 | Term | Definition |
| |
enigma |
a riddle |
| |
apathy |
lack of emotion or interest |
| |
indifferent |
having no preference |
| |
revere |
to worship; to honor |
| |
candor |
frankness; honesty |
| |
reticent |
restrained; uncommunicative |
| |
aesthetic |
concerning art or beauty |
| |
ascetic |
without indulgence or luxury |
| |
autonomy |
self-rule; independence |
| |
disdain |
contempt |
| |
innocuous |
harmless; insignificant |
| |
banal |
commonplace; dull, ordinary |
| |
ambiguous |
unclear; undecided |
| |
anarchy |
lack of government; chaos |
| |
ameliorate |
to improve |
| |
atrophy |
to waste away from lack of use |
| |
innovate |
to make changes; to modernize |
| |
servile |
overly submissive; cringing |
| |
extol |
to praise |
| |
augment |
to add to; to increase |
| |
benevolent |
kindly; to wish well |
| |
derision |
comtempt; ridicule |
| |
disparity |
inequality |
| |
flagrant |
glaringly wrong; conspicuously evil |
| |
indolence |
laziness |
| |
acquiesce |
to give in; to agree |
| |
prodigal |
extravagant; wasteful |
| |
capricious |
whimsical; unpredictable |
| |
prosaic |
commonplace; uninspired; dull |
| |
austere |
severe; strict |
| |
complacent |
smug; self-satisfied |
| |
compliance |
conforming to a request or demand |
| |
dubious |
doubtful |
| |
ephemeral |
short-lived; fleeting |
| |
inevitable |
unavoidable; bound to happen |
| |
insipid |
bland; boring |
| |
obscure |
unclear; clouded; partially hidden |
| |
depravity |
corruption; wickedness |
| |
discern |
to distinguish one thing from another |
| |
expedite |
to quicken |
| |
peripheral |
on the edge; unimportant |
| |
tacitum |
quiet; uncommunicative; silent |
| |
fastidious |
finicky; overly critical |
| |
apprehensive |
fearful; worried |
| |
expedient |
advantageous; convenient |
| |
novel |
new; interesting |
| |
parsimony |
stinginess |
| |
provincial |
narrowminded; unsophisticated |
| |
respite |
a break; a rest |
| |
anecdote |
a brief, humorous story |
| |
drone |
to talk on and on in a dull way |
| |
desecrate |
to show disrespect or to deface something sacred |
| |
euphonious |
melodious; pleasant sounding |
| |
cacophonous |
harsh sounding |
| |
guile |
cunning; deceitfulness |
| |
immutable |
unchanging; permanent |
| |
incessant |
non-stop |
| |
static |
unchanging; not moving |
| |
bastion |
a stronghold; a fort |
| |
benign |
kindly; good-natured |
| |
credulous |
gullible; ready to believe without proof |
| |
disparage |
to speak poorly of |
| |
eccentric |
odd; out of the ordinary; quirky |
| |
philanthropist |
someone who benefits mankind |
| |
squander |
to waste |
| |
virulent |
harmful |
| |
zeal |
enthusiasm |
| |
acuity |
sharpness of perception or mind |
| |
affable |
friendly; agreeable |
| |
assuage |
to reduce pain |
| |
avarice |
greed |
| |
dissonance |
lack of agreement or harmony |
| |
listless |
without energy or enthusiasm |
| |
philistine |
one who lacks culture or taste |
| |
scrupulous |
concerned; conscientious; proper |
| |
tentative |
not final; uncertain |
| |
adulation |
adoration |
| |
dogmatic |
stubbornly opinionated |
| |
futile |
hopeless; without effect |
| |
languid |
slow and listless |
| |
pious |
religious; devout |
| |
ponderous |
weighty; heavy |
| |
protracted |
drawn out; lengthy |
| |
deference |
a show of respect |
| |
heretic |
someone who goes against accepted religious beliefs |
| |
paucity |
scarcity |
| |
profuse |
very abundant; flowing |
| |
conciliate |
to soothe anger |
| |
contrite |
thoroughly sorry |
| |
didactic |
intending to teach |
| |
diffident |
shy; lacking confidence |
| |
digression |
straying from a topic |
| |
dissent |
disagreement |
| |
elucidate |
to explain; to make clear |
| |
gullible |
overly trusting |
| |
strut |
a self-important walk |
| |
denounce |
to speak against publicly |
| |
laud |
to praise |
| |
surreptitious |
secret |
| |
astute |
clever; shrewd; ready-witted |
| |
blasphemy |
irreverent talk about God |
| |
censure |
severely criticize; blame |
| |
pedestrian |
commonplace; ordinary |
