| abbreviate | to make briefer, to shorten |
| abridge | to shorten, to reduce |
| abstain | to refrain, to hold back |
| acrimonious | biting, harsh, caustic |
| adulation | extreme admiration |
| adversity | misfortune |
| affected | false, artificial |
| alacrity | promptness, speed |
| alleviate | to make lighter or more bearable |
| ambivalent | having two or more contradictory feelings or attitudes; uncertain |
| amicable | friendly, peaceable |
| anachronistic | out of the proper time |
| anomaly | something different or irregular |
| antiseptic | fighting infection; extremely clean |
| arable | able to be cultivated for growing crops |
| arbitrary | based on random or merely personal preference |
| ascetic | practicing strict self-discipline for moral or spiritual reasons |
| astute | observant, intelligent, and shrewd |
| audacious | bold, daring, adventurous |
| auspicious | promising good fortune; propitious |
| belated | delayed past the proper time |
| benevolent | wishing or doing good |
| bereft | lacking or deprived of something |
| bourgeois | middle-class or reflecting middle class values |
| camaraderie | a spirit of friendship |
| capricious | unpredictable, willful, whimsical |
| caustic | burning, corrosive |
| circumlocution | speaking in a roundabout way; wordiness |
| circumvent | to get around |
| cloying | overly sweet or sentimental |
| cognizant | aware, mindful |
| collaborate | to work together |
| competent | having the skill and knowledge needed for a particular task; capable |
| composure | calm, self-assurance |
| concise | expressed briefly and simply; succinct |
| condolence | pity for someone else's sorrow or loss; sympathy |
| conformity | agreement with or adherence to custom or rule |
| consolation | relief of comfort in sorrow or suffering |
| consummate | to complete, finish or perfect |
| contemporary | modern, current; from the same time |
| convoluted | twisting, complicated, intricate |
| criterion | a standard of measurement or judgment |
| curtail | to shorten |
| debunk | to expose as false or worthless |
| decry | to criticize or condemn |
| delegate | to give authority or responsibility |
| demure | modest or shy |
| derivative | taken from a particular source |
| destitute | very poor |
| diffident | hesitant, reserved, shy |
| digress | to wander from the main path or the main |