[GRE Verbal] ALL

vociferous

-He is her most vociferous critic. -He was vociferous in his support of the proposal. -The decision was made over their vociferous objections.

viable

-a viable solution to the problem -He could not suggest a viable alternative. -Is she a viable candidate?

bolster

And thanks to bipartisan support in Congress, I signed landmark legislation in December that will help bolster cooperation between government and industry.

resurge

And the freer market means that fossil fuel consumption could resurge if prices drop again.

contentious

And though immigration is a contentious issue, British companies benefit from their ability to hire any European Union citizen.

vengeance

Angry protesters wanted to inflict vengeance on the killer.

misconstrue

Anything else will be misconstrued and worsen it all.

articulate

Articulate your words so that we can understand what you are saying .

adulation

As a quarterback, you receive so much attention, so much adulation and so much credit.

paradox

As an actor, he's a paradox—he loves being in the public eye but also deeply values and protects his privacy.

precursor

18th-century lyric poets like Robert Burns were precursors of the Romantics

impervious

1: not allowing something (such as water or light) to enter or pass through 2: not bothered or affected by something Despite the glibness of his tongue, I am still impervious to his persuasion. (pervious)

founder

1: one that founds or establishes 2: to experience failure : to be unsuccessful Without their assistance the arrangement would have foundered pretty quickly.

devious

1: willing to lie and trick people in order to get what is wanted a dishonest and devious politician 2: not straight or direct : having many twists and turns He took us by a devious route to the center of the city.

compendium

: a collection of things (such as photographs, stories, facts, etc.) that have been gathered together and presented as a group especially in the form of a book The book is a compendium of their poetry , religion and philosophy.

eminence

: a condition of being well-known and successful the eminence of the Nobel Prize in the field of awards and prizes (eminent)

blight

: a disease that makes plants dry up and die Her life was blighted by an unhappy marriage .

euphoria

: a feeling of great happiness and excitement The drug produces intense feelings of euphoria.

autocracy

: a form of government in which a country is ruled by a person or group with total power the Magna Carta is historically important because it signified the British rejection of autocracy and constituted the first formal restraining of the power of the monarch

epitome

: a perfect example : an example that represents or expresses something very well the golden rule is often cited as the epitome of moral conduct: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"

equilibrium

: a state of emotional balance or calmness We must try to maintain the equilibrium of supply and demand .

animosity

: a strong feeling of dislike or hatred We put aside our personal animosities so that we could work together.

compromise

: a way of reaching agreement in which each person or group gives up something that was wanted in order to end an argument or dispute To avoid an argument, always be ready to seek compromise.

erratic

: acting, moving, or changing in ways that are not expected or usual : not consistent or regular because of your erratic attendance at practice, you're in danger of being cut from the team (errant)

egalitarian

: aiming for equal wealth, status, etc., for all people egalitarian policies for the redistribution of wealth

accolade

: an award or an expression of praise for their exceptional bravery the firefighters received accolades from both local and national officials

calamity

: an event that causes great harm and suffering He predicted calamity for the economy.

calumnious

: an untrue statement that is made to damage someone's reputation; also : the act of making such statements They uttered calumnies against him. (calumny)

acrimonious

: angry and bitter He went through an acrimonious divorce.

acrimony

: angry and bitter feelings The dispute began again with increased acrimony.

circumstantial

: belonging to, consisting in, or dependent on circumstances

fraught

: causing or having a lot of emotional stress or worry had a fraught meeting with his estranged wife to discuss a divorce settlemen

fickle

: changing often New Hampshire is a fickle electorate and there are always surprises.

capricious

: changing often and quickly; especially : often changing suddenly in mood or behavior The court ruled that the punishment was arbitrary and capricious.

fanciful

: coming from the imagination a fanciful tale of a monster in the woods

bravado

: confident or brave talk or behavior that is intended to impress other people His stories are always told with bravado.

furtive

: done in a quiet and secret way to avoid being noticed He cast a furtive glance in our direction.

fraudulent

: done to trick someone for the purpose of getting something valuable They got the information by fraudulent means .

effusive

: expressing a lot of emotion They offered effusive thanks for our help.

acerbic

: expressing harsh or sharp criticism in a clever way the film's most acerbic critics

agony

: extreme mental or physical pain The medicine relieves the agony of muscle cramps very quickly.

fervent

: felt very strongly : having or showing very strong feelings a fervent speech that called for tolerance and compassion for those who are different

comity

: friendly social atmosphere : social harmony <group activities promoting comity> the comity that has always existed among the town's houses of worship

fractious

: full of anger and disagreement The fractious crowd grew violent.

encomium

: glowing and warmly enthusiastic praise; also : an expression of this the encomiums bestowed on a teacher at her retirement ceremonies

blithe

: happy and without worry He showed a blithe indifference to her feelings.

flamboyant

: having a very noticeable quality that attracts a lot of attention has a gallery of flamboyant gestures that makes him easy to imitate

degenerate

: having low moral standards : not honest, proper, or good a degenerate society in which people had no sense of being citizens, only consumers

futile

: having no result or effect : pointless or useless All our efforts proved futile.

censorious

: having or showing a tendency to criticize someone or something severely : very critical The stunt earned her the scorn of her censorious older sister.

fortuitous

: having or showing good luck You could not have arrived at a more fortuitous time. (fortunate)

cavalier

: having or showing no concern for something that is important or serious People were often irritated by his cavalier attitude toward them.

formative

: helping to develop something a teacher who was a formative influence on generations of students

eclectic

: including things taken from many different sources The band, which scored hits like "I Scare Myself," earned praise for its eclectic sound drawn from several musical genres.

fugitive

: lasting a very short time As he daydreamed, fugitive thoughts passed through his mind.

allegiance

: loyalty to a person, country, group, etc. He is trying to win the allegiance of the masses.

extemporize

: made up or done without special preparation a good talk show host has to be able to extemporize the interviews when things don't go as planned

callous

: not feeling or showing any concern about the problems or suffering of other people He is callous about the safety of his workers.

frivolous

: not important : not deserving serious attention She thinks window shopping is a frivolous activity.

churlish

: not polite It would be churlish not to congratulate him.

unseemly

: not proper or appropriate for the situation : not seemly He spent unseemly amounts of money on himself.

bogus

: not real or genuine : fake or false The evidence was completely bogus.

circuitous

: not straight, short, and direct we took a circuitous route to the airport so as to avoid the massive traffic jam on the highway

fictitious

: not true or real The characters in the book are all fictitious.

censure

: official strong criticism He was censured by the committee for his failure to report the problem.

augur

: one held to foretell events by omens the extended interview augurs well for your acceptance into that law school

expedient

: providing an easy and quick way to solve a problem or do something With this backdrop, it may have been politically expedient to do away with federal testing requirements altogether.

ancillary

: providing something additional to a main part or function The company hopes to boost its sales by releasing ancillary products.

categorical

: said in a very strong, clear, and definite way a categorical denial of the rumors that the celebrities were planning to get married (category)

seductive

: sexually attractive the seductive power of advertising

assiduous

: showing great care, attention, and effort They were assiduous in their search for all the latest facts and figures.

auspicious

: showing or suggesting that future success is likely His acclaimed first novel was an auspicious debut.

chivalrous

: showing respect and politeness especially toward women still engages in chivalrous behavior, such as holding doors for people

condescending

: showing that you believe you are more intelligent or better than other people His comments were offensive and condescending to us.

austere

: simple or plain : not fancy They lived an austere life in the country.

conformity

: the fact or state of agreeing with or obeying something the simple lifestyle of the Amish is in conformity with their ascetic religious beliefs (conform)

abstinent

: the practice of not doing or having something that is wanted or enjoyable : the practice of abstaining from something The program promoted sexual abstinence for young people. (abstain)

circumlocution

: the use of many words to say something that could be said more clearly and directly by using fewer words He was criticized for his use of circumlocution.

exemplify

: to be a very good example of (something) : to show (something) very clearly I'm going to exemplify one or two of these points.

flout

: to break or ignore (a law, rule, etc.) without hiding what you are doing or showing fear or shame Despite repeated warnings, they have continued to flout the law.

enamored

: to cause (someone) to be loved or admired : attract He became enamored of a girl in New York.

exhilarate

: to cause (someone) to feel very happy and excited The refugees were exhilarated by the news.

fulminate

: to complain loudly or angrily The editorial fulminated against the proposed tax increase.

excoriate

: to criticize (someone or something) very harshly He was excoriated as a racist.

deprecate

: to criticize or express disapproval of (someone or something) "Oracle plans to deprecate the Java browser plug-in" in the next release of its Java Development Kit, JDK 9, it said.

disparage

: to describe (someone or something) as unimportant, weak, bad, etc. It's a mistake to disparage their achievements.

exorcise

: to force (an evil spirit) to leave please exorcise that offensive word from your vocabulary

extrapolate

: to form an opinion or to make an estimate about something from known facts We can extrapolate the number of new students entering next year by looking at how many entered in previous years.

assimilate

: to learn (something) so that it is fully understood and can be used Children need to assimilate new ideas.

conciliatory

: to make (someone) more friendly or less angry The company's attempts to conciliate the strikers have failed. (conciliate)

elucidate

: to make (something that is hard to understand) clear or easy to understand colored charts that really help to elucidate the points made in the text

denigrate

: to make (something) seem less important or valuable No one is trying to denigrate the importance of a good education. We all know that it is crucial for success.

exalt

: to praise (someone or something) highly The essay exalts the simple beauty of the country.

extol

: to praise (someone or something) highly The health benefits of exercise are widely extolled.

exude

: to show (a quality, emotion, etc.) very clearly or strongly Mr. Thomas exuded friendship and goodwill.

capitulate

: to stop trying to fight or resist something : to agree to do or accept something that you have been resisting or opposing Smith capitulated to John ' s demand.

begrudging

: to think that someone does not deserve something : to regard (something) as not being earned or deserved She's worked hard to get where she is. You shouldn't begrudge her the success she's earned. (begrudge)

fathom

: to understand the reason for (something) It's pretty hard to fathom, but that's the move Turing is making.

credulous

: too ready to believe things : easily fooled or cheated Few people are credulous enough to believe such nonsense.

facile

: too simple : not showing enough thought or effort This problem needs more than just a facile solution.

figurative

: used with a meaning that is different from the basic meaning and that expresses an idea in an interesting way by using language that usually describes something else : not literal The phrase "know your ropes" means literally "to know a lot about ropes," while its figurative meaning is "to know a lot about how to do something." (figuration)

egregious

: very bad and easily noticed the student's theme was marred by a number of egregious errors in spelling

despicable

: very bad or unpleasant She is a despicable traitor. (despised)

explicit

: very clear and complete : leaving no doubt about the meaning They were given explicit instructions.

extravagant

: very expensive and not necessary Don't be so extravagant; spend your money more carefully.

caustic

: very harsh and critical She wrote a caustic report about the decisions that led to the crisis.

compelling

: very interesting : able to capture and hold your attention The novel was so compelling that I couldn't put it down.

exuberant

: very lively, happy, or energetic : filled with energy and enthusiasm exuberant crowds rushed to greet the returning national champions in collegiate basketball

blatant

: very obvious and offensive He showed a blatant disregard for the safety of other drivers.

felicitous

: very well suited for some purpose or situation a felicitous combination of flavors

manipulate

A clever politician knows how to manipulate his supporters.

subordinate

A colonel is subordinate to a brigadier general .

aggrandize

A country should not aggrandize itself at the expense of its neighbors .

disproportionate

A disproportionate number of the students are poor.

imbue

A feeling of optimism imbues her works.

agitated

A few local residents have been agitating against a military presence.

riveting

A riveting read for romance and thriller fans alike. (rivet)

refutable

A theory which is not refutable by any conceivable event is nonscientific.

vigilant

A vigilant police force helps to control crime .

pedantic

After W, it became pedantic to expect candidates to know the names of the leaders of India and Pakistan. (pedant)

torpor

After a huge Thanksgiving meal, my family members fall into a torpor; no one can even pick up the TV remote.

mentor

After college, her professor became her close friend and mentor.

elicit

After much questioning, he elicited the truth from the boy .

subside

After the anger subsided, he expressed regret and told me I was "still beautiful."

retaliate

After the company announced plans to reduce benefits, the union threatened to retaliate by calling for a strike.

reiterate

Allow me to reiterate: if I am elected, I will not raise taxes.

humble

Despite all his achievements, he has remained humble.

arbitrary

Dictators are arbitrary rulers .

discrepancy

Discrepancies in the firm's financial statements led to an investigation.

rapacious

Bernie Sanders, on the other hand, portrays the average guy, attacks Wall Street, the big banks and corporate interests as being rapacious.

decimate

Budget cuts have decimated public services in small towns.

remedy

Building more roads isn't always the best remedy for traffic congestion.

tendentious

But I will point out that Takei was reacting to a tendentious argument by Thomas in his dissent in Obergefell v. (tendency)

trepidation

But Obama said that faith offers a way of overcoming trepidation about the future. (trepid)

premeditate

But Warren County authorities say it was a premeditated killing. (meditate)

prerequisite

But old-school Andy lacks a skill that may soon be a prerequisite for 21st-century detective work: knowing how to glean secrets from a suspect's hard drive.

obsolescent

But the persistence of obsolescent technologies goes beyond culture. (obsolete)

trivial

Compared to her problems, our problems seem trivial.

remarkable

Competing in the Olympics is a remarkable achievement.

override

Congress overrode the President's veto.

emanate

Constant criticism has emanated from her opponents.

surrogate

Couples who cannot have children on their own often resort to using the services of surrogate mothers .

cynical

Cynical people say there is no such thing as true love.

replicate

DNA replicates itself in the cell nucleus.

inscrutable

He was a quiet, inscrutable man. (scrutable)

deceive

He was accused of deceiving the customer about the condition of the car.

adamant

He was adamant that she should not go .

hierarchy

He was at the bottom of the corporate hierarchy.

banish

He was banished for life.

beneficent

He was beneficent to the poor .

dismiss

He was dismissed from his job .

ecstatic

He was ecstatic when he heard that he was going to be a father.

nostalgia

He was filled with nostalgia for his college days.

gratify

He was gratified by his son ' s success .

discern

He was just able to discern the road in the dark .

voluble

He was more affable and voluble over lunch, offering anecdotes about his time in the Royal Air Force in 1944 and his Islington childhood.

negligent

He was negligent of his duty .

temerity

He was punished for his temerity.

repulse

He was repulsed by what he saw.

rigor

He was subjected to the rod in all its rigors in this school .

vilify

He was vilified in the press for his comments.

pristine

He was wearing a pristine white shirt.

devour

He watched intently, devouring the scene before him with his eyes.

arduous

He went through a long and arduous training program.

covet

He won the coveted position .

novice

He's a novice in cooking.

anachronistic

He's an old-fashioned politician who is seen by many of his colleagues as an anachronism.

augment

Heavy rains augmented the water supply.

undercut

Her behavior undercuts her own credibility.

profound

Her books offer profound insights into the true nature of courage.

precipitate

Her death precipitated a family crisis.

foreshadow

Her early interest in airplanes foreshadowed her later career as a pilot.

dichotomy

Her essay discusses the dichotomy between good and evil in the author's novels.

idiosyncratic

Her habit of using "like" in every sentence was just one of her idiosyncrasies.

overbearing

Her husband's overbearing manner made her miserable.

promulgate

Her ideas have been widely promulgated on the Internet.

incessant

Her incessant complaining is tiresome to everyone .

rebut

Her lawyer attempted to rebut the witness's testimony.

scrutinize

Her performance was carefully scrutinized by her employer.

metaphor

Her poems include many imaginative metaphors.

acumen

Her political acumen won her the election.

prescient

Her prescience as an investor is impressive.

impart

Her presence imparted a sense of importance to the meeting.

disingenuous

Her recent expressions of concern are self-serving and disingenuous. (ingenuous)

construe

Her silence was construed as agreement .

malevolent

Her stare was malevolent .

petulant

Her tone was petulant and angry.

antiquated

Her uncle is antiquated in ideas . (antique)

virtuosity

Her virtuosity on the piano is amazing.

exacerbate

His angry comments have exacerbated tensions in the negotiation process.

tantamount

His answer was tantamount to an insult . (tantamount+to)

chronological

His art is displayed in roughly chronological order.

altruism

His claim is clothed in altruism: Facebook truly thinks everyone should be connected to the Internet to better improve their lives. (altruistic)

jeopardize

His health has been jeopardized by poor nutrition.

negligible

His knowledge of geography is negligible .

outstrip

His newspaper outstripped its rivals in circulation .

platitude

His speech was filled with familiar platitudes about the value of hard work and dedication.

inhibited

Fear can inhibit people from expressing their opinions.

sonorous

He has a deep, sonorous voice.

tenuous

He has a tenuous grasp on reality.

irascible

He has an irascible disposition.

respect

He has earned their respect.

compunction

He has no compunctions about his crimes.

intransigent

He has remained intransigent in his opposition to the proposal.

impugn

He impugned his rival's character.

adherent

He is a leader with many adherents . (adhere)

rigid

He is a rigid disciplinarian.

partisan

He is a staunch partisan of the Republican Party .

astute

He is an astute observer of the current political scene.

pending

He is being held in jail pending trial.

fastidious

He is fastidious about his food .

gripe

He is griping about his income tax again .

robust

He is in robust health.

obdurate

He is known for his obdurate determination.

lavish

He is lavish in donating money to charity .

juxtapose

He juxtaposes these examples with his own wealth, achieved despite the shackles that could have held him back.

lay out

He laid out all his gains in purchasing land .

accentuate

He likes to wear clothes that accentuate his muscular build.

pedestrian

He lived a pedestrian life, working at the paper mill and living in his trailer.

rigorous

He made a rigorous study of the plants in the area .

indiscriminate

He objects to the indiscriminate use of pesticides. (discriminate)

ponder

He pondered the question before he answered.

precede

He preceded his speech with a welcome to the guests .

coherent

He proposed the most coherent plan to improve the schools.

prominent

He quickly became prominent in the music industry.

disdain

He regarded their proposal with disdain.

backbite

He said users were using Twitter to "promote lies, backbite and gossip and to slander Islam".

sordid

He shared the sordid details of his past.

shun

He shuns parties and social events.

speculate

He speculated as to whether she would come.

avert

He sped up and averted an accident.

dispassionate

He spoke in a dispassionate tone about the accident. (passion)

artifice

He spoke without artifice or pretense. (artificial)

constant

He suffers from constant headaches.

anecdote

He told us all sorts of humorous anecdotes about his childhood.

mollify

He tried to mollify his critics with an apology.

intimidate

He tries to intimidate his opponents.

sarcastic

He turned to me with a superior and sarcastic smile .

utilitarian

I always thought a credit card was a pretty utilitarian thing.

philistine

I am a complete philistine when it comes to paintings

dubious

I am dubious about accepting the offer of the job

countenance

I am surprised you give countenance to such conduct .

shrug

I asked if he wanted to go out to dinner, and he just shrugged.

deduce

I can deduce from the simple observation of your behavior that you're trying to hide something from me.

decipher

I couldn't decipher his sloppy handwriting.

detest

I detest pepperoni, and wouldn't eat it if you paid me!

recognize

I didn't recognize you at first with your new haircut.

propriety

I doubt the propriety of such a remark .

duplicate

I had a duplicate key made.

penalty

I had to pay the penalty for my wrong decisions

equivalent

I haven't taken English 202, but I took an equivalent course at another university.

discourse

I heard the professor ' s discourse on English lexicography .

bromidic

I know it sounds bromidic, I just hate to see anyone in that situation ended up like mine.

congenial

I met few people congenial to me in that city. (congener)

confess

I must confess myself completely puzzled by the question .

presume

I presume you will approve of the plan .

clandestine

I took a clandestine peek at the price tag on the diamond necklace.

vulgar

I will not tolerate such vulgar language in my home.

quandary

I'm in a quandary about whether I should try to repair my stereo or buy a new one, even though I don't have the money to do either.

alacrity

She accepted the invitation with an alacrity that surprised me.

assert

She asserted her independence from her parents by getting her own apartment.

prosaic

She believes the noises are made by ghosts, but I think there's a more prosaic explanation.

specious

She called the complaint by the Democrats misleading and specious.

meager

She came to this country with a fairly meager English vocabulary, but she is learning more words every day.

feckless

She can't rely on her feckless son.

juvenile

She criticized his juvenile behavior at the party. (rejuvenate)

defy

She defied her parents and dropped out of school.

ridicule

She didn't show anyone her artwork for fear of ridicule. (ridiculous)

stoicism

She endured his criticism with her usual stoicism. (stoic)

anonymity

She enjoyed the anonymity of life in a large city. (anonymous)

abhorrent

She finds violence in films abhorrent.

pompous

She found it difficult to talk about her achievements without sounding pompous.

terse

She gave me a few terse instructions and promptly left the room.

candid

She gave us her candid opinion on the matter.

crabby

She gets crabby if she doesn't get enough sleep.

demanding

She had a demanding schedule with little free time.

amiable

She had an amiable conversation with her friend.

scruple

She had no scruples ; she would do whatever she wanted to .

pathological

She has a pathological fear of heights.

phlegmatic

She has a phlegmatic attitude towards her husband ' s death .

sanguine

She has a sanguine disposition.

verbose

She has a verbose writing style.

conscientious

She has always been a very conscientious worker.

innate

She has an innate sense of rhythm.

persistent

She has been persistent in pursuing the job.

irrevocable

She has made an irrevocable decision. (revoke, revocable)

vacillate

She has vacillated on this issue. (vacillation)

champion

She is a lawyer who champions children's rights.

adroit

She is adroit at handling problems.

diffident

She is diffident about expressing her opinions .

relinquish

She is in the process of relinquishing her American nationality.

indolent

She is indolent and irresponsible.

abstemious

She is known as an abstemious eater and drinker.

lament

She lamented to us about her wretched lot .

loathe

She loathes watching television .

allusive

She made allusion to her first marriage. (allusion)

audacious

She made an audacious decision to quit her job.

appropriate

She picked up a dress appropriate for the occasion .

contest

She plans to contest a seat in Congress next year.

authentic

She prepared a very authentic Mexican meal.

adequate

She proved adequate to the job .

extraneous

She sped up the process by eliminating all extraneous steps.

spurn

She spurned all offers of help .

preclude

She suffered an injury that precluded the possibility of an athletic career.

neutral

She tries to be a fair and neutral journalist.

endure

She wants to make sure her legacy will endure.

protagonist

She was a leading protagonist in the civil rights movement.

contempt

She was arrested for contempt of court.

eloquence

She was charmed by his eloquence

exasperate

She was exasperated to find nobody at home .

deft

She was knitting with deft fingers .

magnanimous

She was too magnanimous to resent all the things others had said to her.

profligate

She was very profligate in her spending.

prose

She writes in very clear prose.

obsequious

She's constantly followed by obsequious assistants who will do anything she tells them to.

conversant

She's conversant in several languages. (conversation, conversational)

conservative

She's more conservative now than she was in college.

preeminent

She's the preeminent chef in a city that has many good ones.

punctilious

She's very punctilious about grammar.

polemical

Shortly after Arnold Schoenberg died in Brentwood in 1951, Pierre Boulez wrote a polemical essay, "Schoenberg Is Dead," that instantly became infamous. (polemic)

didactic

Slaves related human as well as animal trickster tales; they told Bible stories, explanatory tales, moralistic and didactic tales, supernatural tales and legends.

pernicious

Smoking is a pernicious habit .

opportunistic

Some opportunistic criminals worked out a way to earn money from the free, crowded and public air-raid shelters.

abstain

Some voters abstained in the election . (abstinent)

delimit

Strict guidelines delimit his responsibilities.

espouse

The ideas she espoused were incomprehensible to me .

vitiate

The impact of the film was vitiated by poor acting.

ingenious

The ingenious boy made a radio set for himself .

envision

The inventor envisioned many uses for his creation.

malfeasance

The investigation has uncovered evidence of corporate malfeasance.

tedious

The job is tedious , but the pay is good .

foster

Such conditions foster the spread of the disease.

placid

Switzerland is much too placid for my taste .

proprietary

The journalist tried to get access to proprietary information.

verdict

The jury reached a guilty verdict.

abdicate

The king abdicated the throne.

panacea

The law will improve the lives of local farmers, but it is no panacea.

embody

The legislature embodied a revenue provision in the new law.

manuscript

The library owns the author's original manuscript.

detour

The little restaurant is worth a detour.

invigorate

The mayor has plans to invigorate the downtown economy. (vigor -> invigorate)

revitalize

The mayor hopes to revitalize the city.

plastic

The mind of a child is plastic .

depict

The movie depicts the life of early settlers.

indifferent

The movie was poorly received by an indifferent public.

confound

The murder case has confounded investigators.

conjure

The name Sahara conjures up images of a desert of aridity .

vigorous

The nest held three vigorous young birds . (vigor)

obviate

The new treatment obviates many of the risks associated with surgery.

approximate

The newspaper account of the event approximated to the truth .

endorse

The newspaper has endorsed the conservative candidate for mayor.

mendacious

The newspaper story was mendacious and hurtful. (mendacity)

lambaste

The newspapers lambasted government corruption .

detached

The officer detached thirty men to guard the railroad station .

disseminate

The Internet allows us to disseminate information faster.

ossify

The cartilage will ossify, becoming bone.

solicit

The center is soliciting donations to help victims of the earthquake.

pragmatic

The challenge can be when his desire for excitement and novelty runs into your practical and pragmatic approach to life.

deleterious

The chemical is deleterious to the environment. (delete)

bisect

The city is bisected by the highway.

turmoil

The city was in a turmoil .

aristocrat

The club membership was once limited to aristocrats . (aristocracy)

chastise

The coach is always chastising the players for minor mistakes.

discretion

The coach used his own discretion to let the injured quarterback play. (discreet)

desperate

The collapse of her business had made her desperate.

spontaneous

The comment was completely spontaneous.

apropos

The comment, though unexpected, was apropos.

tenacious

The company has a tenacious hold on the market.

approbation

The company has even received the approbation of its former critics.

archaic

The company needs to update its archaic computer systems.

redeem

The company redeemed some of its stock.

divulge

The company will not divulge its sales figures.

counterfeit

The concert ticket is counterfeit.

avarice

The corporate world is plagued by avarice and a thirst for power.

astronomical

The cost of the office building was astronomical. (astronomy)

amend

The country's constitution was amended to allow women to vote.

dilemma

The country's decision to go to war has caused a major dilemma for its allies.

justify

The editors are justified in refusing your work .

undermine

The events of the past year have undermined people's confidence in the government.

negate

The fact that she lied about her work experience negated the contract.

revere

The family reveres old traditions. (reverence)

dilute

The hiring of the new CEO diluted the power of the company's president.

moderate

The hotel offers comfortable rooms at moderate prices.

devoid

The house is totally devoid of furniture .

benevolent

The old woman had a benevolent feeling towards all cats .

intermittent

The patient was having intermittent pains in his side.

culprit

The police eventually located the culprits.

assail

The policemen were assailed by a shower of stones .

obtrude

The possibility of failure obtruded itself with obstinate persistency.

rapprochement

The possibility of rapprochement between the two countries seems unlikely.

impetus

The president ' s plan gave fresh impetus to industry .

conjecture

The press conjectured that a summit conference would take place .

contrive

The prisoners contrived a way to escape.

pervasive

The problem of lead poisoning is pervasive in America's inner cities, from New Orleans to Washington, D.C., to New York.

hamper

The project was hampered by budget restraints.

reciprocity

The proposal calls for reciprocity in trade relations.

eclipse

The racer's time eclipsed the old record.

unprecedented

The rate of growth was unprecedented .

delineate

The report clearly delineates the steps that must be taken.

propaganda

The report was nothing but lies and propaganda. (propagate)

salient

The salient points of his plan are summed up in this report .

vital

The sciences are a vital part of the school curriculum.

dormant

The seeds will remain dormant until the spring.

gauge

The servant tried to gauge his master ' s mood .

universality

The show's theme was the universality of human experience.

imminent

The soldier feared imminent death .

impede

The soldiers could not impede the enemy's advance.

insipid

The soup was rather insipid.

prolix

The speech was unnecessarily prolix.

woo

The store had a sale in an effort to woo new customers.

wary

The store owner kept a wary eye on him.

staggering

The storm caused a staggering amount of damage. (stagger)

copious

The storm produced a copious amount of rain.

ambivalent

The substance user and the hospital are bound by the most ambivalent of relationships.

pronounced

The symptoms of the disease have become steadily more pronounced.

nonchalant

The team may have been somewhat nonchalant at the beginning of the season, but they now know that they need to work hard.

primitive

The technology they used was primitive and outdated.

sacrosanct

The tradition is regarded as sacrosanct.

communal

The tribe lived in communal huts.

cordial

The two nations have maintained cordial relations.

lax

The university has been lax about enforcing these rules.

abet

Their actions were shown to abet terrorism.

congruent

Their goals are not congruent with the goals of the team.

parsimonious

Their merchant princes were supposed to be parsimonious and austere: fustian in apparel and coarse in diet.

shading

There are many fine shadings of status through the social hierarchy .

pitfall

There are many pitfalls for teenagers today .

indigenous

There are several indigenous groups that still live in the area.

compliance

There has been a low rate of compliance with the new law. (comply)

instigate

There has been an increase in the amount of violence instigated by gangs.

discontinuity

There is a sense of discontinuity between the book's chapters.

optimistic

There is growing optimism that the problem can be corrected.

demonstrable

There is no demonstrable evidence that the treatment is effective.

opportune

There isn't a more opportune time to invest in the stock market.

infinite

There seemed to be an infinite number of possibilities.

palpable

There was a palpable excitement in the air as the town prepared for the festival.

perfunctory

There was a perfunctory search of his bags at the airport .

accretion

There was an accretion of ice on the car's windshield.

pugnacious

There's one pugnacious member on the committee who won't agree to anything.

odoriferous

These articles they barter with us for odoriferous woods and earth, and our salt of wood ashes.

edify

These books will both entertain and edify readers.

doctrinaire

These conservative Christians see much to admire in the doctrinaire scourge of Obama. (doctrine)

vindicate

These discoveries vindicate their theory.

nebulous

These philosophical concepts can be nebulous.

partial

These plants prefer full sun or partial shade.

pusillanimous

These pusillanimous evasions are telling signs of character, or its absence.

encumber

These rules will only encumber the people we're trying to help.

circumscribe

These tightly circumscribe what data companies can collect and introduce strict penalties for privacy breaches.

insatiable

They are insatiable of profits .

intrigue

They are intriguing against the government .

abnegate

They are the brave and loyal spirit seeking to abnegate those selfish claims which in my case are irresistible. (negate)

deflect

They are trying to deflect attention from the troubled economy.

excavate

They began excavating the backyard for their new pool.

mandate

They carried out the governor's mandate to build more roads.

subvert

They conspired to subvert the government.

serendipitous

They found each other by pure serendipity. (serendipity)

antagonistic

They found it impossible to deal with such antagonistic groups.

quixotic

They had quixotic dreams about the future.

maintain

They have always maintained high standards of professional conduct.

divergent

They have noble intentions and will encourage and seek divergent views and foster open, two-way communication. (divert)

mundane

They lead a pretty mundane life.

pious

They lived a quiet, pious life. (piety)

tranquil

They lived a tranquil life in the countryside .

eschew

They now eschew the violence of their past

dexterous

They praised her dexterous handling of the crisis.

proclaim

They proclaimed that he was a traitor .

aversion

They regarded war with aversion.

retract

They retracted the job offer.

gullible

They sell overpriced souvenirs to gullible tourists.

piety

They were drawn to the church not by piety but by curiosity .

deference

They were married in church out of deference to their parents ' wishes . (defer to)

succumb

They will pressure you, and you must try not to succumb.

lopsided

They won the game by a lopsided score of 25-3.

opprobrium

They're going ahead with the plan despite public opprobrium.

divert

They're only proposing the law to divert attention from important issues.

at odds

This action is greatly at odds with his previous attitude .

genre

This book is a classic of the mystery genre.

rudimentary

This class requires a rudimentary knowledge of human anatomy.

precedent

This decision sets a precedent for future cases of a similar nature .

ameliorate

This medicine should help ameliorate the pain.

tractable

This new approach should make the problem more tractable

benefactor

This orphanage has many benefactors .

malign

This politician has been maligned by the newspapers .

dispel

This report should dispel any doubts you have about the plan.

disjunctive

This thought process is called fully disjunctive reasoning—reasoning that considers all possibilities.

conviction

This was his third conviction .

prevalent

Those teaching methods are still prevalent at some schools. (prevail)

refugee

Thousands of refugees have fled the area.

empiricism

To Geithner, such impulses are the antithesis of his worldview—one that he believes relies on empiricism, pragmatism and reason.

ingratiate

Trump, at the moment, rather than trying to ingratiate himself with the power brokers of his adopted Party, is trying to destroy them.

optimal

Under optimal conditions, these plants grow quite tall.

lethargic

Under the influence of the medicine , I have been quite lethargic lately .

regime

Under the new regime, all workers must file a weekly report.

ridge

We drove up a hillside and finally stopped on a high ridge .

forestall

We forestalled the attempt to steal the jewels by having them removed .

complacent

We have grown too complacent over the years.

abate

We must abate the smoke nuisance in our big cities .

objective

We need someone outside the company to give us an objective analysis.

pertain

We own the house and the land pertaining to it .

condemn

We strongly condemn this attack against our allies.

haphazard

We were given a haphazard tour of the city.

benign

We were happy to hear that the tumor was benign.

sumptuous

We were ushered into a sumptuous dining hall .

confine

We'll confine our discussion to the main issue .

sanctimonious

What happened to all the sanctimonious talk about putting his family first?

aphorism

When decorating, remember the familiar aphorism, "less is more."

surreptitious

When no one was looking he took a surreptitious puff on his cigarette .

ubiquitous

When recruiters call you for the initial interview, be prepared for an alteration to the ubiquitous question, "Why should we hire you?"

placebo

In fact, there was almost no significant difference in heart events among the people taking the drug and those taking a placebo.

decry

In her article, she decries the pollution of the environment by manufacturers.

chronic

Inflation has become a chronic condition in the economy.

hortatory

It also had to be neutral, not familiar, and not in any way hortatory. (hortative)

commonplace

It is a commonplace that we only use a small part of our brain's capacity.

axiomatic

It is axiomatic that good athletes have a strong mental attitude. (axiom)

imperative

It is imperative to act now.

ludicrous

It is ludicrous that we have to show our pass each time .

meretricious

It may be meretricious, it may be gilt rather than of gold.

temperate

It prefers more temperate climes such as parts of Europe.

providential

It seemed providential that he should arrive at just that moment.

peculiar

It seems peculiar that he would leave town and not tell anybody.

veritable

It was a veritable feast .

albeit

It was an amazing computer, albeit expensive.

impertinent

It was impertinent of him to behave like that .

impetuous

It was impetuous of her to do that .

imprudent

It was imprudent of you to lend money to a stranger .

provocative

It was one of his more provocative suggestions. (provoke)

honorific

It was recommended that I call her by her honorific, Doctor.

transparent

It was transparent that her pride was hurt .

antithetical

It would be antithetical to Boulez's spirit, then, to offer nothing but banal praise at his passing.

rarefied

It's difficult to breathe in the rarefied air near the mountain's peak.

formulaic

It's hard to care when a movie is this formulaic and moronic.

apt

John is apt to be impulsive.

disillusioned

John is disillusioned with life in general . (illusion)

arrogant

John is so arrogant that he thinks he is better than everyone else .

contingent

Making money is contingent on finding a good-paying job.

revile

Many people reviled him for his callous behavior.

substantiate

Mr. MacGregor couldn't substantiate that it was Peter, and not some other rabbit, in the cabbage patch.

omniscient

Ms. Bakewell's approach is enticing and unusual: She is not an omniscient author acting as critic, biographer or tour guide.

variability

Much of medical training is an exercise in reducing this kind of variability from one doctor to the next.

speculative

Much of our information is speculative .

suffrage

When was universal suffrage introduced in your country ?

savor

Without her love, life has lost its savor for me.

badger

My children kept badgering me to get a home computer .

orthodox

My high school was a modern orthodox Jewish day school where feminism was a word I heard used rarely and derisively.

eccentric

My neighbor is an eccentric young man .

complementary

My spouse and I have complementary goals.

mediate

Negotiators are trying to mediate a cease-fire.

discredit

New information discredited the old report .

cursory

Only a cursory inspection of the building's electrical wiring was done.

precarious

Our financial situation is still precarious .

rebuff

Our suggestion was immediately rebuffed.

predisposition

Past experiences have predisposed her to distrust people.

substantial

People and things are substantial ; dreams and ghosts are not .

inflate

Rapid economic growth may cause prices to inflate. (inflation)

priority

Reorganizing the sales force will be a top priority for the new president.

heterodox

a Christian clergyman with a very heterodox opinion on the divinity of Jesus

base

a base and sneaky act that is a clear violation of international law

bombastic

a bombastic speech intended to impress the voters in her congressional district

baroque

a book filled with baroque descriptions (Baroque)

braggart

a braggart who was always talking about how much money he made (brag)

captious

a captious and cranky eater who's never met a vegetable he didn't hate

compassionate

a compassionate smile made the refugees feel a little better (compassion)

comprehensive

a comprehensive survey

avant-garde

a controversial avant-garde composer

convoluted

a convoluted explanation that left the listeners even more confused than they were before

peregrinate

a couple of backpacking college students who decided to spend the summer peregrinating around Ireland

innovative

a creative and innovative young designer

synthesize

a philosophy that is a kind of synthesis of several schools of Western and Eastern thought

succinct

a pocket guide that provides succinct explanations for rules of grammar and punctuation

evade

a politician skilled at evading difficult questions

outgrowth

a predictable outgrowth of the suburb's ever growing population will be the need for more schools

pressing

a pressing need for reform

protean

a protean actor who is equally comfortable with light comedy and serious drama

retrospective

a retrospective analysis of what went wrong

scathing

a scathing review of the book

schematic

a schematic diagram of their business model

schism

a schism between leading members of the party

quintessential

a selfless desire to help others is the quintessence of the virtue of charity (essential -> quintessential)

somatic

a somatic disorder that was once thought to be "all in the patient's head"

vapid

a song with vapid lyrics

sound

a sound mind in a sound body

spurious

a spurious Picasso painting that wouldn't have fooled an art expert for a second

abjure

a strict religious sect that abjures the luxuries, comforts, and conveniences of the modern world

engender

a suggestion to go out for pizza that didn't seem to engender any interest

ebb

a surprising ebb in the quality of workmanship in goods coming from that country

transcribe

a system that allows linguists to transcribe the sounds of any language

taciturn

a taciturn man, he almost never initiates a conversation

truculent

a theater critic who was notorious for his titanically truculent reviews

escalate

a time of escalating tensions

tortuous

a tortuous path up the mountain

transitory

a transitory panic struck me when I realized that we had left the baby in the car

treacherous

a treacherous act of betrayal

belie

a tree whose delicate beauty belies its real toughness

unanimous

a unanimous vote to upgrade the school's computer facilities

parody

a writer with a talent for parody

trenchant

a writer with a trenchant wit

predilection

a young lad with a predilection for telling tall tales

discreet

adjective: careful to protect one's speech or actions in order to avoid offense or gain an advantage The professor thought that he was discreet, subtly wiping the stain off of his shirt, but as soon as he stepped off the podium a member of the audience pointed out the large ketchup stain.

aberrant

aberrant behavior can be a sign of rabies in a wild animal

absurd

absurd claims of having been abducted by UFO's

acquiescence

acquiescence to a demand (acquiesce, acquiescent)

acquisitive

acquisitive developers are trying to tear down the historic home and build a shopping mall

proscribe

acts that are proscribed by law

unpropitious

adjective: (of a circumstance) with little chance of success With only a bottle of water and a sandwich, the hikers faced an unpropitious task: ascending a huge mountain that took most two days to climb.

slapdash

adjective: carelessly and hastily put together Synonyms : haphazard , slipshod , sloppy The office building had been constructed in a slapdash manner, so it did not surprise officials when, during a small earthquake, a large crack emerged on the façade of the building.

nonchalant

adjective: coming across as uninterested or unconcerned; overly casual Synonyms : casual , insouciant The twenty-somethings at the coffee shop always irked Sheldon, especially the way in which they acted nonchalantly towards everything, not even caring when Sheldon once spilled his mocha on them.

approbatory

adjective: expressing praise or approval Synonyms : affirmative , approbative , approving , plausive Although it might not be her best work, Hunter's new novel has received generally approbatory reviews.

snide

adjective: expressive of contempt; derogatory or mocking in an indirect way Synonyms : sneering , supercilious The chairman interpreted Taylor's question about promotions as a snide remark, but in all innocence Taylor was trying to figure out the company's process.

pragmatic

adjective: guided by practical experience and observation rather than theory Synonyms : hard-nosed , hardheaded , practical Rather than make a philosophical appeal to the Congressmen, the Speaker decided to take a far more pragmatic approach, making small side-deals that would add votes to his bill.

unassailable

adjective: immune to attack; without flaws Synonyms : impregnable , inviolable , secure , strong , unattackable,bulletproof , unshakable , watertight Professor Williams is so self-assured as to seem arrogant, presenting each and every opinion as an unassailable fact.

incorrigible

adjective: impervious to correction by punishment Tom Sawyer seems like an incorrigible youth until Huck Finn enters the novel; even Sawyer can't match his fierce individual spirit.

benign

adjective: kind I remember my grandfather's face was wrinkled, benign, and calm. adjective: (medicine) not dangerous to health; not recurrent or progressive The tumor located in your ear lobe seems to be benign and should not cause you any trouble.

wanting

adjective: lacking Synonyms : deficient , lacking She did not think her vocabulary was wanting, yet there were so many words that inevitably she found a few she didn't know.

lethargic

adjective: lacking energy Synonyms : unenrgetic Nothing can make a person more lethargic than a big turkey dinner.

choleric

adjective: prone to outbursts of temper; easily angered Synonyms : hot-tempered , hotheaded , irascible , quick-tempered , short-tempered While a brilliant lecturer, Mr. Dawson came across as choleric and unapproachable - very rarely did students come to his office hours.

grandiloquent

adjective: puffed up with vanity Synonyms : overblown , pompous , pontifical , portentous The dictator was known for his grandiloquent speeches, puffing his chest out and using big, important-sounding words.

irascible

adjective: quickly aroused to anger Synonyms : choleric , hot-tempered , hotheaded , quick-tempered , short-tempered If Arthur's dog is not fed adequately, he becames highly irascible, even growling at his own shadow.

prodigal

adjective: rashly or wastefully extravagant Synonyms : extravagant , profligate , spendthrift Successful professional athletes who do not fall prey to prodigality seem to be the exception - most live decadent lives.

tractable

adjective: readily reacting to suggestions and influences; easily managed (controlled or taught or molded) Synonyms : amenable,manipulable Compared to middle school students, who have an untamed wildness about them, high school students are somewhat more tractable.

protean

adjective: readily taking on different roles; versatile Peter Sellers was truly a protean actor - in Doctor Strangelove he played three very different roles: a jingoist general, a sedate President and a deranged scientist.

self-effacing

adjective: reluctant to draw attention to yourself Synonyms : reticent , retiring The most admirable teachers and respected leaders are those who are self-effacing, directing attention and praise to their students and workers.

reticent

adjective: reluctant to draw attention to yourself; temperamentally disinclined to talk Synonyms : untalkative, retiring , self-effacing When asked about her father, Helen lost her outward enthusiasm and became rather reticent.

trite

adjective: repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse Synonyms : banal , commonplace , hackneyed , old-hat , shopworn , stock , threadbare , timeworn , tired , well-worn Many style guides recommend not using idioms in writing because these trite expressions are uninteresting and show a lack of imagination on the part of the writer.

banal

adjective: repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse Synonyms : commonplace , hackneyed , old-hat , shopworn , stock , threadbare , timeworn , tired , trite , well-worn The professor used such banal expression that many students in the class either fell asleep from bordeom or stayed awake to complete his sentences and humor friends.

mundane

adjective: repetitive and boring; not spiritual Nancy found doing dishes a thorougly mundane task, although Peter found a kind of Zen pleasure in the chore. adjective: relating to the ordinary world Synonyms : terrene Though we think of the pope as someone always dealing in holy matters, he is also concerned with mundane events, such as deciding when to set his alarm each morning.

sullen

adjective: showing a brooding ill humor Synonyms : dark , dour , glowering , glum , moody , morose , saturnine , sour Herbert took board games too seriously, often appearing sullen after losing.

obliging

adjective: showing a cheerful willingness to do favors for others Synonyms : complaisant Even after all his success, I found him to be accommodating and obliging, sharing with me his "secret tips" on how to gain wealth and make friends.

profligate

adjective: spending resources recklessly or wastefully Synonyms : extravagant , prodigal , spendthrift The composer Wagner, while living on a limited salary, was so profligate as to line all the walls of his apartment with pure silk. noun: someone who spends resources recklessly or wastefully Most lottery winners go from being conservative, frugal types to outright profligates who blow millions on fast cars, lavish homes, and giant yachts.

penurious

adjective: lacking money; poor Synonyms : hard up , impecunious , in straitened circumstances , penniless , pinched Truly penurious, Mary had nothing more than a jar full of pennies. adjective: miserly Synonyms : parsimonious Warren Buffett, famous multi-billionaire, still drives a cheap sedan, not because he is penurious, but because luxury cars are gaudy and impractical.

impecunious

adjective: lacking money; poor Synonyms : hard up , in straitened circumstances , penniless , penurious , pinched In extremely trying times, even the moderately wealthy, after a few turns of ill-fortune, can become impecunious.

bumbling

adjective: lacking physical movement skills, especially with the hands Synonyms : bungling , butterfingered , ham-fisted , ham-handed , handless , heavy-handed , left-handed Within a week of starting, the bumbling new waiter was unceremoniously fired.

hackneyed

adjective: lacking significance through having been overused Synonyms : banal , commonplace , old-hat , shopworn , stock , threadbare , timeworn , tired , trite , well-worn Cheryl rolled her eyes when she heard the lecturer's hackneyed advice to "be true to yourself."

gauche

adjective: lacking social polish Synonyms : graceless , unpolished Sylvester says the most gauche things, such as telling a girl he liked that she was much prettier when she wore makeup.

appreciable

adjective: large enough to be noticed (usu. refers to an amount) There is an appreciable difference between those who say they can get the job done and those who actually get the job done.

smug

adjective: marked by excessive complacency or self-satisfaction Synonyms : self-satisfied When Phil was dating the model, he had a smug attitude that annoyed his buddies.

meticulous

adjective: marked by extreme care in treatment of details The Japanese noodle maker was meticulous in making his noodles and would never let another person take over the task.

vehement

adjective: marked by extreme intensity of emotions or convictions Synonyms : fierce , tearing , trigger-happy , violent While the other employees responded to the bad news in a measured way, Andrew responded in a vehement manner, tipping over his desk and shouting at the top of his lungs.

steadfast

adjective: marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable Synonyms : firm , steady , stiff , unbendable , unfaltering , unshakable , unwavering A good captain needs to be steadfast, continuing to hold the wheel and stay the course even during the most violent storm.

haphazard

adjective: marked by great carelessness; dependent upon or characterized by chance Synonyms : slapdash , slipshod , sloppy, hit-or-miss Many golf courses are designed with great care, but the greens on the county golf course seem entirely haphazard.

effervescent

adjective: marked by high spirits or excitement Synonyms : bubbling , frothy , scintillating , sparkly After the sales result, the manager was in an effervescent mood, letting several employees leave work early that day. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

forlorn

adjective: marked by or showing hopelessness After her third pet dog died, Marcia was simply forlorn: this time even the possibility of buying a new dog no longer held any joy.

punctilious

adjective: marked by precise accordance with details Synonyms : meticulous The colonel was so punctilious about enforcing regulations that men feel compelled to polish even the soles of their shoes.

furtive

adjective: marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed Synonyms : sneak , sneaky , stealthy , surreptitious While at work, George and his boss Regina felt the need to be as furtive as possible about their romantic relationship.

cryptic

adjective: mysterious or vague, usually intentionally Synonyms : cabalistic , cryptical , kabbalistic , qabalistic , sibylline Since Sarah did not want her husband to guess the Christmas present she had bought him, she only answered cryptically when he would ask her questions about it.

expansive

adjective: communicative, and prone to talking in a sociable manner Synonyms : talkative After a few sips of cognac, the octogenarian shed his irascible demeanor and became expansive, speaking fondly of the "good old days". This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

arrant

adjective: complete and wholly (usually modifying a noun with negative connotation) Synonyms : complete , consummate , double-dyed , everlasting , gross , perfect , pure , sodding , staring , stark , thoroughgoing , unadulterated , utter An arrant fool, Lawrence surprised nobody when he lost all his money in a pyramid scheme that was every bit as transparent as it was corrupt.

saturnine

adjective: morose or gloomy Synonyms : dark , dour , glowering , glum , moody , morose , sour , sullen Deprived of sunlight, humans become saturnine; that's why in very northerly territories people are encouraged to sit under an extremely powerful lamp, lest they become morose.

inviolate

adjective: must be kept sacred Synonyms : inviolable , sacrosanct While the literary critic subjected most of the classics to the harshest reviews, he regarded Cervantes as inviolate, and had nothing but praise for him.

improvident

adjective: not given careful consideration Synonyms : ill-considered , ill-judged , shortsighted Marty was improvident, never putting money aside for the future but spending it on decorating the interior of his home.

obtuse

adjective: slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity; lacking in insight or discernment Synonyms : dense , dim , dull , dumb , slow Jackson was the most obtuse member of the team: the manager's subtle ironies were always lost on him. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

negligible

adjective: so small as to be meaningless; insignificant Synonyms : paltry , trifling The GRE tests cumulative knowledge, so if you cram the night before it is, at best, likely to only have a negligible impact on your score.

muted

adjective: softened, subdued Synonyms : hushed , quiet , subdued Helen preferred muted earth colors, such as green and brown, to the bright pinks and red her sister liked. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

aphoristic

adjective: something that is concise and instructive of a general truth or principle Sometimes I can't stand Nathan because he tries to impress everyone by being aphoristic, but he just states the obvious.

thrifty

adjective: spending money wisely Synonyms : careful He was economical, spending his money thriftily and on items considered essential.

profuse

adjective: plentiful; pouring out in abundance Synonyms : exuberant , lush , luxuriant , riotous During mile 20 of the Hawaii Marathon, Dwayne was sweating so profusely that he stopped to take off his shirt, and ran the remaining six miles wearing nothing more than skimpy shorts.

replete

adjective: completely stocked or furnished with something Only weeks after the hurricane made landfall, the local supermarket shelves were replete with goods, so quick was the disaster relief response.

locus

an area of the Southwest that has been the locus of a number of New Agey movements

ascetic

an ascetic diet of rice and beans

erudite

an erudite lecture on the latest discoveries in astronomy

assent

are we to conclude from your silence that you assent?

emulate

artists emulating the style of their teachers

cosmopolitan

as someone who had lived in Paris for a year as an exchange student, she seemed very much the cosmopolitan to her old classmates

hitherto

at the talent show Kyle revealed his hitherto unknown gift for doing impressions

conflate

be careful not to conflate gossip with real news

pensive

be in a pensive mood

evanescent

beauty that is as evanescent as a rainbow

contrite

being contrite is not enough to spare you an arrest if you're caught shoplifting

perspicuous

believing that poetry need not be as perspicuous as prose, he writes poems that are intentionally ambiguous (perspicacious)

refractory

believing that rules are only for other people, he's been refractory virtually his entire life

bellicose

bellicose hockey players who always seem to spend more time fighting than playing

frugal

by being frugal, the family is able to stretch its monthly budget

encapsulation

can you encapsulate the president's speech in about a paragraph? (encapsulate)

querulous

car trips that were frequently spoiled by a couple of querulous passengers in the back

dissemble

children learn to dissemble at a surprisingly early age

superfluous

cleared off all the superfluous stuff on his desk to make room for the new computer

exiguous

computer equipment that would be prohibitively expensive, given the rural school's exiguous resources

discomfit

constant interruptions discomfited her in her attempt to finish the speech, and she finally gave up

constrain

constrained by conscience to tell only the truth

convergent

convergent changes in languages

sterling

credited the win to the pitcher's sterling performance on the mound

dabble

dabble in politics

trifling

deciding what you want to do for a living is no trifling matter

surfeit

die of a surfeit

diffuse

diffuse heat

disparate

disparate notions among adults and adolescents about when middle age begins

demur

don't hesitate to demur to the idea if you have any qualms

rectitude

encouraged the graduates to go on to live lives of unimpeachable rectitude and integrity

enfetter

enfettered by debt, she was in no position to take early retirement

apposite

enriched his essay on patriotism with some very apposite quotations from famous people on the subject

proliferate

environmental groups have proliferated over the past decade

adept

even by the standards of Washington, he's an adept at political intrigue and power politics

entice

every commercial seemed to be for some tempting snack specifically designed to entice me from my diet

ponderous

fell asleep during the ponderous speech

alleviate

finding ways to alleviate stress

impending

for confirmed pessimists some disaster always seems to be impending

salubrious

fresh air and exercise are always salubrious

oblique

gave the eavesdropper an oblique glance out of the corner of her eye

recondite

geochemistry is a recondite subject

arcane

grammatical rules that seem arcane to generations of students who were never taught grammar in the first place

inchoate

inchoate feelings of affection for a man whom she had, up till now, thought of as only a friend

incontrovertible

incontrovertible facts that left the jury with no choice but to convict (controversial)

inexorable

inexorable price rises

infuse

infuse new life into the troops

voracious

it seemed like the voracious kitten was eating her weight in food every day

presumptuous

it's a little presumptuous of you to assume that I'm your new best friend just because I invited you along

plausible

it's a plausible explanation for the demise of that prehistoric species

hackneyed

it's hackneyed, but true—the more you save the more you earn

whimsical

it's hard to make plans with such a whimsical best friend

anatomical

learning about the anatomies of different types of birds (anatomy)

refractory

adjective: stubbornly resistant to authority or control Synonyms : fractious , recalcitrant Used to studious high school students, Martha was unprepared for the refractory Kindgergarteners who neither sat still nor listened to a single word she said. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

tawdry

adjective: tastelessly showy; cheap and shoddy Synonyms : brassy , cheap , flash , flashy , garish , gaudy , gimcrack , loud , meretricious , tacky , tatty , trashy,cheapjack , shoddy Carol expected to find New York City magical, the way so many movies had portrayed it, but she was surprised how often tawdry displays took the place of genuine elegance.

timorous

adjective: timid by nature or revealing fear and nervousness Synonyms : fearful , trepid Since this was her first time debating on stage and before an audience, Di's voice was timorous and quiet for the first 10 minutes.

jaundice

adjective: to be biased against due to envy or prejudice Shelly was jaundiced towards Olivia; though the two had once been best friends, Olivia had become class president, prom queen, and, to make matters worse, the girlfriend of the one boy Shelly liked.

arch

adjective: to be deliberately teasing Synonyms : condescending , patronising , patronizing The baroness was arch, making playful asides to the townspeople; yet because they couldn't pick up on her dry humor, they thought her supercilious. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

diabolical

adjective: to be extremely wicked like the devil Synonyms : demonic , diabolic , fiendish , hellish , infernal , satanic , unholy,devilish , diabolic , mephistophelean , mephistophelian The conspirators, willing to dispatch anyone who stood in their way, hatched a diabolical plan to take over the city.

flush

adjective: to be in abundance Synonyms : bloom , blossom , efflorescence , flower , heyday , peak , prime The exam's passage is flush with difficult words, words that you may have learned only yesterday. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

commensurate

adjective: to be in proportion or corresponding in degree or amount The convicted felon's life sentence was commensurate to the heinousness of his crime.

harried

adjective: troubled persistently especially with petty annoyances Synonyms : annoyed , harassed , pestered , vexed With a team of new hires to train, Martha was constantly harried with little questions and could not focus on her projects.

veracious

adjective: truthful Synonyms : right While we elect our leaders in the hope that every word they speak will be veracious, history has shown that such a hope is naive.

incessant

adjective: uninterrupted in time and indefinitely long continuing Synonyms : ceaseless , constant , never-ending , perpetual , unceasing , unremitting I don't mind small children in brief doses, but I think the incessant exposure that their parents have to them would quickly wear me down.

moribund

an actor who is trying to revive his moribund career

amorphous

an amorphous shape

apologist

an apologist for something or somebody

idiosyncrasy

noun: a behavioral attribute that is distinctive and peculiar to an individual Synonyms : foible , mannerism Peggy's numerous idiosyncrasies include wearing mismatched shoes, laughing loudly to herself, and owning a pet aardvark.

foible

noun: a behavioral attribute that is distinctive and peculiar to an individual Synonyms : idiosyncrasy , mannerism When their new roommate sat staring at an oak tree for an hour, Marcia thought it indicated a mental problem, but Jeff assured her it was a harmless foible.

jargon

noun: a characteristic language of a particular group Synonyms : argot , cant , lingo , patois , slang , vernacular To those with little training in medicine, the jargon of doctors can be very difficult to understand.

cornucopia

noun: an abundant supply of something good Synonyms : profuseness , profusion , richness The International Food Expo was a cornucopia of culinary delights: gourmet foods from every continent were under one roof.

alacrity

noun: an eager willingness to do something Synonyms : briskness , smartness The first three weeks at his new job, Mark worked with such alacrity that upper management knew it would be giving him a promotion.

empiricism

noun: any method that derives knowledge from experience, used in experimental science as a way to gain insight and knowledge Synonyms : empiricist philosophy , sensationalism Empiricism does not always lead to knowledge; an experience or experiment may raise more questions than it answers.

effrontery

noun: audacious (even arrogant) behavior that you have no right to Synonyms : assumption , presumption , presumptuousness The skateboarders acted with effrontery, skating through the church grounds and spray-painting signs warning trespassers.

tact

noun: consideration in dealing with others and avoiding giving offense Synonyms : tactfulness In a tremendous display of tact, Shelly was able to maintain a strong friendship with Marcia, even though Marcia's husband, Frank, confessed to finding Shelley more attractive than Marcia.

veneer

noun: covering consisting of a thin superficial layer that hides the underlying substance Mark Twain referred to the Victorian Period in America as the "Gilded Age", implying the ample moral corruption that lay beneath a mere veneer of respectability

decimation

noun: destroying or killing a large part of the population The decimation after atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki is incomprehensible.

panache

noun: distinctive and stylish elegance Synonyms : dash , elan , flair , style Jim, with his typical panache, came to the wedding reception with a top hat, a cane, and a long cape covered in sequins.

avarice

noun: greed (one of the seven deadly sins) Synonyms : avaritia , covetousness , greed , rapacity,avariciousness , covetousness , cupidity The Spanish conquistadors were known for their avarice, plundering Incan land and stealing Incan gold.

cupidity

noun: greed for money Synonyms : avarice , avariciousness , covetousness Some believe people that amassing as much wealth as possible is the meaning to life - yet they often realize that cupidity brings anything but happiness.

asperity

noun: harshness of manner Synonyms : sharpness The editor was known for his asperity, often sending severe letters of rejection to amateur writers.

schadenfreude

noun: joy from watching the suffering of others From his warm apartment window, Stanley reveled in schadenfreude as he laughed at the figures below, huddled together in the arctic chill.

iconoclast

noun: somebody who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions Lady Gaga, in challenging what it means to be clothed, is an iconoclast for wearing a "meat dress" to a prominent awards show.

anomaly

noun: something that is not normal, standard, or expected After finding an anomaly in the data, she knew that she would have to conduct her experiment again.

constraint

noun: something that limits or restricts Synonyms : restraint We don't have many resources, so we'll have to work with some very tight constraints.

immutable

one of the immutable laws of television is that low ratings inevitably lead to cancellation (mutate, mutation)

ingenuity

noun: the power of creative imagination Synonyms : cleverness , ingeniousness , inventiveness Daedalus was famous for his ingenuity; he was able to fashion his son Icarus with a pair of wings, using wax to hold them together.

prescience

noun: the power to foresee the future Synonyms : prevision Baxter's warnings about investing in technology stocks seemed like an act of prescience after the whole market declined significantly.

profusion

noun: the property of being extremely abundant Synonyms : cornucopia , profuseness , richness When Maria reported that she had been visited by Jesus Christ and had proof, a profusion of reporters and journalists descended on the town.

supplant

old traditions that were fading away and being supplanted by modern ways

modicum

only a modicum of skill is necessary to put the kit together

disinclination

our dog shows a disinclination to get into the car to go to the vet (inclination)

adversary

our old cat seemed to consider the new kitten an adversary

outmoded

outmoded computers that can be recycled

moralistic

parental opinion was divided on the school's moralistic curriculum

penitential

penitential tears (penitence)

clairvoyance

people who claim to have clairvoyance are sometimes asked to help locate missing persons

physiological

physiological changes that are beyond our control (physical)

reactionary

reactionary guardians of proper English usage invariably regard every new coinage that comes along as a nonword

inimical

received an inimical response rather than the anticipated support

commensurate

salary will be commensurate with experience

discrete

several discrete sections to this vast medical complex, including a college of pharmacology and a research center

circumspect

she has a reputation for being quiet and circumspect in investigating charges of child abuse

impassive

she remained impassive as the officers informed her of her son's death (passive)

slumber

she slumbered for hours while the train rolled on

reconcile

she wanted to be reconciled with her father

indulgent

she was perhaps a bit too indulgent with her children, who always seemed to get away with everything (indulge)

proclivity

showed artistic proclivities at an early age

perimeter

soldiers guarding the perimeter of the camp

opaque

somehow listeners seem to connect with the songwriter, despite his deeply personal, often opaque lyrics

belligerent

speak in a belligerent tone (bellicose)

repugnant

technically speaking, it may not be a violation, but it is certainly repugnant to the spirit of the law

pretentious

that pretentious couple always serves caviar at their parties, even though they themselves dislike it

inconsequential

that's an inconsequential problem compared to the other issues

understated

the actor's understated interpretation of the lead role is surprisingly compelling

impenetrable

the ancient temple was surrounded by vast stretches of impenetrable jungle

ascendancy

the ascendancy of the government

ephemeral

the autumnal blaze of colors is always to be treasured, all the more so because it is so ephemeral

configuration

the basic configuration of the building is that of a geodesic dome

heretical

the belief that women should be allowed to have careers outside the home was once considered heretical

brevity

the best quality a graduation speech can have is brevity

mercurial

the boss's mood is so mercurial that we never know how he's going to react to anything

knotty

the candidates cautiously gave their views on an array of knotty issues

mire

the case has been mired in probate court for years

malodorous

the cellar will need to be cleared of several malodorous, maggot-infested piles of garbage (odor)

disinterested

the city's philistines, naturally disinterested in art, voted to cut the museum's budget

skulduggery

the company's apparently healthy bottom line was merely an illusion, the result of years of accounting skulduggery

provincial

the confidence man figured that fleecing these provincials would be easy

conundrum

the conundrum of how an ancient people were able to build such massive structures without the benefit of today's knowledge and technology

stilted

the conversation was somewhat stilted as we didn't seem to share any interests

propensity

the criminal propensities of the family extended over several generations

malleable

the cult leader took advantage of the malleable, compliant personalities of his followers

valorize

the culture valorizes the individual. (value)

dearth

the dearth of salesclerks at the shoe store annoyed us

probity

the defense attorney questioned the probity of the witness

lugubrious

the diner's dim lighting makes eating there a particularly lugubrious experience

demeanor

the director of the opera company has a haughty demeanor that can be irritating

analgesic

the doctor prescribed an analgesic and rest for my injured knee

facetious

the essay is a facetious commentary on the absurdity of war as a solution for international disputes

hodgepodge

the exhibit was a hodgepodge of mediocre art, bad art, and really bad art

rebuke

the father was forced to rebuke his son for the spendthrift ways he had adopted since arriving at college

prefigure

the first crocus traditionally prefigures the arrival of spring

emend

the first printout quickly revealed that our computer program needed to be emended

endemic

the fish is not an endemic species of the lake, and it is rapidly devouring the native trout population

forfeit

the forfeit for each baseball player involved in the brawl was $5,000

deterioration

the gradual deterioration of the weather (deteriorate)

coincide

the heaviest snowfall of the season coincided with the start of our weeklong ski vacation

protract

the highway project was protracted by years of litigation

ideology

the ideology of a totalitarian society

interplay

the interplay between the old and the new

intrinsic

the intrinsic value of a gem

ingrain

the journalism professor has long ingrained his students with a deep respect for their chosen profession

jubilation

the jubilation of the crowd

pecuniary

the judge recused himself from the case because he had a pecuniary interest in the company that was being sued

contumacious

the judge threatened to charge the contumacious witness with contempt of court

baffle

the language barrier baffled everyone and discouraged us from attempting another teleconference

monotonous

the lecturer's monotonous delivery threatened to put us to sleep

effrontery

the little squirt had the effrontery to deny eating any cookies, even with the crumbs still on his lips

loquacious

the loquacious host of a radio talk show

clear-cut

the matter is not so clear-cut

tumultuous

the most tumultuous decade of the century

buttress

the mother had always been the buttress of our family in trying times

conducive

the noisy environment of the dorms was not very conducive to studying

verisimilitude

the novel's degree of verisimilitude is compromised by 18th-century characters who speak in very 21st-century English

novelty

the novelty of space exploration

oblivious

the out-of-state motorist claimed to be oblivious of the local speed limit, even though the signs must have been hard to miss

paramount

the paramount goal is to restore the colonial-era house with complete historical accuracy

perennial

the perennial shortage of capital

stalwart

the stalwart soldiers in the army of Alexander the Great, who willingly followed him to the ends of the known world

transcendent

the star player's transcendent performance helped the team to a surprise victory

static

the static installation of the statue in that niche means that no one will ever see its back, which is also of interest

stratification

the stratification of the Earth's crust (stratify)

propitious

the success of the first big movie in May was a propitious start for the summer season of blockbusters

supercilious

the supercilious art dealer rolled her eyes when we asked if she had anything for under $1,000

enervate

the surgery really enervated me for weeks afterwards

banter

the teacher bantered pleasantly, albeit a bit awkwardly, with the students at the school dance

levity

the teachers disapprove of any displays of levity during school assemblies

evince

the teenager caught shoplifting seemed to evince no remorse

tenable

the tenable theory that a giant meteor strike set off a chain of events resulting in the demise of the dinosaurs

mandatory

the tests are mandatory for all students wishing to graduate

contravene

the unauthorized reproduction of the image contravenes copyright laws

antique

their house is filled with rare antiques, including a collection of 19th-century African masks

intemperance

there's a wearisome intemperance in his verbal attacks against any and all who dare to disagree with him (temperance)

incongruous

there's an incongruous modernism to the actor's performance in this period piece

berate

there's no need to berate someone for making a mistake during the first day on the job

welter

there's such a welter of conflicting rules

irreconcilable

these two views of the early medieval economy are irreconcilable

impecunious

they were so impecunious that they couldn't afford to give one another even token Christmas gifts (pecuniary)

soporific

this medication is soporific, so do not drive after taking it

innocuous

those innocuous lies we must tell every day if society is to remain civil

univocal

those who believe that the language of the Bible is univocal: it is never metaphorical but intended to be taken literally

bereft

to one investigator, the bereft woman seemed to be taking the sudden death of her rich husband amazingly well

misapprehension

unfortunately, the message that the artist was trying to convey has been misapprehended by many museum patrons

unremitting

unremitting rain that lasted for six days

euphemism

using "eliminate" as a euphemism for "kill"

eke

verb: To live off meager resources, to scrape by Stranded in a cabin over the winter, Terry was able to eke out an existence on canned food.

morph

verb: To undergo dramatic change in a seamless and barely noticeable fashion. The earnestness of the daytime talk shows of the 1970's has morphed into something far more sensational and vulgar: today guests actually standup and threaten to take swings at one another.

posit

verb: assume as fact Synonyms : postulate Initially, Einstein posited a repulsive force to balance Gravity, but then rejected that idea as a blunder.

eschew

verb: avoid and stay away from deliberately; stay clear of Synonyms : shun Politicians are the masters of eschewing morals; academics are the masters of eschewing clarity.

importuned

verb: beg persistently and urgently After weeks of importuning the star to meet for a five-minute interview, the journalist finally got what she wanted.

circumvent

verb: cleverly find a way out of one's duties or obligations Synonyms : dodge , duck , elude , evade , fudge , hedge , parry , put off , sidestep , skirt One way of circumventing the GRE is to apply to a grad school that does not require GRE scores.

banish

verb: expel from a community, residence, or location; drive away Synonyms : ban , blackball , cast out , ostracise , ostracize , shun The most difficult part of the fast was banishing thoughts of food. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

devolve

verb: pass on or delegate to another Synonyms : degenerate , deteriorate , drop The company was full of managers known for devolving tasks to lower management, but never doing much work themselves. verb: grow worse (usually "devolve into") The dialogue between the two academics devolved into a downright bitter argument.

refute

verb: prove to be false or incorrect Synonyms : controvert , rebut No one could refute his theories or propositions, and that is why he was esteemed by all his colleagues in the philosophy department.

afford

verb: provide with an opportunity The summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro affords a panoramic view that encompasses both Tanzania and Kenya. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

hector

verb: to bully or intimidate Synonyms : ballyrag , boss around , browbeat , bully , bullyrag , push around , strong-arm The boss's hectoring manner put off many employees, some of whom quit as soon as they found new jobs.

compatible

two people with compatible personalities

galvanize

verb: to excite or inspire (someone) to action Synonyms : galvanise , startle At mile 23 of his first marathon, Kyle had all but given up, until he noticed his friends and family holding a banner that read, "Go Kyle"; galvanized, he broke into a gallop, finishing the last three miles in less than 20 minutes.

reproach

verb: to express criticism towards Synonyms : upbraid At first, Sarah was going to yell at the boy, but she didn't want to reproach him for telling the truth about the situation.

censure

verb: to express strong disapproval Synonyms : animadversion After being caught in bed with a mistress, the mayor was quickly censured by the city council.

defray

verb: to help pay the cost of, either in part of full In order for Sean to attend the prestigious college, his generous uncle helped defray the excessive tuition with a monthly donation.

gerrymander

verb: to manipulate voting districts in order to favor a particular political party Years ago, savvy politicians had gerrymandered the city center to ensure their re-election.

venerate

verb: to respect deeply Synonyms : fear , revere , reverence The professor, despite his sleep-inducing lectures, was venerated amongst his colleagues, publishing more papers yearly than all of his peers combined.

betray

verb: to reveal or make known something, usually unintentionally Synonyms : bewray With the gold medal at stake, the gymnast awaited his turn, his quivering lip betraying his intense emotions.

enervate

verb: to sap energy from Synonyms : faze , unnerve , unsettle John preferred to avoid equatorial countries; the intense sun would always leave him enervated after he'd spent the day sightseeing.

underline

The accident underlines our need for better safety procedures.

salutary

The accident was a salutary lesson ; I'll never drink and drive again .

concur

We concur that more money should be spent on education.

forbear

We decided to forbear from provoking him any further.

somnolent

trying to teach somnolent students on a very hot day

ingenuous

"Unsophisticated" meant something genuine, but shifted to mean a person who was ingenuous or inexperienced.

hyperbole

"enough food to feed a whole army" is a common example of hyperbole

generic

"Flu" is sometimes used as a generic term for any illness caused by a virus.

ramification

"I guess its kind of a shame on us that we didn't think through all the ramifications," of drilling, reflected Comardelle.

syntax

"I saw that she a cookie ate" is an example of incorrect syntax.

misnomer

"International Airport" is something of a misnomer, since almost all the arriving and departing flights are local.

incisiveness

"It doesn't have the incisiveness of Michelangelo's carving technique," Brandt said. (incisive)

undeserved

"Let them be ashamed if they do that, whether they win or they don't win. It's illegal, undeserved."

elegy

"O Captain! My Captain!" is Walt Whitman's elegy on the death of President Lincoln

mitigant

(mitigate)

precocious

A precocious musician, he was giving concerts when he was seven.

list

-That ship has a port list . -The tanker is listing badly and liable to sink at any moment.

intelligible

-the ability to make complex concepts intelligible to the average reader -This report would be intelligible only to an expert in computing .

potent

A new potent antibiotic will shortly be available .

versatile

A pocketknife is a versatile tool.

imperturbable

Although he seems outwardly imperturbable, he can get very angry at times.

annihilate

An atomic bomb can annihilate a city .

redundant

Avoid redundant expressions in your writing.

verified

Can you verify whether I am scheduled to work or not?

caricature

Caricatures are usually done for amusement or satire .

primacy

Civil law took primacy over religious law.

apprehend

Do you apprehend any difficulty ?

lethal

Don ' t touch the bottle . It contains lethal chemicals .

rejuvenate

Each candidate claims to have a plan to rejuvenate the sagging economy.

chimera

Economic stability in that country is a chimera.

compulsory

Education is compulsory for children in most countries.

catastrophe

Experts fear a humanitarian catastrophe if food isn't delivered to the refugees soon.

supplement

First-class accommodation is available for a supplement.

meticulous

Five projectors beam meticulous artwork of the building in various stages of construction as well as New York City streetscapes and interiors.

apostasy

For Cruz, as for McCarthy, any deviation from true belief means complete apostasy.

antidote

For him, racing motorcycles is a great antidote to boredom.

cognitive

Further into the forebrain, motor functions trail off and cognitive functions, involving planning and thinking about the future, begin.

excrete

Good nutrition can help the body excrete toxins instead of absorbing them.

observant

Good reporters are keenly observant of everything around them.

affable

Granny smiled an affable smile .

analogous

Gravitational waves are emitted from accelerating mass analogous to the way electromagnetic waves are emitted from accelerating charge; both are emitted from accelerating matter.

provenance

Has anyone traced the provenances of these paintings?

artful

He ' s very artful and usually succeeds in getting what he wants . (artifice)

humility

He accepted the honor with humility.

entailed

He accepted the responsibility, with all that it entails.

hortative

He accompanied me , however , not losing one moment in continuing his exhortations . (exhortation)

notoriety

He achieved instant fame and notoriety with the release of his film. (notorious)

irenic

He and his followers were bitterly assailed, but his irenic spirit did not forsake him.

annotate

He annotated the text at several places.

asseverate

He asseverates that he merely wishes to uphold the ancient charter.

garrulous

He became more garrulous after drinking a couple of beers.

passivity

He believes that the time has come for Europeans to discard their passive role with respect to the United States and that Americans must be made to understand why.

contemplate

He contemplated the meaning of the poem for a long time.

caterwaul

He continues to caterwaul about having to take the blame.

restrain

He could barely restrain his anger.

assuage

He couldn't assuage his guilt over the divorce.

harangue

He delivered a long harangue about the evils of popular culture.

embellish

He embellished his speech with a few quotations.

momentary

He experienced a momentary loss of consciousness.

feign

He feigned death to escape capture .

empathy

He felt great empathy with the poor.

circumvent

He found a way to circumvent the law.

implausible

He gave an implausible excuse for showing up late for work.

facility

He had a great facility for writing.

peripatetic

He had a peripatetic career as a salesman.

laconic

He had a reputation for being laconic.

aggravate

Ice water aggravated my toothache

reversible

If Damascus begins to flounder without Russian support, the withdrawal is instantly reversible.

improvise

If an actor forgets his words , he has to improvise .

peripheral

If we focus too much on peripheral issues, we will lose sight of the goal.

industrious

If you are industrious you can finish the job before dark .

prerogative

If you'd rather sell the tickets than use them, that's your prerogative.

animadvert

In his address for the defence he had animadverted strongly upon this point. (animadversion)

obfuscate

In his recent comments on whether he is a "natural born" citizen, Sen. Ted Cruz appears to confuse or obfuscate these two.

fluctuate

In the desert, the temperature fluctuates dramatically.

rancor

In the end, the debate created a degree of rancor among the committee members.

insolent

Insolent behavior will not be tolerated.

wane

Interest in this issue has continued to wane.

hieroglyph

Intricate loops and spirals had been carved on either side, ancient hieroglyphs the meaning of which had been lost to the ages.

deterrent

Iran says its missiles are for use solely as a conventional deterrent. (deter)

ridiculous

It ' s the most ridiculous thing I ever heard in my life .

judicious

Judicious planning now can prevent problems later.

demise

Losing this game will mean the team's demise.

equivocal

Meanwhile, the experts have issued their winter forecast, which always seems so equivocal as to be useless.

hydrate

Methane hydrate is an ice-like compound in which methane molecules are enclosed in cavities formed by water molecules.

asteroid

Most asteroids are found between Mars and Jupiter.

solitary

Most cats are solitary creatures.

conventional

Most of her books are conventional detective stories.

insidious

Most people with this insidious disease have no idea that they are infected.

exigent

Of course, under federal law, Medicaid funds already cannot be used for abortion , except under rare and exigent circumstances.

sanction

Official sanction has not yet been given .

derivative

Petroleum is a derivative of coal tar. (derive)

disperse

Police ordered the crowd to disperse.

mordant

Porter's mordant wake-up call to his soldiers is: "Yo. The Suck awaits."

stymie

Progress on the project has been stymied by lack of money.

ostensible

Research for a role is the ostensible reason for Nat's drinking. But I think it's because he just likes to drink.

anomalous

Researchers could not explain the anomalous test results.

inert

Rocks are inert objects .

curtail

School activities are being curtailed due to a lack of funds.

alternative

Scientists are developing an alternative approach to treating the disease.

veneration

Sometimes people think that veneration of the Founding Fathers and the American past is what patriotism is. (venerate)

sporadic

Sporadic cases of the disease were reported.

supersede

Steam locomotives were superseded by diesel .

resemble

Terrier dogs closely resemble each other.

temporal

The Church has no temporal power in the modern state .

preempt

The President's speech preempted regular programming.

subdue

The Spaniards subdued the Indian tribes in Mexico .

counterpart

The U . S . Congress is the counterpart of the British Parliament .

annex

The United States annexed Texas in 1845.

perpetuate

The Washington Monument was built to perpetuate the memory of a great man . (perpetual)

galvanize

The Web site has galvanized support for the project.

suppress

The governor tried to suppress the news.

nascent

The actress is now focusing on her nascent singing career.

innocence

The age of innocence was over. (innocent)

cumbersome

The application process is cumbersome and time-consuming.

refute

The argument can not be refuted at the moment .

thwart

The army thwarted the attempt at a coup.

debunk

The article debunks the notion that life exists on Mars.

diatribe

The article is a diatribe against mainstream media.

defamatory

The article was full of lies and defamations. (defame)

codify

The author tries to codify important ideas about language.

antipathy

The author's antipathies and prejudices are obvious.

conspicuous

The bird has a conspicuous red head.

authoritative

The book is an authoritative guide to the city's restaurants.

malady

The boy is suffering from some strange malady .

bypass

The bridge is being rebuilt so we'll have to take the bypass.

strip

The building had been completely stripped of its original woodwork.

symmetry

The building has perfect symmetry.

lucrative

The business has proved to be highly lucrative.

exculpate

The court exculpated him after a thorough investigation.

forage

The cows were foraging in the pasture.

dissipate

The crowd soon dissipated when the police arrived .

incubate

The cultures must incubate for five more days.

inept

The dark comedy, released in 1967, follows the World War II misadventures of British troops led by an inept commander.

consistent

The decision was consistent with the company's policy.

consensus

The decision was made by consensus.

impeachable

The defense lawyers tried to impeach the witness's testimony by forcing him to admit that he had changed his story. (impeach)

zealous

The detective was zealous in her pursuit of the kidnappers.

mediocre

The dinner was delicious, but the dessert was mediocre.

bland

The diplomat's bland statement did nothing to calm the situation.

portend

The distant thunder portended a storm.

atrophy

The doctor is concerned about possible atrophy of the shoulder muscles.

ingest

The drug is more easily ingested in pill form.

prescription

The drug is only sold with a prescription.

imperil

The financial health of the company was imperiled by a string of bad investments. (peril)

aspersion

The finding of any negligence could cast aspersions on him.

allure

The fine weather allures the ladies into the garden . (lure)

concede

The former ruler was forced to concede power to a new government.

elude

The fox succeeded in eluding the hunters.

abridge

The freedom of speech should not be abridged .

ornamental

The garden has many ornamental shrubs.

lackluster

The global economy has been lackluster, partly because the Chinese growth has decelerated sharply.

consolidate

The government hoped to consolidate ten states to form three new ones .

eradicate

The government is making efforts to eradicate racial discriminating .

vernacular

The vernaculars of these African tribes have never been written down .

disrupt

The weather disrupted our travel plans. (disruption)

sartorial

The wedding party arrived in sartorial splendor.

qualify

The win qualifies her to compete in the final race.

banal

The writing was banal but the story was good.

enigma

To his friends, he was always something of an enigma.

recapitulate

To recapitulate what was said earlier, we need to develop new ways to gain customers.

normative

To say that we must accept a presidential candidate's adulation of Israel for pragmatic reasons is to reinforce the normative power of Zionism. (norm)

synoptic

To see what's at stake in this omission, it's worth looking at "Clouds of Sils Maria" synoptically.

dictate

Tradition dictates that the youngest member should go first.

palliative

Travel is like a palliative against depression for him.

buoyant

Warm air is more buoyant than cool air.

susceptible

We are all susceptible to advertising .

overt

While the movie is savvy enough to avoid overt racism, it dives head first into gross classism.

implacable

Win or lose, the coach was always implacable, never giving the athletes an easy practice or a break.

remorse

With remorse and shame , he asked for her forgiveness .

shrewd

You made a shrewd investment there .

rehash

You're just rehashing the same argument all over again.

apathetic

Young people are becoming increasingly apathetic.

dissonant

a dissonant chorus of noises arose from the busy construction site

distortion

a distortion of the car chassis resulting from collision

docile

a docile horse

vacuous

a dull and vacuous movie

homogeneous

a fairly homogeneous collection of examples

vestige

a few strange words carved on a tree were the only vestige of the lost colony of Roanoke

repudiate

a generation that has repudiated the values of the past

allay

a gentle breeze would allay the heat

grandiose

a grandiose plan to upgrade the entire interstate highway system in 10 years

gregarious

a gregarious child who ran up to every person on the playground and wanted to be their friend

quiescent

a group of quiescent loungers recovering from the Thanksgiving feast

coalesce

a group of young reformers who gradually coalesced into a political movement

forbidding

a harsh and forbidding landscape (forbid)

recalcitrant

a heart-to-heart talk with the recalcitrant youth revealed that he had a troubled life at home

lurid

a lurid tale of violence and betrayal

dogmatism

a man much given to inflexible dogmatism when it came to the role of government in regulating the economy (dogma)

layperson

a meeting between clergy and laypeople

momentous

a momentous decision

multifaceted

a multifaceted approach to health care

munificent

a munificent host who has presided over many charitable events at his mansion

tyranny

a nation ruled by tyranny

paradigm

a new study that challenges the current evolutionary paradigm

advocate

a passionate advocate of civil rights

intractable

a patient experiencing intractable pain

paucity

a paucity of useful answers to the problem of traffic congestion at rush hour

peevish

a peevish old man

histrionic

a penchant for dish throwing, door slamming, and other histrionic displays of temper

penchant

a penchant for sitting by the window and staring moodily off into space

guile

a person so full of guile he can't even be trusted to give you the correct time of day

derelict

adjective: (of a person) not doing one's duties Synonyms : delinquent , neglectful , remiss The teacher was derelict in her duties because she hadn't graded a single student paper in three weeks. noun: (of a building) abandoned At one time the waterfront factories were busy and productive, but now they stand derelict and will be torn down.

mercurial

adjective: (of a person) prone to unexpected and unpredictable changes in mood Synonyms : erratic , fickle , quicksilver The fact that Ella's moods were as mercurial as the weather was problematic for her relationships - it didn't help that she lived in Chicago.

glib

adjective: (of a person) speaking with ease but without sincerity Synonyms : pat , slick I have found that the more glib the salesman, the worse the product.

internecine

adjective: (of conflict) within a group or organization The guerilla group, which had become so powerful as to own the state police, was finally destroyed by an internecine conflict.

lucid

adjective: (of language) transparently clear; easily understandable Synonyms : crystal clear , limpid , luculent , pellucid , perspicuous Though Walters writes about physics and time travel, his writing is always lucid, so readers with little scientific training can understand difficult concepts.

plodding

adjective: (of movement) slow and laborious Synonyms : leaden Charlie may seem to run at a plodding pace, but he is an ultramarathoner, meaning he runs distances of up to 100 miles, and can run for ten hours at a stretch.

unruly

adjective: (of persons) noisy and lacking in restraint or discipline; unwilling to submit to authority Synonyms : boisterous , rambunctious , robustious , rumbustious,disobedient Walk in to any preschool and I am sure that you will find an unruly and chaotic scene - unless it's nap time.

untenable

adjective: (of theories etc) incapable of being defended or justified Synonyms : indefensible With the combination of Kepler's brilliant theories and Galileo's telescopic observations, the old geocentric theory became untenable to most of the educated people in Europe.

inclement

adjective: (of weather) unpleasant, stormy After a week of inclement weather, we finally are able to go outside and enjoy the sun. adjective: used of persons or behavior; showing no mercy Marcus Aurelius, though a fair man, was inclement to Christians during his reign, persecuting them violently.

derivative

adjective: (or a creative product, e.g. music, writing, etc.) not original but drawing on the work of another person Because the movies were utterly derivative of other popular movies, they did well at the box office. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

detrimental

adjective: (sometimes followed by "to") causing harm or injury Synonyms : damaging , prejudicial , prejudicious Many know that smoking is detrimental to your health, but processed sugar in large quantities is equally bad.

ignominious

adjective: (used of conduct or character) deserving or bringing disgrace or shame Synonyms : black , disgraceful , inglorious , opprobrious , shameful Since the politician preached ethics and morality, his texting of revealing photographs was ignominious, bringing shame on both himself and his party.

complicit

adjective: Associated with or participating in an activity, especially one of a questionable nature. While the grand jury cleared the senator of all criminal charges, in the public mind he was still complicit in the corruption.

pristine

adjective: Unspoiled, untouched (usu. of nature) The glacial lake was pristine and we filled our canteens to drink deeply. adjective: Immaculately clean and unused Drill sergeants are known for demanding pristine cabinets, uniforms, and beds, and often make new recruits clean and clean and clean until they meet the expected high standards.

candid

adjective: a straightforward and honest look at something Synonyms : blunt , forthright , frank , free-spoken , outspoken , plainspoken , point-blank , straight-from-the-shoulder Even with a perfect stranger, Charles was always candid and would rarely hold anything back.

derisive

adjective: abusing vocally; expressing contempt or ridicule Synonyms : gibelike , jeering , mocking , taunting I was surprised by her derisive tone; usually, she is sweet, soft spoken, and congenial.

perspicacious

adjective: acutely insightful and wise Synonyms : sagacious , sapient Many modern observers regard Eisenhower as perspicacious, particularly in his accurate prediction of the growth of the military.

unequivocal

adjective: admitting of no doubt or misunderstanding; having only one meaning or interpretation and leading to only one conclusion Synonyms : unambiguous , univocal The President's first statement on the subject was vague and open to competing interpretations, so when he spoke to Congress about the same subject later, he was cafeful to make his position completely unequivocal.

genial

adjective: agreeable, conducive to comfort Synonyms : kind Betty is a genial young woman: everyone she meets is put at ease by her elegance and grace.

hoary

adjective: ancient Synonyms : rusty Most workout gurus are young, fit people, whereas most yoga gurus are hoary men with long white beards.

becoming

adjective: appropriate, and matches nicely Synonyms : comely , comme il faut , decent , decorous , seemly Her dress was becoming and made her look even more beautiful. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

facile

adjective: arrived at without due care or effort; lacking depth Many news shows provide facile explanations to complex politics, so I prefer to read the in-depth reporting of The New York Times.

overweening

adjective: arrogant; presumptuous Synonyms : excessive , extravagant , exuberant,uppity Mark was so convinced of his basketball skills that in his overweening pride he could not fathom that his name was not on the varsity list; he walked up to the basketball coach and told her she had forgotten to add his name.

factitious

adjective: artificial; not natural The defendant's story was largely factitious and did not accord with eyewitness testimonies

tempestuous

adjective: as if driven by turbulent or conflicting emotions; highly energetic and wildly changing or fluctuating Synonyms : angry , furious , raging , wild Chuck and Kathy had always been stable and agreeable people on their own, but when they got involved, it was a tempestuous relationship.

obsequious

adjective: attentive in an ingratiating or servile manner; attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery Synonyms : bootlicking , fawning , sycophantic , toadyish The obsequious waiter did not give the couple a moment's peace all through the meal, constantly returning to their table to refill their water glasses and to tell them what a handsome pair they made.

doughty

adjective: brave; bold; courageous I enjoy films in which a doughty group comes together to battle a force of evil.

forthcoming

adjective: available when required or as promised Synonyms : approaching , coming , upcoming The President announced that the senators were about to reach a compromise, and that he was eager to read the forthcoming details of the bill. adjective: at ease in talking to others Synonyms : extroverted , outgoing As a husband, Larry was not forthcoming: if Jill didn't demand to know details, Larry would never share them with her.

evasive

adjective: avoiding or escaping from difficulty or danger or commitment His responses were clearly evasive; he obviously did not want to take on any responsibility or any new work. adjective: deliberately vague or ambiguous Every time I call the bank, I receive the same evasive answers about our mortgage and never get a clear response.

economical

adjective: avoiding waste, efficient Synonyms : frugal , scotch , sparing , stinting Journalists favor an economical style of writing, in which no unnecessary words are used and every sentence is as short as possible.

arbitrary

adjective: based on a random, groundless decision One of the arbitrary decrees in place during the emperor's rule is that all citizens pay him weekly homage at his palace. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

specious

adjective: based on pretense; deceptively pleasing, حسن المظهر Synonyms : gilded , meretricious Almost every image on TV is specious and not to be trusted. adjective: plausible but false, مزيف Synonyms : spurious He made a career out of specious arguments and fictional lab results, but lost his job and reputation when his lies were exposed by an article in The New York Times.

chivalrous

adjective: being attentive to women like an ideal knight Synonyms : gallant , knightly Marco's chivalrous ways, like opening doors and pulling out chairs, was much appreciated by his date.

impertinent

adjective: being disrespectful; improperly forward or bold Synonyms : fresh , impudent , overbold , sassy , saucy , smart , wise Dexter, distraught over losing his pet dachshund, Madeline, found the police officer's questions impertinent - after all, he thought, did she have to pry into such details as to what Madeline's favorite snack was? (adj) not pertinent to the matter under consideration Synonyms : extraneous , immaterial , orthogonal

tantamount

adjective: being essentially equal to something Synonyms : equivalent In many situations, remaining silent is tantamount to admitting guilt, so speak to prove your innocence.

rudimentary

adjective: being in the earliest stages of development; being or involving basic facts or principles Synonyms : fundamental , underlying I would love to be able to present a fully polished proposal to the board, but right now, our plans for the product are still in the most rudimentary stages.

coterminous

adjective: being of equal extent or scope or duration Synonyms : coextensive , conterminous The border of the state is coterminous with geographic limits on travel; the east and north are surrounded by a nearly uncrossable river and the south by a desert.

apocryphal

adjective: being of questionable authenticity The web is notorious for sandwiching apocryphal stories between actual news.

moribund

adjective: being on the point of death; declining rapidly losing all momentum in progress Synonyms : stagnant Whether you like it or not, jazz as a genre is moribund at best, possibly already dead.

mordant

adjective: biting and caustic in thought, manner, or style Synonyms : caustic , corrosive , erosive , vitriolic,black , grim While Phil frequently made mordant remarks about company policy overall, he always was considerably gentler in discussing any person in particular.

beatific

adjective: blissfully happy Synonyms : angelic , angelical , sainted , saintlike , saintly Often we imagine all monks to wear the beatific smile of the Buddha, but, like any of us, a monk can have a bad day and not look very happy.

peremptory

adjective: bossy and domineering Synonyms : autocratic , bossy , dominating , high-and-mighty , magisterial My sister used to peremptorily tell me to do the dishes, a chore I would either do perfunctorily or avoid doing altogether.

crestfallen

adjective: brought low in spirit Synonyms : chapfallen , chopfallen , deflated I asked Maria on a date and she refused without a moment's thought; I was crestfallen.

serene

adjective: calm and peaceful Synonyms : tranquil , unagitated I'd never seen him so serene; usually, he was a knot of stress and anxiety from hours of trading on the stock exchange.

malleable

adjective: capable of being shaped or bent or drawn out Synonyms : ductile , pliable , pliant , tensile , tractile The clay became malleable and easy to work with after a little water was added. adjective: easily influenced Synonyms : ductile My little brother is so malleable that I can convince him to sneak cookies from the cupboard for me.

provident

adjective: careful in regard to your own interests; providing carefully for the future In a move that hardly could be described as provident, Bert spend his entire savings on a luxurious cruise, knowing that other bills would come due a couple months later.

nettlesome

adjective: causing irritation or annoyance Synonyms : annoying , bothersome , galling , irritating , pesky , pestering , pestiferous , plaguey , plaguy , teasing , vexatious , vexing Maria found her coworker's cell phone nettlesome, because every few minutes it would buzz to life with another text message.

chary

adjective: cautious, suspiciously reluctant to do something Synonyms : cagey , cagy Having received three speeding tickets in the last two months, Jack was chary of driving at all above the speed limit, even on a straight stretch of highway that looked empty for miles ahead.

autocratic

adjective: characteristic of an absolute ruler or absolute rule; having absolute sovereignty Synonyms : authoritarian , despotic , dictatorial , tyrannic , tyrannical The last true autocratic country is certainly North Korea; nowhere does a leader exercise the absolute control over all aspects of a people the way that Kim Jong-un does. adjective: offensively self-assured or given to exercising usually unwarranted power Synonyms : bossy , dominating , high-and-mighty , magisterial , peremptory The manager was finally fired for his autocratic leadership, which often bordered on rude and offensive.

belligerent

adjective: characteristic of one eager to fight Synonyms : aggressive Tom said that he was arguing the matter purely for philosophical reasons, but his belligerent tone indicated an underlying anger about the issue.

rustic

adjective: characteristic of rural life; awkwardly simple and provincial Synonyms : countrified , countryfied,bumpkinly , hick , unsophisticated The vacation cabin had no electricity and no indoor plumbing, but despite these inconveniences, Nigel adored its rustic charm.

provincial

adjective: characteristic of the a limited perspective; not fashionable or sophisticated Maggie's enthusiasm about her high school teams seemed provincial to her college classmates, all of whom were following a nationally ranked college team.

diligent

adjective: characterized by care and perseverance in carrying out tasks Synonyms : persevering Michael was a diligent gardener, never leaving a leaf on the ground and regularly watering each plant.

staid

adjective: characterized by dignity and propriety Synonyms : sedate Frank came from a staid environment, so he was shocked that his college roommate sold narcotics.

forthright

adjective: characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion Synonyms : blunt , candid , frank , free-spoken , outspoken , plainspoken , point-blank , straight-from-the-shoulder I did not expect the insurance agent to give us any straight answers, but I was pleasantly surprised by how forthright he was.

laborious

adjective: characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion; especially physical effort Synonyms : arduous , backbreaking , grueling , gruelling , hard , heavy , operose , punishing , toilsome The most laborious job I've had was working 20 hours a day as a fisherman in King Salmon, Alaska.

scrupulous

adjective: characterized by extreme care and great effort Synonyms : conscientious , painstaking Because of his scrupulous nature, Mary put him in charge of numbering and cataloging the entire collection of rare stamps. adjective: having a sense of right and wrong; principled Everyone trusted what he said and followed his example because he was scrupulous and honest.

decorous

adjective: characterized by good taste in manners and conduct Sally's parties are decorous affairs, and instead of the usual beer and music, there is tea and intellectual conversation.

industrious

adjective: characterized by hard work and perseverance Synonyms : hardworking , tireless , untiring Pete was an industrious student, completing every assignment thoroughly and on time.

jocular

adjective: characterized by jokes and good humor Synonyms : jesting , jocose , joking My uncle was always in a jocular mood at family gatherings, messing up people's hair and telling knock-knock jokes to anyone who would listen.

ethereal

adjective: characterized by lightness and insubstantiality Synonyms : aerial , aeriform , aery , airy Because she dances with an ethereal style, ballet critics have called her Madame Butterfly.

precocious

adjective: characterized by or characteristic of exceptionally early development or maturity (especially in mental aptitude) Though only seven years old, she was a precocious chess prodigy, able to beat players twice her age.

impetuous

adjective: characterized by undue haste and lack of thought or deliberation Synonyms : brainish , hotheaded , impulsive , madcap , tearaway Herbert is rarely impetuous, but on the spur of the moment, he spent thousands of dollars on a motorcycle today.

gossamer

adjective: characterized by unusual lightness and delicacy Synonyms : ethereal The gossamer wings of a butterfly, which allow it to fly, are also a curse, so delicate that they are often damaged.

winsome

adjective: charming in a childlike or naive way She was winsome by nature, and many people were drawn to this free and playful spirit.

sanguine

adjective: cheerful; optimistic Synonyms : florid , rubicund , ruddy With the prospect of having to learn 3,000 words during the course of the summer, Paul was anything but sanguine.

limpid

adjective: clarity in terms of expression Synonyms : crystal clear , crystalline , lucid , pellucid , transparent,perspicuous Her limpid prose made even the most recondite subjects accessible to all.

cogent

adjective: clear and persuasive Synonyms : telling , weighty A cogent argument will change the minds of even the most skeptical audience.

facetious

adjective: cleverly amusing in tone Synonyms : bantering , tongue-in-cheek Facetious behavior will not be tolerated during sex eduation class; it's time for all of you to treat these matters like mature adults.

impending

adjective: close in time; about to occur Synonyms : at hand , close at hand , imminent , impendent The impending doom of our world has been a discussed and debated for 2000 years - maybe even longer.

relevant

adjective: closely connected to the topic and therefore important I think Professor McGarry can give you some relevant books to help you write that essay.

maladroit

adjective: clumsy Syn: bumbling, gauche, unskillful As a child she was quite maladroit, but as an adult, she has become an adept dancer. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

involved

adjective: complicated, and difficult to comprehend Synonyms : byzantine , convoluted , knotty , tangled , tortuous The physics lecture became so involved that the undergraduate's eyes glazed over.

eclectic

adjective: comprised of a variety of styles Joey was known for his eclectic tastes in music, one moment dancing to disco the next "air conducting" along to Beethoven's 9th symphony.

cosmopolitan

adjective: comprising many cultures; global in reach and outlook Synonyms : ecumenical , general , oecumenical , universal , world-wide , worldwide There are few cities in the world as diverse and cosmopolitan as New York.

aesthetic

adjective: concerned with the appreciation of beauty Synonyms : aesthetical , esthetic , esthetical The director, not known for his aesthetic sensibilities, decided not to use costumes at all, and put on the play in everyday clothing. noun: a set of principles underlying and guiding the work of a particular artist or artistic movement. The artist operated according to a peculiar aesthetic, not considering any photograph to be worth publishing unless it contained a marine mammal.

pithy

adjective: concise and full of meaning Synonyms : sententious I enjoy reading the Daodejing for its pithy and insightful prose; it always gives me something to think about.

esoteric

adjective: confined to and understandable by only an enlightened inner circle Map collecting is an esoteric hobby to most, but to geography geeks it is a highly enjoyable pasttime.

equivocal

adjective: confusing or ambiguous The findings of the study were equivocal - the two researchers had different opinions on what the results signified.

vociferous

adjective: conspicuously and offensively loud; given to vehement outcry Synonyms : blatant , clamant , clamorous , strident In giving Marcia a particular vociferous response, Paul caused people at every other table in the restaurant to turn around an look at them angrily.

discrete

adjective: constituting a separate entity or part Synonyms : distinct What was once known as Czechoslovakia has since split into two discrete, independent nations.

complacent

adjective: contented to a fault with oneself or one's actions Synonyms : self-complacent , self-satisfied After the water polo team won their sixth championship, they became complacent and didn't even make it to the playoffs the next year.

illicit

adjective: contrary to or forbidden by law Synonyms : illegitimate , outlaw , outlawed , unlawful Though Al Capone was engaged in many illicit activities, he was finally arrested for income tax evasion, a relatively minor offense.

unprepossessing

adjective: creating an unfavorable or neutral first impression Synonyms : unpresentable World leaders coming to meet Gandhi would expect a towering sage, and often would be surprised by the unprepossessing little man dressed only in a loincloth and shawl.

cumbersome

adjective: difficult to handle or use especially because of size or weight Synonyms : cumbrous Only ten years ago, being an avid reader and a traveler meant carrying a cumbersome backpack stuffed with books--these days we need only an e-reader.

inimitable

adjective: defying imitation; matchless Mozart's music follows a clear pattern that, anyone could imitate, but his music gives an overall sense of effortlessness that is inimitable.

iconoclastic

adjective: defying tradition or convention Jackson Pollack was an iconoclastic artist, totally breaking with tradition by splashing paint on a blank canvas.

arduous

adjective: demanding considerable mental effort and skill; testing powers of endurance Synonyms : straining , strenuous In order to deal with the arduous cross-country journey, truck drivers often survive on a string of caffeinated drinks, staying awake for up to 30 hours at a time.

stringent

adjective: demanding strict attention to rules and procedures Synonyms : rigorous , tight Most of the students disliked the teacher because of his stringent homework policy, but many students would later thank him for demanding so much from them.

stalwart

adjective: dependable; inured to fatigue or hardships Synonyms : stout,hardy ,sturdy Despite all the criticism directed at the President during this scandal, Lisa has remained his stalwart supporter.

scintillating

adjective: describes someone who is brilliant and lively Synonyms : aglitter , coruscant , fulgid , glinting , glistering , glittering , glittery , scintillant , sparkly, bubbling , effervescent , frothy Richard Feynman was renowned for his scintillating lectures—the arcana of quantum physics was made lucid as he wrote animatedly on the chalkboard.

convivial

adjective: describing a lively atmosphere The wedding reception was convivial; friends who hadn't seen each other for ages drank and ate together before heading to the dance floor.

implausible

adjective: describing a statement that is not believable Synonyms : farfetched The teacher found it implausible that the student was late to school because he had been kidnapped by outlaws on horseback.

pyrrhic

adjective: describing a victory that comes at such a great cost that the victory is not worthwhile George W. Bush's win in the 2000 election was in many ways a pyrrhic victory: the circumstances of his win alienated half of the U.S. population.

elusive

adjective: difficult to capture or difficult to remember Synonyms : baffling , knotty , problematic , problematical , tough Many first time skydivers say that describing the act of falling from the sky is elusive.

creditable

adjective: deserving of praise but not that amazing Critics agreed the movie was creditable, but few gave it more than three out of five stars.

capricious

adjective: determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason Synonyms : impulsive , whimsical Nearly every month our capricious CEO had a new plan to turn the company around, and none of them worked because we never gave them the time they needed to succeed.

whimsical

adjective: determined by impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason Synonyms : capricious , impulsive Adults look to kids and envy their whimsical nature at times, wishing that they could act without reason and play without limitation.

vacuous

adjective: devoid of intelligence, matter, or significance Synonyms : asinine , fatuous , inane , mindless,empty , hollow To the journalist's pointed question, the senator gave a vacuous response, mixing a few of his overall campaign slogans with platitudes and completely avoiding the controversial subject of the question.

recondite

adjective: difficult to penetrate; incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge Synonyms : abstruse , deep I found Ulysses recondite and never finished the book, waiting instead to read it with someone else so we could penetrate its meaning together.

abstruse

adjective: difficult to understand; incomprehensible Synonyms : deep , recondite Physics textbooks can seem so abstruse to the uninitiated that readers feel as though they are looking at hieroglyphics.

disaffected

adjective: discontented as toward authority Synonyms : ill-affected , malcontent , rebellious After watching his superior take rations from the soliders, he quickly became disaffected and rebeled.

ignoble

adjective: dishonorable Synonyms : ungentle , untitled In the 1920s, the World Series was rigged--an ignoble act which baseball took decades to recover from.

impermeable

adjective: does not allow fluids to pass through The sand bags placed on the river formed an impermeable barrier, protecting the town from flooding.

hegemony

adjective: dominance over a certain area Until the Spanish Armada was defeated in 1587, Spain had hegemony over the seas, controlling waters stretching as far as the Americas.

preemptive

adjective: done before someone else can do it Just as Martha was about to take the only cookie left on the table, Noah preemptively swiped it.

sedulous

adjective: done diligently and carefully Synonyms : assiduous An avid numismatist, Harold sedulously amassed a collection of coins from over 100 countries - an endeavor that took over fifteen years, and to five continents.

perfunctory

adjective: done routinely and with little interest or care Synonyms : casual , cursory , passing The short film examines modern perfunctory cleaning rituals such as washing dishes, doing laundry and tooth-brushing.

precipitous

adjective: done with very great haste and without due deliberation Synonyms : hasty , overhasty , precipitant , precipitate He was expecting a precipitous rise in the value of a "hot" tech stock, so he was disappointed when it only inched up a dollar or two each day.

humdrum

adjective: dull and lacking excitement Synonyms : commonplace , prosaic , unglamorous , unglamourous,monotonous Having grown up in a humdrum suburb, Jacob relished life in New York City after moving.

prosaic

adjective: dull and lacking imagination Synonyms : earthbound , pedestrian , prosy,commonplace , humdrum , unglamorous , unglamourous Unlike the talented artists in his workshop, Paul had no such bent for the visual medium, so when it was time for him to make a stained glass painting, he ended up with a prosaic mosaic.

insipid

adjective: dull and uninteresting Synonyms : bland , flat , flavorless , flavourless , savorless , savourless , vapid The movie director was known for hiring beautiful actors in order to deflect attention away from the insipid scripts he would typically use.

jejune

adjective: dull; lacking flavor Synonyms : insubstantial,insipid Although many top chefs have secured culinary foam's popularity in haute cuisine, Waters criticizes it for being jejune and unfilling. adjective: immature; childish Synonyms : adolescent , juvenile , puerile Her boss further cemented his reuptation for being jejune after throwing a fit when the water cooler wasn't refilled.

pugnacious

adjective: eager to fight or argue; verbally combative The comedian told one flat joke after another, and when the audience started booing, he pugnaciously spat back at them, "Hey, you think this is easy - why don't you buffoons give it a shot?"

venial

adjective: easily excused or forgiven; pardonable Synonyms : excusable , forgivable His traffic violations ran the gamut from the venial to the egregious - on one occasion he simply did not come to a complete stop; another time he tried to escape across state lines at speeds in excess of 140 mph.

docile

adjective: easily handled or managed; willing to be taught or led or supervised or directed Synonyms : gentle Barnyard animals are considerably more docile than the wild animals.

petulant

adjective: easily irritated or annoyed Synonyms : cranky , fractious , irritable , nettlesome , peckish , peevish , pettish , scratchy , techy , testy , tetchy When Ed first met Ruth, he didn't realize she was so petulant, but now that they are three months into their relationship, Ed feels a day doesn't go by in which she isn't whining about some minor issue.

peevish

adjective: easily irritated or annoyed Synonyms : cranky , fractious , irritable , nettlesome , peckish , pettish , petulant , scratchy , techy , testy , tetchy Our office manager is peevish, so the rest of us tip-toe around him, hoping not to set off another one of his fits.

amenable

adjective: easily persuaded Synonyms : conformable , tractable Even though she did not like the outdoors, Shirley was generally amenable and so her brother was able to persuade her to go camping.

sentimental

adjective: effusively or insincerely emotional, especially in art, music, and literature Synonyms : bathetic , drippy , hokey , kitschy , maudlin , mawkish , mushy , schmaltzy , schmalzy , slushy , soppy , soupy I don't like romanticism for the same reason I don't like melodramatic acting and soap operas - overly sentimental.

cadaverous

adjective: emaciated; gaunt Synonyms : bony ,haggard , pinched , skeletal , wasted Some actors take challenging roles in which they have to lose so much weight that they appear cadaverous.

poignant

adjective: emotionally touching Synonyms : affecting , touching After the Montagues and Capulets discover the dead bodies of Romeo and Juliet, in the play's most poignant moment, the two griefstricken familes agree to end their feud once and for all. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

complementary

adjective: enhancing each other's qualities (for two things or more). Synonyms : complemental , completing The head waiter was careful to tell the amateur diners that red wine was complementary with beef, each bringing out subtle taste notes in the other.

edifying

adjective: enlightening or uplifting so as to encourage intellectual or moral improvement Synonyms : enlightening I recently read an article in the Times about whether good literature is edifying or not; specifically, does reading more make a person more moral.

pernicious

adjective: exceedingly harmful; working or spreading in a hidden and injurious way Synonyms : baneful , deadly , pestilent,insidious , subtle The most successful viruses are pernicious: an infected person may feel perfectly healthy for several months while incubating and spreading the virus.

hagiographic

adjective: excessively flattering toward someone's life or work Most accounts of Tiger Woods life were hagiographic, until, that is, his affairs made headlines.

presumptuous

adjective: excessively forward Synonyms : assuming , assumptive Many felt that Barney was presumptuous in moving into the large office before the management even made any official announcement of his promotion

avaricious

adjective: excessively greedy Synonyms : covetous , grabby , grasping , greedy , prehensile Since avaricious desire is similar to gluttony or lust--sins of excess-it was listed as one of the seven deadly sins by the Catholic church.

lugubrious

adjective: excessively mournful At the funeral, lugubrious songs filled the small church.

artful

adjective: exhibiting artistic skill Picasso is generally considered the most artful member of the Cubist movement. adjective: clever in a cunning way Bernie Madoff's artful Ponzi scheme stole billions of dollars from investors and is considered the largest financial fraud in U.S. history.

dictatorial

adjective: expecting unquestioning obedience; characteristic of an absolute ruler Synonyms : authoritarian , overbearing,authoritarian , autocratic , despotic , tyrannic , tyrannical The coach was dictatorial in his approach: no players could ever argue or question his approach.

derogative

adjective: expressed as worthless or in negative terms Synonyms : derogatory , disparaging Never before have we seen a debate between two political candidates that was so derogative and filthy.

pejorative

adjective: expressing disapproval (usu. refers to a term) Synonyms : dislogistic , dyslogistic Most psychologists object to the pejorative term "shrink", believing that they expand the human mind, not limit it. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

abysmal

adjective: extremely bad Synonyms : abyssal , unfathomable Coach Ramsey took his newest player off the field after watching a few painful minutes of her abysmal performance.

inflammable

adjective: extremely controversial, incendiary It only takes one person to leave an inflammable comment on an Internet thread for that thread to blow up into pages upon pages of reader indignation.

parsimonious

adjective: extremely frugal; miserly Synonyms : penurious Katie is so parsimonious that she only buys a pair of socks if all of her other socks have holes in them.

ravenous

adjective: extremely hungry; devouring or craving food in great quantities Synonyms : esurient , famished , sharp-set , starved,edacious , esurient , rapacious , ravening , voracious , wolfish John didn't eat much at all during the week he had the flu, so now that he is regaining his health, it's not surprising that he has a ravenous appetite.

Pollyannaish

adjective: extremely optimistic Synonyms : cheerful , upbeat Even in the midst of a lousy sales quarter, Debbie remained Pollyannaish, never losing her shrill voice and wide smile, even when prospective customers hung up on her.

excruciating

adjective: extremely painful Synonyms : agonising , agonizing , harrowing , torturesome , torturing , torturous After the boulder rolled a couple of feet, pinning my friend's arm, he experienced excruciating pain.

equitable

adjective: fair to all parties as dictated by reason and conscience Synonyms : just The equitable distribution of ice cream to a group of 5 year olds will ensure little to no fighting - at least until the ice cream is gone.

benighted

adjective: fallen into a state of ignorance Synonyms : nighted,dark Far from being a period of utter benightedness, The Medieval Ages produced some great works of theological speculation.

auspicious

adjective: favorable, the opposite of sinister Despite an auspicious beginning, Mike's road trip became a series of mishaps, and he was soon stranded and penniless, leaning against his wrecked automobile.

intrepid

adjective: fearless Synonyms : audacious , brave , dauntless , fearless , hardy , unfearing Captain Ahab was an intrepid captain whose reckless and fearless style ultimate leads to his downfall.

indignant

adjective: feeling anger over a perceived injustice Synonyms : incensed , outraged , umbrageous When the cyclist swerved into traffic, it forced the driver to brake and elicited an indignant shout of "Hey, punk, watch where you're going!"

reverent

adjective: feeling or showing profound respect or veneration Synonyms : godly , worshipful The professor could speak objectively about the other composers, but he always lectured about Brahms with a particularly reverent air, unable to offer a single criticism of his compositions.

vicarious

adjective: felt or undergone as if one were taking part in the experience or feelings of another The advent of twitter is a celebrity stalker's dream, as he or she can - through hundreds of intimate "tweets" - vicariously live the life of a famous person.

mettlesome

adjective: filled with courage or valor Synonyms : game , gamey , gamy , gritty , spirited , spunky For its raid on the Bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Seal Team Six has become, for many Americans, the embodiment of mettle.

doleful

adjective: filled with or evoking sadness Synonyms : mournful No event is more doleful than the passing of my mother; she was a shining star in my life, and it brings me great sadness to think that she is now gone.

staunch

adjective: firm and dependable especially in loyalty Synonyms : steadfast , unswerving No longer a staunch supporter of the movement, Todd now will openly question whether its goals are worthwhile.

entrenched

adjective: fixed firmly or securely By the time we reach 60-years old, most of our habits are so entrenched that it is difficult for us to change.

quotidian

adjective: found in the ordinary course of events Synonyms : everyday , mundane , routine , unremarkable , workaday Phil gets so involved thinking about Aristotle's arguments that he totally forgets quotidian concerns, such as exercising and eating regularly.

precarious

adjective: fraught with danger Synonyms : parlous , perilous , touch-and-go People smoke to relax and forget their cares, but ironically, in terms of health risks, smoking is far more precarious than either mountain-climbing or skydiving.

impartial

adjective: free from undue bias or preconceived opinions Synonyms : unprejudiced The judge was not impartial since he had been bribed by the witness's family.

guileless

adjective: free of deceit Synonyms : transparent At first I thought my niece was guileless, but I then found myself buying her ice cream every time we passed a shop.

unimpeachable

adjective: free of guilt; not subject to blame; beyond doubt or reproach Synonyms : blameless , inculpable , irreproachable After his long and unimpeachable service to the company, Sharat felt that a gold watch was a slap in the face rather than an honor.

amiable

adjective: friendly Synonyms : affable , cordial , genial Amy's name was very apt: she was so amiable that she was twice voted class president.

jubilant

adjective: full of high-spirited delight because of triumph or success Synonyms : exultant , exulting , prideful , rejoicing , triumphal , triumphant,elated , gleeful , joyful My hardwork paid off, and I was jubilant to receive a perfect score on the GRE.

jovial

adjective: full of or showing high-spirited merriment, i.e. happiness Synonyms : gay , jocund , jolly , merry , mirthful The political candidate and his supporters were jovial once it was clear that she had won.

garrulous

adjective: full of trivial conversation Synonyms : chatty , gabby , loquacious , talkative , talky Lynne was garrulous: once, she had a fifteen minute conversation with a stranger before she realized the woman didn't speak English.

cavalier

adjective: given to haughty disregard of others Synonyms : high-handed Percy dismissed the issue with a cavalier wave of his hand.

patent

adjective: glaringly obvious Synonyms : apparent , evident , manifest , plain , unmistakable Since the book had been through no fewer than six proof runs, the staff was shocked to see such a patent spelling mistake remaining, right in the middle of the front cover! This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

adequate

adjective: good enough for what you need Synonyms : decent , enough A very light jacket will be adequate for Los Angeles's warm winter.

inveterate

adjective: habitual Synonyms : chronic He is an inveterate smoker and has told his family and friends that there is no way he will ever quit.

querulous

adjective: habitually complaining Synonyms : fretful , whiney , whiny The querulous old woman was begining to wear down even the happier members of the staff with her ceaseless complaining.

taciturn

adjective: habitually reserved and uncommunicative While the CEO enthusiastically shares his plans and agenda with all who will listen, the CFO is far more taciturn, rarely revealing his perspective.

inadvertent

adjective: happening by chance or unexpectedly or unintentionally Synonyms : accidental Although Prohibition was rooted in noble ideals, the inadvertent and costly consequences of making alcohol illegal in the U.S. led its the repeal.

deleterious

adjective: harmful to living things Synonyms : hurtful , injurious The BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was deleterious to the fishing industry in the southern states.

innocuous

adjective: harmless and doesn't produce any ill effects Synonyms : innocent Everyone found Nancy's banter innocuous - except for Mike, who felt like she was intentionally picking on him.

acerbic

adjective: harsh in tone Synonyms : acerb , acid , acrid , bitter , blistering , caustic , sulfurous , sulphurous , virulent , vitriolic Most movie critics are acerbic towards summer blockbusters, often referring to them as garbage.

vitriolic

adjective: harsh or corrosive in tone Synonyms : acerb , acerbic , acid , acrid , bitter , blistering , caustic , sulfurous , sulphurous , virulent While the teacher was more moderate in her criticism of the other student's papers, she was vitriolic toward Peter's paper, casting every flaw in the harshest light.

germane

adjective: relevant and appropriate The professor wanted to tell the jury in detail about his new book, but the lawyer said it wasn't germane to the charges in the cases.

precipitate

adjective: hasty or rash Synonyms : hasty , overhasty , precipitant , precipitous Instead of conducting a thorough investigation after the city hall break-in, the governor acted precipitately, accusing his staff of aiding and abetting the criminals. verb: to cause to happen The government's mishandling the hurricane's aftermath precipitated a widespread outbreak of looting and other criminal activity. This word has other definitions but these are the most important ones to study

supercilious

adjective: haughty and disdainful; looking down on others Synonyms : disdainful , haughty , imperious , lordly , overbearing , prideful , sniffy , swaggering Nelly felt the Quiz Bowl director acted superciliously towards the underclassmen; really, she fumed, must he act so preternaturally omniscient each time he intones some obscure fact - as though everybody knows that Mt. Aconcagua is the highest peak in South America.

bleak

adjective: having a depressing or gloomy outlook Synonyms : bare , barren , desolate , stark Unremitting overcast skies tend to lead people to create bleak literature and lugubrious music - compare England's band Radiohead to any band from Southern California.

truculent

adjective: having a fierce, savage nature Standing in line for six hours, she became progressively truculent, yelling at DMV employees and elbowing other people waiting in line.

convoluted

adjective: highly complex or intricate Synonyms : byzantine , involved , knotty , tangled , tortuous Instead of solving the math problem in three simple steps, Kumar used a convoluted solution requiring fifteen steps.

debonair

adjective: having a sophisticated charm Synonyms : debonaire , debonnaire , suave James Bond is known for his good looks, high tech gadgets, and debonair manner.

piquant

adjective: having an agreeably pungent taste Synonyms : savory , savoury , spicy , zesty The chef, with a mere flick of the salt shaker, turned the bland tomato soup into a piquant meal.

malodorous

adjective: having an unpleasant smell Synonyms : ill-smelling , malodourous , stinky , unpleasant-smelling Some thermally active fountains spew sulfur fumes--the air around them is sometimes so malodorous that many have to plug their noses.

sagacious

adjective: having good judgement and acute insight Synonyms : perspicacious , sapient Steve Jobs is surely one of the most sagacious CEOs, making Apple the most recognizable and valuable companies in the world.

unprecedented

adjective: having never been done or known before; novel When America first created its national parks, the idea of setting aside the most beautiful land in a country was unprecedented in the history of mankind.

incisive

adjective: having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions Synonyms : acute , discriminating , keen , knifelike , penetrating , penetrative , piercing , sharp The lawyer had an incisive mind, able in a flash to dissect a hopelessly tangled issue and isolate the essential laws at play.

stolid

adjective: having or revealing little emotion or sensibility; not easily aroused or excited Synonyms : impassive Elephants may appear stolid to casual observers, but they actually have passionate emotional lives.

consummate

adjective: having or revealing supreme mastery or skill Synonyms : masterful , masterly , virtuoso Tyler was the consummate musician: he was able to play the guitar, harmonica, and the drum at the same time. verb: to make perfect and complete in every respect The restoration of the ancient church was only consummated after a twenty years of labor. This word has other definitions but these are the most important ones to study

dogmatic

adjective: highly opinionated, not accepting that your belief may not be correct Bryan is dogmatic in his belief that the earth is flat, claiming that all pictures of a spherical earth are computer generated.

imperious

adjective: having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy Synonyms : disdainful , haughty , lordly , overbearing , prideful , sniffy , supercilious , swaggering Children are imperious with each other before they learn that earning someone's respect is better than demanding.

haughty

adjective: having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy Synonyms : disdainful , imperious , lordly , overbearing , prideful , sniffy , supercilious , swaggering The haughty manager didn't believe that any of his subordinates could ever have an insight as brilliant his own.

erudite

adjective: having or showing profound knowledge Synonyms : learned Before the Internet, the library was typically were you would find erudite readers.

pertinent

adjective: having precise or logical relevance to the matter at hand Synonyms : apposite , apt While the salaries of the players might draw attention in the media, such monetary figures are not pertinent to the question of who plays the best on the field.

vaunted

adjective: highly or widely praised or boasted about For years, they had heard of New York City's vaunted skyline, and when they finally saw it, the spectacular cityscape did not disappoint them in the least.

percipient

adjective: highly perceptive Synonyms : clear Even the most percipient editor will make an occasional error when proofreading.

eccentric

adjective: highly unconventional or unusual (usually describes a person) Synonyms : eccentric person , flake , geek , oddball Mozart was well-known for his eccentricities, often speaking words backward to confuse those around him.

inimical

adjective: hostile (usually describes conditions or environments) Synonyms : unfriendly Venus, with a surface temperature that would turn rubber to liquid, is inimical to any form of life.

ribald

adjective: humorously vulgar Synonyms : bawdy , off-color The speaker was famous for his ribald humor, but the high school principal asked him to keep the talk G-rated when he spoke to the student body.

boorish

adjective: ill-mannered and coarse or contemptible in behavior or appearance Synonyms : loutish , neandertal , neanderthal , oafish , swinish Bukowski was known for being a boorish drunk and alienating close friends and family.

morose

adjective: ill-tempered and not inclined to talk; gloomy Synonyms : dark , dour , glowering , glum , moody , saturnine , sour , sullen After Stanley found out he was no longer able to go on vacation with his friends, he sat in his room morosely.

phantasmagorical

adjective: illusive; unreal Synonyms : phantasmagoric , surreal , surrealistic Those suffering from malaria fall into a feverish sleep, their world a whirligig of phantasmagoria; if they recover, they are unsure of what actually took place and what was simply a product of their febrile imaginations.

impregnable

adjective: immune to attack; incapable of being tampered with Synonyms : inviolable , secure , strong , unassailable , unattackable As a child, Amy would build pillow castles and pretend they were impregnable fotresses.

irrefutable

adjective: impossible to deny or disprove Synonyms : incontrovertible , positive The existence of life on earth is irrefutable; the existence of intelligent life on earth is still hotly debated.

imponderable

adjective: impossible to estimate or figure out According to many lawmakers, the huge variety of factors affecting society make devising an efficient healthcare system an imponderable task.

inexorable

adjective: impossible to stop or prevent Synonyms : adamant , adamantine , intransigent The rise of the computer was an inexorable shift in technology and culture.

impudent

adjective: improperly forward or bold Synonyms : arch, audacious, bold, bold-faced, brash, brassbound, brassy, brazen, brazen-faced, cheeky, cocksure, cocky, fresh, impertinent, nervy, insolent, sassy, saucy, wise In an impudent move, the defendant spoke out of order to say terribly insulting things to the judge.

copious

adjective: in abundant supply Synonyms : ample , plenteous , plentiful , rich, voluminous In midsummer, there are copious popiscle stands at the beach; in the winter, there are none.

embryonic

adjective: in an early stage of development Synonyms : embryotic, embryologic , embryonal The Board of Directors is hoping to launch a new product soon, but planning for the Z7 is in an embryonic stages. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

subversive

adjective: in opposition to a civil authority or government Synonyms : insurgent , seditious The ruling political party has begun a campaign to shut down subversive websites that it deems as a threat to "national safety."

dilapidated

adjective: in terrible condition Synonyms : bedraggled , broken-down , derelict , ramshackle , tatterdemalion , tumble-down The main house has been restored but the gazebo is still dilapidated and unuseable.

irrevocable

adjective: incapable of being retracted or revoked Synonyms : irrevokable Once you enter your plea to the court, it is irrevocable so think carefully about what you will say.

implacable

adjective: incapable of making less angry or hostile Win or lose, the coach was always implacable, never giving the athletes an easy practice or a break.

sordid

adjective: involving ignoble actions and motives; arousing moral distaste and contempt; foul and run-down and repulsive Synonyms : seamy , seedy , sleazy , squalid,flyblown The nightly news simply announced that the senator had had an affair, but the tabloid published all the sordid details of the interaction. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

surly

adjective: inclined to anger or bad feelings with overtones of menace Synonyms : ugly Every morning, Bhavin was a surly unhappy person, but once he ate breakfast, he became loving, laughing, and a joy to be around.

soporific

adjective: inducing mental lethargy; sleep inducing Synonyms : hypnagogic , hypnogogic , somniferous , somnific , soporiferous,narcotic Although the professor is brilliant, his bland monotone gives his lectures a soporific effect.

redoubtable

adjective: inspiring fear or awe Synonyms : formidable , unnerving On television basketball players don't look that tall, but when you stand in front of a seven-foot tall NBA player, he is truly redoubtable.

didactic

adjective: instructive (especially excessively) Synonyms : didactical Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Illyich is a didactic novel, instructing the reader on how to live a good life.

prolific

adjective: intellectually productive Synonyms : fecund , fertile Schubert was the most prolific composer, producing hundreds of hours of music before he died at the age of 31.

ostentatious

adjective: intended to attract notice and impress others; tawdry or vulgar Synonyms : pretentious Matt wanted to buy stone lions for front of the house, but Cynthia convinced him that such a display would be too ostentatious for a modest house in an unassuming neighborhood.

insufferable

adjective: intolerable, difficult to endure Synonyms : impossible , unacceptable , unsufferable Chester always tried to find some area in which he excelled above others; unsurprisingly, his co-workers found him insufferable and chose to exclude him from daily luncheons out.

byzantine

adjective: intricate and complex Synonyms : convoluted , involved , knotty , tangled , tortuous Getting a driver's license is not simply a matter of taking a test; the regulations and procedures are so byzantine that many have found themselves at the mercy of the Department of Motor Vehicles.

embroiled

adjective: involved in argument or contention Synonyms : entangled These days we are never short of a D.C. politician embroiled in scandal—a welcome phenomenon for those who, having barely finished feasting on the sordid details of one imbroglio, can sink their teeth into a fresh one.

cerebral

adjective: involving intelligence rather than emotions or instinct Synonyms : intellectual A cerebral analysis of most pop music finds it to be simple and childish, but that ignores the point--the music's effect on the listener. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

fractious

adjective: irritable and is likely to cause disruption Synonyms : cranky , irritable , nettlesome , peckish , peevish , pettish , petulant , scratchy , techy , testy , tetchy We rarely invite my fractious Uncle over for dinner; he always complains about the food, and usually launches into a tirade on some touchy subject.

bilious

adjective: irritable; always angry Synonyms : atrabilious , dyspeptic , liverish Rex was bilious all morning, and his face would only take on a look of contentedness when he'd had his morning cup of coffee.

anemic

adjective: lacking energy and vigor Synonyms : anaemic After three straight shows, the lead actress gave an anemic performance the fourth night, barely speaking loudly enough for those in the back rows to hear.

myopic

adjective: lacking foresight or imagination Synonyms : short , shortsighted , unforesightful The company ultimately went out of business because the myopic managers couldn't predict the changes in their industry. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

pedestrian

adjective: lacking imagination Synonyms : earthbound , prosaic , prosy While Nan was always engaged in philosophical speculation, her brother was occupied with far more pedestrian concerns: how to earn a salary and run a household. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

incongruous

adjective: lacking in harmony or compatibility or appropriateness The vast economic inequality of modern society is incongruous with America's ideals.

churlish

adjective: lacking manners or refinement The manager was unnecessarily churlish to his subordinates, rarely deigning to say hello, but always quick with a sartorial jab if someone happened to be wearing anything even slightly mismatching.

transitory

adjective: lasting a very short time Synonyms : ephemeral , fugacious , passing , short-lived , transient If we lived forever and life was not transitory, do you think we would appreciate life less or more?

transient

adjective: lasting a very short time Synonyms : ephemeral , fugacious , passing , short-lived , transitory The unpredictable and transient nature of deja vu makes it a very difficult phenomenon to study properly.

ephemeral

adjective: lasting a very short time Synonyms : fugacious , passing , short-lived , transient , transitory The lifespan of a mayfly is ephemeral, lasting from a few hours to a couple of days.

perennial

adjective: lasting an indefinitely long time; eternal; everlasting Even at the old-timers games, Stan Musial would get the loudest cheer: he was a perennial favorite of the fans there. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

feckless

adjective: lazy and irresponsible Synonyms : inept Two years after graduation, Charlie still lived with his parents and had no job, becoming more feckless with each passing day.

lascivious

adjective: lecherous; sexually perverted Synonyms : lewd , libidinous , lustful Lolita is a challenging novel for many, not necessarily because of the elevated prose style but because of the depravity of the main character, Humbert Humbert, who, as an old, lascivious man, falls in love with a girl.

fickle

adjective: liable to sudden unpredictable change, esp. in affections or attachments Synonyms : erratic , mercurial , quicksilver She was so fickle in her politics, it was hard to pinpoint her beliefs; one week she would embrace a side, and the next week she would denounce it.

meteoric

adjective: like a meteor in speed or brilliance or transience The early spectacular successes propelled the pitcher to meteoric stardom, but a terribly injury tragically cut short his career.

affable

adjective: likeable; easy to talk to Synonyms : amiable , cordial , genial For all his surface affability, Marco was remarkably glum when he wasn't around other people.

contentious

adjective: likely to argue Synonyms : combative , disputatious , disputative , litigious Since old grandpa Harry became very contentious during the summer when only reruns were on T.V., the grandkids learned to hide from him at every opportunity.

invidious

adjective: likely to cause resentment At a time when many others in the office were about to be laid off, many considered Cheryl's fine clothes that day an invidious display. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

conducive

adjective: making a situation or outcome more likely to happen Studying in a quiet room is conducive to learning; studying in a noisy environment makes learning more difficult.

tendentious

adjective: likely to lean towards a controversial view Synonyms : tendencious Because political mudslinging has become a staple of the 24-hour media cycle, most of us, despite protestations to the contrary, are tendentious on many of today's pressing issues.

antic

adjective: ludicrously odd Synonyms : fantastic , fantastical , grotesque The clown's antic act was too extreme for the youngest children, who left the room in tears. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

disheartened

adjective: made less hopeful or enthusiastic Synonyms : demoralised , demoralized , discouraged After the visiting team scored nine times, the home team's fans were disheartened, some leaving the game early.

sanctimonious

adjective: making a show of being pious; holier-than-thou Synonyms : holier-than-thou , pharisaic , pharisaical , pietistic , pietistical , self-righteous Even during the quiet sanctity of evening prayer, she held her chin high, a sanctimonious sneer forming on her face as she eyed those who were attending church for the first time.

extenuating

adjective: making less guilty or more forgivable The jury was hardly moved by the man's plea that his loneliness was an extenuating factor in his crime of dognapping a prized pooch.

rakish

adjective: marked by a carefree unconventionality or disreputableness Synonyms : devil-may-care , raffish As soon as he arrived in the city, the rakish young man bought some drugs and headed straight for the seedy parts of town.

raffish

adjective: marked by a carefree unconventionality or disreputableness Synonyms : devil-may-care , rakish The men found him raffish, but the women adored his smart clothes and casual attitude.

apathetic

adjective: marked by a lack of interest Synonyms : indifferent Mr. Thompson was so talented at teaching math that even normally apathetic students took interest.

pedantic

adjective: marked by a narrow focus on or display of learning especially its trivial aspects Synonyms : academic , donnish Professor Thompson was regarded as an expert in his field, but his lectures were utterly pedantic, focused on rigorous details of the most trivial conventions in the field.

avid

adjective: marked by active interest and enthusiasm Synonyms : zealous Martin is an avid birdwatcher, often taking long hikes into remote mountains to see some rare eagle.

elaborate

adjective: marked by complexity and richness of detail Synonyms : luxuriant Thomas, on returning from Morocco, replaced his dirty gray carpet with an elaborate one he'd brought back with him. verb: explain in more detail Synonyms : dilate , enlarge , expand , expatiate , exposit , expound , flesh out , lucubrate Most high school physics teachers find themselves elaborating the same point over and over again, since many concepts confuse students.

plucky

adjective: marked by courage and determination Synonyms : gutsy,feisty , spunky Some scouts initially doubted Pedroia because of his short stature, but he is a plucky player, surprising everyone with his boundless energy and fierce determination.

foolhardy

adjective: marked by defiant disregard for danger or consequences Synonyms : heady , rash , reckless The police regularly face dangerous situations, so for a police officer not to wear his bullet-proof vest is foolhardy.

rash

adjective: marked by defiant disregard for danger or consequences; imprudently incurring risk Synonyms : foolhardy , heady , reckless Although Bruce was able to make the delivery in time with a nightime motorcycle ride in the rain, Susan criticized his actions as rash. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

ornate

adjective: marked by elaborate rhetoric and elaborated with decorative details Synonyms : flowery The ornate Victorian and Edwardian homes spread throughout San Francisco are my favorite part of the city.

genteel

adjective: marked by refinement in taste and manners Synonyms : civilised , civilized , cultivated , cultured , polite A live string quartet would provide a more genteel air to the wedding than would a folk singer.

tortuous

adjective: marked by repeated turns and bends; not straightforward Synonyms : twisting , twisty , voluminous , winding Because the logic behind McMahon's side of the debate was so tortuous, his audience came out either completely confused or, worse, feeling they'd been tricked.

aberrant

adjective: markedly different from an accepted norm Synonyms : deviant , deviate When the financial director started screaming and throwing food at his co-workers, the police had to come in to deal with his aberrant behavior.

malfeasance

adjective: misconduct or wrongdoing (especially by a public official) Not even the mayor's trademark pearly-toothed grin could save him from charges of malfeasance: while in power, he'd been running an illegal gambling rink in the room behind his office.

ambivalent

adjective: mixed or conflicting emotions about something Sam was ambivalent about studying for the exam because doing so ate up a lot of his time, yet he was able to improve his analytical skills.

tempered

adjective: moderated in effect Synonyms : hardened , toughened , treated The wide-eyed optimism of her youth was now tempered after she had worked many years in the criminal justice system.

parochial

adjective: narrowly restricted in scope or outlook Synonyms : insular Jasmine was sad to admit it, but her fledgling relationship with Jacob did not work out because his culinary tastes were simply too parochial; "After all," she quipped on her blog, "he considered Chef Boyardee ethnic food." [記]parish n.

endemic

adjective: native; originating where it is found Synonyms : autochthonal , autochthonic , autochthonous , indigenous Irish cuisine makes great use of potatoes, but ironically, the potato is not endemic to Ireland.

incontrovertible

adjective: necessarily or demonstrably true; impossible to deny or disprove Synonyms : demonstrable,irrefutable , positive Unless you can provide incontrovertible evidence, I will remain skeptical.

incumbent

adjective: necessary (for someone) as a duty or responsibility Middle managers at times make important decisions, but real responsibility for the financial well-being of the corporation is ultimately incumbent on the CEO.

inviolable

adjective: never to be broken, infringed, or dishonored Synonyms : impregnable , secure , strong , unassailable , unattackable To many the grass at Wimbledon is inviolable and only greater tennis players are able to enjoy a game there.

opaque

adjective: not clearly understood or expressed Synonyms : unintelligible The meaning of the professor's new research was opaque to most people, so no one asked any questions. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

magnanimous

adjective: noble and generous in spirit, especially towards a rival or someone less powerful Synonyms : greathearted He was a great sportsman: in defeat he was complementary and in victory he was magnanimous.

obstreperous

adjective: noisily and stubbornly defiant; willfully difficult to control Synonyms : casual , insouciant When the teacher asked the obstreperous student simply to bus his tray, the student threw the entire tray on the floor, shouted an epithet, and walked out.

immutable

adjective: not able to be changed Synonyms : changeless Taxes are one of the immutable laws of the land, so there is no use arguing about paying them.

unviable

adjective: not able to work, survive, or succeed (also spelled inviable). The plan was obviously unviable considering that it lead to complete environmental destruction in the river valley.

impervious

adjective: not admitting of passage or capable of being affected Synonyms : imperviable I am not impervious to your insults; they cause me great pain.

untrammeled

adjective: not confined or limited Synonyms : untrammelled The whole notion of living untrammeled inspired the American Revolution and was enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

placid

adjective: not easily irritated Synonyms : equable , even-tempered , good-tempered Doug is normally placid, so we were all shocked to see him yelling at the television when the Mets lost the game.

unflappable

adjective: not easily perturbed or excited or upset; marked by extreme calm and composure Synonyms : imperturbable The house shook and the ground quaked, but my dad was unflappable and comforted the family.

inscrutable

adjective: not easily understood; unfathomable Synonyms : cryptic , cryptical , deep , mysterious , mystifying His speech was so dense and confusing that many in the audience found it inscrutable.

unseemly

adjective: not in keeping with accepted standards of what is right or proper in polite society Synonyms : indecent , indecorous , unbecoming , uncomely , untoward He acted in an unseemly manner, insulting the hostess and then speaking ill of her deceased husband.

indecorous

adjective: not in keeping with accepted standards of what is right or proper in polite society Synonyms : indecent , unbecoming , uncomely , unseemly , untoward Eating with elbows on the table is considered indecorous in refined circles.

languid

adjective: not inclined towards physical exertion or effort; slow and relaxed Synonyms : dreamy , lackadaisical , languorous As the sun beat down and the temperature climbed higher, we spent a languid week lying around the house.

uncompromising

adjective: not making concessions Synonyms : inflexible , sturdy The relationship between Bart and Hilda ultimately failed because they were both so uncompromising, never wanting to change their opinions.

anomalous

adjective: not normal According to those who do not believe in climate change, the extreme weather over the last five years is simply anomalous - daily temperatures should return to their old averages, they believe.

ersatz

adjective: not real or genuine; phony Synonyms : substitute The car dealer's ersatz laughter was immediately followed by a price quote, one that Shelley found highly inflated.

immaterial

adjective: not relevant Synonyms : extraneous , impertinent , orthogonal, incorporeal The judge found the defendant's comments immaterial to the trial, and summarily dismissed him from the witness stand.

frivolous

adjective: not serious in content or attitude or behavior Compared to Juliet's passionate concern for human rights, Jake's non-stop concern about football seems somewhat frivolous.

frugal

adjective: not spending much money (but spending wisely) Synonyms : economical , scotch , sparing , stinting Monte was no miser, but was simply frugal, wisely spending the little that he earned.

disingenuous

adjective: not straightforward; giving a false appearance of frankness Synonyms : artful Many adults think that they can lie to children, but kids are smart and know when people are disingenuous.

imprudent

adjective: not wise Hitler, like Napoleon, made the imprudent move of invading Russia in winter, suffering even more casualties than Napoleon had.

fortuitous

adjective: occurring by happy chance; having no cause or apparent cause Synonyms : causeless, uncaused While the real objects are vastly different sizes in space, the sun and the moon seem to have the same fortuitous size in the sky.

fallacious

adjective: of a belief that is based on faulty reasoning Synonyms : unsound,Synonyms, deceitful , fraudulent The widespread belief that Eskimos have forty different words for snow is fallacious, based on one false report.

catholic

adjective: of broad scope; universal Jonah's friends said that Jonah's taste in music was eclectic; Jonah was quick to point out that not only was his taste eclectic but it was also catholic: he enjoyed music from countries as far-flung as Mali and Mongolia.

puerile

adjective: of or characteristic of a child; displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity Synonyms : adolescent , jejune , juvenile Helen enjoyed blowing soap bubbles, but Jim regarded this as puerile, totally unworthy of a woman with a Ph.D.

cardinal

adjective: of primary importance; fundamental Synonyms : central , fundamental , key , primal Most cultures consider gambling a cardinal sin and thus have outlawed its practice. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

magisterial

adjective: offensively self-assured or given to exercising unwarranted power Synonyms : autocratic , bossy , dominating , high-and-mighty , peremptory Though she was only a third grade teacher, Ms. Martinet was magisterial in dealing with her class, lording over them like a queen. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

antiquated

adjective: old-fashioned; belonging to an earlier period in time Synonyms : antediluvian , archaic Aunt Betty had antiquated notions about marriage, believing that a man should court a woman for at least a year before receiving a kiss.

portentous

adjective: ominously prophetic Synonyms : fateful , foreboding When the captain and more than half the officers were sick on the very first night of the voyage, many of the passengers felt this was portentous, but the rest of the voyage continued without any problems.

checkered

adjective: one that is marked by disreputable happenings One by one, the presidential candidates dropped out of the race, their respective checkered pasts - from embezzlement to infidelity - sabotaging their campaigns. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

laconic

adjective: one who says very few words Synonyms : crisp , curt , terse While Martha always swooned over the hunky, laconic types in romantic comedies, her boyfriends inevitably were very talkative - and not very hunky.

indigenous

adjective: originating in a certain area Synonyms : autochthonal , autochthonic , autochthonous , endemic The plants and animals indigenous to Australia are notably different from those indigenous to the U.S - one look at a duckbill platypus and you know you're not dealing with an opossum.

inchoate

adjective: only partly in existence; imperfectly formed Synonyms : incipient Inchoate ideas about the relation of humans to other animals had been discussed since the Middle Ages but the modern theory really began with Darwin.

aboveboard

adjective: open and honest Synonyms : straightforward The mayor, despite his avuncular face plastered about the city, was hardly aboveboard - some concluded that it was his ingratiating smile that allowed him to engage in corrupt behavior and get away with it.

moot

adjective: open to argument or debate; undecidable in a meaningless or irrelevant way Synonyms : arguable , debatable , disputable Since the Board just terminated Steve as the CEO, what the finance committe might have thought of his proposed marketing plan for next year is now a moot point. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

ambiguous

adjective: open to more than one interpretation Synonyms : equivocal The coach told his team, "Move towards that side of the field"; because he did not point, his directions were ambiguous, and the team had no idea to which side he was referring.

leery

adjective: openly distrustful and unwilling to confide Synonyms : mistrustful , suspicious , untrusting , wary Without checking his references and talking to previous employers, I am leery of hiring the candidate.

bucolic

adjective: relating to the pleasant aspects of the country Synonyms : pastoral, rustic The noble families of England once owned vast expanses of beautiful, bucolic land.

fastidious

adjective: overly concerned with details; fussy Synonyms : exacting Whitney is fastidious about her shoes, arranging them on a shelf in a specific order, each pair evenly spaced.

maudlin

adjective: overly emotional and sad Synonyms : bathetic , drippy , hokey , kitschy , mawkish , mushy , schmaltzy , schmalzy , sentimental , slushy , soppy , soupy Just as those who were alive during the 70's are mortified that they once cavorted about in bellbottoms, many who lived during the 80's are now aghast at the maudlin pop songs they used to enjoy - really, just what exactly is a total eclipse of the heart?

mawkish

adjective: overly sentimental to the point that it is disgusting Synonyms : bathetic , drippy , hokey , kitschy , maudlin , mushy , schmaltzy , schmalzy , sentimental , slushy , soppy , soupy The film was incredibly mawkish, introducing highly likeable characters only to have them succumb to a devastating illnesses by the end of the movie.

craven

adjective: pathetically cowardly Synonyms : recreant Though the man could have at least alerted the police, he crouched cravenly in the corner as the old woman was mugged.

carping

adjective: persistently petty and unjustified criticism Synonyms : faultfinding What seemed like incessant nagging and carping about my behavior from my mother turned out to be wise and useful advice that has served me well.

spurious

adjective: plausible but false Synonyms : specious When listening to a politician speak, it is hard to distinguish the spurious claims from the authentic ones.

destitute

adjective: poor enough to need help from others Synonyms : impoverished , indigent , necessitous , needy , poverty-stricken Jean Valjean, is at first destitute, but through the grace of a priest, he makes something of his life. adjective: completely wanting or lacking (usually "destitute of") Synonyms : barren , devoid , free , innocent Now that the mine is closed, the town is destitute of any economic activity.

indigent

adjective: poor; having very little Synonyms : destitute , impoverished , necessitous , needy , poverty-stricken In the so-called Third World, many are indigent and only a privileged few have the resources to enjoy material luxuries. noun: a poor or needy person The indigents, huddled under the overpass, tried to start a small bonfire in the hope of staying warm.

puissant

adjective: powerful Over the years of service, and quite to his surprise, he became a puissant advisor to the community.

austere

adjective: practicing self-denial Synonyms : ascetic , ascetical , spartan His lifestyle of revelry and luxurious excess could hardly be called austere. adjective: unadorned in style or appearance Late Soviet architecture, although remaining largely austere, moved into experimental territory that employed previously unused shapes and structures. adjective: harsh in manner of temperament The principal of my elementary school was a cold, austere woman; I could never understand why she chose to work with children.

ascetic

adjective: practicing self-denial Synonyms : ascetical , austere , spartan His ascetic life is the main reason he inspired so many followers, especially since he gave up wealth and power to live in poverty. noun: one who practices great self-denial Synonyms : abstainer Historically, ascetics like Ghandi are often considered wise men partially because of their restraint.

propitious

adjective: presenting favorable circumstances; likely to result in or show signs of success The child's heartbeat is still weak, but I am seeing many propitious signs and I think that she may be healing.

factious

adjective: produced by, or characterized by internal dissension Synonyms : dissentious , divisive The controversial bill proved factious, as dissension even within parties resulted

futile

adjective: producing no result or effect; unproductive of success Synonyms : ineffectual , otiose , unavailing,bootless , fruitless , sleeveless , vain I thought I could repair the car myself, but after two days of work with no success, I have to admit that my efforts were futile.

efficacious

adjective: producing the intended result Synonyms : effective , effectual Since Maggie's cough syrup, which had expired five years back, was no longer efficacious, she coughed through the night.

sporadic

adjective: recurring in scattered and irregular or unpredictable instances The signals were at first sporadic, but now we detect a clear, consistent pattern of electromagnetic radiation eminating from deep space.

adamant

adjective: refusing to change one's mind Synonyms : adamantine , inexorable , intransigent Civil rights icon Rosa Parks will forever be remembered for adamantly refusing to give up her seat on a public bus--even after the bus driver insisted, she remained rooted in place.

sartorial

adjective: related to fashion or clothes Monte was astute at navigating the world of finance; sartorially, however, he was found wanting - he typically would attempt to complement his beige tie with a gray suit and white pants.

pecuniary

adjective: relating to or involving money Synonyms : monetary The defendent was found guilty and had to serve a period of community service as well as pay pecuniary damages to the client.

pastoral

adjective: relating to the countryside in a pleasant sense Synonyms : arcadian , bucolic Those who imagine America's countryside as a pastoral region are often disappointed to learn that much of rural U.S. is filled with cornfields extending as far as the eye can see.

exacting

adjective: requiring and demanding accuracy Synonyms : exigent,stern , strict Though his childhood piano teacher was so exacting, Max is thankful now, as a professional pianist.

arcane

adjective: requiring secret or mysterious knowledge Most college fraternities are known for arcane rituals that those hoping to the join the fraterntiy must learn.

obstinate

adjective: resistant to guidance or discipline; stubbornly persistent Synonyms : cussed , obdurate , unrepentant, contrary , perverse , wayward The coach suggested improvements Sarah might make on the balance beam, but she remained obstinate, unwilling to modify any of the habits that made her successful in the past.

restive

adjective: restless Synonyms : edgy , high-strung , highly strung , jittery , jumpy , nervy , overstrung , uptight The crowd grew restive as the comedian's opening jokes fell flat.

telltale

adjective: revealing The many telltale signs of chronic smoking include yellow teeth, and a persistent, hacking cough.

resurgent

adjective: rising again as to new life and vigor Synonyms : renascent The team sank to fourth place in June, but is now resurgent and about to win the division.

insolent

adjective: rude and arrogant Lilian could not help herself from being insolent, commenting that the Queen's shoes were showing too much toe.

contemptuous

adjective: scornful, looking down at others with a sneering attitude Synonyms : disdainful , insulting , scornful Always on the forefront of fashion, Vanessa looked contemptuously at anyone wearing dated clothing.

paradoxical

adjective: seemingly contradictory but nonetheless possibly true Synonyms : self-contradictory That light could be both a particle and a wave seems paradoxical, but nonetheless, it is true.

superfluous

adjective: serving no useful purpose Synonyms : otiose , pointless , purposeless , senseless , wasted How can we hope to stay open if we don't eliminate all superfluous spending, like catered meetings and free acupucture Tuesday? adjective: more than is needed, desired, or required Synonyms : excess , extra , redundant , spare , supererogatory , supernumerary , surplus The third paragraph in your essay is superfluous and can be deleted.

admonitory

adjective: serving to warn; expressing reproof or reproach especially as a corrective Synonyms : cautionary , exemplary , monitory , warning At the assembly, the high school vice-principal gave the students an admonitory speech, warning them of the many risks and dangers of prom night.

amorphous

adjective: shapeless Synonyms : formless , shapeless , unstructured His study plan for the GRE was at best amorphous; he would do questions from random pages in any one of seven test prep books.

antithetical

adjective: sharply contrasted in character or purpose Synonyms : antithetic His deep emotional involvement with these ideas is, in fact, antithetical to the disattachment Buddhism preaches.

urbane

adjective: showing a high degree of refinement and the assurance that comes from wide social experience Synonyms : polished , refined , svelte Because of his service as an intelligence officer and his refined tastes, W. Somerset Maugham became the inspiration for the urbane and sophistcate spy James Bond.

solicitous

adjective: showing hovering attentiveness Our neighbors are constantly knocking on our door to make sure we are ok, and I don't know how to ask them to stop being so solicitous about our health. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

flippant

adjective: showing inappropriate levity Synonyms : light-minded Although Sam was trying to honor Mark's sense of humor, many found it quite flippant that he wore a comic nose and glasses mask to Mark's funeral.

phlegmatic

adjective: showing little emotion Synonyms : phlegmatical Arnold is truly noble, remaining reserved until an issue of significance arises, but Walter is simply phlegmatic: he doesn't have the energy or inclination to care about anything.

diffident

adjective: showing modest reserve; lacking self-confidence Synonyms : shy , timid , unsure As a young girl she was diffident and reserved, but now as an adult, she is confident and assertive.

deferential

adjective: showing respect Synonyms : deferent , regardful If you ever have the chance to meet the president, stand up straight and be deferential.

dolorous

adjective: showing sorrow Synonyms : dolourous , lachrymose , tearful , weeping Chopin's ballades are filled with sharp changes in moods--a dolorous melody can give way to a lighthearted tempo.

empathetic

adjective: showing understanding and ready comprehension of other peoples' states and emotions Synonyms : empathic Most discrimination and hatred is based on a lack of empathetic awareness of people that have the same aspirations and fears.

telling

adjective: significant and revealing of another factor Her unbecoming dress was very telling when it came to her sense of fashion. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

analogous

adjective: similar in some respects but otherwise different Synonyms : correspondent In many ways, the Internet's transformative effect on society has been analogous to that of the printing press.

mellifluous

adjective: smooth and sweet-sounding Synonyms : dulcet , honeyed , mellisonant , sweet Chelsea's grandmother thought Franz Schubert's music to be the most mellifluous ever written; Chelsea demurred, and to her grandmother's chagrin, would blast Rihanna on the home stereo speakers.

philistine

adjective: smug and ignorant towards artistic and cultural values Synonyms : anti-intellectual Jane considered Al completely philistine, because he talked almost exclusive about video games; she was entirely unaware of how well read he really was. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

prodigious

adjective: so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe Synonyms : colossal , stupendous After the relatively small homerun totals in the "dead ball" era, Babe Ruth's homerun totals were truly prodigious: every year, he set a new all-time record.

colossal

adjective: so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe Synonyms : prodigious , stupendous Few appreciate the colossal scale of the sun: if hollow, it could contain a million Earths.

archaic

adjective: so old as to appear to belong to a different period Synonyms : antediluvian , antiquated Hoping to sound intelligent, Mary spoke in archaic English that was right out of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice--needless to say, she didn't have many friends.

eminent

adjective: standing above others in quality or position Synonyms : lofty , soaring , towering Shakespeare is an eminent author in the English language, but I find his writing uninteresting and melodramatic.

egregious

adjective: standing out in negative way; shockingly bad Synonyms : crying , flagrant , glaring , gross , rank The dictator's abuse of human rights was so egregious that many world leaders demanded that he be tried in an international court for genocide.

surreptitious

adjective: stealthy, taking pains not to be caught or detected Synonyms : furtive , sneak , sneaky , stealthy Since his mom was a light sleeper, Timmy had to tiptoe surreptitiously through the entire house, careful to not make the floors creak, until he at last was able to enjoy his plunder: a box of chocolate chip cookies.

extant

adjective: still in existence (usually refers to documents). Despite many bookstores closing, experts predict that some form of book dealing will still be extant generations from now.

intermittent

adjective: stopping and starting at irregular intervals The intermittent thunder continued and the night was punctuated by cracks of lightning - a surreal sleepless night.

besotted

adjective: strongly affectionate towards Even though her father did not approve, Juliet became besotted with the young Romeo. adjective: very drunk Synonyms : blind drunk , blotto , cockeyed , crocked , fuddled , loaded , pie-eyed , pissed , pixilated , plastered , slopped , sloshed , smashed , soaked , soused , sozzled , squiffy , stiff , tight , wet Never before have I seen my mom so besotted, and honestly, I hope it's the last time she drinks so much.

obdurate

adjective: stubbornly persistent in changing an opinion or action Synonyms : cussed , obstinate , unrepentant No number of pleas and bribes would get him to change his obdurate attitude.

tenacious

adjective: stubbornly unyielding Synonyms : dogged , dour , persistent , pertinacious , unyielding Even the most tenacious advocates for gun ownership must admit some of the dangers that firearms present.

robust

adjective: sturdy and strong in form, constitution, or construction Chris preferred bland and mild beers, but Bhavin preferred a beer with more robust flavor.

macabre

adjective: suggesting the horror of death and decay; gruesome Synonyms : ghastly , grim , grisly ,sick Edgar Allen Poe was considered the master of the macabre; his stories vividly describe the moment leading up to - and often those moments after - a grisly death.

uncanny

adjective: suggesting the operation of supernatural influences; surpassing the ordinary or normal Synonyms : eldritch , unearthly , weird,preternatural Reggie has an uncanny ability to connect with animals: feral cats will readily approach him, and sometimes even wild birds will land on his finger.

martial

adjective: suggesting war or military life Synonyms : warlike,soldierlike , soldierly , warriorlike Americans tend to remember Abraham Lincoln as kindly and wise, not at all martial, despite the fact that he was involved in the fiercest war America has even fought.

appurtenant

adjective: supply added support Synonyms : accessory , adjunct , adjuvant , ancillary , auxiliary In hiking Mt. Everest, sherpas are appurtenant, helping climbers both carry gear and navigate treacherous paths.

treacherous

adjective: tending to betray Synonyms : perfidious , punic Even though Jesse James was an outlaw, his killer, Robert Ford, is remembered more for his treacherous actions than for eliminating a criminal and murder. adjective: dangerously unstable and unpredictable Synonyms : unreliable The bridge built from twine and vine is treacherous to walk across, and so I think I will stay put right here.

fell

adjective: terribly evil Synonyms : barbarous , brutal , cruel , roughshod , savage , vicious For fans of the Harry Potter series, the fell Lord Voldemort, who terrorized poor Harry for seven lengthy installments, has finally been vanquished by the forces of good - unless, that is, JK Rowling decides to come out of retirement. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

base

adjective: the lowest, class were without any moral principles Synonyms : foot , foundation , fundament , groundwork , substructure , understructure She was not so base as to begrudge the beggar the unwanted crumbs from her dinner plate. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

baleful

adjective: threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments Synonyms : forbidding , menacing , minacious , minatory , ominous , sinister , threatening Movies often use storms or rain clouds as a baleful omen of evil events that will soon befall the main character.

gregarious

adjective: to be likely to socialize with others Often we think that great leaders are those who are gregarious, always in the middle of a large group of people; yet, as Mahatma Gandhi and many others have shown us, leaders can also be introverted.

demure

adjective: to be modest and shy Synonyms : coy , overmodest The portrait of her in a simple white blouse was sweet and demure.

sententious

adjective: to be moralizing, usually in a pompous sense The old man, casting his nose up in the air at the group of adolescents, intoned sententiously, "Youth is wasted on the young."

ingenuous

adjective: to be naïve and innocent Synonyms : innocent Two-years in Manhattan had changed Jenna from an ingenuous girl from the suburbs to a jaded urbanite, unlikely to fall for any ruse, regardless of how elaborate.

remiss

adjective: to be negligent in one's duty Synonyms : delinquent , derelict , neglectful Remiss in his duty to keep the school functioning efficiently, the principal was relieved of his position after only three months.

histrionic

adjective: to be overly theatrical Synonyms : melodramatic Though she received a B- on the test, she had such a histrionic outburst that one would have thought that she'd been handed a death sentence.

contrite

adjective: to be remorseful Synonyms : remorseful , rueful , ruthful Though he stole his little sister's licorice stick with malevolent glee, Chucky soon became contrite when his sister wouldn't stop crying.

picayune

adjective: trifling or petty (a person) Synonyms : fiddling , footling , lilliputian , little , niggling , petty , piddling , piffling , trivial English teachers are notorious for being picayune; however, the English language is so nuanced and sophisticated that often such teachers are not being contrary but are only adhering to the rules.

retiring

adjective: to be shy, and to be inclined to retract from company Synonyms : reticent , self-effacing Nelson was always the first to leave soirees - rather than mill about with "fashionable" folk, he was retiring, and preferred the solitude of his garret. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

errant

adjective: to be wandering; not sticking to a circumscribed path Unlike his peers, who spent their hours studying in the library, Matthew preferred errant walks through the university campus.

vituperate

adjective: to criticize harshly; to berate Synonyms : rail , revile , vilify Jason had dealt with disciplinarians before, but nothing prepared him for the first week of boot camp, as drill sergeants vituperated him for petty oversights such as forgetting to double knot the laces on his boots.

blinkered

adjective: to have a limited outlook or understanding In gambling, the addict is easily blinkered by past successes and/or past failures, forgetting that the outcome of any one game is independent of the games that preceded it.

vindictive

adjective: to have a very strong desire for revenge Though the other girl had only lightly poked fun of Vanessa's choice in attire, Vanessa was so vindictive that she waited for an entire semester to get the perfect revenge.

undermine

adjective: to weaken (usually paired with an abstract term) The student undermined the teacher's authority by questioning the teacher's judgment on numerous occasions.

ineffable

adjective: too sacred to be uttered; defying expression or description Synonyms : unnameable , unspeakable , unutterable,indefinable , indescribable , unspeakable , untellable While art critics can occasionally pinpoint a work's greatness, much of why a piece captures our imaginations is completely ineffable.

intransigent

adjective: unwilling to change one's beliefs or course of action Synonyms : adamant , adamantine , inexorable Despite many calls for mercy, the judge remained intransigent, citing strict legal precedence.

pellucid

adjective: transparently clear; easily understandable Synonyms : crystal clear , limpid , lucid , luculent , perspicuous The professor had a remarkable ability make even the most difficult concepts seem pellucid.

peripatetic

adjective: traveling by foot Synonyms : wayfaring Jim always preferred a peripatetic approach to discovering a city: he felt that he could see so many more details while walking.

itinerant

adjective: traveling from place to place to work Synonyms : gipsy , gypsy Doctors used to be itinerant, traveling between patients' homes.

disparate

adjective: two things are fundamentally different With the advent of machines capable of looking inside the brain, fields as disparate as religion and biology have been brought together by scientists trying to understand what happens in the brain when people have a religious experience.

insolvent

adjective: unable to pay one's bills; bankrupt With credit card bills skyrocketing, a shockingly large number of Americans are truly insolvent.

dispassionate

adjective: unaffected by strong emotion or prejudice Synonyms : cold-eyed A good scientist should be dispassionate, focusing purely on what the evidence says, without personal attachment.

disinterested

adjective: unbiased; neutral The potential juror knew the defendant, and therefore could not serve on the jury, which must consist only of disinterested members.

irresolute

adjective: uncertain how to act or proceed He stood irresolute at the split in the trail, not sure which route would lead back to the camp.

unforthcoming

adjective: uncooperative, not willing to give up information The teacher demanded to know who broke the window while he was out of the room, but the students understandably were unforthcoming.

provisional

adjective: under terms not final or fully worked out or agreed upon Synonyms : probationary , provisionary , tentative Until the corporate office hands down a definitive decision on use of the extra offices, we will share their use in a provisional arrangement.

untoward

adjective: unfavorable; inconvenient Synonyms : indecent , indecorous , unbecoming , uncomely , unseemly,adverse , inauspicious Some professors find teaching untoward as having to prepare for lectures and conduct office hours prevents them from focusing on their research.

desiccated

adjective: uninteresting, lacking vitality Synonyms : arid , desiccate Few novelists over 80 are able to produce anything more than desiccated works-boring shadows of former books. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

miscreant

noun: a person who breaks the law Synonyms : reprobate "Come back you miscreant!" yelled the woman who just had her purse stolen.

erratic

adjective: unpredictable; strange and unconventional Synonyms : fickle , mercurial , quicksilver It came as no surprise to pundits that the President's attempt at re-election floundered; even during his term, support for his policies was erratic, with an approval rating jumping anywhere from 30 to 60 percent.

unconscionable

adjective: unreasonable; unscrupulous; excessive Synonyms : exorbitant , extortionate , outrageous , steep , usurious The lawyer's demands were so unconscionable that rather than pay an exorbitant sum or submit himself to any other inconveniences, the defendant decided to find a new lawyer.

brazen

adjective: unrestrained by convention or propriety Synonyms : audacious , bald-faced , barefaced , bodacious , brassy , brazen-faced , insolent Their large "donations" to the local police department gave the drug cartel the brazen confidence to do their business out in the open.

spartan

adjective: unsparing and uncompromising in discipline or judgment; practicing great self-denial Synonyms : severe After losing everything in a fire, Tim decided to live in spartan conditions, sleeping on the floor and owning as little furniture as a possible.

taxing

adjective: use to the limit; exhaust Synonyms : burdensome , onerous The hike to the summit of Mt. Whitney was so taxing that I could barely speak or stand up. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

unstinting

adjective: very generous Synonyms : lavish , munificent , overgenerous , too-generous , unsparing , unstinted Helen is unstinting with her time, often spending hours at the house of a sick friend.

munificent

adjective: very generous Synonyms : lavish , overgenerous , too-generous , unsparing , unstinted , unstinting Uncle Charley was known for his munificence, giving all seven of his nephews lavish Christmas presents each year.

voracious

adjective: very hungry; approaching an activity with gusto Synonyms : edacious , esurient , rapacious , ravening , ravenous , wolfish Steven was a voracious reader, sometimes finishing two novels in the same day.

thoroughgoing

adjective: very thorough; complete Synonyms : exhaustive , thorough As a thoroughgoing bibliophile, one who had turned his house into a veritable library, he shocked his friends when he bought a Kindle.

bellicose

adjective: warlike; inclined to quarrel Synonyms : battleful , combative Known for their bellicose ways, the Spartans were once the most feared people from Peloponnesus to Persia.

dilatory

adjective: wasting time Synonyms : laggard , pokey , poky Lawyers use dilatory tactics so that it takes years before the case is actually decided.

affluent

adjective: wealthy The center of the city had sadly become a pit of penury, while, only five miles away, multi-million dollar homes spoke of affluence.

ponderous

adjective: weighed-down; moving slowly Synonyms : heavy , lumbering Laden with 20 kilograms of college text books, the freshman moved ponderously across the campus.

cohesive

adjective: well integrated, forming a united whole A well-written, cohesive essay will keep on topic at all times, never losing sight of the main argument.

illustrious

adjective: widely known and esteemed; having or conferring glory Synonyms : celebrated , famed , famous , far-famed , notable , noted , renowned Einstein was possibly the most illustrious scientist in recent history.

quixotic

adjective: wildly idealistic; impractical Synonyms : romantic , wild-eyed For every thousand startups with quixotic plans to be the next big name in e-commerce, only a handful ever become profitable.

audacious

adjective: willing to be bold in social situations or to take risks Synonyms : brave , dauntless , fearless , hardy , intrepid , unfearing As all of the other campers cowered in their tents, Bill, armed only with a flashlight, audaciously tracked down the bear that had raided their food.

malevolent

adjective: wishing or appearing to wish evil to others; arising from intense ill will or hatred Synonyms : evil , malefic , malign Villians are known for their malevolent nature, oftentimes inflicting cruetly on others just for enjoyment.

blatant

adjective: without any attempt at concealment; completely obvious Synonyms : blazing , conspicuous Allen was often punished in school for blatantly disrespecting teachers.

conspicuous

adjective: without any attempt at concealment; completely obvious Synonyms : blatant , blazing American basketball players are always conspicuous when they go abroad-not only are they American, but some are over seven feet tall.

wanton

adjective: without check or limitation; showing no moral restraints to one's anger, desire, or appetites Synonyms : easy , light , loose , promiscuous , sluttish Due to wanton behavior and crude language, the drunk man was thrown out of the bar and asked to never return.

artless

adjective: without cunning or deceit Synonyms : uncultivated , uncultured Despite the president's seemingly artless speeches, he was a skilled and ruthless negotiator.

impeccable

adjective: without fault or error Synonyms : faultless , immaculate He was impeccably dressed in the latest fashion without a single crease or stain.

inarticulate

adjective: without or deprived of the use of speech or words Synonyms : unarticulate Although a brilliant economist, Professor Black was completely inarticulate, a terrible lecturer.

evenhanded

adjective: without partiality Teachers often have trouble being evenhanded to all of their varied students.

unscrupulous

adjective: without scruples or principles In the courtroom, the lawyer was unscrupulous, using every manner of deceit and manipulation to secure a victory for himself.

insidious

adjective: working in a subtle but destructive way Synonyms : pernicious , subtle Plaque is insidious: we cannot see it, but each day it eats away at our enamel, causing cavities and other dental problems.

laudable

adjective: worthy of high praise Synonyms : applaudable , commendable , praiseworthy To say that Gandhi's actions were laudable is the greatest understatement; he overthrew an empire without violence.

commendable

adjective: worthy of high praise Synonyms : applaudable , laudable , praiseworthy The efforts of the firefighters running into the burning building were commendable.

callow

adjective: young and inexperienced Synonyms : fledgling , unfledged Both Los Angeles and New York are known for callow out-of-towners hoping to make it big.

fledgling

adjective: young and inexperienced; describing any new participant in some activity Synonyms : callow , unfledged,entrant , fledgeling , freshman , neophyte , newbie , newcomer , starter, Murray has years of experience in family practice, but he is just a fledgling in surgery.

autonomously

adverb: In an autonomous or self-governing manner. Many of the factory workers are worried about being replaced by machines and computers that will work completely autonomously.

brusquely

adverb: in a blunt, direct manner Synonyms : bluffly , bluntly , flat out , roundly Not one for social pleasantries, the Chief of Staff would brusquely ask his subordinates anything he wanted, even coffee.

amuck

adverb: in a frenzied or uncontrolled state Synonyms : amok , murderously Wherever the bowl haircut teen-idol went, his legions of screaming fans ran through the streets amuck, hoping for a glance at his boyish face.

amply

adverb: more than is adequate Synonyms : fully The boat was amply supplied for its year at sea - no man would go hungry or thirst.

askance

adverb: with a look of suspicion or disapproval The old couple looked askance on the teenagers seated next to them, whispering to each other, "They've got rings through their noses and purple hair!"

exactitude

after its opening weekend, a movie's final box office gross can be estimated with considerable exactitude (exact)

revert

after the national emergency had passed, the political parties abandoned their shotgun unity and reverted to their partisan squabbling

alienation

after years of alienation from her family, she became reconciled with them when her father fell ill (alienate)

equanimity

an Olympic diver who always displays remarkable equanimity on the platform (eqaunimous)

surmount

an Olympic swimmer who surmounted endless obstacles to achieve her goals

illusory

an illusory sense of security

impartial

an impartial evaluation of the job applicant's qualifications that does not consider age, gender, or race

impassioned

an impassioned plea for justice

imperious

an imperious little boy who liked to tell the other scouts what to do

inadvertent

an inadvertent encounter with a rattlesnake in the brush

inexplicable

an inexplicable desire for ice cream at two in the morning

infelicitous

an infelicitous comment on the weight of the guest of honor at the banquet (felicitous)

inquisitive

an inquisitive woman who tends to everybody's business but her own (inquire)

insular

an insular community that is not receptive of new ideas, especially from outsiders

interminable

an interminable debate (terminate)

intrepid

an intrepid explorer who probed parts of the rain forest never previously attempted

intricate

an intricate machine that requires some training to use it properly

attenuate

an investment attenuated by significant inflation over the years

itinerant

an itinerant musician can see a lot of the world

resurrect

an old government program that is being resurrected

luxuriant

an older man who still has a luxuriant head of hair

ominous

an ominous threat of war

omnipotent

an omnipotent central committee (potent)

opulent

an opulent mansion filled with priceless art and antiques

ornate

an ornate gambling casino that is designed to look like an Italian palace (ornament)

unctuous

an unctuous appraisal of the musical talent shown by the boss's daughter

fleeting

had a fleeting desire to jump into the cool lake but kept on hiking

onerous

had the onerous and stressful job of notifying the families of soldiers killed in action

placate

he angry customer was not placated by the clerk's apology.

impeccable

he etiquette expert was celebrated for her absolutely impeccable manners

latent

he has a latent talent for acting that he hasn't had a chance to express yet

veracious

he has a reputation for being veracious, so people generally take his word for things

condone

he is too quick to condone his friend's faults

exonerate

he results of the DNA fingerprinting finally exonerated the man, but only after he had wasted 10 years of his life in prison

downplay

he self-deprecatingly downplays his own contributions to the festival's success

discreet

he was very discreet, only saying what was necessary (discretion)

reticent

her husband is by nature a reticent person, and she resigned herself to that fact long ago

natal

her natal home

pellucid

her poetry has a pellucid simplicity that betrays none of the sweat that went into writing it

plenitude

here's a plenitude of natural beauty in the state

decorum

high standards of decorum are usually required when attending the opera (decorous)

obstinate

his obstinate refusal to obey

concord

living in concord with people of different races and religions

enfeeble

long periods of being confined to a hospital bed will enfeeble anyone (feeble)

lucid

lucid instructions

aesthetic

making aesthetic improvements to the building

mitigate

medicines used to mitigate a patient's suffering

menacing

menaced the children by leaving them in the car unattended (menace)

esoteric

metaphysics is such an esoteric subject that most people are content to leave it to the philosophers

chic

mockumentaries are the latest filmmaking chic

adaptive

mutation is ultimately essential for adaptive evolution in all populations

deride

my brothers derided our efforts, but were forced to eat their words when we won first place

corroborate

my personal experience does not corroborate your faith in the essential goodness of people

germane

my personal opinion isn't germane to our discussion of the facts of the case

surmise

my surmise is that the couple's "good news" is the announcement that they are going to have a baby

dearth

noun: a lack or shortage Synonyms : famine , shortage,paucity I am surprised by the dearth of fast food chains; this is America and I assumed they were on every street.

iconoclastic

notorious as an iconoclast, that music critic isn't afraid to go after sacred cows

capacity

noun noun: the amount or volume something can hold ability (especially mental) The hotel is full to maximum capacity; there are no empty rooms. Few birds have the capacity to recognize themselves when looking in a mirror; most act as though there is a second bird behind the glass.

constituent

noun: a citizen who is represented in a government by officials for whom he or she votes The mayor's constituents are no longer happy with her performance and plan to vote for another candidate in the upcoming election. noun: an abstract part of something Synonyms : component , element , factor , ingredient The constituents of the metal alloy are nickel, copper, and tin.

ploy

noun: a clever plan to turn a situation to one's advantage Synonyms : gambit,stratagem Dennis arranged an elaborate ploy, involving 14 different people lying for him in different situations, so that it could appear that he was meeting Mary completely by chance at the wedding reception.

egotist

noun: a conceited and self-centered person Synonyms : egoist , swellhead An egotist, Natasha had few friends because of her inability to talk about anything except her dream of becoming the next American Idol.

imbroglio

noun: a confusing and potentially embarrassing situation Synonyms : embroilment The chef cook-off featured one gourmand who had the unfortunate distinction of mixing the wrong broths, creating an imbroglio that diners would not soon forget.

hodgepodge

noun: a confusing mixture or jumble Synonyms : farrago , gallimaufry , hotchpotch , melange , mingle-mangle , mishmash , oddments , odds and ends , omnium-gatherum , ragbag Those in attendance represented a hodgepodge of the city's denizens: chimney sweepers could be seen sitting elbow to elbow with stockbrokers.

myriad

noun: a large indefinite number Synonyms : countless , infinite , innumerable , innumerous , multitudinous , numberless , uncounted , unnumberable , unnumbered , unnumerable There are a myriad of internet sites hawking pills that claim to boost energy for hours on end.

melancholy

noun: a deep, long-lasting sadness Hamlet is a figure of tremendous melancholy: he doesn't have a truly cheerful scene throughout the entire play.

boon

noun: a desirable state Synonyms : blessing Modern technology has been a boon to the travel industry. adjective: very close and convivial He was a boon companion to many, and will be sadly missed.

anathema

noun: a detested person; the source of somebody's hate Synonyms : bete noire Hundreds of years ago, Galileo was anathema to the church; today the church is anathema to some on the left side of the political spectrum.

aberration

noun: a deviation from what is normal or expected Synonyms : aberrance , aberrancy , deviance Aberrations in climate have become the norm: rarely a week goes by without some meteorological phenomenon making headlines.

conundrum

noun: a difficult problem Synonyms : brain-teaser , enigma , riddle Computers have helped solve some of the mathematical conundrums which have puzzled man for many centuries.

malady

noun: a disease or sickness Synonyms : illness , sickness , unwellness The town was struck by a malady throughout the winter that left most people sick in bed for two weeks.

umbrage

noun: a feeling of anger caused by being offended Synonyms : offence , offense Since he was so in love with her, he took umbrage at her comments, even though she had only meant to gently tease him.

presentiment

noun: a feeling of evil to come Synonyms : boding , foreboding , premonition On the night that Lincoln would be fatally shot, his wife had a presentiment about going to Ford's Theater, but Lincoln persuaded her that everything would be fine.

solicitude

noun: a feeling of excessive concern Synonyms : solicitousness I walked to his house in the rain to make sure he had enough to eat while he was sick, but he seemed not to appreciate my solicitude.

euphoria

noun: a feeling of great (usually exaggerated) elation Synonyms : euphory The euphoria of winning her first gold medal in the 100 meter dash overwhelmed Shelly-Ann Fraser and she wept tears of immense joy.

charlatan

noun: a flamboyant deceiver; one who attracts customers with tricks or jokes Synonyms : mountebank You may call him a "motivational speaker," but I call him a charlatan--he doesn't have any idea what he's really talking about.

juggernaut

noun: a force that cannot be stopped Synonyms : steamroller Napoleon was considered a juggernaut until he decided to invade Russia in winter; after which, his once indomitable army was decimated by cold and famine.

panegyric

noun: a formal expression of praise Synonyms : encomium , eulogy , paean , pean Dave asked Andrew to do just a simple toast, but Andrew launched into a full panegyric, enumerating a complete list of Dave's achievements and admirable qualities.

contingent

noun: a gathering of persons representative of some larger group A small contingent of those loyal to the king have gathered around the castle to defend it. adjective: possible but not certain to occur Whether the former world champions can win again this year is contingent upon none of its star players getting injured.

curmudgeon

noun: a grouchy, surly person Since Uncle Mike was the family curmudgeon, each Thanksgiving he was plied with copious amounts of wine, in the hope that he would become less grouchy.

misanthrope

noun: a hater of mankind Synonyms : misanthropist Kevin is such a misanthrope that he refused to attend the Christmas party, claiming that everyone's happiness was "fake" and "annoying."

paucity

noun: a lack of something Synonyms : dearth There is a paucity of jobs hiring today that require menial skills, since most jobs have either been automated or outsourced.

raft

noun: a large number of something Synonyms : batch , deal , flock , good deal , great deal , hatful , heap , lot , mass , mess , mickle , mint , mountain , muckle , passel , peck , pile , plenty , pot , quite a little , sight , slew , spate , stack , tidy sum , wad Despite a raft of city ordinances passed by an overzealous council, noise pollution continued unabated in the megalopolis. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

harangue

noun: a long pompous speech; a tirade Synonyms : rant , ranting Dinner at Billy's was more a punishment than a reward, since anyone who sat at the dinner table would have to listen to Billy's father's interminable harangues against the government. verb: to deliver a long pompous speech or tirade Tired of his parents haranguing him about his laziness and lack of initiative, Tyler finally moved out of home at the age of thirty-five.

gambit

noun: a maneuver or risk in a game or conversation, designed to secure an advantage Synonyms : ploy , stratagem Randy played a gambit, telling his boss that he would leave at the end of the week if he didn't get a raise.

amalgam

noun: a mixture of multiple things The band's music was an amalgam of hip-hop, flamenco and jazz, blending the three styles with surprising results.

label

noun: a name or phrase given to a group of things to identify them (often negative) verb: to give a label to something Synonyms : mark , tag The meaning of the label ""punk"" has changed greatly in the last 30 years. Children are often unkind and label others who look different as outsiders.

mendicant

noun: a pauper who lives by begging Synonyms : beggar Tolstoy was an aristocrat, but he strove to understand the Christianity of the Russian peasants by wandering among them as a mendicant.

respite

noun: a pause from doing something (as work) Synonyms : break , recess , time out, relief , rest , rest period Every afternoon, the small company has a respite in which workers play foosball or board games.

savvy

noun: a perceptive understanding Synonyms : apprehension , discernment , understanding Although a great CEO, he did not have the political savvy to win the election. verb: get the meaning of something Synonyms : apprehend , compass , comprehend , dig , get the picture , grasp , grok The student savvies the meaning of astrophysics with little effort. adjective: well-informed or perceptive With his savvy business partner, the company was able to turn a profit within a year.

raconteur

noun: a person skilled in telling anecdotes Synonyms : anecdotist Jude is entertaining, but he is no raconteur: beyond the handful of amusing stories he has memorized, he has absolutely no spontaneous story-telling ability.

chauvinist

noun: a person who believes in the superiority of their group Synonyms : flag-waver , hundred-percenter , jingo , jingoist , patrioteer The chauvinist lives on both sides of the political spectrum, outright shunning anybody whose ideas are not consistent with his own.

misogynist

noun: a person who dislikes women in particular Synonyms : woman hater Many have accused Hemingway of being a quiet misogynist, but recently unearthed letters argue against this belief.

miser

noun: a person who doesn't like to spend money (because they are greedy) Monte was no miser, but was simply frugal, wisely spending the little that he earned.

apostate

noun: a person who has abandoned a religious faith or cause Synonyms : deserter , ratter , recreant , renegade , turncoat An apostate of the Republican Party, Sheldon has yet to become affiliated with any party and dubs himself an independent.

arriviste

noun: a person who has recently reached a position of power; a social climber Synonyms : nouveau-riche , parvenu , upstart The city center was aflutter with arrivistes who each tried to outdo one another with their ostentatious sports cars and chic evening dress.

parvenu

noun: a person who has suddenly become wealthy, but not socially accepted as part of a higher class Synonyms : arriviste , nouveau-riche , upstart The theater was full of parvenus who each thought that they were surrounded by true aristocrats.

heretic

noun: a person who holds unorthodox opinions in any field (not merely religion) Synonyms : misbeliever , religious outcast Though everybody at the gym told Mikey to do cardio before weights, Mikey was a heretic and always did the reverse.

sybarite

noun: a person who indulges in luxury Synonyms : voluptuary Despite the fact that he'd maxed out fifteen credit cards, Max was still a sybarite at heart: when the police found him, he was at a $1,000 an hour spa in Manhattan, getting a facial treatment.

reprobate

noun: a person who is disapproved of Synonyms : miscreant Those old reprobates drinking all day down by the river-they are not going to amount to much.

proponent

noun: a person who pleads for a cause or propounds an idea Synonyms : advocate , advocator , exponent Ironically, the leading proponent of Flat-Earth Theory flies all over the world in an effort to win more adherents.

jingoist

noun: a person who thinks that their country should be at war Synonyms : chauvinist , flag-waver , hundred-percenter , jingo , patrioteer In the days leading up to war, a nation typically breaks up into the two opposing camps: doves, who do their best to avoid war, and jingoists, who are only too eager to wave national flags from their vehicles and vehemently denounce those who do not do the same.

sycophant

noun: a person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage Synonyms : ass-kisser , crawler , lackey , toady The CEO was unaware of the damaging consequences of his choices, largely because he surrounded himself with sycophants who would never dare criticize him.

corollary

noun: a practical consequence that follows naturally A corollary of Hurricane Sandy, which ravaged the east coast of the U.S., is a push to build higher sea walls to protect against future hurricanes.

atavism

noun: a reappearance of an earlier characteristic; throwback Synonyms : reversion , throwback Much of the modern art movement was an atavism to a style of art found only in small villages through Africa and South America.

stipend

noun: a regular allowance (of money) He was hoping for a monthly allowance loan from the government, but after no such stipend was forthcoming he realized he would have to seek other means of paying for his college tuition.

reprisal

noun: a retaliatory action against an enemy in wartime The Old Testament doctrine of an eye for an eye is not the kind of retaliation practiced in war; rather, an arm, a leg, and both ears are the reprisal for the smallest scratch.

smattering

noun: a slight or superficial understanding of a subject; a small amount of something Synonyms : handful I know only a smattering of German, but Helen is able to read German newspapers and converse with natives.

perquisite

noun: a right reserved exclusively by a particular person or group (especially a hereditary or official right) Synonyms : exclusive right , prerogative , privilege Even as the dishwasher at the French restaurant, Josh quickly learned that he had the perquisite of being able to eat terrific food for half the price diners would pay.

aphorism

noun: a short instructive saying about a general truth Synonyms : apophthegm , apothegm Nietzsche was known for using aphorisms, sometimes encapsulating a complex philosophical thought in a mere sentence.

maxim

noun: a short saying expressing a general truth Synonyms : axiom Johnson initially suggests that the secret to business can be summarized in a single maxim but then requires a 300-page book to explain exactly what he means.

apothegm

noun: a short, pithy instructive saying Synonyms : aphorism , apophthegm Winston Churchill is famous for many apothegms, but this might be his most famous: "It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried."

inkling

noun: a slight suggestion or vague understanding Synonyms : glimmer , glimmering , intimation Lynne speaks four Romance languages, but she doesn't have an inkling about how East Asian languages are structured.

pittance

noun: a small amount (of money) Vinny's uncle beamed smugly about how he'd offered his nephew fifty dollars for his Harvard tuition; even twice the amount would have been a mere pittance.

solecism

noun: a socially awkward or tactless act Synonyms : faux pas , gaffe , gaucherie , slip Mother Anna was always on guard against any solecism from her children and scolded them immediately if any of them talked out of place in public. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

gaffe

noun: a socially awkward or tactless act Synonyms : faux pas , gaucherie , slip , solecism In a famous gaffe, Vice President Quayle attempted to correct the spelling of a grade school student, only to find that the child was correct.

tumult

noun: a state of chaos, noise and confusion Synonyms : garboil , tumultuousness , uproar,commotion , din , ruckus , ruction , rumpus Riots broke out just in front of our apartment building, and the tumult continued late into the night.

enmity

noun: a state of deep-seated ill-will Synonyms : antagonism , hostility Charles rude remark toward Sarah yesterday was due to his illness, not due to any real enmity toward Sarah.

culpability

noun: a state of guilt Synonyms : blameworthiness , culpableness Since John had left his banana peel at the top of the stairwell, he accepted culpability for Martha's broken leg.

flux

noun: a state of uncertainty about what should be done (usually following some important event) Ever since Elvira resigned as the head of marketing, everything about our sales strategy has been in a state of flux. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

prognostication

noun: a statement made about the future Synonyms : forecasting , foretelling , prediction When the Senator was asked about where the negotiations would lead, he said that any guess he could make would be an unreliable prognostication.

martinet

noun: a strict disciplinarian Synonyms : disciplinarian , moralist The job seemed perfect to Rebecca, until she found out that her boss was a total martinet; after each project the boss would come by to scrutinize - and inevitably criticize - every little detail of the work Rebecca had done.

predilection

noun: a strong liking Synonyms : penchant , preference , taste Monte had a predilection for the fine things in life: Cuban cigars, 200 dollar bottles of wine, and trips to the French Riviera.

broadside

noun: a strong verbal attack Synonyms : bill , broadsheet , circular , flier , flyer , handbill , throwaway Political broadsides are usually strongest in the weeks leading up to a national election.

diatribe

noun: a strong verbal attack against a person or institution Synonyms : fulmination Steve's mom launched into a diatribe during the PTA meeting, contending that the school was little more than a daycare in which students stare at the wall and teachers stare at the chalkboard.

polemic

noun: a strong verbal or written attack on someone or something. The professor launched into a polemic, claiming that Freudian theory was a pack of lies that absolutely destroyed European literary theory. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

nuance

noun: a subtle difference in meaning or opinion or attitude Synonyms : nicety , refinement , shade , subtlety Because of the nuances involved in this case, I hired an outside consultant to advice us and help.

epiphany

noun: a sudden revelation or moment of insight Gary one day had an epiphany that he was a people person; he prompty quit his factory job and began working as a salesman.

recapitulation

noun: a summary (think of recap) Synonyms : recap , review Every point of the professors lesson was so clear that the students felt his concluding recapitulation was not necessary.

quisling

noun: a traitor Synonyms : collaborationist , collaborator History looks unfavorably upon quislings; indeed they are accorded about the same fondness as Nero—he who watched his city burn down while playing the violin.

platitude

noun: a trite or obvious remark Synonyms : banality , bromide , cliche , commonplace The professor argued that many statements regarded as wise in previous times, such as the Golden Rule, are now regarded as mere platitudes.

bromide

noun: a trite or obvious remark Synonyms : banality , cliche , commonplace , platitude Instead of sharing his umbrella, the cheeky stranger offered Martha the following bromide: "Looks like it's raining."

banality

noun: a trite or obvious remark Synonyms : bromide , cliche , commonplace , platitude Herbert regarded the minister's remark as a mere banality until Sharon pointed out profound implications to the seemingly obvious words.

conflagration

noun: a very intense and uncontrolled fire Synonyms : inferno In the summer months, conflagrations are not uncommon in the southwest, do to the heat and lack of rain.

melee

noun: a wild, confusing fight or struggle Synonyms : battle royal , scrimmage After enduring daily taunts about my name, I became enraged and pummeled the schoolyard bully and his sycophantic friends in a brutal melee.

epigram

noun: a witty saying Synonyms : quip My favorite epigram from Mark Twain is "A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn no other way."

quip

noun: a witty saying or remark Synonyms : epigram,crack , sally , wisecrack In one of the most famous quips about classical music, Mark Twain said: "Wagner's music is better than it sounds." verb: to make a witty remark, to say in jest Synonyms : gag When a old English teacher criticized Churchill for ending a sentence with a preposition, he quipped, "This is the kind of criticism up with which we will not put!"

invective

noun: abusive or denunciatory language Synonyms : vitriol , vituperation The Internet has unleashed the invectives in many of us; many people post stinging criticism on the comments section underneath newspaper articles or YouTube videos.

vitriol

noun: abusive or venomous language used to express blame or bitter deep-seated ill will Synonyms : invective , vituperation His vitriol spewed forth from a deep-seated racism that consumed his whole life.

audacity

noun: aggressive boldness in social situations Synonyms : audaciousness , temerity She surprised her colleagues by having the audacity to publically criticize the findings of an distinguished scientist.

collusion

noun: agreement on a secret plot Synonyms : connivance Many have argued that Lee Harvey Oswald, JFK's assassin, was in collusion with other criminals; others maintain that Oswald was a lone gunman.

apathy

noun: an absence of emotion or enthusiasm Synonyms : indifference , numbness , spiritlessness Widespread apathy among voters led to a very small turnout on election day.

travesty

noun: an absurd presentation of something; a mockery Synonyms : farce , farce comedy,burlesque , charade , lampoon , mockery , parody , pasquinade , put-on , sendup , spoof , takeoff What I expected to be an intelligent, nuanced historical documentary turned out to be a poorly-produced travesty of the form.

screed

noun: an abusive rant (often tedious) Joey had difficulty hanging out with his former best friend Perry, who, during his entire cup of coffee, enumerated all of the government's deficiencies--only to break ranks and launch into some screed against big business.

perfidy

noun: an act of deliberate betrayal; a breach of a trust Synonyms : betrayal , treachery , treason,perfidiousness , treachery The lowest circles in Dante's Inferno were for those who had practiced perfidy, and among these, the very lowest was for those, such as Judas, who had been treacherous to one of their benefactors.

redress

noun: an act of making something right Synonyms : remediation , remedy Barry forgot his wife's birthday two years in a row, and was only able to redress his oversight by surprising his wife with a trip to Tahiti.

junta

noun: an aggressive takeover by a group (usually military) As dangerous of a threat as North Korea is, some analysts believe that were a junta suddenly to gain power, it could be even more unpredictable and bellicose than the current leadership

accolade

noun: an award or praise granted as a special honor Synonyms : award , honor , honour , laurels Jean Paul-Sartre was not a fan of accolades, and as such, he refused to accept the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1964.

dilettante

noun: an amateur who engages in an activity without serious intentions and who pretends to have knowledge Synonyms : dabbler , sciolist,dilettanteish , dilettantish , sciolistic Fred has no formal medical training; while he likes to claim authority on medical issues, he is little more than a dilettante

tirade

noun: an angry speech Synonyms : broadside , philippic In terms of political change, a tirade oftentimes does little more than make the person speaking red in the face.

presumption

noun: an assumption that is taken for granted Synonyms : given , precondition When Mr. Baker found out the family car was gone, he acted under the presumption that his rebellious son had taken the car, calling his son's phone and yelling at him; only later did Mr. Baker realize that Mrs. Baker had simply gone out to get her nails done. noun: audacious (even arrogant) behavior that you have no right to The new neighbor quickly gained a reputation for her presumption; she had invited herself to several neighbors' homes, often stopping over at inopportune times and asking for a drink.

precedent

noun: an example that is used to justify similar occurrences at a later time Synonyms : case in point The principal explained that even though one student had done modelling work outside of school, the outfits that student wore in those photographs in no way established a precedent for what could be worn at school dances.

glut

noun: an excessive supply Synonyms : oversupply , surfeit The Internet offers such a glut of news related stories that many find it difficult to know which story to read first. verb: supply with an excess of Synonyms : flood , oversupply In the middle of economic crises, hiring managers find their inboxes glutted with resumes.

dispensation

noun: an exemption from a rule or obligation Since her father is a billionaire, she is given dispensation from many of the school's policies. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

virago

noun: an ill-tempered or violent woman Synonyms : amazon Poor Billy was the victim of the virago's invective - she railed at him for a good 30-minutes about how he is the scum of the earth for speaking loudly on his cellphone in public.

intimation

noun: an indirect suggestion Synonyms : breath , hint At first the hostess tried intimation, praising the benefits of cutlery; when Cecil continued eating with his hands, the hostess told him to use a fork at dinner.

powwow

noun: an informal meeting or discussion Before the team takes the field, the coach always calls for a powwow so that he can make sure all the players are mentally in the right place.

antipathy

noun: an intense feeling of dislike or aversion Synonyms : aversion , distaste Maria had an antipathy for tour groups, often bolting to the other side of the museum as soon as she saw a chaperone leading a group of wide-eyed tourists.

sinecure

noun: an office that involves minimal duties The position of Research Director is a sinecure: the job entails almost no responsibilities, nor does the person in that position have to answer to anyone.

pariah

noun: an outcast Synonyms : castaway , ishmael The once eminent scientist, upon being found guilty of faking his data, has become a pariah in the research community.

semblance

noun: an outward or token appearance or form that is deliberately misleading Synonyms : color , colour , gloss While the banker maintained a semblance of respectability in public, those who knew him well were familiar with his many crimes.

reservation

noun: an unstated doubt that prevents you from accepting something wholeheartedly Synonyms : arriere pensee , mental reservation I was initially excited by the idea of a trip to Washington, D.C. but now that I have read about the high crime statistics there, I have some reservations. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

litany

noun: any long and tedious account of something Mr. Rogers spoke to a Senate committee and did not give a litany of reasons to keep funding the program, but instead, appealed to the basic human decency of all present.

credence

noun: belief in something He placed no credence in psychics, claiming that they offered no special powers beyond the ability to make people part with their money.

acrimony

noun: bitterness and ill will Synonyms : acerbity , bitterness , jaundice , tartness , thorniness The acrimonious dispute between the president and vice-president sent a clear signal to voters: the health of the current administration was imperiled.

prolixity

noun: boring verbosity Synonyms : long-windedness , prolixness , windiness , wordiness I loved my grandfather dearly, but his prolixity would put me to sleep, regardless of the topic.

sangfroid

noun: calmness or poise in difficult situations The hostage negotiator exhibited a sangfroid that oftentimes was more menacing than the sword at his throat, or the gun at his head.

vicissitude

noun: change in one's circumstances, usually for the worse Even great rulers have their vicissitudes - massive kingdoms have diminished overnight, and once beloved kings have faced the scorn of angry masses.

duress

noun: compulsory force or threat The witness said he signed the contract under duress and argued that the court should cancel the agreement.

exegesis

noun: critical explanation or analysis, especially of a text The Bible is fertile ground for exegesis - over the past five centuries there have been as many interpretations as there are pages in the Old Testament.

artifice

noun: cunning tricks used to deceive others Synonyms : ruse The mayoral candidates both spent much of the campaign accusing each other of artifices designed to mislead the voting public.

duplicity

noun: deceitfulness, pretending to want one thing but interested in something else Synonyms : fraudulence A life of espionage is one of duplicity: an agent must pretend to be a totally different person than who she or he actually is.

truculence

noun: defiant aggressiveness Synonyms : truculency When the boss confronted Aaron about his earlier remarks, Aaron responded with utter truculence, simply throwing a glass of water in the boss' face and walking away.

turpitude

noun: depravity; a depraved act During his reign, Caligula indulged in unspeakable sexual practices, so it not surprising that he will forever be remembered for his turpitude.

apotheosis

noun: exaltation to divine status; the highest point of development Synonyms : ideal , nonesuch , nonpareil , nonsuch , paragon , saint,deification , exaltation As difficult as it is to imagine, the apotheosis of Mark Zuckerberg's career, many believe, is yet to come.

largess

noun: extreme generosity and giving Synonyms : largesse , magnanimity , munificence , openhandedness Uncle Frank was known for his largess, so his nephew was sad when he did not receive a present for his birthday.

jingoism

noun: fanatical patriotism Synonyms : chauvinism , superpatriotism , ultranationalism North Korea maintains intense control over its population through a combination of jingoism and cult of personality.

apprehension

noun: fearful expectation Synonyms : apprehensiveness , dread,misgiving Test day can be one of pure apprehension, as many students worry about their test scores.

temerity

noun: fearless daring Synonyms : audaciousness , audacity No child has the temerity to go in the rundown house at the end of the street and see if it is haunted.

torpor

noun: inactivity resulting from lethargy and lack of vigor or energy Synonyms : listlessness , torpidity , torpidness After work, I was expecting my colleagues to be enthusiastic about the outing, but I found them in a state of complete torpor.

probity

noun: integrity, strong moral principles The ideal politician would have the probity to lead, but reality gravely falls short of the ideal of morally upright leaders.

animosity

noun: intense hostility The governor's animosity toward his rival was only inflamed when the latter spread false lies regarding the governor's first term.

discord

noun: lack of agreement or harmony Synonyms : strife Despite all their talented players, the team was filled with discord--some players refused to talk to others--and lost most of their games.

insouciance

noun: lack of concern Synonyms : carefreeness , lightheartedness , lightsomeness Surprisingly, Hank had become a high-powered CEO; his high school friends remembered him as "Hanky Panky", who shrugged off each failed class with insouciance.

clemency

noun: leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice Synonyms : mercifulness , mercy In the final moments of the trial, during his closing speech, Phillips was nearly begging the judge for clemency.

calumny

noun: making of a false statement meant to injure a person's reputation Synonyms : calumniation , defamation , hatchet job , obloquy , aspersion , slander , denigration , traducement With the presidential primaries well under way, the air is thick with calumny, and the mud already waist-high.

paragon

noun: model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal Synonyms : apotheosis , ideal , nonesuch , nonpareil , nonsuch , saint Even with the rise of Kobe Bryant, many still believe that Michael Jordon is the paragon for basketball players. noun: an ideal instance; a perfect embodiment of a concept Synonyms : beau ideal , idol , perfection Some say that Athens was the paragon of democracy, but these people often forget that slaves and women were still not allowed to vote.

recrimination

noun: mutual accusations The two brothers sat and cried, pointing fingers and making elaborate recriminations of the other's guilt

aesthete

noun: one who professes great sensitivity to the beauty of art and nature Synonyms : esthete A true aesthete, Marty would spend hours at the Guggenheim Museum, staring at the same Picasso.

spendthrift

noun: one who spends money extravagantly Synonyms : scattergood , spend-all , spender Taking weekly trips to Vegas, Megan was a spendthrift whose excesses eventually caught up to her.

resource

noun: some saved material that can be used for a purpose (especially money, anything used to make energy such as oil, or information sources such as books) Many of the richest countries have surprisingly few natural resources and must buy oil or gas from other countries. Never forget to make use of the library during your studies; it's full of great resources.

hubris

noun: overbearing pride or presumption Bill Clinton was criticized for his hubris, since he believed he could get away with anything once in the White House.

decorum

noun: propriety in manners and conduct Synonyms : decorousness "You will obey the rules of decorum for this courtroom or spend the night in a jail cell," said the judge to the prosecutor.

gumption

noun: resourcefulness and determination Synonyms : backbone , grit , guts , moxie , sand Wallace Stegner lamented the lack of gumption in the U.S. during the sixties, claiming that no young person knew the value of work.

moment

noun: significant and important value Synonyms : consequence , import Despite the initial hullabaloo, the play was of no great moment in Hampton's writing career, and within a few years the public quickly forgot his foray into theater arts. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

malingerer

noun: someone shirking their duty by pretending to be sick or incapacitated Synonyms : shammer , skulker At one time, our country was full of hardworking respectful people, but now it seems that everyone is a malingerer with little inclination to work.

firebrand

noun: someone who deliberately creates trouble Synonyms : inciter , instigant , instigator , provoker Freddie is a firebrand: every time he walks into the office, he winds up at the center of heated argument.

maverick

noun: someone who exhibits great independence in thought and action Synonyms : rebel Officer Kelly was a maverick, rarely following police protocols or adopting the conventions for speech common among his fellow officers.

pundit

noun: someone who has been admitted to membership in a scholarly field Synonyms : initiate , learned person , savant Steven Pinker's credentials are unquestioned as a pundit; he has taught at MIT and Stanford, teaches at Harvard, and has published a number of influential books on cognition, language, and psychology.

desideratum

noun: something desired as a necessity The desideratum of the environmental group is that motorists should rely on carpooling.

anachronism

noun: something that is inappropriate for the given time period (usually something old). Synonyms : misdating , mistiming Dressed in 15th century clothing each day, Edward was a walking anachronism.

chimera

noun: something desired or wished for but is only an illusion and impossible to achieve Many believe that a world free of war is a chimera—a dream that ignores humanity's violent tendencies.

subterfuge

noun: something intended to misrepresent the true nature of an activity Synonyms : blind Finally deciding to abandon all subterfuge, Arthur revealed to Cindy everything about his secret affair over the past two years.

palimpsest

noun: something that has been changed numerous times but on which traces of former iterations can still be seen The downtown was a palimpsest of the city's checkered past: a new Starbucks had opened up next to an abandoned, shuttered building, and a freshly asphalted road was inches away from a pothole large enough to swallow a small dog.

anodyne

noun: something that soothes or relieves pain Synonyms : analgesic , pain pill , painkiller Muzak, which is played in department stores, is intended to be an anodyne, but is often so cheesy and over-the-top that customers become irritated. adjective: inoffensive Synonyms : analgesic , analgetic Wilbur enjoyed a spicy Mexican breakfast, but Jill preferred a far more anodyne meal in the mornings.

catalyst

noun: something that speeds up an event Synonyms : accelerator Rosa Park's refusal to give up her bus seat acted as a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement, setting into motion historic changes for African-Americans.

exemplar

noun: something to be imitated Synonyms : example , good example , model Lena's homework is on the wall because it is an exemplar of clean, neat, and thoughtful work.

tribulation

noun: something, especially an event, that causes difficulty and suffering Synonyms : trial , visitation As of 2013, nearly 1.5 million Syrians have fled their country hoping to escape the tribulations of a civil war tearing their country to pieces.

celerity

noun: speed, rapidity Synonyms : quickness , rapidity , rapidness , speediness We aim to respond to customers' questions with celerity and accuracy, with no longer than a 24 hour wait time.

zeitgeist

noun: spirit of the times Each decade has its own zeitgeist - the 1990's was a prosperous time in which the promise of the American Dream never seemed more palpable.

quandary

noun: state of uncertainty or perplexity especially as requiring a choice between equally unfavorable options Synonyms : dilemma Steve certainly is in a quandary: if he doesn't call Elaine, she will blame him for everything, but if he does call her, the evidence of where he currently is could cost him his job.

chagrin

noun: strong feelings of embarrassment Synonyms : humiliation , mortification Much to the timid writer's chagrin, the audience chanted his name until he came back on the stage. verb: cause to feel shame; hurt the pride o Synonyms : abase , humble , humiliate , mortifyf She never cared what others said about her appearance but was chagrined by the smallest comment from her mother.

credulity

noun: tendency to believe readily Virginia's wide-eyed credulity as a five-year old was replaced by suspicion after she learned that Santa Claus didn't really exist.

access

noun: the ability to go into (when somebody or something must allow you to enter) Synonyms : accession , admission , admittance , entree verb: to go into something when allowed to enter Only students have access to the university library. There is a large amount of oil under the ice, but we have not be able to access it.

serendipity

noun: the instance in which an accidental, fortunate discovery is made By pure serendipity, Sarah discovered, at a flea market in Peoria, a matching earring to replace the one that fell down the storm drain back home.

resignation

noun: the acceptance of something unpleasant that can't be avoided Synonyms : surrender Since Jack could not think of a convincing reason why he had to miss the seminar, he attended it with a sense of resignation. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

venality

noun: the condition of being susceptible to bribes or corruption Even some of the most sacred sporting events are not immune to venality, as many of the officials have received substantial bribes to make biased calls.

malapropism

noun: the confusion of a word with another word that sounds similar Synonyms : malaprop Whenever I looked glum, my mother would offer to share "an amusing antidote" with me - an endearing malapropism of "anecdote" that never failed to cheer me up.

contrition

noun: the feeling of remorse or guilt that comes from doing something bad Synonyms : attrition , contriteness Those who show contrition during their prison terms--especially when under review by a parole board--often get shortened sentences.

denouement

noun: the final resolution of the many strands of a literary or dramatic work; the outcome of a complex sequence of events At the denouement of the movie, all questions were answered, and the true identity of the robber was revealed.

pinnacle

noun: the highest point Synonyms : acme , elevation , height , meridian , peak , summit , superlative , tiptop , top At its pinnacle, the Roman Empire extended across most of the landmass of Eurasia, a feat not paralleled to the rise of the British Empire in the 18th and 19th century.

apex

noun: the highest point Synonyms : acme , peak , vertex The Ivy League is considered the apex of the secondary education system.

apogee

noun: the highest point Synonyms : culmination The apogee of the Viennese style of music, Mozart's music continues to mesmerize audiences well into the 21st century.

acme

noun: the highest point of achievement Synonyms : elevation , height , meridian , peak , pinnacle , summit , superlative , tiptop , top The new Cessna airplanes will be the acme of comfort, offering reclining seats and ample legroom.

zenith

noun: the highest point; culmination At the zenith of his artistic career, Elvis was outselling any other artist on the charts.

nadir

noun: the lowest point Synonyms : low-water mark For many pop music fans, the rap and alternative-rock dominated 90s were the nadir of musical expression.

pith

noun: the most essential part of something Synonyms : center , centre , core , essence , gist , heart , heart and soul , inwardness , kernel , marrow , meat , nitty-gritty , nub , substance , sum When Cynthia hears a speaker presenting a complex argument, she is always able to discard the irrelevant details and extract the pith of what the speaker is trying to convey. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

summit

noun: the peak or highest point Synonyms : acme , elevation , height , meridian , peak , pinnacle , superlative , tiptop , top, crest , crown After hiking for two days, the climbers finally reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. noun: a meeting of high-level leaders Since climate change policy has been mired in congressional fighting, this summit should help set the goals for president's next term.

heyday

noun: the pinnacle or top of a time period or career Synonyms : bloom , blossom , efflorescence , flower , flush , peak , prime During the heyday of Prohibition, bootlegging had become such a lucrative business that many who had been opposed to the 18th Amendment began to fear it would be repealed.

dispatch

noun: the property of being prompt and efficient Synonyms : despatch , expedition , expeditiousness She finished her thesis with dispatch, amazing her advisors who couldn't believe she hadn't written 60 scholarly pages so quickly. verb: dispose of rapidly and without delay and efficiently As soon as the angry peasants stormed the castle, they caught the king and swiftly dispatched him. This word has other definitions but these are the most important ones to study

variance

noun: the quality of being different The cynic quipped, "There is not much variance in politicians; they all seem to lie".

candidness

noun: the quality of being honest and straightforward in attitude and speech Synonyms : candor , candour , directness , forthrightness , frankness Although I was unhappy that the relationship ended, I appreciated her candidness about why she was ready to move on from the relationship.

artlessness

noun: the quality of innocence Synonyms : ingenuousness , innocence , naturalness I, personally, found the artlessness of her speech charming.

volubility

noun: the quality of talking or writing easily and continuously Synonyms : articulateness , fluency The professor's volubility knows no bounds; he could talk through a hurricane and elaborate a point from one St. Patrick's Day to the next.

altruism

noun: the quality of unselfish concern for the welfare of others Synonyms : selflessness Albert Schweitzer spent most of his life doing missionary work as a doctor in Africa, seeking no reward, apparently motivated only by altruism.

rapprochement

noun: the reestablishing of cordial relations Synonyms : reconciliation Although Ann hoped that her mother and her aunt would have a rapprochement, each one's bitter accusations against the other made any reconciliation unlikely.

primacy

noun: the state of being first in importance The primacy of Apple Computers is not guaranteed, as seen in the recent lawsuits and weak growth.

ascendancy

noun: the state that exists when one person or group has power over another Synonyms : ascendance , ascendence , ascendency , control , dominance The ascendancy of the Carlsbad water polo team is clear—they have a decade of championships behind them.

mendacity

noun: the tendency to be untruthful. I can forgive her for her mendacity but only because she is a child and is seeing what she can get away with.

temperance

noun: the trait of avoiding excesses Synonyms : moderation,sobriety Welles wasn't known for his temperance--he usually ate enough for two and drank enough for three.

gall

noun: the trait of being rude and impertinent Synonyms : cheekiness , crust , freshness , impertinence , impudence , insolence Even though Carly was only recently hired, she had the gall to question her boss's judgment in front of the office. noun: feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will Synonyms : bitterness , rancor , rancour , resentment In an act of gall, Leah sent compromising photos of her ex-boyfriend to all his co-workers and professional contacts.

indifference

noun: the trait of seeming not to care Synonyms : apathy , numbness , spiritlessness, emotionlessness , impassiveness , impassivity , phlegm , stolidity , unemotionality In an effort to fight indifference, the president of the college introduced a new, stricter grading system.

inanity

noun: total lack of meaning or ideas Synonyms : mindlessness , pointlessness , senselessness , vacuity Bill's poem was nothing more than a list of impressive sounding words, so there was no point in trying to take meaning from the inanity.

qualm

noun: uneasiness about the fitness of an action Synonyms : misgiving , scruple While he could articulate no clear reason why Harkner's plan would fail, he neverless felt qualms about committing any resources to it.

travail

noun: use of physical or mental energy; hard work; agony or anguish Synonyms : effort , elbow grease , exertion , sweat While they experienced nothing but travails in refinishing the kitchen, they completed the master bedroom in less than a weekend.

opulence

noun: wealth as evidenced by sumptuous living Synonyms : luxuriousness , luxury , sumptuousness Russian oligarchs are famous for their opulence, living in fancy homes and dining on expensive cavier.

noxious

noxious smog that for years has been encrusting the historic cathedral with soot

detract

numerous typos in the text detract the reader's attention from the novel's intricate plot

despite

preposition: even with (when an event is surprising because of some difficulty) We enjoyed our vacation despite the rain.

repress

quickly repressed the rebellion in the provincial city and restored order

efficacious

taking a cookie break while studying is one of the most efficacious ways of rejuvenating the mind that I have ever discovered

conniving

the principal connived at all the school absences that were recorded on the day of the city's celebration of its Super Bowl victory (connive)

prodigal

the prodigal child always spent her allowance the minute she got it

posit

the professor posits Cohen in his second category of poets

proximity

the proximity of the curtains to the fireplace was a cause of concern for the safety inspector

plaintive

the puppy's plaintive expression after we put the toy away was rather amusing

purport

the purport of the book

daunting

the raging inferno didn't daunt the firefighters for a moment

rationale

the rationale for starting the school day an hour later is that kids will supposedly get an extra hour of sleep

rebellious

the rebellious troops fought a pitched battle with divisions still loyal to the government (rebel)

resonant

the resonant tones of the piano

restive

the restive horse threw its head and refused to move when the rider urged it forward

cogent

the results of the DNA fingerprinting were the most cogent evidence for acquittal

pejorative

the reviewer used the pejorative word "versifier" to refer to the writer, whose poems had struck a responsive chord with the general public

demography

the shifting demography of Europe

presage

the sight of the first robin is always a welcome presage of spring

snobbery

the snobbery of some wine connoisseurs

discursive

the speaker's discursive style made it difficult to understand his point

imperil

transitive verb. to put at risk; endanger; synonyms: endanger, hazard, jeopardize

finagle

verb: achieve something by means of trickery or devious methods Synonyms : manage , wangle Steven was able to finagle one of the last seats on the train by convincing the conductor that his torn stub was actually a valid ticket.

concede

verb: acknowledge defeat I concede. You win! verb: admit (to a wrongdoing) Synonyms : confess , profess After a long, stern lecture from her father, Olivia conceded to having broken the window. verb: give over; surrender or relinquish to the physical control of another Synonyms : cede , grant , yield The Spanish were forced to concede much of the territory they had previously conquered.

expound

verb: add details or explanation; clarify the meaning; state in depth Synonyms : dilate , elaborate , enlarge , expand , expatiate , exposit , flesh out , lucubrate The CEO refused to expound on the decision to merge our department with another one, and so I quit.

tout

verb: advertize in strongly positive terms; show off Synonyms : blow , bluster , boast , brag , gas , gasconade , shoot a line , swash , vaunt At the conference, the CEO touted the extraordinary success of his company's Research & Development division.

lionize

verb: assign great social importance to Synonyms : celebrate , lionise Students in the U.S. learn to lionize Jefferson, Franklin, and Washington because they are the founding fathers of the nation.

relegate

verb: assign to a lower position Synonyms : break , bump , demote , kick downstairs When Dexter was unable to fulfill his basic duties, instead of firing him, the boss relegated him to kitchen cleanup.

impugn

verb: attack as false or wrong Though many initially tried to impugn Darwin's theory, in scientific circles today, the is idea taken as truth.

assail

verb: attack in speech or writing Synonyms : assault , attack , lash out , round , snipe In the weekly paper, the editor assailed the governor for wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars in public projects that quickly failed.

impute

verb: attribute (responsibility or fault) to something Synonyms : ascribe , assign , attribute He imputed his subpar performance on the test to a combination of stress and poor sleep.

ascribe

verb: attribute or credit to Synonyms : assign , attribute , impute History ascribes The Odyssey and The Iliad to Homer, but scholars now debate whether he was a historical figure or a fictitious name.

differentiate

verb: be a distinctive feature, attribute, or trait (sometimes in positive sense) Synonyms : distinguish , mark Mozart's long melodic lines differentiate his compositions from other works of late 18th century music. verb: evolve so as to lead to a new species or develop in a way most suited to the environment Synonyms : specialise , specialize , speciate Animals on Madagascar differentiated from other similar animal species due to many years of isolation on the island.

impede

verb: be a hindrance or obstacle to Synonyms : hinder,block , close up , jam , obstruct , obturate , occlude Since the police sergeant had to train the pair of new hires, progress in his own case was impeded.

flummox

verb: be a mystery or bewildering to Synonyms : amaze , baffle , beat , bewilder , dumbfound , get , gravel , mystify , nonplus , perplex , pose , puzzle , stick , stupefy , vex Mary's behavior completely flummoxes me: I never have any idea what her motivations might be.

denote

verb: be a sign or indication of; have as a meaning Synonyms : refer Even if the text is not visible, the red octagon denotes "stop" to all motorists in America.

browbeat

verb: be bossy towards; discourage or frighten with threats or a domineering manner Synonyms : ballyrag , boss around , bully , bullyrag , hector , push around , strong-arm During the interrogation, the suspect was browbeaten into signing a false confession.

exemplify

verb: be characteristic of Synonyms : represent Lincoln exemplified the best of not only America, but also the potential greatness that exists within each person. verb: clarify by giving an example of Synonyms : illustrate , instance Please present some case studies that exemplify the results that you claim in your paper.

confound

verb: be confusing or perplexing to Synonyms : bedevil , befuddle , confuse , discombobulate , fox , fuddle , throw Though Harry loved numbers, he found calculus confounding. verb: mistake one thing for another Synonyms : confuse Americans often confound sweet potatoes with yams, and refer to both vegetables by the same name.

vacillate

verb: be undecided about something; waver between conflicting positions or courses of action Synonyms : hover , oscillate , vibrate,fluctuate , waver Some students vacillate between schools when deciding which to attend, while others focus only on one school. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

prevail

verb: be widespread in a particular area at a particular time; be current: During the labor negotiations, an air of hostility prevailed in the office. verb: prove superior Before the cricket match, Australia was heavily favored, but India prevailed

languish

verb: become feeble Synonyms : fade Stranded in the wilderness for four days, the hiker languished, eating protein bars and nuts.

flounder

verb: behave awkwardly; have difficulties Synonyms : stagger Sylvia has excelled at advanced calculus, but ironically, when she has deal with taxes, she flounders.

elicit

verb: call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses) Synonyms : arouse , enkindle , evoke , fire , kindle , provoke , raise Just smiling-even if you are depressed--can elicit feelings of pleasure and happiness.

rescind

verb: cancel officially Synonyms : annul , countermand , lift , overturn , repeal , reverse , revoke , vacate The man's driver's license was rescinded after his tenth car accident, which meant he would never be allowed to legally drive again.

rile

verb: cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations Synonyms : annoy , bother , chafe , devil , get at , get to , gravel , irritate , nark , nettle , rag , vex Dan is usually calm and balanced, but it takes only one intense glare from Sabrina to rile him.

stultify

verb: cause one, through routine, to lose energy and enthusiasm Synonyms : cripple As an undergraduate Mark felt stultified by classes outside his area of study; only in grad school, in which he could focus solely on literary analysis, did he regain his scholarly edge.

placate

verb: cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of Synonyms : appease , assuage , conciliate , gentle , gruntle , lenify , mollify , pacify I was able to placate the angry mob of students by promising to bring cookies on Monday.

disseminate

verb: cause to become widely known Synonyms : broadcast , circularise , circularize , circulate , diffuse , disperse , distribute , pass around , propagate , spread Before the effects of anaethesia were disseminated, patients had to experience the full pain of a surgery.

perpetuate

verb: cause to continue If you do not let him do things for himself, you are merely perpetuating bad habits that will be even harder to break in the future.

crystallize

verb: cause to take on a definite and clear shape Synonyms : crystalise , crystalize , crystallise Only after fifteen minutes of brainstorming did Samantha's ideas for the essay crystallize. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

transmute

verb: change or alter in form, appearance, or nature Synonyms : metamorphose , transform,transubstantiate One of the goals of alchemy was to find the substance or process that would transmute lead into gold.

denigrate

verb: charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone Synonyms : asperse , besmirch , calumniate , defame , slander , smear , smirch , sully Count Rumford denigrated the new theory of heat, demonstrating that it was wholly inadequate to explain the observations.

abstain

verb: choose not to consume or take part in (particularly something enjoyable) Synonyms : desist , refrain Considered a health nut, Jessica abstained from anything containing sugar-even chocolate.

glean

verb: collect information bit by bit Synonyms : harvest , reap Herb has given us no formal statement about his background, but from various hints, I have gleaned that he grew up in difficult circumstances

derive

verb: come from; be connected by a relationship of blood, for example Synonyms : come , descend Many words in the English language are derived from Latin, including the word "derive." verb: reason by deduction; establish by deduction Synonyms : deduce , deduct , infer From the multiple set of footprints in the living room, the investigator derived an important clue: Sheila was not alone in the room at the time of the murder.

vanquish

verb: come out better in a competition, race, or conflict Synonyms : beat , beat out , crush , shell , trounce For years, Argentina would dominate in World Cup qualifying matches, only to be vanquished by one of the European countries during the late stages of the tournament.

vie

verb: compete for something Synonyms : compete , contend While the other teams in the division actively vie for the championship, this team seems content simply to go through the motions of playing.

subsume

verb: contain or include The rogue wave quickly subsumed the pier and boardwalk, destroying everything in its path. verb: consider (an instance of something) as part of a general rule or principle Synonyms : colligate Don Quixote of La Mancha subsumes all other modern novels, demonstrating modern literary devices and predating even the idea of a postmodern, metanarrative.

implicate

verb: convey a meaning; imply Synonyms : entail By saying that some of the guests were uncomfortable, the manager implicated to the hotel staff that it needed to be more dilligent. verb: to indicate in wrongdoing, usually a crime The crime boss was implicated for a long list of crimes, ranging from murder to disturbing the peace.

lambast

verb: criticize severely or angrily Synonyms : bawl out , berate , call down , call on the carpet , chew out , chew up , chide , dress down , have words , jaw , lambaste , lecture , rag , rebuke , remonstrate , reprimand , reproof , scold , take to task , trounce Showing no patience, the manager utterly lambasted the sales team that lost the big account.

rebuke

verb: criticize severely or angrily; censure Synonyms : bawl out , berate , call down , call on the carpet , chew out , chew up , chide , dress down , have words , jaw , lambast , lambaste , lecture , rag , remonstrate , reprimand , reproof , scold , take to task , trounce The police chief rebuked the two officers whose irresponsible decisions almost led to the deaths of seven innocent by-standers.

besmirch

verb: damage the good name and reputation of someone Synonyms : asperse , calumniate , defame , denigrate , slander , smear , smirch , sully The prince's distasteful choice of words besmirched not only his own name, but the reputation of the entire royal family.

lacerate

verb: deeply hurt the feelings of; distress The teacher was fired for lacerating a student who wrote a poor essay. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

gainsay

verb: deny or contradict; speak against or oppose Synonyms : challenge , dispute I can't gainsay a single piece of evidence James has presented, but I still don't trust his conclusion.

disenfranchise

verb: deprive of voting rights Synonyms : disfranchise The U.S. Constitution disenfranchised women until 1920 when they were given the right to vote.

delineate

verb: describe in detail After a brief summary of proper swimming technique, the coach delineated the specifics of each stroke, spending 30 minutes alone on the backstroke.

enumerate

verb: determine the number or amount of Synonyms : count , number , numerate The survey enumerates the number of happy workers and the number of unhappy workers. verb: specify individually, one by one Synonyms : itemise , itemize , recite I sat and listened as she enumerated all of the things she did not like about the past three months.

perturb

verb: disturb in mind or cause to be worried or alarmed Synonyms : cark , disorder , disquiet , distract , trouble , unhinge Now that Henry is recovering from a major illnesses, he no longer lets the little trivialities, such as late mail, perturb him.

deign

verb: do something that one considers to be below one's dignity Synonyms : condescend , descend The master of the house never deigned to answer questions from the servants.

quail

verb: draw back, as with fear or pain Synonyms : cringe , flinch , funk , recoil , shrink , squinch , wince Craig always claimed to be a fearless outdoorsman, but when the thunderstorm engulfed the valley, he quailed at the thought of leaving the safety of his cabin. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

bowdlerize

verb: edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate Synonyms : bowdlerise , castrate , expurgate , shorten To receive an R rating, the entire movie was bowdlerized because it contained so much violence and grotesque subject matter.

machinate

verb: engage in plotting or enter into a conspiracy, swear together Synonyms : cabal , complot , conjure , conspire The rebels met at night in an abandoned barn to machinate.

augment

verb: enlarge or increase; improve Ideally, the restaurant's augmented menu will expand its clientele and increase its profits.

hail

verb: enthusiastically acclaim or celebrate something Synonyms : herald Many college superstar athletes are hailed as the next big thing, but then flop at the professional level. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

elude

verb: escape understanding Synonyms : bilk , evade Even a basic understanding of physics can elude most high schools students.

ostracize

verb: exclude from a community or group Synonyms : ban , banish , blackball , cast out , ostracise , shun Later in his life, Leo Tolstoy was ostracized from the Russian Orthodox Church for his writings that contradicted church doctrine.

debunk

verb: expose as false ideas and claims, especially while ridiculing Synonyms : expose Richard Dawkins tries to debunk religious belief, but his ridicule tends to push people away from his points rather than convince them.

bemoan

verb: express discontent or a strong regret Synonyms : bewail , deplore , lament While the CFO carefully explained all the reasons for the cuts in benefits, after the meeting employees bemoaned the cuts as further evidence that management was against them.

objurgate

verb: express strong disapproval of Synonyms : condemn , decry , excoriate , reprobate The manager spent an hour objurgating the employee in the hopes that he would not make these mistakes again.

decry

verb: express strong disapproval of Synonyms : condemn , excoriate , objurgate , reprobate The entire audience erupted in shouts and curses, decrying the penalty card issued by the referee.

renege

verb: fail to fulfill a promise or obligation Synonyms : go back on , renege on , renegue on We will no longer work with that vendor since it has reneged on nearly every agreement.

dovetail

verb: fit together tightly, as if by means of a interlocking joint Synonyms : dovetail joint Although Darwin's evolution and Mendel's genetics were developed in isolation from one another, they dovetail very well.

abjure

verb: formally reject or give up (as a belief) Synonyms : forswear , recant , resile , retract While the church believed that Galileo abjured the heliocentric theory under threat of torture, he later wrote a book clearly supporting the theory.

coalesce

verb: fuse or cause to grow together Synonyms : blend , combine , commingle , conflate , flux , fuse , immix , meld , merge , mix Over time, the various tribes coalesced into a single common culture with one universal language.

ingratiate

verb: gain favor with somebody by deliberate efforts Even though Tom didn't like his new boss, he decided to ingratiate himself to her in order to advance his career.

entice

verb: get someone to do something through (often false or exaggerated) promises Synonyms : lure , tempt Harold enticed his wife, Maude, to go on a vacation to Hawaii, with promises of luaus on the beach and all-you-can-eat seafood buffets.

delegate

verb: give an assignment to (a person) Synonyms : assign , depute , designate Since the senior manager had to go on many international business trips, she was forced to delegate many of her responsibilities to two lower-level managers. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

sanction

verb: give authority or permission to Synonyms :approve , o.k. , okay The authorities have sanctioned the use of the wilderness reserve for public use; many expect to see hikers an campers enjoying the park in the coming months. noun: a legal penalty for a forbidden action International sanctions have been placed on certain shipping lanes that were thought to be involved in human trafficking.

underscore

verb: give extra weight to (a communication) Synonyms : emphasise , emphasize , underline While the hiking instructor agreed that carrying a first aid kit could be a good idea under certain circumstances, he underscored the importance of carrying enough water.

enjoin

verb: give instructions to or direct somebody to do something with authority Synonyms : order , say , tell The government agency enjoined the chemical company to clean up the hazardous dump it had created over the years.

engender

verb: give rise to Synonyms : beget , bring forth , father , generate , get , mother , sire The restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles were so severe that they engendered deep hatred and resentment in the German people.

rankle

verb: gnaw into; make resentful or angry Synonyms : eat into , fret , grate His constant whistling would rankle her, sometimes causing her to leave in a huff.

burgeon

verb: grow and flourish China's housing market is burgeoning, but some predict that the growth is merely a bubble and will burst much like the U.S. real estate bubble of 2008.

besiege

verb: harass, as with questions or requests; cause to feel distressed or worried Synonyms : beleaguer , circumvent , hem in , surround After discovering a priceless artifact in her backyard, Jane was besieged by phone calls, emails, and reporters all trying to buy, hold or see the rare piece of history.

construe

verb: interpreted in a particular way Synonyms : interpret , see The author's inability to take a side on the issue was construed by both his opponents and supporters as a sign of weakness.

thwart

verb: hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of Synonyms : baffle , bilk , cross , foil , frustrate , queer , scotch , spoil I wanted to spend a week in New York this autumn, but the high costs of travel and lodging thwarted my plans.

frustrate

verb: hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of Synonyms : baffle , bilk , cross , foil , queer , scotch , spoil , thwart, I thought I would finish writing the paper by lunchtime, but a number of urgent interruptions served to frustrate my plan. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

stymie

verb: hinder or prevent the progress or accomplishment of Synonyms : block , blockade , embarrass , hinder , obstruct , stymy The engineers found their plans stymied at every turn and were ultimately able to make almost no progress on the project.

encumber

verb: hold back Synonyms : constrain , cumber , restrain The costume encumbered all my movements and caused me to sweat profusely.

enthrall

verb: hold spellbound Synonyms : delight , enchant , enrapture , enthral , ravish , transport She was so enthralled by the movie that she never heard people screaming, "Fire! Fire!" in the neighboring theater.

misconstrue

verb: interpret in the wrong way Synonyms : be amiss , misapprehend , misconceive , misinterpret , misunderstand The politician never trusted journalists because he though that they misconstrue his words and misrepresent his positions.

irk

verb: irritate or vex Synonyms : gall My little sister has a way of irking and annoying me like no other person.

preclude

verb: keep from happening or arising; make impossible Synonyms : forbid , foreclose , forestall , prevent The manager specified that all other gates be locked, to preclude the possibility of persons without tickets entering the arena undetected.

guffaw

verb: laugh boisterously Synonyms : laugh loudly Whenever the jester fell to the ground in mock pain, the king guffawed, exposing his yellow, fang-like teeth.

belittle

verb: lessen the importance, dignity, or reputation of Synonyms : diminish,denigrate , derogate , minimize A good teacher will never belittle his students, but will instead empower them.

hamstrung

verb: made ineffective or powerless The FBI has made so many restrictions on the local police that they are absolutely hamstrung, unable to accomplish anything.

mitigate

verb: make less severe or harsh Synonyms : extenuate , palliate I can only spend so much time mitigating your disagreements with your wife, and at certain point, you need to do it on your own. verb: lessen the severity of an offense If it weren't for the mitigating circumstances, he would have certainly lost his job.

reconcile

verb: make (one thing) compatible with (another) Synonyms : accommodate , conciliate Peggy was unable to reconcile her kind friend Jane with the cruel and merciless character Jane played on television.

elucidate

verb: make clearer and easier to understand Synonyms : clear , clear up , crystalise , crystalize , crystallise , crystallize , enlighten , illuminate , shed light on , sort out , straighten out Youtube is great place to learn just about anything-an expert elucidates finer points so that even a complete novice can learn.

tarnish

verb: make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically Synonyms : defile , maculate , stain , sully Pete Rose was one of the best baseball players of his generation, but his involvement with gambling on baseball games has tarnished his image in the eyes of many.

incense

verb: make furious Synonyms : exasperate , infuriate When Herb bought football tickets for a game on the day of their wedding anniversary, Jill was incensed. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

embellish

verb: make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.; make more beautiful Synonyms : adorn , beautify , decorate , grace , ornament , fancify , prettify McCartney would write relatively straightforward lyrics, and Lennon would embellish them with puns and poetic images.

compound

verb: make more intense, stronger, or more marked Synonyms : deepen , heighten , intensify Her headache was compounded by the construction crew outside, which had six jackhammers going at the same time. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

rarefied

verb: make more subtle or refined Jack's vulgar jokes were not so successful in the rarefied environment of college professors.

ossify

verb: make rigid and set into a conventional pattern Synonyms : petrify , rigidify Even as a young man, Bob had some bias against poor people, but during his years in social services, his bad opinions ossified into unshiftable views. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

ameliorate

verb: make something bad better Synonyms : amend , better , improve , meliorate "Three Cups of Tea" tells the story of western man who hopes to ameliorate poverty and the lack of education in Afghanistan.

assuage

verb: make something intense less severe Her fear that the new college would be filled with unknown faces was assuaged when she recognized her childhood friend standing in line.

buttress

verb: make stronger or defensible China's economy has been buttressed by a global demand for the electronic parts the country manufactures.

obscure

verb: make unclear Synonyms : becloud , befog , cloud , fog , haze over , mist , obnubilate On the Smith's drive through the Grand Canyon, Mr. Smith's big head obscured much of Mrs. Robinson's view, so that she only saw momentary patches of red rock. adjective: known by only a few Synonyms : unknown , unsung Many of the biggest movie stars were once obscure actors who got only bit roles in long forgotten films. This word has other definitions but these are the most important ones to study

exacerbate

verb: make worse Synonyms : aggravate , exasperate , worsen Her sleeplessness exacerbated her cold--when she woke up the next day, her sinuses were completely blocked.

tender

verb: offer up something formally Synonyms : bid The government was loath to tender more money in the fear that it might set off inflation. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

appease

verb: pacify by acceding to the demands of Synonyms : assuage , conciliate , gentle , gruntle , lenify , mollify , pacify , placate Neville Chamberlain, the British prime minister during WWII, tried to appease Hitler and in doing so sent a clear message: you can walk all over us.

juxtapose

verb: place side by side The appeal of her paintings comes from a classical style which is juxtaposed with modern themes.

exalt

verb: praise or glorify Synonyms : extol , glorify , laud , proclaim The teenagers exalted the rock star, covering their bedrooms with posters of him.

antedate

verb: precede in time Synonyms : antecede , forego , forgo , precede , predate, foredate Harry was so unknowledgable that he was unaware the Egyptian pharaohs antedated the American Revolution.

hamper

verb: prevent the progress or free movement of Synonyms : cramp , halter , strangle As the rain water began to collect in pools on the highway, it began to hamper the flow of traffic. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

exonerate

verb: pronounce not guilty of criminal charges Synonyms : acquit , assoil , clear , discharge , exculpate The document clearly indicated that Nick was out of the state at the time of the crime, and so served to exonerate him of any charges.

retract

verb: pull inward or towards a center; formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure Synonyms : draw in,abjure , forswear , recant , resile Email is wonderfully efficient, but once something awkward or damaging has been sent, there is no way to retract it.

brook

verb: put up with something or somebody unpleasant Synonyms : abide , bear , digest , endure , put up , stand , stick out , stomach , suffer , support , tolerate While she was at the chalkboard, the teacher did not brook any form of talking--even a tiny peep resulted in afternoon detention. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

resolve

verb: reach a conclusion after a discussion or deliberation Synonyms : conclude After much thought, Ted resolved not to travel abroad this summer because he didn't have much money in his bank account. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

culminate

verb: reach the highest or most decisive point Synonyms : climax Beethoven's musical genius culminated in the 9th Symphony, which many consider his greatest work.

bristle

verb: react in an offended or angry manner Synonyms : abound , burst As we discussed the painting, I noticed the artist's wife bristling at our criticisms, ready to defend her husband's work.

discriminate

verb: recognize or perceive the difference Synonyms : know apart,separate Sarah couldn't discriminate between a good wine and a bad wine, so she avoided wine tastings. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

degrade

verb: reduce in worth or character, usually verbally Synonyms : demean , disgrace , put down , take down Jesse had mockingly pointed out all of Nancy's faults in front of their friends, publicly degrading the poor girl.

truncate

verb: reduce the length of something Synonym: abridge The soccer game was truncated when the monsoon rain began to fall.

debase

verb: reduce the quality or value of something Synonyms : adulterate , dilute , load , stretch The third-rate script so debased the film that not even the flawless acting could save it from being a flop.

snub

verb: refuse to acknowledge; reject outright and bluntly Synonyms :cut , disregard , ignore, rebuff , repel Wheeler was completely qualified for the committee, but the board snubbed him, choosing an obviously lesser qualified candidate instead.

kowtow

verb: to bow or act in a subservient manner Synonyms : bootlick , fawn , kotow , suck up , toady , truckle Paul kowtowed to his boss so often the boss herself became nauseated by his sycophancy.

balk

verb: refuse to comply Synonyms : baulk , jib , resist The students were willing to clean up the broken glass, but when the teacher asked them to mop the entire floor, they balked, citing reasons why they needed to leave.

repudiate

verb: reject as untrue or unfounded Many in the public believed the rumors of a UFO crash outside town, so the chief of police did everything he could to repudiate the rumors.

spurn

verb: reject with contempt Synonyms : disdain , freeze off , pooh-pooh , reject , scorn , turn down She spurned all his flattery and proposals, and so he walked off embarrassed and sad.

cede

verb: relinquish possession or control ove Synonyms : deliver , give up , surrenderr Eventually, all parents must cede control of their growing childrens' educations and allow their offspring some autonomy.

buck

verb: resist Synonyms : go against The profits at our firm bucked the general downturn that affected the real estate industry.

circumscribe

verb: restrict or confine Synonyms : confine , limit Their tour of South America was circumscribed so that they saw only popular destinations and avoided the dangerous parts of cities. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

lampoon

verb: ridicule with satire Synonyms : satirise , satirize Mark Twain understood that lampooning a bad idea with humor was the most effective criticism.

arrogate

verb: seize and control without authority Synonyms : assume , seize , take over , usurp Arriving at the small town, the outlaw arrogated the privileges of a lord, asking the frightened citizens to provide food, drink, and entertainment.

grovel

verb: show submission or fear Synonyms : cower , crawl , creep , cringe , fawn Every time Susan comes to the office, Frank grovels as if she were about to fire.

advocate

verb: speak, plead, or argue in favor of Synonyms : preach While the senator privately approved of gay marriage, he was unwilling to advocate for the cause in a public venue. noun: a person who pleads for a cause or propounds an idea Synonyms : advocator , exponent , proponent Martin Luther King Jr. was a tireless advocate for the rights of African-Americans in the United States. This word has other definitions but these are the most important ones to study

squander

verb: spend thoughtlessly; waste time, money, or an opportunity Synonyms : blow , waste,consume , ware Fearing his money would be squandered by his family, he gave all of it to charity when he died.

vilify

verb: spread negative information about Synonyms : rail , revile , vituperate Todd was noble after the divorce, choosing to say only complimentary things about Barbara, but Barbara did not hesitate to vilify Todd.

emulate

verb: strive to equal or match, especially by imitating; compete with successfully To really become fluent in a new language, emulate the speech patterns and intonation of people who speak the language.

bolster

verb: support and strengthen The case for the suspect's innocence was bolstered considerably by the fact that neither fingerprints nor DNA were found at the scene. Synonyms : bolster up This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

squelch

verb: suppress or crush completely Synonyms : quell , quench After the dictator consolidated his power, he took steps to squelch all criticism, often arresting any journalist who said anything that could be interpreted as negative about his regime.

preempt

verb: take the place of or have precedence over Synonyms : displace A governmental warning about an imminent terrorist attack would preempt ordinary network programming on television.

supplant

verb: take the place or move into the position of Synonyms : replace , supercede , supersede , supervene upon For many, a cell phone has supplanted a traditional phone; in fact, most 20-somethings don't even have a traditional phone anymore.

conniving

verb: taking part in immoral and unethical plots The queen was so conniving that, with the help of the prince, she tried to overthrow the king.

pontificate

verb: talk in a dogmatic and pompous manner The vice-president would often pontificate about economic theory, as if no one else in the room were qualified to speak on the topic. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

bridle

verb: the act of restraining power or action or limiting excess Synonyms : check , curb New curfew laws have bridled people's tendency to go out at night. verb: anger or take offense The hostess bridled at the tactless dinner guests who insisted on eating before everybody had gotten their food.

recrudesce

verb: to break out or happen again Synonyms : break , develop, erupt After years of gamblers anonymous, Tony thought he'd broken his compulsive slot machine playing, but it took only one trip to the Atlantic City for a full recrudescence--he lost $5k on the one armed bandit.

deliberate

verb: think about carefully; weigh the pros and cons of an issue Synonyms : consider , debate , moot , turn over Emergency situations such as this call for immediate action and leave no room to deliberate over options. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

espouse

verb: to adopt or support an idea or cause Synonyms : adopt , embrace , sweep up As a college student, Charlie espoused Marxism, growing his beard out and railing against the evils of the free-market.

maintain

verb: to assert Synonyms : defend The scientist maintained that the extinction of dinosaurs was most likely brought about by a drastic change in climate. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

perceive

verb: to be aware of, to sense or feel Synonyms : comprehend If hunters are skilled, the animals will not perceive their presence.

qualify

verb: to be eligible for a role, status, or benefit by meeting specific requirements Synonyms : measure up If James had made more than $50,000 last year, then he wouldn't have qualified for the low-income scholarship. verb: to make less severe; to limit (a statement) Synonyms : restrict Chris qualified his love for San Francisco, adding that he didn't like the weather as much as the weather in Los Angeles.

behooves

verb: to be one's duty or obligation The teacher looked down at the student and said, "It would behoove you to be in class on time and complete your homework, so that you don't repeat freshman English for a third straight year."

fete

verb: to celebrate a person Synonyms : celebrate After World War II, war heroes were feted at first but quickly forgotten.

chortle

verb: to chuckle, laugh merrily Synonyms : chuckle , laugh softly Walking past the bar, I could hear happy, chortling people and the blast of horns from a jazz band.

vindicate

verb: to clear of accusation, blame, suspicion, or doubt with supporting arguments or proof Synonyms : justify Even seven Tour de France wins cannot vindicate Lance Armstrong in the eyes of the public--that the athlete used performance enhancing drugs invalidates all those wins.

eradicate

verb: to completely destroy Synonyms : exterminate , extirpate , root out , uproot, annihilate , carry off , decimate , eliminate , extinguish , wipe out I tried eradicating the mosquitos in my apartment with a rolled up newspaper, but there were too many of them.

corroborate

verb: to confirm or lend support to (usually an idea or claim) Synonyms : affirm , confirm , substantiate , sustain,bear out , support , underpin Her claim that frog populations were falling precipitously in Central America was corroborated by locals, who reported that many species of frogs had seemingly vanished overnight.

excoriate

verb: to criticize very harshly Synonyms : condemn , decry , objurgate , reprobate Entrusted with the prototype to his company's latest smartphone, Larry, during a late night karaoke bout, let the prototype slip into the hands of a rival company - the next day Larry was excoriated, and then fired.

execrate

verb: to curse and hiss at Synonyms : accurse , anathematise , anathematize , anathemise , anathemize , comminate Though the new sitcom did decently in the ratings, Nelson railed against the show, saying that it was nothing more than an execrable pastiche of tired cliché's and canned laughter.

fleece

verb: to deceive Synonyms : gazump , hook , overcharge , pluck , plume , rob , soak , surcharge Many people have been fleeced by Internet scams and never received their money back. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

mulct

verb: to defraud or swindle Synonyms : bunco , con , defraud , diddle , gip , goldbrick , gyp , hornswoggle , nobble , rook , scam , short-change , swindle , victimize The so-called magical diet cure simply ended up mulcting Maria out of hundreds of dollars, but did nothing for her weight.

imbibe

verb: to drink or absorb as if drinking Synonyms : absorb , draw , soak up , sop up , suck , suck up , take in , take up Plato imbibed Socrates' teachings to such an extent that he was able to write volumes of work that he directly attributed, sometimes word for word, to Socrates.

expunge

verb: to eliminate completely Synonyms : excise , scratch , strike When I turned 18, all of the shoplifting and jaywalking charges were expunged from my criminal record.

immure

verb: to enclose, usually in walls Synonyms : gaol , imprison , incarcerate , jail , jug , lag , put away , put behind bars , remand The modern supermarket experience makes many feel claustrophobic, as they are immured in walls upon walls of products.

begrudge

verb: to envy someone for possessing or enjoying something Synonyms : resent Sitting all alone in his room, Harvey begrudged the happiness of the other children playing outside his window. verb: to give reluctantly We never begrudge money spent on ourselves.

beg

verb: to evade or dodge (a question) By assuming that Charlie was headed to college - which he was not - Maggie begged the question when she asked him to which school he was headed in the Fall. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

censor

verb: to examine and remove objectionable material Synonyms : ban Every fall, high school English teachers are inundated by requests to censor their curriculum by removing The Catcher in the Rye and Scarlet Letter from their reading lists. noun: an official who censors material The censor insisted that every reference to drugs should be removed from the manuscript.

champion

verb: to fight for a cause Synonyms : defend Martin Luther King Jr. championed civil rights fiercely throughout his short life. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

inundate

verb: to flood or overwhelm Synonyms : deluge , submerge, flood , swamp The newsroom was inundated with false reports that only made it more difficult for the newscasters to provide an objective account of the bank robbery.

indict

verb: to formally charge or accuse of wrong-doing The bankrobber was indicted on several major charges, including possession of a firearm.

belie

verb: to give a false representation to; misrepresent Synonyms : contradict , negate The smile on her face belies the pain she must feel after the death of her husband.

wax

verb: to gradually increase in size or intensity Synonyms : climb , mount , rise Her enthusiasm for the diva's new album only waxed with each song; by the end of the album, it was her favorite CD yet. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

stem

verb: to hold back or limit the flow or growth of something To stem the tide of applications, the prestigious Ivy requires that each applicant score at least 330 on the Revised GRE. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

hobble

verb: to hold back the progress of something Synonyms : gimp , hitch , limp Bad weather has hobbled rescue efforts, making it difficult for crews to find bodies in the wreckage.

demean

verb: to insult; to cause someone to lose dignity or respect Synonyms : degrade , disgrace , put down , take down At first the soccer players bantered back and forth, but as soon as one of the players became demeaning, calling the other's mother a water buffalo, the ref whipped out a red card.

cow

verb: to intimidate Synonyms : overawe Do not be cowed by a 3,000-word vocabulary list: turn that list into a deck of flashcards! This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

mollify

verb: to make someone angry less angry; placate Synonyms : season , temper In the morning, Harriat was unable to mollify Harry, if he happened to become angry, unless he had his cup of coffee.

exasperate

verb: to irritate intensely Synonyms : aggravate , exacerbate , exacerbate , worsen, incense , infuriate As a child, I exasperated my mother with strings of never-ending questions.

check

verb: to limit (usually modifying the growth of something) Deserted for six months, the property began to look more like a jungle and less like a residence - weeds grew unchecked in the front yard noun: the condition of being held back or limited When government abuses are not kept in check, that government is likely to become autocratic. This word has other definitions but these are the most important ones to study

hedge

verb: to limit or qualify a statement; to avoid making a direct statement Synonyms : circumvent , dodge , duck , elude , evade , fudge , parry , put off , sidestep , skirt When asked why he had decided to buy millions of shares at the very moment the tech companies stock soared, the CEO hedged, mentioning something vague about gut instinct. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

inure

verb: to make accustomed to something unpleasant Synonyms : harden , indurate Three years of Manhattan living has inured her to the sound of wailing sirens; she could probably sleep through the apocalypse.

err

verb: to make an error Synonyms : mistake , slip He erred in thinking that "indigent" and "indignant" were synonyms.

consecrate

verb: to make holy or set apart for a high purpose Synonyms : bless , hallow , sanctify At the church of Notre Dame in France, the new High Altar was consecrated in 1182.

unnerve

verb: to make nervous or upset Synonyms : enervate , faze , unsettle At one time unnerved by math problems, she began avidly "Magoosh-ing", and soon became adept at even combinations and permutations questions.

remonstrate

verb: to make objections while pleading Synonyms : bawl out , berate , call down , call on the carpet , chew out , chew up , chide , dress down , have words , jaw , lambast , lambaste , lecture , rag , rebuke , reprimand , reproof , scold , take to task , trounce The mothers of the kidnapped victims remonstrated to the rogue government to release their children, claiming that the detention violated human rights.

conciliate

verb: to make peace with Synonyms : appease , assuage , gentle , gruntle , lenify , mollify , pacify , placate His opponents believed his gesture to be conciliatory, yet as soon as they put down their weapons, he unsheathed a hidden sword.

demur

verb: to object or show reluctance Wallace disliked the cold, so he demurred when his friends suggested they going skiing in the Alps.

disabuse

verb: to persuade somebody that his/her belief is not valid As a child, I was quickly disabused of the notion that Santa Claus was a rotund benefactor of infinite largess - one night I saw my mother diligently wrapping presents and storing them under our Christmas tree.

badger

verb: to pester Synonyms : beleaguer , bug , pester , tease Badgered by his parents to find a job, the 30-year-old loafer instead joined a gang of itinerant musicians. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

propitiate

verb: to placate or appease The two sons, plying their angry father with cheesy neckties for Christmas, were hardly able to propitiate him - the father already had a drawer full of ones he had never worn before or ever planned to.

castigate

verb: to reprimand harshly Synonyms : chasten , chastise , correct , objurgate Drill sergeants are known to castigate new recruits so mercilessly that the latter often break down during their first week in training.

upbraid

verb: to reproach; to scold Bob took a risk walking into the "Students Barbershop" - in the end he had to upbraid the apparently drunk barber for giving him an uneven bowl cut.

contrive

verb: to pull off a plan or scheme, usually through skill or trickery Synonyms : devise , excogitate , forge , formulate , invent Despite a low GPA, he contrived to get into college, going so far as to write his own glowing letters of recommendation. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

hound

verb: to pursue relentlessly Synonyms : hunt , trace An implacable foe of corruption, Eliot Ness hounded out graft in all forms - he even helped nab Al Capone. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

dog

verb: to pursue relentlessly; to hound Synonyms : chase , chase after , give chase , go after , tag , tail , track , trail Throughout his life, he was dogged by insecurities that inhibited personal growth. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

register

verb: to put your name or other information in a list for something verb: to identify and show on a tool for measuring Synonyms : read , record , show If you'd like to buy a meal plan, you can register at the student affairs office. The bomb was so strong that far away weather balloons registered the heat.

peruse

verb: to read very carefully Instead of perusing important documents, people all too often rush to the bottom of the page and plaster their signatures at the bottom.

expurgate

verb: to remove objectionable material Synonyms : bowdlerise , bowdlerize , castrate , shorten The censor expurgated every reference to sex and drugs, converting the rapper's raunchy flow into a series of bleeps.

chastise

verb: to reprimand harshly Synonyms : castigate , chasten , correct , objurgate Though chastised for eating the snacks for the party, Lawrence shrugged off his mother's harsh words, and continued to plow through jars of cookies and boxes of donuts.

ferret

verb: to search for something persistently Synonyms : ferret out Ever the resourceful lexicographer, Fenton was able to ferret out the word origin of highly obscure words. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

prevaricate

verb: to speak in an evasive way Synonyms : beat around the bush , equivocate , palter , tergiversate The cynic quipped, "There is not much variance in politicians; they all seem to prevaricate".

equivocate

verb: to speak vaguely, usually with the intention to mislead or deceive Synonyms : beat around the bush , palter , prevaricate , tergiversate After Sharon brought the car home an hour after her curfew, she equivocated when her parents pointedly asked her where she had been.

mesmerize

verb: to spellbind or enthrall Synonyms : bewitch , magnetise , magnetize , mesmerise The plot and the characters were so well developed that many viewers were mesmerized, unable to move their eyes from the screen for even a single second.

exhort

verb: to strongly urge on; encourage Synonyms : barrack , cheer , inspire , pep up , root on , urge , urge on Nelson's parents exhorted him to study medicine, urging him to choose a respectable profession; intransigent, Nelson left home to become a graffiti artist.

start

verb: to suddenly move in a particular direction All alone in the mansion, Henrietta started when she heard a sound. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

intimate

verb: to suggest something subtly Synonyms : adumbrate , insinuate At first Manfred's teachers intimated to his parents that he was not suited to skip a grade; when his parents protested, teachers explicitly told them that, notwithstanding the boy's precocity, he was simply too immature to jump to the 6th grade. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

underwrite

verb: to support financially Synonyms : subvent , subvention The latest symphony broadcast was made possible with underwriting from the Carnegie Endowment.

dupe

verb: to trick or swindle Synonyms : befool , cod , fool , gull , put on , put one across , put one over , slang , take in Once again a get-rich-fast Internet scheme had duped Harold into submitting a $5,000 check to a sham operation. noun: a person who is easily tricked or swindled Synonyms : victim The charlatan mistook the crowd for a bunch of dupes, but the crowd was quickly on to him and decried his bald-faced attempt to bilk them.

meander

verb: to wander aimlessly Synonyms : thread , wander , weave , wind A casual observer might have thought that Peter was meandering through the city, but that day he was actually seeking out those places where he and his long lost love had once visited.

admonish

verb: to warn strongly, even to the point of reprimanding Synonyms : caution , monish Before the concert began, security personel admonished the crowd not to come up on stage during the performance.

attenuate

verb: to weaken (in terms of intensity); to taper off/become thinner. Synonyms : rarefy Her animosity towards Bob attenuated over the years, and she even went so far as to invite him to her party.

desecrate

verb: to willfully violate or destroy a sacred place Synonyms : outrage , profane , violate After desecrating the pharaoh's tomb, the archaeologist soon fell victim to a horrible illness.

pine

verb: to yearn for Synonyms : ache , languish , yearn , yen Standing forlornly by the window, she pined for her lost love. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

patronize

verb: treat condescendingly Synonyms : condescend , patronise She says she genuinely wanted to help me, but instead she patronized me, constantly pointing out how I was inferior to her. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

deride

verb: treat or speak of with contempt The nun derided the students for trying to sneak insects and worms into the classroom.

cosseted

verb: treat with excessive indulgence The king and queen cosseted the young prince, giving him a prized miniature pony for his fifth birthday.

fawn

verb: try to gain favor by extreme flattery Synonyms : bootlick , kotow , kowtow , suck up , toady , truckle The media fawned over the handsome new CEO, praising his impeccable sense of style instead of asking more pointed questions.

foment

verb: try to stir up public opinion Synonyms : agitate , stir up After having his pay cut, Phil spread vicious rumors about his boss, hoping to foment a general feeling of discontent.

avert

verb: turn away Afraid to see the aftermath of the car crash, I averted my eyes as we drove by. verb: ward off or prevent Synonyms : avoid , debar , deflect , fend off , forefend , forfend , head off , obviate , stave off , ward off The struggling videogame company put all of its finances into one final, desperate project to avert bankruptcy.

deter

verb: turn away from by persuasion Synonyms : dissuade His mother tried to deter him from joining the army, but he was too intoxicated with the idea of war to listen. verb: try to prevent; show opposition to Synonyms : discourage The government's primary job should involve deterring paths to war, not finding ways to start them.

nonplussed

verb: unsure how to act or respond Shirley was totally nonplussed when the angry motorist cut her off and then stuck his finger out the window.

goad

verb: urge on with unpleasant comments Synonyms : prick,needle Doug did not want to enter the race, but Jim, through a steady stream of taunts, goaded him into signing up for it.

maunder

verb: wander aimlessly Max liked to maunder down by the seaside and pick up whatever sea shells he would stumble upon. verb: speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly Synonyms : blab , blabber , chatter , clack , gabble , gibber , palaver , piffle , prate , prattle , tattle , tittle-tattle , twaddle After drinking two espressos each, the animated couple would maunder loudly, annoying the other patrons in the coffee shop.

parochial

voters worried about their own parochial concerns

insouciance

wandered into the meeting with complete insouciance to the fact that she was late

duplicitous

warned her not to trust the duplicitous art dealer (duplicity)

coerce

was coerced into signing the document

delude

we deluded ourselves into thinking that the ice cream wouldn't affect our diet

decorous

we were asked to be on our most decorous behavior at the formal event (decorum)

duplicity

we were lucky not to be taken in by his duplicity

quirky

wearing red shoes every day is just one of her quirks (quirk)

sycophant

when her career was riding high, the self-deluded actress often mistook sycophants for true friends

cagey