 | Term | Definition |
| |
abhor |
to hate |
| |
censure |
to condem in a stern fashion |
| |
chastise |
to scold |
| |
coerce |
to force someone against his or her will |
| |
efface |
erase |
| |
inundate |
flood |
| |
patronize |
to talk down to |
| |
repudiate |
to reject |
| |
vacillate |
to move back and forth between two options when unable to make a decision |
| |
acquiesce |
to comply silently without protest |
| |
ameliorate |
to make a situation better |
| |
benevolent |
being kind-hearted |
| |
eminent |
well-known |
| |
esteem |
the opinion in which someone is held |
| |
facilitate |
to make easier |
| |
magnanimous |
big-hearted |
| |
prolific |
fruitful |
| |
scrupulous |
ethical |
| |
serene |
calm, peaceful |
| |
ambigous |
unclear |
| |
amorphous |
no shape or form |
| |
arbitrary |
without a rational reason |
| |
austere |
plain and simple |
| |
banal |
boring |
| |
capricious |
unpredictable |
| |
chronic |
frequent |
| |
dubios |
doubtful |
| |
egregious |
outstanding in a bad way |
| |
novel |
new |
| |
reticent |
restrained |
| |
wanton |
reckless, unrestrained |
| |
anachronism |
out of place in time |
| |
anomaly |
out of the norm |
| |
criteria |
standards used to make a judgement |
| |
exacerbate |
to make a situation worse |
| |
expedient |
practical |
| |
intrepid |
brave, daring |
| |
juxtapose |
to place two things or ideas side by side usually to compare |
| |
negligence |
to neglect |
| |
propensity |
strong natural tendency |
| |
proponent |
someone who is for something |
| |
quixotic |
impractical |
| |
brevity |
breifness |
| |
circumscribe |
restrict |
| |
circumspect |
cautious |
| |
coherent |
clear |
| |
explicit |
without questions |
| |
imminent |
happening soon |
| |
immutable |
unchangable |
| |
minuscule |
tiny |
| |
scrutinize |
to study closelyde |
| |
cacophony |
a loud, harsh noise |
| |
chicanery |
trickery |
| |
decadence |
moral decline or decay |
| |
euphemism |
a neutral word |
| |
evade |
escape |
| |
impunity |
the ability to do something without punishment |
| |
nonchalant |
casual |
| |
pessimistic |
negative |
| |
temerity |
recklessness |
| |
trepidation |
fear |
| |
demagogue |
a leader who tells the followers what they want to hear |
| |
harangue |
a long lecturing speech |
| |
hyperbole |
wild exaggeration |
| |
infamy |
evil reputation |
| |
insidious |
dangerous, slow and subtle in effect |
| |
jargon |
specialized language |
| |
malign |
to say evil things about someone |
| |
rhetoric |
a persuassive speech that is often meaningless |
| |
sanction |
allow |
| |
supercilious |
above it all |
| |
virulent |
infectious |
| |
zealous |
enthusiastic |
| |
hiatus |
break |
| |
hierarchy |
a series arranged by rank |
| |
mundane |
everyday, ordinary |
| |
obscure |
mysterious |
| |
pandemic |
spread through a population |
| |
paradigm |
a model |
| |
plethora |
surplus |
| |
quandry |
puzzling |
| |
ubiquitous |
found everywhere |
| |
vicarious |
felt or experienced second hand |
| |
frugal |
careful with resources |
| |
garrulous |
talkative in a rambling manner |
| |
impetuous |
impulsive |
| |
impudent |
rude in a bold and daring way |
| |
inane |
silly or scenseless |
| |
laconic |
expressing as much as possible in as few words as possible |
| |
loquacious |
talkative |
| |
misanthrope |
someone who hates everyone |
| |
querulous |
whining |
| |
eclectic |
carefully chosen from different sources |
| |
enigma |
mystery |
| |
ephemeral |
fleeting |
| |
erratic |
unpredictable |
| |
extricate |
to get free |
| |
inexorable |
inflexable |
| |
partial |
biased |
| |
recalcitrant |
tough to control |
| |
superfluous |
extra |
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