| PROVIDENT (PRAH-vi-dint) | Thrifty, economical, saving or providing for future needs |
| IMPUTE (im-PYOOT) | To charge or attribute, especially with a fault or misconduct |
| ASTUTE (uh-STYOOT) | Shrewd, clever, perceptive, discerning, acute |
| NEOPHYTE (NEE-uh-fyt) | A beginner, novice, amateur, tyro |
| ENIGMA (i-NIG-muh) | A mystery, puzzle, riddle; perplexing problem |
| CREDENCE (KREE-dins) | Belief, acceptance, especially belief in a published report or acceptance of another's opinion |
| VENERATE (VEN-uh-rayt) | To respect deeply, revere, regard with awe and adoration |
| GARRULOUS (GAR-uh-lus, also GAR-yuh-lus) | Talkative in a rambling, annoying, pointless, or long-winded way |
| TRENCHANT (TREN-chent) | Having keenness and forcefulness and penetration in thought, expression, or intellect; Clearly or sharply defined to the mind |
| AUTONOMOUS (aw-TAHN-uh-mus) | Independent, self-governing |
| PANACEA (PAN-uh-SEE-uh) | A cure-all, universal antidote, remedy for all diseases and difficulties |
| EPHEMERAL (e-FEM-ur-ul) | Short-lived, passing, fleeting, lasting for a short time |
| ONEROUS (AHN-ur-us) | Burdensome, troublesome, hard to bear or endure |
| LAITY (LAY-i-tee) | Nonprofessionals, laypeople collectively |
| PUNGENT (PUN-jint) | Sharp, penetrating, biting, acrid, caustic |
| PROSAIC (proh-ZAY-ik) | Dull, ordinary, uninteresting, unimaginative; Not fanciful; Not challenging; lacking excitement |
| CHARLATAN (SHAR-luh-tin) | A fake, quack, impostor, fraud, humbug |
| PERFUNCTORY (pur-FUNGK-tuh-ree) | done merely as a duty, As a formality only; Hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough |
| MORASS (muh-RAS or maw-RAS) | A swamp, marsh, bog; something that traps, confines, or confuses |
| SOPHISTRY (SAH-fis-tree) | Deceptive reasoning, subtle and misleading argument |
| PROLIFIC (proh-LIF-ik) | Fruitful, fertile, productive |
| MUNDANE (muhn-DAYN) | Of the world, worldly, earthly |
| MYRIAD (MIR-ee-id) | Countless, innumerable, infinite |
| DISSIDENT (DIS-uh-dint) | Disagreeing, disaffected, dissenting, nonconformist |
| LAUDABLE (LAW-duh-buul) | Praiseworthy, commendable, worthy of approval or admiration |
| INIMITABLE (in-IM-i-tuh-buul) | Unable to be imitated, copied, or reproduced |
| JADED (JAY-did) | Worn out, tired, fatigued, weary, exhausted |
| MYOPIC (my-AHP-ik) | Short-sighted; having a narrow or circumscribed view; |
| DEMONSTRABLE (di-MAHN-struh-buul) | Capable of being demonstrated, able to be proved. |
| CALLOW (KAL-oh) | Immature, inexperienced, unsophisticated |
| ACQUIESCE (ak-wee-ES) | To agree without protest, accept without argument |
| PONTIFICATE (pahn-TIF-i-kayt) | To speak in a pompous and overbearing way; make pretentious or categorical statements; |
| DELETERIOUS (DEL-i-TEER-ee-us) | Harmful, destructive, injurious, detrimental |
| AMBIVALENT (am-BIV-u-lunt) | Uncertain, indecisive; having conflicting feelings or desires |
| PENSIVE (rhymes with intensive) | Thoughtful, especially in a deep, dreamy, or melancholy way |
| IMPROMPTU (im-PRAHMP-ty-oo) | Made up or done on the spur of the moment |
| CONJECTURE (kuhn-JEK-chur) | the forming of an opinion or conclusion without having enough evidence, (syns.) guesswork, speculation |
| SURREPTITIOUS (SUH- or SUR-rip-TISH-us) | Stealthy; characterized by secrecy and caution |
| EXEMPLARY (eg-ZEM-pluh-ree) | Worthy of imitation, praiseworthy, commendable |
| IMPECCABLE (im-PEK-uh-buul) | Perfect, faultless, flawless; free from faults or imperfections |
| ATTEST (uh-TEST) | To affirm to be true, genuine, or correct; certify or authenticate officially |
| COPIOUS (KOH-pee-us) | Abundant, plentiful, large in amount or number |
| FALLACIOUS (fuh-LAY-shus) | False, misleading, deceptive, invalid |
| STOIC (STOH-ik) | Showing no feelings, unemotional person, unaffected by pleasure or pain |
| RECRIMINATION (ri-KRIM-i-NAY-shin) | A countercharge or counter-accusation |
| AFFINITY (uh-FIN-i-tee) | Close resemblance; similarity, connection |
| VOLATILE (VAHL-uh-tuul) | Changeable, unstable, inconstant |
| SQUALID (SKWAH-lid) | Morally degraded (eg: "the _____ atmosphere of intrigue and betrayal"); Foul and run-down and repulsive (eg: "a _____ overcrowded apartment in the poorest part of town"; "______ living conditions") |
| EXPEDITE (EKS-puh-dyt) | To speed up, hasten, facilitate, accelerate |
| ABJECT (AB-jekt or ab-JEKT) | (adj) Of the most contemptible kind (eg: ____ cowardice); Showing humiliation or submissiveness (eg: an ____ apology); Most unfortunate or miserable (eg: "the most ____ slaves joined in the revolt"; "_____ poverty") |
