Vocabulary

abstruse

(adj.) - Concealed, hidden, recondite; difficult to understand.

abject

(adj.) - of the most miserable or contemptible kind

abrogate

(v.) - to abolish, often by authority

abscond

(v.) - to sneak away and hide

accede

(v.) - to agree

acumen

(n.) - keen insight

affable

(adj.) - friendly, amiable

akimbo

(adj.) - with hands on hips and elbows extending outward

alacrity

(n.) - speed, readiness

algid

(adj.) - frigid, cold

aloof

(adj.) - reserved, distant

altercation

(n.) - an argument, dispute

amble

(v.) - to stroll, walk

ameliorate

(v.) - to improve, to make better

anomaly

(n.) - something that does not fit into the normal order

antechamber

(n.) - a waiting room

aphorism

(n.) - a short saying

ascetic

(n.) - one who practices restraint as a means of self-discipline, usually religious

baleful

(adj.) - harmful

battery

(n.) - an assault or an array of similar things intended for use together

benign

(adj.) - non-threatening

bereft

(adj.) - without

bilk

(v.) - to cheat

blandish

(v.) - to coax through flattery

buffet

(v.) - to hit or strike

burgeon

(v.) - to come forth

cajole

(v.) - to urge

calumny

(n.) - an attempt to defame another’s reputation

capricious

(adj.) - impulsive

carouse

(v.) - to revel

cavort

(v.) - to frolic

circumlocution

(n.) - indirect language

circumspect

(adj.) - cautious

coalesce

(v.) - to combine into one

cogent

(adj.) - intelligent

collusion

(n.) - a conspiracy

commodious

(adj.) - spacious

complicit

(adj.) - being an accomplice in a wrongful act

conciliatory

(adj.) - agreeable

concord

(n.) - agreement

confluence

(n.) - a convergence

convalescence

(n.) - the gradual return to health after illness

copious

(adj.) - abundant

cosmopolitan

(adj.) - worldly

cursory

(adj.) - brief to the point of being superficial

daft

(adj.) - insane

daunting

(adj.) - intimidating

dearth

(n.) - a lack

defame

(v.) - to destroy the reputation of

deft

(adj.) - skilled

defunct

(adj.) - no longer used or existing

deleterious

(adj.) - harmful

delude

(v.) - to deceive

deluge

(n.) - a great flood or something that overwhelms like a flood

derelict

(adj.) - run-down

desolate

(adj.) - deserted

despondent

(adj.) - discouraged

destitute

(adj.) - impoverished

diaphanous

(adj.) - transparent

dictate

(v.) - to pronounce

differentiate

(v.) - to distinguish

dilapidated

(adj.) - in a state of disrepair

diligent

(adj.) - careful

diminish

(v.) - to decrease or make smaller

diminutive

(adj.) - miniature

discreet

(adj.) - prudent or inconspicuous

discrete

(adj.) - separate

disparage

(v.) - to criticize

dissonance

(n.) - lack of harmony or agreement

divergent

(adj.) - different

diverse

(adj.) - varied

divisive

(adj.) - causing conflict

domicile

(n.) - a residence

doppelganger

(n.) - a ghostly double of a living person

douse

(v.) - to drench

dutiful

(adj.) - careful to fulfill obligations

dynamic

(adj.) - characterized by continuous change or activity

elocution

(n.) - the art of public speaking

elucidate

(v.) - to clarify

empathetic

(adj.) - feeling another’s pain as one’s own

empathy

(n.) - the experience of another’s feelings as one’s own

enervate

(v.) - to weaken

enervated

(adj.) - lacking energy

entity

(n.) - something that exists as a discrete unit

entomology

(n.) - the study of insects

envious

(adj.) - jealous

erect

(v.) - to construct

erroneous

(adj.) - mistaken

espouse

(v.) - to support

espy

(v.)– - catch sight of

ethereal

(adj.) - heavenly

euphoric

(adj.) - elated

exacerbate

(v.) - to make more violent

excursion

(n.) - a trip

exemplary

(adj.) - serving as an example

exigent

(adj.) - critical

existential

(adj.) - relating to existence

exorbitant

(adj.) - excessive

extol

(v.) - to praise

fabricate

(v.) - to invent

fabulist

(n.) - a teller of fables; a liar

facile

(adj.) - easy

fallacious

(adj.) - incorrect

familial

(adj.) - relating to family

fatuous

(adj.) - silly

fecund

(adj.) - fertile

feign

(v.) - to fake or pretend to

feral

(adj.) - savage

fetter

(v.) - to restrain

fey

(adj.) - magical

fickle

(adj.) - characterized by changeableness

figurative

(adj.) - symbolic

firmament

(n.) - the sky

flabbergasted

(adj.) - astounded

flaccid

(adj.) - limp

flattery

(n.) - compliments

flout

(v.) - to scorn

fluctuate

(v.) - to vary irregularly

flux

(n.) - a state of constant change or a flow

forage

(v.) - to rummage

forestall

(v.) - to delay

forlorn

(adj.) - lonely

formidable

(adj.) - arousing fear or alarm

forsake

(v.) - to abandon

fortify

(v.) - to strengthen

fortitude

(n.) - strength

fortuitous

(adj.) - lucky

foster

(v.) - to stimulate

frenetic

(adj.) - frenzied

gape

(v.) - to open the mouth and stare stupidly

gay

(adj.) - happy

gluttonous

(adj.) - insatiable in appetite

goad

(v.) - to urge

gourmand

(n.) - one who likes eating and drinking

grandiose

(adj.) - extraordinary

gregarious

(adj.) - sociable

grotto

(n.) - a small cave or cavern

guile

(n.) - deceitful actions or behavior

hail

(v.) - to come from

hapless

(adj.) - unlucky

harmony

(n.) - agreement

harrowing

(adj.) - agonizing

hedonist

(n.) - one whose primary pursuit is pleasure

henchman

(n.) - a trusted follower

hiatus

(n.) - an interruption in continuity

hiemal

(adj.) - wintry

hierarchy

(n.) - a ranking system of groups or individuals

histrionic

(adj.) - excessively dramatic or emotional

idolatrous

(adj.) - worshiping excessively an object or person

illusory

(adj.) - deceptive

immaculate

(adj.) - impeccably clean

immutable

(adj.) - not susceptible to change

impecunious

(adj.) - excessively poor

impervious

(adj.) - unable to be penetrated

impudent

(adj.) - rude

incessant

(adj.) - without interruption

incisive

(adj.) - clear

inclement

(adj.) - stormy

inclination

(n.) - a tendency

indictment

(n.) - accusation of wrongdoing

indignation

(n.) - anger due to an unfair situation

inextricable

(adj.) - hopelessly confused or tangled

infuse

(v.) - to inject

ingenious

(adj.) - marked by special intelligence

inimical

(adj.) - hostile

iniquity

(n.) - a wicked act

innate

(adj.) - inborn

innocuous

(adj.) - harmless

inquisitor

(n.) - someone who asks questions or makes an inquiry

inundate

(v.) - to flood

invariable

(adj.) - not susceptible to change

invective

(n.) - a verbal attack

inveterate

(adj.) - habitual

irascible

(adj.) - easily angered

jubilant

(adj.) - joyful

judicious

(adj.) - of sound judgment

juvenile

(adj.) - young or immature

juxtapose

(v.) - to put next to each other

labyrinthine

(adj.) - intricate

laceration

(n.) - a cut

lachrymose

(adj.) - tearful

latent

(adj.) - present but hidden

laud

(v.) - to applaud or praise

laudatory

(adj.) - admiring

lavish

(adj.) - extravagant

lethargic

(adj.) - sluggish

lewd

(adj.) - vulgar

libel

(n.) - a statement that gives an unjust or unfavorable representation of a person or thing

licentious

(adj.) - amoral

limber

(adj.) - bending or flexing readily

limpid

(adj.) - clear

linchpin

(n.) - something that holds separate things together

lithe

(adj.) - graceful

loquacious

(adj.) - talkative

lull

(n.) - a relatively calm interval

luminescence

(n.) - light from non-thermal sources

magnanimous

(adj.) - generous

malaise

(n.) - vague feeling of discomfort

malevolent

(adj.) - having intent to harm others

malicious

(adj.) - malevolent

malign

(v.) - to slander

malleable

(adj.) - easily shaped or formed

mandatory

(adj.) - required

manifest

(v.) - to show clearly

manifold

(adj.) - many

masticate

(v.) - to chew

matrimony

(n.) - marriage

maudlin

(adj.) - sentimental

maxim

(n.) - a common saying of advice or virtue

meager

(adj.) - lacking in quality stature

mediate

(v.) - to intervene

melodramatic

(adj.) - exaggeratedly emotional or sentimental; histrionic

mendacious

(adj.) - inclined to lie or mislead

mercurial

(adj.) - quick and changeable in temperament

meritorious

(adj.) - deserving of praise or merit

metamorphosis

(n.) - a change of form

mimic

(v.) - to imitate

misogyny

(n.) - hatred of women

modicum

(n.) - a small amount of something

mollify

(v.) - to soften in temper

monogamy

(n.) - having only one spouse at a time

mores

(n.) - moral attitudes

morose

(adj.) - gloomy or sullen

munificent

(adj.) - generous

mutability

(n.) - capability of change

myopic

(adj.) - short-sighted

myriad

(adj.) - consisting of a very great number

narrate

(v.) - to tell a story

nebulous

(adj.) - indistinct

nefarious

(adj.) - horribly villainous

neologism

(n.) - the creation of new words

neonate

(n.) - a newborn baby

noisome

(adj.) - foul

notoriety

(n.) - infamy

novel

(adj.) - strikingly new

noxious

(adj.) - harmful

obdurate

(adj.) - unyielding to persuasion or moral influences

obfuscate

(v.) - to render incomprehensible

obsequious

(adj.) - excessively compliant or submissive

odious

(adj.) - meriting strong displeasure

officious

(adj.) - offering unwanted help or service

olfactory

(adj.) - relating to the sense of smell

ominous

(adj.) - foreboding or foreshadowing evil

oration

(n.) - a dignified and formal speech

ostracize

(v.) - to exclude from a community

pacify

(v.) - to sooth

paragon

(n.) - model of perfection

pariah

(n.) - an outcast

parody

(n.) - a satirical imitation

patent

(adj.) - clear

pedagogue

(n.) - a schoolteacher

pellucid

(adj.) - clear

penchant

(n.) - a tendency

peregrinate

(v.) - to travel from place to place on foot

perfunctory

(adj.) - showing little enthusiasm

permeate

(v.) - to spread out

persevere

(v.) - to persist

pertinacious

(adj.) - stubbornly persistent

peruse

(v.) - to examine carefully

pervasive

(adj.) - to spread throughout

petulance

(n.) - irritability

physiognomy

(n.) - the art of judging human character from facial features

pique

(v.) - to provoke or to cause indignation

pithy

(adj.) - succinctly meaningful

pittance

(n.)– - very small amount

placate

(v.) - to soothe

placid

(adj.) - calm

plethora

(n.) - a great number

pliable

(adj.) - flexible

poach

(v.) - to hunt or fish illegally

poised

(adj.) - balanced

polygamy

(n.) - having more than one spouse at a time

portentous

(adj.) - foreboding or foreshadowing evil

portly

(adj.) - fat

precarious

(adj.) - dangerously lacking in security or stability

predestination

(n.) - the concept of destiny or fate

premonition

(n.) - a presentiment of the future

preponderance

(n.) - a great amount or frequency

presage

(n.) - an omen

prestidigitation

(n.) - a sleight of hand

presumptuous

(adj.) - disrespectfully bold

profane

(adj.) - indecent

profuse

(adj.) - abundant

propensity

(n.) - an inclination

propriety

(n.) - decency

protean

(adj.) - readily taking on various shapes or forms

prudent

(adj.) - cautious

puerile

(adj.) - immature

pugnacious

(adj.) - belligerent

pulchritude

(n.) - physical beauty

punctilious

(adj.) - eager to follow rules

pungent

(adj.) - having a sharp

purport

(v.) - to present an intention that is often FALSE

putrid

(adj.) - rotten

quaint

(adj.) - old-fashioned

quid pro quo

(n.