| abjure |
to reject, abandon
formally |
| abstract |
theoretical;
complex, difficult |
| abstruse |
concealed; difficult
to comprehend; obscure. |
| accretion |
growth in size or
increase in amount |
| acerbic |
bitter; harsh;
caustic. |
| acquiesce |
to agree; comply
quietly |
| acrimonious |
sarcastic; caustic;
angry; mordant. |
| acrimony |
bitterness,
animosity |
| adroit |
dexterous;
proficient; skillful. |
| adumbrate |
to sketch, outline
in a shadowy way |
| aesthete |
person who
cultivates beauty or art; connoisseur. |
| agnostic |
one who doubts that
God exists |
| altruism |
unselfish concern
for others' welfare |
| altruistic |
concerned about the
general welfare of others; charitable; generous. |
| ambidextrous |
able to use both
hands equally well |
| ambulatory |
able to walk; not
stationary. |
| amorphous |
without structure;
shapeless; nebulous. |
| anachronism |
something
chronologically inappropriate |
| analogous |
comparable, parallel |
| anathema |
ban, curse;
something shunned or disliked |
| anodyne |
something that calms
or soothes pain |
| aphasia |
inability to speak
or use words |
| aphorism |
old saying or short,
pithy statement |
| apostrophe |
an address to the
reader or someone not present |
| approbatory |
expressing approval. |
| ascetic |
strict; austere. |
| assignation |
appointment for a
lovers' meeting; assignment |
| assonance |
resemblance in
sound, especially in vowel sounds; partial rhyme |
| astringent |
harsh, severe, stern |
| augury |
prophecy, prediction
of events |
| auspicious |
having favorable
prospects, promising |
| austere |
stern, strict,
unadorned |
| autonomous |
separate,
independent |
| axiom |
premise, postulate,
self-evident truth |
| baleful |
sorrowful; sinister;
evil. |
| banal |
trite; insipid;
ordinary. |
| beleaguer |
besiege; surround. |
| bellicose |
warlike, aggressive |
| bemused |
preoccupied by
thought; bewildered; perplexed. |
| benighted |
unenlightened |
| bevy |
group |
| bilk |
Defraud; deceive;
hoodwink. |
| blasphemous |
cursing, profane,
irreverent |
| blithe |
Happy; pleased;
delighted. |
| bombastic |
using high-sounding
but meaningless language |
| bonhomie |
good-natured
geniality; atmosphere of good cheer |
| breach |
act of breaking,
violation |
| broach |
Introduce; bring up;
mention. |
| burgeon |
to sprout or
flourish |
| calumny |
false and malicious
accusation, misrepresentation, slander |
| capacious |
large, roomy;
extensive |
| capitulate |
to submit
completely, surrender |
| capricious |
impulsive,
whimsical, without much thought |
| celerity |
Swift motion; speed;
alacrity. |
| censorious |
Critical; attacking;
denouncing. |
| chalice |
goblet, cup |
| chary |
Careful; cautious. |
| chicanery |
trickery, fraud,
deception |
| choleric |
easily angered,
short-tempered |
| circumlocution |
roundabout, lengthy
way of saying something |
| circumspect |
cautious, wary |
| clairvoyant |
having ESP, psychic |
| cogent |
logically forceful,
compelling, convincing |
| cognate |
Related by blood;
having the same origin. |
| complicity |
knowing partnership
in wrongdoing |
| concave |
curving inward |
| conciliatory |
overcoming distrust
or hostility |
| concord |
agreement |
| concordance |
agreement; treaty;
accord. |
| Confluence |
nexus; union;
meeting: conflux. |
| congenital |
existing since birth |
| conscientious |
governed by
conscience; careful and thorough |
| constituent |
component, part;
citizen, voter |
| construe |
to explain or
interpret |
| contrite |
penitent;
apologetic; remorseful. |
| convalescence |
gradual recovery
after an illness |
| convoluted |
twisted,
complicated, involved |
| copious |
plentiful; ample;
profuse. |
| corporeal |
having to do with
the body; tangible, material |
| cosmopolitan |
sophisticated, free
from local prejudices |
| cucullate |
hood-shaped. |
| cupidity |
greed |
| cursory |
hastily done,
superficial |
| dearth |
Paucity: shortage;
deficiency. |
| debauch |
to corrupt, seduce
from virtue or duty; indulge |
| debilitate |
to weaken, enfeeble |
| declivity |
downward slope. |
| decry |
to belittle, openly
condemn |
| definitive |
clear-cut, explicit
or decisive |
| defunct |
no longer existing,
dead, extinct |
| deleterious |
Destructive;
poisonous; unhealthy. |
| delineate |
Describe; outline;
depict. |
| delineation |
depiction,
representation |
| denude |
to make bare,
uncover, undress |
| desultory |
at random, rambling,
unmethodical |
| dexterous |
skilled physically
or mentally |
| diaphanous |
allowing light to
show through; delicate |
| diatribe |
Extreme, bitter, and
abusive speech; vituperation; tirade. |
| dictum |
authoritative
statement; popular saying |
| differentiate |
to distinguish
between two items |
| diffidence |
self-doubt;
timidity; shyness. |
| diluvial |
relating to a flood |
| disburse |
to pay out |
| discretionary |
subject to one's own
judgment |
| discursive |
circuitous;
digressive; rambling. |
| disgorge |
to vomit, discharge
violently |
| dissonant |
cacophonous;
inharmonious; discordant; strident. |
| divination |
prediction;
prophecy; forecast. |
| doctrinaire |
rigidly devoted to
theories |
| dour |
sullen and gloomy;
stern and severe |
| ebullient |
exhilarated, full of
enthusiasm and high spirits |
| effervescent |
lively; volatile. |
| effluvia |
outpouring of gases
or vapors |
| egregious |
flagrant; glaring;
outrageous. |
| emollient |
having soothing
qualities, especially for skin |
| endemic |
belonging to a
particular area, inherent |
| enjoin |
to urge, order,
command; forbid or prohibit, as by judicial order |
| ephemeral |
transitory;
fleeting; passing; temporary. |
| epitome |
representative of an
entire group; summary |
| epochal |
very significant or
influential; defining an epoch or time period |
| equivocal |
ambiguous, open to
two interpretations |
| equivocate |
prevaricate; dodge;
evade; hedge. |
| errant |
straying, mistaken,
roving |
| eschew |
to abstain from,
avoid |
| ethereal |
incorporeal;
intangible; airy. |
| euphemism |
use of an
inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful one |
| euphoria |
feeling of
well-being or happiness |
| exacerbate |
to aggravate,
intensify the bad qualities of |
| excommunicate |
to bar from
membership in the church |
| execrable |
utterly detestable,
abhorrent |
| exorbitant |
extravagant, greater
than reasonable |
| expurgate |
remove erroneous or
objectionable material; delete; edit. |
| exult |
to rejoice |
| façade |
face, front; mask,
superficial appearance |
| facile |
very easy |
| fallacious |
wrong, unsound,
illogical |
| farcical |
absurd, ludicrous |
| fatuous |
Ludicrous; inane;
idiotic; silly. |
| fecund |
prolific;
productive; fruitful. |
| fervid |
passionate, intense,
zealous |
| foible |
frailty;
imperfection; weakness. |
| forestall |
to prevent, delay;
anticipate |
| forte |
strong point,
something a person does well |
| fraught |
full of, accompanied
by |
| frenzied |
feverishly fast,
hectic, and confused |
| frivolous |
petty, trivial;
flippant, silly |
| gambol |
play; frolic; romp. |
| gamely |
courageously |
| glower |
to glare, stare
angrily and intensely |
| gnarl |
to make knotted,
deform |
| grandiose |
magnificent and
imposing; exaggerated and pretentious |
| gratuitous |
free, voluntary;
unnecessary and unjustified |
| gustatory |
relating to sense of
taste |
| hackneyed |
trite; common;
overdone; banal. |
| harbinger |
precursor, sign of
something to come |
| harbor |
preserve; conceal;
secure; shelter. |
| harrowing |
extremely
distressing, terrifying |
| haughty |
arrogant;
disdainful; blatantly proud; contemptuous. |
| hearten |
encourage; give
strength. |
| hemicycle |
semicircular form or
structure |
| hermetic |
tightly sealed |
| hidebound |
excessively rigid;
dry and stiff |
| hypothermia |
abnormally low body
temperature |
| ilk |
type or kind |
| imbue |
to infuse; dye, wet,
moisten |
| immutable |
incorruptible;
enduring; unchanging. |
| impasse |
blocked path,
dilemma with no solution |
| impassive |
showing no emotion |
| impertinent |
rude |
| impetuous |
hasty; rash;
impulsive. |
| impound |
to seize and confine |
| impressionable |
easily influenced or
affected |
| impudent |
arrogant, audacious |
| incarnate |
having bodily form |
| incendiary |
combustible,
flammable, burning easily |
| incense |
to infuriate, enrage |
| inchoate |
imperfectly formed
or formulated |
| incipient |
embryonic;
developing; in the beginning stages. |
| incongruous |
Inconsistent;
unsuitable; contradictory. |
| incredulous |
skeptical, doubtful |
| indefatigable |
diligent;
persistent; inexhaustible. |
| indelible |
permanent, not
erasable |
| inestimable |
too great to be
estimated |
| inexorable |
inflexible,
unyielding |
| inextricable |
incapable of being
disentangled |
| infiltrate |
to pass secretly
into enemy territory |
| infirmity |
disease, ailment |
| ingress |
entrance |
| innocuous |
dull; harmless;
innocent. |
| insentient |
unfeeling,
unconscious |
| insidious |
sly, treacherous,
devious |
| insolvent |
bankrupt; unable to
pay debts. |
| insular |
isolated, detached |
| integral |
central,
indispensable |
| interdict |
to forbid, prohibit |
| interject |
to interpose, insert |
| interminable |
endless |
| interpolate |
to insert; change by
adding new words or material |
| intonate |
Speak or utter with
a particular tone. |
| intractable |
Unruly; disobedient. |
| intrinsic |
Inherent; natural;
innate. |
| inundate |
to cover with water;
overwhelm |
| inviolable |
safe from violation
or assault |
| iridescent |
showing many colors |
| irresolvable |
unable to be
resolved; not analyzable |
| jettison |
Eliminate;
discharge. |
| jocular |
jovial, playful,
humorous |
| juggernaut |
huge force
destroying everything in its path |
| lachrymose |
Weepy; tearful. |
| lackadaisical |
idle, lazy;
apathetic, indifferent |
| laggard |
dawdler, loafer,
lazy person |
| lassitude |
Fatigue; weariness;
debility. |
| liberation |
freedom,
emancipation |
| limpid |
clear, transparent |
| loquacious |
talkative |
| machination |
plot or scheme |
| macrocosm |
system regarded as
an entity with subsystems |
| maladroit |
Clumsy; unskilled. |
| malediction |
curse |
| malodorous |
foul-smelling |
| megalomania |
mental state with
delusions of wealth and power |
| menagerie |
various animals kept
together for exhibition |
| mendicant |
Almsman; beggar:
leech: parasite. |
| meritorious |
deserving reward or
praise |
| microcosm |
tiny system used as
analogy for larger system |
| militate |
to operate against,
work against |
| misconstrue |
to misunderstand,
fail to discover |
| mollify |
to calm or make less
severe |
| mollusk |
sea animal with soft
body |
| monochromatic |
having one color |
| monogamy |
custom of marriage
to one person at a time |
| monolith |
large block of stone |
| monologue |
dramatic speech
performed by one actor |
| montage |
composite picture |
| morbid |
gruesome; relating
to disease; abnormally gloomy |
| mores |
customs or manners |
| mote |
small particle,
speck |
| motley |
Multicolored;
spotted: mixed. |
| mottle |
to mark with spots |
| multifaceted |
having many parts,
many-sided |
| mundane |
Boring; ordinary;
typical; tedious. |
| munificent |
Generous:
extravagant; philanthropic. |
| myopic |
nearsighted |
| nadir |
Lowest point. |
| nefarious |
Evil; vile;
sinister; wicked. |
| negligent |
careless,
inattentive |
| negligible |
not worth
considering |
| neologism |
Newly coined phrase
or expression. |
| neophyte |
novice, beginner |
| nether |
located under or
below |
| noisome |
Noxious to health. |
| noxious |
Harmful; malignant. |
| nuptial |
relating to marriage |
| nutritive |
relating to
nutrition or health |
| obdurate |
Stubborn;
intractable. |
| obliterate |
demolish, wipe out |
| obsequious |
Servile; groveling. |
| obtrusive |
pushy, too
conspicuous |
| occlude |
to shut, block |
| officious |
Meddlesome. |
| omnipotent |
having unlimited
power |
| omnivorous |
eating everything;
absorbing everything |
| opulence |
wealth |
| opulent |
Affluent;
well-to-do; plentiful. |
| ornithologist |
scientist who
studies birds |
| oscillate |
to move back and
forth |
| ostentatious |
Conspicuous; showy. |
| ostracism |
exclusion, temporary
banishment |
| ostracize |
Exclude; isolate;
bar; shun. |
| paleontology |
study of past
geological eras through fossil remains |
| palisade |
fence made up of
stakes |
| palpable |
Noticeable; obvious;
apparent. |
| panegyric |
Elaborate praise,
public compliment. |
| pariah |
Outcast; misfit;
refugee. |
| parsimony |
Miserliness;
unusually excessive frugality. |
| partisan |
Fan or supporter;
enthusiast supporting a particular cause or issue. |
| paucity |
Scarcity; shortage;
dearth. |
| peculation |
theft of money or
goods |
| pedantic |
Stuffy or dogmatic;
meticulous; academic. |
| penchant |
inclination |
| penitent |
expressing sorrow
for sins or offenses, repentant |
| penury |
extreme poverty |
| perfidious |
faithless, disloyal,
untrustworthy |
| perfidy |
Deliberate breach of
faith or trust; treachery. |
| perjure |
to tell a lie under
oath |
| permeable |
penetrable |
| perspicacious |
Astute; keen;
perceptive. |
| perusal |
close examination |
| pestilence |
epidemic, plague |
| posthumous |
Arising or
continuing after someone’s death. |
| prescient |
Showing foresight:
predicting events before they occur. |
| presentment |
premonition, sense
of foreboding |
| presumptuous |
rude, improperly
bold |
| proclivity |
Tendency;
inclination; propensity. |
| prodigious |
Exceptional;
impressive; of huge quantity; immense. |
| progeny |
Heir; descendant;
offspring. |
| proliferation |
propagation,
reproduction; enlargement, expansion |
| propensity |
inclination,
tendency |
| prosaic |
Common; routine;
ordinary. |
| protagonist |
main character in a
play or story, hero |
| protean |
Taking many forms;
changeable; variable. |
| quadrilateral |
four-sided polygon |
| querulous |
Difficult; testy;
disagreeable. |
| quiescence |
inactivity,
stillness |
| rancid |
spoiled, rotten |
| raucous |
Harsh; annoying;
piercing; shrill. |
| ravage |
to destroy,
devastate |
| receptive |
open to others'
ideas; congenial |
| rectitude |
moral uprightness |
| redress |
relief from wrong or
injury |
| refute |
to contradict,
discredit |
| reiterate |
to say or do again,
repeat |
| rejoinder |
response |
| remission |
lessening,
relaxation |
| replicate |
to duplicate, repeat |
| repose |
relaxation, leisure |
| reprehensible |
blameworthy,
disreputable |
| reprise |
repetition, esp. of
a piece of music |
| reproach |
to find fault with;
blame |
| reprobate |
Degenerate; person
without morals. |
| respire |
to breathe |
| respite |
interval of relief |
| restive |
Nervous; restless;
uneasy. |
| restorative |
having the power to
renew or revitalize |
| retinue |
group of attendants
with an important person |
| retrograde |
having a backward
motion or direction |
| rhetoric |
persuasive use of
language |
| ribald |
Lewd; obscene:
irreverent. |
| sagacious |
shrewd |
| salient |
prominent or
conspicuous |
| sardonic |
cynical, scornfully
mocking |
| satiate |
to satisfy |
| savant |
intellectual;
scholar; philosopher. |
| scurrilous |
vulgar, low,
indecent |
| secant |
straight line
intersecting a curve at two points |
| sedentary |
inactive,
stationary; sluggish |
| sentient |
aware, conscious,
able to perceive |
| sequester |
Separate; isolate;
segregate. |
| seraphic |
angelic, pure,
sublime |
| serrated |
saw-toothed, notched |
| sobriquet |
nickname |
| solicitous |
concerned,
attentive; eager |
| soliloquy |
literary or dramatic
speech by one character, not addressed to others |
| sonorous |
producing a full,
rich sound |
| sophistry |
deceptive reasoning
or argumentation |
| sophomoric |
immature and
overconfident |
| soporific |
Hypnotic; lethargic;
causing sleep. |
| sportive |
frolicsome, playful |
| sprightly |
lively, animated,
energetic |
| stark |
bare, empty, vacant |
| stratagem |
Plot; tactic;
deception. |
| stulify |
to impair or reduce
to uselessness |
| subpoena |
notice ordering
someone to appear in court |
| succinct |
terse, brief,
concise |
| succulent |
juicy; full of
vitality or freshness |
| superannuated |
too old, obsolete,
outdated to be useful |
| supercede |
to take the place
of; replace |
| supercilious |
Egotistic; proud;
arrogant. |
| supplicant |
one who asks humbly
and earnestly |
| surmount |
to conquer, overcome |
| surreptitious |
Covert; furtive;
acquired by stealthy means. |
| svelte |
Graceful; slim. |
| swarthy |
having a dark
complexion |
| synopsis |
plot summary |
| synthesis |
blend, combination |
| synthetic |
artificial,
imitation |
| tableau |
vivid description,
striking incident or scene |
| tawdry |
Gaudy; showy; loud. |
| temerity |
Rashness; audacity;
recklessness. |
| tempestuous |
stormy, raging,
furious |
| tensile |
Pertaining to
tension; stretchable; ductile. |
| toady |
flatterer,
hanger-on, yes-man |
| transcription |
copy, reproduction;
record |
| tremulous |
trembling,
quivering; fearful, timid |
| turgid |
Swollen; bombastic;
distended. |
| undulate |
Move in a wavy
manner. |
| unfathomable |
Baffling; puzzling;
incomprehensible. |
| unfrock |
to strip of priestly
duties |
| unheralded |
unannounced,
unexpected, not publicized |
| unsolicited |
unrequested |
| unwarranted |
groundless,
unjustified |
| upbraid |
Rebuke; scold;
criticize. |
| uproarious |
loud and forceful |
| usurp |
to seize by force |
| veneration |
adoration, honor,
respect |
| verbatim |
word for word |
| verbose |
Wordy; talkative;
profuse. |
| verdant |
Lush; thick with
vegetation; leafy. |
| verity |
truthfulness; belief
viewed as true and enduring |
| vernal |
related to spring |
| virile |
manly, having
qualities of an adult male |
| vociferous |
Clamorous;
outspoken; noisy; vocal. |
| volley |
flight of missiles,
round of gunshots |
| voluble |
Verbose; wordy;
garrulous. |
| voluminous |
Huge; immense;
bulky. |
| voracious |
1. Enthusiastic;
overly eager. 2. Starving. |
| waver |
Totter; fluctuate. |
|
|
