Print › Word Smart Group (21-40)

circuitous: Round about; not following a direct path
circumlocution: An indirect expression; use of wordy or evasive language
circumscribe: To draw a line around; to set the limits; to define; to restrict.
circumspect: Cautious
circumvent: To frustrate as though by surrounding
civil: Polite; civilized; courteous
clemency: Mercy; forgiveness; mildness
cliche: An overused saying or idea
clique: An exclusive group bound together by some shared quality or interest
coalesce: To come together as one; to fuse; to unite ;
coerce: To force someone to do or not to do something
cogent: Powerfully convincing
cognitive: Dealing with how we know the world around us through our senses; mental
cognizant: Aware; conscious
coherent: Holding together; making sense
colloquial: Conversational; informal in language
collusion: Conspiracy; secret cooperation
commensurate: Equal; proportionate
compelling: Forceful; causing to yield
compendium: A summary; an abridgment
complacent: Self-satisfied; overly pleased with oneself; contented to a fault
complement: To complete or fill up; to be the perfect counterpart
complicity: Participation in wrongdoing; the act of being an accomplice
comprehensive: Covering or including everything
comprise: To consist of; to be composed of cf constitute compose
conciliatory: Making peace; attempting to resolve a dispute through goodwill
concise: Brief and to the point; succinct
concord: Harmony; agreement
concurrent: Happening at the same time; parallel
condescend: To stoop to someone else level usually in an offensive way; to patronize
condone: To overlook; to permit to happen
conducive: Promoting
confluence: A flowing together especially of rivers; place where they begin to flow together
congenial: Agreeably suitable; pleasant
congenital: A trait or condition acquired between conception and birth; innate
conjecture: To guess; to deduce or infer on slight evidence
conjure: To summon or bring into being as if by magic
connoisseur: An expert particularly in matter of art or taste
consecrate: To make or declare sacred
consensus: Unanimity or general agreement
consonant: Harmonious; in agreement
construe: To interpret
consummate: Perfect; complete; supremely skillful
contentious: Argumentative; quarrelsome
contiguous: Side by side; adjoining
contingent: Dependent; possible
contrite: Admitting guilt; especially feeling remorseful
contrived: Artificial; labored
conventional: common; customary; unexceptional
convivial: Fond of partying; festive
copious: Abundant; plentiful
corollary: something that follows; a natural consequence
corroborate: to confirm; to back up with evidence
cosmopolitan: at home in many places or situations; internationally sophisticated
countenance: face; facial expression especially an encouraging one
coup: a brilliant victory or accomplishment; the violent overthrow of a government by a small internal group ;
covenant: a solemn agreement; a contract; a pledge
covert: secret; hidden
covet: to wish for enviously
credulous: eager to believe; gullible
criterion: standard; basis for judgment
cryptic: mysterious; mystifying; clandestine mysterious;
culinary: relating to cooking or the kitchen
culminate: to climax; to reach full effect
culpable: deserving blame; guilty
cursory: hasty; superficial
curtail: to shorten; to cut short ...
cynic: one who deeply distrusts human nature; one who believes humans are motivated only by selfishness
daunt: to make fearful; to intimidate
dearth: lack; scarcity
debacle: violent breakdown; sudden overthrow; overwhelming defeat
debauchery: wild living; excessive intemperance
debilitate: to weaken; to cripple
decadent: decaying or decayed especially in terms of morals
decimate: to kill or destroy a large part of 10:1
decorous: proper; in good taste; orderly
deduce: to conclude from evidence; to infer
defame: to libel or slander; to ruin the good name of
deference: submission to another's will; respect; courtesy
definitive: conclusive; providing the last word
degenerate: to break down; to deteriorate
deleterious: harmful
delineate: to describe accurately; to draw in outline
delude: to deceive
deluge: a flood; an inundation
demagogue: a leader of the people but more a rabble rouser
denizen: inhabitant
depravity: extreme wickedness or corruption
deprecate: to express disapproval of
deride: to ridicule; to laugh at contemptuously
derogatory: disapproving; degrading
desiccate: to dry out
despondent: extremely depressed; full of despair
despot: an absolute ruler; an autocrat
destitute: extremely poor; utterly lacking
desultory: without a plan or purpose; disconnected; random
dialectical: relating to discussions; relating to the rules and methods of reasoning; approaching truth in the middle of opposing extremes
dictum: an authoritative saying; an adage; a maxim; a proverb
didactic: intended to teach; morally instructive; pedantic
diffident: timid; lacking in self-confidence
digress: to stray from the main subject
dilettante: someone with superficial knowledge of the arts; an amateur; a dabbler
discern: to have insight; to see things clearly to discriminate; to differentiate
discreet: prudent; judiciously reserved
discrete: unconnected; separate; distinct
discriminate: to notice or point out the difference between two or more things; to discern; to differentiate ;
disdain: arrogant scorn; contempt
disinterested: not taking sides; unbiased
disparage: to belittle; to say uncomplimentary things about usually in a somewhat indirect way
disparate: different; incompatible; unequal
disseminate: to spread the seeds of something; to scatter; to make widely known
dissipate: to thin out drift away or dissolve; to cause to thin out drift away or dissolve; to waste or squander
dissolution: the breaking up or dissolving of something into parts; disintegration
distend: to swell; to extend a great deal
distinguish: to tell apart; to cause to stand out
docile: easily taught; obedient; easy to handle
doctrinaire: inflexibly committed to a doctrine or theory without regard to its practicality; dogmatic
dogmatic: arrogantly assertive of unproven ideas; stubbornly claiming that something often a system of beliefs is beyond dispute
domestic: having to do with the household or family; not foreign
dormant: A inactive; as though asleep; asleep ~volcano ~window
dubious: A full of doubt; uncertain a ~ friend be ~ about cf dubitable
duplicity: N the act of being two-faced; double-dealing; deception cf duplication duplicate a n v
ebullient: A boiling; bubbling with excitement; exuberant; n ebullience-cy n ebullition
eccentric: A not conventional; a little kooky; irregular
eclectic: A choosing the best from many sources; drawn from many sources n cf eclecticism
edify: Vt to enlighten; to instruct especially in moral or religious matters; cfedifying
efface: Vt to erase; to rub away the features of eclipse Cf effaceable effacement
effusion: N a pouring forth Effuse v Effusive a
egalitarian: A believing in the social and economic equality of all people
egocentric: A selfish; believing that one is the center of everything n egoism egoistic -tical
egregious: A extremely bad; flagrant
elicit: Vt to bring out; to call forth ~a laugh from ~a reply elicitation n
Ellipsis: ellipsoid
elliptical: Adj oval; missing a word or words; obscure
elusive: Adj hard to pin down; evasive elude V elusion
emigrant: a n immigrate
emigrate: V to move to a new country; to move a new place to live; to expatriate
empirical: Adj relying on experience or observation; not merely theoretical ; ~philosophy Empiricism
emulate: Vt to strive to equal or excel usually through imitation emulator emulation emulous be emulous of
encroach: Vi to make gradual or stealthy inroads into; to trespass on upon
endemic: A native; restricted to a particular region or era; indigenous n endemicity
enervate: V to reduce the strength or energy of especially to do so gradually
enfranchise: V to grant the privileges of citizenship especially the right to vote
engender: V to bring into existence; to create; to cause produce ment
enigma: N a mystery riddle
enormity: N extreme evil; a hideous offense; immensity
ephemeral: A lasting a very short time
epigram: N a brief and usually witty or satirical saying
epitome: N a brief summary that captures the meaning of the whole; the perfect example of something; a paradigm ;
equanimity: N composure; calm
equitable: Adj fair
equivocal: Adj ambiguous; intentionally confusing; capable of being interpreted in more than one way
erudite: Adj scholarly; deeply learned ;
esoteric: Adj hard to understand; understood by only a select few; peculiar
espouse: V to support; to advocate
ethereal: Adj heavenly as light and insubstantial as a gas or ether heavenly
euphemism: N a pleasant or inoffensive expression used in place of an unpleasant or offensive one
evanescent: Adj fleeting; vanishing; happening for only the briefest period
exacerbate: V to make worse ;
exacting: Adj extremely demanding; difficult; requiring great skill or care
exalt: V to raise high; to glorify
exasperate: V to annoy thoroughly; to make very angry; to try the patience of
exemplify: V to illustrate by example; to serve as a good example
exhaustive: Adj thorough; rigorous; complete; painstaking
exhort: V to urge strongly; to give a serious warning to