| Term | Definition |
|---|
| permeate | spread throughout |
| etymology | the study of word origins |
| prevaricator | liar |
| nefarious | extremely wicked; evil |
| gregarious | friendly; outgoing; sociable |
| ostracize | to banish or exclude |
| diurnal | during the day time |
| officious | meddlesome; like a busybody |
| stereotyped | a preconceived idea |
| stilted | pompous; overly formal |
| askance | disapprovingly |
| inscrutable | difficult to understand |
| insidious | harmful but hardly noticeable |
| insouciance | lack of care or concern |
| intercessor | mediator or go-between |
| interstices | gaps or spaces |
| intransigent | stubborn |
| intrepid | brave |
| foment | to cause; stir up |
| fortuitous | fortunate |
| aphorism | a wise, old saying |
| aplomb | self confidence; composure |
| maudlin | overly sentimental |
| apocryphal | suspicious; suspect |
| appurtenances | accessories |
| arabesque | intricate design of fine lines |
| archaic | old fashioned |
| archipelago | a chain of islands |
| grandiloquent | pompous |
| pandemonium | chaos |
| panegyric | a speech in praise |
| fraught | full of (negative) |
| fructify | to make fruitful or productive |
| arterial | a major carrier |
| nemesis | an arch enemy |
| nepotism | favoritism shown towards relatives |
| niggardly | stingy |
| noisome | foul smelling |
| peripatetic | wandering or nomadic |
| nominal | small in value |
| nonplussed | being puzzled or confused and upset |
| grotesque | hideous and bizarre |
| habiliments | clothes or garments |
| hackneyed | overused; trite |
| haggard | exhausted |
| panoramic | wide or far-ranging |
| paradox | a contradiction |
| verbatim | in exactly the same words; word-for-word |
| verbiage | wordiness |
| polyglot | multilingual (one who is) |
| verbose | wordy |
| exorbitant | excessive or unreasonable |
| verdant | lush and green; lush |
| aridity | dryness; barrenness |
| modicum | a small amount |
| momentous | very important or critical |
| monograph | a long, formal written work |
| modulate | to adjust |
| mollify | to calm; soothe |
| buttress | to strengthen; reinforce |
| cacophony | noise |
| descry | glimpse |
| shoddy | poorly made |
| shibboleth | a catch-phrase |
| shrew | a harsh, bitter woman |
| discursive | rambling; digressive |
| sidle | to move sideways; side-step |
| feign | to pretend or to mask |
| disheveled | messy or disorderly |
| disparaging | derogatory; insulting |
| disparity | a vast difference; inequality |
| sinecure | a well paid position or job with little work |
| sinister | threatening or evil |
| dispersion | a scattering |
| dissemble | to fake; pretend |
| skeptical | doubting |
| skittish | easily frigtened |
| sober | serious; serious-minded |
| soiree | an evening party or social gathering |
| solicitous | overly protective |
| disseminate | to broadcast |
| dissent | to disagree; to argue against |
| dissonance | noise: often used to mean disagreement |
| dissuade | to persuade against; to discourage |
| distraught | hysterical |
| divulge | to reveal |
| sophisticated | refined; cultured |
| soporific | causing sleepiness or drowsiness |
| spasmodic | intermittent; convulsive |
| specious | suspect; suspicious |
| doleful | sad; mournful |
| flout | to defy; to disobey openly |
| dogma | a set of beliefs |
| ductile | malleable |
| dulcet | melodious; sweet-sounding |
| duplicity | lying; deception |
| whimsical | unplanned; spontaneous |
| spurious | false; fake |
| squalid | filthy |
| ebullient | extremely happy |
| ecstatic | extremely happy or excited |
| edict | an official decree |
| edification | improvement |
| staid | serious; serious minded |
| stark | plain; bleak |
| stentorian | very loud |
| precocious | overly mature |
| sheen | a shine |
| scathing | very critical |
| deviation | a change; a difference |
| devoid | empty; lacking |
| diaphanous | shiny and transparent |
| diatribe | a bitter or abusive speech |
| didactic | entertaining and instructive |
| diffident | shy; timid |
| reticent | reluctant to speak |
| retract | to withdraw; to take back |
| retrench | to economize; to cut back |
| dilatory | late; tardy |
| dilettante | a "poser" |
| diminutive | small; little |
| discordant | disagreeing |
| anathema | someone or something that is hated |
| retrograde | to worsen; decline |
| animadversion | an insult; a put down |
| animated | lively |
| anomaly | abnormality |
| chronic | constant; frequent |
| reverie | a daydream |
| lucid | clear-minded; clear-thinking |
| ludicrous | ridiculous; absurd |
| malign | to put down; to mock |
| rococo | overly decorated |
| homogeneous | similar; the same |
| writhe | to squirm; to twist (in pain or pleasure) |
| zenith | highest point; peak |
| desideratum | something wanted; a goal; an aim |
| despicable | revolting or disgusting (an action) |
| destitution | poverty |
| desuetude | uselessness; obsolescence |
| apparition | a ghost; a phantom |
| gouge | to dig out; to force out |
| preclude | to make impossible |
| derogatory | insulting; belittling |
| parochial | narrow-minded; narrow in focus |
| trepidation | fear or dread |
| trenchant | intelligent; insightful |
| truncated | cut short; shortened |
| truculent | fierce |
| sinuous | curvy; winding |
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