| Term | Definition |
|---|
| achilles' heel | weak point |
| stentorian | very loud |
| mnemonic | assisting memory |
| fathom | understand, figure out |
| serendipity | ability to make lucky discoveries |
| desultory | random, aimless |
| pariah | social outcast |
| tawdry | showy and cheap |
| pecuniary | relating to money |
| impecunious | having little or no money |
| monarch | ruler |
| anarchy | absence of government or law |
| hierarchy | person or things arranged in graded series or rank |
| matriarch | woman who rules a family, clan, tribe, or group |
| patriarch | father or leader of a family or group, dignified old man |
| Spartan | severe, discipline, rigorous |
| gadfly | person who continually annoys others |
| homage | action showing respect or honor |
| spurn | scornfully refuse or reject |
| pedigree | ancestry or record of ancestry |
| pittance | small amount or portion |
| preposterous | ridiculous, obviously absurd |
| macabre | gruesome, horrible |
| farce | light comedy, slapstick, mockery, ridiculous |
| bombast | speech or writing that sounds grand or important but has little meaning |
| prerogative | exclusive or special right/privilege |
| interrogate | question formally, closely |
| arrogant | showing an excessive and unpleasant sense of superiority |
| abrogate | abolish, repeal, cancel, legally do away with |
| chimerical | given to wildly impossible plans, unrealistic, fantastic, impractical |
| asinine | stupid or silly |
| bellwether | leader |
| limbo | place or state of neglect; period awaiting change; in-between state |
| plagiarize | use ideas or writing of another and present them as one's own |
| titanic | enormous in size or strength |
| irony | expression that means the opposite of what is stated; event or result the opposite of what is expected |
| effete | worn-out, unproductive, barren |
| hyperbole | obviously extravagant statement or assertion |
| diabolical | outrageously wicked; cruel; devilish |
| durable | lasting a long time; resisting wear and decay |
| endure | exist, last, bear, put up with patiently |
| duration | time something lasts or continues |
| duress | force or threats to make someone do something |
| obdurate | stubborn, unyielding, hardhearted |
| dunce | stupid person |
| charlatan | deceiver who falsely claims to have knowledge or skill |
| sycophant | sickeningly humble self-seeking flatterer |
| anachronism | something out of its proper historical time; error of putting something in the wrong historical time |
| draconian | severe, harsh, cruel |
| plummet | fall rapidly straight down |
| fatal | causing or capable of causing death and destruction |
| nefarious | extremely wicked |
| vindicate | clear from blame, charges, criticism; justify |
| vindictive | revengeful |
| indict | accuse of crime, especially to put a subject on trial after being accused of a crime |
| malediction | curse |
| diction | style or choice of words, especially in regard to pronunciation |
| edict | public command or order by one in high authority |
| jurisdiction | legal authority, especially in regard to its range or extent |
| venerate | regard with great respect |
| sadistic | getting pleasure from hurting others |
| malapropism | ridiculous or humorous misuse of words |
| pragmatic | practical |
| disparage | refer to something as having little importance; speak slightly of |
| vegetate | lead a dull, inactive, useless life |
| adamant | unyielding, inflexible, definite |
| conjugal | adj. of marriage; pertaining to |
| abominable | utterly disgusting or hateful |
| ominous | threatening; suggestive of future evil |
| assent | agreement |
| dissent | disagree |
| presentiment | vague expectation or feeling of something about to happen |
| sententious | concise and full of meaning; using or full of proverbs and old sayings |
| sentiment | feeling or opinion |
| despotic | tyrannical, oppressive |
| gullible | easily deceived, tricked, or cheated |
| guile | deceit, treachery |
| exonerate | free from blame |
| cliche | expression, overworked expression, platitude |
| trite | ininteresting because of overuse; lacking originality and freshness |
| melancholy | sad, gloomy, depressed |
| sanguine | cheerful, confident, hopeful |
| consensus | general agreement, majority opinion, harmony |
| dissension | strong disagreement |
| sensual | enjoying bodily pleasures; pertaining to the body and the senses rather than the mind or spirirt |
| insensible | unable to feel; unaware, unconscious |
| insensitivity | inability to be affected by; lack of sensitivity |
| maverick | independent person |
| esoteric | known or understood by a select few |
| undermine | weaken gradually, injure or destroy secretly or underhandedly |
| alleviate | relieve, lessen or make more bearable |
| bacchanal | wild drunken party |
| hedonist | one who lives only for pleasure |
| nihilist | one who rejects all religious, moral, and traditional values, practices and institutions |
| somnolent | sleepy, drowsy, causing sleep |
| diatribe | violent, angry, bitter attack in words |
| tribulation | great suffering, misery, or distress |
| avert | turn away, prevent |
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