| magnanimous | generous in forgiving an insult/injury, big-hearted |
| meretricious | alluring by a show of flashy or vulgar attractions |
| metamorphosis | a complete change of form |
| milieu | surroundings (social or cultural) |
| missive | a written messag; letter. (sent or about to be sent) |
| moiety | an indefinite portion |
| nomenclature | a set or system of names or terms |
| nonsectarian | not affiliated with or limited to a specific religious denomination |
| oligarchy | form of government ruled by a dominent power |
| obdurate | unmoved by persuasion,pitty, or tender feelings |
| obsequious | characterized by or showing servile complasiance or deference |
| obtuse | not quick or alert in perception, dull |
| onerous | burdensome, oppressive, or troublesome |
| ostensible | outwardly appearing as such: professed, pretended |
| obstreperous | resisting control or restraint in a difficult manner; unruly |
| oleaginous | having the qualities/natures of oil |
| palliate | to relieve or lessen without couring; alleviate |
| paradigm | example of such as a model |
| parse | to analyze in terms of grammatical constituents |
| parsimony | extreme or excessive economy or frugality; stinginess |
| peccant | guilty of a moral offense |
| peculate | to steal or to take dishonestly |
| pecuniary | of or pertaining to money |
| pedestrian | going or performed on foot; walking |
| pejorative | having a belittling effect, (pejorative word)=dergatory |
| penumbra | dim light, shadow |
| pilloried | to expose, ridicule, abuse (wooden post) |
| prescient | knowledge of things before they exist or happen |
| prevaricate | to speak falsely or missleadingly; lie |
| promulgate | to make known by open declaration, teach publicly |
| propinquity | Nearness; close |
| prosaic | commonplace or dull, unimaginative |
| punctilious | strict or exact in the observance or the conduct of actions |
| quixotic | impulsive, rashly, unpredictable |
| quotidian | usual or customary; everyday, reaccuring daily |
| recapitulate | to review by a brief summary |
| recondite | dealing with very profound or difficult subject matter |
| redolent | having a pleasant odor |
| remonstrate | to plead in protest, objection, or disapproval |
| rubicund | red or reddish |
| sanguine | cheerfully optimistic, hopeful/confident. (N)- red iron-oxide color |
| schwa | unstressed vowel |
| sesquipedalian | given to use long words containing many syllables |
| sinecure | office/position requiring little/no work |
| sophistry | subtle, tricky, fallacious method of reasoning |
| spurious | not genuine, counterfeit |
| stolid | not easily stirred or moved mentally |
| subjugate | to bring under complete control, master |
| supercilious | haughtfily disdainful or contemptuous |
| syzygy | alignment of 3 celestial obj. any two related things alike/opposite |
| tacit | understood without being expressed verbally |
| tautology | a needless repition of an idea, statement or word |
| tempestuous | of or relating to a tempest (weather or storm) |
| temper | to soften or tone down by mixing |
| tenebrous | dark, gloomy, obscure |
| termagant | overbearing, nagging woman, shrewish |
| trenchant | keen, sharp |
| trope | the use of a word or expression in a figurative sense |
| turpitude | shameful or vile act |
| turgid | swollen, exhibiting turgor, excessively embellished in a style or language |
| ubiquitous | existing or being everywhere (at the same time) |
| ullage | ammount of liquid in a container that is lost during shipment/storage |
| unctuous | characterized by smoothness, ointment, oily |
| usurp | to seize and hold by force without legal right |
| vacuous | empty |
| vapid | lacking, loss of life, without liveliness |
| vehement | zealous; ardent; impassioned, strongly emotional |
| venal | willing to sell one's influence, able to be purchased, as by a bribe |
| venial | able to be forgiven or pardoned |
| vim | lively or energetic spirit, entusiasm |
| virago | loud voiced, illtempered scholding woman, woman of strength or spirit |
| vortex | a whirling mass of matter |
| Weltschmerz | sorrow that one feels, acceptance of evil, pessimism |
| winnow | to drive/blow away, sift, analyze critically |
| wrought | worked. ealborated; embellished |
| wassail | salutation wishing health |
| whorl(ed) | a circular arrangement of like parts |
| xenophobe | a person who fears, hates foreigners, strange customs |
| yeoman | a petty officer in the navy cheifly clerical duties, or a farmer who cultivates, or a servant |
| zenith | highest point or state |
| zeitgeist | The spirit of the time, general trend |