| Term | Definition |
|---|
| gratuitous | not called for, unnecessary, without charge, free |
| curtail | to cut short, reduce |
| malign | to say negative or unfair things about, slander |
| smattering | superficial, scattered knowledge |
| accolade | expression of approval or respect for special merit, an award |
| chary | excising caution, hesitant |
| decrepit | worn out with use, broken down |
| affinity | attraction for someone or something with which one feels closeness or kinship |
| engender | to bring about, produce |
| inexorable | not able to be persuaded, stopped, or moved by entreaty or plea, relentless |
| baleful | expressing hatred or evil, harmful, ominous |
| circumvent | to avoid through craftiness |
| compunction | a feeling of uneasiness or anxiety caused by guilt |
| diminutive | very small, tiny |
| recompense | to pay or compensate |
| lacerate | to tear or cut roughly |
| desultory | proceeding or carried out in an aimless or random way |
| galvanize | to excite or arouse action |
| implement | tool or instrument |
| gossamer | thin,sheer fabric resembling gauze, thin filmy substance made from cobwebs |
| ignominious | marked by, deserving, or causing shame or disgrace |
| incur | to bring upon oneself something undesirable, such as a debt |
| onerous | burdensome, oppressive |
| quixotic | romantic and idealistic, but not practical |
| disparage | to criticize in a negative, disrespectful manner |
| plethora | to a great number, an excess |
| burgeon | to grow and expand rapidly, to flourish |
| panacea | something that is supposed to cure all ills or difficulties, a cure all |
| catharsis | releasing of the emotions, often through the art, that brings about spiritual renewal or a relieving or tension |
| stalwart | strong, sturdy |
| aberration | departure from the norm or what is considered right, natural, or normal, a flaw or defect,the failure or a mirror or lens to reproduce an image or focus |
| intractable | hard to manage , tame, or control, stubborn, not easily cured |
| juxtapose | to place side by side |
| beleaguer | to besiege, to surround with army, to surround with troubles, harass |
| scathing | harshly critical |
| laudatory | full of praise |
| allocate | to set aside for a specific purpose, to allot |
| halcyon | calm,peaceful and happy, prosperous |
| hyperbole | extravagant exaggeration |
| importune | to plead for persistently |
| ruminate | to think over and over again, to ponder, the act of pondering, reflection |
| august | inspiring great respect or admiration , noble |
| mellifluous | sweetly flowing, pleasant to the ear |
| ebullient | bubbling with enthusiasm, high spirits |
| fatuous | foolish, silly, stupid |
| harbinger | person or thing that is a symbol of what's to come |
| neophyte | beginner, novice |
| fortuitous | happening by lucky chance, accidental |
| esoteric | not generally known or understood, familiar only to a relatively small group of people |
| tenacious | holding fast, persistent in adhering to something valued or habitual |
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