Important word-list
I have selected these words for maximum usefulness. all have appeared in recent years on the SAT, GMAT and GRE tests. I am not wasting your time on obscure words that you will never hear again. The following words are also taken from various english magazines, articles and newspapers.
Abhor: hate
Bigot: narrow-minded, prejudiced person
Counterfeit: fake; false
Enfranchise: give voting rights
Hamper: hinder; obstruct
Kindle: to start a fire
Noxious: harmful; poisonous; lethal
Placid: calm; peaceful
Remuneration: payment for work done
Talisman: lucky charm
Abasement: humiliation; degradation
Billowing: swelling; fluttering; waving
Cower: recoil in fear or servility; shrink away from
Enhance: improve; make better or clearer
Harangue: noisy, attacking speech
Labyrinth: a maze
Nullify: to counter; make unimportant
Plaintiff: petitioner (in court of law)
Replete: full
Tangible: can be touched
Plagiarism: taking credit for someone else's writing or ideas
Knotty: complex; difficult to solve
Engender: cause
Covert: hidden; undercover
Abrogate: cancel; deny; repeal
Blasphemy: speech which offends religious sentiments
Credible: believable
Enigma: puzzle; mystery
Harbingers: indicators; bringers of warnings
Labyrinthine: complicated; highly convoluted
Plaudit: statement giving strong praise
Reprehensible: shameful; very bad
Tardy: slow; late; overdue; delayed
Creditable: praiseworthy
Hasten: hurry; accelerate; rush
Laceration: a cut
Obdurate: stubborn
Plausible: can be believed; reasonable
Reprieve: a respite; postponement of a sentence
Tawdry: of little value; gaudy
Abstain: desist; go without; withdraw
Blighted: damaged; destroyed; ruined
Credulous: gullible; ready to believe anything
Enshroud: cover
Haughtiness: arrogance; pride
Lachrymose: tearful; sad
Obfuscate: deliberately make something difficult to understand
Plethora: an excess
Repudiate: shun; eschew; back from statement
Tedium: boredom
Abstemious: self denying; refraining from indulging
Enunciation: clear pronunciation; accent; articulation
Headstrong: stubborn; willful
Lackluster: dull; monotonous; bland
Objective: unbiased; not subjective
Pliable: flexible; not stubborn
Rescind: retract; repeal
Temper: to moderate; soften
Abstruse: difficult to understand; obscure
Cringe: recoil; flinch; shy away
Envenom: to cause bitterness and bad feeling
Hedonism: self indulgence; pleasure-seeking
Laconic: using few words; brief; to the point
Oblique: indirect; slanting
Tenacious: stubborn; resolute; holding firm to a purpose
Accolade: tribute; honor; praise
Bolster: support; prop up
Cryptic: puzzling; enigmatic
Ephemeral: short-lived
Lamentation: expression of regret or sorrow
Obliterate: destroy; demolish; eradicate
Plummet: fall suddenly and steeply
Resolution: determination
Tentative: not certain
Acquiesce: to agree to; give in to
Bombast: arrogant, pompous language
Curtail: cut short
Heed: listen to
Lampoon: ridicule; spoof
Oblivious: totally unaware
Podium: raised platform
Resonant: echoing
Tenuous: flimsy; not solid
Acrid sharp; pungent (used of smells and tastes) Boorish ill-mannered Cynical believing that people act only out of selfish motives
Heresy against orthodox opinion
Obscure difficult to understand; partially hidden Poignant deeply moving; strongly affecting the emotions Respite a break; intermission Terse concise; to the point
Debility weakness; incapacity
Hiatus interruption; pause
Languid tired; slow
Obscured: hidden; covered; buried
Poised: calm; collected; self-possessed
Resplendent: shining; glowing
Therapeutic: medicinal; curative
Acuity: sharpness (mental or visual)
Braggart: someone who boasts
Debunking: exposing false claims or myths
Hidebound: rigid in opinions
Languish: decay; fade away; get weaker
Obsequious: servile; submissive
Polemical: causing debate or argument
Restorative: a tonic
Thwart: prevent; frustrate
Adamant: forceful; inflexible
Brawny: muscular
Equivocate: speak ambiguously; avoid telling the truth
Hieroglyphics: 1. picture writing; 2. writing which is difficult to read or enigmatic
Larceny: theft; robbery; stealing
Ponderous: weighty; slow and heavy
Retention: preservation; withholding
Timorous: cowardly; fearful
Adroit: skilful Brevity being brief
Decorum: dignified, correct behavior [decorous (a)]
Err: make a mistake
Hinder: obstruct
Largess: generosity
Obsolete: no longer valid
Reticent: restrained; holding something back; uncommunicative
Tirade: stream of verbal abuse
Adulation: strong admiration; worship
Bristle: to show irritation
Erratic: wandering; irregular
Histrionic: theatrical; exaggerated
Laud: praise
Portend: foretell
Retraction: withdrawal; cancellation of a statement
Titter: giggle quietly
Adversity: hardship
Broach: start to discuss; approach
Deference: respect
Esoteric: obscure and difficult to understand
Hoary: old; white with old age
Lavish: on a grand scale; wasteful
Obtuse: mentally dull
Portent: a warning sign; omen
Revere: worship
Advocate: support
Brusque: blunt; abrupt
Espouse: promote; take up; support
Hone: sharpen; increase; whet
Lax: careless; not strict
Obviate: avoid; make unnecessary
Poseur: someone who puts on an act
Riddled: full of (usually full of holes)
Torpid: inactive; lazy; stagnant
Defunct: no longer in existence
Etymology: the study of word origins
Legend: 1. key to map; 2. myth or story
Odious: hateful Posterity future generations
Rife: common
Torpor: dormancy; sluggishness; inactivity
Affable: friendly; social; easygoing
Bureaucracy: officialdom
Degradation: deprivation; poverty; debasement
Eulogy: praise
Hypochondriac: a person obsessed with health; having imaginary illnesses
Legion: in large numbers
Officious: domineering; intrusive; meddlesome
Posthumous: after death
Rigor: thoroughness
Totter: walk unsteadily
Alacrity: eagerness; enthusiasm; quickness
Deleterious: harmful
Euphemism: a polite phrase to cover something unpleasant
Hypocritical: insincere
Lethargic: tired; without energy
Ogle: stare at; observe in an obvious manner
Robust: strong; healthy; tough
Tractable: obedient; dutiful; polite
Deliberate: to think over deeply
Euphony: pleasant sounds
Iconoclast: person who opposes orthodoxy
Levity: flippancy; joking about serious matters; lightness
Olfactory: concerned with the sense of smell
Alibi: an excuse that shows someone was not at a crime scene
Buttress: strengthen; support
Delineation: demarcation; explanation; definition; outlining
Evacuate: vacate; empty; abandon
Idiosyncrasy: a personal peculiarity; something unique to an individual
Libertarian: someone who opposes tyranny
Ominous: threatening
Potent: powerful; compelling; strong
Ruminate: think over something; ponder
Transcribe: copy
Allay: to lessen
Byline: the line that tells you who wrote an article
Demur: hesitate; refuse
Exacerbate: make worse
Ignominious: shameful
Omnipotent: all-powerful
Pragmatic: practical Ruse trick; stratagem
Transgress: go astray; disobey; commit a sin
Alleviate: make less severe
Cacophony: discordant loud noises
Denounce: condemn; speak out against
Exasperated: frustrated; annoyed
Ignominy: shame [ignominious (a) = shameful]
Lithe: flexible; supple
Omniscient: all-knowing
Pragmatist: practical person; one who is concerned with usefulness
Saccharin: falsely sweet
Transient: short-lived; ephemeral
Aloof: distant; detached; cold
Cajole: coax; wheedle; decieve by flattery
Deplete: use up; lessen
Exceptionable: very bad (something which we should object to)
Illuminate: to light up or make clear
Livid: very angry
Onerous: burdensome; hard to undertake
Preamble: introductory material
Sacrosanct: very holy; inviolable
Traverse: to move across
Altruism: putting others first; being self-sacrificing
Deplore: regret
Exculpate: free someone from blame; pardon; acquit
Illusory: deceptive; false; misleading
Lobbyist: person who tries to persuade someone to support a particular cause
Onus: burden
Precarious: unstable; risky
Sagacious: wise
Trepidation: fear
Amass: accumulate
Callow: immature
Depravity: moral corruption
Execrable: very, very bad
Immoderate: excessive; extreme
Lofty: snooty; arrogant; haughty
Opaque: does not let light through
Precedent: a previous occurrence used as a guide
Sage: a wise person; person celebrated for wisdom
Trinket: something of little value; knick-knack
Ambiguity: uncertainty; vagueness
Candid: frank; honest
Deprecate: criticize; denounce
Immutable: unchanging; permanent
Longevity: long life
Opulent: wealthy; rich; magnificent
Precept: guiding principle
Salacious: lecherous; erotic
Trite: unoriginal; dull
Ambiguous: unclear in meaning; can be interpreted in different ways
Candor: frankness; openness
Deride: ridicule; make fun of; mock
Exemplary: outstandingly good; setting a fine example
Impartial: unbiased; neutral
Loquacious: talkative
Sallow: yellowish
Trivial: unimportant
Ambivalence: lack of clarity; wavering; being undecided
Cantankerous bad-tempered; quarrelsome
Exemplify: to serve as a good example
Impecunious: having no money
Lucid: clear
Ornate: highly decorated
Salubrious: health-giving
Truant: shirker; someone absent without permission
Ambulatory: able to walk around (used of hospital patients)
Capacious: spacious
Desecrate: to damage or pollute a holy place
Exhaustive: complete and thorough Impious wicked; profane
Ludicrous: ridiculous; silly
Orthodox: conventional
Precipitous: done in a hurry
Salutary: something which teaches you a lesson; beneficial
Truncate: cut short
Ameliorate: make better
Capitulate: surrender; give in to
Exonerates: acquits; absolves; removes blame
Impoverished: destitute; poor
Ossify: 1. turn to bone; 2. become fixed and rigid
Preclude: prevent or make impossible
Sanctimonious: hypocritically holy
Tumult: uproar; noise
Amelioration: improvement
Carping: constant criticism; finding faults
Desist: stop; discontinue; cease
Exorcism: getting free/rid of; eliminating (especially demons)
Impromptu: unrehearsed; spontaneous
Lummox: clumsy person
Ostentatious: showy
Precocious: developing early
Sanction: give approval to
Turpitude: depravity
Amiable: friendly; lovable
Cartographer: person who makes maps
Despondent: having no hope; miserable
Expatriate: refugee; emigrant; someone living away from his own country
Inadvertent: not intentional
Luscious: juicy; moist; succulent
Oust: push out of a position
Predecessor: one who came before
Sanguinary: bloodthirsty; bloody
Tyro: novice; beginner
Amity: friendship
Castigate: scold strongly
Destitution: hardship; poverty; misery
Expedient: convenient; practical
Lynch: assassinate; kill; illegal hanging
Overt: obvious; not hidden
Predicament: dilemma; difficult situation
Sanguine: optimistic; cheerful
Ubiquitous: found everywhere; omnipresent
Amorphous: lacking in shape
Deter: put off; prevent
Expedite: make faster
Incarceration: putting in prison
Machinations: plots and plans
Preeminent: famous; outstanding
Sardonic: mocking
Unalloyed: undiluted; total
Analgesic: medicine to combat pain
Caucus: type of private political meeting
Deteriorate: worsen; decline
Exposition: clear explanation
Incessant: without stopping
Maelstrom: whirlpool; storm in the ocean
Prerogative: right or privilege
Savant: person with knowledge
Unctuous: oily; using excessive flattery
Analogous: comparable
Caustic: burning
Detrimental: harmful
Extol: praise
Incipient: just beginning
Magnanimous: generous; big-hearted
Prescient: having fore-knowledge
Scale: to climb
Undermined: damaged; attacked
Anarchy: chaos; lack of government
Devoured: greedily eaten/consumed
Extradite: deport from one country back to the home country
Inclination: tendency; a leaning toward
Palliative: a remedy that improves but doesn't cure
Presentiment: a feeling that something might happen
Scapegoat: person on whom blame is placed for faults of others
Underscore: emphasize
Dexterous: skilful with hands
Extraneous: irrelevant
Incoherent: not clear
Maladroit: clumsy; unskillful
Pallid: pale
Presumptuous: assuming too much; arrogant
Scrupulous: careful; diligent; painstaking
Unequivocal: clear; obvious
Animosity: hatred; antagonism
Censorious: disapproving; critical
Dichotomy: a division into two parts
Extrapolate: extend; predict on the basis of known data
Incongruous: not fitting in; out of place
Malady: illness
Palpable: easily felt; easily perceived
Pretentious: pompous; self-important
Scrutinize: examine carefully
Unfetter: set free
Censure: blame; criticize
Extrinsic: irrelevant; on the outside
Inconsequential: unimportant; insignificant; negligible
Malediction: a curse Panacea remedy for all ills
Prevaricate: speak misleadingly and evasively
Cerebral: intellectual
Diffident: lacking confidence
Fallacious: false
Inconspicuous: not easily seen; subtle; not noticeable
Malefactor: a wrong-doer
Paradigm: 1. example; 2. model; 3. way of looking at things
Pristine unspoiled
Unprecedented: never having happened before
Anomaly: something which does not fit in a pattern; irregularity
Certitude: certainty
Digress: wander off the subject
Falter: hesitate; waver
Indelible: cannot be wiped out
Malinger: deliberately avoid work; shirk
Paradox: apparently contradictory statement
Sensuous: appealing to the senses
Unscathed: unharmed; intact; without a scratch
Antagonism: hostility; strong opposition
Charlatan: trickster who claims knowledge he doesn't have
Indifferent: 1. neutral; 2. not outstanding
Malingerer: person who deliberately tries to avoid work
Paragon: a perfect example
Procrastinate: delay; put off
Unwitting: not deliberate; unconscious
Antagonistic: opposed; hostile; aggressive
Chary: watchful; wary of; cautious about; reluctant to give
Dilatory: slow; falling behind with one's work
Fanaticism: passion; excessive devotion
Indigenous: native to a particular area
Malleable: flexible; can be shaped
Paramount: of supreme importance
Prodigal: wasteful; extravagant
Sequester: isolate
Upbraid: scold; tell off; reprimand
Antediluvian: outdated; prehistoric; very old-fashioned
Dilemma: puzzling situation
Fastidious: overly particular; finicky
Indolence: laziness
Prodigious: very large
Serendipity: fortunate coincidence; unsought discovery
Uproarious: hilarious; hysterical; very funny
Dilettante: person who dabbles in a subject without serious study
Inductee: novice; beginner
Manipulatable: influencable; controllable
Profane: unholy
Serene: calm; peaceful
Upshot: outcome
Diligent: hard-working
Feasible: possible and practicable
Indulgent: pampering; satisfying desires
Marred: damaged; spoiled
Pariah: an outcast from society
Urbane: sophisticated; suave; refined
to be continued