1500 words with meanings


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
.................................................. .
Abrasive
rough; coarse; harsh
.................................................. .
Bilk
cheat; defraud
.................................................. .
Covert
hidden; undercover
.................................................. .
Engender
cause
.................................................. .
Hangar
storage area (like garage) for a plane
.................................................. .
Knotty
complex; difficult to solve
.................................................. .
Nuance
something subtle; a fine shade of meaning
.................................................. .
Plagiarism
taking credit for someone else's writing or ideas
.................................................. .
Renown
fame
.................................................. .
Tangent
going off the main subject
.................................................. .
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
.................................................. .
Abrogate
cancel; deny; repeal
.................................................. .
Blasphemy
speech which offends religious sentiments
.................................................. .
Credible
believable
.................................................. .
Enigma
puzzle; mystery
.................................................. .
Harbingers
indicators; bringers of warnings
.................................................. .
Labyrinthine
complicated; highly convoluted
.................................................. .
Nuzzle
cuddle; snuggle
.................................................. .
Plaudit
statement giving strong praise
.................................................. .
Reprehensible
shameful; very bad
.................................................. .
Tardy
slow; late; overdue; delayed
.................................................. .
Absolution
forgiveness; pardon; release
.................................................. .
Blatant
obvious
.................................................. .
Creditable
praiseworthy
.................................................. .
Ensconce
establish firmly in a position
.................................................. .
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
.................................................. .
Tedium
boredom
.................................................. .
Abstemious
self denying; refraining from indulging
.................................................. .
Blithe
free-spirited; carefree
.................................................. .
Crepuscular
active at dawn and dusk
.................................................. .
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
.................................................. .
Blunderbuss
1. ancient weapon (type of gun); 2. a clumsy person
.................................................. .
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
.................................................. .
Plumage
feathers of a bird
.................................................. .
Resignation
acceptance of fate
.................................................. .
Tenacious
stubborn; resolute; holding firm to a purpose
.................................................. .
Accolade
tribute; honor; praise
.................................................. .
Bolster
support; prop up
.................................................. .
Cryptic
puzzling; enigmatic
.................................................. .
Ephemeral
short-lived
.................................................. .
Hedonist
a pleasure seeker
.................................................. .
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
.................................................. .
Epicure
someone who appreciates good food and drink
.................................................. .
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
.................................................. .
Epistle
a letter (form of communication)
.................................................. .
Heresy
against orthodox opinion
.................................................. .
Lance
spear; spike; javelin
.................................................. .
Obscure
difficult to understand; partially hidden
.................................................. .
Poignant
deeply moving; strongly affecting the emotions
.................................................. .
Respite
a break; intermission
.................................................. .
Terse
concise; to the point
.................................................. .
Acrophobia
fear of heights
.................................................. .
Bourgeois
middle class
.................................................. .
Debility
weakness; incapacity
.................................................. .
Epistolary
concerned with letters; through correspondence
.................................................. .
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
.................................................. .
Epitomized
typified; characterized; personified
.................................................. .
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
.................................................. .
Decathlon
an athletic competition with ten events
.................................................. .
Equivocate
speak ambiguously; avoid telling the truth
.................................................. .
Hieroglyphics
1. picture writing; 2. writing which is difficult to read or enigmatic
.................................................. .
Larceny
theft; robbery; stealing
.................................................. .
Obsession
a dominating concern
.................................................. .
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
.................................................. .
Pontificate
speak pompously or dogmatically
.................................................. .
Reticent
restrained; holding something back; uncommunicative
.................................................. .
Tirade
stream of verbal abuse
.................................................. .
Adulation
strong admiration; worship
.................................................. .
Bristle
to show irritation
.................................................. .
Decoy
lure; trap; trick
.................................................. .
Erratic
wandering; irregular
.................................................. .
Histrionic
theatrical; exaggerated
.................................................. .
Laud
praise
.................................................. .
Obstreperous
noisy and boisterous
.................................................. .
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
.................................................. .
Lavish
on a grand scale; wasteful
.................................................. .
Obtuse
mentally dull
.................................................. .
Portent
a warning sign; omen
.................................................. .
Revere
worship
.................................................. .
Tome
large book
.................................................. .
Advocate
support
.................................................. .
Brusque
blunt; abrupt
.................................................. .
Defoliate
cause leaves to fall off
.................................................. .
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
.................................................. .
Aesthetic
concerning art or beauty
.................................................. .
Bulwark
fortification; barricade; wall
.................................................. .
Defunct
no longer in existence
.................................................. .
Etymology
the study of word origins
.................................................. .
Hyperbole
grossly exaggerated speech
.................................................. .
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
.................................................. .
Burgeon
grow; flourish; put forth new shoots
.................................................. .
Deleterious
harmful
.................................................. .
Euphemism
a polite phrase to cover something unpleasant
.................................................. .
Hypocritical
insincere
.................................................. .
Lethargic
tired; without energy
.................................................. .
Ogle
stare at; observe in an obvious manner
.................................................. .
Postulate
hypothesize; propose
.................................................. .
Robust
strong; healthy; tough
.................................................. .
Tractable
obedient; dutiful; polite
.................................................. .
Alchemy
medieval chemistry; attempt to change base metal into gold
.................................................. .
Burnish
polish
.................................................. .
Deliberate
to think over deeply
.................................................. .
Euphony
pleasant sounds
.................................................. .
Iconoclast
person who opposes orthodoxy
.................................................. .
Levity
flippancy; joking about serious matters
.................................................. .
Olfactory
concerned with the sense of smell
.................................................. .
Potable
suitable for drinking
.................................................. .
Rotund
round
.................................................. .
Tranquil
peaceful
.................................................. .
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
.................................................. .
Liniment
soothing lotion
.................................................. .
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
.................................................. .
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
.................................................. .
Caldron
huge cooking pot
.................................................. .
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
.................................................. .
Trinket
something of little value; knick-knack
.................................................. .
Ambiguity
uncertainty; vagueness
.................................................. .
Candid
frank; honest
.................................................. .
Deprecate
criticize; denounce
.................................................. .
Exegesis
scholarly explanation or interpretation
.................................................. .
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
.................................................. .
Ordain
1. destine; 2. confer holy orders on a priest
.................................................. .
Precinct
district of a city
.................................................. .
Sallow
yellowish
.................................................. .
Trivial
unimportant
.................................................. .
Ambivalence
lack of clarity; wavering; being undecided
.................................................. .
Cantankerous
bad-tempered; quarrelsome
.................................................. .
Derogatory
uncomplimentary
.................................................. .
Exemplify
to serve as a good example
.................................................. .
Impecunious
having no money
.................................................. .
Lucid
clear
.................................................. .
Ornate
highly decorated
.................................................. .
Precipice
steep slope
.................................................. .
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
.................................................. .
Desecration
spoiling something holy
.................................................. .
Exonerates
acquits; absolves; removes blame
.................................................. .
Impoverished
destitute; poor
.................................................. .
Lukewarm
1. unenthusiastic; 2. neither hot nor cold
.................................................. .
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
.................................................. .
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
.................................................. .
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
.................................................. .
Incantation
chant; invocation; prayer
.................................................. .
Lynch
assassinate; kill; illegal hanging
.................................................. .
Overt
obvious; not hidden
.................................................. .
Predicament
dilemma; difficult situation
.................................................. .
Sanguine
optimistic; cheerful
.................................................. .
Ubiquitous
found everywhere; omnipresent
.................................................. .
Amorphous
lacking in shape
.................................................. .
Catharsis
purging of pent-up emotions
.................................................. .
Deter
put off; prevent
.................................................. .
Expedite
make faster
.................................................. .
Incarceration
putting in prison
.................................................. .
Machinations
plots and plans
.................................................. .
Overwrought
worked up; in an emotional state
.................................................. .
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
.................................................. .
Palatable
good to eat; agreeable
.................................................. .
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
.................................................. .
Palisade
fence made of posts
.................................................. .
Prescient
having fore-knowledge
.................................................. .
Scale
to climb
.................................................. .
Undermined
damaged; attacked
.................................................. .
Anarchy
chaos; lack of government
.................................................. .
Cavalcade
procession of vehicles
.................................................. .
Devoured
greedily eaten/consumed
.................................................. .
Extradite
deport from one country back to the home country
.................................................. .
Inclination
tendency; a leaning toward
.................................................. .
Magnate
powerful businessman
.................................................. .
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
.................................................. .
Anecdote
a brief amusing story
.................................................. .
Celerity
speed
.................................................. .
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
.................................................. .
Annex (n)
a building which is an addition to an existing building
.................................................. .
Censure
blame
.................................................. .
Didactic
intended to teach; instructive
.................................................. .
Extrinsic
irrelevant; on the outside
.................................................. .
Inconsequential
unimportant; insignificant; negligible
.................................................. .
Malediction
a curse
.................................................. .
Panacea
remedy for all ills
.................................................. .
Prevaricate
speak misleadingly and evasively
.................................................. .
Scuttle
sink
.................................................. .
Unfrock
to remove a priest from his position
.................................................. .
Annex (v)
take possession of; seize; capture
.................................................. .
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
.................................................. .
Seminary
an institution in which priests are trained
.................................................. .
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
.................................................. .
Proclivity
tendency towards
.................................................. .
Sensuous
appealing to the senses
.................................................. .
Unscathed
unharmed; intact; without a scratch
.................................................. .
Antagonism
hostility; strong opposition
.................................................. .
Charlatan
trickster who claims knowledge he doesn't have
.................................................. .
Dike
dam; embankment
.................................................. .
Fanatical
obsessive; fixated
.................................................. .
Indifferent
1. neutral; 2. not outstanding
.................................................. .
Malingerer
person who deliberately tries to avoid work
.................................................. .
Paragon
a perfect example
.................................................. .
Procrastinate
delay; put off
.................................................. .
Sentinel
guard; sentry
.................................................. .
Unwitting
not deliberate; unconscious
.................................................. .
Antagonistic
opposed; hostile; aggressive
.................................................. .
Chary
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
.................................................. .
Chastises
punishes
.................................................. .
Dilemma
puzzling situation
.................................................. .
Fastidious
overly particular; finicky
.................................................. .
Indolence
laziness
.................................................. .
Mallet
1. wooden hammer; 2. stick used for polo
.................................................. .
Parasite
1. scrounger; 2. animal which takes digested food from another
.................................................. .
Prodigious
very large
.................................................. .
Serendipity
fortunate coincidence; unsought discovery
.................................................. .
Uproarious
hilarious; hysterical; very funny
.................................................. .
Anthology
a book which is a collection of poems or stories
.................................................. .
Chicanery
trickery
.................................................. .
Dilettante
person who dabbles in a subject without serious study
.................................................. .
Fatuous
silly; foolish
.................................................. .
Inductee
novice; beginner
.................................................. .
Manipulatable
influencable; controllable
.................................................. .
Parched
dried up
.................................................. .
Profane
unholy
.................................................. .
Serene
calm; peaceful
.................................................. .
Upshot
outcome
.................................................. .
Anthropocentrism
putting man at the center of one's philosophy
.................................................. .
Chimerical
changeable; unstable
.................................................. .
Diligent
hard-working
.................................................. .
Feasible
possible and practicable
.................................................. .
Indulgent
pampering; satisfying desires
.................................................. .
Marred
damaged; spoiled
.................................................. .
Pariah
an outcast from society
.................................................. .
Profanity
swearing; cursing
.................................................. .
Serrated
jagged; saw-like
.................................................. .
Urbane
sophisticated; suave
.................................................. .
Antiquated
outdated; old fashioned
.................................................. .
Choleric
easily angered
.................................................. .
Diorama
model of a scene
.................................................. .
Fecund
fertile
.................................................. .
Inebriation
drunkenness; intoxication
.................................................. .
Marshal
to gather together
.................................................. .
Parity
equality
.................................................. .
Profound
having deep meaning
.................................................. .
Servile
overly submissive; groveling
.................................................. .
Usurp
take someone's position (usually by force)
.................................................. .
Apathetic
indifferent; uninterested; lethargic
.................................................. .
Chronicler
person who records historical information
.................................................. .
Dirge
mournful song
.................................................. .
Felicitous
apt
.................................................. .
Ineffable
cannot be expressed in words
.................................................. .
Marsupial
pouched mammal (like a kangaroo)
.................................................. .
Parochial
narrow-minded; concerned only with local matters
.................................................. .
Profundity
depth
.................................................. .
Skeptical
doubting; not gullible
.................................................. .
Utilitarian
useful
.................................................. .
Apathy
lack of interest or emotion
.................................................. .
Circuitous
indirect
.................................................. .
Disapprobation
disapproval
.................................................. .
Fervor
passion; enthusiasm
.................................................. .
Inept
incompetent; unskilled; useless
.................................................. .
Martinet
person who believes in strict discipline
.................................................. .
Parody
a mockery; imitation for ridicule; spoof
.................................................. .
Proletarian
member of the working class
.................................................. .
Skirmish
minor battle
.................................................. .
Utopian
a believer in an ideal world
.................................................. .
Apocryphal
of doubtful origin
.................................................. .
Circumlocution
using too many words; long-windedness
.................................................. .
Discern
to distinguish one thing from another
.................................................. .
Fickle
unpredictable; whimsical; easily swayed
.................................................. .
Inertia
inactivity; lethargy
.................................................. .
Masochist
person who intentionally inflicts pain on himself
.................................................. .
Parry
ward off; avoid
.................................................. .
Prolific
producing a lot
.................................................. .
Sluggard
slow-moving; lethargic person
.................................................. .
Vacillate
waver; hesitate
.................................................. .
Appease
pacify; soothe; calm down; make peace with
.................................................. .
Circumscribe
limit
.................................................. .
Discord
disagreement
.................................................. .
Finesse
skill
.................................................. .
Inevitable
cannot be avoided
.................................................. .
Matriarchy
society governed by women
.................................................. .
Parsimonious
economical; frugal; thrifty
.................................................. .
Proponents
promoters; supporters
.................................................. .
Smelt
refine an ore
.................................................. .
Vacuous
empty; silly; meaningless
.................................................. .
Apprehensive
worried; fearful
.................................................. .
Circumspect
cautious; considering all sides
.................................................. .
Discordancy
cacophony; harshness; jarring
.................................................. .
Fitful
not continuous; stopping and starting
.................................................. .
Inexorable
relentless
.................................................. .
Maverick
a loner
.................................................. .
Parsimony
stinginess; frugality; cost-cutting
.................................................. .
Prosaic
dull; boring; ordinary
.................................................. .
Smorgasbord
a Swedish buffet of cold dishes
.................................................. .
Vagrant
person wandering without a home
.................................................. .
Arable
can be cultivated
.................................................. .
Circumvent
avoid
.................................................. .
Discrepancy
something which does not match up; inconsistency
.................................................. .
Flagrant
clearly wrong
.................................................. .
Inexpedient
not advisable
.................................................. .
Meager
in short supply
.................................................. .
Partisan
biased; one-sided; committed to one group
.................................................. .
Proscribe
forbid
.................................................. .
Solace
comfort for grief
.................................................. .
Vapid
dull; uninspiring
.................................................. .
Arbitrary
random; for no definite reason
.................................................. .
Clairvoyant
psychic; mystic
.................................................. .
Discriminate
to make a clear distinction; see the difference
.................................................. .
Flamboyant
showy; ornate
.................................................. .
Infallible
perfect; flawless; cannot make mistakes
.................................................. .
Meander
wander from side to side
.................................................. .
Pathos
evoking sadness or pity
.................................................. .
Prosody
study of versification
.................................................. .
Solicit
to ask for; seek
.................................................. .
Variegated
multicolored; speckled
.................................................. .
Arcane
obscure; known only to a few people
.................................................. .
Clamor
shout; scream
.................................................. .
Discursiveness
long windedness; indirectness
.................................................. .
Flaunt
show off; display in a showy manner
.................................................. .
Infamous
famous for something bad
.................................................. .
Mellow
soft; melodious; ripe
.................................................. .
Patron
one who give support (usually financial)
.................................................. .
Prostration
1. lying face down; 2. be overcome with extreme weakness
.................................................. .
Somnambulist
sleepwalker
.................................................. .
Vehemence
violence; fervor; forcefulness
.................................................. .
Archaic
ancient; outdated; old fashioned
.................................................. .
Clandestine
secret; covert; stealthy
.................................................. .
Disdain
contempt; strong dislike
.................................................. .
Flippant
making jokes about serious matters
.................................................. .
Infer
deduce; conclude
.................................................. .
Menagerie
collection of animals
.................................................. .
Patronize
condescend to; behave in an arrogant manner towards
.................................................. .
Protagonist
main character in film, book, play etc.
.................................................. .
Soothsayer
fortuneteller
.................................................. .
Vehement
forceful
.................................................. .
Archetype
classic example of
.................................................. .
Clemency
mercy
.................................................. .
Disinterested
unbiased
.................................................. .
Flout
defy; reject
.................................................. .
Ingénue
naïve, unsophisticated person
.................................................. .
Mendacious
given to lying
.................................................. .
Paucity
shortage
.................................................. .
Protean
changeable
.................................................. .
Sophomoric
juvenile; immature
.................................................. .
Venal
corrupt; can be bribed
.................................................. .
Archives
collections of old records; place of storage of old documents
.................................................. .
Cliché
overused expression; something unoriginal
.................................................. .
Disparage
criticize; belittle
.................................................. .
Flustered
worked-up; not calm
.................................................. .
Ingrate
ungrateful person
.................................................. .
Mercenary
concerned only with money
.................................................. .
Peccadillo
minor weakness; trivial offence
.................................................. .
Protégé
person under protection of, or guided by another
.................................................. .
Soporific
inducing sleep
.................................................. .
Veneer
surface coating
.................................................. .
Articulate
clear; lucid; eloquent
.................................................. .
Clientele
customers
.................................................. .
Disparity
an inequality
.................................................. .
Fly-by-night
unreliable; disreputable
.................................................. .
Inimical
hostile
.................................................. .
Mercurial
volatile; changeable
.................................................. .
Pedant
person who insists on strict adherence to rules or narrow learning
.................................................. .
Protocol
procedure; code of behavior
.................................................. .
Sparse
spare; bare; meager
.................................................. .
Venerate
revere; worship
.................................................. .
Artifice
deception; trickery
.................................................. .
Coalesce
come together; merge
.................................................. .
Dispassionate
neutral; objective
.................................................. .
Forensic
concerned with argument or debate (esp. for legal evidence)
.................................................. .
Innate
inherited; inborn
.................................................. .
Merge
come together
.................................................. .
Pedestrian
common; mundane; banal
.................................................. .
Provincial
unsophisticated; narrow-minded
.................................................. .
Specious
false
.................................................. .
Venial
minor; unimportant
.................................................. .
Artisan
craftsman
.................................................. .
Coddle
pamper; fuss over; indulge
.................................................. .
Disseminating
circulating; broadcasting; spreading (information)
.................................................. .
Fortitude
bravery
.................................................. .
Innocuous
harmless; inoffensive
.................................................. .
Metaphorically
symbolically; figuratively
.................................................. .
Peerless
without equal
.................................................. .
Prudent
cautious; wise
.................................................. .
Speckled
spotted; freckled; dotted
.................................................. .
Veracity
truthfulness
.................................................. .
Ascetic
without luxuries; severely simple
.................................................. .
Coercion
force
.................................................. .
Diurnal
active in daytime
.................................................. .
Fortuitous
happening by chance
.................................................. .
Innovate
create; introduce something new
.................................................. .
Meticulous
very careful; painstaking
.................................................. .
Pejorative
derogatory
.................................................. .
Puerile
childish
.................................................. .
Sporadic
not continuous; intermittent
.................................................. .
Verbose
talkative; long-winded; rambling
.................................................. .
Assiduous
thorough; diligent
.................................................. .
Cogent
lucid; well argued
.................................................. .
Divert
1. entertain; 2. distract; 3. cause a detour
.................................................. .
Fractious
irritable; difficult to control
.................................................. .
Inscrutable
mysterious; impenetrable
.................................................. .
Mettle
courage; bravery; valor
.................................................. .
Pellucid
transparently clear
.................................................. .
Punctilious
paying attention to small details
.................................................. .
Spurious
false
.................................................. .
Verbosity
using too many words
.................................................. .
Assuage
to calm
.................................................. .
Cogitate
think over something; ponder
.................................................. .
Docile
gentle and easily lead
.................................................. .
Fraudulent
fake; false
.................................................. .
Insentient
unfeeling
.................................................. .
Milieu
environment
.................................................. .
Pensive
in a thoughtful mood; thinking deeply
.................................................. .
Purloin
steal
.................................................. .
Stagnant
still; not moving
.................................................. .
Vertigo
dizziness
.................................................. .
Astute
perceptive; sharp-witted
.................................................. .
Collage
picture made from fragments of other pictures
.................................................. .
Dogmatic
having stubbornly held opinions
.................................................. .
Frivolous
not serious
.................................................. .
Insipid
dull; bland; boring
.................................................. .
Mire
swamp; muddy ground
.................................................. .
Penury
poverty
.................................................. .
Pusillanimous
cowardly
.................................................. .
Staid
dull; sober; serious
.................................................. .
Vestigial
not developed
.................................................. .
Asylum
place of refuge or safety
.................................................. .
Collate
arrange in order
.................................................. .
Dolt
stupid person
.................................................. .
Frugal
economical; not wasting anything
.................................................. .
Instigate
to start; provoke
.................................................. .
Misanthrope
hater of the rest of mankind
.................................................. .
Perceptive
observant
.................................................. .
Pyromania
compulsion to start fires
.................................................. .
Stanza
section of a poem
.................................................. .
Vignette
small sketch
.................................................. .
Atheist
person who does not believe in God
.................................................. .
Colloquial
local and informal (used of language)
.................................................. .
Dotard
foolish old man
.................................................. .
Furrow
groove
.................................................. .
Instigator
troublemaker; person who entices others to do something
.................................................. .
Misnomer
wrong name
.................................................. .
Percipient
perceptive; insightful
.................................................. .
Quaff
drink down quickly
.................................................. .
Staunch
loyal; faithful; dependable
.................................................. .
Vilification
blackening someone's name
.................................................. .
Atrophy
waste away from lack of use
.................................................. .
Collusion
plotting and planning
.................................................. .
Drawl
speak slowly with words running together
.................................................. .
Furtive
hidden and secret
.................................................. .
Insurgent
a rebel
.................................................. .
Misogynist
hater of women
.................................................. .
Perdition
damnation
.................................................. .
Quagmire
marsh; bog
.................................................. .
Stereotype
fixed image
.................................................. .
Vindicate
prove right; remove blame
.................................................. .
Attenuate
weaken
.................................................. .
Commandeer
take possession of
.................................................. .
Drivel
nonsense
.................................................. .
Futile
useless; hopeless
.................................................. .
Interminable
never-ending
.................................................. .
Misrepresentation
deliberately deceiving
.................................................. .
Peremptory
in a commanding manner
.................................................. .
Quaint
picturesque
.................................................. .
Stevedore
dockworker
.................................................. .
Virtuoso
an accomplished musician
.................................................. .
Augment
increase; make bigger
.................................................. .
Complacent
self-satisfied; smug
.................................................. .
Droll
dryly amusing
.................................................. .
Galleon
ancient type of sailing ship
.................................................. .
Intermittent
sporadic; irregular
.................................................. .
Mitigate
lessen; make less severe
.................................................. .
Perfidy
treachery
.................................................. .
Quandary
dilemma; puzzle
.................................................. .
Stifle
suppress
.................................................. .
Virulent
dangerous; harmful
.................................................. .
Auspicious
favorable; promising to turn out well
.................................................. .
Compliant
easy to control; submissive
.................................................. .
Drone
1. monotonous noise (n); 2. to speak with no emotion (v); 3.male bee
.................................................. .
Gambol
frolic; leap; bound
.................................................. .
Intransigence
stubbornness
.................................................. .
Modicum
small amount
.................................................. .
Perfunctory
superficial; cursory
.................................................. .
Quarantine
isolation to prevent the spread of disease
.................................................. .
Stoic
known for fortitude; indifferent to pleasure or pain
.................................................. .
Vital
essential; alive; important
.................................................. .
Austere
severely plain
.................................................. .
Concatenate
link together
.................................................. .
Dubious
doubtful
.................................................. .
Garble
distort; confuse; muddle
.................................................. .
Intransigent
stubborn; unyielding
.................................................. .
Momentous
very important
.................................................. .
Peripatetic
nomadic; moving from place to place
.................................................. .
Quarry
1. something that is hunted; 2. mine for stone
.................................................. .
Stoke
add fuel to; strengthen
.................................................. .
Vitriolic
corrosive; strongly attacking
.................................................. .
Aversion
a dislike of
.................................................. .
Concatenation
linking into chains
.................................................. .
Dupe
to fool someone
.................................................. .
Garish
gaudy
.................................................. .
Intrepid
brave
.................................................. .
Monotonous
dull; unvarying
.................................................. .
Peripheral
on the edge; not important
.................................................. .
Querulous
always complaining
.................................................. .
Stolid
impassive; dull; indifferent
.................................................. .
Vivacity
liveliness; animation
.................................................. .
Balk
hinder and prevent; hesitate over
.................................................. .
Conciliate
to bring together; end a dispute
.................................................. .
Dynamic
lively; vibrant; energetic
.................................................. .
Garner
gather; collect
.................................................. .
Inveterate
habitual
.................................................. .
Moratorium
temporary prohibition or halt to activity
.................................................. .
Perjury
telling lies under oath
.................................................. .
Quirk
oddity
.................................................. .
Stratagem
plot; plan; trick
.................................................. .
Vivify
enliven
.................................................. .
Banal
common; dull
.................................................. .
Concise
stated in few words
.................................................. .
Ebullient
very lively; cheerful; jovial; happy
.................................................. .
Garrulous
talkative
.................................................. .
Invidious
arousing envy
.................................................. .
Moribund
on the point of death
.................................................. .
Pernicious
destructive; harmful
.................................................. .
Ramble
wander aimlessly
.................................................. .
Strident
loud and harsh
.................................................. .
Vociferous
noisy; loud in speech
.................................................. .
Banality
ordinariness; dullness
.................................................. .
Condescend
talk down to
.................................................. .
Eccentric
unusual; quirky; odd
.................................................. .
Gaunt
emaciated; bony and angular
.................................................. .
Inviolable
cannot be invaded
.................................................. .
Morose
gloomy; bad tempered
.................................................. .
Persnickety
fastidious; fussy
.................................................. .
Ramifications
branches; subdivisions of a complex system; outcomes
.................................................. .
Stringent
strict or severe
.................................................. .
Volatile
dangerously unstable; evaporates easily
.................................................. .
Bane
troublesome influence
.................................................. .
Condone
tacitly support; overlook
.................................................. .
Eclectic
taking things from different sources
.................................................. .
Genre
a category; type
.................................................. .
Irascible
easily angered
.................................................. .
Mundane
ordinary; worldly
.................................................. .
Perpetuated
caused to continue
.................................................. .
Rancor
resentment; animosity; bad feeling
.................................................. .
Strut
swagger; show off
.................................................. .
Voluble
talkative
.................................................. .
Bard
poet
.................................................. .
Condoning
overlooking; disregarding; ignoring
.................................................. .
Edifice
building; structure; construction
.................................................. .
Germane
relevant
.................................................. .
Ire
anger [irate (a) = very angry]
.................................................. .
Munificent
generous; charitable
.................................................. .
Perpetuity
eternity
.................................................. .
Rant
use bombastic language
.................................................. .
Stupefying
astonishing; shocking; stunning into silence
.................................................. .
Voluminous
very large; spacious
.................................................. .
Bastion
fortress; stronghold
.................................................. .
Conflagration
big fire
.................................................. .
Efface
wipe out; remove all trace of
.................................................. .
Germinal
just growing; not developed; immature
.................................................. .
Irksome
annoying; infuriating
.................................................. .
Mutinous
very rebellious
.................................................. .
Personable
attractive
.................................................. .
Ratify
approve; consent
.................................................. .
Subpoena
summons to court
.................................................. .
Voracious
ravenous
.................................................. .
Befuddle
confuse
.................................................. .
Confound
confuse
.................................................. .
Effigy
a model of a person
.................................................. .
Gibbering
making meaningless noises
.................................................. .
Ironic
satiric; unexpected
.................................................. .
Myriad
in large numbers
.................................................. .
Perspicacious
insightful; sharp; wise
.................................................. .
Raucous
rough and unpleasant (of sounds)
.................................................. .
Substantiate
give supporting evidence
.................................................. .
Waive
surrender; give up
.................................................. .
Begrudge
resent
.................................................. .
Congeal
to solidify
.................................................. .
Effusive
gushing; demonstrative
.................................................. .
Glacial
hostile; unfriendly; cold; icy
.................................................. .
Irrational
unreasonable; absurd
.................................................. .
Navigable
suitable for sailing
.................................................. .
Perspicacity
insight
.................................................. .
Raze
destroy; demolish; tear down
.................................................. .
Subterfuge
a trick
.................................................. .
Wane
grow less
.................................................. .
Beguile
mislead; lure
.................................................. .
Congenital
present from birth
.................................................. .
Egalitarianism
belief in equality
.................................................. .
Goad
prod; urge
.................................................. .
Irreproachable
cannot be criticized; perfect
.................................................. .
Nebulous
vague
.................................................. .
Pertinent
relevant
.................................................. .
Rebuttal
denial
.................................................. .
Subtle
not obvious
.................................................. .
Wary
hesitant; cautious
.................................................. .
Belabor
explain in unnecessary detail
.................................................. .
Connoisseur
person with refined taste and good judgment
.................................................. .
Egregious
outstandingly, obviously bad
.................................................. .
Grate (v)
1. to annoy; aggravate; vex; 2. shred
.................................................. .
Irrevocable
cannot be cancelled; unchangeable
.................................................. .
Nefarious
wicked; immoral; disreputable
.................................................. .
Peruse
read carefully
.................................................. .
Recant
disclaim; retract statement
.................................................. .
Subversive
rebellious; revolutionary
.................................................. .
Wax
to increase; to grow
.................................................. .
Beleaguer
besiege; attack
.................................................. .
Consecrate
dedicate
.................................................. .
Egress
exit
.................................................. .
Gratis
free of charge; without payment
.................................................. .
Itinerant
nomadic; wandering from place to place
.................................................. .
Negate
cancel; deny
.................................................. .
Pervasive
spreading everywhere
.................................................. .
Recapitulate
summarize
.................................................. .
Succinct
concise
.................................................. .
Waylay
accost; stop; approach; hinder
.................................................. .
Belie
contradict
.................................................. .
Consensus
general agreement
.................................................. .
Eloquent
fluent and persuasive in speech
.................................................. .
Gratuitous
unwarranted
.................................................. .
Jaded
tired; bored; worn out
.................................................. .
Negligence
carelessness
.................................................. .
Petrify
1. terrify; 2. turn to stone
.................................................. .
Receptacle
container; vessel; holder
.................................................. .
Suffragist
someone who campaigns for voting rights
.................................................. .
Weighty
serious
.................................................. .
Belittle
to demean
.................................................. .
Conspicuous
easily seen; prominent
.................................................. .
Elucidate
make clear
.................................................. .
Gravity
seriousness
.................................................. .
Jargon
specialized language used by experts
.................................................. .
Neologism
newly coined word
.................................................. .
Petulant
sulky; peevish
.................................................. .
Recluse
someone who cuts himself off from life
.................................................. .
Supercilious
proud and haughty
.................................................. .
Whelp
young dog
.................................................. .
Bellicose
war-like; aggressive
.................................................. .
Consummate
complete; total; supremely good
.................................................. .
Elusive
hard to pin down
.................................................. .
Gregarious
extroverted; sociable; outgoing
.................................................. .
Jaundiced
cynical; pessimistic
.................................................. .
Nettle
annoy
.................................................. .
Phenomenon
an event or happening (plural: phenomena)
.................................................. .
Recuperate
get better after illness
.................................................. .
Superlative
extremely good; the best
.................................................. .
Whet
sharpen
.................................................. .
Belligerent
aggressive; ready to fight
.................................................. .
Contemporary
living or happening at the same time
.................................................. .
Emaciated
very thin; withered
.................................................. .
Gritty
coarse; granular
.................................................. .
Jaunt
short pleasure trip
.................................................. .
Niggardly
miserly; stingy
.................................................. .
Philanthropy
charity; love of mankind
.................................................. .
Red tape
formalities; paperwork; official procedure
.................................................. .
Surly
grumpy; rude
.................................................. .
Whimsical
capricious; changeable
.................................................. .
Bemoan
complain about
.................................................. .
Contrite
sorry
.................................................. .
Emancipate
set free
.................................................. .
Guffaw
sudden loud laughter
.................................................. .
Jeopardize
put at risk; endanger
.................................................. .
Nomadic
wandering from place to place
.................................................. .
Philistine
uncultured person
.................................................. .
Redolent
smelling of; giving off odors
.................................................. .
Surreptitious
secret; sneaky; stealthy
.................................................. .
Willful
stubborn
.................................................. .
Benevolent
kindly
.................................................. .
Contrition
sorrow and repentance
.................................................. .
Embezzle
defraud; steal
.................................................. .
Guile
cunning; craftiness
.................................................. .
Jingoistic
extremely patriotic; nationalistic
.................................................. .
Nonchalance
an appearance of indifference; calm and composed
.................................................. .
Phlegmatic
calm; imperturbable
.................................................. .
Redress
put right something that was wrong
.................................................. .
Surreptitiously
secretly; furtively; stealthily
.................................................. .
Wily
cunning
.................................................. .
Benign
kindly; harmless
.................................................. .
Contumacious
stubborn
.................................................. .
Embroil
involve in hostility or argument
.................................................. .
Guileless
frank; straightforward; honest
.................................................. .
Jocular
in a joking manner
.................................................. .
Nondescript
having no special features; dull and ordinary
.................................................. .
Pillage
plunder
.................................................. .
Redundant
unnecessary; superfluous
.................................................. .
Susceptible
vulnerable
.................................................. .
Wispy
flimsy; frail; delicate
.................................................. .
Benignity
compassion; gentleness; fondness
.................................................. .
Contusion
a bruise
.................................................. .
Emerge
come out; appear
.................................................. .
Gullibility
unwariness; trustfulness; being easily fooled
.................................................. .
Jollity
gaiety; happiness
.................................................. .
Nonentity
a person of no importance; not famous
.................................................. .
Pinnacle
topmost point
.................................................. .
Referendum
public vote
.................................................. .
Suspect
doubtful
.................................................. .
Wistful
melancholy; pensive; expressing a longing for
.................................................. .
Bequeath
leave something in one's will to be given after one's death
.................................................. .
Conundrum
a puzzle
.................................................. .
Emulate
to imitate something admired
.................................................. .
Gullible
easily fooled
.................................................. .
Jubilant
ecstatic; delighted; rejoicing
.................................................. .
Nostalgia
longing for the past
.................................................. .
Pious
very religious
.................................................. .
Refute
disprove
.................................................. .
Sybarite
lover of luxury
.................................................. .
Zany
crazy; wacky
.................................................. .
Berate
scold; criticize
.................................................. .
Conventional
usual; customary; common
.................................................. .
Endorse
give support or approval to
.................................................. .
Gustatory
concerned with the sense of taste
.................................................. .
Judicious
correct in judgment; wise
.................................................. .
Notoriety
infamy; known for wrong doing
.................................................. .
Pivotal
of central importance
.................................................. .
Regale
entertain
.................................................. .
Sycophant
bootlicker; flatterer
.................................................. .
Zeal
enthusiasm
.................................................. .
Beret
type of cap
.................................................. .
Corpulent
fat
.................................................. .
Endurance
staying power; patience; stamina
.................................................. .
Hackneyed
common and over-used
.................................................. .
Jurisprudence
science or study of law
.................................................. .
Novel
new; unusual
.................................................. .
Placate
pacify; soothe; calm
.................................................. .
Relegate
dismiss to a lower position
.................................................. .
Taciturn
quiet; saying little
.................................................. .
Zealot
fanatic
.................................................. .
Bestial
behaving like a beast; brutal
.................................................. .
Corrugated
highly folded
.................................................. .
Enduring
lasting
.................................................. .
Hallowed
worshipped; consecrated
.................................................. .
Juxtapose
place next to
.................................................. .
Novice
a beginner; tyro
.................................................. .
Placebo
harmless medicine with no effect; dummy medicine
.................................................. .
Remorse
regret; sorrow; contrition
.................................................. .
Tactile
concerned with the sense of touch
.................................................. .
Zenith
summit
.................................................. .
Abate
reduce in intensity
.................................................. .
Abjure
renounce; swear to refrain from something
.................................................. .
Blandishment
words used to coax or flatter [blandish (v)]
.................................................. .
Boor
ill-mannered person [boorish (a)]
.................................................. .
Cardinal
1. high ranking church official; 2. major, important
.................................................. .
Deliberate
1. slow (a); 2. to think over (v); 3. on purpose (a)
.................................................. .
Equivocation
speaking ambiguously [equivocate (v), equivocal (a)]
.................................................. .
Feckless
feeble; helpless; lacking in initiative
.................................................. .
Imperturbability
quality of being calm and not easily disturbed [imperturbable (a)]
.................................................. .
Meretricious
falsely attractive; tawdry
.................................................. .
Augury
prediction, looking for omens [auger (v)]
.................................................. .
Boycott
refuse to have dealings with
.................................................. .
Glib
slick; superficial esp. in speech
.................................................. .
Incise
cut into [incision (n); incisive (a)]
.................................................. .
Moralistic
concerned with morals [moralize (v)]
.................................................. .
Ostracism
shunning; social isolation [ostracize (v)]
.................................................. .
Penchant
inclination; leaning; tendency; predilection
.................................................. .
Rarefy
make less dense [rarefaction (n)]
.................................................. .
Repine
fret; be discontented
.................................................. .
Stipulate
specify [stipulation (n)]
.................................................. .
Diaphanous
transparent; thin and delicate
.................................................. .
Feint
pretended attack; a move intended to deceive
.................................................. .
Inured
hardened; habituated
.................................................. .
Mettlesome
spirited [mettle (n)]
.................................................. .
Puissance
power
.................................................. .
Recondite
obscure
.................................................. .
Stygian
very dark
.................................................. .
Touting
advertising; supporting [tout (v)]
.................................................. .
Virtuosity
skill, expertise [virtuoso (n); virtuosi (n.pl)]
.................................................. .
Volubility
excessive talkativeness [voluble (a)]
.................................................. .
Caret
punctuation mark signifying omission
.................................................. .
Contiguous
adjacent; touching; abutting [contiguity (n)]
.................................................. .
Damp
(used of vibration) reduce in extent
.................................................. .
Ellipsis
omission of essential words
.................................................. .
Extirpation
wiping out; complete destruction [extirpate (v)]
.................................................. .
Foppish
behaving or dressing like a dandy; excessively concerned with fashion
.................................................. .
Gaffe
blunder; social mistake
.................................................. .
Hortatory
encouraging; exhorting
.................................................. .
Opprobrious
expressing great scorn [opprobrium (n)]
.................................................. .
Recumbent
reclining; lying down
.................................................. .
Ambidextrous
able to use both left and right hands equally well
.................................................. .
Culpability
guilt [culpable = blameworthy]
.................................................. .
Discernment
judgment; perceptiveness
.................................................. .
Encomium
praise
.................................................. .
Inveigle
coax; cajole; wheedle; entice
.................................................. .
Minatory
threatening
.................................................. .
Ossified
turned to bone; become rigid [ossification (n)]
.................................................. .
Plumb
measure depth of (v); exact (a. slang)
.................................................. .
Quintessential
most typical; the perfect example of [quintessence (n)]
.................................................. .
Runic
mysterious; magical
.................................................. .
Accretion
accumulation of matter; growth produced by adding from the outside
.................................................. .
Anachronistic
occurring in the wrong time period [anachronism (n)]
.................................................. .
Chronic
long lasting (often used for diseases in which case the opposite is acute)
.................................................. .
Churlishness
rudeness; ill-mannered behavior
.................................................. .
Demagogue
mob leader (who appeals to base instincts) [demagogy/demagoguery (n)]
.................................................. .
Effrontery
daring; audacity (has a negative connotation)
.................................................. .
Idyll
story or incident in peaceful or ideal setting [idyllic (a)]
.................................................. .
Interregnum
interval between reigns or governments
.................................................. .
Nugatory
of minor significance; futile
.................................................. .
Sinecure
job which pays salary but requiring little effort
.................................................. .
Anodized
electroplated; coated with thin layer of metal
.................................................. .
Aphoristic
expressed tersely [aphorism (n) = short statement; maxim]
.................................................. .
Canonical
orthodox [canon (n) = set of accepted works]
.................................................. .
Commensurate
equal in significance
.................................................. .
Dexterity
skill, esp. with hands [dexterous (a)]
.................................................. .
Extant
still in existence (opposite of extinct)
.................................................. .
Impugned
challenged; called into question
.................................................. .
Probity
uprightness; honesty
.................................................. .
Raconteur
person who relates a story
.................................................. .
Solicitous
kindly; expressing care and concern
.................................................. .
Amalgamate
join; consolidate [amalgamation (n)]
.................................................. .
Baleful
evil
.................................................. .
Coerce
force [coercion (n); coercing (a)]
.................................................. .
Inchoate
undeveloped; nascent
.................................................. .
Iniquitous
evil; unjust [iniquity (n)]
.................................................. .
Libertine
dissolute person; prodigal
.................................................. .
Millinery
hats and hat-making
.................................................. .
Natty
neat; dapper; smart
.................................................. .
Occluded
obscured; blocked
.................................................. .
Sidereal
of or related to stars
.................................................. .
Avaricious
greedy for money
.................................................. .
Extirpate
wipe out totally
.................................................. .
Halcyon
peaceful and happy; calm (esp. of summer weather)
.................................................. .
List (v)
1. to lean to one side; 2. to write in order
.................................................. .
Maudlin
sad; sentimental; inclined to weep
.................................................. .
Refulgent
glowing; radiant
.................................................. .
Subliminal
below the threshold of consciousness
.................................................. .
Testiness
irritability; irascibility [testy (a)]
.................................................. .
Vituperate
attack bitterly
.................................................. .
Whittle
1. carve with knife; 2. reduce step by step
.................................................. .
Caricature
ridicule (v); cartoon intended to ridicule (n)
.................................................. .
Colander
bowl with holes used to drain vegetables etc.
.................................................. .
Cumbersome
bulky; difficult to carry [encumber = to burden]
.................................................. .
Dispatch
1. send (v); 2. speed; celerity (n)
.................................................. .
Epistemology
theory of knowledge
.................................................. .
Froward
stubborn; wayward; disobedient
.................................................. .
Supine
lying flat on one’s back
.................................................. .
Throwback
exhibiting primitive, or ancestral, traits
.................................................. .
Untoward
unexpected
.................................................. .
Verisimilar
true to life; giving the appearance of reality
.................................................. .
Abysmal
very deep; very bad
.................................................. .
Approbation
approval [opp. disapprobation]
.................................................. .
Bent (n)
inclination; aptitude
.................................................. .
Cadge
get by begging
.................................................. .
Debacle
disaster
.................................................. .
Extemporize
speak without preparation or rehearsal [extemporaneous (a)]
.................................................. .
Incumbents
occupiers of a job or position
.................................................. .
Lambaste
attack verbally
.................................................. .
Noisome
disgusting
.................................................. .
Pastiche
work (usually artistic) which imitates, or is composed of parts taken from varied sources
.................................................. .
Arboreal
living in trees; concerned with trees
.................................................. .
Centrifuge
device to separate substances by spinning them at high speed
.................................................. .
Cloistered
isolated
.................................................. .
Disabuse
make someone aware of an error in thinking
.................................................. .
Engendering
causing; bringing into being [engender (v)]
.................................................. .
Intemperate
excessive; immoderate [intemperance (n)]
.................................................. .
Lugubrious
sad; gloomy
.................................................. .
Nonplussed
confused
.................................................. .
Pedagogy
science of education; teaching
.................................................. .
Satiate
satisfy; fill completely [satiable (a); satiation (n)]
.................................................. .
Artless
without effort; without trickery; simple
.................................................. .
Comeliness
beauty; prettiness [comely (a)]
.................................................. .
Doff
take off (esp. of a hat)
.................................................. .
Don
put on (esp. of clothes)
.................................................. .
Erudition
learning; scholarly knowledge [erudite (a)]
.................................................. .
Plaintive
sad; mournful
.................................................. .
Suborn
bribe
.................................................. .
Tendentious
dogmatic; biased
.................................................. .
Tortuous
indirect; winding
.................................................. .
Verbiage
excessive or meaningless wordiness
.................................................. .
Atonement
making amends for sin or crime [atone (v)]
.................................................. .
Complaisance
flexibility; willingness to please [complaisant (a)]
.................................................. .
Daguerreotype
forerunner of the photograph
.................................................. .
Fawn
behave in a sycophantic way; grovel [fawning (a)]
.................................................. .
Gregariousness
sociability; liking for crowds [gregarious (a)]
.................................................. .
Nascent
emerging; newly formed
.................................................. .
Paean
praise; tribute (esp. in song)
.................................................. .
Reproof
scolding; criticism [reprove (v)]
.................................................. .
Scurvy
1. disease due to lack of vitamin C; 2. contemptible; rascally
.................................................. .
Tutelary
serving as a guardian [tutelage (n)]
.................................................. .
Abscission
cutting; process causing leaves to fall off
.................................................. .
Contentious
causing argument [contention (n); contend (v)]
.................................................. .
Debilitating
weakening [debilitate (v)]
.................................................. .
Foible
quirk; minor weakness
.................................................. .
Importune
beg; solicit [importunate (a)]
.................................................. .
Pertain
be relevant to [pertinent (a)]
.................................................. .
Slew
glut; excess
.................................................. .
Toady
sycophant; flatterer
.................................................. .
Torrid
hot and steamy
.................................................. .
Veracious
true [veracity (n)]
.................................................. .
Asperity
using harsh or critical tone
.................................................. .
Blowhard
boastful person
.................................................. .
Disingenuous
naïve
.................................................. .
Evanescent
short-lived [evanescence (n)]
.................................................. .
Intangible
cannot be touched; abstract [intangibility (n)]
.................................................. .
Labile
changing rapidly; unstable
.................................................. .
Malapropism
use of similar sounding but incorrect word
.................................................. .
Posture (v)
to put on an act
.................................................. .
Proximate
immediate; nearest
.................................................. .
Pugnacious
aggressive, ready to fight [pugnacity (n)]
.................................................. .
Foreshadowed
indicated a future event [foreshadow (v)]
.................................................. .
Gaucherie
awkwardness [gauche (a)]
.................................................. .
Heterodox
unorthodox
.................................................. .
Inscrutability
quality of being difficult to comprehend [inscrutable (a)]
.................................................. .
Limerick
short amusing poem
.................................................. .
Mannered
stylized; pretentious
.................................................. .
Pluck (n)
courage
.................................................. .
Sedulous
persevering; eager and thorough
.................................................. .
Syllogism
type of logical reasoning
.................................................. .
Vicissitude
unexpected change in fortune or circumstances
.................................................. .
Acolyte
disciple; follower or attendant
.................................................. .
Admonitory
scolding [admonition (n)]
.................................................. .
Caprices
whimsies; fancies
.................................................. .
Cornucopia
symbol (horn filled with fruit etc.) denoting natural abundance
.................................................. .
Deferential
showing respect [deference (n); defer (v)]
.................................................. .
Intractability
stubbornness; resistance [intractable (a)]
.................................................. .
Luminary
eminent person
.................................................. .
Minion
underling; servant
.................................................. .
Undergird
support; strengthen
.................................................. .
Vitiate
weaken; sap energy
.................................................. .
Coterie
clique; small group with common interests
.................................................. .
Denigrate
decry; criticize; belittle
.................................................. .
Empirical
found by experiment or practice
.................................................. .
Gainsay
contradict
.................................................. .
Hyperbole
exaggeration [hyperbolic (a)]
.................................................. .
Modest
1. bashful; unpretentious; 2. not excessive
.................................................. .
Prolixity
wordiness [prolix (a)]
.................................................. .
Rebus
puzzle in which pictures give clues
.................................................. .
Sere
withered; old
.................................................. .
Vulpine
like a fox [compare with bovine (cow-like); porcine (pig-like), etc.]
.................................................. .
Corroborate
give supporting evidence [corroboration (n)]
.................................................. .
Exacerbated
made worse [exacerbate (v); exacerbation (n)]
.................................................. .
Exact (v)
to demand; extort
.................................................. .
Faddish
whimsical; following a fashion
.................................................. .
Hapless
unlucky
.................................................. .
Misconstrue
put a wrong interpretation on something
.................................................. .
Perennial
long-lasting
.................................................. .
Rent
torn (past participle of the verb to rend)
.................................................. .
Shard
fragment of pottery
.................................................. .
Xenophobe
person afraid of foreigners
.................................................. .
Alleviated
made less severe [alleviation (n); alleviate (v)]
.................................................. .
Apostrophe
1. punctuation mark; 2. appeal to someone not present (a figure of speech)
.................................................. .
Centurion
roman soldier (commander of a company of 100 soldiers)
.................................................. .
Emollient
softening (a); something which softens (n)
.................................................. .
Fusillade
long burst of gunfire
.................................................. .
Inerrancy
infallibility; inability to make mistakes [inerrant (a)]
.................................................. .
Mince
1. chop into small pieces; 2. walk with tiny steps, 3. speak in an affected manner
.................................................. .
Palpate
medical term meaning to examine with the hands
.................................................. .
Platitude
unoriginal, obvious saying
.................................................. .
Quibble
1. (v) to argue about minor matters; to play on words when finding fault; 2. (n) a minor verbal point in an argument
.................................................. .
Apprehension
slight fear; sense of something unfavorable
.................................................. .
Conniving
cunning; scheming [connive (v)]
.................................................. .
Derision
mockery [deride (v)]
.................................................. .
Epigram
short, witty saying
.................................................. .
Lassitude
lack of energy; weariness
.................................................. .
Pedantic
over-insistent on matters of book-learning [pedant (n)]
.................................................. .
Phenomenology
branch of science concerned with things as they are perceived; not directly derived from theory
.................................................. .
Precipitate
1. hurried (a); 2. insoluble product of a reaction in chemistry (n), 3. to instigate or speed up an action (v)
.................................................. .
Renege
go back on promise or retract statement
.................................................. .
Apprehension
slight fear; sense of something unfavorable
.................................................. .
Armada
fleet of ships
.................................................. .
Dawdler
slow person who falls behind others [dawdle (v)]
.................................................. .
Dross
something worthless; impurities left after refining
.................................................. .
Expiate
atone; make amends for
.................................................. .
Hack
1. chop roughly; 2. person who writes to earn money, 3. hired horse
.................................................. .
Prone
1. vulnerable to; 2. horizontal
.................................................. .
Propensity
tendency; inclination
.................................................. .
Scabbard
cover for a sword
.................................................. .
Skiff
small boat
.................................................. .
Umbrage
1. shadow; 2. offence; sense of injury
.................................................. .
Dilettantism
dabbling esp. in the arts [dilettante (n) = person who dabbles]
.................................................. .
Enervate
weaken
.................................................. .
Malevolent
having evil intentions [malevolence (n)]
.................................................. .
Neophyte
new convert; tyro
.................................................. .
Panegyric
speech praising someone; laudatory words
.................................................. .
Presage
forewarn of; indicate
.................................................. .
Serration
jagged edge
.................................................. .
Slight
1. minor (a); 2. perceived insult (v) and (n)
.................................................. .
Tare
1. weed; 2. allowance made for container when weighing
.................................................. .
Unprepossessing
unattractive
.................................................. .
Aberration
deviation from the normal
.................................................. .
Cant
insincere talk
.................................................. .
Disinter
dig up [opposite inter = bury]
.................................................. .
Façade
1. front elevation of building, 2. false appearance or demeanor
.................................................. .
Impeding
hindering [impede (v); impediment (n)]
.................................................. .
Lacuna
gap; missing part [plural = lacunae]
.................................................. .
Monolithic
united in purpose; forming a single unit
.................................................. .
Pied
multicolored
.................................................. .
Roster
list of names
.................................................. .
Seemly
appropriate (of behavior); decorous
.................................................. .
Analogue
1. something similar; 2. output proportional to input (engineering)
.................................................. .
Coda
piece of music at the end of a musical work; finale; final part of document
.................................................. .
Commingle
mix
.................................................. .
Equivocal
ambiguous; open to interpretation [equivocate (v), equivocation (n)]
.................................................. .
Fallible
capable of making mistakes [fallibility (n)]
.................................................. .
Hallow
respect; worship
.................................................. .
Indigence
poverty
.................................................. .
Papyrus
material used for writing on before paper was invented
.................................................. .
Pique
1. annoyance (n); 2. to stimulate interest; to annoy (v)
.................................................. .
Sap
1. liquid inside plants (n); 2. to drain; to undermine (v); 3. a fool (n)
.................................................. .
Arbitrator
mediator; person appointed to judge a dispute [arbitrate (v)]
.................................................. .
Descry
to see (esp. at a distance); catch sight of
.................................................. .
Facetious
not intended to be taken seriously
.................................................. .
Indecorous
unseemly; inappropriate (of behavior)
.................................................. .
Proliferate
grow and spread [proliferation (n)]
.................................................. .
Scotch (v)
to prevent; stop; disable
.................................................. .
Strut
1. supporting rod (n); 2. to walk in an arrogant manner; show off (v)
.................................................. .
Toy (v)
to play with
.................................................. .
Usury
lending money at high interest rates
.................................................. .
Wag (n)
a witty person
.................................................. .
Atavism
reappearance of ancestral traits; regression [atavistic (a)]
.................................................. .
Filibuster
delaying tactics
.................................................. .
Gambit
opening move; transaction
.................................................. .
Mitigation
making less severe [mitigate (v)]
.................................................. .
Obligate
compulsory
.................................................. .
Predilection
leaning; interest; talent
.................................................. .
Propitiate
appease; try to gain favor [propitiation (n)]
.................................................. .
Stanch
to stop
.................................................. .
Travesty
parody; ridiculous error
.................................................. .
Waft
drift smoothly (v); whiff; smell (n)
.................................................. .
Forage
search for food
.................................................. .
Lumber
1. walk in an ungainly way; 2. timber (wood)
.................................................. .
Muse
1. think; meditate (v); 2. a source of inspiration (n) [in mythology, a goddess who gives inspiration]
.................................................. .
Prescience
foreknowledge
.................................................. .
Prune
1. to trim; 2. a dried plum
.................................................. .
Ready
(used of wit) quick
.................................................. .
Resolve
firmness (n)
.................................................. .
Squalid
dirty and demeaning
.................................................. .
Sullied
made dirty or impure [opposite unsullied; sully (v)]
.................................................. .
Veneration
worship; respect [venerable (a), venerate (v)]
.................................................. .
Demur
object; hesitate to accept
.................................................. .
Duplicity
cunning; deception; double dealing
.................................................. .
Exigency
urgent matter; pressing need
.................................................. .
Expostulate
offer strong objections; remonstrate
.................................................. .
Gossamer
delicate; filmy; like gauze
.................................................. .
Inefficacious
ineffective
.................................................. .
Pine
1. type of evergreen tree; 2. grieve
.................................................. .
Prudish
narrow-minded; excessively concerned with morals [prudery (n), prude (n)]
.................................................. .
Quixotic
impractically idealistic
.................................................. .
Stipple
cover with dots of paint etc.
.................................................. .
Abrasion
1. damage to skin caused by scraping; 2. process of scraping or rubbing [abrade (v)]
.................................................. .
Adumbrate
outline; indicate
.................................................. .
Cognitive
concerned with thinking or perceiving [cognition (n)]
.................................................. .
Deign
condescend
.................................................. .
Fervid
passionate
.................................................. .
Gall
1. bitterness (bad feeling); 2. confidence; 3. abnormal growth on a plant
.................................................. .
Levee
1. raised bank of a river; 2. morning reception held by a monarch
.................................................. .
Preternatural
unnatural; abnormal
.................................................. .
Quell
suppress
.................................................. .
Score (n)
written form of music
.................................................. .
Abut
to adjoin
.................................................. .
Consternation
worry and concern
.................................................. .
Gavel
judge’s hammer
.................................................. .
Lien
right to sell property held as a security; legal hold on job etc.
.................................................. .
Parenthesis
remarks deviating from the main point [parentheses are round brackets in punctuation]
.................................................. .
Sinewy
vigorous; having well-developed muscles [a sinew is a tendon]
.................................................. .
Steep (v)
to soak in water
.................................................. .
Tamp
to plug; press loose matter down tightly (e.g. pack explosives into a hole)
.................................................. .
Venturing
1. hazarding; risking; putting forward; 2. going somewhere [venturesome means courageous or willing to take risks]
.................................................. .
Wry
1. twisted or bent to one side; 2. dryly humorous
.................................................. .
Arduous
hard
.................................................. .
Decimated
kill or destroy a large part of (originally one tenth)
.................................................. .
Fledge
1. grow feathers; 2. leave nest [fledgling (n) = an inexperienced person or a baby bird]
.................................................. .
Gouge
cut or dig out
.................................................. .
Picayune
insignificant; of little value
.................................................. .
Riveting
fascinating [to rivet literally means to fix metal plates using metal pins]
.................................................. .
Soliloquy
solo speech
.................................................. .
Supplicant
person who requests or begs for something [supplicate (v)]
.................................................. .
Transcendental
supernatural; going beyond normal experience [transcendent (a)]
.................................................. .
Veritable
true; genuine [verity (n)]
.................................................. .
Condescension
talking down to someone [condescending (a)]
.................................................. .
Divest
remove; take off
.................................................. .
Eddy
circular current
.................................................. .
Epaulet
shoulder decoration
.................................................. .
Fallacy
wrong idea [fallacious (a)]
.................................................. .
Fringe
1. decorative border with tassels (n); 2. to form an edge (v)
.................................................. .
Leaven
to make light; modify; cause bread to rise using yeast etc.
.................................................. .
Patronize
1. to talk down to; condescend; 2. to be a customer of
.................................................. .
Prominent
1. eminent; 2. protruding; 3. obvious
.................................................. .
Statute
law [statutory (a)]
.................................................. .
Antipathy
hatred
.................................................. .
Aver
affirm
.................................................. .
Expatiate
speak or write at great length
.................................................. .
Flag (v)
1. to lose energy; 2. to signal
.................................................. .
Flail
1. tool used to thresh grain; 2. to thresh (separate grain from chaff); 3. to wave arms about wildly
.................................................. .
Indicted
accused (of crime)
.................................................. .
Loll
laze around; hang out (when used of the tongue)
.................................................. .
Malign
slander
.................................................. .
Secure (v)
1. to fix firmly; 2. to obtain
.................................................. .
Talon
long pointed nail or claw
.................................................. .
Abeyance
state of inactivity; disuse
.................................................. .
Disarm
1. take away weapons; 2. win over to one’s side [disarming (a)]
.................................................. .
Elaborate
1. complex and detailed (a); 2. to expand on (v)
.................................................. .
Foment
1. stir up; 2. bathe with hot liquids (medical)
.................................................. .
Jockeying
maneuvering; struggling to get ahead of others [jockey (v)]
.................................................. .
Minutiae
small details
.................................................. .
Rue
regret [rueful (a)]
.................................................. .
Somatic
concerned with the body
.................................................. .
Stinting
holding back; limiting the supply (of supplies/money etc.) [stint (v)]
.................................................. .
Temperate
moderate
.................................................. .
Allure
1. attraction (n); 2. to attract (v)
.................................................. .
Caulk
treat with substance such as tar to make water-tight
.................................................. .
Conscript
1. person enlisted compulsorily into the armed forces; 2. (v) to enlist compulsorily
.................................................. .
Desultory
aimless; inconsistent in effort
.................................................. .
Elegy
poem concerned with death; praise of a dead person
.................................................. .
Fallow
uncultivated
.................................................. .
Forbearing
tolerant [forbear (v); forbearance (n)]
.................................................. .
Hegemony
political domination; complete authority
.................................................. .
Improbity
lack of honesty or integrity
.................................................. .
Qualm
hesitation or fear
.................................................. .
Assay
1. try; 2. assess purity
.................................................. .
Chauvinist
someone excessively patriotic [chauvinism (n)]
.................................................. .
Discrete
separate; discontinuous (not to be confused with discreet - prudent; diplomatic]
.................................................. .
Enlist
1. sign up for the army; 2. obtain
.................................................. .
Fabricated
made up; false; manufactured [fabricate (v); fabrication(n)]
.................................................. .
Fulminate
1. attack loudly in words; denounce thunderously; 2. explode noisily
.................................................. .
Hawser
thick rope or cable
.................................................. .
Jibe
agree with; complement; match up with (in British usage jibe means mock)
.................................................. .
Peer
1. an equal; 2. to stare at; 3. nobleman
.................................................. .
Stickler
one who is strict about rules or details
.................................................. .
Cloture
closure; terminating a debate by voting
.................................................. .
Congruent
matching [congruency (n)]
.................................................. .
Dally
waste time; flirt
.................................................. .
Dissemble
avoid the truth
.................................................. .
Dote
be excessively fond of [doting (a)]
.................................................. .
Errant
1. wandering; 2. wrong; 3. straying from accepted standards
.................................................. .
Fervent
passionate
.................................................. .
Stomach (v)
to tolerate
.................................................. .
Synapse
junction between two nerve cells
.................................................. .
Undercutting
offering a lower price; undermining
.................................................. .
Arson
deliberate, criminal starting of fires
.................................................. .
Carrion
dead flesh; carcasses
.................................................. .
Intelligible
can be understood
.................................................. .
Ironclad
cannot be altered; firm
.................................................. .
Lint
fluff; soft material used to cover wounds
.................................................. .
Pretension
assumed attitude of superiority; arrogance
.................................................. .
Pundit
expert
.................................................. .
Pyre
ceremonial fire
.................................................. .
Sate
satisfy
.................................................. .
Syncopation
type of musical rhythm with missed beats
.................................................. .
Abraded
worn away; eroded [abrade (v); abrasion (n)]
.................................................. .
Apposite
fitting; suitable
.................................................. .
Diatribe
tirade; violent denunciation; stream of criticism
.................................................. .
Gerontocracy
government by the aged
.................................................. .
Maculated
spotted
.................................................. .
Quisling
traitor
.................................................. .
Sedulity
thoroughness; perseverance [sedulous (a)]
.................................................. .
Seine
type of fishing net
.................................................. .
Tender
to offer
.................................................. .
Waffle
talk nonsense
.................................................. .
Burlesque
1. comic play; 2. lampoon
.................................................. .
Exemplar
model type [exemplary (a)]
.................................................. .
Homiletics
art of preaching and giving sermons
.................................................. .
Impugn
challenge; question someone’s honor etc.
.................................................. .
Incubus
encumbrance; nightmarish thing
.................................................. .
Lope
run with long strides
.................................................. .
Macerate
chop into tiny pieces
.................................................. .
Nostrum
remedy
.................................................. .
Saw
1. tool for cutting; 2. wise saying
.................................................. .
Sibyl
prophetess
.................................................. .
Brook
1. small stream; 2. tolerate
.................................................. .
Emboss
decorate with a raised design
.................................................. .
Eschew
shun; avoid
.................................................. .
Limpid
transparently clear
.................................................. .
Liturgy
form of worship
.................................................. .
Nexus
connection
.................................................. .
Odometer
instrument to measure distance covered
.................................................. .
Purchase
1. grip; 2. buy
.................................................. .
Quotidian
daily; routine
.................................................. .
Seminal
essential; formative
.................................................. .
Agog
amazed; wide-eyed with enthusiasm
.................................................. .
Amortize
pay off a debt in installments
.................................................. .
Curmudgeon
grumpy person
.................................................. .
Dormancy
state of inactivity
.................................................. .
Efficacy
effectiveness
.................................................. .
Epithet
phrase used as a label or to express the essential nature of
.................................................. .
Figurehead
symbol of power; nominal leader
.................................................. .
Fracas
fight; disturbance
.................................................. .
Jamb
door post
.................................................. .
Milk
to squeeze; obtain by application of pressure
.................................................. .
Chorales
simple hymns
.................................................. .
Dissonance
discord; disagreement
.................................................. .
Frieze
decorative border
.................................................. .
Gist
essence; main point
.................................................. .
Latent
hidden; real but undeveloped
.................................................. .
Partiality
bias
.................................................. .
Plodding
walking slowly and heavily; uninspired
.................................................. .
Rekindle
relight; revive
.................................................. .
Symphony
type of musical composition
.................................................. .
Tarnished
made dull; spoil (reputation)
.................................................. .
Compromised
1. damaged or put in doubt (esp. of reputation); 2. reached an agreement by giving up part of a claim
.................................................. .
Drabness
dullness
.................................................. .
Endow
give gift; provide with money etc.
.................................................. .
Esoterica
obscure details
.................................................. .
Falters
hesitates
.................................................. .
Prattle
mindless talk
.................................................. .
Prohibitive
1. prohibiting; 2. exorbitantly expensive
.................................................. .
Purist
conservative; one who insists on correct forms of language etc.
.................................................. .
Quack
charlatan; fake
.................................................. .
Taunt
mock; tease
.................................................. .
Arresting (a)
attracting attention; striking
.................................................. .
Barrage
extended gunfire to cover an attack; dam across river; deluge or information etc.
.................................................. .
Chantey
type of song sung by sailors
.................................................. .
Ferrous
concerned with iron or its compounds
.................................................. .
Manipulative
scheming
.................................................. .
Orate
speak in a pompous manner
.................................................. .
Psychosis
severe mental disturbance
.................................................. .
Savor
enjoy
.................................................. .
Table (v)
put down for future discussion
.................................................. .
Underwrite
give guarantee, insure
.................................................. .
Dissident
person who disagrees [dissidence (n)]
.................................................. .
Enigmatic
puzzling [enigma (n)]
.................................................. .
Foolhardy
reckless [foolhardiness (n)]
.................................................. .
Homogeneity
evenness; uniformity
.................................................. .
Personification
1. represent something as a person; 2. a concrete example of
.................................................. .
Plaque
1. surface deposit on teeth or in artery etc.; 2. decorative plate or sign
.................................................. .
Plausibility
believability [plausible (a)]
.................................................. .
Resilience
resistance; ability to spring back [resilience (a)]
.................................................. .
Trilogy
set of three (literary works etc.); tetralogy = set of four
.................................................. .
Vagary
something unaccountable; freak
.................................................. .
Aisle
corridor; passageway (esp. between rows of seats)
.................................................. .
Discountenance
disallow
.................................................. .
Imperative
must be obeyed
.................................................. .
Indigent
poor; needy [indigence (n)]
.................................................. .
Nadir
lowest point
.................................................. .
Paranoia
mental state characterized by delusions or excessive fear
.................................................. .
Prudence
caution; wisdom
.................................................. .
Resuscitation
revival from unconsciousness [resuscitate (v)]
.................................................. .
Shirk
avoid (esp. work)
.................................................. .
Teetotalism
total abstinence from alcohol
.................................................. .
Balm
soothing ointment or anything soothing [balmy (a)]
.................................................. .
Calibrate
mark an accurate scale on a device
.................................................. .
Cataclysmic
violently disruptive [cataclysm (n)]
.................................................. .
Impropriety
inappropriate behavior
.................................................. .
Pith
center; soft part of stem; essence
.................................................. .
Primordial
present from the beginning of time
.................................................. .
Reconnaissance
examination or survey conducted in advance [reconnoiter (v)]
.................................................. .
Sinistral
left-handed (or counterclockwise) [dextral - right handed]
.................................................. .
Tempers
moderates
.................................................. .
Undermine
subvert; attempt to overthrow
.................................................. .