aberration | n. a departure from the norm or what is considered right, natural, or normal; a flaw or defect |
abominate | v. to hate or loathe intensely |
abridge | v. to shorten in duration or extent; to diminish |
accolade | n. an expression of approval or respect for special merit; a award |
accost | v. to approach and speak to in an aggressive or challenging way |
acoustic | adj. relating to sound or hearing |
acrimony | n. bitterness or sharpness of temper, manner, or speech; hostility |
adamant | adj. not yielding; firm |
adjacent | adj. near or next to; adjoining |
adjudicate | v. to hear and decide judicially; to judge |
adjunct | n. something or someone joined or added to something else but not essentially a part of it |
adulate | v. to flatter or admire excessively; to idolize |
affinity | n. attraction for someone or something with which one feels a closeness or kinship |
aftermath | n. a consequence or result, often a negative one |
aggregate | n. a group of things gathered into a whole; sum total |
agrarian | adj. having to do with farming or agriculture |
allocate | v. to set aside for a specific purpose; to allot |
altercation | n. a loud and determined dispute; a noisy quarrel |
ambivalent | adj. having mixed, often opposing, feeling about something or someone; indecisive |
ameliorate | v. to make better; to become better; to improve |
amenable | adj. responsive; willing to be controlled or to take advice |
animosity | n. intense ill will |
annals | n. a historical record of events, often arranged in a yearly sequence |
antiquated | adj. grown old; out-of-date |
aphorism | n. a short of truth or principle; an adage |
ascribe | v. to attribute to a source or a cause |
asperity | n. sharpness or harshness of manner |
assemblage | n. a collection or gathering of people or things |
assiduous | adj. diligent and persistent |
attest | v. to declare or be evidence of something as true, genuine, or accurate |
augur | v. to predict future events, especially from omens |
august | adj. inspiring great respect or admiration; noble |
aura | n. a distinctive atmosphere or feeling that seems to surround someone or something; a distinctive appearance or impression |
auspices | n. protection, support, or guidance; patronage |
auspicious | adj. favorable, promising |
avarice | n. greed for wealth |
axiom | n. a statement or principle that requires no proof because ints truth is obvious |
baleful | adj. expressing hatred or evil; harmful, ominous |
banal | adj. lacking freshness; trite |
bane | n. a person or thing that destroys or causes harm |
bastion | n. a fortified area or position; a person, place, or thing that is a source of strength |
beleaguer | v. to surround with troubles; to harass |
belie | v. to give a false impression of; to contradict |
bemuse | v. to confuse or bewilder |
berate | v. to criticize vigorously; to scold vehemently |
beset | v. to surround or attack repeatedly |
bilk | v. to cheat our of what is due |
buffoon | n. a person who often makes attempts to be funny; a clown; a fool |
burgeon | v. to grow and expand rapidly; to flourish |
carnage | n. great destruction of life; slaughter |
castigate | v. to punish by criticizing sharply; to berate |
cataclysm | n. a sudden and violent change; a catastrophe |
catharsis | n. a releasing of the emotions, often through the arts, that brings about spiritual renewal or a relieving of tension |
cautionary | adj. offering or serving as a warning |
cavil | n. a minor criticism |
cede | v. to give up or transfer, especially by treaty or formal agreement |
celestial | adj. of or relating to the skies or heavens |
centennial | n. a one-hundredth anniversary or its celebration |
certitude | n. the state of being certain of the truth or rightness of something |
cessation | n. a stopping, either final or temporary |
charisma | n. a special quality in a person that inspires devotion or fascination in others |
chary | adj. exercising caution; hesitant |
churlish | adj. lacking good manners; rude, impolite |
circuitous | adj. roundabout; indirect |
circumvent | v. to avoid through craftiness |
clique | n. a small, exclusive group; a group held together by like interests or purpose |
cognizant | adj. fully aware; taking notice |
cohort | n. one who assists another, especially in a dubious or criminal activity; an accomplice |
colloquial | adj. characterized by informal language |
compunction | n. a feeling of uneasiness or anxiety caused by guilt |
concoct | v. to make up, prepare, or invent |
condone | v. to overlook or accept without punishment; to pardon or excuse |
confidant | n. a person to whom secrets are told |
constituent | n. one of the parts that make up a whole |
constrain | v. to confine, inhibit, or hold back by force or necessity |
consummate | adj. extremely skilled; complete or perfect |
conundrum | n. a riddle whose answer is a play on words |
conversant | adj. having knowledge or experience; well-informed |
countenance | n. a person’s face; the expression on a person’s face |
credulous | adj. willing to believe things with only slight or no evidence; easily conviced |
culinary | adj. having to do with cooking |
culpable | adj. deserving blame or censure |
curator | n. a person in charge of an exhibition; an overseer of a museum or library collection |
curtail | v. to cut short or reduce |
dearth | n. scarcity; a shortage |
decorum | n. suitable, proper behavior or speech |
decrepit | adj. worn-out with use; broken-down |
defunct | adj. no longer existing or functioning |
demoralize | v. to destroy the morals or morale of someone; to weaken the spirit or courage of someone |
denigrate | v. to attack the reputation of; to criticize in a derogatory manner |
derivative | n. something that grows out of or results from an earlier form or condition |
desultory | adj. proceeding or carried out in an aimless or random way |
diabolical | adj. devilish; wicked or evil |
differentiate | v. to see the difference; to distinguish |
dilemma | n. a problem that seems to have no satisfactory solution; a difficult choice |
diminutive | adj. very small; tiny |
disarray | n. a lack or order; confusion |
discriminate | v. the act of making a distinction in favor of or against a person or thing on the basis of the group or category rather tan according to actual merit |
disgruntle | v. to make dissatisfied; to put in a bad mood |
disparage | v. to criticize in a negative, disrespectful manner |
dissipate | v. to break up and spread out so thinly as to disappear; to scatter or be scattered |
diverse | adj. differing from one another; having various or distinct parts |
doleful | adj. mournful or full of sorrow; causing grief |
ebullient | adj. bubbling with enthusiasm or high spirits |
emaciated | adj. very thin or wasted away, especially from lack of nourishment; scrawny |
enclave | n. a distinct region or community enclosed within a larger territory |
endow | v. to provide with a quality, a thing, or a gift or money |
engender | v. to bring into being, to produce |
enormity | n. the state or quality of being monstrous or outrageous |
entrepreneur | n. an individual who manages and takes the risk of a business |
ephemeral | adj. lasting a very short time |
epitaph | n. the words carved on a tombstone in memory of the deceased |
equilibrium | n. a state of balance |
eradicate | v. to get rid of; to uproot |
esoteric | adj. not generally known or understood; familiar to only a relatively small number of people |
espionage | n. the act of spying, especially a government spy obtaining secrets of another government |
euphemism | n. a polite term used to avoid directly naming something considered offensive or unpleasant |
evanescent | adj. short-lived; staying temporarily |
exacerbate | v. to make more severe, bitter, or violent |
exodus | n. a mass departure |
expedite | v. to speed up a process; to facilitate |
expendable | adj. able to be used up and then discarded or replaced |
extant | adj. still existing; not lost or destroyed |
extrovert | n. a person whose attention is focused on others and on what is going on around her or him, rather than on her or his own feels |
factotum | n. a helper or assistant with a wide range of duties and responsibilities |
fatuous | adj. foolish; silly; stupid |
flotilla | n. a fleet of boats or small ships |
flout | v. to ignore in a disrespectful or scornful way |
foment | v. to stir up, to rouse; to instigate |
fortuitous | adj. happening by lucky chance; accidental |
galaxy | n. a vast cluster of stars and other matter, billions of which make up the known universe |
galvanize | v. to excite or arouse action |
gamut | n. the entire range of something |
garish | adj. excessively bright and flashy; tastelessly glaring |
gibe | v. to utter taunting, sarcastic words |
gird | v. to encircle, bind, or surround |
gossamer | n. thin, sheer fabric resembling gauze |
gourmet | n. a person who likes fine food an is a good judge of its quality |
grandiloquent | adj. using lofty or pompous speech or expression |
grandiose | adj. impressive because of large size or scope |
gratuitous | adj. no called for; unnecessary |
halcyon | adj. calm, peaceful, and happy; prosperous |
harbinger | n. a person or thing that is a symbol of what is to come |
heresy | n. the expression of shocking or unacceptable views |
hierarchy | n. a group or system in which potions of power are ranked, usually from lowest to highest |
homily | n. a lecture usually long, on how to behave morally |
homogeneous | adj. of a similar kind or nature; uniform throughout |
hybrid | n. the offspring of two animals or plants of different species or varieties |
hyperbole | n. extravagant exaggeration |
hypothetical | adj. based on something that is not actual but assumed or supposed |
ignominious | adj. marked by, deserving, or causing shame or disgrace |
illicit | adj. not allowed, improper, or unlawful |
illusory | adj. unreal or imagined; deceiving |
imbue | v. to fill completely with a feeling or idea; to inspire |
implacable | adj. incapable of being placated, soothed, or significantly changed; relentless |
importune | v. to plead for persistently |
inalienable | adj. not able to be taken or given away |
incarcerate | v. to confine or to put in prison |
incoherent | adj. not connected; confused; rambling |
inconsequential | adj. lacking importance or worth; unable to make an impact; trivial |
incumbent | n. one who occupies an office or position |
incur | v. to bring upon oneself something undesirable, such as a debt |
indigenous | adj. naturally living or growing in a certain area; native |
indignity | n. an insult to one’s ride; offensive or humiliating treatment |
indiscriminate | adj. not marked by careful distinctions; haphazard |
induce | v. to influence or persuade |
ineffable | adj. incapable of being expressed in words |
inexorable | adj. not to be persuaded, stopped, or moved by entreaty or plea; relentless |
infamous | adj. having a very mad reputation; notorious |
infatuated | adj. filled with excessive, shallow, or foolish love or desire |
infirmity | n. physical or mental weakness or defect |
ingratiate | v. to work to gain the favor of someone |
iniquitous | adj. unjust; wicked |
innocuous | adj. harmless; unlikely to offend |
insatiable | adj. never satisfied; greedy |
instigate | v. to stir up or urge on; to provoke |
insurrection | n. an open revolt against legal authority; a rebellion |
inter | v. to put in a grave; to bury |
intercede | v. to act or plead on another’s behalf; to try to smooth the differences between two parties |
intractable | adj. hard to manage, tame, or control; stubborn; not easily cured |
intransigent | adj. refusing to compromise or change one’s position on an issue |
inure | v. to adjust to and accept unpleasant or undesirable conditions |
inveigh | v. to complain or protest strongly |
juncture | n. a joining or coming together; the place where such a connection occurs |
jurisdiction | n. legal authority to govern of control |
juxtapose | v. to place side by side |
lacerate | v. to tear or cut roughly |
largesse | n. the act of giving generously; gifts |
laudatory | adj. full of praise |
liquidate | v. to settle the affairs of a business; to convert into cash |
luminary | n. a source of light, especially from the sky, such as the sun or moon |
maelstrom | n. a large and violent whirlpool or something resembling a whirlpool |
magnate | n. an important, often wealthy, person prominent in a large industry or business |
magnitude | n. greatness of size, power, or influence |
malign | v. to say negative and unfair things about; slander |
mandatory | adj. ordered by an authority; required |
manifesto | n. a public statement explaining the intentions, motives, or views of an individual or group |
manifold | adj. having many different kinds, forms, or parts |
materialize | v. to appear in physical form, especially suddenly |
matriarchy | n. a society that is headed by a female |
mellifluous | adj. sweetly flowing; pleasant to the ear |
mesmerize | v. to fascinate or hypnotize |
mien | n. a person’s manner, appearance, or expression; bearing |
minuscule | adj. very small in size or importance |
misnomer | n. a name that does not fit |
mitigate | v. to make or become less serious or severe; to ameliorate |
muster | v. to summon or call forth; to gather |
necessitate | v. to require; to make necessary |
neophyte | n. a beginner; a novice |
nonpareil | n. a person or thing without an equal |
obituary | n. a notice of someone’s death, such as in a newspaper, usually with a brief summary of that person’s life |
odyssey | n. a long, adventurous journey |
olfactory | adj. relating to the sense of small |
omnivorous | adj. eating all kinds of food, including both animal and vegetable food |
onerous | adj. burdensome; oppressive |
optimum | adj. best or most favorable |
palatable | adj. acceptable or pleasing, especially to the sense of taste |
panacea | n. something that is supposed to cure all ills or difficulties; a cure-all |
panache | n. dash or flamboyance in style or action |
pandemonium | n. a state or place of great confusion or uproar |
pantheon | n. a group of people held in high esteem for their great achievements |
partisan | n. a strong supporter or advocate |
patina | n. a green film that forms on copper exposed to the elements |
penchant | n. a strong attraction or leaning |
permeate | v. to spread throughout; to pass through |
perpetrate | v. to commit, as a crime or other antisocial act |
perverse | adj. turned away form what is right; wicked |
picayune | adj. petty or insignificant; concerned with trifling maters |
pillory | v. to expose to public scorn or contempt |
pleasantry | n. an agreeable, casual remark |
plebeian | adj. of or pertaining to the common people; common; unrefined |
plethora | n. too great a number; an excess |
poignant | adj. painfully moving, affecting, or touching |
posterity | n. a person’s descendants; future generations |
precedent | n. the act of statement that may serve as an example or justification for a later one |
predecessor | n. a person or thing that has held a position or office before another |
predilection | n. an inclination; preference |
premeditated | adj. fully planned beforehand; deliberate |
prerogative | n. a special right limited to a person, group, or office; a privilege |
pretext | n. an effort to conceal the real intention or state of affairs; an excuse |
procrastinate | v. to put off until later |
profane | v. disrespectful of sacred things |
prohibitive | adj. serving to restrain action or discourage use of |
proliferate | v. to grow, expand, or multiply at a rapid rate |
promontory | n. a high point of land that juts out into water |
proselytize | v. to convert someone to a faith, belief, or cause |
qualm | n. a feeling of uneasiness as to whether what one id doing is right or wise; a misgiving |
quixotic | adj. romantic and idealistic, but impractical |
rambunctious | adj. behaving in a wild and unruly manner |
rampant | adj. threateningly wild, without restraint or control; widespread |
rancor | n. a deep, long-held feeling of hatred or bitterness |
rapt | adj. fully absorbed; engrossed |
recompense | v. to pay or compensate |
refurbish | v. to make like new; to renovate |
reminisce | v. to think or talk about one’s past |
remiss | adj. negligent; careless; lax |
rendition | n. an interpretation or translation; a performance |
reparation | n. a mending or repair |
repast | n. food and drink; a meal |
repertoire | n. the list of pieces an actor, musician, etc., is ready to perform; the skills or accomplishments of a person or group |
resurgence | n. a rising again to life. use. acceptance. or prominence; a revival |
resuscitate | v. to revive from unconsciousness or apparent death; to revive or restore to health or vigor |
rudiment | n. a basic principle or skill |
ruminate | v. to think over again and again; to ponder |
sabotage | n. acts that intentionally damage, hinder, or seek to discredit |
sadistic | adj. taking pleasure in causing pain |
scathing | adj. harshly critical |
scourge | n. something that causes great pain and suffering; a social evil |
scurrilous | adj. vulgar; coarsely abusive |
secrete | v. to produce and give off |
servitude | n. a lack of freedom forced labor |
sibling | n. one of two or more people who have the same parents; brother or sister |
singular | adj. extraordinary; exceptional |
smattering | n. a small amount |
somnolent | adj. tending to cause sleepiness |
spurious | adj. not genuine; false |
stalemate | n. a halt in a struggle because both sides are equally strong and neither side will give in; a deadlock |
stalwart | adj. strong; sturdy |
stereotype | n. a generalization that is used to characterize a person without acknowledging individual differences |
stigma | n. a mark of shame or disgrace |
stipend | n. a regular and fixed amount of pay for work done or to help cover living or work expenses |
subservient | adj. serving or acting in a subordinate manner; servile |
temerity | n. reckless boldness without regard to danger or opposition |
temperate | adj. mild, moderate; restrained |
tenacious | adj. holding fast; persistent in adhering to something valued or habitual |
titanic | adj. marked by great strength, size, or influence |
transpire | v. to become apparent; to come to light |
tutelage | n. instruction, protection. or guardianship |
undermine | v. to attack by indirect, secret, or underhanded means |
unremitting | adj. not stopping or slowing down; constant |
vagary | n. a departure from the normal, expected course; a whim or unpredictable action |
vanguard | n. the leading or forwards position in a movement |
vestige | n. a trace of something that once was present |
visionary | adj. able to see what might be accomplished in the future |
volatile | adj. evaporating quickly |
winnow | v. to separate and remove what is undesirable and leave what is desirable; to blow away the chaff from again |
zephyr | n. a light, gently breeze |
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