct behaviour in polite society; propriety |
| Propriety | Correct behaviour; decorum |
| Delphic | Obscurely prophetic |
| Demiurge | In some philosophies the creator of the universe |
| Didactic | Intended to instruct |
| Esoteric | Confined to and understandable by only an enlightened inner circle |
| Eponymous | pertaining to somebody who gives their name to something, e.g. a place, book, people |
| Epigraphy | The study of ancient inscriptions |
| Exchequer | The national treasury |
| Feudalism | The social system that developed in Europe in the 8th century; vassals were protected by lords who they had to serve in war |
| Vassal | A person holding a fief; a person who owes allegiance and service to a feudal lord |
| Fiscal | Involving financial matters |
| Rectitude | Righteousness as a consequence of being honourable and honest |
| Guillotine | Instrument used for beheading people |
| Hegemony | The dominance or leadership of one social group or nation over others |
| Hubris | Overweening pride |
| Inchoate | Only partly in existence; imperfectly formed |
| Posterity | All of the offspring of a given progenitor |
| Manifesto | Political party's statement of policies. |
| Proleteriat | A social class comprising those who do manual labour or work for wages |
| Alias | An assumed name |
| Anarchism | A political theory favouring the abolition of governments |
| Nihilism | Complete denial of all established authority and institutions |
| Aphorism | A short pithy instructive saying, expressing a general truth |
| Arcadian | Of a simple, rustic, fun loving nature |
| Aureole | halo of light |
| Avant-garde | The innovators in any art from any time period |
| Bandwagon | A popular trend that attracts growing support |
| Baroque | Elaborately ornamented style of architecture, art, and music |
| Visceral | Characterized by or proceeding from instinct rather than intellect |
| Inundate | Fill quickly beyond capacity; as with a liquid |
| Bedlam | A state of extreme confusion and disorder |
| Bicameral | Composed of two legislative bodies |
| Blarney | Honeyed talk meant to decieve |
| Blitzkrieg | A sudden, overwhelming attack |
| Bourgeoisie | The middle class |
| Bowdlerize | Edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate; usually pejorative |
| Boycott | Refuse to sponsor; refuse to do business with |
| Brussels | Capital of Belgium |
| Carnal | Marked by the appetites and passions of the body |
| Catastrophe | A sudden calamity |
| Charisma | Exceptional ability to cause other to like you |
| Chauvinist | A person with a prejudiced belief in the superiority of his or her own kind |
| Clerical | Of or relating to the clergy; Of or relating to office work |
| Crusade | An aggressive campaign against evil |
| Cuneiform | Wedge-shaped |
| Decentralize | To undo the concentration of power in a single centre |
| Delegate | Transfer power to someone |
| Demagogue | A political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular passions and prejudices |
| Denote | Be a sign or indication of; have as a meaning |
| Dynasty | A succession of hereditery rulers |
| Eccentric | Departing from conventions in an odd, even bizarre way |
| Bizarre | Extremely odd, very unusual |
| Elitist | Someone who believes in rule by an elite group |
| Egoism | Concern for your own interests and welfare |
| Empirical | Derived from experiment and observation rather than theory |
| Ephemeral | Lasting a very short time |
| Ethnic | Pertaining to race |
| Existentialism | Philosophy that people are entirely free and thus responsible for what they make of themselves |
| Forensic | Applied in the establishment of facts or evidence in a court of law |
| Fresco | Painting using water colours on wet plaster |
| Fury | Feeling of intense anger |
| Ghetto | A run down, impoverished part of a city |
| Impoverished | Poor enough to need help from others |
| watchdog | A guardian or defender against theft or illegal practices or waste |
| Iconoclast | Someone who attacks cherished ideas or traditional institutions |
| Guerilla | A member of an irregular armed force that fights a stronger force by sabotage and harassment |
| In camera | In Private |
| Intelligentsia | An educated and intellectual elite |
| Interdict | Command against doing something |
| Iron Curtain | Frontier setup by communist block after World War II |
| Kudos | Acclaim for having crucially contributed to an achievement |
| Austere | severe in manner or appearance; uncompromising; strict |
| Sterile | Deficient in originality or creativity; free from microorganisms |
| Stagnant | Not circulating or flowing; not growing or changing |
| Vitality | A healthy capacity for vigorous activity |
| corona | One or more circles of light seen around a luminous object |
| subjugate | Make subservient; force to submit or subdue |
| Obstinate | Stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing |
| Surreptitious | Marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed |
| Stifle | To quell, crush, or end by force |
| Quell | to suppress; put an end to; extinguish |
| Extinguish | Put out, as of fires, flames, or lights |
| Eradicate | to remove or destroy utterly; extirpate |
| Annihilate | to reduce to utter ruin or nonexistence; destroy utterly |
| Juxtapose | Place side by side, for comparison |
| rhetoric | Using language effectively to please or persuade |
| Emasculate | Deprived of virility, strength, or vigor |
| Miniscule | Very small |
| magnanimous | Noble and generous in spirit |
| Splendour | A quality that outshines the usual |
| Grandeur | The quality of being magnificent or splendid |
| Magnificent | Characterized by grandeur |
| Outshine | Shine brighter than |
| Gleeful | Full of high-spirited delight |
| Effervescence | The property of giving off bubbles |
| Olympian | Far beyond what is usual in magnitude or degree |
| Sobriety | The state of being sober and not intoxicated by alcohol |
| Graveness | A manner that is serious and solemn |
| Somberness | gloomily dark; shadowy; dimly lighted |
| zeitgeist | The spirit of the time; the spirit characteristic of an age or generation |
| Provincial | narrow or illiberal |
| Resolute | Firm in purpose or belief; characterized by firmness and determination |
| Revelation | An enlightening or astonishing disclosure |
| Entourage | The group following and attending to some important person |
| Bona fide | Made, done, presented, etc., in good faith; without deception or fraud; not counterfeit |
| inextricable | Not permitting extrication; incapable of being disentangled or untied |
| inertia | A disposition to remain inactive |
| Preemptive | Designed or having the power to deter or prevent an anticipated situation or occurrence |
| irrefutable | Impossible to deny or disprove |
| Incontrovertible | Not open to question or dispute; indisputable |
| Espionage | The systematic use of spies to get military or political secrets |
| Thwart | Hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of |
| Exhaustive | Performed comprehensively and completely |
| Exfoliate | to throw off scales or flakes; peel off in thin fragments |
| Proliferate | Cause to grow or increase rapidly |
| Syntax | The grammatical arrangement of words in sentences |
| Causation | The act of causing something to happen |
| Satin | A smooth fabric of silk or rayon; has a glossy face and a dull back |
| Textile | Of or relating to fabrics or fabric making |
| Roster | A list of names |
| Pixy | Fairies that are somewhat mischievous |
| Imp | A little devil or demon; an evil spirit |
| Gremlin | A mischievous invisible being, said to cause trouble |
| Hob | A small grotesque supernatural creature that makes trouble for human beings |
| Elf | a diminutive person, of preternatural |
| elixer | A substance believed to cure all ills |
| Diminutive | Very small |
| Uncanny | Suggesting the operation of supernatural forces |
| Occult | Supernatural forces, events and beings collectively |
| Derivative | A compound obtained from, or regarded as derived from, another compound |
| Preternatural | Existing outside of or not in accordance with nature |
| Gargoyle | A grotesquely carved figure of a human or animal |
| Grotesque | Distorted and unnatural in shape or size; abnormal and hideous |
| Paternal | Characteristic of a father |
| Maternal | Characteristic of a mother |
| Unequivocally | In an unambiguous manner |
| Permissive | Not preventive |
| Implicit | Inherent in the nature of something; being without doubt or reserve |
| Gambit | An opening in which a player seeks to obtain some advantage by sacrificing a pawn or piece |
| Stratagem | A manoeuvre in a game or conversation |
| Locomotive | A wheeled vehicle consisting of a self-propelled engine that is used to draw trains along railway tracks |
| Accolade | A tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction |
| Edifice | A structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place |
| Gauge | Determine the capacity, volume, or contents of by measurement and calculation |
| Lopped | Cut off from a whole |
| Bastille | A jail or prison (especially one that is run in a tyrannical manner) |
| Dismay | The feeling of despair in the face of obstacles |
| Discourteous | Lacking social graces; rude |
| Virulent | Extremely poisonous or injurious; producing venom |
| Vernacular | Being or characteristic of or appropriate to everyday language |
| Theist | A believer in God |
| Tautology | Useless repetition |
| Tantalize | To tease or frustrate |
| Syndicate | A combination of people for some common purpose |
| Stoic | Indifferent to pleasure or pain |
| Spartan | Excedingly austere |
| Quintessential | Representing the perfect example of a class or quality |
| Monumental | Imposing in size or bulk or solidity |
| Continuum | A continuous extent, series, or whole |
| Prose | Ordinary writing as distinguished from verse |
| Coalesce | Mix together different elements; fuse or cause to grow together |
| Coagulate | Change from a liquid to a thickened or solid state |
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