 | Term | Definition |
| |
abate |
to reduce in amount, degree, or severity |
| |
abscond |
to leave secretly |
| |
aggrandize |
to increase in power, influence, and reputation |
| |
archaic |
ancient, old-fashioned |
| |
ardor |
intense and passionate feeling |
| |
attenuate |
to weaken |
| |
austere |
undecorated, stern in appearance |
| |
candid |
impartial and honest in speech |
| |
castigate |
to punish or critisize harshly |
| |
catalyst |
something that brings about change in something else |
| |
caustic |
biting wit |
| |
cogent |
convincing and well reasoned |
| |
convoluted |
intricate and complicated |
| |
deference |
respect, courtesy |
| |
deride |
to mock |
| |
desiccate |
to dry out thoroughly |
| |
desultory |
jumping from one thing to another, disconnected |
| |
diatribe |
an abusive, condemnatory speech |
| |
diffident |
lacking self confidence |
| |
dilatory |
intended to delay |
| |
dilettante |
someone with an amateruish and superficial interest in a topic |
| |
dirge |
a funeral hymn or mournful speech |
| |
disabuse |
to set right, to free from error |
| |
discern |
to perceive, to recognize |
| |
disparate |
fundamentally different, entirely unlike |
| |
dissemble |
to present a false apperance, to disguise one's real intentions or character |
| |
dogmatic |
dictorial in one's opinions |
| |
eloquent |
persuasive and moving, especially in speech |
| |
enervate |
to reduce in strength |
| |
engender |
to produce, cause, or bring about |
| |
ephemeral |
lasting a short time |
| |
equivocate |
to use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead |
| |
erudite |
learned, scholarly, bookish |
| |
esoteric |
known or understood by only a few |
| |
estimable |
admirable |
| |
exacerbate |
to make worse |
| |
exculpate |
to clear from blame; prove innocent |
| |
exigent |
urgent, requiring immediate action |
| |
fervid |
intensely emotional |
| |
foment |
to arouse or incite |
| |
imperturbable |
not capable of being disturbed |
| |
impervious |
impossible to penetrate, incapable of being affected |
| |
impetuous |
quick to act without thinking |
| |
implacable |
unable to be calmed down or made peaceful |
| |
inchoate |
not fully formed; disorganized |
| |
inimical |
hostile, unfriendly |
| |
innocuous |
harmless |
| |
insipid |
lacking interest or flavor |
| |
intransigent |
uncompromising; refusing to be reconciled |
| |
inundate |
to overwhelm; to cover with water |
| |
irascible |
easily made angry |
| |
laconic |
using few words |
| |
lament |
to express sorrow; to grieve |
| |
laud |
to give praise, to glorify |
| |
mitigate |
to soften, to lessen |
| |
obdurate |
hardened in feeling, resistant to persuasion |
| |
obsequuious |
overly submissive and eager to please |
| |
obstinate |
stubborn, unyielding |
| |
obviate |
to prevent; to make unnecessary |
| |
occlude |
to stop up; to prevent the passage of |
| |
onerous |
troublesome and oppressive, burdensome |
| |
opprobrium |
public disgrace |
| |
ostentation |
excessive showiness |
| |
paragon |
model of excellence or perfection |
| |
pedant |
someone who shows off learning |
| |
perfidious |
willing to betray one's trust |
| |
placate |
to soothe or pacify |
| |
precipitiate |
to throw violently or bring about abruptly; lacking deliberation |
| |
prevaricate |
to lie or deviate from the truth |
| |
prodical |
lavish, wasteful |
| |
propitiate |
to conciliate, to appease |
| |
repudiate |
to reject the validty of |
| |
reticent |
silent, reserved |
| |
satiate |
to satisfy fully or overindulge |
| |
soporific |
causing sleep or lethargy |
| |
specious |
decetively attractive; seemingly plausable but fallacious |
| |
stolid |
unemotional; lacking sensitivity |
| |
tacit |
done without using words |
| |
taciturn |
silent, non talkative |
| |
torpor |
extreme mental and physical sluggishness |
| |
vacillate |
to sway physically, to be indecisive |
| |
venerate |
to respect deeply |
| |
veracity |
filled with truth and accuracy |
| |
volatile |
easily aroused or changeable; lively or explosive |
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