Dawn Word List

Replace the boring narrative with gems



Many junior members are disconcerted regarding the selection of prolific vocabulary. We are often advised to go through the Dawn news-paper vocabulary. Consequently, this thread contains the words frequently published in Dawn. Members are requested to add their contribution too.
[This was originally posted by our seniors, thanks to them. The list seemed to me out of order, so I put in order. I set to accomplish this task because I want you to copy it from CSS-forum into “New MS-Word document” and cram it after having them well analyzed the sense.
Moreover there were some mistakes like those of spellings. So please aspirants try to enrich the Uranium before 15 February 2014. Google-Chrome]



Aberration: deviation; abnormality
Abstruse: Difficult to comprehend
Acumen: sharpness of mind
Adroit: skill-full (Maladroit = clumsy)
Adulation: worship; great praise
Advocate: support
Affability: friendliness; cordiality
Affinity: kinship
Affluence: wealth; opulence, material comfort
Agnostic: unsure of the existence of god
Alacrity: speed & eagerness; promptness
Alleviate: make less serve; reduce
Altruism: self-sacrifice
Amalgam: mixture
Amassed: accumulated
Ambiguous: vague; doubtful; equivocal
Ameliorate: make better; improve
Amiable: friendly; lovable
Anachronistic: out of normal time range (Root -- chronic always implies the time)
Animosity: hostility; hatred; ill-will
Apathetic: lacking energy or interest; indifference
Arable: cab be cultivated; fit for pillowing (example: arable land)
Arbitration: mediating between disputing sides
Arboreal: living in trees (Root -- Arbor always relates to trees)
Arcane: esoteric; obscure; known only to few people
Archaic: old-fashioned
Articulation: joining; speaking clearly; distinct
Ascertain: find out; make sure
Astute: wise; mentally sharp
Augment: increase in size or number
Aural: through the sense of hearing
Autocrat: absolute ruler; dictator
Autonomy: self-government

Barrage: bombardment; stream (of abuse etc.); continuous attack
Belabor: over-emphasizing
Belied: contradicted
Belittlers: people who criticize/disparage
Benevolent: kindly; charitable
Boorishness: rudeness; ill-mannered behavior
Bountiful: generous
Brevity: briefness
Bypass: avoid; find a way around
Byzantine: excessive; decadent
Cacophony: noise; din
Callous: cruel & unfeeling
Candid: truthful; straight forward; free from prejudice
Capricious: whimsical; changeable
Censure: criticize; blame
Cerebral: concerned with thinking
Circumstantial: accidental; indirect
Coalition: a union of two parts
Coerce: compel; force
Cognitions: mental knowledge
Compendious: containing a lot in a small space/few words
Conciliatory: bringing together; ending a dispute; soothing
Concord: agreement
Condone: tolerate
Conflagration: great fire
Congenial: friendly; sociable; suitable
Connoisseur: expert with good taste/ judgment
Consecrate: dedicate; make holy
Consummate: supremely good
Contagious: passed on through touch; infectious
Convergence: coming together
Convivial: sociable
Copious: in large amount
Corollary: consequence; inference
Corpulence: very fatness, fleshiness
Corroborated: supported; given supporting evidence
Credulity: belief on slight evidence
Cumulative: building up
Cursory: superficial
Curtail: cut short
Dalliance: non-serious involvement; toying or playing
Dearth: shortage; lacking
Debacle: disaster
Debilitate: weaken
Debunk: throw out old ideas
Deferment: putting off
Deleterious: harmful
Deliberation: careful thought
Delineate: outline
Demagogue: mob leader; agitator
Demonstrative: expressing emotions freely
Denuded: stripped
Depreciatory: devaluing; criticizing
Derelict: rundown; abandoned
Derided: mocked
Despoiled: plunder; rob; deprive
Devious: cunning
Didactic: intending to preach or teach; an act of teaching
Dilatory: slow; sluggish
Disarming: charming; unthreatening
Discernment: judgment
Discrepancy: inconsistency
Disillusioned: freed from wrong ideas
Disingenuous: crafty; double dealing
Disparaging: critical
Distension: swelling; distend; expand
Docile: obedient; subservient
Dubious: doubtful

Eclectic: taking things from different sources; selective
Effacement: wiping out; rub out; (self-effacement = excessive modesty)
Egotistical: selfish
Elitist: favoring top group; snob
Elusive: difficult to pin down
Emancipators: those who set others free
Embellished: adorned; decorated
Embittered: full of bitter feelings
Embodiment: living example of
Empathetic: exhibiting deep emotional understanding
Empiric: found by experiment/practice
Encompassed: included; surrounded
Encroach: trespass; violate
Endorsed: supported
Entourage: group of followers; retinue; cortege
Envisioning: imagining; predicting
Epitome: essence; typical example or symbol of
Equanimity: peace of mind; balance; calm
Equitable: fair and equal
Eradicate: wipe out; remove
Erudition: learning; scholarly knowledge
Esoteric: obscure; arcane; known to few
Estrangement: separation
Eulogy: praise
Exacerbate: make worse
Exasperation: frustration and annoyance
Excise: cut out
Exemplar: excellent example of
Exonerated: proved not guilty; acquit
Exorbitant: excessive
Exotic: strange; foreign
Expeditious: speedy; hasten
Extant: still in existence; opposite of extinct
Extirpation: destruction
Extol: praise; glorify
Extrapolate: predict on the basis of existing data; extended
Facile: over simplified
Faction: section; group with common interests
Fastidious: very fussy; excessively concerned (esp. about cleanliness)
Fawning: groveling; slavish; obsequious
Feud: Long lasting dispute, Tribal feud took three lives
Fidelity: faithfulness; loyalty
Finagle: wheedle; wangle; trick
Finesse: skill
Fitful: intermittent; on and off; not continuous
Flabbergast: shock; make speechless
Flag: to lose energy; to signal
Floridity: floweriness in language; redness
Foil: frustrate; battle; defeat
Formidable: inspiring awe; impressive and powerful difficulty
Foster: support; encourage
Foundered: sank; failed; stumbled
Fraudulent: crooked; intending to cheat
Frugal: economical; parsimony
Furtive: secretive
Futile: useless; waste of time and effort
Gestures: signals
Glacial: icy; unfriendly
Glutton: greedy; spearing in eating and drinking
Grating: harsh; rasping; irritating
Gratuitous: free; unwarranted
Grimy: dirty
Hackneyed: commonplace; banal; over-used
Heterogeneity: variety; non-uniformity
Hilarity: great laughter
Histrionic: melodramatic; expressing exaggerated emotion
Holistic: whole; entire
Hubris: excessive pride; haughtiness
Husbandry: careful management of resources
Idiosyncratic: quirky; eccentric; unique to an individual
Ignominy: shame
Imperious: in a commanding manner
Impetuosity: impulsiveness; rash
Impudent: cheeky; disrespectful
Impute: attribute a bad action to somebody
Inane: silly
Incoherence: lack of clarity
Inconsequential: unimportant
Inconspicuous: not easily seen; indiscernible
Indiscriminate: without thought; random; careless
Indomitable: unshakeable; fearless
Indulgent: kindly; pampering
Ineffable: can’t be expressed in words, indescribable
Ineptitude: lack of ability
Infelicity: incongruity, oddness
Infusion: influx; addition
Ingenuous: naive
Indigenous: native to a locality
Indictment: charge; legal accusation
Innocuous: harmless
Inscrutable: not easy to comprehend

Insightful: perceptive; can be understood
Insipid: flavorless; bland
Insolence: lack of respect; rudeness; impudence
Insolvent: bankrupt
Insufferable: cannot be tolerated
Insular: narrow-minded
Insurrectionist: rebel; combative
Integrity: honor; honesty
Intemperate: not moderate; excessive
Intermittent: on & off; not continuous; spasmodic
Intonation: tone of voice
intrigued: interested and curious
Intuition: sixth sense; gut feeling
Invocation: prayer
Irony: something unexpected; words to convey opposite meaning
Irreproachable: cannot be criticized; blameless (Reproach = critize)
Irresolute: lacking firmness of purpose; hesitant
Irreverence: lack of respect
Jaded: tired; bored
Jeopardize: put at risk; endanger
Judicious: fair; wise
Juxtaposition: placing two things next to each other
Knack: trick; skill
Lackadaisical: lazy; careless; lax
Lamentable: regrettable
Languid: Lacking energy; weak
Lavish: to spend freely(v); costing a lot; opulent(adj)
Legitimate: to make legal; give approval to
Libelous: open to prosecution for libel (libel = written slander)
Lithe: flexible; supple
Litigious: seeking legal remedies
Lobby: to try to persuade; entrance hall
Lucid: clear; explained
Magnanimous: generous minded; big-hearted
Mandate: permission
Mandatory: compulsory
Manifesto: statement of values
Manipulative: deceptive; skill-ful at handling people
Marred: spoiled; ruined
Meager: small; scanty; unimportant
Mercenary: seeking money above all else; interested in money and gain
Meticulous: thorough; taking care of details
Miffed: annoyed; vex
Mitigate: moderate; reduce intensity
Modicum: tiny amount
Momentous: of great importance
Monotonous: dull; repetitive
Morbidity: concern with death and disease
Motley: varied; miscellaneous
Circumvent: avoid; outwit; baffle
Multifarious: having many aspects
Myopic: short-sighted (literal or metaphoric)
Naiveté: innocence; lack of worldliness
Nefarious: infamous; very wicked
Negate: wipe out; nullify
Nemesis: fate; doom
Nihilism: belief in nothing; anarchy
Nondescript: having no special qualities; ordinary
Notoriety: infamy
Obsequious: slavish; fawning
Occlusion: shutting out
Officious: interfering
Onerous: burdensome
Opacity: lack of transparency; being opaque
Opportunism: grabbing opportunities
Opting: choosing
Opulence: lavish display of wealth
Ornate: extremely decorated
Overhaul: renovate; examine
Palliative: that makes better but doesn`t cure; easy pain
Pathos: sadness; stirring the emotions; gloomy
Paucity: scarcity; shortage
Peer: An equal; to look closely at
Peevishness: childish sullenness; irritability
Penchant: tendency; leaning toward; liking
Penurious: miserly
Perquisites: perks; that you receive for your job(This is limited meaning. I think prerequisite means things required for a process, prior to start of the process)
Petulant: touchy; sulky; peevish
Phlegmatic: calm; imperturbable
Phobic: fearful (Root phobia always implies fear)
Pilfer: steal; filch; rustle
Placid: peaceful; calm; serene
Plaudits: praise
Pliant: flexible
Polarized: divided into two extremes
Pragmatism: practicality
Preclude: prevent; make impossible
Precursor: forerunner; that comes before
Predilection: liking for; penchant
Presumption: assuming too much
Profundity: depth (of ideas/thoughts)
Propensity: tendency; leaning predilection
Proponent: supporter
Prosaic: ordinary; dull
Prospectus: brochure
Prudent: wise; cautious
Punctilious: meticulous
Purportedly: apparently claiming
Quell: suppress; to stop such as protests
Quixotic: idealistic; impractical
Radical: revolutionary
Rambunctious: boisterous; highly exuberant; unruly
Rancor: bitterness and bad feeling
Ratify: give approval to (official)
Raze: known down, destroy
Reclusive: Avoid other people; solitary
Recrimination: blame
Rectitude: uprightness
Redolent: smelling of (literal or metaphoric)
Regressive: moving backwards (literal or metaphoric)
Rehash: revamp hurriedly/carelessly; to arrange in new form without improvement
Remiss: neglectful
Repertoire: range; set of skills
Reprehensible: very bad; culpable; blame worthy
Reprieve: let off (at least temporarily); delay; cancel
Reprimanded: scolded
Resilience: strength; ability to withstand
Resolute: firm of purpose
Retraction: removal; taking back
Rhetoric: persuasive language
Robust: strong and sturdy
Rousing: stirring; full of enthusiasm
Rudimentary: elementary; basic; not developed
Salvageable: can be saved
Sanctity: holiness
Sarcasm: sneering; bitter remarks; ironic or taunting
Scouring: cleaning thoroughly; thorough searching; comb
Scrutinize: examine carefully
Scuttled: sunk; foil
Secluded: lonely; isolated
Sedate: calm; placid
Seditious: causing division or rebellion
Sedulous: thorough; eager
Serene: peaceful
Sermonize: give moral lecture
Shroud: a cover for dead body; to cover
Slipshod: careless; untidy
Solace: comfort
Solicitous: expressing care and concern
Somber: gloomy
Sophistry: devious logic
Soporific: sleep inducing; sleep producer
Sporadic: intermittent; not continuous; short stayed
Spurned: shunned; rejected
Squander: waste
Squelch: suppress; crush
Steadfastness: loyalty; firmness of purpose
Stifling: suppressing
Stipulated: insisted
Substantiate: give supporting evidence
Subversive: intending to overthrow; seditious; split
Succulent: juicy
Supplant: replace; usurp
Supple: flexible; pliant; lithe
Surfeit: excess
Sustain: support; experience
Sycophant: toady; servile flatterer
Tactile: through the sense of touch
Tangential: off the point; irrelevant
Temper: moderate
Temperamental: volatile; changeable
Temporize: put off; procrastinate; delay
Tenacious: holding firmly to idea or purpose
Therapeutic: medicinal
Thwarted: prevented
Transitory: short-lived; not continuous
Treacle: too sweet; over sentimental
Tremulous: hesitant
Tribulation: trouble
Truculence: stubbornness
Undermine: weaken
Unequivocal: certain; undoubted
Unwitting: not deliberated
Unyielding: not giving up
Vacillate: waver; hesitate
Validated: proved right
Valor: bravery
Venality: corruption
Versatility: ability to do many things
Vex: annoy
Vicarious: experience indirectly; at secondhand
Vigilant: wary; watchful
Vindication: proving right; acquittal
Vindictive: seeking revenge
Viscous: thick and sticky
Volatile: evaporates easily; mercurial; easily angered; emotional
Voluminous: large; bulky; extensive
Vulnerable: open to attack; susceptible
Waning: declining
Warped: twisted; distorted
Wary: cautious
Winnow: sift; separate good from bad
Wistful: sad; yearning; longing in a thoughtful way, pensive and sad
Wrath: anger, Spare us some pain and wrath of evil.