 | Term | Definition |
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sacrosanct |
(adj.) holy, something that should not be criticized (In the United States, the Constitution is often thought of as a sacrosanct document |
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sagacity |
(n.) shrewdness, soundness of perspective (With remarkable sagacity, the wise old man predicted and thwarted his children's plan to ship him off to a nursing home |
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salient |
(adj.) significant, conspicuous (One of the salient differences between Alison and Nancy is that Alison is a foot taller |
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salutation |
(n.) a greeting (Andrew regularly began letters with the bizarre salutation "Ahoy ahoy.") |
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satiate |
(v.) to satisfy excessively (Satiated after eating far too much turkey and stuffing, Liza lay on the couch watching football and suffering from stomach pains |
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scathing |
(adj.) sharp, critical, hurtful (Two hours after breaking up with Russell, Suzanne thought of the perfect scathing retort to his accusations |
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scintillating |
(adj.) sparkling (The ice skater's scintillating rhinestone costume nearly blinded the judges |
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scurrilous |
(adj.) vulgar, coarse (When Bruno heard the scurrilous accusation being made about him, he could not believe it because he always tried to be nice to everyone |
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sedentary |
(adj.) sitting, settled (The sedentary cat did little but loll in the sun |
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semaphore |
(n.) a visual signal (Anne and Diana communicated with a semaphore involving candles and window shades |
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seminal |
(adj.) original, important, creating a field (Stephen Greenblatt's essays on Shakespeare proved to be seminal, because they initiated the critical school of New Historicism |
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sensual |
(adj.) involving sensory gratification, usually related to sex (With a coy smile, the guest on the blind-date show announced that he considered himself a very sensual person |
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sensuous |
(adj.) involving sensory gratification (Paul found drinking Coke, with all the little bubbles bursting on his tongue, a very sensuous experience |
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serendipity |
(n.) luck, finding good things without looking for them (In an amazing bit of serendipity, penniless Paula found a $20 bill in the subway station |
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serene |
(adj.) calm, untroubled (Louise stood in front of the Mona Lisa, puzzling over the famous woman's serene smile |
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sobriety |
(n.) sedate, calm (Jason believed that maintaining his sobriety in times of crisis was the key to success in life |
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solicitous |
(adj.) concerned, attentive (Jim, laid up in bed with a nasty virus, enjoyed the solicitous attentions of his mother, who brought him soup and extra blankets |
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solipsistic |
(adj.) believing that oneself is all that exists (Colette's solipsistic attitude completely ignored the plight of the homeless people on the street |
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soluble |
(adj.) able to dissolve (The plot of the spy film revolved around an untraceable and water-soluble poison |
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solvent |
1. (n.) a substance that can dissolve other substances (Water is sometimes called |
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somnolent |
(adj.) sleepy, drowsy (The somnolent student kept falling asleep and waking up with a jerk |
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sophomoric |
(adj.) immature, uninformed (The mature senior rolled her eyes at the sophomoric gross-out humor of the underclassman |
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sovereign |
(adj.) having absolute authority in a certain realm (The sovereign queen, with steely resolve, ordered that the traitorous nobleman be killed |
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speculative |
(adj.) not based in fact (Sadly, Tessa was convicted on merely speculative evidence |
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spurious |
(adj.) false but designed to seem plausible (Using a spurious argument, John convinced the others that he had won the board game on a technicality |
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stagnate |
(v.) to become or remain inactive, not develop, not flow (With no room for advancement, the waiter's career stagnated |
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staid |
(adj.) sedate, serious, self-restrained (The staid butler never changed his expression no matter what happened |
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stingy |
(adj.) not generous, not inclined to spend or give (Scrooge's stingy habits did not fit with the generous, giving spirit of Christmas |
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strenuous |
(adj.) requiring tremendous energy or stamina (Running a marathon is quite a strenuous task. So is watching an entire Star Trek marathon |
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strident |
(adj.) harsh, loud (A strident man, Captain Von Trapp yelled at his daughter and made her cry |
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stupefy |
(v.) to astonish, make insensible (Veronica's audacity and ungratefulness stupefied her best friend, Heather |
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subjugate |
(v.) to bring under control, subdue (The invading force captured and subjugated the natives of that place |
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submissive |
(adj.) easily yielding to authority (In some cultures, wives are supposed to be submissive and support their husbands in all matters |
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succinct |
(adj.) marked by compact precision (The governor's succinct speech energized the crowd while the mayor's rambled on and on |
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superfluous |
(adj.) exceeding what is necessary (Tracy had already won the campaign so her constant flattery of others was superfluous |
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surfeit |
(n.) an overabundant supply or indulgence (After partaking of the surfeit of |
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surmise |
(v.) to infer with little evidence (After speaking to only one of the students, the teacher was able to surmise what had caused the fight |
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surreptitious |
(adj.) stealthy (The surreptitious CIA agents were able to get in and out of the house without anyone noticing |
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surrogate |
(n.) one acting in place of another (The surrogate carried the child to term for its biological parents |
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swarthy |
(adj.) of dark color or complexion (When he got drunk, Robinson's white skin became rather swarthy |
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sycophant |
(n.) one who flatters for self-gain (Some see the people in the cabinet as the president's closest advisors, but others see them as sycophants |
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tacit |
(adj.) expressed without words (I interpreted my parents' refusal to talk as a tacit acceptance of my request |
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taciturn |
(adj.) not inclined to talk (Though Jane never seems to stop talking, her brother is quite taciturn |
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tangential |
(adj.) incidental, peripheral, divergent (I tried to discuss my salary, but the boss kept veering off into tangential topics |
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tantamount |
(adj.) equivalent in value or significance (When it comes to sports, fearing your opponent is tantamount to losing |
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tedious |
(adj.) dull, boring (As time passed and the history professor continued to drone on and on, the lecture became increasingly tedious |
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temperance |
(n.) moderation in action or thought (Maintaining temperance will ensure that you are able to think rationally and objectively |
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tenable |
(adj.) able to be defended or maintained (The department heads tore |
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tenuous |
(adj.) having little substance or strength (Your argument is very tenuous, since it relies so much on speculation and hearsay |
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terrestrial |
(adj.) relating to the land (Elephants are terrestrial animals |
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timorous |
(adj.) timid, fearful (When dealing with the unknown, timorous Tallulah almost always broke into tears |
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tirade |
(n.) a long speech marked by harsh or biting language (Every time Jessica was late, her boyfriend went into a long tirade about punctuality |
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toady |
(n.) one who flatters in the hope of gaining favors (The other kids referred to the teacher's pet as the Tenth Grade Toady |
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torpid |
(adj.) lethargic, dormant, lacking motion (The torpid whale floated, wallowing in the water for hours |
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tractable |
(adj.) easily controlled (The horse was so tractable, Myra didn't even need a bridle |
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tranquil |
(adj.) calm (There is a time of night when nothing moves and everything is tranquil |
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transgress |
(v.) to violate, go over a limit (The criminal's actions transgressed morality and human decency |
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transient |
(adj.) passing through briefly; passing into and out of existence (Because virtually everyone in Palm Beach is a tourist, the population of the town is quite transient |
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travesty |
(n.) a grossly inferior imitation (According to the school newspaper's merciless theater critic, Pacific Coast High's rendition of the musical Oklahoma was a travesty of the original |
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tremulous |
(adj.) fearful (I always feel a trifle tremulous when walking through a graveyard |
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trenchant |
(adj.) effective, articulate, clear-cut (The directions that accompanied my new cell phone were trenchant and easy to follow |
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trepidation |
(n.) fear, apprehension (Feeling great trepidation, Anya refused to jump into the pool because she thought she saw a shark in it |
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trite |
(adj.) not original, overused (Keith thought of himself as being very learned, but everyone else thought he was trite because his observations about the world were always the same as David Letterman's |
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truculent |
(adj.) ready to fight, cruel (This club doesn't really attract the dangerous types, so why was that bouncer being so truculent?) |
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turpitude |
(n.) depravity, moral corruption (Sir Marcus's chivalry often contrasted with the turpitude he exhibited with the ladies at the tavern |
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ubiquitous |
(adj.) existing everywhere, widespread (It seems that everyone in the United States has a television. The technology is ubiquitous here |
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umbrage |
(n.) resentment, offense (He called me a lily-livered coward, and I took umbrage at the insult |
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uncanny |
(adj.) of supernatural character or origin (Luka had an uncanny ability to know exactly what other people were thinking. She also had an uncanny ability to shoot fireballs from her hands |
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unctuous |
(adj.) smooth or greasy in texture, appearance, manner (The unctuous receptionist seemed untrustworthy, as if she was only being helpful because she thought we might give her a big tip |
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undulate |
(v.) to move in waves (As the storm began to brew, the placid ocean began to undulate to an increasing degree |
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upbraid |
(v.) to criticize or scold severely (The last thing Lindsay wanted was for Lisa to upbraid her again about missing the rent payment |
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usurp |
(v.) to seize by force, take possession of without right (The rogue army general tried to usurp control of the government, but he failed because most of the army backed the legally elected president |
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utilitarian |
(adj.) relating to or aiming at usefulness (The beautiful, fragile vase couldn't hold flowers or serve any other utilitarian purpose |
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utopia |
(n.) an imaginary and remote place of perfection (Everyone in the world wants to live in a utopia, but no one can agree how to go about building one |
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vacillate |
(v.) to fluctuate, hesitate (I prefer a definite answer, but my boss kept vacillating between the distinct options available to us |
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vacuous |
(adj.) lack of content or ideas, stupid (Beyonce realized that the lyrics she had just penned were completely vacuous and tried to add more substance |
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variegated |
(adj.) diversified, distinctly marked (Each wire in the engineering exam was variegated by color so that the students could figure out which one was which |
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vehemently |
(adv.) marked by intense force or emotion (The candidate vehemently opposed cutting back on Social Security funding |
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veneer |
(n.) a superficial or deceptively attractive appearance, façade (Thanks to her Chanel makeup, Shannen was able to maintain a veneer of perfection that hid the flaws underneath |
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venerable |
(adj.) deserving of respect because of age or achievement (The venerable Supreme Court justice had made several key rulings in landmark cases throughout the years |
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venerate |
(v.) to regard with respect or to honor (The tribute to John Lennon sought to venerate his music, his words, and his legend |
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veracity |
(n.) truthfulness, accuracy (With several agencies regulating the reports, it was difficult for Latifah to argue against its veracity |
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verbose |
(adj.) wordy, impaired by wordiness (It took the verbose teacher two hours to explain the topic, while it should have taken only fifteen minutes |
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verdant |
(adj.) green in tint or color (The verdant leaves on the trees made the world look emerald |
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vestige |
(n.) a mark or trace of something lost or vanished (Do you know if the Mexican tortilla is a vestige of some form of Aztec corn-based flat bread?) |
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vicarious |
(adj.) experiencing through another (All of my lame friends learned to be social through vicarious involvement in my amazing experiences |
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vicissitude |
(n.) event that occurs by chance (The vicissitudes of daily life prevent me from predicting what might happen from one day to the next |
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vindicate |
(v.) to avenge; to free from allegation; to set free (The attorney had no chance of vindicating the defendant with all of the strong evidence presented by the state |
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vindictive |
(adj.) vengeful (The vindictive madman seeks to exact vengeance for any insult that he perceives is directed at him, no matter how small |
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virtuoso |
(n.) one who excels in an art; a highly skilled musical performer (Even though Lydia has studied piano for many years, she's only average at it. She's no virtuoso, that's for sure |
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viscous |
(adj.) not free flowing, syrupy (The viscous syrup took three minutes to pour out of the bottle |
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vituperate |
(v.) to berate (Jack ran away as soon as his father found out, knowing he would be vituperated for his unseemly behavior |
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vivacious |
(adj.) lively, sprightly (The vivacious clown makes all of the children laugh and giggle with his friendly antics |
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vocation |
(n.) the work in which someone is employed, profession (After growing tired |
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vociferous |
(adj.) loud, boisterous (I'm tired of his vociferous whining so I'm breaking up with him |
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wallow |
(v.) to roll oneself indolently; to become or remain helpless (My roommate can't get over her breakup with her boyfriend and now just wallows in self-pity |
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wane |
(v.) to decrease in size, dwindle (Don't be so afraid of his wrath because his influence with the president is already beginning to wane |
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whimsical |
(adj.) fanciful, full of whims (The whimsical little girl liked to pretend that she was an elvin princess |
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wily |
(adj.) crafty, sly (Though they were not the strongest of the Thundercats, wily Kit and Kat were definitely the most clever and full of tricks |
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wistful |
(adj.) full of yearning; musingly sad (Since her pet rabbit died, Edda missed it terribly and sat around wistful all day long |
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wizened |
(adj.) dry, shrunken, wrinkled (Agatha's grandmother, Stephanie, had the most wizened countenance, full of leathery wrinkles |
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wrath |
(n.) vengeful anger, punishment (Did you really want to incur her wrath when she is known for inflicting the worst punishments legally possible?) |
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zealous |
(adj.) fervent, filled with eagerness in pursuit of something (If he were any more zealous about getting his promotion, he'd practically live at the office |
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zenith |
(n.) the highest point, culminating point (I was too nice to tell Nelly that she had reached the absolute zenith of her career with that one hit of hers |
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zephyr |
(n.) a gentle breeze (If not for the zephyrs that were blowing and cooling us, our room would've been unbearably hot.) |
