| Term | Definition |
|---|
| amnesia | A loss of memory, usually caused by shock or injury. A gap in one's memory |
| appease | To bring to a state of peace or quiet. To pacify an adversary, often by making concessions. |
| attrition | A gradual reduction in numbers or loss of strength. A weakening resulting from pressure or harassment. |
| debacle | A sudden collapse, downfall, or failure. |
| defoliate | To strip a plant of leaves, thereby damaging or destroying it. |
| equestrian | Having to do with horseback riding. One who rides on horseback. |
| expunge | To obliterate or erase completely. |
| hackneyed | Commonplace; trite; lacking forcing or significane became of overuse |
| opprobrium | Scornful treatment or contempt, especially as a result of disgraceful behavior. |
| proviso | A statement that makes a condition, qualification, or restriction |
| sully | To soil, tarnish, or besmirch. |
| tactile | Relating to or perceptible by the sense of touch. |
| upbraid | To scold or criticize severely; to find fault with. |
| verdant | Green with vegetation; covered with green plants |
| vertex | The opposite and farthest from the base; summit. |
| attenuate | To make or become thin. To lessen the amount, force, or value of. |
| behemoth | Something or someone of enormous size or power. |
| disinter | To remove from a grave or tomb; to dig up. |
| impinge | To go beyond desirable or established limits; to encroach. To come into contact with, especially forcefully. |
| multifarious | Having many forms; varied, versatile. |
| oxymoron | A combination of words that seem to be contradictory. |
| plentitude | An ample amount; an abundance. |
| postulate | To assume as a fact based on the best available evidence. Something assumed to be self-evident; a fundamental principle. |
| prevail | To prove superior in power or strength. To remain in effect or use; to be current or widespread. |
| putrefy | To become rotten or decayed, giving off a foul odor. |
| salubrious | Beneficial to health or well-being. |
| succulent | Fresh and juicy. |
| tundra | Flat, treeless plains of the arctic regions. |
| unequivocal | Leaving no room for misunderstanding; unambiguous. |
| vicissitudes | Fluctuations in conditions; changes of fortunes. |
| amity | Peaceful relations; friendship. |
| animadversion | A critical or hostile comment. |
| antithetical | Being in direct and outspoken opposition. |
| bellicose | Inclined to quarrel; combative; warlike. |
| bucolic | Of or relating to country life; rustic; pastoral. |
| craven | Utterly lacking courage; willing to give up or capitulate. |
| exalt | To raise in rank, wealth, or honor; to praise highly; glorify. |
| impugn | To attack as false; to call into question. |
| introspective | Inclined to look inward and examine one's thoughts and feelings. |
| metier | Work or activity for which one is particularly suited. |
| penurious | Marked by extreme poverty. Stingy; lacking generosity. |
| privation | An instance or condition of extreme hardship; a lack of comfort. |
| sobriquet | A nickname. |
| tantamount | Equivalent to; the same as. |
| throes | Conditions of painful or difficult change, struggle, or turmoil. |
| altruism | The putting of others' well-being ahead of one's own; unselfishness. |
| concurrent | Taking place at the same time; simultaneous. |
| context | The circumstances in which something exists or occurs. The sorroundings of a word or phrase in a spoken or written passage. |
| crass | Lacking delicacy or sensativity; gross. |
| cuisine | Style of cooking. |
| debase | To lower the quality, character, or status of; to devalue. |
| enjoin | To direct or command. To forbid or prohibit. |
| extemporaneous | Composed or performed on the spur of the moment, with little or no planning. |
| genesis | An origin, creation, or beginning. |
| libation | A liquid, usually wine, especially when poured as an offering or drunk as part of a ceremony. |
| malaise | A vague feeling of uneasiness or unwellness. |
| platitude | A thought or remark that is dull or trite. |
| reconcile | To reestablish an amicable relationship. To bring to quiet submission. To bring into harmony or agreement. |
| sunder | To break or force apart; to sever. |
| travail | Activity that is arduous and burdensome; toil. Suffering or anguish. |
| abeyance | A state of (usually temporary) inactivity or suspension. |
| buttress | A projecting structure that supports a wall or building. Anything that supports or protects. To support or strengthen. |
| commensurate | Corresponding in size, degree, or amount; proportionate; of equal value. |
| dilatory | Slow to act or repsond; delaying, tardy. |
| ecumenical | Universal; inclusive, especially concerning religious matters. |
| facade | The front or face of a building. A superficial appearance; an illusion. |
| gargoyle | A grotesque stone figure used as a decorative feature on a building or as an ornament; a spout projecting |
| moot | To debate, suggest, or discuss. Deprived of significance; irrelevant. |
| pinnacle | A tall, slender pointed top; peak. The highest point of achievement. |
| requiem | A funeral mass or service; a musical composition honoring the dead. |
| sacrosanct | Highly sacred or holy; not to be violated. |
| sensuous | Coming from or acting on the senses. Producing an agreeable effect on the senses. |
| tenet | A principle or belief held to be true, especially by memebers of an organization. |
| transcend | To go beyond the limits of; to exceed or surpass. |
| venue | The scene or locale of any action or event; the place of an alleged crime. |
| arbiter | One whose decisions are accepted as final; a judge. |
| conclave | A private meeting or secret assembly. |
| concomitant | Accompanying; occupying or existing at the same time. |
| coterie | An intimate or exclusive group; a clique. |
| demur | To raise objections; to withold one's approval or agreement. |
| entice | To lead or persuade by arousing desire or hope; allure. |
| flaunt | To parade or display conspicuously or boldly. |
| genteel | Polite, elegant, stylish; sometimes overly so. |
| graphic | Evoking a sharp mental picture; vivid. Concerning the pictorial arts, as drawing, painting, etc. |
| inimical | Expressing hostility or unfriendly intent. Having adverse or harmful effects. |
| inordinate | Beyond what is ordinary or reasonable in amount or scope; excessive. |
| ludicrous | Provoking or describing laughter because of absurdity; ridiculous. |
| oligarchy | Government by a small, elite group. |
| redoubtable | Worthy of respect; formidable. |
| repugnant | Highly distasteful; offensive; repulsive. |
| archives | Public or institutional records, especially historical documents that are preserved; the place where such records are kept. |
| chattel | An item of propery that can be moved, as distinct from real estate. A human being considered as property. |
| commodious | Having plenty of space to move around feely; roomy. |
| conflagration | A large, disastrous fire. |
| limbo | A place or state of neglect, oblivion, or transition. |
| lineage | Line of descent; ancestry. |
| listless | Indifferent, spiritless; showing a lack of motivation or interest. |
| metropolis | An important city, especially one regarded as the center of a particular activity. |
| perfunctory | Done in a routine way, without care or particular interest |
| pristine | Like new; spotless; free of dirt and decay. |
| ramshackle | Loosely made; appearing ready to collapse; dilapidated. |
| sequester | To set apart; to seclude. To seize, especially by legal authority. |
| subversive | Planning to undermine or overthrow an established order. To undermine the morals, authority, or allegiance of. |
| terminus | The final destination or goal of a journey or endeavor; the finishing point. |
| virulent | Extremely harmful or poisonous; deadly. Full of hate; bitter or spiteful. |
| autocratic | Exercising sole or complete control; dictatorial. Absolute rule by a single person. |
| caustic | Capable of destroying tissue by chemical action; corrosive. |
| debilitate | To impair the strength of; to enfeeble. |
| duplicitous | Marked by deception. Deceit in speech or actions; deliberate deception. |
| emissary | A representative sent on a special errand. |
| felicitous | Happily suited to an occasion or situation; appropriate and graceful. |
| forthright | Direct; straightforward; frank. |
| impecunious | Being habitually without money; poor. |
| jaundiced | Of an unheatlthy yellow appearance. Affected by jealousy, resentment, or hostility. |
| mercenary | Serving merely for money or gain; greedy. A soldier who fights for whoever pays him. |
| notorious | Well known for a particular quality or trait, often an unfavorable one. |
| oust | To eject from a position or place; to drive out of use. |
| parsimonious | Excessively sparing or frugal; penurious. |
| pejorative | Having negative or unpleasant associations; belittling. |
| percept | A general principle or rule of action. |
| bereft | Deprived of or lacking something that is wanted or needed. |
| criterion | A standard or rule by which something is judged, or criticized. |
| deride | To laugh at in scorn or contempt; to ridicule. |
| effrontrey | A boldness that is offensive because of its lack of tact; audacity. |
| espouse | To advoacte or embrace, especially a cause or idea. |
| hypocrisy | The practice of pretending to believe or value things or ideas that one does not; falseness. |
| impending | About to occur; imminent. |
| incensed | Filled with wrath; enraged. |
| pertinent | Relating to the matter at hand; relevant. |
| promulgate | To proclaim or make known. |
| proscribe | To forbid as harmful; to prohibit. |
| redress | To correct or compensate for a wrong. Something that makes up for a wrong. |
| regime | A form of rule or government. |
| retribution | Something given in repayment, especially punishment; recompense. |
| substantiate | To verify or confirm by presenting evidence. |
| aegis | Protection; sponsorship. |
| bauble | A showy, ornamental object with little practical use; a trinket. |
| complaisant | Willing to please; agreeable. |
| consolidate | To join together; to unite. To strengthen or make firm. |
| depredation | The act of plundering or destroying; also, the loss or damage that results. |
| epiphany | A sudden understanding of the meaning, essence, or reality of something. |
| moratorium | A waiting period or temporary ban on activity. |
| pendulous | Hanging loosely or swinging freely. |
| portend | To be a sign of; to indicate what will happen. |
| pragmatic | Concerned with practical solutions rather than abstract theory. |
| reprieve | To delay or suspend punishment. A relief or respite, especially when temporary. |
| stentorian | Extremely loud or powerful in sound. |
| tenure | The condition of holding property, an office, or a position; also the period during which it is held. |
| unilateral | Done or carried out by one of two or more parties rather than in concert with others. |
| viable | Capable of living, growing, or developing. Capable of success; workable. |
| ambidextrous | Able to use both hands with equal skill. |
| antipathy | A consistent aversion or dislike. |
| deleterious | Hurtful; injurious. |
| excoriate | To criticize severely; to berate. |
| extrapolate | To estimate or infer by projecting from or expanding upon known information. |
| grisly | Horrible to contimplate or look upon; grim and ghastly. |
| idiosyncrasy | A peculiar characteristic, habit, or manner that distinguishes a person. |
| impute | To assign blame or credit; to attribute or ascribe. |
| maladroit | Lacking judgment or skill; bungling or clumsy. |
| negate | To deny or refute the existence or truth of. |
| passe | No longer in fashion; out moded. |
| pedagogue | A teacher of children or youth; sometimes one who is dogmatic or overly formal. |
| preponderance | The greater part; superiority in size, importance, or strength. |
| propound | To put forward for consideration; to propose. |
| stance | The way a person stands; the position of a person's feet. A position regarding politics or ideas; point of view. |
Combine with other sets
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace