 | Term | Definition |
| |
amnesty |
pardon |
| |
autonomy |
self-government |
| |
axiomatic |
self-evident, expressing a universally accepted principle |
| |
blazon |
to adorn or embellish; proclaim widely |
| |
caveat |
warning or caution |
| |
equitable |
fair, just, embodying principles of justice |
| |
extricate |
to free from entanglements or difficulties; to remove with effort |
| |
filch |
to steal in a sneaky way and in petty amounts |
| |
flout |
to mock, treat with contempt |
| |
fractious |
tending to be troublesome, quarrelsome |
| |
precept |
a rule of conduct or action |
| |
salutary |
beneficial, helpful; healthful, wholesome |
| |
scathing |
bitterly severe, withering, causing great harm |
| |
scourge |
to whip, punish severely; cause of affliction or suffering |
| |
sepulchral |
funereal, typical of the tomb, gloomy or dismal |
| |
soporific |
inducing sleep; something that induces sleep |
| |
straitlaced |
extremely strict in regard to moral standards |
| |
transient |
lasting only a short time; one who stays a short time |
| |
unwieldy |
not easily carried, handled, or managed because of size or complexity |
| |
vapid |
dull, uninteresting, tiresome |
| |
anomalous |
abnormal, irregular, departing from the usual |
| |
aspersion |
a damaging or derogatory statement |
| |
bizarre |
extremely strange, abnormal, atypical |
| |
brusque |
abrupt, blunt, with no formalities |
| |
cajole |
to coax, persuade through flattery or artifice, to deceive with soothing thoughts |
| |
castigate |
to punish or criticize severelyq |
| |
contrive |
to plan with ingenuity |
| |
demagogue |
a leader who explits popular prejudices and false claims and promises in order to gain power |
| |
diabuse |
to free from deception or error; set straight |
| |
ennui |
weariness and dissatisfaction; boredom |
| |
fetter |
chains or shackles, anything that confines; to chain, shackle, or confine |
| |
heinous |
very wicked |
| |
immutable |
not subject to change, constant |
| |
insurgent |
one who rebels or rises against authority; rising in revolt, refusing to accept authority |
| |
megalomania |
a delusion marked by feelings of power, wealth, talent, etc. |
| |
sinecure |
a position requiring little or no work, an easy job |
| |
surreptitious |
stealthy, secret |
| |
transgress |
to go beyond a limit or boundary |
| |
transmute |
to change from one nature, form, or substance to another |
| |
vicarious |
experienced by one person in place of another |
| |
affable |
courteous and pleasant |
| |
aggrandize |
to increase in greatness, power, or wealth |
| |
amorphous |
shapeless, without definite form |
| |
aura |
that which surrounds (as an atmosphere) |
| |
contraband |
illegal or smuggled goods; illegal, proihibited |
| |
erudite |
scholarly, learned |
| |
gossamer |
thin, light, delicate; a very thin, light cloth |
| |
infer |
to find out by reasoning |
| |
inscrutable |
incapable of being understood |
| |
insular |
situated on an island, narrowm-minded |
| |
irrevocable |
incapable of being changed or called back |
| |
propensity |
a natural inclination |
| |
querulous |
peevish, complaining, fretful |
| |
remonstrate |
to argue or plead with someone, protest |
| |
repudiate |
to disown, reject |
| |
resilient |
able to recover quickly |
| |
scurrilous |
vulgar or low (especially in language) |
| |
reverberate |
to re-echo |
| |
sedulous |
persistent, showing industry and determination |
| |
sleazy |
thin or flimsy, ethically low or disreputable |
