absolve
v. let off hook; relieve of requirement or obligation |
abstinent
a. self-restraining; not indulging an appetite especially for food or drink |
accolade
n. award of merit; expression of approval; praise |
adamant
a. extremely hard; inflexible; stubbornly unyielding |
aesthetics
n. the branch of philosophy dealing with beauty and taste, emphasizing the evaluative criteria that are applied to art |
ameliorate
v. make or become better; improve; grow better |
amiable
a. good-natured and likable; lovable; warmly friendly |
atypical
a. not normal; unusual or irregular; not representative of a group, class, or type |
blithe
a. joyous; showing a lack of proper thought or care; not caring or worrying |
caustic
a. capable of burning, corroding, dissolving, or eating away by chemical action |
concise
a. brief and compact; expressing much in few words |
connoisseur
n. specialist; person with expert knowledge or training, especially in the fine arts |
depravity
n. extreme corruption or degradation; wickedness |
depreciation
n. devaluation; decrease in price or value |
dogma
n. something held as an established opinion, especially a definite authoritative tenet; doctrine |
emergent
a. occurring unexpectedly and requiring urgent action; coming into existence |
ephemeral
a. short-lived; enduring a very short time |
equitable
a. marked by or having equity; just and impartial |
evanescent
a. fleeting; vanishing or likely to vanish like vapor |
expediency
n. the quality of being convenient and practical despite possibly being improper or immoral |
fecund
a. capable of producing offspring or vegetation; intellectually productive |
fiduciary
a. involving trust, especially with regard to the relationship between a trustee and a beneficiary |
flimsy
a. weak; feeble; limp; slight; vain; without strength or solidity |
furtively
ad. in a way that attempts to avoid notice or attention; secretively |
gesticulate
v. show, express or direct through movement |
guile
n. skillful deceit; disposition to deceive or cheat; disguise cunningly |
hierarchy
n. arrangement by rank or standing; series in which each element is graded or ranked |
ideology
n. study of origin and nature of ideas |
ignominy
n. deep disgrace; shame or dishonor |
impetuous
a. marked by sudden and violent force; hasty; impulsive and passionate |
incense
v. enrage; infuriate; cause to be extremely angry |
indigenous
a. native; originating where it is found |
indulgence
n. the practice of allowing enjoyment of whatever is desired |
infinitesimal
a. very small; immeasurably or incalculably minute |
infusion
n. act or process of infusing; introduction of a solution into person through vein for therapeutic purposes |
inordinate
a. exceeding reasonable limits; excessive; not regulated; disorderly |
insipid
a. lacking flavor or zest; not tasty; dull |
instigator
n. a person who initiates a course of action; someone who deliberately foments trouble |
interdict
n. a court order prohibiting a party from doing a certain activity |
inversion
n. turning upside down; a reversal of position, order, form, or relationship |
jurisprudence
n. philosophy or science of law; division or department of law |
latency
n. the time that elapses between a stimulus and the response to it; the state of being not yet evident or active |
levee
n. a pier that provides a landing place on a river; a formal reception of visitors or guests , as at a royal court |
lugubrious
a. mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially to exaggerated degree |
malleable
a. capable of being shaped by pounding; impressionable |
mayhem
n. offense of willfully maiming or crippling a person; state of violent disorder; havoc; physical disturbance |
militia
n. civilians trained as soldiers but not part of the regular army |
monsieur
n. used as a French courtesy title; equivalent to English 'Mr' |
mortify
v. cause to experience shame or humiliation; embarrass |
myriad
a. of very large or indefinite number; of ten thousand |
nepotism
n. favoring of relatives or friends because of their relationship rather than their abilities |
nostalgia
n. homesickness; bittersweet longing for things of past. |
nuance
n. subtle or slight degree of difference; small difference in meaning |
occult
a. hidden from the eye or the understanding; invisible; secret; concealed; unknown |
orthodox
a. traditional; conservative in belief; adhering to established faith, especially in religion |
palette
n. board on which painter mixes pigments |
panacea
n. remedy for all diseases, evils, or difficulties; a cure-all |
parity
n. equality in status or amount; similarity or close |
patriarch
n. father and ruler of family or tribe |
peccadillo
n. slight offense; small sin or fault |
pedigree
n. a line of ancestors; descent; lineage; register or record of a line of ancestors |
penitent
a. feeling or expressing deep regret for misdeeds |
peripatetic
a. traveling especially on foot |
perturb
v. disturb greatly; make uneasy or anxious; throw into great confusion |
plenary
a. full in all respects; attended by all the people who have the right to attend |
posse
n. a large group often with a common interest; a group of people temporarily organized to make a search |
potency
n. capacity to produce strong physiological or chemical effects; the power or right to give orders or make decisions |
preeminent
a. outstanding; superior to or notable above all others |
profuse
a. in great quantity or abundance; bountiful; exceedingly liberal |
putative
a. purported; commonly put forth or accepted as true on inconclusive grounds |
recalcitrant
a. obstinately stubborn; determined to resist authority |
refute
v. disprove; prove to be false or incorrect |
relinquish
v. give up something with reluctance; retire from; give up or abandon |
reticent
a. inclined to keep silent; reserved; uncommunicative. |
salutary
a. tending to improve; beneficial; favorable to health |
sanguine
a. cheerfully confident; optimistic; of healthy reddish color; ruddy |
secular
a. worldly rather than spiritual; not specifically relating to religion; lasting from century to century |
serendipity
n. gift for finding valuable or desirable things by accident; accidental good fortune or luck |
sordid
a. filthy; unethical or dishonest; dirty; foul; morally degraded |
staunch
a. firm and dependable especially in loyalty; loyal and committed in attitude |
surrogate
n. one that takes position of another; substitute |
tenable
a. capable of being held, maintained, or defended, as against an assailant or objector, or against attempts to take or process |
touchstone
n. stone used to test the fineness of gold alloys; excellent quality used to test excellence or genuineness of others |
vapid
a. dull and unimaginative; lacking taste or flavor |
viable
a. practical or workable; capable of maintaining life; capable of continuing effectiveness |
virulent
a. extremely poisonous or harmful in its effects; bitterly hostile |