| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Acrid | sharp; pungent (used of smells and tastes) |
| Boorish | ill-mannered |
| Cynical | believing that people act only out of selfish motives |
| Epistle | a letter (form of communication) |
| Heresy | against orthodox opinion |
| Lance | spear; spike; javelin |
| Obscure | difficult to understand; partially hidden |
| Poignant | deeply moving; strongly affecting the emotions |
| Respite | a break; intermission |
| Terse | concise; to the point |
| Acrophobia | fear of heights |
| Bourgeois | middle class |
| Debility | weakness; incapacity |
| Epistolary | concerned with letters; through correspondence |
| Hiatus | interruption; pause |
| Languid | tired; slow |
| Obscured | hidden; covered; buried |
| Poised | calm; collected; self-possessed |
| Resplendent | shining; glowing |
| Therapeutic | medicinal; curative |
| Acuity | sharpness (mental or visual) |
| Braggart | someone who boasts |
| Debunking | exposing false claims or myths |
| Epitomized | typified; characterized; personified |
| Hidebound | rigid in opinions |
| Languish | decay; fade away; get weaker |
| Obsequious | servile; submissive |
| Polemical | causing debate or argument |
| Restorative | a tonic |
| Thwart | prevent; frustrate |
| Adamant | forceful; inflexible |
| Brawny | muscular |
| Decathlon | an athletic competition with ten events |
| Equivocate | speak ambiguously; avoid telling the truth |
| Hieroglyphics | 1. picture writing; 2. writing which is difficult to read or enigmatic |
| Larceny | theft; robbery; stealing |
| Obsession | a dominating concern |
| Ponderous | weighty; slow and heavy |
| Retention | preservation; withholding |
| Timorous | cowardly; fearful |
| Adroit | skilful |
| Brevity | being brief |
| Decorum | dignified, correct behavior [decorous (a)] |
| Err | make a mistake |
| Hinder | obstruct |
| Largess | generosity |
| Obsolete | no longer valid |
| Pontificate | speak pompously or dogmatically |
| Reticent | restrained; holding something back; uncommunicative |
| Tirade | stream of verbal abuse |
| Adulation | strong admiration; worship |
| Bristle | to show irritation |
| Decoy | lure; trap; trick |
| Erratic | wandering; irregular |
| Histrionic | theatrical; exaggerated |
| Laud | praise |
| Obstreperous | noisy and boisterous |
| Portend | foretell |
| Retraction | withdrawal; cancellation of a statement |
| Titter | giggle quietly |
| Adversity | hardship |
| Broach | start to discuss; approach |
| Deference | respect |
| Esoteric | obscure and difficult to understand |
| Hoary | old |
| Lavish | on a grand scale; wasteful |
| Obtuse | mentally dull |
| Portent | a warning sign; omen |
| Revere | worship |
| Tome | large book |
| Advocate | support |
| Brusque | blunt; abrupt |
| Defoliate | cause leaves to fall off |
| Espouse | promote; take up; support |
| Hone | sharpen; increase; whet |
| Lax | careless; not strict |
| Obviate | avoid; make unnecessary |
| Poseur | someone who puts on an act |
| Riddled | full of (usually full of holes) |
| Torpid | inactive; lazy; stagnant |
| Aesthetic | concerning art or beauty |
| Bulwark | fortification; barricade; wall |
| Defunct | no longer in existence |
| Etymology | the study of word origins |
| Hyperbole | grossly exaggerated speech |
| Legend | 1. key to map; 2. myth or story |
| Odious | hateful |
| Posterity | future generations |
| Rife | common |
| Torpor | dormancy; sluggishness; inactivity |
| Affable | friendly; social; easygoing |
| Bureaucracy | officialdom |
| Degradation | deprivation; poverty; debasement |
| Eulogy | praise |
| Hypochondriac | a person obsessed with health; having imaginary illnesses |
| Legion | in large numbers |
| Officious | domineering; intrusive; meddlesome |
| Posthumous | after death |
| Rigor | thoroughness |
| Totter | walk unsteadily |
Combine with other sets
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