 | Term | Definition |
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concord |
(n.) harmonious agreement (Julie and Harold began the evening with a disagreement, but ended it in a state of perfect concord |
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condolence |
(n.) an expression of sympathy in sorrow (Brian lamely offered his condolences on the loss of his sister's roommate's cat |
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condone |
(v.) to pardon, deliberately overlook (He refused to condone his brother's crime |
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conduit |
(n.) a pipe or channel through which something passes (The water flowed through the conduit into the container |
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confection |
(n.) a sweet, fancy food (We went to the mall food court and purchased a delicious confection |
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confidant |
(n.) a person entrusted with secrets (Shortly after we met, she became my chief confidant |
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conflagration |
(n.) great fire (The conflagration consumed the entire building |
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confluence |
(n.) a gathering together (A confluence of different factors made tonight the perfect night |
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conformist |
(n.) one who behaves the same as others (Julian was such a conformist that he had to wait and see if his friends would do something before he would commit |
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confound |
(v.) to frustrate, confuse (MacGuyver confounded the policemen pursuing him by covering his tracks |
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congeal |
(v.) to thicken into a solid (The sauce had congealed into a thick paste |
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congenial |
(adj.) pleasantly agreeable (His congenial manner made him popular wherever he went |
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congregation |
(n.) a gathering of people, especially for religious services (The priest told the congregation that he would be retiring |
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congruity |
(n.) the quality of being in agreement (Bill and Veronica achieved a perfect congruity of opinion |
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connive |
(v.) to plot, scheme (She connived to get me to give up my vacation plans |
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consecrate |
(v.) to dedicate something to a holy purpose (Arvin consecrated his spare bedroom as a shrine to Christina |
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consensus |
(n.) an agreement of opinion (The jury was able to reach a consensus only after days of deliberation |
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consign |
(v.) to give something over to another's care (Unwillingly, he consigned his mother to a nursing home |
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consolation |
(n.) an act of comforting (Darren found Alexandra's presence to be a consolation for his suffering |
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consonant |
(adj.) in harmony (The singers' consonant voices were beautiful |
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constituent |
(n.) an essential part (The most important constituent of her perfume is something called ambergris |
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constrain |
(v.)to forcibly restrict (His belief in nonviolence constrained him from taking revenge on his attackers |
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construe |
(v.) to interpret (He construed her throwing his clothes out the window as a signal that she wanted him to leave |
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consummate |
(v.) to complete a deal; to complete a marriage ceremony through sexual |
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consumption |
(n.) the act of consuming (Consumption of intoxicating beverages is not permitted on these premises |
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contemporaneous |
(adj.) existing during the same time (Though her novels do not |
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contentious |
(adj.) having a tendency to quarrel or dispute (George's contentious personality made him unpopular with his classmates |
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contravene |
(v.) to contradict, oppose, violate (Edwidge contravened his landlady's rule against overnight guests |
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contrite |
(adj.) penitent, eager to be forgiven (Blake's contrite behavior made it impossible to stay angry at him |
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contusion |
(n.) bruise, injury (The contusions on his face suggested he'd been in a fight |
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conundrum |
(n.) puzzle, problem (Interpreting Jane's behavior was a constant conundrum |
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convention |
1. (n.) an assembly of people (The hotel was full because of the cattle-ranchers' convention.) 2. (n.) a rule, custom (The cattle-ranchers have a convention that you take off your boots before entering their houses |
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convivial |
(adj.) characterized by feasting, drinking, merriment (The restaurant's convivial atmosphere put me immediately at ease |
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convoluted |
(adj.) intricate, complicated (Grace's story was so convoluted that I couldn't follow it |
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copious |
(adj.) profuse, abundant (Copious amounts of Snapple were imbibed in the cafeteria |
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cordial |
(adj.) warm, affectionate (His cordial greeting melted my anger at once |
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coronation |
(n.) the act of crowning (The new king's coronation occurred the day after his father's death |
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corpulence |
(adj.)extreme fatness (Henry's corpulence did not make him any less attractive to his charming, svelte wife |
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corrosive |
(adj.) having the tendency to erode or eat away (The effect of the chemical was highly corrosive |
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coup |
1. (n.) a brilliant, unexpected act (Alexander pulled off an amazing coup when he got a date with Cynthia by purposely getting hit by her car.) 2. (n.) the overthrow of a government and assumption of authority (In their coup attempt, the army officers stormed the Parliament and took all the legislators hostage |
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covet |
(v.) to desire enviously (I coveted Moses's house, wife, and car |
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covert |
(adj.) secretly engaged in (Nerwin waged a covert campaign against his enemies, while outwardly appearing to remain friendly |
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credulity |
(n.) readiness to believe (His credulity made him an easy target for con men |
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crescendo |
(n.) a steady increase in intensity or volume (The crescendo of the brass instruments gave the piece a patriotic feel |
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criteria |
(n.) standards by which something is judged (Among Mrs. Fields's criteria for good cookies are that they be moist and chewy |
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culmination |
(n.) the climax toward which something progresses (The culmination of the couple's argument was the decision to divorce |
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culpable |
(adj.) deserving blame (He was culpable of the crime, and was sentenced to perform community service for 75 years |
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cultivate |
(v.) to nurture, improve, refine (At the library, she cultivated her interest in spy novels |
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cumulative |
(adj.) increasing, building upon itself (The cumulative effect of hours spent in the sun was a deep tan |
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cunning |
(adj.) sly, clever at being deceitful (The general devised a cunning plan to surprise the enemy |
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cupidity |
(n.) greed, strong desire (His cupidity made him enter the abandoned gold mine despite the obvious dangers |
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cursory |
(adj.) brief to the point of being superficial (Late for the meeting, she cast a cursory glance at the agenda |
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curt |
(adj.) abruptly and rudely short (Her curt reply to my question made me realize that she was upset at me |
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curtail |
(v.) to lessen, reduce (Since losing his job, he had to curtail his spending |
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daunting |
(adj.) intimidating, causing one to lose courage (He kept delaying the daunting act of asking for a promotion |
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dearth |
(n.) a lack, scarcity (An eager reader, she was dismayed by the dearth of classic books at the library |
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debacle |
(n.) a disastrous failure, disruption (The elaborately designed fireworks show turned into a debacle when the fireworks started firing in random directions |
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debase |
(v.) to lower the quality or esteem of something (The large raise that he gave himself debased his motives for running the charity |
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debunk |
(v.) to expose the falseness of something (He debunked her claim to be the world's greatest chess player by defeating her in 18 consecutive matches |
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decorous |
(adj.) socially proper, appropriate (The appreciative guest displayed decorous behavior toward his host |
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decry |
(v.) to criticize openly (The kind video rental clerk decried the policy of charging customers late fees |
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deface |
(v.) to ruin or injure something's appearance (The brothers used eggs and shaving cream to deface their neighbor's mailbox |
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defamatory |
(adj.) harmful toward another's reputation (The defamatory gossip spreading about the actor made the public less willing to see the actor's new movie |
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defer |
(v.) to postpone something; to yield to another's wisdom (Ron deferred to Diane, the expert on musical instruments, when he was asked about buying a piano |
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deferential |
(adj.) showing respect for another's authority (His deferential attitude toward her made her more confident in her ability to run the company |
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deft |
(adj.) skillful, capable (Having worked in a bakery for many years, Marcus was a deft bread maker |
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deleterious |
(adj.) harmful (She experienced the deleterious effects of running a marathon without stretching her muscles enough beforehand |
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deliberate |
(adj.) intentional, reflecting careful consideration (Though Mary was quite upset, her actions to resolve the dispute were deliberate |
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delineate |
(v.) to describe, outline, shed light on (She neatly delineated her reasons for canceling the project's funding |
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demagogue |
(n.) a leader who appeals to a people's prejudices (The demagogue strengthened his hold over his people by blaming immigrants for the lack of jobs |
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demean |
(v.) to lower the status or stature of something (She refused to demean her secretary by making him order her lunch |
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demure |
(adj.) quiet, modest, reserved (Though everyone else at the party was dancing and going crazy, she remained demure |
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denigrate |
(v.) to belittle, diminish the opinion of (The company decided that its advertisements would no longer denigrate the company's competitors |
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denounce |
(v.) to criticize publicly (The senator denounced her opponent as a greedy politician |
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deplore |
(v.) to feel or express sorrow, disapproval (We all deplored the miserable working conditions in the factory |
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depravity |
(n.) wickedness (Rumors of the ogre's depravity made the children afraid to enter the forest |
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deprecate |
(v.) to belittle, depreciate (Always over-modest, he deprecated his contribution to the local charity |
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deride |
(v.) to laugh at mockingly, scorn (The bullies derided the foreign student's accent |
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desiccated |
(adj.) dried up, dehydrated (The skin of the desiccated mummy looked like old paper |
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desolate |
(adj.) deserted, dreary, lifeless (She found the desolate landscape quite a contrast to the hustle and bustle of the overcrowded city |
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despondent |
(adj.) feeling depressed, discouraged, hopeless (Having failed the first math test, the despondent child saw no use in studying for the next and failed that one too |
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destitute |
(adj.) impoverished, utterly lacking (The hurricane destroyed many homes and left many families destitute |
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deter |
(v.) to discourage, prevent from doing (Bob's description of scary snakes couldn't deter Marcia from traveling in the rainforests |
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devious |
(adj.) not straightforward, deceitful (Not wanting to be punished, the devious girl blamed the broken vase on the cat |
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dialect |
(n.) a variation of a language (In the country's remote, mountainous regions, the inhabitants spoke a dialect that the country's other inhabitants had difficulty understanding |
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diaphanous |
(adj.) light, airy, transparent (Sunlight poured in through the diaphanous curtains, brightening the room |
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didactic |
1. (adj.) intended to instruct (She wrote up a didactic document showing new employees how to handle the company's customers.) 2. (adj.) overly moralistic (His didactic style of teaching made it seem like he wanted to persuade his students not to understand history fully, but to understand it from only one point of view |
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diffuse |
1. (v.) to scatter, thin out, break up (He diffused the tension in the room by making in a joke.) 2. (adj.) not concentrated, scattered, disorganized (In her writings, she tried unsuccessfully to make others understand her diffuse thoughts |
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diligent |
(adj.) showing care in doing one's work (The diligent researcher made sure to check her measurements multiple times |
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diminutive |
(adj.) small or miniature (The bullies, tall and strong, picked on the diminutive child |
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dirge |
(n.) a mournful song, especially for a funeral (The bagpipers played a dirge as the casket was carried to the cemetery |
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disaffected |
(adj.) rebellious, resentful of authority (Dismayed by Bobby's poor behavior, the parents sent their disaffected son to a military academy to be disciplined |
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discern |
(v.) to perceive, detect (Though he hid his emotions, she discerned from his body language that he was angry |
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disclose |
(v.) to reveal, make public (The CEO disclosed to the press that the company would have to fire several employees |
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discomfit |
(v.) to thwart, baffle (The normally cheery and playful children's sudden misery discomfited the teacher |
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discordant |
(adj.) not agreeing, not in harmony with (The girls' sobs were a discordant sound amid the general laughter that filled the restaurant |
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discrepancy |
(n.) difference, failure of things to correspond (He was troubled by the discrepancy between what he remembered paying for the appliance and what his receipt showed he paid for it |
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discretion |
(n.) the quality of being reserved in speech or action; good judgment (Not wanting her patient to get overly anxious, the doctor used discretion in deciding how much to tell the patient about his condition |
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disdain |
1. (v.) to scorn, hold in low esteem (Insecure about their jobs, the older employees disdained the recently hired ones, who were young and capable.) 2. (n.) scorn, low esteem (After learning of his immoral actions, Justine held Lawrence in disdain |
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disheartened |
(adj.) feeling a loss of spirit or morale (The team was disheartened after losing in the finals of the tournament |
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disparage |
(v.) to criticize or speak ill of (The saleswoman disparaged the competitor's products to persuade her customers to buy what she was selling |
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disparate |
(adj.) sharply differing, containing sharply contrasting elements (Having widely varying interests, the students had disparate responses toward the novel |
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dispatch |
(v.) to send off to accomplish a duty (The carpenter dispatched his assistant to fetch wood |
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disperse |
(v.) to scatter, cause to scatter (When the rain began to pour, the crowd at the baseball game quickly dispersed |
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disrepute |
(n.) a state of being held in low regard (The officer fell into disrepute after it was learned that he had disobeyed the orders he had given to his own soldiers |
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dissemble |
(v.) to conceal, fake (Not wanting to appear heartlessly greedy, she dissembled and hid her intention to sell her ailing father's stamp collection |
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disseminate |
(v.) to spread widely (The politician disseminated his ideas across the town before the election |
