| Term | Definition |
|---|
| abate | to lessen in violence or intensity |
| decorum | proper behavior |
| abhor | to hate strongly |
| dole | to give out sparingly |
| gamut | the whole range or extent |
| extrovert | one who is outgoing; one who is energized rather than drained by interactions with others |
| droll | amusing in an odd or whimsical way |
| duplicity | intentional deceit in speech or conduct |
| effigy | a crude dummy or image representing a hated person or group |
| austere | stern; severe; plain |
| emulate | to strive to be equal; to imitate |
| sere | dry and withered |
| enhance | to increase the value or beauty of something |
| contrite | feeling regret for having committed some wrongdoing |
| magnanimous | noble; generous in forgiving; free from petty feelings or acts |
| enunciate | to state clearly and distinctly; to pronounce |
| collaborate | to work with another toward a goal |
| impound | to confine; to retain in legal custody |
| impeccable | faultless; without sin or blemish |
| evoke | to summon forth |
| inane | without sense or meaning; silly |
| unctuous | exaggeratedly polite |
| expatriate | someone who chooses to live outside of, or renounce, his or her native country |
| heinous | hatefully or shockingly evil |
| expound | to explain in detail |
| cajole | to persuade with false promises |
| inscrutable | not easily understood; hard to fathom |
| balk | to refuse stubbornly; to stop short and refuse to go on |
| acrimony | ill-natured, bitter hostility |
| dour | stern and ill-humored |
| exult | to rejoice |
| omniscient | having unlimited knowledge |
| feasible | reasonable |
| fiasco | a complete failure |
| metier | the work one is especially suited for; an occupation |
| fluctuate | to rise and fall |
| harry | to annoy or harass |
| incognito | disguised |
| lethargy | lack of energy; sluggishness |
| epistle | a letter or literary composition in letter form |
| avid | extremely interested |
| gadfly | an irritating and persistent person |
| humility | absence of vanity; humbleness |
| dolorous | exhibiting sorrow or pain |
| gargantuan | of huge and extraordinary size and power |
| arduous | difficult; requiring much effort |
| affable | friendly; agreeable; easy to talk to |
| grandiloquent | high-flown in speech |
| agrarian | concerning farms, farmers, or the use of land |
| grimace | a facial expression of fear; disapproval, or pain |
| harangue | a long, strongly expressed speech or lecture |
| formidable | arousing fear or awe |
| sycophant | a flatterer; one who fawns on others in order to gain favor |
| explicit | clearly and openly stated; leaving nothing to the imagination |
| altercation | a heated argument |
| lexicon | a dictionary |
| hue | a particular shade of a given color |
| galvanize | to startle into sudden activity |
| sanction | permission; support |
| hyperbole | extreme exaggeration for effect and not meant to be taken literally |
| ominous | threatening; foreboding evil |
| audacity | rude boldness; nerve |
| evince | to demonstrate clearly; to prove |
| implacable | unable to be appeased or pacified |
| exhort | to urge on with stirring words |
| incarcerate | to put into prison; to confine |
| incisive | sharp; cutting straight to the heart of the matter |
| expedient | practical; proving an immediate advantage |
| pertinent | having to do with the subject at hand; relevant |
| inert | unable to act or move; inactive; sluggish |
| circumvent | to get around; to bypass |
| clandestine | secret |
| acquit | to find not guilty of a fault or crime |
| deprecate | to express strong disapproval of |
| barrister | lawyer (British) |
| adulation | excessive praise or admiration |
| culinary | having to do with the kitchen or cooking |
| bawdy | indecent; humorously obscene; dirty |
| chastise | to punish severely |
| jocose | joking; humorous |
| myriad | a very large number; too numerous to be counted |
| latent | present; but not active; hidden |
| pernicious | destructive; deadly |
| frugal | thrifty; economical in money matters |
| levity | lack of seriousness |
| hoax | a practical joke; a trick |
| amicable | friendly; peaceable |
| obstreperous | stubborn and defiant |
| enraptured | delighted beyond measure |
| marital | having to do with marriage |
| bask | to expose oneself to pleasant warmth |
| genial | friendly; amiable |
| charlatan | one who pretends to have knowledge in order to swindle others |
| mundane | commonplace; earthly and not spiritual |
| fickle | likely to change on a whim or without apparent reason |
| juggernaut | a terrible destructive or irresistible force |
| naive | simple in outlook; not affected or worldly; especially innocent |
| nocturnal | having to do with the night; occurring at night |
| novice | a beginner; one who is inexperienced |
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