 | Term | Definition |
| |
altruistic |
unselfishly concerned for the welfare of others, generous |
| |
ambivalent |
having contrary feelings or attitudes, uncertain as to course of action |
| |
angular |
lean; sharp cornered; gaunt |
| |
arrogant |
overbearingly assuming; insolently proud |
| |
aversion |
strong disinclination, disliking |
| |
discern |
to differentiate between two or more things |
| |
disdain |
intense dislike; to treat with scorn or contempt, to reject as unworthy |
| |
disparage |
to degrade; to speak of someone or something in a derogatory manner |
| |
disparity |
inequality, the condition or fact of being unequal in age, rank, or degree |
| |
embellish |
to decorate, to make beautiful with ornamentation |
| |
engender |
to cause, to produce, to create |
| |
innocuous |
harmless, producing no injury |
| |
insipid |
boring and stupid |
| |
lament |
to mourn or to express sorrow in a demonstrative manner |
| |
laud |
to praise, to extol |
| |
obscure |
difficult to see, vague |
| |
ostentatious |
showy, pretentious |
| |
prodigal |
wastefulm a person given to extravagance |
| |
repudiate |
to reject, to disown, to disavow |
| |
reticence |
restraint in speech, reluctance to speak |
| |
revere |
to honor, to regard with respect |
| |
serene |
calm, placid |
| |
subtle |
delicate, elusive, not obvious |
| |
superflous |
beyond what is needed or required, an overflow |
| |
taciturn |
quiet, not verbose |
| |
antithesis |
a direct opposite, a contrast |
| |
ascend |
to move upward, to rise from a lower station |
| |
austere |
strict, stern; unadorned, ascetic |
| |
autonomous |
independent, self-contained |
| |
banal |
common, ordinary, lacking freshness, hackneyed |
| |
benign |
not causing harm, of gentle disposition, beneficial |
| |
capricious |
changing suddenly, fickle |
| |
dawdle |
to waste time, to spend time idly, to move in a lackadaisical manner |
| |
defamation |
act of harming or ruining another's reputation |
| |
esoteric |
understood only by a small group or a select few |
| |
exacerbate |
to aggravate, to irritate, to vex |
| |
extol |
to praise, to glorify |
| |
fastidious |
reflecting a meticulous or demanding attitude, critical to an extreme |
| |
furtive |
secret in an underhand way, stealthy |
| |
gregarious |
sociable and outgoing |
| |
hypocrite |
one who is insincere or deceitful |
| |
innate |
existing from birth, inborn |
| |
lethargic |
sluggish, languid |
| |
melancholy |
depression of spirits |
| |
opaque |
not allowing the passage of light; not transparent; hard to understand |
| |
prolific |
abundantly fruitful, marked by great productivity |
| |
reprove |
to scold or to rebuke for a misdeed usually with kindly intent |
| |
symmetry |
balanced proportions |
| |
tranquil |
peaceful, calm |
| |
venerate |
to honor, to revere |
| |
abstruse |
difficult to understand, recondite, concealed |
| |
affable |
friendly, courteous, amiable |
| |
audacity |
excessive boldness, rashness, daring |
| |
contrite |
extremely apologetic, remorseful, repentant |
| |
credulous |
believing on slight evidence, gullible |
| |
depravity |
moral corruption, a wicked or perverse act |
| |
deprecate |
to disapprove regretfully, to belittle, to express mild disapproval |
| |
didactic |
instructive, designed to teach |
| |
dormant |
inactive, sleeping |
| |
enigmatic |
mysterious, inexplicable, puzzling |
| |
erudite |
scholarly |
| |
exotic |
foreign, unfamiliar |
| |
fuse |
to mix or to join |
| |
immutable |
unchanging |
| |
incorrigible |
incapable of being reformed or improved |
| |
loathe |
to detest |
| |
mitigate |
to cause to become less harsh or hostile; to make less severe |
| |
nullify |
to cause not to be in effect, to negate |
| |
pacifistic |
opposed to war or to use of force |
| |
pretentious |
making an extravagant outward show, self-important |
| |
prologue |
introductory remarks in a speech, play or literary work; introductory action |
| |
recant |
to withdraw or to repudiate a statement or belief, revoke |
| |
servile |
overly submissive |
| |
trepidation |
fear, trembling, agitation |
| |
villify |
to malign, to defame, to utter abusive statements against |
| |
aesthetic |
relating or pertaining to a sense of beauty or art |
| |
aloof |
apart, indifferent |
| |
archaic |
antiquated, old, out of use |
| |
assuage |
to ease, to mitigate, to make less painful or burdensome, to calm |
| |
belie |
to contradict, to give a false impression |
| |
contentious |
quarrelsome, stirring controversy |
| |
daunt |
to intimidate, to dismay |
| |
debililate |
to weaken, to enfeeble |
| |
discord |
lack of agreement, tension, strife |
| |
dissemination |
the act of spreading widely; scattering |
| |
dogmatic |
strongly opinionated in an unwarranted manner |
| |
duplicity |
double-healing, hypocrisy |
| |
egocentric |
self-centered, selfish |
| |
euphemism |
substitution of an inoffensive term for one that is offensive |
| |
gluttonous |
greedy for food and drink |
| |
mundane |
ordinary, commonplace |
| |
ominous |
threatening |
| |
petulance |
unreasonable touchiness or irritability |
| |
pompous |
exaggerated show of dignity or self-importance, bombastic |
| |
precocious |
exceptionally early in development or occurrence |
| |
slothful |
lazy, indolent |
| |
trivia |
insignificant matters |
| |
verbose |
wordy, very talkative |
| |
virulent |
extremely poisonous; hateful |
| |
volatile |
quickly changeable, easily vaporized |
