 | Term | Definition |
| |
facade |
the wall of a building; deceptive appearance |
| |
fickle |
shifting in character, inconstant |
| |
flabbergasted |
astounded |
| |
flout |
to disregard or disobey openly |
| |
foil |
to thwart, frustrate, defeat |
| |
forage |
to graze, rummage for food |
| |
forestall |
to prevent, thwart, delay |
| |
fraught |
filled or accompanied with |
| |
furtive |
secretive, sly |
| |
garish |
in bad taste |
| |
genial |
friendly, affable |
| |
gourmand |
someone fond of eating and drinking |
| |
grandiose |
on a magnificent or exaggerated scale |
| |
hallowed |
revered, consecrated |
| |
hegemony |
domination over others |
| |
hiatus |
a break or gap in duration or continuity |
| |
idolatrous |
excessively worshipping one object/person |
| |
impeccable |
exemplary, flawless |
| |
impinge |
to impact, affect |
| |
implicate |
to involve in an incriminating way |
| |
inane |
silly and meaningless |
| |
incessant |
unending |
| |
incumbent |
one who holds an office; obligatory |
| |
inextricable |
hopelessly tangled or entangled |
| |
injunction |
an order of official warning |
| |
innuendo |
an insinuation |
| |
inoculate |
to vaccinate |
| |
inquisitor |
one who inquires, esp. in hostile manner |
| |
insular |
separated and narrow-minded; tight-knit, closed off |
| |
interlocutor |
someone who participates in a dialogue or conversation |
| |
inundate |
to flood with abundance |
| |
irascible |
easily angered |
| |
iridescent |
showing rainbow colors |
| |
kudos |
praise for an achievement |
| |
laceration |
a cut, tear |
| |
licentious |
displaying a lack of moral or legal restraints |
| |
limpid |
clear |
| |
linchpin |
something that holds seperate parts together |
| |
litigant |
someone engaged in a lawsuit |
| |
lurid |
ghastly, sensational |
| |
mandate |
an authoritative command |
| |
manifold |
diverse, varied |
| |
mawkish |
characterized by sick sentimentality |
| |
metamorphosis |
the change of form, shape, substance |
| |
modicum |
a small amount of something |
| |
modulate |
to pass from one state to another, esp, in music |
| |
morass |
a wet swampy bog; figuratively, something that traps and confuses |
| |
mores |
the moral attitudes and fixed customs of a group of people |
| |
morose |
gloomy or sullen |
| |
nebulous |
vaguely defined, cloudy |
| |
nondescript |
lacking a distinctive character |
| |
ostracism |
exclusion from a group |
| |
palette |
a range of colors or qualities |
| |
pallid |
lacking color |
| |
paragon |
a model of excellence or perfection |
| |
pathology |
a deviation from the normal |
| |
pathos |
an emotion of sympathy |
| |
pellucid |
easily intelligible, clear |
| |
penchant |
a tendency, partiality, preference |
| |
penultimate |
next to last |
| |
pert |
bold, flippant |
| |
perusal |
a careful examination, review |
| |
pillage |
to seize or plunder |
| |
pinnacle |
the highest point |
| |
plaudits |
enthusiastic approval, applause |
| |
plenitude |
an abundance |
| |
potable |
suitable for drinking |
| |
potentate |
one with great power |
| |
precipice |
the face of a cliff, steep place |
| |
preponderance |
superiority in importance or quantity |
| |
prepossessing |
occupying the mind to the exclusion of other thoughts or feelings |
| |
presage |
an omen |
| |
primeval |
original, ancient |
| |
procure |
to obtain |
| |
prowess |
extraordinary ability |
| |
prurient |
eliciting or possessing an extraordinary interest in sex |
| |
punctilious |
eager to follow rules or conventions |
| |
pungent |
having a pointed, sharp quality—often used to describe smells |
| |
quaint |
charmingly old-fashioned |
| |
quell |
to control or diffuse a potentially explosive situation |
| |
rail |
to scold, protest |
| |
rancid |
having a terrible taste or smell |
| |
rapport |
mutual understanding and harmony |
| |
recapitulate |
to sum up, repeat |
| |
redoubtable |
formidable, commanding respect |
| |
refurbish |
to restore, clean up |
| |
regurgitate |
to vomit; to throw back exactly |
| |
relegate |
to assign to the proper place, often lower |
| |
renunciation |
rejection |
| |
repose |
to rest, lie down |
| |
reprieve |
temporary delay of punishment |
| |
rescind |
to take back, repeal |
| |
resplendent |
shiny, glowing |
| |
restitution |
restoration to the rightful owner |
| |
revel |
to enjoy intensely |
| |
rhapsodize |
to engage in excessive enthusiasm |
| |
rife |
abundant |
| |
saccharine |
sickeningly sweet/nice |
| |
salve |
a soothing balm |
| |
sanctimonious |
giving a hypocritical appearance of piety |
| |
scathing |
sharp, critical, hurtful |
| |
semaphore |
a visual signal |
| |
seminal |
original, important, creating a field |
| |
serendipity |
luck, finding good things w/o looking |
| |
sobriety |
sedate, calm |
| |
solicitous |
concerned, attentive |
| |
sophomoric |
immature, uninformed |
| |
sovereign |
having absolute authority in a realm |
| |
surmise |
to infer with little evidence |
| |
surrogate |
one acting in place of another |
| |
swarthy |
of dark color or complexion |
| |
tantamount |
equivalent in value or significance |
| |
temerity |
audacity, recklessnesss |
| |
torrid |
giving off intense heat, passionate |
| |
tortuous |
winding |
| |
transmute |
to change or alter in form |
| |
travesty |
a grossly inferior imitation |
| |
tremulous |
fearful |
| |
turgid |
swollen, excessively embellished in style or language |
| |
turpitude |
depravity, moral corruption |
| |
uncanny |
of supernatural character or origin |
| |
unctuous |
smooth and greasy in texture, manner |
| |
undulate |
to move in waves |
| |
variegated |
diversified, distinctly marked |
| |
veneer |
a facade, deceptively attractive appearance |
| |
vicarious |
experiencing through another |
| |
villify |
defame |
| |
viscous |
not free flowing |
| |
vituperate |
to berate |
| |
wanton |
undisciplined, lustful |
| |
wily |
crafty, sly |
| |
wistful |
full of yearning; musingly sad |
| |
yoke |
to link together |
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