abjure | renounce upon oath; abandon forever |
abrogate | abolish, do away with, or annul, especially by authority |
acumen | mental keenness; quickness of perception |
adumbrate | give hint or indication of something; disclose partially or guardedly; overshadow; shade |
alacrity | cheerful promptness or willingness; eagerness; speed or quickness |
anathema | solemn curse; someone or something regarded as a curse |
antipathy | strong feeling of aversion; dislike |
approbation | expression of warm approval; praise |
arrogate | claim without justification; claim for oneself without right |
ascetic | leading a life of self-discipline and self-denial; austere |
assiduous | constant in application or attention; diligent; unceasing or persistent |
boon | blessing; benefit bestowed, especially in response to a request |
brusque | abrupt and curt in manner or speech; rudely abrupt, unfriendly |
burnish | make shiny by rubbing; polish |
buttress | support physically; prop up; support something or someone by supplying evidence |
cajole | influence or urge by gentle urging or flattering |
calumny | false statement maliciously made to injure another's reputation; slander |
capricious | fickle; impulsive and unpredictable; apt to change opinions suddenly |
clemency | mildness, as of the weather; merciful, kind, or lenient act |
cogent | reasonable and convincing; based on evidence; forcefully persuasive |
concomitant | in conjunction with; accompanying; associated with |
conflagration | large destructive fire; burning; large-scale military conflict |
conundrum | riddle; difficult problem; dilemma |
credulity | readiness of belief; disposition to believe on slight evidence |
cupidity | greed; excessive desire, especially for wealth |
cursory | casual; brief or broad; not cautious, nor detailed |
decry | express strong disapproval of; disparage |
defile | pollute; make dirty or spotty |
deleterious | having harmful effect; injurious; having quality of destroying life; noxious; poisonous |
demure | modest and reserved in manner or behavior |
deprecate | express disapproval of; protest against; belittle |
deride | ridicule; make fun of; laugh at with contempt |
desecrate | violate with violence, especially to sacred place |
discursive | tending to depart from main point or cover a wide range of subjects |
dissemble | disguise or conceal behind a false appearance; make a false show of |
ebullient | showing excitement; overflowing with enthusiasm |
effrontery | shameless or brazen boldness; insolent and shameless audacity |
egregious | notorious; conspicuously bad or shocking |
enervate | weaken or destroy strength or vitality of; remove a nerve or part of a nerve |
ephemeral | short-lived; enduring a very short time |
eschew | avoid; refuse to use or participate in; stand aloof from |
evanescent | fleeting; vanishing or likely to vanish like vapor |
evince | show or demonstrate clearly; overcome; conquer |
exculpate | pronounce not guilty of criminal charges |
execrable | very bad; extremely inferiorl; intolerable; very hateful |
expiate | make amends or pay the penalty for; relieve or cleanse of guilt |
expunge | cancel; remove; erase or strike out |
extant | still in existence; not destroyed, lost, or extinct |
extol | praise highly; glorify; celebrate |
fallacious | false; tending to mislead; deceptive |
fastidious | difficult to please; having complicated requirements; excessively particular demanding about details |
fatuous | foolish or silly, especially in self-satisfied way |
feral | not domestic; wild; existing in wild or untamed state |
fetid | unpleasant-smelling; having offensive smell; stinking |
florid | reddish; elaborately or excessively ornamented |
fractious | inclined to make trouble; disobedient; irritable |
garrulous | talking much and repetition of unimportant or trivial details |
gregarious | sociable; seeking and enjoying the company of others |
hackneyed | repeated too often; over familiar through overuse |
hapless | without hap or luck; luckless; unfortunate; unlucky; unhappy |
harangue | noisy speech; speech or piece of writing with strong feeling or expression |
harangue | noisy speech; speech or piece of writing with strong feeling or expression |
hegemony | domination, influence, or authority over another, especially by political group or nation over others |
impassive | without feeling; revealing little emotion or sensibility; not easily aroused or excited |
imperious | urgent or pressing; able to deal authoritatively; dictatorial |
impertinent | improperly forward or bold; rude |
impervious | impenetrable; incapable of being damaged or distressed |
impetuous | marked by sudden and violent force; hasty; impulsive and passionate |
impinge | infringe; advance beyond usual limit; make physical impact on; touch |
implacable | incapable of being pacified; not to be relieved; |
inchoate | recently begun; imperfectly formed or developed; elementary |
incontrovertible | indisputable; not open to question |
indefatigable | tireless; showing sustained enthusiastic action |
ineffable | unutterable; cannot be expressed in speech |
inexorable | not capable of being swayed; unyielding; implacable |
ingenuous | naive and trusting; young; unsophisticated |
inimical | unfriendly; hostile; harmful; detrimental |
iniquity | absence of, or deviation from, just dealing; want of rectitude or uprightness; gross injustice; unrighteousness; wickedness |
insidious | spreading harmfully in a subtle manner; designed or adapted to entrap |
inure | apply in use; use or accustom till no pain or inconvenience; harden; habituate |
invective | abusive language used to express blame or ill will |
inveterate | deep-rooted; firmly and long established; habitual |
jubilant | happy; merry; joyful and proud especially because of triumph or success |
juxtaposition | act of positioning close together; side-by-side position |
laconic | brief; effectively cut short; marked by use of few words |
languid | lacking energy or vitality; weak; sluggish; lacking spirit or liveliness |
largess | generous gift; money or gifts bestowed |
latent | present or potential but not evident or active; dormant; hidden |
legerdemain | show of skill or deceitful cleverness, considered magical by naive observers |
licentious | amoral; unrestrained; lacking moral discipline or ignoring legal restraint |
limpid | clear, transparent or bright; calm, untroubled, and without worry |
maelstrom | whirlpool; powerful circular current of water |
magnanimous | generous; high-minded; chivalrous |
malediction | curse; evil speaking; utterance of curse or execration |
malevolent | having or exhibiting ill will; wishing harm to others; malicious |
manifold | various in kind or quality; many in number; numerous; multiplied; complicated |
maudlin | tearfully sentimental; over-emotional; sickly-sentimental |
mawkish | insincerely emotional; showing a sickly excess of sentiment |
mendacious | lying; habitually dishonest; speaking falsely |
mercurial | capricious; liable to sudden unpredictable change; quick and changeable in temperament |
modicum | limited quantity; small or moderate amount; any small thing |
multifarious | varied; greatly diversified; made up of many differing parts |
myriad | of very large or indefinite number; of ten thousand |
nadir | lowest point; point on sphere opposites zenith diametrically |
nascent | incipient; coming into existence; emerging |
nefarious | very wicked; infamous by being extremely wicked |
neophyte | recent convert to a belief; one newly initiated |
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