ALL

covert

(adj) secret, veiled, undercover related words:clandestine, surreptitious, furtive

hackneyed

(adj) so commonplace as to be stale; not fresh or original Related words : Banal, Inane, Insipid, Trite

gregarious

(adj) sociable, pertaining to a flock or crowd related words: genial, congenial, convivial

Replete

(adj) supplied in abundance, filled, gorged (used with with) This essay is ___ with errors- I don't think you even bothered to use spellcheck. Related words : Surfeit, Surplus, Plethora

Surmise

Guess, infer, opine Based on your rather sad attempt to figure out the tip on your restaurant bill, I would ____ that you actually have no idea how percents work. Related words : Conjecture, Suppositions.

Innocuous

Harmless, inoffensive. While it's quite acrid in here, fortunately the fumes that come from our factory are completely ___ -you don't need a face mask unless you'd like one. Related words: Benign

Limpid

(adj) clear, transparent; readily understood Hawaii was amazing! The water was crystal clear- so ___ that when you were scrubs diving, you could see ahead for what seemed like miles. After two years meditating in religious seclusion, he had a totally ___ attitude, affected by nothing from the outside world. synonyms: lucid, intelligible antonyms: murky, opaque

Dubious

(adj) doubtful, questionable, suspect The applicant's resume is filled with _____ qualifications. related words: Apocryphal, Faux, Specious

Compliant

Obeying, submissive; following the requirements Related words: Complaisant, Obliging

Languid

(adj) drooping from exhaustion, sluggish, slow; lacking in spirit We signed up for a fitness boot camp, but after single hour of exercise in the heat , we felt so overcome with ____ that we refused to go on. Related words: Torpid, Slothful, Indolent, Lassitude

Molt

Shed or cast off, esp. to regularly shed skin, feathers, etc. (as a snake) The translucent cylinder left behind when a snake ___ is widely Beautiful; it looks like a piece of blown glass. Related words; Slough, shed

Eschew

Shun, avoid, abstain from As a vegan, he ____ not only meat and dairy but also anything made of leather. Related words: abjure, Forswear

homogeneous

of the same kind

maverick

one who is independent and resists adherence to a group

Obsequious

overly submissive and eager to please

Constrict

(v) squeeze, compress; restrict the freedom of Related words: Constringe

repudiate

(v.) to disown, reject, or deny the validity of

Laconic

using few words

Verbose

wordy, very talkative

haven

(adj) harbor or port; refuge, safe place related : succor, asylum

unseemly

(adj) improper, inappropriate, against the rules of taste or politeness The activist really did want to get the candidates support for equal-rights measure, so she dud what the candidate's aides asked, but she found it very ____ that they suggested a specific dollar amount for the " donation" she was asked to make in order to get a meeting Related words: Indecorous, Boorish. Churlish, Uncouth, Gauche.

eloquent

(adj) marked by forceful, fluid, apt speech; expressive, emotionally moving. He's such an _____ speaker. Related words: Rhetorical, oratorical

Sportive

(adj) playful, merry, joking around, done "in sport" (rather than intended seriously) After Will shot a ball entirely off the pool table, knowing a women's purse off a bar stool, his friends laughed hysterically and called him " purse-snatcher" all night, but he took it as a ____ and bought the next round of drinks. Related words: Jocular, Jocose, Jocund, Waggish, Risible

Feasible

(adj) possible; logical or likely; suitable Your plan to promote our product launch with a parade is just not _____- we don't have the money or enough time to get the permits. Related words: Plausible, Viable

Garrulous

(adj) talkative, wordy, rambling Uncle bill is so ____ that our dinner convo lasted three hours. Related words: Prolix, Verbose, Loquacious.

craven

(adj) very cowardly, lacking courage related words: timorous, pusillanimous, dastradly

Dissonance

(n) harsh, inharmonious sound; cacophony; disagreement. Related words: Din, Clamor, Hubbub

Mollify

(v) calm or soothe (an angry person); lessen or soften The cellular company's billing practices were so infuriating to customers that the customer serves representatives spent every workday ___ angry customers. Related words: Appease, Placate, Assuage

Fathom

(v) measure the depth of (usually of water) as with a sounding line; penetrate and discover the meaning of, understand. Related words: Sound and Plumb

fortuitous

Happening by a chance,lucky It was amazingly _____ that the exclusive beach resort had a cancellation for exactly the weekend she had wanted to get married, allowing her to have the perfect wedding after all. Related words: Fluke, Inadvertent

Console

Lessen the suffering or grief of (verb); a control panel, or small table or cabinet (noun) Related words: Succor

complacent

Self-satisfied, smug; overly content (and therefore lazy, neglectful, or some other bad quality)

redress

Setting something right after a misdeed, compensation or relief for injury or wrongdoing (noun); correct, set right, remedy (verb) related words: Recompense, Requite

Winnow

Sift, analyze critically, separate the useful part from the worthless part We got 120 resume for one job. It's going to take me a while to ____ this down. Related words: Rarefy

Connote (verb), connotation (adj)

Suggest or imply in addition to the precise, literal meaning The word " titanic" simply means a larger or majestic, but because of the words association with the sunken ship, "titanic" has a negative ________ to many people/ Related words: Evoke

obsequious

servile, very compliant, fawning An _______ assistant, Sammy thought he could get ahead by doing everything asked of him, but instead, his boss gave a promotion to someone he viewed as more of a peer, truthfully, he thought Sammy's sucking up was pretty pathetic. Related words: Sycophant, Lacey, Toady, Myrmidon, Fawn, Kowtow Truckle

effrontery

shameless boldness Mr. Hou thought his daughter's boyfriend guilty of the worst ______when he asked for her hand un marriage-and, so soon as Mr. Hou gave his blessing, followed up by asking for a job at Mr. Hou's company. Syn; Audacious, Insolent, Brazen

abreast (adv.)

side by side; in alignment; on top of; up-to-date; well-informed. Keeping up with, staying aware of, or retaining equal in progress with. "as the car drew ____ of him, so Jack can recognize the driver". As the professor walked ____down the street with her mentor, she was amazed that the old man, long since retired, still kept ___ of all the latest developments in neurobiology. Syn; Conversant with( familiar by use or study), well versed in ( experienced, skilled).

august

majestic, inspiring admiration and respect

Garner

Gather and store; amass, collect The publisher sent copies of the soon-to-be published manuscript to reviews, hoping to ____ acclaim and publicity for the book Related words: Accrue, Augment, Agglomerate, Aggregate, Consolidate

Stolid

not easily moved mentally or emotionally; dull, unresponsive

untoward

not favorable, troublesome, unruly

invidious

offensive, hateful; tending to cause bitterness and resentment

ostenatious

overly showy, pretentious

Immutable; adjective

unchangeable Studies of the brain s of stroke patients have shown that out identities are not fixed and _____' rather, physical injuries to the brain can drastically change our personalities. Related words: Immalleable

Tacit

understood or implied without being stated

Impugn

to attack the truth or integrity of something I hate to ___ the motives of the volunteers, but I think that some of them are here for personal gain, not to help. Related words: Slander, Traduces Defame

forestall

to prevent by acting first

inadvertent

(adj) unintentional; characterized by a lack of attention, careless Fortuitous, fluke

wary

(adj) watchful, motivated by caution, on guard against danger. Be ____ of anyone who tells you that "anyone" can get rich with some special plan or scheme. Related words: Chary, leery, vigilant

Languid

(adj.) drooping; without energy, sluggish

prosaic

(adj.) dull, lacking in distinction and originality; matter-of-fact, straightforward; characteristic of prose, not poetic

Verdant

(adj.) green in tint or color; immature in experience or judgment. Having grown up in Ethiopia, Dabir loved the lushness of the ____ forests in the rainy Oregon. The first -year associate was a little too ___ to be assigned to the big case. Related words: Premaveral Vernal

taciturn

(adj.) habitually silent or quiet, inclined to talk very little

volatile

(adj.) highly changeable, fickle; tending to become violent or explosive; changing readily from the liquid to the gaseous state

florid

(adj.) highly colored, reddish; excessively ornate, showy

endemic

(adj.) native or confined to a particular region or people; characteristic of or prevalent in a field

sporadic

(adj.) occurring at irregular intervals, having no set plan or order

Querulous

(adj.) peevish, complaining, fretful

erudite

(adj.) scholarly, learned, bookish, pedantic

solicitous

(adj.) showing concern or care; fearful or anxious about someone or something

Gossamer

(adj.) thin, light, delicate, insubstantial; (n.) a very thin, light cloth

Enigma

(n) puzzle, mystery, riddle; mysterious or contradictory person. Related words: Paradox, Conundrum,

Maverick

(n) rebel, individualist, dissenter Most cop movies features heroes who are ____police officers; breaking all the rules, blowing things up.

boor

(n) rude, ill-mannered, or insensitive person; a peasant or country bumpkin Related worlds: Churl, Bumpkin, Yokel Rustic

dearth

(n.) a lack, scarcity, inadequate supply; a famine

Halcyon

(n.) a legendary bird identified with the kingfisher; (adj.) of or relating to the halcyon; calm, peaceful; happy, golden; prosperous, affluent

tirade

(n.) a long, angry speech, usually very critical

Paragon

(n.) a model of excellence or perfection (The mythical Helen of Troy was considered a ____ of female beauty.) Related words: Prototype, Paradigm, Exemplar, Epitome

neophyte

(n.) a new convert, beginner, novice

Rift

(n.) a split, break, breach. SYNONYMS: crack, fissure, gap, cleft. ANTONYM: reconciliation.

lassitude

(n.) weariness of body or mind, lack of energy

Anoint

(v) rub or sprinkle oil on; make sacred, such as by ceremony that includes applying oil to someone.

assuage

(v.) to make easier or milder, relieve; to quiet, calm; to put an end to, appease, satisfy, quench Related words: Placate, Mollify, Appease

abate

(v.) to make less in amount, degree, etc.; to subside, become less; to nullify; to deduct, omit

attenuate

(v.) to make thin or slender; to weaken or lessen in force, intensity, or value

Relegate

(v.) to place in a lower position; to assign, refer, turn over; to banish

Rue

(v.) to regret, be sorry for; (n.) a feeling of regret

Slake

(v.) to satisfy, relieve, or bring to an end SYNONYMS: quench, gratify, sate, ease, assuage ANTONYMS: increase, intensify, aggravate

dictum [noun]

1. a formal or authoritative statement 2. a statement or well-known remark that expresses an important idea or rule 3. a noteworthy statement: as a : a formal pronouncement of a principle, proposition, or opinion b : an observation intended or regarded as authoritative The king's ____ stated that each feudal lord must provide a certain number of soldiers within three week's time. Maxim, Apothegm, Aqdage

Empirical

(adj) coming from, based on, or able to be verified by experience or experimentation; not purely based on theory. People always knew____that when something is dropped, it falls to the ground: the theory or gravity later explained why.

Disquieting

(adj) disturbing, causing anxiety Synonyms: Discomfiting Opposite: quiescent

Benign

(adj) harmless; favorable; kindly, gentle, or beneficial; not cancerous Related words: Innocuous

Predisposed

(adj) having an inclination or tendency beforehand; susceptible Some autoimmune disorders don't kill the patient directly, but rather p_____ the patient to other, potentially fatal illness. His defense attorney argued that his abusive childhood ____ him to a life of crime.

discerning

(adj) having good judgment or insight; able to distinguish mentally Syn: Keen, preceptive, Precocious, descry

Discriminating

(adj) judicious, discerning, having good judgment or insight. As an adj is positive as a verb negative

warranted

(adj) justified, authorized (warrant can mean to justify or a justification, but can also mean to vouch for or guarantee) The pundit's comments don't even ____ a response from our organization-they were mere name-calling , not suitable for public discourse. Your criticism of Anne is un____ed; as your assistant, she has done everything you've asked her to do. He doesn't have his documents with him, but I'll _____ that he is indeed a certified forklift operator.

conversant

(adj) knowledgeable about or experienced with related words: Abreast

whimsical

(adj) marked or motivated by whims (odd, fanciful ideas); erratic, unpredictable Alice in Wonderland is a famously ____ story in which a little girl falls down a rabbit hole and find a strange and at times absurd world. She enjoyed a ____ day at the seashore-no plan, just wandering around and making sand castles as the mood struck. Related word: Capricious, Arbitrary, lark, mercurial

Figurative

(adj) metaphorical, based on figures of speech; containing many figures of speech (as fancy-sounding writing); related to portraying human or animals figures

erroneous

(adj) mistaken, in error; improper, morally incorrect Related words: fallible

Qualified

(adj) modified, limited, conditional on something else The scientist gave her ____ endorsement to the book, pointing out that, while it posed a credible theory, more research was still needed before the theory could be applied. Related words : Tentative, Temper

Base

(adj) morally low, mean, dishonorable; of little or no value; crude and unrefined; counterfeit Related words:debase

Indifferent

(adj) not caring, having no interest; unbiased, impartial Do whatever you want: I'm _____, I won't even notice. Related words: Apathy

Slew

A larger number or quantity As soon as we switched software packages, we encountered a whole _____ of problems. Related words: Myriad

alloy

A mixture of two or more metals

Anarchy

Absence of law or government; chaos, disorder

Dormant

Asleep, inactive, on a break Some famous writer's skills have lain ____untill quite late in life. Related words: Abeyance, Hiatus, Deferment or deferral

grievous

CAUSING GRIEF OR SORROW; SERIOUS AND DISTRESSING Maude and Bertha sobbed loudly throughout the ___ event. Synonyms: dire; dolorous; grave; mournful

Catalyst

Cause of change

idiosyncrasy

Characteristic or habit peculiar to an individual; peculiar quality, quirk. Related words: Eccentric

Exculpate

Clear from guilt or blame Related words: Vindicate, Exonerate

guile

Clever deceit, cunning, craftiness. The game of poker is all about ____. Related words: duplicity, wily

Welter

Confused mass or pile, jumble; confusion or turmoil (noun); roll around, wallow, toss about, writhe (verb).

Contentious

Controversial; prone to causing arguments, especially gratuitous or petty ones Related words: disputations, quarrelsome

Impute

Credit, attribute; lay blame or responsibility for (sometimes falsely) The ineffectual CEO was nevertheless a master of public relations- he made sure that all successes were ___ to him, and all of the failures were ____ to other.

Blight (verb)

Disease that kills plants rapidly, or any cause of decay or destruction (noun); ruin or cause to wither (verb) Many potato framers have fallen into poverty as a result of _____killing their crop. Gang violence is ___ on our school system, causing innocent students to fear even attending classes. Violence has ___Ed our town. Related words: scourge, Bane

Perfidious

Disloyal, treacherous, violating one's trust. The ____ soldier sold out his comrades, giving secrets to the enemy in exchange for money and protection. Related words: Apostate, Recreant, Quisling, Infidel

Declivity (noun)

Downward slope Not just any ____ can serve as a wheelchair ramp—I'm pretty sure this thing is too steep to pass regulations. Related words: Declination Opposite acclivity

Precocious

Exceptionally early in development or occurrence

Subjective

Existing in the mind or relating to one's own thoughts, opinions, emotions, etc.; personal, individual, based on feelings Naturally, anyone's experience of a movie is _____, and some will enjoy this picture despite its flaws.

Fidelity

Faithfulness, loyalty; strict observance of duty; accuracy in reproducing a sound or image Wedding vows typically include a promise of ____ such as " forsaking all other as long as I may live. Related words: Constancy

Resurgent

Having a revival, renewing, rising or surging again Related words: Recrudescent, Renascent

sedition

Inciting rebellion against a government, esp. speech or writing that does this. Related words : Incendiary

disingenuous

Insincere, not genuine Syn: Dissembling, prevaricating

didactic

Intended to instruct; teaching, or teaching a moral lesson Syn: Pedagogical, pedantic

Construe

Interpret or translate Misconstrue: Missunderstand

Mirth

Jollity, merriment; amusement or laughter Nothing could beat the ____ of the office holiday part--once everyone had heard fat their bonuses would be, the delighted staff forced a conga line and drank and danced the night away. Related words: Gaiety

Blithe (adj)

Joyous, merry; excessively carefree (so as to ignore more important concerns) Delighted about making the cheerleading team, she ___ skipped across the street without looking, and just narrowly avoided being hit by a bus. Related words: Jovial

Arbiter also arbitrate

Judge, umpire, person empowered to decide matters at hand Professional mediators ______ disputes. Th principle said" As the final ____ of what is and is not appropriate in the classroom, I demand that you take down that poster of the rapper Ice-T and his scantily-clad wife Coco. Related: Adjudicator

didactic

Lecturing to; talking down to

hearken

Listen, pay attention to ___, students!" said the old-fashioned music teacher. "We are going to practice '___, the Herald Angels Sing."

Antagonize

Make hostile or unfriendly Related words: Provoke

Diurnal adj

Occurring every day; happening in the daytime (rather than at night) While many Americans rarely have a sit-down family meal, in many other cultures, dining as a family is a ____ affair. Wall Street is a ____ neighborhood-hectic in the day, but quit once people pile on the rush hour trains to go home. Related wordS: Quotidian

Eminent

Prominent, distinguished, of high rank The undergraduate shocked everyone by asking the ___ old professor. Related words: Venerable

Revamp

Renovate, redo, revise (verb); a restructuring, upgrade, etc. (noun) Related words: Overhaul

fallacious

Something based on an erroneous or mistaken belief

pervasive

Tending to spread throughout Poverty is in our school system 65% of students receive free reduced-price lunch Related words: Omnipresent and ubiquitous

Exacting

Very severe in making demands: requiring precise attention. The boxing coach was ____, analyzing Joey's footwork down to the millimeter. Related words: Meticulous, Fastidious

Dichotomy

a division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different There is a _____ in the Sciences between theoretical or "pure" sciences, such as physics and chemistry, and the life sciences, which often deal more with classifying than theorizing. Related words: Binary, Duality,

reproof

an expression of blame or disapproval

panegyric

an expression of praise syn: tribute; extolment ant: denunciation

Chronological

arranged in or relating to time order

luminous

bright; brilliant; glowing

Incorrigible

not able to be corrected; beyond control

incorrigible

not able to be corrected; beyond control

propitious

presenting favorable circumstances

obdurate

stubborn

Obdurate

stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or course of action. Hardhearted related : Flinty, glacial, stony band callous , Reprobate and unregenerate

refractory

stubbornly resistant to authority or control

Disparage

to belittle, speak slightingly of; to undervalue

Descry

to catch sight of

Malleable

(adj) able to be bent, shaped, or adapted The more ____ the material, the easier it is to bend into jewelry. My mother is a little too___she said she liked all the things her first husband likes, and now she says she likes all the things her second husband likes.

Plastic

(adj) able to be shaped or formed; easily influenced A young child's mind is quite ____, and exposure to violent games can have a much greater effect on children . Related words: Tractable, Pliable, Mutable, Malleable.

Profuse

(adj) abundant, extravagant, giving or given freely It didn't mean anything at all to me, giving my old microwave to the family next door but the women's ____ thanks made methinking that maybe the family was having some financial trouble. She came home on Valentine's Day to an apartment decorated with a ____ion of flowers. Related words: Copious, Lavish

Onerous

(adj) burdensome, oppressive, hard to endure Doctors are often faced with the ____ task of telling waiting families that their loved one has died. Related words: Cumbersome, Arduous

offhand

(adj) casual, informal; done without preparation or forethought; rude in a short way, brusque I was pretty happy with my salary until my coworker Deena mentioned ___ly that she was thinking about buying a house now that she made six figures

Mundane

(adj) common, ordinary, everyday Dominique had been excited to visit France for the first time, but she was soon disappointed at how ____ the stay with her relatives was; they shopped at the market, cooked dinner, chatted with one another, and occasionally went shopping. Related words : Quotidian

Analogous

(adj) comparable, corresponding in some particular way (making a good analogy) Related words: Tantamount

Stark

(adj) complete, total, utter; harsh or grim; extremely simple, severe, blunt, or plain The designer's work is appreciated for its ___ beauty, but most people prefer to live in a cozier, more welcoming home. She is ___ raving mad! The ___ reality is that we will have to begin burning our furniture for warmth if we are to survive.

Solicitous

(adj) concerned or anxious (about another person), expressing care; eager or desirous; very careful A _____ host, Derek not only asked each person how he or she was doing but asked by name about everyone's spouses and kids. ____ of fame, she would do anything to get near celebrities

Sentient

(adj) conscious; experiencing sensation or perceiving with the senses. Tia became a vegan because she refused to eat any ___ creature.

crafty

(adj) cunning, skillful in deception or underhanded schemes related words : cunning, guileful, wily

Rudimentary

(adj) elementary, relating to the basics; undeveloped, primitive My knowledge of Chinese is quite ____- I get the idea of characters and I can order food, but I really cam't read this document you's just given me. Related words: Inchoate. Nascent, Incipient

Fanatical

(adj) excessively devoted, enthusiastic, or zealous in an uncritical way. We avoid our neighbors- they're ___ who can't go five minutes without trying to convert you to their beliefs. Related words: Ardent, Zealous, Fervent, Fervid, Perfervid

officious

(adj) excessively eager in giving unwanted advice or intruding where one is not wanted; meddlesome, pushy Natasha's dinner parties are exhausting. She's an ___- host who butts into everyone's conversations.

Virtual

(adj) existing only in the mind or by means of a computer network; existing in results or in essence but not officially or in name The Tamagotchi's is a handheld ___ per made in Japan. You have to "care" for it by performing various actions with the device, but in the end, your "pet" still looks very much like keychain Opposite: Nominal

egregious

(adj) extraordinarily or conspicuously bad; glaring Your conduct is an _____ Violation of our Honor code. Related words: Flagrant.

Phony

(adj) fake, counterfeit; insincere, not genuine ___ Louis Vuitton bags are easily purchased in certain parts of the city, but they are illegal. She's such a ___ person, pretending to befriend people and then talking about them behind their backs. Related words: Faux, apocryphal, spurious

bogus

(adj) fake, fraudulent Related words: Spurious and sham

Intrepid

(adj) fearless, brave, enduring in the face of adversity _____ explorers Lewis and Clark led the first U.S. expedition to the West Coast, facing bitter winters and rough terrain. Related words: Hardy, Fortitude, Grit

Pristine

(adj) in an original, pure state; uncorrupted Having grown up in a rural area, Billy had been in plenty of forests where people regularly left beer cans and shotguns shells behind. So it truly took his breath away, after hiking hours through the Himalays, to visit a _____ forest, seemingly untouched by humans Related words: Unadulterated, Unsullied

pugnacious

(adj) inclined to fight, combative Maria had hoped to avoid inviting Uncle Luigi to the wedding, as he was a _____ fellow. Sure enough, he managed to start a fistfight with the best man. Related words: Belligerent bellicose, Turculent.

inchoate

(adj) just begun, undeveloped, unorganized. The first few weeks of language class went well, but her ___ French was all but useless when she found herself at an academic conference in Quebec. Related words: Nascent, Incipient

tangential

(adj) only slightly relevant, going off topic Its hard to get a quick answer out of Noah-ask him any question, and you'll get a wide range of ____ remarks before he gets around to the point. Related words: Penumbra, Digress, Divagate

Incongruous

(adj) out of place, inappropriate, not harmonious Among the student artwork posted in the halls, Angelina's submission was ____, a dark gruesome, and even worldly work amidst the happy family portraits and other childish drawings. Related words: Heterogenous, Conspicuous

Placid

(adj) peaceful, calm, tranquil Famed Spanish tenor Placido Domingo has an unusual name- literally it means " Peaceful Sunday" . It's certainly not a coincidence that Placido looks much like ____. Related words: Quiescent

Sedulous

(adj) persevering, persistent, diligent in one's efforts ____ effort is necessary to improve your GRE verbal score- you need to study vocal in a serious way, nearly every day. Related words : Assiduous

Gawky

(adj) physically awkward (esp. of a tall, skinny person, often used to describe teenagers). As a teenager, she thought of herself as ___ and often slouched so as not to seem so much taller than her peers. Related words: Coltish, Ungainly

Sacrosanct

(adj) sacred, inviolable, not to be trespassed on or violated; above any criticism In our house, family dinners were____-if being in the school play meant you would miss dinner, then you just couldn't be in the school play.

Specious

(adj) seemingly true but actually false; deceptively attractive "All squares are rectangles, all candy bars are rectangles, therefore all squares are candy bars" is clearly a ___ argument Related words: Fallacious, Dubious, Meretricious

incendiary

(adj) setting on fire, pertaining to arson; arousing strife, rebellion, etc.; "inflaming" the senses Kindle, Rouse , Foment

Scathing

(adj) severe, injurious; bitterly harsh or critical (as a remark) The school superintendent gave a ___ criticism of the education bill, calling it " am attach on our community's children that will surely go down in infamy. How is it possible that she flew off her bicycle like that and walked away un_____?

Keen

(adj) sharp, piercing; very perceptive or mentally sharp; intense (of a feeling). Dogs have a ____ sense of smell. As homecoming queen, she has experienced the envy of others, but their jealousy only grew more___ when she was selected for a small role in a movie. Related words: Acumen, Astute. Prespicacity

Naive

(adj) simple and unsophisticated, unsuspecting, lacking worldly experience and critical judgment I was a little ____ during the hiring process Related words : Dupe, Credulous

Cynical

(adj) thinking the worst of others' motivations; bitterly pessimistic related words: Misanthrope

Trifling

(adj) trivial, not very important; so small as to be unimportant; frivolous, shallow Luis broke up with Cara because she was always obsessed with some ____ing matter. The young heiress was so deathly that she considered the salary from her internship as a mere ____, and didn't even notice when her paycheck was days later. Related words: Frivolous, Nugatory

dispassionate

(adj) unbiased, not having a selfish or personal motivation; calm, lacking emotion Synonyms: disinterested, unbiased, impartial, nonpartisan

Esoteric

(adj) understood by or intended for only a few; secret related words: Arcane, Recondite

Tacit

(adj) understood without being said; implied, not stated directly; silent Her parents never told her she could smoke, but they gave their ____ consent when they didn't say anything about the obvious smell coming from her bedroom. Related words: Implicit

Profound

(adj) very insightful, penetrating deeply into a subject; pervasive intense, "down to the very bottom;" at the very bottom The philosopher's work was difficult to parse, but____; it said truly novel things about the nature of reality. He was_____ly disappointed when the project he had worked on for 15 years failed.

Estimable

(adj) worthy of esteem, admirable; able to be estimated Related words : Calcuable

Liberal

(adj, n) favorable to progress or reform; believing in maximum possible individual freedom; tolerant, open-minded; generous (adj); a person with such beliefs or practices (noun). Splite pea soup benefits from a __ application of pepper. ____ reformers in Egypt pushed for freedom of speech.

Stoic or Stoical

(adj, n) indifferent to pleasure or pain, enduring without complaint (adj); person indifferent to pleasure or pain (noun) Della was not only calm but positively ___, facing the measles vaccination without a single yelp, in spire of her terrible fear of needle. Related words : Impassive, Stolid, Inscrutable

Patent

(adj, n) obvious, apparent, plain to see (adj); a letter from the government guaranteeing an inventor rights to his or her invention (noun) Her resume was full of ____ lies; anyone could check to see that she had never been president of UNICEF. related words: Blatant

bygone

(adj, n) past, former (adj); that which is in the past (usually plural noun). Related words: Erstwhile(former).Quondam

Vintage

(adj, n) related to items of high quality from a previous era, old-fashioned, antique (adj); the wine of a particular year (noun) He didn't want just any ___ Darth Vader action figure- he wanted a particular ____. She special-ordered her favorite ____ of the Cote du Rhone, then turned to her George Clooney lookalike husband and joked that she liked men of a certain ___ as well.

felicitous

(adj.) appropriate, apt, well chosen; marked by well-being or good fortune, happy

audaious

(adj.) bold, adventurous, recklessly daring

voluble

(adj.) characterized by a ready flow of words; glib, fluent. Related words: Loquacious, Prolix, Verbose, Glib

Winsome

(adj.) charming, attractive, pleasing (often suggesting a childlike charm and innocence) Related words: Ingenuous, Guileless, Artless

Facetious

(adj.) humorous, not meant seriously

Implicit

(adj.) implied or understood though unexpressed; without doubts or reservations, unquestioning; potentially contained in He didn't have to told to resign: it was ___ in his not getting the promotion Tacit

inscrutable

(adj.) incapable of being understood; impossible to see through physically

Esoteric

(adj.) intended for or understood by only a select few, private, secret

ostentatious

(adj.) marked by conspicuous or pretentious display, showy

Austere

(adj.) severe or stern in manner; without adornment or luxury, simple, plain; harsh or sour in flavor Related words: Ascetic

Prodigal

(adj.) wastefully extravagant; lavishly or generously abundant; (n.) one who is wasteful and self-indulgent If you're going to leave a trust fund for your children, you should raise them not to be _____, or they'll blow through all the cash the minute they get their hands on. The ____ land produced larger crops than the people could ever consume. Related words: Profligate, Wastrel. Spendthrift

tortuous

(adj.) winding, twisted, crooked; highly involved, complex; devious

Multifarious

(adjective) having great variety; numerous and diverse Syn:varied, manifold, heterogeneous Ant: unvaried, uniform, homogeneous

multifarious

(adjective) having great variety; numerous and diverse. Last's year jewelry was all metal and neutrals, but this year's presents a ____ array of brilliant colors. Syn:varied, manifold, heterogeneous Ant: unvaried, uniform, homogeneous

Likewise

(adv) also, in addition to; similarly, in the same way. Chip was baffled by all the silverware set before him, so when his host began eating salad with the smallest, leftmost fork, Chip did _____. Related words: Moreover

Metamorphosis

(n) a complete change or transformer (in biology, a change such as a caterpillar becoming a pupa and then a butterfly). Many reality show competitions are based on the idea of a contestant undergoing a _____, such as through dieting, exercise, life coaching, rehab.

Layperson

(n) a person who is not a member of the clergy or not a member of a particular profession (such as medicine, law, etc.) The actress Jenny McCarthy has written a book about autism. While her experience as a parent is interesting to anyone in a similar situation, it's still important to remember that McCarthy is a ____, not a doctor.

Gradation

(n) a progression, a process taking place gradually, in stages; one of these stages

hierarchy

(n) a ranked series; a classification of people according to rank, ability, etc.; a ruling body Related: Echelon

implication

(n) act of implying or that which is implied; close connection, esp. in an incriminating way She ____ her bf in the robbery after less than 20 mins of interrogation Related : implicit, tacit

Paradox

(n) contradiction, or seeming contradiction that is actually true Use: Kayla was always bothering the youth minister with her ____, like : if god is all-powerful, can he make a burrito so big he can't eat it? Related words: Conundrum, Enigma

counterpoint

(n) contrasting item, opposite; a complement; the use of contrast or interplay in a work of art. related words: foil

Pith

(n) core, essence; significance or weight I can only stay at this meeting for a minute- can you get to the ____of the issue now. The presentation has no___ Related words: Gist, Distill

Mores

(n) customs, manners, or morals of a particular group An American in Saudi Arabia should study the culture beforehand so as to avoid violating deeply conservative cultural ____. Related words: Ethos

Surfeit

(n) excess, excessive amount, overindulgence The soup kitchen would like to announce that it has a serious ___ of those cans of jellied cranberries that no one seems to want, but it could still use at least 10 Thanks giving turkeys. Related words: Replete with, Glut, Surplus, Plethora

Chauvinism

(n) fanatical patriotism or blind enthusiasm for military glory; undue or biased devotion to any group, cause, etc. Related words: Bigot, Xenophobia, Jingoism

Bureaucracy

(n) government characterized by many bureaus and petty administrators or by excessive, seemingly meaningless requirements

Zeal

(n) great fervor or enthusiasm for a cause, person, etc.; tireless diligence in furthering that cause; passion, ardor Whether you agree with their views or not, you have to admit that she employees of PETA have a great ____ for animal rights. Related words: Ardent, Fanatical, fervent, fervid and Perfervid.

Zenith

(n) high point, culmination At the ____ of her career, the actress could command 5$ million per film. Now, she is mostly seem in made-for-TV movies. Related words : Acme, Summit, Pinnacle, Apex Apogee

Preamble

(n) introductory statement, preface The _____ to the Constitution is a brief introduction that begins," We the people of the United States. The unusual outfit the pop star wore to her first awards ceremony was a mere____ to a career of full-blown crazy dressing. Related words: Prologue

Levity

(n) lightness (of mind, spirit, or mood) or lack of seriousness, sometimes in an inappropriate way My late uncle Bill loved practical jokes and absolutely would have approved of the iPod mix my aunt played at the wake which added a little ___by segueing from " amazing grace" to the party anthem " Lets get it started"

Gist

(n) main idea, essence I didn't read the whole book, but I read enough to get the gist. Related words: Pith, Précised

Paradigm

(n) model or pattern; worldview, set of shared assumptions, values, etc. Far from being atypically bawdy, this is a ___ of the form nearly all of them rely on off-color jokes. Related words: Prototype, Exemplar

Exponent

(n) person who expounds or explains; champion, advocate, or representative An _____of Clean fuel, Related Words: Proponent

Kudos

(n) praise, honor, congratulations. " ______ on your amazing GRE score"! While the critics weren't impressed, the play received plentiful of ____ from the audience. Related words: Plaudits, Laudation, Panegyric, Paean

Potentate

(n) ruler, person of great power

Potentate

(n) ruler, person of great power 62-year-old Prince Charles has certainly waited long enough to become ____ of England: his mother, Elizabeth II, has been ruling for his entire life. Related words: Sovereign

Monotony

(n) sameness or repetitiousness to the point of being boring; lack of variation, uniformity, esp. repetition in sound The ___ of working on a factory assembly like made her feel as though she would go insane from boredom. Related words: Tedium

pariah

(n) social outcast, untouchable After the schoolteacher was fired of participating in what some called a " hate rally," he became a ____ in his own town, glared at in the grocery store-even his longtime barber refused him a haircut.

Deterrent

(n) something that restrains or discourages Syn: balk

Efficacy

(n) the quality of being able to produce the intended effect. Extensive trails will be necessary to determine whether the drug's ___ outweighs the side effect

Resolution

(n) the quality of being firmly determined; resolving to do something; a formal judgment, esp. decided by a vote The city government passed a ___ to support the new monorail. A few serbacks did not dampen her ___ to completed her Ph.D. Related words: Resolve

propriety

(n) the state of being proper, appropriateness; (pl) standards of what is proper or socially acceptable

Lassitude

(n) tiredness, weariness; lazy indifference It's so difficult to get anything done in the dead heat of August! I can't seem to shake my ___ enough to get out of this hammock, much less study for the GRE. Related words: Languid, Torpid, Slothful, Indolent

Veracity

(n) truthfulness, accuracy; habitual adherence to the truth. I question the ____ of your story. I just don't think you've been to outer space. She was known for her ____ only because she had no choice- she was a terrible liar. Related words: Probity (honesty, integrity) Verisimilitude (having the appearance of truth). Verity NOT VORACIOUS (hungry, ravenous)

Jargon

(n) vocabulary specific to a group or occupation; convoluted or unintelligible language. The information my doctor gave me was full of medical ____ I couldn't understand it all! Related words: Argot, Cant, Lexicon

Fringe

(n, adj) on the margin, periphery (adj); the people in a group who hold the most extreme views (noun). Related words: Penumbra

Diatribe

(n.) a bitter and prolonged verbal attack Synonyms: harangue, tirade Antonyms: panegyric, encomium, eulogy

eulogy

(n.) a formal statement of commendation; high praise

Opprobrium

(n.) disgrace arising from shameful conduct; contempt, reproach Some young starlets seem to think a DUI offense isn't such a big deal, but drunk driving ____- driving under the influence maims and kills innocent people every year. Related: Infamy, Notorious, Obloquy

axiom/axiomatic

(n.) self-evident truth; maxim (adj.) self-evident; universally accepted as true Given the last decade of research into the brain-as well as our own experience trying to function while deprived of sleep or food- we must take as ____atic that the brain is influenced by the body. Related wordS: Maxim, Postulate

Approbation

(n.) the expression of approval or favorable opinion, praise; official approval

Bombastic (adj) also bombast (noun)

(of speech or writing) far too showy or dramatic than is appropriate; pretentious Professor Knustesn's friends joked that he became quite ____ after a few drinks, once asking a women in a bas " Is your daddy an esthete? because you are the epitome of ineffable pulchritude". she replied, " I'm not impressed by your _____." Related words: Declamatory, Magniloquent, Grandiloquent.

abase (v) abased (adj) abasement (n)

(v) Degrade or humble; to lower in rank, status, or esteem Syn: defame, belittle (put down, disparage) After messing up at work, the man faced a thorough _____ from his boss; when he realized he had forgotten his own wedding anniversary, he further _____ed himself in front of his wife.

Aver

(v) declare or affirm with confidence

Embellish

(v) decorate, add ornamentation; enhance (a story) with fictional or fanciful details. Every time she tells that story she _____ it quite a bit Related words: Bedeck

Negate

(v) deny or refute; make void or cause to be ineffective The debate coach reminded the students that they had to ____ each one of their opponents' major points in order to win Related words : Nullify, Sap, Enfeeble, Undermine

Diverge

(v) differ, deviate; branch off or turn aside, as from a path GO five miles until the old post office, the the road _____ Related words: Disparate

Underscore

(v) emphasize (or, literally, to underline text) " You're not going to mess with Otto anymore. His new bodyguards stepped forward threateningly as though to ____ his point. Related words: Undergird ( strengthen, support)

Flag

(v) get tired, lose enthusiasm; hang limply or droop Most of us were ____ and just wanted to sit. Related words: Enervate

Concede

(v) give in, admit, yield; acknowledge reluctantly; grant or give up (such as giving up land after losing a war)

Render

(v) give, submit, surrender; translate; declare formally; cause to become When you ___ your past die payments we Weill turn your phone back on. Only in her second year of Japanese, she was unable tp ___ the classic poem into English. The judge ___ed a verdict that ___ us speechless

Reap

(v) harvest, such as by cutting; gather; get as a result of one's effort He worked night and day in the strange new country, never stopping to rest, for he knew he would ___ his reward when his family greeted him as a hero for all the money he has sent back home. Related words: Sow. You ___ what you sow

Inform

(v) inspire, animate; give substance, essence, or context to; be the characteristic quality of. Her work as an art historian is ____ by backgrounders in drama; where others see a static tableau, she sees a protagonist, a conflict, a denouement.

Table

(v) lay aside to discuss later, often as a way to postpone discussion indefinitely I see we're not going to agree on whether to scrap our entire curriculum and develop a new one, so let's ____ that discussion and move on to voting on the budget.

alleviate

(v) lessen, make easier to endure Related words:Assuage, Ameliorate, Extenuate, Palliate

Mitigate

(v) make less severe; lessen or moderate (damage, grief, pain, etc.) Sadly, his illness could not be cured, but the nurses made every effort to ____ the symptoms. Related words: Ameliorate, Palliate, Alleviate

Quibble

(v) make trivial arguments or criticisms, find faults in a petty way, esp. to evade something more important Look, I am telling you some of the serious consequences of global warming, as predicated by the scientific establishment- I think your's just a ___ing to complain that I said " carbon Monoxide" when I meant " carbon dioxide" Related words: Cavil, Carp, Peevish

impair

(v) make worse, weaken Playing in a rock bank without earplugs will almost certainly ____ your hearing over time. Related : Exacerbate, aggravate. mar, vitiate

Obviate

(v) prevent, eliminate, or make unnecessary Adding protective heel taps to your dress shoes can ____ the need the take them to the shoe repair store later Related words: Circumvent

Preempt or Pre-empt

(v) prevent; take the place of, supplant; take before someone else can The speaker attempted to ____ an excessively long Q&A session by handing out a " Frequently asked Questions" Packet at the beginning of the seminar. Related words: Obviate

Proscribe

(v) prohibit, outlaw; denounce; exile or banish Plagiarism is ____ed by every college's code of conduct. Related words: Censure Circumscribe

Distill

(v) purify; extract the essential elements of It is not necessary to read your entire Powerpoint to use. Can you just ___ it down to the main point? Related words: Gist, Pith

Abate

(v) reduce, diminish Related words:Subside

Placate

(v) satisfy or calm down (angry or dissatisfied person), esp. by conciliatory gestures Our customer uses our product to ___ an angry partner. Related words: Appease, Mollify, Conciliate, Assuage, Implacable

Subside

(v) sink, settle down, become less active; return to a normal level. When her terror ___ed, she realized that the house wasn't really haunted. It is chronic illness-symptom \s will flare up and ___over one's lifetime. Related words :Abate (resume, diminish)

Document

(v) support with evidence, cite sources in a detailed way, create documentary evidence of. related words: Corroborate, substantiate, verify.

Desiccate

(v) thoroughly dried up, dehydrated. SYn: Arid

Grovel

(v) to humble oneself, act in a fearful and servile way; to lie face downward; to indulge in something base or unworthy. Most of the laid-off employees packed their things and left the building only one was seen ____, literally on his knees asking his boss not to fire him. Related words: Sycophant, Lackey, Toady, Myrmidon, Truckle, Kowtow, Genuflect

Consolidate

(v) unite, combine, solidify, make coherent Related words: Agglomerate, Aggregate, Commix, Conglomerate

deface

(v) vandalize, mar the appearance of Related words: depredate, efface

Aver

(v.) to affirm, declare confidently

Vex

(v.) to annoy, anger, exasperate; to confuse, baffle. "don't ___ me". Related words: Irk, Nettle

Ascribe

(v.) to assign or refer to (as a cause or source), attribute He _____ed his good grades to diligent studying. The young boy ____ed to his imaginary friend all the powers he wished he had himself-being able to fly, having dozens of friend, and never having to eat broccoli. Related words: Impute

admonish

(v.) to caution or advise against something; to scold mildly; to remind of a duty

Exonerate

(v.) to clear from a charge or accusation

Inundate

(v.) to flood, overflow; to overwhelm by numbers or size As the city was _____d with water, the mayor feared that many evacuees would have nowhere to go. I can't go out- I am ____ed with homework. Related words: Deluge, Engulf

assuage

(v.) to make easier or milder, relieve; to quiet, calm; to put an end to, appease, satisfy, quench

Dilate

(v.) to make or become larger or wider; to expand upon; to speak or write at length, elaborate upon The doctor gave her eye drops to make her pulse ____. These dinners at Professor Hwang's house usually run rather late; after the meal, he'll typically ___ on his last research for at least an hour. Syn: Expatiate

Malinger

(v.) to pretend illness to avoid duty or work, lie down on the job Bisan was sich in class on Monday, and she was sent to the school nurse to sleep it off. The nurse accused him of _____ing and sent him back to class. Related words: shirk, skulk

Culminate

(v.) to reach a high point of development; to end, climax related words:acme, pinnacle, apex

buttress

(v.) to support, prop up, strengthen; (n.) a supporting structure

recant

(v.) to withdraw a statement or belief to which one has previously been committed, renounce, retract Related words: Repudiate

raconteur

A WITTY, SKILLFUL STORYTELLER The ___ kept all the passengers entertained with his stories during the six-hour flight. Synonyms: anecdotalist; monologist

Spectrum

A broad range of nevertheless related qualities or ideas, esp. those that overlap to create a continuous series (as in a color spectrum, where each color blends into the next in a continuous way) A test showed that was partially colorblind-she did see blues and greens, but was unable to perceive some other colors on the ____. A " dialect continuum" is a ____ of dialects of a language where speakers. Related words: Panoply, Scope

Yoke

A burden or something that oppresses; a frame for attaching animals (such as oxen) to each other and to a plow or other equipment to be pulled, or a bar across a person's shoulders to help carry buckets of water, etc. (noun); to unite together or to burden (verb)

Abyss (noun)

A deep and vast space or cavity; anything profound or infinite. Walking a tightrope over an active volcano, the acrobat was terrified of falling into the _____. Now recovering, the patient remembered her experience with clinical depression as an ___ of hopelessness. Syn: Chasm, Crevasse, Fissure, Gorge

Lampoon

A harsh satire (noun); ridicule or satirize (verb). " As a Democrat" said Bob, " I cam't say I appreciated watching that comedian in the Obama mask ____ the state of the union address. Related words: Satirize , Parody

Cacophony

A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds Related word: Din, Dissonance , Clamor

demagogue

A leader who lies and gains power by arousing the passions and especially prejudices of the people. Political _____ lie and twist the facts Propagandist, Provocateur

Echelon (noun)

A level, rank or grade; the people at that level. Obtaining a job on Wall Street doesn't guarantee access to the upper _____ of executives, where multimillion-dollar bonuses are the norm. I'm not sure I'm cut out to analyze poetry; I find it hard to Dif beyond the most accessible ___ of meaning Syn; Stratum

stoic

A person who can endure pain or hardship without showing their feelings or complaining.

Dispositions

A person's general or natural mood : tendency. Synonyms: Penchant, Predilection

Paradox

A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.

Whitewash

A substance used to whiten walls, wood, etc. (noun); deception, covering up of wrongs, errors, misdeeds, etc. (verb) Related words: Gloss, over, paper over

Nuance

A subtle difference in the tone, meaning, expression, etc. People with certain cognitive disabilities cannot understand the _____ of non-literal speech. Subtleties

Dogma

A system of principles laid down by an authority, established belief. It is part of the ___ of modern education that there are multiple intelligences that are equally valuable. Related words: Doctrinaire

Interregnum

A time in between two reigns or regimes during which there is no ruler; a period during which government does not function; any period of freedom from authority or break or interruption in a series. When the king died with no heir, his ministers ruled in the _______as the nobles argued over which if the king's nephews should rule next. In the ____ between Madonna and Lady Gaga, there was no single female pope star who commanded such titanic audience. Related words: Interrex, Hiatus, Abeyance

scintilla

A tiny bit or trace With not one ___ of food in the house, the pioneer women resorted to separate means, boiling weeds and even shoe leather to feed her children. Related words: Modicum, Iota, Mite Tad, Vestige

fledgling noun

A young bird that has just recently gotten its feathers, an inexperienced person (noun); new or experienced (adj) The zoo's Eagle Came will hopefully be able to catch the moment the ____s fly out of the nest for the very first time . The Society of Engineers is available for Career Day presentations in elementary schools, where we hope to encourage ____ talents in the applied science. Related words: Tyro Verb Fledge means to nurture

intelligible

Able to be understood, clear. You are doing a disservice to all music by listening through those horrible speakers! None of the lyrics are ever _____! I'll bet you have no idea what this song is even about. Related words: legible, Lucid

Ascetic

Abstinent or austere in lifestyle; a person who leads an austere and simple life without material pleasures, esp. someone who does this for religious reasons Related words: Hermit or anchorite, Recluse

Dither (verb, noun)

Act indecisively (verb); a state of fear or trembling excitement. "Stop dithering", said the mother to her daughter. " Pick which sweater you want". The haunted house brought the children to ____ from which it was difficult for their parents to calm them down. Related words: Vacillate, Equivocate dodder " shake or tremble

Capricious

Acting on impulse, erratic Related words: Whimsical, Lark, Mercurial, Arbitrary

felicitous

Admirably appropriate, very well-suited for the occasion; pleasant, fortunate, marked by happiness "What a _____ occasion!" said said the new grandfather, arriving at age hospital with an "it's a Girl!" ballon. The new father found the ballon remarkably ____, especially since the baby's gender had been announced less than hour ago. Related words: Apt, Fortuitous

counterintuitive

Against what one would intuitively expect related: paradoxical

accede, also accedence

Agree, give consent; assume power (usually as " accede"). While the English was a strong believer in democracy, he had to ____ that watching Prince Charles someday ____ to the throne would indeed be exciting. Related words: Assent

Euphony

Agreeable sounds, especially in the phonetic quality of words, sweet voiced. Poetry in translation can keep its meaning, but often loses the _____ the poet worked so laboriously to create. Syn; Dulcet, Mellifluous

affable, amiable, genial, gregarious

All mean agreeable; marked by a pleasing personality; warm and friendly Opposite: Standoffish, discourteous, distant

Dismiss

Allow to disperse or leave; fire from a job; put aside or reject, especially after only a brief consideration Related: discount

rescind

Annual, Repeal, make void The governor ___ed his proclamation making September 10th " Pastafarian Day" once someone told him it wasn't a real religion. Related words: Negate, Nullify

maelstrom

Any chaotic turbulent situation; violent whirlpool after having been homeschooled her whole life , the first week of college was a ____ of social events, orientations, and businesses. Related words: Tumult, Din, Clamor, hubbub

Ersatz adj

Artificial, synthetic; being an inferior substitute I hate this healthy food restaurant! I do not want to eat some ______ meatballs made of textured vegetable protein! Syn; Apocryphal, Faux Bogus, Specious, Factitious

Assail (verb), also assailant (noun)

Attack violently, assault One strategy for winning in boxing is to simply ___ your opponent with so many blows that he becomes disorientate. The debate team ___Ed the opposition with more evidence than they could respond to. Related words: Batter

besiege (verb)

Attack, overwhelm, crowd in on or surround The regiment was ____Ed by attachers on all sides and finally surrendered. I cannot go out this weekend- I am ___ed by homework. Related words: Harry, Hound, Beleaguer

iconoclast

Attacker of cherished beliefs or institutions A lifelong _____, Ayn Rand wrote a controversial book entitled The virtue of selfishness. Related words: Maverick, Heterodox

propitiate

Attempt to reconcile with, satisfy, or reduce the animosity of (a person who is angry, offended, etc.) The ancient greeks would often attempt to ___ angry gods by sacrificing animals to them. Related words: Placate, Appease, Mollify, Conciliate, Assuage

Hedge

Avoid commitment by leaving provisions for withdrawal or changing one's mind; protect a bet by also betting on the other side While he coaxed and cajoled us all into seeing " the best movie ever," he ____ once we were in the theater; " I don't know if you all like this sort of thing," he said. " I mean, you can make up you own mind" Related words: Equivocate, Waffle, Vacillate, Tergiversate, Ambivalent, Palter.

curmudgeon (noun)

Bad-tempered, difficult person; grouch The college student's part was hampered by constant complaints from a ____ neighbor who insisted that making noise after 8pm was unreasonable, and called the police over a single beer can on his lawn. Related words: Crotchety, Cantankerous, Crank

Presumptive

Based on inference or assumption; providing reasonable grounds for belief. The dictator's favorite nephew is the ____ heir to power, but anything could happen. He's the ____ winner of the election; we haven't counted all the votes. Related words: Ostensible, Putative

Decorous

Behaving with propriety and good taste; polite. Related words:genteel, seemly

credibility

Believability, trustworthiness

denigrate

Belittle, attack the reputation of Related: Disparage

Intrinsic

Belonging to the essential nature of a thing Despite all this high-tech safety equipment, skydiving is an _____ dangerous proposition. Communication is ____ to a healthy relationship Related words: Innate, Inherent

Moreover

Besides; in addition to what was just stated You are fired. ____, the police are coming to arrest you for theft. Related words: Furthermore

Optimal or optimum

Best, most desirable or favorable Many believe that U.S. Constitution's genius lies in its striking and ____ balance between freedom and order.

Reproach

Blame, disgrace (noun); criticize, express disappointment in (verb) I'm not really enjoying my foreign study program. My host mom ___ed me in Spanish; it sounded really harsh but I couldn't really understand her, and I have no idea what I did wrong. Related words: Admonish, Reprove, Upbraid, reprimanded, rebuke, excoriate, castigate

Amalgamate (verb)

Blend, merge, or unite The _______ed Transit Union is so called because it contains many local unions of bus operators, subway operators, baggage handlers, etc. When turning her life story into a memoir, she ____ed two important relatives into a single character, even _____ing their names (Mary and Rose) into the character " Aunt Mary Rose. Related words: Agglomerate, Aggregate, Commix, Conglomerate, Consolidate

Inter

Bury ( a dead body) or place in a tomb. After the funeral, the body will be ___ed in the cemetery. Occasionally, a criminal investigation requires dis_____ing, or exhuming, a body for autopsy; this can be upsetting to a family members who have already buried their loved one.

elicit

Call forth, bring out, evoke The touchdown ____ a wild cheer from the crowd Related words: Educe

Convoke (verb)

Call together, as to a meeting The dean has _____ed this gathering to discuss the Honor Code. Related words: Convene Vocal, invoke, vocation

Caustic

Capable of corroding metal or burning the skin; very critical or sarcastic

Viable

Capable of living (or growing, developing, etc.); practical, workable I have three screenplay ideas, but the studio head said only one was commercially ____. Apparently, it's important to have a human lead character and a satisfying ending. Due to leaps forward in technology, premature babies are considered ___ earlier and earlier- currently around 24 weeks. Related words : Feasible

Overshadow

Cast a shadow over, darken; dominate, make to seem less important. She was a straight- A student who excelled at field hockey, but still felt ____ed by her older sister Related words: Eclipse

Coagulate

Cause a liquid to become solid or semisolid Hemophilia is a medical condition in which the blood doesn't _____. When making jam use pectin to get the fruit to ____. Related words Curdle

Alienate

Cause to become unfriendly, hostile, or distant Related words: Disaffect

soporific

Causing sleep, drowsy; something that causes sleep. I was excited to take a class with Professor Baria because I had enjoyed her books, but sadly, she is a better writer than speaker- her lectures are _____ I was so distressed after the crash that the doctor gave me a ___ and, sure enough, I was able to think more clearly after sleeping Related words: Somnolent

Bilk (verb)

Cheat or defraud The con artist ____ed many elderly people out of their savings, promising to cure illnesses from diabetes to cancer with only 36 monthly payments of 99.99! for which the victims received nothing but useless placebo bills. Related words: Hoodwink, Swindle, Con, fleece

Coffer

Chest for storing valuables; financial resources, a treasury The dishonest employee called it : dipping into the company _____," but the arresting officer called " embezzlement." Related words : Stringbox

exonerate

Clear from blame or accusation; free from a responsibility When the defendant was ______ed after a long trial, his family wept for joy Syn: Exculpated and Vindicate

Lucid

Clear, easy to understand, rational, sane, clear-headed. After surgery, it'll take at least an hour until she's ____-it's nothing to worry about. Related words: Pellucid

Clamber

Climb awkwardly or with difficulty, scramble The hiker had spent the last hour plodding lethargically up the side of the mountain, but when she caught sight of the summit, she excitedly began ___ up even the steepest inclines

Levy

Collect tax from, wage war on, or enlist for military service (v); act of collecting tax or amount owed, or the drafting of troops into military service (n). When England _____ yet another tax on the colonists, the colonists were pushed one further step towards ___ing war. Soon, the worried British began to raise troops by _____.

Grouse

Complain or grumble (verb); a reason for complaint (noun) By the end of the trip, everyone was annoyed by Lena's ____ing; the bus ride was too bumpy, the was too spicy, the air was too dehydrating, etc. Don't be offended, but I've got a ____ about the way you're handling this project.

Profligate

Completely and shamelessly immoral, or extremely wasteful The billionaire software developer was so disgusted with his ____ daughter's spending that he cut her off-she had bought Champagne for an entire nightclub full of strangers one too many times. Related words: Prodigal, Debauched, Dissolution

Metaphysical

Concerned with abstract thought, related to metaphysics (branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the nature of being and of the world); very subtle or abstruse My poetry class has all kinds. In contrast to Garys' poetry about dogs and horse, Neil's poetry is ver___, exploring the relation of mortal humans to a timeless universe, Its a little over Gary's head. Related words: Ontology

Confer

Consult, compare views: bestow or give Related words:Vest

Fallacious

Containing a fallacy, or mistake in logic: logically unsound: deceptive.

belie

Contradict or misrepresent

Offset

Counteract, compensate for (verb); a counterbalance (noun) Property taxes did go up this year, but the hit to our finances was ____ by a reduction in fees paid to our homeowners association

machination or machinations

Crafty schemes or plots It's cute to think that teen idols became famous because their talent was simply so great that the music industry reached out to them, but usually, any teen idol is the product of intense coaching and parental _______. Related words: Collude, cabal .

Castigate

Criticize severely: punish in order to correct Related words: Excoriate

Imprecation Noun

Curse; prayer for harm to come to someone The haunted house features a " wicked witch" chanting _____ at all who pass through. Related words: Malediction.

quotidian

Daily; everyday, ordinary He was so involved in his quest for spiritual enlightenment that he regularly forgot more ____ concerns- sure he mediated for six hours a day, but he would forget to do laundry for weeks. Related words: Mundane, Pedestrian , Prosaic, Diurnal

Aspersions-noun, asperse (verb)

Damaging remarks, defamation, slander He could no longer work with his duplicitous business partner, who acted friendly to his face but then spewed ____S about him behind his back. Related wordS: Slander, Traduce and defame

debase

Degrade; lower in quality, value, rank, etc.; lower in moral quality. Related words: base, adulterate, debauch, Vitiate

Abscond (verb)

Depart suddenly and secretively The robber ____ed with stolen goods. The couple who ate at the table next to me at the restaurant _____ed before the bill came. Related words: Decamp

Divest

Deprive of strip of a rank, title, etc. or of clothing or gear: to sell off holdings (opposite of invest) Once his deception was exposed, he was _____ of his position on the Board. Related words: Arrgoate, Appropriate

Derivative

Derived from something else; not original. Related: Banal, hackneyed, inane, insipid and trite

Abhor

Detest, regard with disgust Related words: Loathe, Abominate, antipathy

Partisan

Devoted to a particular group, cause etc. Fervent supporter of a group, party, idea, etc: guerrilla fighter. It is unconscionable to engage in ____ politics in a time of crisis. Related world : Partial

partisan

Devoted to or biased in support of a party, group, or cause

heterogeneous

Different in type, incongruous; composed of different types of elements. Rather than build the wall with the plain brick, we used a ____ mixture of stones.

Unearth

Dip up, uncover expose The ACLU's Prison Project works tirelessly to ____ evidence from old cases that might exonerate innocent people who have spent years or even decades in prison. The archaeologist ____ed what appears to be the world's oldest known gravesite. Related words: Debunk, Disabuse

Explicit

Direct, Clear, fully revealed: clearly depicting sex or nudity. The goal of my motivational talk is to make ____ the connection between staying in school and avoiding life of crime. Related words: Unequivocal, Explicate

Dissent

Disagree or take an opposing view, esp. in relation to a formal body such as a government, political party, or church; such a view. Related words: Gainsay, Sedition

Cloying

Disgustingly or distastefully sweet I do like visiting our grandmothers but I can't stand those ____ movies she watches. I do like cake, but I do find that honey-covered angle food cake positively_____. Related words: Treacly, Saccharine, Maudlin

Reprobate

Disreputable, unprincipled, or damned person (noun); shameless, depraved (adj) Related words: Dissolution,

Dissolution; Dissolute

Dissolving, the state of having been dissolved; breaking bonds or breaking up a group of people, disintegration; sinking into extreme hedonism, vice and degradation Alan went from garden-variety hedonism to utter _____- his three day drug benders cost him his Jon and may land him in jail. Following the ____ of the corporation and the liquidation of our assets, each investor will receive a cash payment proportional tp his or her shareholding in the company Related word: Licentiousness, Profligacy

aloof

Distant, reserved in manner; uninvolved Distant physically or emotionally; reserved; indifferent Perceiving her parents as cold and ___, the child was naturally drawn to her warm, genial aunt. Syn; Detached, standoffish

Ridden

Dominated or burdened by The neighborhood was___ with crime. / In this corruption-__nation, you simply have to pay bribes if you want anything to get done. Equality-ridden ( against quality) adding this words makes everything bad

hegemony (n) , hegemonic (adj)

Domination, authority, influence by one country over others socially, culturally economically, etc. The discovery of old by a previously poet nation disturbed the larger, richer nation's ______ in the region-suddenly, the ___ had a competitor. Related words: Autonomies , Fiat, Sovereignty

Prosaic

Dull, ordinary Finding his friend's bar mitzvah's at the local synagogue a bit ______. Justain instead asked his dad to rent out to the local laser tag center. Related words: Pedestrian, Quotidian, Middling, Lackluster, Humdrum

aerie (noun)

Dwelling or fortress built on a high place; the nest of a bird of prey, such as an eagle or hawk, built on a mountain or cliff The billionaire smoked a cigar out his window and watched there riots in the streets below, safe in the ____ of his penthouse apartment Related : strong

Complaisant (adj)

Eager to please; cheerfully complying. Coming from a more uptight corporate background, Josiah found the soup kitchen volunteers remarkably ______; when he asked the greeters to sweep the floor and the cooks to wash dishes, everyone happily moved to their new positions.

Tractable

Easily controlled or managed, docile; easily shaped or molded. He's a ______ fellow; when I asked if we could see a different movie than the one we'd come to see, he shrugged and said, "cool." The clay had hardened overnight, but adding water made it _____ again. Related words: Malleable, Pliable, Plastic

Philanthropy

Efforts to improve the well-being of humankind, generally through giving money Many wealthy people turn to ____ as a way to create social good, and many others true to it as a way to hobnob with the rich and famous. Related words: Altruism

Avid

Enthusiastic, dedicated, passionate; excessively desirous Related words: Ardent, Zealous

Inordinate

Excessive, not within proper limits, unrestrained Students taking practice Computer- Adaptive Test at home often take an ____ numbness of breaks. Remember, on the real thing, you can't stop just because you're tired or hungry. Related words: Gratuitous

status quo

Existing state or condition Many opposed the establishment of needle-exchange program, but others reasoned that the plan would be an improvement on the ____, in which disease spread rapidly through certain communities.

debunk

Expose, ridicule, or disprove false or exaggerated claims

finesse

Extreme delicacy, subtlety, or diplomacy in handling a sensitive situation or in a performance or skill (noun); use tact or diplomacy; employ a deceptive strategy (verb) After the prince deeply insulted his hosts, the diplomate was able to _____ the situation, playing it off as a translation error and getting the negotiation back on track. Related words: Tact

indigence/indigent

Extreme poverty The city government has several agencies that provide shelter, food, and other assistance to help relieve _____.. Syn: Impecunious, penurious, indigent, insolvent Dont confuse with indignant ( offended, angry at injustice)

Quixotic

Extremely impractical but very romantic, chivalrous, or idealistic; impulsive Related words: Rash

countenance

Facial expression or face (n); approve or tolerate (v)

default

Failure to act, neglect (noun); fail to fulfill an obligation, especially a financial one (verb)

equitable

Fair, equals just Related words: evenhanded, parity

Harrow

Farming tool that breaks up soil (noun); painfully disturb or distress (verb) Let's start our garden together; you ____, and I 'll follow behind you planting the seed. The bus ride across Siberia was a ____ experience- the roads were all ice.

timorous

Fearful, timid The expression describing a ____ person as "quaking in his boots" is a bit of a cliche. Related words: Intrepid , Trepid, Craven, pusillanimous

Reverent

Feeling or expressing very deep respect and awe Ayn Rand is controversial figure, but critical views are not welcome. at the local Objectivist Club meeting, where everyone expresses a ____ view of the author. Related words: Pious

Solidarity

Fellowship in interests, feelings, responsibilities, etc., such as among a group of people or among classes, nations, etc.

Inconstancy

Fickleness, unreliability; the state of changing without good reason. Old-fashioned poems often praised a lover's constancy; the poet would likely be shocked by any _____ from his lady, such as if she were receiving poems from other poets. Related words: Continent

Coda

Final part of a musical composition; an ending, esp. one that sums up what has come before " you play the middle section twice then move to the ___" the music teacher explained to the child. Dropping my purse in a mud puddle right outside my own front door was a fine ___ to a horrible evening. Related words : Recapitulation, Précised

Resolve

Find a solution to; firmly decide to do something; decide by formal vote(v); firmness of purpose (n) She was ____ed to find a marrow donor for her son, and led a stunningly successful drive to get people to sign up for national donor registry. Even when no match was found for her son in the first year, her ___ was undampened. Related words: Resolute, Unequivocal, Resoluation

upbraid

Find fault with, criticize or scold severely I'm not surprised they got divorced- you can't ____ someone every time he forgets to put a water glass in the sink and then expect him to stick around. Related words: Admonish, Reprove, Reproach Reprimand, Rebuke, Excoriate, castigate, censure

Lissome

Flexible, supple, agile The actress exercised and stretched every day, but was ultimately told by the casting director that she wasn't lissome enough to play a ballet dancer. The actress had to agree—"I walk like an ogre," she said.

Lissome

Flexible, supple, agile The actress exercised and stretched every day, but was ultimately told by the casting director that she wasn't _____enough to play a ballet dancer. The actress had to agree—"I walk like an ogre," she said. Related words: Nimble, lithe

Fatuous Adj

Foolish, silly, esp. in a smug or complacent manner Sadly, every philosophy class seems to have one person who responds to every discussion, from metaphysic to ethics, with the ____ question, " But what if we don't really exist?" Related words: Inane, Waggish, Risible, Jocular, Jocund, Jocose, Droll

Aseptic

For from germs It is very important to preform surgery in an ____ environment, lest a patient contract ____ and die.

erstwhile (adv)

Former, previous (adj); in the past, formerly (adv) A novelist and ______ insurance salesman, he told us his story of the long road literary success, which ended with him quitting his day job. Syn; Bygone, Quondam

Artless

Free of deceit or craftiness, natural, genuine; lacking skill or knowledge, crude, uncultured Related words: Guileless, Ingenious

disabuse

Free someone from a mistake in thinking. " to ___ person of a belief or idea)

bonhomie

Friendliness, open and simple good heartedness By the end of the summer, the campers were overflowing with____, vowing to remain Facebook friends forever. Syn: Amity

Gambol

Frolic; skip or leap playfully Watching the children ____in the park like frisky little lambs, she wondered how they could have so much energy. Related words: Caper, Cavort, Lark

Largess or largesse

Generosity, the giving of money or gifts (esp. with the implication that the giver is a bit superior to the recipient) While I did attend an expensive private school, my parents were actually quit poor- I was at that school through the ___ of my grandfather. Related words: Magnanimity, munificence, openhandedness

ingenuous

Genuine, sincere, not holding back; naive. Multi-level marketing scams prey on the ____, those who really think there's someone out there who just wants to help them get rich. Related words: Guileless, Artless

Adumbrate (verb) Also adumbration (noun)

Give a rough outline of; foreshadow; reveal only partially; obscure When I took on the lead role in the movie, I agreed not to give away the plot, but I suppose I could give a brief ____ of the premise.

Abjure

Give up, renounce; repudiate, recant, or shun (especially formally or under oath) Related words: Forswear, Eschew

digress

Go off-topic when speaking or writing Syn: Divagate, diffuse (adj)

accretion(noun) accrue (verb)

Gradual increase; an added part or addition Malik enjoyed tracking the slow _____ of ,money in his retirement account. Some charitable funds keep the principle in their accounts untouched and use only the _____ for philanthropic purposes. Syn; Augment, Agglomerate

Invidious

Hateful, offensive, injurious School bullying has become a serious problem, with ongoing ___ behavior driving students to suicide. Related words : Malicious, Malevolent ___ comes from the latin word ENVY. Don't confuse with Insidious which means deceitful, tricky

Misanthropist/ misanthrope

Hater of humankind He is such a ____ that when some Girl Scouts going door to door asked if he's like to sponsor a hungry child overseas, he replied, " The fewer people in the world, the better," and shut the door in their faces. OPP: philanthropist

Principled

Having high moral standards --------------------------------------------------- Donna was only an intern, but she was also quite _____—although she knew it would kill her shot at a full-time job, she was the one who alerted the authorities when asked to violate federal law via corrupt accounting practices. Related words: Scruplous

Insinuate

Hint, suggest slyly; introduce (an idea) into someone's mind in a subtle, artful way "where's your boyfriend?" you didn't leave him home alone, did you?" asked Ming. "Are you ____ing something?" asked Helen. " If you have something too say, just say it." Related words: Implicit, Tacit

Homage

Honor or respect shown publicly This structure I built in the backyard is not just a skateboard ramp; it is an ____ to my hero Tony Hawk. Related words: Tribute

Nevertheless or nonetheless

However, even so, despite that I really can't stand working withy you. Nonetheless, we're stick on this project together and we're going to have to get along.

baying (adj) bay (v)

Howling in a deep way, like a dog or wolf Syn: bark, cry, howl The lonely dog ____ all night.

Idolatry

Idol worship; excessive or unthinking devotion or adoration After a year in an education PH.D program, she'd had enough with the _____of Howard Gardner and his theory of multiple intelligences. Related words: Veneration, Reverence, Apotheosis, Lionization

Kindle

Ignite, cause to begin burning; incite, arouse, inflame It's hard to ___ a campfire when it's so damp out. Although they were apart, the lover's passion was only further ___Ed by the love letters they wrote to one another. Related words: Incendiary

Searchingly

In a searching or penetrating manner; while examining closely or probing for answers "I'm fired?" asked Ron, looking ____ at his boss. " I thought I was like a son to you".

conversely

In an opposite way; on the other hand related words:to the contrary

Attuned

In harmony; in sympathetic relationship Research shows that new mothers are keenly _____to their babies' cries; even those who were formerly heavy sleepers often find that they now wake up immediately when their babies need attention. / In the sixth week of Melanie's foreign study program, she finally ___ herself to life on a French farm. Always followed by to

respectively

In the order given His poems " An ode to the Blossoms of Sheffield and" and Entreaty to ladies all too Prime" were written in 1756 and 1758, respectively.

Inert

Inactive; having little or no power to move "all of the missiles at the military museum are ___, Timmy," said the tour guide, answering the question children always asked. "They're not going to blow up." When she saw her father's ____ body on the floor, she thought the worst, but fortunately he was just practicing very slow yoga. Related words: Latent, Dormant

Insensible

Incapable of feeling; unconscious, unaware --------------------------------------------------- Very intoxicated people can be ____ to pain, leading to serious problems as they injure themselves and don't realize it. / I cannot believe that, while I was ____ after the operation, you put funny hats on me and took pictures! You are ____ to shame! Related words: Insensate

Apprise

Inform, give notice to I can't believe you failed to _____ me that my child was bitting the other children in his preschool class. If I had known, I could've addressed this issue before all the other parents threatened to sue,

discredit

Injure the reputation of, destroy credibility of or confidence in Syn: Slander, Traduce, Defame

Avarice (noun)

Insatiable greed; a miserly desire to hoard wealth It is hard to fathom the sheer ____ of a company that would fraudulently overcharge a struggling school system for new computers. Related words: Cupidity, Covetousness, Rapacity or Rapaciousness

Interplay

Interaction, reciprocal relationship or influence Bilingual readers will enjoy the _____ of English and Spanish in many of the poems in this anthology of the work of Mexican-American poets. Related words: Coverage, Dovetail

Prologue

Introductory part to a book, play, etc. The novel's ____ gives some historical background so the main story can be better understood in the context. related words: Preamble

Investiture

Investing; formally giving someone a right or title The former dean had her academic robes dry cleaned in preparation for he _____ as university president. Related words: Divest

Nettle

Irritate, sting, or annoy His first year in college, my little brother failed gym. How is that even possible? I always remind him about it just to ___ him. Related words: Irk, vex

Grating

Irritating; harsh or discordant (of a noise); scraping Folding jeans at the mall finally became unbearable when her kindly old supervisor was replaced with a young women whose ____ tone made commands like " fold faster and the clean up this display!" sound like nails on chalkboard. Related words: Rasping

Arcane

Known or understood by only a few; obscure, secret Related words: Esoteric, Abstruse

insipid

LACKING INTEREST OR FLAVOR The critic claimed that the painting was insipid, containing no interesting qualities at all. Synonyms: banal; bland; dull; stale; vapid

desultory

Lacking consistency or order, disconnected, sporadic; going off topic Lulu said she'd been studying for the GRE for a year, but she had been doing so in only the most __way- a few vocab words here and there then nothing for a month, and practice tests whenever she felt like it, which was rarely. Don't mind my daughter there's no need to let a toddler's _____ remark pull and adult conversation off track.

Trite

Lacking freshness and originality, lacking effectiveness due to overuse, cliche The topic of your speech is " Children are the future"? That's pretty _____. Related words: Banal, Hackneyed, Inane, Insipid, Bromide, Platitude

Banal (adj)

Lacking freshness and originality; cliché The drama professor despair at reading another ____ play from his uninspired students. " Oh look," he said sarcastically, " yet another young person has decided to write a play about a young person breaking free of society's constraints. Can you see me yawning?" Related words: Hackneyed, Inane, Insipid, Trite

Lethargic

Lazy, drowsy, or sluggish I do love the Golden Corral's reasonably priced buffet, but I feel so ____ after I eat my weight in Mac-and cheese and hand- carved turkey. Related words: Torpid, sluggish, idle indolent, loafing and slack

indolent

Lazy, slothful Having worked all his life, the CEO was constantly frustrated with his ____son, who used his inherited wealth as an excuse to sunbathe and party. Related words: Torpid, sluggish, idle, lethargic, loafing, slack.

Vanguard

Leading units at the front of an army; leaders in a trend or movement, people on the "cutting edge"; the forefront of a trend or movement

Savant

Learned person, scholar, someone admitted to membership in a scholarly field; a person with amazing mental abilities despite having a cognitive difference or disability. The Ted conferences feature ___ and newsmakers speaking on topics of great importance to the world.

Fallow

Left unplanted (of land); not in use Crop yields were increased substantially when the villagers discovered that leaving a portion of their fields ____ allowed that unused part of the land to become renewed with minerals. It is terribly important that we make college affordable for underprivileged students, last great minds lie _____, and the world never benefit from their genius. Related words: Arable " able to be farmed. fertile" as in " Arable land", Light yellowish-brown.

Inquest

Legal or judicial inquiry, especially before a jury and especially made by a coroner into the cause of someone's death; the results of such an inquiry The family waited nervously for the results of the ____, which finally returned a verdict of misadventure; that is, their grandfather had not been murdered, but rather died in a freak accident of his own doing.

Seraphic

Like an angel; serene, spiritually carried off or transported. The gospel choir looked ___ in their shimmering white robes. Related words: Cherubic

Penchant

Liking or inclination (usually penchant for) He seems like a mild-mannered accountant, but twice a year he jets off to Australia to satisfy his ___ adventure sports. Related words: Predilection, Propensity, Proclivity, bent, Partial

rarefied

Lofty, very high up or elevated (in a metaphorical way); exclusive, select; thin, pure, or less dense (as air at the top of a mountain) Related words: Elevate, lofty, edify, Winnow

Facilitate

Make easier, help the progress of As a midwife, my goal is simply to ____ a natural process.

calumny (calumnious)

Malicious lie intended to hurt someone's reputation; the act of telling such lies I've had enough of your _____ accusations! Admit that you made up all those wicked things about me, or I will see you in court when I sue you from slander! Syn: slander, defamation, libel, traduce, vilify,

Husband

Manage prudently, sparingly, or economically; conserve As we are dealing with cutback, I am calling on you as the office manager to ____ our recourses, parcelling out office supplies and buying new ones only when absolutely necessary. Related words: Steward

Cartography

Mapmaking

Delineate

Mark the outline of; sketch; describe in detail Related: Adumbrate

anodyne (adj/noun)

Medicine that relieves pain (noun); soothing, relieving pain (adj) While aspirin is a nice analgesic, the construction worker argued that, for sore and tired muscles, nothing beat the ____ effects of a six-pack of beer. Related words: Analgesic

Dissemble

Mislead, conceal the truth, put on a false appearance of Roxanne was used to ______ing in job interviews; when asked about the gap on her resume from 1999-2003, she would say, "Oh O was out of the workforce fulfilling some obligations"- a somewhat misleading way to describe a prison stint. He won so much money at pool halls by ___ing inexperience. Related words: Disingenuous, Prevaricating

hodgepodge

Mixture of different kinds of things, jumble. Related : heterogenous, medley, farrago, potpourri, pastiche, olio

Lament

Mourn; express grief, sorrow, or regret (v); an expression of grief esp. as a song or poem (n). Slida said she couldn't make it to the party- she's still ____ing the death of her cat. Related words: bewail, bemoan Lachrymose

symbiosis

Mutually dependent relationship between two organisms, people, groups, etc. In biology, one example of ____is when a small creature feeds off bugs that live on a larger creature, thus protecting the larger creature from discomfort and possibly disease. Although some celebrities complain about paparrazie, many have a ___ relationship with some intrusive photographers- the paparazzi need to get paid, and the celebs need the photos stay in the new.

inchoate

NOT FULLY FORMED; DISORGANIZED The ideas expressed in Nietzsche's mature work also appear in an inchoate form in his earliest writing. Synonyms: amorphous; incoherent; incomplete; unorganized

Fracas

Noisy disturbance or fight; brawl Rugby is one of the most aggressive of sports; when the players rush to pile on top of the person with the ball, bones can easily be broken in the _____. Related words: Fray

Clamor

Noisy uproar or protest, as from a crowd; aloud continuous noise related words: Hubbub, Cacophony, D?in, Dissonance

Apathy

Not caring; absence of feeling; lack of interest or concern Related words: Indifferent, Lukewarm

Recondite

Not easily understood, hidden, dealing with an obscure topic Related words: Arcane/ Esoteric

Stingy

Not generous with money, reluctant to spend or give Billionaire industrialist J, Paul Getty was famously ____ that he installed pay phones in his mansion fo guests to use. Related words: Miser, Cheapskatem Skinflintm frugal, stint

Impassive

Not having or not showing physical feeling or emotion Having been in and out of hospitals all his life, he accepted this lates diagnose ____ly. "Whatever happens, happens," he said. Related word: Stoic, Inscrutable not Opposite of passive which means inactive, not reacting

recalcitrant

Not obedient, resisting authority, hard to manage Related words: Intractable, Intransigent, Refractory, Obstreperous

Candid

Open, sincere, honest Related words: Frank

Condone

Overlook, tolerate, regards as harmless Related words: Brook, Countenance

Appease

Pacify, satisfy, relieve; concede to belligerent demands, sometimes at the expense of principles. Related words: Placate, Mollify, Assuage

Analgesia

Pain relief; inability to feel pain While natural-birth advocates decline ____ in childbirth, many women are very eager to take advantage of modern anesthesia. A disease of the spinal cord can cause ______, which can be dangerous because the patient doesn't know when he has injured himself. Related words: Anodyne

fleeting

Passing quickly, transitory I had assumed our summer romance would be ____, so O was very surprised when you proposed marriage Related words : ephemeral, Evanescent, Fugacious

Impetuous

Passionately impulsive, marked by sudden, hasty emotion; forceful, violent Reflecting on her most recent breakup, Camille decided that next time she would like to date someone less____; a man who quits his job on a whim and suggests moving together to Utah and raising llamas was just a little too ____ for her tastes. Related words: Rash

eccentric

Peculiar, off, deviating from the norm esp. in a whimsical way The old women was ____ but harmless. Related words: Idiosyncrasy

Vim

Pep, enthusiasm, vitality, lively spirit "I'm old, not dead!" said Grandpa Albert, full of __ and ready for his first bungee jump. Related words : vigor Verve Sprightly

Grandstand

Perform showily in an attempt to impress onlookers I was really passionate about the candidate when he spoke at our school, but now that I think about it, he was just _____. I mean, who could disagree that young people are the future? And doing a cheer for the environment doesn't actually signify a commitment to change any public policies about it. Related words: Declaim

Glacial

Pertaining to glaciers; cold, icy, slow, unsympathetic He had wanted to appear in the singing reality competition his whole young life, but he was not encouraged by the judges' _____ response to his audition. The awkward silence was excruciating as he waited for the stony-faced panel to say anything at all. Related words: Frigid, Gelid

Apostle

Pioneer of a reform movement (originally, an early follower of Jesus) In the 1980s, when low-fat diets were all the rage, Dr. Rubens became an ____ of the Mediterranean diet, which was high in healthy fats, and traveled the worlds proselytizing to group of physicians and nutritionists. Related words: Champion, Expounder, Paladin

Ford

Place where a river or similar body of water is shallow enough to walk or ride a vehicle across (noun); to cross at such a place (verb) The pioneers made camp near the riverbank. waiting for the rains to die down and the river to become ____ again. A week later, the water were shallow enough to ____ the river with their entire caravan-horses, wagons, and all. Related words: Traverse

Plummet

Plunge, fall straight down. During the first 60 seconds or so of a skydive, the driver ______ towards earth in freefall.

Burnish

Polish, make smooth and lustrous Mr.s Hoffenstotter replaced all of the rustic wood doorknobs with newer models made of ____ steel. " so shiny", said his delighted wife. Related words: Gilded

impecunious

Poor, without money Having grown up with ____ parents who could barely keep the electricity on in the house, she was now obsessed with wealth and security. Related words: Penurious, Indigent, Insolvent

Impasse

Position or road from which there is no escape; deadlock. If the union won't budge on its demands and the transit authority won't raise salaries, then we are at an ____. Related words:Standstill, gridlock, logjam, stalemate, standoff and standstill

approbation

Praise or approval, especially formal approval. In her speech for class president, she won the ____ of her peers by promising not only to save th eprom, but to raise enough money to make it free to everyone. Related words: Imprimatur

gestation

Pregnancy; the period from conception until birth of an animal or (metaphorically) of an idea or plan The ____ period of an elephant is 22 months, more than twice as long as that's of humans. I had the idea for this novel in 2001. After letting it ___ for a decade, I finally got started writing.

engender verb

Produce, give rise to, cause to exist; procreate The television demagogue was blamed for _____ing hate and divisiveness. Having four wives helped the magnate ___ 15 children. Syn; Beget

Futile

Producing no useful results, ineffective: trivial or unimportant She spent months trying to coax fluffy to fetch and sit, but it was ____. Cats just can't be trained to preform tricks. Related words: Bootless, Otiose

ostensible/ostensive

Professed, evident, or pretended; outwardly appearing in a certain way Related words: Putative, Nominal

Refute

Prove to be false. She's not a very valuable member of the debate team, actually-she loves making speeches, but she's not very good at ____ opponent's arguments. Gainsay, Negate

Remedial

Providing a remedy, curative; correcting a deficient skill After harassment occurs in the workplace, it is important that the company take ____ action right away warning or firing the offender as appropriate, and making sure the complainant's concerns are addressed. For those who need ___ reading help, we offer a summer school program that aims tp hep students read at grade level. Related words: Redress

Enhance

Raise to a higher value, desirability, etc. The cosmetics industry stays business because so many people want to ____ their appearances. Related words: Embellish, Aggrandize

Elevate

Raise, Lift up, lift the spirits of : move up to a hight rank or status or raise up to a hight spiritual or intellectual plane. Our goal here is to _______ our readers social consciences. Related words: Lofty, Edify, Lever, Levity

Insurrection

Rebellion or revolt against a government or similarly established authority Due to frequent _____, the nation has had bad six governments in just five years. The principle prepared for ____ as she announced that all teachers were to spend the rest of the year exclusively preparing for standardized tests. Related words: Junta, Sedition, Cabal

Egalitarian

Related to belief in the equality of all people, esp. in political economic, or social sphere

Semantic

Relating to the different meanings of words or other symbols

Vernal

Relating to the spring; fresh, youthful Alma's favorite part of gardening was the ___ reawakening that followed a frozen winter. Related words: Primaveral

Contrite(adj)

Remorseful; feeling sorry for one's offenses or sins He would have punished his son more severely for breaking his car's windshield in a "rock throwing contest," but the boy seemed truly _____. Related words: Penitent, Atone

Exigent

Requiring immediate attention, action, or aid; excessively demanding My boss said she would take me out to lunch and mento me, but that idea always gets tossed aside in favor of more exigent matters. Syn; Dire

fell

Rocky or barren hill

Canard

Rumor, a false or baseless story The idea that we only use 10% of our brain us a tired, old ___actually, even the dumbest people people use all of their brains.

disperse

Scatter, spread widely, cause to vanish synonyms: Disseminate, diffuse used for something that spreads out and disappears

Gouge

Scooping or digging tool, like a chisel, or a hole made with such a tool (noun); cut or scoop out; force out a person's eye with one's thumb; swindle, extort money from (verb) I. was happy with this new video game console for a day or two, until O saw it advertised all over town for half the price and realized I'd been ____ed. He loves gory horror films, where people' s eyes are____ed out and gross stuff like that. Related words: Rout

Appropriate(verb)

Set aside or authorize (such as money) for a particular purpose; take for one's own use The school board ______ed money for new textbooks. In putting together the perfect outfit for Career Day at her high school. Machenzie _____ ed her mother's stethoscope and her little brother's stuffed pig, making it clear to everyone that she wanted to be a veterinarian. Related words: Arrogate

Licentious

Sexually unrestrained; immoral; ignoring the rules Why is it so hard for politicians to abstain from ___ behaviors until they're out of office? Related wordS: Hedonistic, Sybaritic , Debauched

Brandish (verb)

Shake, wave, or flourish, as a weapon The Renaissance Fair ended badly, with one drunken fellow ____ing a sword and refusing to leave the ladies;s dressing tent.

Fawn verb

Show affection or try to please in the manner of a dog; try to win favor through flattery and submissive behavior. although he was only president of a chain of grocery stores, he was used to being ____ed over like a king or rock stare. "you are truly king of the low-priced produced world," said the regional manager, "May I wash your car for you?" Related words: Sycophant, Lackey, Toady, Myrmidon, Obsequious, Truckle, Kowtow

Vitriol

Something highly caustic, such as criticism (literally, one of a number of chemicals including sulfuric acid). Related words: Caustic, Contumely, Acrimony

Precursor

Something that comes before, esp. something that also announces or suggests something on its way. We cannot ignore this warning sign- it is clearly a ___ of large problem to come. The new CEO decided to do things differently from his ____. Related words: Antedate

Incentive

Something that encourages greater action or effort, such as a reward Inducement

Buffer

Something that shields, protects, absorbs shock, or cushions

Lull

Soothe or cause to fall asleep (as in a lullaby); quiet down; make to feel secure, sometimes falsely (verb); a period of calm or quiet (noun) Tisha always tried to be polite. If she had to slip out of class to use the bathroom, she waited for a ___ in the actions as not to attract too much attention. Grandma's singing ___ed the baby to sleep. She used her beauty and charm to ____ foreign dignitaries into giving up their secrets. Related words: Slack; The holidays represent a ___ or slack in work at many companies.

acerbic

Sour; harsh or severe Lemons are _____. Her harsh comments were so ____, it felt like she was cutting lemon juice on a wound. Syn; Caustic, Acrid, Astringent

Panoply

Splendid, wide-ranging, impressive display or array

Goad

Spur on, stimulate, encourage; urge on ( a cattle) with a pointed or electrically charged stick. He never forgave his friends for ______ him into spray-painting the school with them. While the effect was temporarily hilarious, he lost a scholarship over the incident. Related words: Prod, Cajole, Coax, Wheedle Peer pressure

Glower

Stare in an angry, sullen way He couldn't figure out why his girlfriend was ____at him throughout dinner. "Oh, " he finally realized, "Is its your birthdays?Oh, and I forgot you hate seafood, Sorry about the fish ticks." Related words: Lower

Standing

Status, rank, reputation (noun); existing indefinitely, not movable (adj) As he had feared, his divorce greatly reduced his _____ as a relationship expert. While the U.S. has a ___ army .

Adhere

Stick (to), such as with glue, or to a plan or belief Related words:Abide, Cohere

Fetid

Stinking; having an offensive smell I hate doing your laundry-its always full of ____ sympathy socks. Related words: Noisome, Noxious

Censure

Strong disapproval or official reprimand (noun), to issue such disapproval or reprimand (verb)

Expedient

Suitable, proper; effective, often at the expense of ethics or other considerations "I need this report by 2pm, and I don't care what you have to do to make that happen," said the boss. " I expect you to deal with it _____." When invited to a wedding you can't attend, it is ____ to send a gift Syn; Opportune

Balloon (verb)

Swell or puff out; increase rapidly During the dot-com bubble, the university's investments ______ to three times their former value. Related words: Distent, Turgid, Tumid

distend/o, distent/o

Swell, expand, stretch, bloat The emergency room doctor constantly saw people who came in with ____ed bellies, sure that they had appendicitis; usually, it was just gas. Related words: Balloon, Turgid, Tumid

Distaff - noun (dis taf)

THE FEMALE BRANCH OF A FAMILY, relating to the maternal side of the family; women pr women's work; a staff that holds wool or flax for spinning The lazy husband refused to cook dinner for his wife, joking that the duty belongs to the _____ side. In completing you medical history, please try to remember which illnesses occurred on the ___ side of your family Synonyms: maternal

doff

Take off (such as clothes), put aside; remove one's hat as a gesture. before the spring break revelers could consider ___ing their cloth, the saw the sign " No skinny dipping." In my grandfather's day, it was considered polite to ___ your hat when a lady entered the room. Opposite is don to put on

Loquacious

Talkative, wordy The ------professor spoke at a million miles an hour and still regularly talked past the scheduled end time of the class. Related words: Prolix, Verbose, Magniloquent, Grandiloquent

lachrymose

Tearful, mournful Accustomed to ____ occasions, the funeral home kept boxes of tissues near every seat. Related words: Maudlin, Lament

Ethos

The character, personality or moral values specific to a person, group, Tim period, etc. At the prep school, the young man happily settled into an ___ of hard work and rigorous athletic competition. Ayn; Disposition, Tenor, Penchant, Predilection

Sap

The inner fluid of a plant or any essential body fluid; energy, vitality; a person taken advantage of (noun); undermine, weaken, tire out (verb) I really thought that if I clicked on that FB ad and entered all my information, I would get free iPad to test and keep! I feel like such a _____. In order to make maple syrup, you must drain ___ from sugar maple tree. They call this " ___ing" the tree, which I can understand, because I feel pretty ___ed doing it! it's tiring work. Related words: Enervate, Enfeeble

Eclipse

The obscuring of one thing by another, such as the sun by the moon or a person by a more famous or talented person (n); to obscure, darken, make less important (v) Billy Cyrus, has long found his fame ____ by that of his daughter, Miley. Related words: Occult

redound

To have a good or bad effect, esp. as a result of a person's efforts or actions (usually used with to, on, or upon) Related words: Reap.

Inure

Toughen up; accustom or habituate to pain, hardship, etc. Having had over a dozen surgeries before she was 10, spending months at a time in the hospital, she considered herself ___ to pain and disappointment. Related words: Stoic, Hardy, Fortitude, Grit.

Chicanery

Trickery, deception by knowingly false arguments The defense lawyers strategy for getting her client acquitted by knowingly misinterpreting words in an obscure precedent was nothing by _______. Related words: Quibbling, Sophistry

Nominal

Trivial, so small as to be unimportant; in name only, so-called A notary public will certify a document for a ___ fee, usually under 3$. Related wordS: Putative

Ruminate

Turn over in the mind, reflect on; chew cud (as a cow) Oh, I just don't know about that. Let me ___ on it for a few days and I'll get back to you.

Unequivocal

Unambiguous, clear, absolute; having only one possible meaning Although Chuck denied he had a problem , his family was ____ in demanding that he check into rehab. Jorge equivocated, going back and forth on the issue, but his brother Rafael was ____- he knew what he wanted and went and got it. Related words: Resolute, Unambivalent, Resolution , Patent, Explicit

disinterested

Unbiased, impartial; not interested Syn: Dispassionate, Nonpartisan

Fractious

Unruly, troublemaking; irritable The students for Progressive action were a ___ bunch, always fighting with one another over exactly which progressive action should take priority, Related words: obstreperous, refractory, captious don't confuse with factious

Indefatigable, defatigate

Untiring, not able to become fatigued The boxer was ______; round after round, he never lost speed or energy, even after he had thoroughly ____ his opponent. Syn: unflagging (tireless), Insuperable and indomitable ; assiduous, diligent, sedulous

Edify also edifying

Uplift, enlighten, instruct or improve in a spiritual or moral way Look, I'm glad that you're reading, but I really wish you would read something more____ than that magazine that gives tips for winning at violent video games

Articulate

Using language in a clear fluent way (adj); speak distinctly or give clarity to an idea (verb) Related words: Eloquent

Hoary

VERY OLD; WHITISH OR GRAY FROM AGE The old man's ____ beard contrasted starkly to the new stubble of his teenage grandson. Dad, I've heard you ___ old college fraternity stories a hundred times. Synonyms: ancient; antediluvian; antique; venerable; vintage, Grizzled, Wizened

August (adj)

Venerable, majestic; inspiring admiration "I welcome you to this ____ institution, where presidents and Nobel Prize winners have received the fruits of erudition" Related words: Eminent, Venerable, Olympian

Lionize

Verb. To treat as a very important person. Being a chef has long been prestigious professions, buy it is only in the last decade or so that "celebrity chef" have been ____ and given their own television shows. Related words: Apotheosis

Ebullient adj

Very enthusiastic, lively, excited; bubbling as though being boiled. The children were so ___ upon their arrival at Disney World that their parents, while happy to see them so excited. Related words: Exuberant

Elated

Very happy, in high spirited I am ______ that you flew my twin brother in from Australia to surprise me at my birthday party. Related words: Ebullient. Blithe. Exiltant

Forage

Wander in search of; rummage, hunt, make a raid It's important to seal your trash cans tightly in the neighborhood, or else you'll get raccoons ____ing for food in your backyard. Related words: Plunder, pillage, ransack, depredations, despoil

irresolute

Wavering, not sure how to proceed, not firm in one's decision-making If we were voting on the bill this moment, we'd have enough votes to pass it. But many of our supporters are ____- we're worried that when lobbyists get to them, they'll quickly change their minds. Related words: Ambivalent, Equivocal

Attenuate

Weaken or thin out Sadly, the day care center was so understaffed that the caregiver's efforts were____Ed, and many of the children barely received any attention at all.

Whereas

While on the contrary, considering that Mr. Katsouls had always assumed his son would take over the family business, ____ his son had always assumed he would go away to college and never come back. _____ peppers and squash are technically fruits, they are typically considered vegetables for culinary purposes.

Verbose

Wordy Twitter's 140 character limit really forces the ___to go against their natural tendencies and instead write succinctly. Related words: Loquacious, Prolix, voluble

malediction

a curse Sheila though the fortune- teller was her friend, but when she didn't pay her bill, the fortune teller case a hex on her, a ____ intended to cause terrible things to befall her. Related words: Imprecation, Execration.

Discrepancy

a difference; a lack of inconsistency Syn: Incongruity, discord, discordance

xenophobia

a fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers Syn: Insular, Chauvinism

Dirge

a funeral hymn or mournful speech

Dirge noun (duhrj)

a funeral hymn or mournful speech Melville wrote the poem "A ____ for James McPherson" for the funeral of a Union general who was killed in 1864. It was supposed to be a wedding march, but when the organists started playing. the reluctant bride thought the song sounded more like a ____ for her former, carefree life. Synonyms: elegy; lament; Requiem, Threnody

Maxim

a general truth or rule of conduct; a short saying My favorite ____ is " Seize the day!" Related wordS: Dictum, Apothegm, Adage

harrangue

a long, strongly expressed speech or lecture

Din

a loud, unpleasant, and prolonged noise SYN: cacophony, dissonance, clamor

paragon

a model of excellence or perfection

propensity

a natural inclination or tendency; a predilection

proclivity

a natural or habitual inclination or tendency (especially of human character or behavior)

sanction

a penalty levied on another country

Knell

a sound made by a bell, often rung slowly for a death or funeral, or any sad sound or signal of a failure death, ending, etc. (noun); to make such a sound The senate minority leaders speech was a death ___ for the bill; all hope of bipartisan cooperation was lost. related words: Dirge, Requiem, Threnody, Elegy don't confuse with knoll a small hill

anachronism

a thing belonging or appropriate to a period other than that in which it exists, especially a thing that is conspicuously old-fashioned.

Vestige

a trace of something that is disappearing or no longer exists. They hadn't officially broken up, but she felt their relationship was running on fumes and that only ___ of their former affection remained. Related words: Scintilla, Reside

Sinecure

a well-paying job or office that requires little or no work

Plastic

able to be molded, altered, or bent

articulate

able to speak clearly and expressively

aberrant

abnormal or deviant (Eg: Given the aberrant nature of the data, we came to doubt the validity of the entire experiment. ) related words: Anomaly, Outlier

copious

abundant; plentiful related: profuse

impetuous

acting or done quickly and without thought or care

meretricious

adj. attractive in a cheap, flashy way The singer performed her concert draped in what looked from far away like precious jewels, Up close, though, the dan could see that the accessories were just ____ plastics, like what little girls but at the mall. syn: gaudy; showy; tawdry ant: restrained; tasteful

Munificent

adj. extremely generous, lavish The technology billionaire was quite ___. Each year he donated millions of dollars to a wide array of charities. SYN: bounteous, liberal, Magnanimous, Philanthropist ANT: miserly, parsimonious

Ingrate

an ungrateful person (I was stunned when I didn't even receive a "thank you" from the _________.) You ____! I have slaved at the laundromat to pay for you college education, and quite two weeks before graduation to become a Marxist revolutionary, and then you tell me I'm the enemy of the working class?

Verisimilar

appearing to be true or real. EX. "a verisimilar tale" (it is very similar to the fake but it is real) Related words: Plausible, Feasible

Alacrity

brisk and cheerful readiness

onerous

burdensome

Implode

burst inward; fall apart

Scurvy

contemptible, Mean Our neighbor is so ___ that he deliberately broke my little brother's bicycle because, as he said, " You kids are too loud!" Related words: Reprobate (disreputable or unprincipled person.)

Disparate

distinct, different He chose the college for two ____ reasons; the strength of the computer science program, and the excellence of the hip-hop dance squad. Related words: Divergent, Incommensurables

Beneficent (adj)

doing good or causing good to be done; conferring benefits; kindly in action or purpose. The billionaire had been a mean and stingy fellow, but after his death, his ____ widow gave all his. money to charity, even accompanying the donations with handwritten noted thanking the charities for all the good work they did. Related words: Benevolent, Eleemosynary

apotheosis

elevation to divine status; the perfect example of something

Appreciable

enough to be perceived, considerable RELATED WORDS: Negligible

Hyperbole

exaggeration

officious

excessively eager to deliver unasked-for or unwanted help

saccharine

excessively sweet or sentimental

inherent

existing in something as a permanent, essential, or characteristic attribute

Prodigious

extraordinary in bulk, quantity, or degree, great in size, enormous The Great Wall of china consists of a ____ series of fortifications stretching over 5000 miles. If we don't double our sales with this new product, we willl have to declare bankruptcy- we have_____task ahead Related words: Titanic, Olympian

countenance

facial expression; approve or tolerate related: brook, condone

Timorous

fearful

contrite

feeling regret for having committed some wrongdoing

Ascertain

find (something) out for certain; make sure of Related words: Discern, Descry

Tenuous

flimsy; having little substance; long and thin, slender Your argument is quite _____- it depends on our accepting the results of a 1955 study published in an obscure medical journal not subject to peer review.

Eloquent

fluent or persuasive speaking or writing

cogent

forceful, convincing; relevant, to the point

pristine

fresh and clean; uncorrupted

idolatrous

given to intense or excessive devotion to something

Morose

gloomy, sullen, bad tempered she had always been child, but once she hit high school and decided to become a goth, she adopted a ____ attitude to match her all-black clothing.

cupidity noun

greed for money or possessions The doctor's medical license was revoked after it was discovered that, our of sheer ____, he had diagnosed people with illnesses they didn't have and pocketed insurance money for performing procedures they didn't need. Related words: Avarice, Covetousness, Rapacity, Rapaciousness

Discordant Discord

harsh or inharmonious in sound; disagreeing, incongruous In a graduation ceremony full of hopeful and congratulatory speeches, the salutatorian's address about terrible economy struck a _____note. Syn: dissonance, cacophony, disagreement Opp: Accord

morose

having a gloomy or sullen manner; not friendly or sociable

Noisome

having an extremely offensive smell Origin late Middle English: from obsolete not [shortened form of annoy] + -some1. Related words: Deleterious, Baneful, Noxious, Fetid

noisome

having an extremely offensive smell: disgusting Aside from the ___ effluence thy emit when frightened, chunks are particularly aggressive or unfriendly animals. Related words: Deleterious, baneful, Noxious

Acme

highest point; summit; the highest level or degree attainable Related words: Apex, Summit, Pinnacle, Apogee

impede

hinder; obstruct

Probity

honesty, integrity

torpid

inactive, sluggish, dull

Incorporate

include, take in; combine, unite; form a legal corporation; embody, give physical form to When a business ____s, it becomes a separate legal entity; for instance, the business can declare bankruptcy without the owners doing so. Local legend has it that ghosts can ____ on one night of the year and walk among the living. Related words: Incarnate

Ingenuous

innocent, simple; frank, sincere

convoluted

intricate and complicated

irascible

irritable; easily angered I spent my entire childhood tiptoeing around so as not to anger my ____ mother," Isaiah told his therapist. Related words:Dyspeptic, Curmudgeon, Crotchety, Cantankerous. Shares a root with irate(angry) and Ire anger

facetiousness

joking or jesting; often inappropriate

Desultory

jumping from one thing to another; disconnected

acumen

keen insight

arcane

known or understood by only a few

levity

lack of seriousness

inert

lacking the ability or strength to move

Pragmatic

logical or practical

Nadir

lowest point It was when ming reached her absolute ___what her recovery program called "rock bottom"-that she admitted she had a problem and checked herself into rehab. Opp: zenith

Mendacious

lying; habitually dishonest She was so ____ that, when she broke the television, she blamed it on her little brother, even though he was in a wheelchair and could hardly have tipped over a piece of furniture. Her ____ty knows no bounds. Related words: Disingenuous, Dissembling, Prevaricating

repast

meal to eat or feast Related words: Comestibles , Gustatory

temperate

mild; moderate; restrained

lugubrious

mournful; gloomy Kiara was having a good time at the Irish our until the Traditional Music hour started, and the ___ tunes made her cry into herGuinness. Related words: Lachrymose, Maudlin, lament

Variegated

multicolored; characterized by a variety of patches of different color. Related words: myriad, Heterogeneous

Insular

narrow-minded, parochial, provincial; pertaining to an island, detached, standing alone. The young actress couldn't wait too escape to ____ of her small town, where life revolved around high school football and Taco Bell was considered exotic international cuisine. Related words: Xenophobia, Illiberality

sobriquet

nickname

Solecism

nonstandard grammatical usage; a violation of grammatical rules Related words: Malapropism, Faux Pas

imperturbable; adjective

not easily excited or disturbed, Calm We couldn't believe that Rafael would be that _____ in the midst of a riot. Having seen pretty much everything, the kindergarten teacher was truly ______; a morning containing a discipline problem, two bathroom accidents, on eight, and one temper tantrum didn't bother her in the least. Related words: Impervious, Stoic

apocryphal

of doubtful authenticity

apocryphal

of questionable authenticity; false Related words: Ersatz.Faux, Specious

Homogeneous

of the same kind

Ambiguous

open to more than one interpretation, not clear, hard to understand Related words: Equivocal, Opaque

Ambiguous

open to more than one interpretation; having a double meaning

Obsolete

out-of-date, no longer in use She kept her old laptop so long that it was _____- she couldn't sell it on Craigslist, and the local elementary school didn't even want it as a donation. Related words: Antediluvian

gregarious

outgoing; sociable

Petulant

peevish, annoyed by trifles, easily irritated and upset

Assiduous (adj)

persevering, diligent, constant Through _____ effort over a substantial period of time, anyone can develop a prodigious vocabulary. Related words: Sedulous, Tenacious

assiduous

persistent, attentive, diligent

kinetic

pertaining to motion; characterized by movement Marisa told her mother what she had learned in sciences class; a ball sitting on a table has potential energy, but a ball failing towards the ground has ___ energy.

fallow

plowed but not seeded; inactive; reddish-yellow; land left unseeded; to plow but not seed

Latent

potentially existing but not presently evident or realized Certain experts believe that some people have a genetic propensity for addiction; however , if such a person never comes into contact with drugs, the propensity for addiction can remain ___ for life. Related words: Dormant, Inert, Hiatus

Propitious

presenting favorable circumstances; likely to result in or show signs of success Related words: Auspicious. Opportune

Contumacious

rebellious; stubbornly disobedient The ______ teenager ran away from home when her parents told her she was grounded. They psychologist's book dealing with your _____ teenager would have sold many more copies to parents of rude and rebellious youth if only people knew what "____" meant Synonyms: factious; insubordinate; insurgent; mutinous; rebellious; seditious; Obstreperous, Recalcitrant, Refractory

Inexorable

relentless; inevitable; unavoidable Many people fled Europe in the far of Hitler's ______ march across the continent. Related words: Unflagging, Indefatigable, Insuperable, Indomitable

Deference

respectful submission or yielding to the judgment, opinion, will, etc., of another

Paucity

scarcity, the state of being small in number. Our school has such a disgraceful ___ of textbooks Related words: Dearth

paucity

scarcity; lack

autonomous

self-governing; independent Related words: Fiat Hegemony

dispatch

send off or deal with in a speedy way (verb). speed, promptness (noun). Synonyms: Expediency

sycophant

servile flatterer, toady. Stop being such a ____. I don't need you to compliment my tie or get me coffee; I just need you to do your job without bothering me. Related words: Lackey, Toady, Myrmidon, Fawn, Obsequious, Truckle, Kowtow

Effrontery

shameless boldness

trenchant

sharply effective or insightful

impassive

showing no emotion

Diffident

shy, lacking self-confidence; modest, reserved

Adroit

skillful, expert in the use of the hands or mind

Fetid

smelling extremely unpleasant

Sordid

something dirty squalid or morally distasteful

Derivative

something that comes from another source

Denote

stand as a name or symbol for; indicate

crescendo

steadily increasing in volume or force Related words: ascension, culminate, surge

extant

still in existence

Cataylst

substance that speeds up the rate of a chemical reaction

corroboration

support, add evidence to related: substantiate, verify

Abeyance

temporary suppression or suspension

transitory

temporary, short-lived, not lasting While a few people marry their high school sweethearts, generally, our teenage years are full of _____ relationship Related words: Ephemeral, Evanescent, Fugacious

pedantic

tending to show off one's learning

Precursor

that which comes before; forerunner

Rhetoric

the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the use of figures of speech and other compositional techniques.

Dissolution

the breaking up into parts; termination of a legal bond or contract

Bane

the cause of ruin, harm, distress, or death

Usury

the illegal action or practice of lending money at unreasonably high rates of interest. Rebaaaaa harammmm

efficacy

the power to produce a desired result

Ambivalence

the state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes

Euphemism

the substitution of a mild, indirect, or vague expression for one thought to be offensive, harsh, or blunt Many _____ surround death and disease; rather than " Joe died of cancer," many people feel better saying "joe's suffering is finally over." When potty training their children, some parents use hilarious ______ for body parts. Opposite; Dysphemism an unnecessarily bad name for something.

Larceny

theft The department store employs a security officer whose job it is to prevent ____. Related words: purloin, pilfer, filch

fawn

to act slavishly submissive syn: grovel ant: ignore; disregard; neglect

Obviate

to anticipate and prevent; to remove, dispose of

obviate

to anticipate and prevent; to remove, dispose of

placate

to appease, soothe, pacify

pervade

to be present throughout; to permeate

Disparage verb

to belittle, say uncomplimentary things; to put down An ad hominem attack is a logical fallacy in which the arguer ____es his opponent rather than addressing the opponent's ideas. Related words: Denigrate

Abstain

to choose not to do something Hold back, refrain decline to vote Related words: Temperance (moderation, holding back) Teetotaler( a person who abstains from alcohol) Forbear(hold back or abstain from)

Mar

to damage or deface; spoil The interior designers secret was to buy furnishings and fixtures that had been ___ed on the shop floor and therefore were sold at steep discounts; she would then fit the defects herself or add additional aging effects to the pieces. Related words: Vitiate, Deface

Daunt

to discourage; intimidate; dishearten Related words: Cow

Opine

to express an opinion He was happy to ___ on everything from books to wine to politics, unaware that people didn't see him as intelligent enough to be worth listening to . Related words : expatiate, Excogitate

Delimit (verb)

to fix or mark the limits or boundaries of; The role of an executive coach is ____ed by our code of conduct- we may not counsel people for psychological conditions, for instance. Related words: Demarcate

abdicate

to give up a position, right, or power With then angry mob clamor ink outside the palace, the king abdicated his throne and fled. Synonyms: cede; quit; relinquish; resign; yield

Inculcate

to impress on the mind by repetition, teach persistently and earnestly Parents spend years trying to _____ morality in their children. constantly teaching and correcting them.

Ameliorate

to make better

Augment

to make larger, increase Related words: Aggrandize

rescind

to repeal, cancel

disseminate

to scatter or spread widely, broadcast Synonyms: Disperse, diffuse Used for something that spreads out and remains significant

Advocate

to speak in favor of Related words: Proponents, Exponents, Champions

Bolster

to strengthen or support Related words: Buttress, Fortify

enervate

to weaken

presumptuous

too forward or bold; overstepping proper bounds

itinerant

traveling from place to place, especially to perform some duty or work; transient In rural areas in the 1940s, it was common that a small town would lack its own doctor, instead being seen by an _____ family physician who made rounds to many such towns. Related words: peripatetic, wayfaring, Transient

guile

treacherous cunning, deceit

convoluted

twisted; complicated. related words: Tortuous, labyrinthine, byzantine

IMPLACABLE; PLACATE, placatory

unable to be appeased (9); relentless; unstoppable /make less angry or hostile; calm or appease A good detective os absolutely ______-refusing to give up until he culprit in question is behind bars, After the god groomer misunderstood and shaved the family Weimaraner totally bald Mr. Garcia was _____; neither an offer of a free gift certificate nor a complimentary doggie sweater would reduce his fury. Related words: Inexorable

implacable

unable to be calmed down or made peaceful

Impartial

unbiased, fair Disinterested , dispassionate, nonpartisan

paradigm

widely accepted example, belief or a concept

Sinuous

winding, having many curves; lithe and flexible

guileless

without deceit

artless

without guile; open and honest

Laudable

worthy of praise "your loyalty to your friends is ____," the principle said, "but if you don't start naming names, you'll end uo in trouble yourself." Related words: Encomium, Panegyric, Paean

Laudable

worthy of praise When a major discount mart fired several employees for subduing a gunman, most people considered the action a _____ act of heroism. Related words: Encomium, Paean, Panegyric

Archaic

Characteristic of an earlier period, ancient, primitive Related words: Obsolete, Antediluvian

Emulate

(v) copy in an attempt to equal or be better than. The ardent Star Trek fan ____ Captain Kirk in every way possible right down to the uniform.

enumerate

(v) count or list; specify one-by-one I don't have time to ____ all the steps involved in baking a cake. Related words: Reckon, countable

Hardy

Bold, brave, capable of withstanding hardship, fatigue, cold, etc. Related: Robust, hale

Presumptuous

(adj) too bold or forward; going beyond that which is proper I would never date that ____ jerk! I mean, I thought he was attractive until he walked up to me and said, " We should go out- I looked up your address on Google and I'll pick you up at *." the nerve!

plausible

(n) believable; having the appearance of truth When three doctors treating crash victims were suddenly stricken with what looked like the effects of nerve gas, hospital officials posited " hysteria" as the culprit- hardly a ___ explanation. Related words: Credible, Feasible, Viable

diatribe

(n) bitter, abusive attack or criticism; rant Syn: Tirade, Harangue, fulmination

diffident

lacking in self-confidence; shy Natasha was so ____ that she never believed her comments could be worth anything in class, even when she knew the answer. Related words: Timorous, self-effacing

viscid or viscous

Thick, adhesive, or covered in something sticky Ugh, what did you spill on this floor? It's too ___ to be absorbed by these paper towels. Is this hair conditioner? / Teaching a troop of Cub Scouts to make maple syrup means cleaning the viscid substance off uniforms, boys, and every other object those boys touch.

Contraries (noun)

Things that are opposing; either of two opposite things The Machiavellian among us would say that ethics and expedience are ____ at some point, one must win out over the other. Related words: Counterpoint

Enervate

Tire out: weaken Related words: Sap, Enfeeble

Stem

To branch out from, originate from, or be caused by; to stop, hold back or limit

Forestall

To delay, hinder, or prevent by taking precautionary measures beforehand Our research has been ____ed by a lack of funding; we're all just biding out time until the university approves our grant proposal. Related words: Waylay, Obviate, Preclude, Stymie

bifurcate (verb, adj)

To fork into two branches or divide into two halves; split or fork The medical student carefully _____Ed the cadaver brain, separating it precisely into right and left hemispheres. The ____ tree stood tall, its two massive branches reaching for the sky. Related words: Cleave

Satiate or sate

To fully satisfy; to go beyond satisfying to the point of excess ( possibly inducing disgust, tiredness, etc.) I usually just eat a tiny salad or something while I'm at work, but since I had a half day off, I went to the Indian buffet and stayed for a whole hour! I've never been more ____ in my life. To maintain a healthy wight, stop eating before you reach the point of _____y. Related words: Blase, Ennui

inhibit

To get in the way of; hinder

Reprobate

Without morals and without shame

perfidious

disloyal

Hegemony

domination over others

prefunctory

done without care, superficial

irascible

easily angered, irritable

accretion

growth in size or increase in amount

banal

hackneyed, trite, commonplace

precipitate

happens suddely, falls steeply or acts quickly

Via

road, way

complementary

(adj) completing; fitting together well; filling mutual needs

Cogent

(adj) very convincing, logical

salutary

(adj.) beneficial, helpful; healthful, wholesome

connoisseur

(n) expert, especially in the fine arts; person of educated, refined tastes Related words: Epicure

goosebumps

(n) the bumps created by hairs standing up on the skin in response to cold, fear, etc.

Concur

(v) approve, agree related words: Assent

Burgeon

Grow or flourish rapidly; put forth buds or shoots (of a plant)

Providential

Lucky, fortunate, or relating to divine care (the idea that a deity has helped or cared for a person) Related words: Propitious, Auspicious

Bent

Personal inclination or tendency

Posit

Presume, suggest, put forward (an idea) Syn: postulate, assert, contend

balk

Refuse to proceed or to do something Related words: Demur

iniquity

Sin or wrongdoing

Listless

Spiritless, lacking interest or energy I's too tired to care about homework, mumbled the ____ child. Related words: Indifferent, Apathy

itinerary

Travel schedule; detailed plan for a journey Great, that was the Parthenon! What's next on our _____? Related words: Agenda

Cosset

Treat as a pet, pamper The ______ toddler was lovingly wrapped up in his snow gear, so much so that he could barely even move his arms enough to make his first snowball. Related words: Coddle

epicure, also epicurean

a person of refined taste in matters of food and drink A true ____, he served only the finest wines, and bragged about how the pancetta was imported from Italy and Stilton cheese from the English countryside. Syn; Connoisseur, Discriminating

conundrum

a riddle; any mystery Related words: Enigma, Paradox

elegy

a sad or mournful poem

Peccadillo

a small sin or fault I'm going to propose to Melinda tomorrow- sure, she has her______ like anyone, but she's perfect woman for me.

vicissitude

a change or variation; ups and downs. Related words: Vagaries

Savor

a characteristic taste, flavor, or smell, especially a pleasant one. As a parent, it's important to take a step back and really ___ the special moments-those children will grow up sooner than you think!

alacrity

a cheerful speedy willingness Related words: Brisk, Sprightly

Hyperbole

a deliberate exaggeration or overstatement Overstatment

polyglot

a speaker of many languages

archaic

ancient; old-fashioned

Sardonic

cynical; scornfully mocking Isabella was offended by the___ way in which her date made fun of her ideas and opinions. Synonyms: acerbic; caustic; sarcastic; satirical; snide

arbitrary

based entirely on one's discretion; capricious, unreasonable, or having no basis

Empirical

based on practical experience rather than theory

Ossify

become inflexible in attitudes, opinions, etc.; become bone or become hard like bone I remember having many broad-ranging discussions with him back in college, but since the, his opinions have ___; sadly is now the most close-minded person I know. Related words: Doctrinaire, Dogmatic

credulous

believing on slight evidence, gullible

Pithy

brief and full of meaning and substance; concise

terse

brief and to the point

succinct

briefly and clearly expressed

Venal

corrupt; can be bribed

Craven

cowardly

Contrite

feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses

Phlegmatic

calm and unemotional in temperament

Halcyon

calm, peaceful; happy, golden; prosperous, affluent Installing drywall wasn't the career he'd planned for; every day he reminisced about the ____ days of his school football career. Related words: Tranquil, Pacific, Placid

arrest

cause to stop; bring into custody

Discretion

cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions

blithe

cheerful, lighthearted; casual, unconcerned

sanguine

cheerful; optimistic

Cardinal

chief; most important; N: priest; cardinal number: number that shows quantity rather that order The ____ rule of flight Club is that you don't talk about Fight Club. Related words Principle, or it could mean deep red

limpid

clear, transparent; readily understood

Turbid

cloudy, muddy; in a state of turmoil

Aesthetic

concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty

Aesthetic

concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty, pertaining to the science of what is beautiful: a set of principles or tastes guiding in artistic practice

coda

concluding part of a literary or musical composition; something that summarizes or concludes

abridge

condense or curtail; shorten by omitting parts throughout while retaining the main idea Related words: Turncate

patrionizing

condescending, having a supers manner, treating as an inferior. Im not surprised that professor McDoughal used to teach kindergarten. His ___ tone has been driving me crazy.

Belie

contradict; give a false impression; disguise; Ex. The poor sales belied our high hopes; Ex. Her smile belies her true feeling of displeasure.

Apposite

strikingly appropriate and relevant

Antipathy

deep dislike, aversion, or repugnance, sometimes without reason Related words: Loathing

perfidy

deliberate breach of faith or trust; faithlessness; treachery

melancholy

depression of spirits; gloomy; weary

culpable

deserving blame, worthy of condemnation

ignominious

deserving or causing public disgrace or shame

Anomaly

deviation from what is normal:inconsistency Related words" aberration

discordant

disagreeing in what is accepted

Tractable

easily managed or controlled

quotidian

everyday; commonplace

Catholic

universal; broad and comprehensive. Some precursors to the Constitution enumerated the rights of male property holders only. The U.S Constitution took a more ____ approach. SYn : Liberal

unsparing

unmerciful, harsh (as in not sparing any criticism); generous, lavish (as in not sparing any help or gifts to others)

wan

unnaturally pale or sickly looking; lacking vitality; dim, faint; weak, ineffectual.

superfluous

unnecessary, especially through being more than enough

Pious

(adj) devout; religiously reverent and dutiful Naturally, only similarly ___ suitors need apply.

Modicum

A little bit or limited quantity In her first five years in Hollywood, she experienced only a modicum of success as an actress, appearing twice in commercials and once as a waitress on Desperate Housewives. Related words: Iota, item tad

Hallmark

A mark of indication of quality, purity, genuineness, etc; any distinguishing characteristics. Signature red soles are the ___ of christian louboutin's shoes. Syn: Earmark

Stymie or stymy

Block, hinder, or thwart (verb); an obstacle (noun) Celine feared that her learning disability would _____ her success in college, but the support services offered were excellent and she was fine academically; the thing that really ____d her college career was poor time management. Related words: Impede, hamper

bellicose

Demonstrating aggression and willingness to fight.

inveigle

Entice, lure; get something by flattery, cleverness, or offering incentives After Mrs. Kim found out that her son's friends had ____ed him into doing something stupid, she gave him a lecture on standing up to peer pressure. Related words: Coax, Cajole

Maudlin

Excessively sentimental, showing sadness or some other emotion in a foolish or silly way I had no idea the film was going to be a ___ affair. Related word: Cloying, treacly, saccharine

objective

Factual, related to reality or physical objects; not influenced by emotions, unbiased You cannot be forced to testify against your spouse in a court of law- it's pretty impossible for anyone to be ____ about the guilt or innocence of a spouse. Related words : Impartial, Disinterested, Dispassionate, Nonpartisan

Incipient

Just beginning in a very early stage. The movie producer was devastated when, due to legal trouble over the screenplay, the ___ project was crushed before it had even begun shutting Related words: Nascent, Inchoate

Clinch

Make final or settle conclusively; to fasten or hold together

Imbue

Permeate or saturate, as dye in a fabric; influence throughout After shearing the sheep and spinning the yarn, the next step is to _____ the yarn with dye. His poems are ____ed with a sense of longing for a lost homeland. Related words: Infuse, suffuse, Pervade

Florid

Reddish or rosy; flowery, showy, or excessively fancy His writing was so ____ that it was hard for modern readers to understand, and unintentionally humorous when they did. He once called a women in a hopples skirt a "confection of gossamer-clad ephemerality, they country of her raiment ringing in my turgid heart like the tintinnabulation of so many church bells". Related words:Ruddy, Bombastic, Turgid, Tumid, Declamatory, Magniloquent, Grandiloquent, Rococo.

Forfeit

Surrender or lose as a result of an error, crime, or failure to fulfill an obligation.

Equivocate

Use unclear language to deceive or avoid committing to a position. Not wanting to lose supporters, the politician ____ed on the issue, tossing out buzzwords related to each side while also claiming more study needed. Syn; Ambivalent, Vacillate, Waffle, Dither, Hedge, Palter, Tergiversate

commensurate

The same in size, extent, etc. Equivalent, proportional Related words: Tantamounnt

occult

The supernatural: pertaining to major astrology. Mysterious, secret or hidden: to hide to shut off from view A group of religious parents demanded that a popular series of young adult vampire novels be banned in schools because it promoted the _____. Related words Eclipse

appropriate

To put a side or take something for oneself or some other specific person

Quandary

Uncertainty or confusion about what to do, dilemma. He knew it sounded like the plot of a cheesy movie, but he really had accidentally asked two girls to the prom, and now he was in quite a _______. Related words: Mired

Frenetic

Wildly excited, frantic, distracted Wildly excited or active The advice in the expert's time management book struck many as unrealistic, as not everyone can handle the ____ lifestyle the author espouses; getting up up before dawn to begin work before spending quality time with the kids over breakfast, taking conference calls from the treadmill, etc. related words: Frenzied

Simultaneous

at the same time, concurrent It is rare in a duel that the two shooters draw their guns ____ly and both fire. Related words: Synchronous, concurrent

fulminate

attack verbally in a vehement, thunderous way; explode, detonate Please don't bring up anything related to gun control around my family, or my dad will ____ for hours about his right to bear arms. Related words: Rail

ubiquitous

existing everywhere, widespread Pay phones, which used to be ____ in urban area, are now nearly impossible to find in operation. Butterflies seem to be ____ in the habitat. Related words: Omnipresent, Pervasive

Penury

extreme poverty

latent

hidden, present but not realized

Probity

honesty, integrity After losing the last election when its candidate's string of mistresses came to light, the party vowed to only nominate candidate whose ___ was beyond any doubt. Related words: Scrupulous, principled, Veracious

inimical

hostile, unfriendly

deference

humble submission and respect

Infallible

incapable of making mistakes or being wrong; never failing; always effective No good scientist thinks he or she is _______- it is fundamental to the scientific method that every theory is open to revision based on new evidence. Related wordS: Unerring

Insipid

lacking flavor; dull; not at all stimulating This is a university-level poetry class, and your ____ drivel just won't cut it here. " Things that are bad always make me sad"? Ready?/ The restaurant critic called the dish " ___". I think it was bland, but I probably would've been more polite about it Related words: Banal, Hackneyed, Inane, Trite ant: Sioid

Denigrate

to attack the reputation of; to speak ill of

Hackneyed

used so often as to lack freshness or originality

Laconic

using few words; concise The boss was famously _____; after allowing his employees to present their new plan for an entire hour, he finally responded, "fine". Related words: Reticent, Taciturn, Pithy

Invectives

violent denunciation, Accusations, insults or verbal abuse. Although the money was good, she quit her job after nearly having a nervous breakdown from her boss's ______. Related words: Vituperation, Censure, Contumely, Vitriol.

Restive

(adj.) restless, hard to manage, balky SYN: uneasy, recalcitrant ANT: serene, unruffled, docile

imminent

(adj) ready to occur, impending In the face of ____ ware,

insouciant

(adj.) blithely indifferent or unconcerned; carefree; happy-go-lucky

Orthodox

(adj) adhering to a traditional, established faith, or to anything customary or commonly accepted I appreciate that the new dentist thinks that my oral healthy can be improved through yoga, but I really prefer a more ____ approach to dental care. Related words: Conventional

Canonical

(adj) authorized, recognized; pertaining to the canon, or body of accepted rules, standards or artistic works.

cosmopolitan

(adj) belonging to the entire world, at home globally; free from local or national prejudices or attachments relate: urbane

Partial

(adj) biased, prejudiced, favoring one over the others; having a special liking for something or someone (usually partial to) Although I grew up in New York, I've always been ____ to country music. Related words: Partisan, Predilection, Propensity, Proclivity, Bent

Sanguine

(adj) cheerfully optimistic, hopeful; reddish, ruddy (as in rosy-red cheeks indicating health or vitality) She had three papers due in three days, but she maintained her typical _____ attitude. Related words: Chipper

Pretentious

(adj) claiming or demanding a position of importance or dignity, esp. when unjustified; showing off creating deceptive, false show of worth. Josie found her date's habit of constantly dropping French phrases into conversation to be incredibly _______ especially since he knew she didn't speak French. He sure did sound fancy, though. Related words: Ostentatious

dovetail

(v.) to fit together exactly; to connect so as to form a whole; (n.) a carpentry figure resembling a dove's tail When the neuroscientist married an exercise physiologist, neither thought they'd end up working together, but when Dr. Marion Ansel received a grant to study how exercise improves brain function and Dr, Jim Ansel was assigned to her team, the two found that their careers ____ed nicely Syn; converge

extricate

(v.) to free from entanglements or difficulties; to remove with effort

Venerate

(v.) to regard with reverence, look up to with great respect

repose

(v.) to rest; lie; place; (n.) relaxation, peace of mind, calmness Related words: Recumbent

Diffuse

(v.) to spread or scatter freely or widely; (adj.) wordy, long-winded, or unfocused; scattered or widely spread It will be very difficult to ____ the power among the people when transitioning from autocracy. The spy attempted to root out the dissenters at the gala, but he was only able to detect a ____ sense of discontent all around the room.

Oscillate

(v.) to swing back and forth with a steady rhythm; to fluctuate or waver

Oscillate

(v.) to swing back and forth with a steady rhythm; to fluctuate or waver. I wish we had air conditioning, but at least I replaced our old fan with this ____ one that swings side to side and blows on the whole room. Stop ___ and pick a restaurant! Seriously Indian or Thai? Related words: Equivocate, Ambivalent, Vacillate, Waffle, Dither, Tergiversate

prattle

(v.) to talk in an aimless, foolish, or simple way; to babble; (n.) baby talk; babble

Rend

(v.) to tear to pieces; split violently apart (past tense, rent) Many figures in the Bible ___ their clothing from Grief at a loved one's death an event

exhort

(v.) to urge strongly, advise earnestly

Bevy (noun)

Group of birds or other animals that stay close together; any large group The bar owner cringed when a ____ of women in plastic tiaras came in. Another drunken bachelorette party he sighed. Related words Covey, Brood

Posthumous

Happening or continuing after death Erenst Hemingway died in 1961. His novel The Garden of Eden was published _____ in 1986

Hermetic

Airtight, sealed, isolated; reclusive; pertaining to alchemy, occult These packaged meals are ____ sealed. While writing hundreds of vocal flashcards, the GRE instructor lived a ___ lifestyle, her skin growing pallid and her social network drastically shrinking.

Prudent

Wise in practical matters, carefully providing for the future. Sophie's friends blew all kinds of money on spring break, but Sophine ____ly kept to her usual spending habits. Related words: Circumspect, Provident

Wizened

Withered, shriveled Fortunately, The ___ heads for sale at the Ecuadorian market weren't really shrunken heads Related wordS: Hoary Antediluvian, Grizzled, Desiccated

Exhaustive

Comprehensive, thorough, exhausting a topic or subject, accounting for all possibilities; draining, tending to exhaust. Related words: thoroughgoing, Omnibus

Succeeding

Coming after or following After the sale of the company, you will receive 5% of the profits from the current year, and 1% in all ____years. / In 1797, George Washington was ____ed by John Adams. Related words : subsequent

Circumspect

Cautious, prudent; careful to consider the circumstances and consequences Tiana immediately forked over an initiation fee to become a vitamin distributor, but her more ____ brother had a list of at least 20 questions he wanted answered before he would consider joining Related wordS: Staid

Expurgate

Censore; remove objectionable or offensive parts When the girl discovered that her ninth-grade class had been reading an ____d version of Romeo and Juliet, she immediately checked the original out from the library so she could read all the : forbidden" parts. Bowdlerize, Expunge

Arrogate (verb)

Claim or take presumptuously or without the right to do so In order to build oil pipeline, the government ____ed the land of many small farmers who are still fighting for compensation. The bride's mother _____ed the right to decide on the venue, the food, and even the wedding dress! Related words: Appropriate

Abscission( noun)

Cutting off; sudden termination; the separation of leaves, petals, or other parts from a plane or animal The ____ of leaves from the trees is normal in fall. An inflamed appendix calls for an immediate surgical _____ Related words: Ablation ( removal of growth)

Livid

Furiously angry, enraged Diane was ___ when she discovered that her daughter had borrowed her wedding dress to wear to an 80s party, I have never been angrier in my life, she said. Related words: Irascible

Aggregate

Gather together, amount to (verb); constituting a whole made up of constituent parts (adj) Related words: Agglomerate, Consolidate

Faction (noun)

Group or clique within a larger organization; party strife and dissension. The opposition movement was once large enough to have a chance at succeeding, but it has since broken into numerous, squabbling____, each too small to have much impact. The caucus began in a spirit of unity but now, sadly, is marked by ____ and pretty squabbles. Related words: Partisan, Cabal

Lurid

Gruesome or excessively vivid; sensational, shocking, unrestrained I do like to keep up with what celebrities are doing, but that tabloid is just too ___ for me- just look at the cover: " Worst Cellulite in Hollywood" and " Exclusive Cr5ash Photos." truly horrible. related words: Gratuitous

albeit (conjunction)

Definition: Although, even though Usage: The village leader was illiterate ____ highly intelligent. / The trip was exciting, _____brief. Related Words: Notwithstanding (in spite of, although, all the same —"Notwithstanding the video of his crime, he was acquitted on a technicality") More Info: _____ is a shortening of "although it be."

discomfiting

Disconcerting, confusing, frustrating His fiancée's family said they were comfortable with the fact that he was of a different religion, but he found their constant probing about his beliefs quite _____./ He hates telemarketers so much that he likes to _____them by asking them personal questions and suggesting he call them at their homes instead. Related words: Abash, Disquiet

fastidious (adj)

Excessively particular, difficult to please; painstaking, meticulous, requiring excessive attention to detail Steve was a _____ housekeeper, fluffing his couch pillows at least twice a day and never allowing the tiniest speck of dust to settle on any exposed surface. Related words: meticulous, Exacting

Inherent

Existing a permanent, essential quality, intrinsic New research seems to support the idea that humans have an ____ sense of justice- eve babies become upset at puppet shows depicting unfairness. and are gratified at see the " bad" puppets punished. Related words: Innate

affectation

Fake behavior (such as in speech or dress) adopted to give a certain impression Related words: artifice

Militate

Have a great effect, weigh heavily (often as militate against) While his resume was stellar, his speech impediment _____d against his performance in job interviews Related words: Inimical (hostile, adverse or harmful- something that ____es against your success would be inimical to your success). Syn: tend to prevent work against hinder discourage prejudice be detrimental to

Mannered

Having a particular manner, esp. an artificial one Although he grew up in rural Ohio, sometime before he got his own makeover show on television he adopted a ____ way of speaking, as though he had grown up in some very odd corner of Victorian England. Related words: affectation

apposite

Highly appropriate, suitable, or relevant He searched his brain for an _____word to describe wealthy americans' addiction to consumer goods, until he discovered the neologism " affluenza". Related words : Apt (appropriate, likely, disposed or prone). Condign

magnanimous

Highly moral, especially in showing kindness or forgiveness, as in overlooking insults or not seeking revenge. The twin were so different from one another- while Andrea was petty and vengeful and would hold a grudge for years, Marina was quite _____, easily forgiving insults or slights, and smoky rising above the petty bickering and cliquish behaviors of our high school

detached

Impartial, disinterested; unconcerned, distant, aloof Syn: standoffish describes a house that does not have a wall in common with another building

Impermeable, permeable

Impassable, not allowing passage through " such as by liquid). A good raincoat is totally ____ to water. Related words: Impervious

Impervious

Impenetrable; incapable of being damaged or distressed The problem with arrogant people is that they are ____ to criticism of they arrogance; anything you say to them just rolls right off. Related words: Impermeable, stoic

normative

Implying or attempting to establish a norm; expressing value judgments or telling people what to do (rather than merely describing that which is happening). The reason we are not understanding each other in this argument about grammar is that you are arguing ____, telling me how people should talk and I am simply reporting and analyzing his people actually talk. Related : Prescriptivists

Acumen (noun)

Keen, quick, accurate, insight or judgment His political ____ allowed him yo bargain behind the scenes and get bills passed despite being in the minority party. Syn; Perspicacity (acuteness of perception). Comes from the latin word "needle"-hence the idea of being mentally sharp.

Log

Keep a record of, write down; travel for or at a certain distance or speed: a written record. Lawyers who bill by the hour have to be sure to ____ all the time they spend on every client's case. You cannot get your pilot's license until you have _____ed 40 hours of flight time.

Sanction

Permission or approval, something that gives support or authority to something else(noun); to allow, confirm, ratify (verb); OR a legal action by one or more countries against another country to get it to comply (noun); to place sanctions or penalties on (verb) Professional boxers may only fight in ___ matches-fighting outside the ring is prohibited. America's ____ on Cuba mean that it is illegal for Americans to do business with Cuban companies.

Hedonsit

Person devoted to pleasure. A vacation is a fine time to practice ___, letting your troubles go and indulging in every conceivable luxury and pleasure. Related words: Sybarite, Voluptuary, libertine

Skeptic

Person inclined to doubting or question generally accepted beliefs. I wish you'd be more of a ___- I can't believe you spent money on pet psychic so we can talk to out dearly departed shih tzo. Descartes was a great ___, famously declaring that we cannot truly be sure of anything except our own existence-hence, " I think, therefore I am"

Martinet

Person who adheres to rules extremely closely; strict disciplinarian It was no fun growing up with a military officer for a dad. He was such a ___ he once made me do 20 pushups for being one minute late top bed. Related words: Doctrinaire , Jingoism, Hawkish, Chauvinism

Doctrinaire (noun, adj)

Person who applies doctrine in an impractical or rigid and close-minded way (noun); merely theoretical, impractical, or fanatical about other people accepting one's ideas (adj) The old science professor was so ____ that he refused to even condor any evidence that flew in the face of his own research, and thereby failed to recognize when his graduate students made an exciting new discovery. Don't be a ____- try actually considering the views of this you disagree with! Related word: Dogmatic

Apostate (noun) also apostasy

Person who deserts a party cause religion, etc. Many people considered " freedom fighters" by some are considered _______ by others. Some women's rights leaders in very conservative nations receive death threats from religious leaders who consider them ______. Related words: Recreant, Perfidy, Heretic, Quisling, Infidel

Rustic

Relating to country life, unsophisticated; primitive, made of rough wood; a rural or uncultured person. For their honeymoon, they eschewed fancy hotels and instead chose a ___ cabin in the woods. Grandpa was a true ___- I was happy to have him visit, but not so happy to find him urinating outside in a bucket when we have several perfectly nice bathrooms. Related words: Bumpkin, Yokel

Grandiloquent

Relating to lofty speech, esp. to the point of being pompous, overblown, bombastic After memorizing 1000 vocabulary flashcards for the GRE, Derek couldn't help but become a little ______, declaring his desire to " abscond from my familial domicile and satisfy my penchant for erudition" You can do that later," said his mother, " but now its your turn to do the dishes. Related words: Magniloquent, Declamatory

Monastic

Relating to or resembling a monastery (where monks or nuns live), esp. by being quiet, secluded, contemplative, strict, and/or lacking luxuries. Related words: Austere, Ascetic, Hermit, Anchorite, Recluse

Prophetic

Relating to prophesy, predicting, ominous Related words: Prescient, Augur, Prognosticate

Venerate

Revere, regard with deep respect and awe The boys were utterly crushed when the baseball player they ___ saw them waiting and refused to sign an autograph. Related words : Revere ( feel or express very deep respect and awe)

Discrete: adjective

Separate, distinct, detached, existing as individual parts BE sure top use quotation marks and citations as appropriate in your paper in order to keep you idea ____from those of the experts you are quoting. The advertising agency pitched us not on one campaign, but on three ____ ideas. Don't confuse with discreet which means " secretive, undercover"

Luminous

Shining, radiant, well-lit; brilliant or enlightening Use our new light-reflecting shimmer blush for a ___ complexion. We are conferring this honorary degree on the author in appreciate for sharing his ___ intellect with the world. HE is truly a ____ Related words: Lustrous, effulgent refulgent

Demur

Show reluctance or object, especially for moral reasons When asked to name her favorite professor in the department, she ____Ed because she was pretty sure that, if she said anything, it would come back to haunt her. Related words: Balk

activism

The practice of pursuing political or other goals through vigorous action, often including protests and demonstrations. Related words: Advocacy, Champion

Hapless

Unlucky, unfortunate Hiring this ____ new office manager was a mistake-he's always losing and breaking things, as though band luck simply follows him wherever he goes. Related words: Bootless, Woebegone

Vituperate

Verbally abuse, debunk or criticize harshly. All couples flight, but your girlfriend _____ you so severely that I'm not sure she loves you at all. Related words: Pejorative, Revile, Berate

Audacious

Very bold or brave, often in a rude or reckless way; extremely original Related words: Insolent, Brazen

rococo

Very elaborate and ornate (in decorating or metaphorically, as in speech and writing); relating to a highly ornate style of art and architecture in 18th-century France Related words: Florid, Byzantine

acidulous

adj. sour in taste or manner The ~ taste of the spoiled milk made the young boy's lips pucker. I'm skipping Thanksgiving this year just to avoid my mother's _____comments about what she thinks I ought to be doing with my life. Synonyms: acerbic; acetose; biting; piquant; pungent; tart

sagacious

adj. wise; having keen perception and sound judgement syn: shrewd; intelligent ant: obtuse; fatuous

fervid

burning with enthusiasm or zeal; extremely heated

baleful

expressing hatred or evil; harmful, ominous

Jingoism

extreme, chauvinistic patriotism, often favoring an aggressive, warlike foreign policy He is such a ____ that he's always yelling at the TV, calling even the most conservative commentators "wimps" for failing to suggest that we simply nuke, burn and otherwise extricate out so-called enemies. Related words: Hawkish, Chauvinism. Opposite: Pacifist

E.G.

for example

Legerdemain

sleight of hand; deception The child was astounded when her uncle pulled out a quarter from behind her ear. Of course, she hadn't actually lost a quarter there; it was just a bit of _____ from an amateur magician. Related words: Prestidigitation, thaumaturgy, conjure

abeyance

temporary suppression, inactivity The baseball player's contract negotiations are in ______ while doctors try to determine whether his injuries will heal in time for the season. Syn: Hiatus (break or gap in an activity, Dormant(inactive, resting), Deferment or Deferral (postponement)

Flag

to droop; grow weak

ameliorate/meliorate

to improve, make better, correct a flaw or shortcoming If you spill water on your computer keyboard, you can ____ the damage by leaving the keyboard upside down to dry. Related wordS: Mitigate, Palliate and alleviate.

Novel

(adj) new, fresh, original You can make your writing better by eliminating clinches and replacing those clinches with more ---- turns of speech. Smoked salmon on a pizza? that's certainly a ___ idea.

Torpor

(n) sluggishness, lethargy, or apathy; a period of inactivity. Sam had hoped to be able to play in the game after having his wisdom teeth out, but the anesthesia left him in such _____ that he obviously could've play soccer. Related words: Listless, Insertia, loafing

Eulogy

(n) speech of praise or written work of praise, esp. a speech given at a funeral. The review of his book was pure____-usually, this publication runs more balanced articles. Related words: Encomium, Laudation, Panegyric

Lackluster

(adj) not shiny; dull, mediocre, lacking brilliance or vitality. Many young people today are so accustomed to being praised by parents and adults that they are shocked when a ______ effort in the workplace receives the indifference or mild disapproval it deserves. Related words : Pedestrian, Prosaic. Quotidian, Middling

Reticent

(adj) not talking much; private (of a person), restrained, reserved She figured that to rise to the top, it was best to be ___ about her personal life, thus, even her closest colleagues were left speculating at the water cooler about whether her growing belly actually indicated a pregnancy she simply declined to mention to anyone. Related words: Laconic, Taciturn

Opaque

(adj) not translucent; not allowing light, hear, etc. to pass through; dark, dull, unclear or stupid The school dress code require ____ tight under skirts. Rena was tragically ____. When her bf said " I want to see other people" she thought he meant he needed glasses. Related words : Turbid

prospective

(adj) potential, in the future Everyone had a hard time correctly saying the name of the seminar, " Perspectives for ___ Doctors". Even the ___ doctors-college students hoping to be admitted to medical school- were a bit confused.

Pragmatic

(adj) practical; dealing with actual facts and reality Megan and Dave were In love, but Megan decided to be ____-she doubted they'd stay together through a four-year long distance relationship as they attended different colleges. Related words: Politic, Expedient

mercurial

(adj) quickly unpredictably changing moods; fickle, flighty. It's tough being married to someone so ____. One minute she's happy as a clam; the next, she's inexplicably depressed. Related: Erratic

Conciliatory

(adj) reconciling, appeasing, attempting to make the peace Related words:Placate, Appease, Pacify and Assuage

Pathological

(adj) relating to or caused by disease; relating to compulsive bad behavior She thought her skin darkening was simply a result of the sum, but it was actually ___, the result of a serious disease. Your's a _____ thief.

Peripheral

(adj) relating to or making up an outer boundary or region; not of primary importance My main goal is to get into a good grad school. Whether it has good fitness facilities is really a ___ concern. Related words: Auxiliary

erudite

(adj) scholarly, knowledgeable; possessing a deep, often systematic, knowledge. Some have said that Americans dislike ___leaders: while German leaders frequently. Related words: Learned, cerbral, Esoteric, abstruse

Gauche

(adj) tactless, lacking social grace, awkward, crude. It is terribly ____ to put ketchup on your steak and then talk with your mouth full as you eat it. Related words: Boorish, Meretricious, Uncouth.

Meticulous

(adj) taking extreme care in regards to details; precise, fussy As a surgeon, of course Mom needs to be highly ___ in her work- she gets things right down to a fraction of a millimeter. Related words: Finicky, Fastidious, Exacting

Stolid

(adj) unemotional, showing little emotion, not easily moved Dad is so ____ that we can't get a rise out of him no matter what we do. Related words: Impassive, Inscrutable

adverse,

(adj) unfavorable, negative; working against, hostile Opposing, harmful. Related words: Antagonistic

Judicious

(adj) using good judgment; wise, sensible In his will, the old total of industry left little to his hard-partying younger son, and left the bulk of his estate to the more ___ older son. Related words: Prudent, Circumspect

Volatile

(adj) varying, inconstant, fleeting; tending to violence, explosive. Following the sudden revolution, the political environment in the country was so ___ that anything could have started a riot. Stock prices are by nature ___. If you want a "safe and steady" investment try mutual funds. Related words: Inconstancy, Erratic

Fanciful

(adj) whimsical, capricious; imaginary; freely imaginative rather than based on reason or reality The play was set I'm a ___ version of NYC, one where all the cab drivers spoke perfect English and statue of liberty seemed to be in the middle of the island. Related words: Whimsical, Capricious

Sagacious

(adj) wise; showing good judgment and foresight It's important to choose a mentor who is not only successful, but all ____-plenty of people are successful through luck and have little insight about how to attack someone else's situation. Related words: Sapient, Prudent, Circumspect, Perspicacious

Lavish

(adj, v) abundant or giving in abundance; marked by excess (adj); give very generously (verb) Antia wanted to live as she imagined Beyonce lived, and ran up huge credit card bills pursuing a ___ lifestyle she could scarcely afford. Although her rich banker boyfriend _____ed gifts on her, she didn't want to be with someone she didn't love. Related words: Posh, Tony

Net

(adj, v) remaining after expenses or other factors have been deducted; ultimate (adj); to bring in as profit or to catch as in a net (verb) All those weeks of working weekends and. playing gold with the boss ought to ___ her a promotion.

Slack

(adj, v, n) loose, negligent, lazy, weak (adj); neglect to so one's duties; loosen up, relax (verb); period of little work (noun) As the product of ____ parenting, I never learned good time management skills- Mom and Dad never checked my homework or made me go to bed at a certain time. The holiday represents on opportunity for employees to ___ a bit. Related words: Lax, lull

Slight

(adj, v, n) small, not very important, slender or delicate (adj); treat as though not very important; snub, ignore (verb); an act of treating in this way, a discourtesy (noun) She was very sensitive, always holding a grudge against her coworkers for a variety of ____s, both real and imagined. Actress Natalie Portman has always been ___, but she became even thinner to portray a ballerina in the movie Black Swan. I Felt ___ed when my husband told you about his promotion before told me. Related words: Nominal, Inconsequential

Abrasive

(adj.) causing irritation, harsh; grinding or wearing down; (n.) a substance used to smooth or polish Related words:Caustic, Excoriate

Imperious

(adj.) commanding, domineering (The imperious nature of your manner led me to dislike you at once.) Acting like a high ranking person; urgent. Her friend were peeved by her ____ attitude and talked about her while she was in the ladies' room; "Who does she think she is, not only picking the bar and the meeting time but also telling us where to sit"? Related words: Overbearing, Autocratic, Despotic, Tyrannical, Arrogant and bossy

specious

(adj.) deceptive, apparently good or valid but lacking real merit

mundane

(adj.) earthly, worldly, relating to practical and material affairs; concerned with what is ordinary

Frugal

(adj.) economical, avoiding waste and luxury; scanty, poor, meager Related words: Provident. Stinting

Skittish

(adj.) extremely nervous and easily frightened; shy or timid; extremely cautious; unstable, undependable Related words: Inconsistency, Mercurial

virulent

(adj.) extremely poisonous; full of malice; spiteful Related words: Pervasive Pathogenic

voracious

(adj.) having a huge appetite, greedy, ravenous; excessively eager

peremptory

(adj.) having the nature of a command that leaves no opportunity for debate, denial, or refusal; offensively self-assured, dictatorial; determined, resolute

Ribald

(adj.) irreverently mocking; coarse, vulgar, or indecent in language Related words: Bawdy, Lewd

perennial

(adj.) lasting for a long time, persistent; (n.) a plant that lives for many years

Ephemeral

(adj.) lasting only a short time, short-lived Related words: Evanescent Fugacious, Transient

vociferous

(adj.) loud and noisy; compelling attention Syn.: clamorous, uproarious, blustering Ant.: quiet, soft-spoken, muted, subdued

annul (verb) also annulment(noun)

Make void or null cancel, abolish (usually of laws or other established rules) Can we appreciate the art of a murderer? For many, the values of these paintings is ____Ed by the artist's crimes./ they had marriage _____ed after one week. Related words: Nullify, Void, Abort

Myopic

(adj.) nearsighted; lacking a broad, realistic view of a situation; lacking foresight or discernment. To raise prices in a time of crisis in both wrong and deeply--our profits would go up in the short term,, but our customer's resentment would simmer for decades. Myron's ___ is so strong that he cannot be helped by contact lenses. Related words: Improvident

Imperturbable

(adj.) not easily excited; emotionally steady

Lax

(adj.) not strict, careless; lacking discipline; not tense, relaxed My parents were really ___ about my homework-they never checked to see of I did it or not. Sadly, this legacy of ____ity is not serving me well while studying for the GRE. Related words: Slack

Wanton

(adj.) reckless; heartless, unjustifiable; loose in morals; (n.) a spoiled, pampered person; one with low morals

intransigent

(adj.) refusing to compromise, irreconcilable, having extreme attitudes "Even three detentions and note home to your parents haven't convinced you to behave yourself in class!" the teacher said to the ____child. Related words: Intractable, obdurate, Obstreperous Synonyms: uncompromising, unyielding, obdurate Antonyms: lukewarm, halfhearted, yielding

insular

(adj.) relating to, characteristic of, or situated on an island; narrow or isolated in outlook or experience

Germane

(adj.) relevant, appropriate, apropos, fitting This is a business meeting, not a social club, lets keep our comments ___ to the issue of new campaign. related words: Pertinent, Akin

oblique

(adj.) slanting or sloping; not straightforward or direct After the 15th ____ reference that Bella made to George or George made to Bella, everyone in the office figured out that they were dating. The serial killer loved to take to interrogators, but gave only ___ answers that were useless in finding the bodies.

dilatory

(adj.) tending to delay or procrastinate, not prompt; intended to delay or postpone Jack was supposed to start his presentation 10 minutes ago, and he isn't even here? I'm not surprised-he's a ____ fellow. Syn; Tardy, Temporize

Inimical

(adj.) unfriendly, hostile; harmful, unfavorable Most people think that being shouted at the freezing rain is ____ to learning sadly, out boot camp instructors disagreed. Opposite:Conductive

prodigal

(adj.) wastefully extravagant; lavishly or generously abundant; (n.) one who is wasteful and self-indulgent

inasmuch

(adv) in like manner, considering that (contradiction of "in as much," generally followed by "as") ______ as you missed my birthday party to do the walk for the cure Whereas

Makeshift

(n) a temporary substitute for something else; (adj) crude, flimsy, or temporary Lost in the woods for over 24 hours, the children were eventually found sleeping under a ___ tent made from branches and old plastic bags. I don't have a ladder, but I can stack up some boxes as a _____.

Tirade

(n) bitter, abusive criticism or verbal attack I hate the television show where that commentator goes on angry ____about all the liberal conspiracies taking over America. Even my conservative friends find his ranting embarrassing. Related words: Diatribe, Tirade, Harangue, Fulmination

Propriety

(n) conforming to good manners or appropriate behavior; justness The parents questioned the ____ of the punishment meted out to her son-sitting in a corner all day seemed a little harsh for using the pencil sharpener at the wrong time. Saying the accounting firm was complicit in " financial ___" was a rather polite way to refer to fraud it committed against investors. Related wordS: Genteel, Seemly, Decorous. Mores

Juncture

(n) critical point in time, such as a crisis or a time when a decision is necessary; a place where two things are joined together. We are at a critical ____ in the history of this organization. The little canoe started to sink when it split at the ____ between the old wood and the material used to repair it. Related words: Dovetail, Diverge

entitlement

(n) having the right to certain privileges; believing, sometimes without cause, that one deserves or has a right to certain privileges. Many Bosses complain about young people's sense of _____

Notoriety

(n) ill fame; the state of being well-known for a disgraceful reason Aiden was ____ for being later to everything; after awhile, his friends just stopped inviting him to movies. Related words: Infamous

libertine

(n) morally or sexually unrestrained person; freethinker (regarding religion) A famed ____, the sitcom start was constantly in the news for cavorting with women of dubious occupation and overdosing on drugs often enough to regularly hold up production of his popular televisions show. Related words: Hedonsits, Sybarites, voluptuaries, Debauchery.

credulous

(adj) gullible; prone to believing or trusting too easily or without enough evidence

Synchronous

(adj) happening at the same time; occurring at the same rate and thus happening together repeatedly The sound of that bell is a signal for the dancers to make perfectly ____ entrance from opposite side of the stages. The two nearby churches have ___ church bells- if you stand halfway between the buildings as the bells chime out the hour, it sounds really cool. Related words: Simultaneous, contemporaneous

Rife

(adj) happening frequently, abundant, currently being reported Reports of financial corruption are ____ Related words: Replete, Teeming Ridden

Salubrious

(adj) healthful, promoting health After spending her twenties smoking and drinking, Jessica recognized the necessity of adopting more ___ lifestyle, but found it difficult to cut back. Related words: Salutary

illiberality

(n) narrow-mindedness, bigotry; strictness or lack of generosity Students protested the ____ of an admissions policy that made no allowances for those from Related words: Chauvinsim,, Bigot, xenophobia, Jingoism, Insular

Modest

(adj) humble; simple rather than showy; decent (esp. "covering up" in terms of dress); small, limited The reporter was surprised that the celebrity lived in such a ___ house, one that looked just like every other plain. Her first job out of college was a rude awakening- her___ salary was barley enough for rent, much less going out and having fun. Related words: Paltry

erratic

(adj) inconsistent, wandering, having no fixed course When someone engages in ____ behavior, family members ofter suspect drug use or mental illness. Related words: Desultory

Extraneous

(adj) irrelevant; foreign, coming from without, not belonging. This essay would be stronger if you removed ____ information : this paragraph about the author's life doesn't happen to be relevant to your thesis. Related words: Superfluous

Jocular

(adj) joking or given to joking all the time; jolly, playful Instead of his constant stream of ____ comments. Related words: Jocund, jocose, Waggish, Risible, Droll

Facetious

(adj) joking, humorous, esp. inappropriately; not serious, concerned with frivolous things. He's a _____ person- I doubt he will take your offer of a spiritual quest very seriously. Related words: Waggish, Resible, droll

Nascent

(adj) coming into existence, still developing The violin teacher was always very encouraging with children. All children sound terrible the first couple of years, so she offered plenty of praise to encourage ____ talents Related words: Inchoate, incipient

wily

(adj) crafty, cunning, characterized by tricks or artifice The ____ criminal stole right laptops by simply walking into a branch of a large company. She was quite offended when her coworker suggested that she use her "feminine ___" to make the sale. Related words: Artifice, finesse, duplicity

Ingrained

(adj) deep-rooted, forming part of the very essence; worked into the fiber. Religious observance has been ____ in him since birth: he could not remember a time when he didn't pray five times a day. Related words: Inculcate

counterproductive

(adj) defeating the purpose; preventing the intended goal related words: feckless, bootless, inimical

Intractable

(adj) difficult to control, manage, or manipulate; hard to cure; stubborn. The student is positively ____! last week, we talked about the importance of staying in your seat during the lesson. Back injuries often result in ___ pain: despite treatment, patients never feel fully cured. Related words: Intransigent, Obdurate, Obstreperous

disjointed

(adj) disconnected, not coherent, jerky; having the joints separated

Pronounced

(adj) distinct, strong, clearly indicated Aunt Shirley claimed we would never know that her " secret recipe" fo brownies involved lost of healthy vegetables, but the brownies had a ____ed asparagus flavor. Related words: Declare ( he ____ the book the best thing he had ever read"

Static

(adj) fixed, not moving or changing, lacking vitality The anthropologist studied a society in the Amazon that had been deliberately ___ for hundreds of years Related words: Status Quo, Stasis, Standing, Stationary

Glib

(adj) fluent and easy in a way that suggests superficiality or insincerity Related: Flippant, Impertinent, Saucy

Rhetoric

(n) the art or study of persuasion through speaking or writing; language that is elaborate or pretentious but actually empty, meaning little The ancient Greeks used to study ___ as a major academic subject. Today if you want to improve your ___ skills, you will probably have to hunt down a public speaking class. The politician's blather is all ___ and no substance. Related words: Oratorical

Coterie noun

(n.) a circle of acquaintances; a close-knit, often exclusive, group of people with a common interest The pop star never traveled anywhere without a ____ of assistants and managers. Related words: Cabal, Entourage

anathema

(n.) an object of intense dislike; a curse or strong denunciation (often used adjectivally without the article)

mendicant

(n.) beggar; (adj.) depending on begging for a living Having joined a ___ order, the friar had vowed not to own property and in stead to subsist on the donations of the faithful. Related words: Pauper, Alms

Milieu

(n.) the setting, surroundings, environment Becoming a priest in the anything-goes ___ of the 1969s gave her father Bryant an interesting perspective on tow contrasting philosophies. After the fall of the Soviet Union, a ____ of crushing poverty yet hopeful aspiration, existed in the former satellite state. Related words: Zeitgeist , Ethos

Circumscribe

(v) Strictly limit a role, range of activity, or area; (syn.) confine, limit (v.) in math, to be constructed around so as to touch as many points as possible Sara's parent _____ed her after-school activities; she was permitted only to study and tp join organizations directly related to academic subjects. Our land is ____ by hedges and fences

skirt

(v) border, lie along the edge of , go around; evade Melissa spent all of thanksgiving ____ing the issue of whom she was dating and when she might get married and make her mother a grandmother. The creel ___s our property on the west, so it's easy to tell where our farm ends. Related words: Circumvent

Deflect

(v) cause to curve; turn aside, esp. from a straight course; avoid Related: Avert

Coalesce

(v) come together, unite; fuse together Related: Agglomerate, Aggregate, Consolidate

Impede

(v) hold back, obstruct the progress of Hinder, hamper

Foment

(v) incite, instigate, stir up, promote the growth of; apply medicated liquid to a body part The revolutionary group was quietly ____ a rebellion Rouse

Proliferate

(v) increase or spread rapidly or excessively The book alleged that terrorist cells are ___ing across the Untied states taster than law enforcement can keep up. Related words: Prolific

Foreshadow

(v) indicate or suggest beforehand, presage Related words: Prefigure, Forerun, Harbinger, herald

Exacerbate

(v) make worse (more violent, severe, etc.), inflame; irritate or embitter (a person) Allowing your band to practice in our garage has greatly exacerbated my headache Related words: Aggravate

Sound

(v) measure the depth of (usually water) as with a sounding line; penetrate and discover the meaning of, understand (usually as sound the depths) The psychiatrist appointed by the court felt he would need more time to ___ the depths of the defendant's tortured mind; clearly, she was mentally ill. Related words: Fathom, Plumb

deride

(v) mock, scoff at, laugh at contemptuously. Related: Denigrate

Supplicate

(v) pray humbly; ask, beg, or seek in a humble way She had been estranged from her wealthy father for years, but when she needed money for her daughter's medical care, she ___ the old man for assistance. Related words : Entreat, Beseech , Implore.

Requite

(v) reciprocate, repay, or revenge Ashley felt that her un____ love for George would surely kills her. George barely noticed her-he cared about nothing but ____his father's death. Related words: Redress, Recompense

Repudiate

(v) reject, cast off, deny that something has authority If you receive an erroneous notice from a collection agency, you have 30 days to ______ the debt by mail. As part of becoming an American citizen Mr. Lee ___ his former citizenship Related words: Recant

Saturate

(v) soak or imbue thoroughly; cause a substance to unite with the greatest possible amount of another substance We got married on a rainy beach, and my dress was ____. Although the pictures a bit dark, the photographer was able to increase the _____ in the Photoshop. I simply cannot dissolve any more sugar into this iced tea- it's ___ed

Fortify

(v) strengthen, invigorate, encourage The general called for reinforcements to fortify the defenses around the capital . Related words: bolster, buttress, Galvanize

substantiate

(v) support with evidence or proof; give a material existence to. You say you were at home when the crime occurred two towns over is there anyone who can _____your claim? Your business ideas are interesting, but you never ___ them-you haven't put a single plan into action

Outstrip

(v) surpass, exceed; be larger or better than; leave behind Our sales figures this quarter have ___ those of any other quarter in the company's history.

Vacillate

(v) waver in one's mind or opinions, be indecisive In need of a good used car, I was ____ing between the Ford and the Hyundai until a recommendation from helped me decide. Related words: Equivocate, Ambivalent, Waffle, Dither, Tergiversated

Admonish

(v.) to caution or advise against something; to scold mildly; to remind of a duty Related words: Reprove, upbraid, reprimand, rebuke

vindicate

(v.) to clear from hint or charge of wrongdoing; to defend successfully against opposition; to justify

corroborate

(v.) to confirm, make more certain, bolster, substantiate, verify

neophyte

Beginner, novice; person newly converted to a religion It was totally outrageous of our law firm to send a ___ into the courtroom to defend our case against a team of experienced attorneys.

Relegate

Send or commit to an inferior place, rank, condition, etc,; exile, banish; assign( a task) to someone else. After the legal offended one of the partners, he found himself ____ to working on minor-even unwinnable-cases. This protest os occurring because we refuse to be ___ to the fringes of society- we demand full inclusion

Incarnadine

Blood red or flesh-colored The police took the body to the morgue; all that was left at the murder scene was an _____ stain on a pillow. Related words: Vermilion.

droll

Funny in an odd way The play was a _____ production ; not laugh-out loud hilarious, but funny especially because it was so strange . Related words: Waggish, Risible, Jocular, Jocund or jocose

Antedate (verb)

Be older than, precede in time; assign to an earlier date Dinosaurs _____ the first human beings by about 65 million years./ Jamal didn't get around to writing the " best vocabulary words of 2010" blood post until January 2rd, 2011, but he ___ed the post for December 31st so at least the infrequent readers wouldn't notice Related words: Postdate

Spearhead

Be the leader of Lisa agreed to ____ the " healthy office" initiative, and was instrumental in installing two treadmills and getting healthy food stocked in the vending machine. Related words: Avant-grade vanguard

Duplicity (noun) Also duplicitous (adj)

Deceit, double-dealing acting in two different ways for the purpose of deception. The campaign worker's ____ finally came to light when it was discovered that, despite rising to a trusted position within the local Workers Party. Related words: Dissembling, Prevaricating, Disingenuous

Gainsay

Declare false, denim oppose. The professor is quite intolerant of challenges to her opinions-she's been known to lower the grade of any student who dares ____ her. Related words: Dissent

equanimity (noun) Also equanimous (adj)

Composure, evenness of mind mental or emotional stability, esp. under stress. Having worked for many years in mental hospitals, her ____ was unparalleled- you could throw a chair or a bowl of spaghetti at her, and she would just say. " Settle down, now" Syn; Sangfroid, Aplomb, Imperturbable

COMPENDIUM (adj.: COMPENDIOUS)

Concise but complete summary; a list or collection I could hardly bring my whole collection of poetry books on vacation, so instead, I brought a lightweight poetry ______ containing a few selections each from 30 or so poets thought to represents various styles and eras, This movies reviews in unusually _______- although a scant 500 words, it tells every single thing that happens in the entire film. Syn: abridgement, Recapitulation, Digest, Precis, epitome, abstract, brief, conspectus, essense

confound (verb)

Confuse, frustrate; mix up or make worse He was positively ____Ed by a map that seemed to show " East Bethlehem" as being to the the west of " West Bethlehem". He was already a little flummoxed in regards to differential equations, but reading an incorrectly edited Wikipedia page on the topic only _____ the problem. Related words: Baffled, Flummoxed, Nonplussed

Extrapolate

Conjecture about an unknown by projecting information about something known; predict by projecting past experience. No, I've never been to Bryn Mawer, but I've visited several small, private women's colleges in the Northeast , so I think I can _______

collude/collusion

Conspire; cooperate for illegal or fraudulent purposes After two competing software companies doubled their prices on the same day, leaving consumers no lower priced alternative, the federal government investigated the companies for ______. Related wordS: Cabal

Speculate

Contemplate; make a guess or educated guess about; engage in a risky business transaction, gamble During the Gold Rush, ____a bought up land, sometimes with borrowed funds, expecting to prospect the land for gold and get rich quickly. She ___ed that, in zero gravity, showed would have to exist as closed rooms in which a giant bubble of water formed, and a person got inside it.

antithetical (adj) Also antithesis (noun)

Definition: Directly opposed, opposite; involving antithesis (the rhetorical act of placing two phrases opposite one another for contrast, as in Love me or hate me) Usage: Partying all night, every night, is _____ to one's academic performance. Related Words: Deleterious (harmful, unhealthful), Counterproductive (defeating the purpose; preventing the intended goal), Inimical (unfavorable, harmful) More Info: ____ can be properly understood as "anti" and "thesis"--that is, being against the "thesis" (main point) of something else. The philosopher Hegel posed a method of achieving truth by which a thesis and its antithesis are resolved at a higher level of understanding, called synthesis (in normal speech, synthesis means combination into a unified entity).

Jettison

Discard, cast off; throw items overboard in order to lighten a ship in an emergency We got so tired while hiking the Appalachian Trail that we ____ed some of our fancy camping supplies just so we could drag ourselves to a place where we could get medical attention.

Divine

Discover though divination or supernatural means, perceive by insight. I've been poring over these quarterly reports all day, trying to _____ whether I should buy or sell this stock. Related words: Ascertain, perspicacity.

Polarized

Divided into sharply opposed groups The school was used to rationally discussing issues, but when it came to the teaching of evolution in schools, the board was____, immediately splitting into two camps, with the discussion devolving into a shouting match within minutes. Related words: Faction, Partisan, Cabal

Furtive

Done secretly; stealthy, sly, shifty As a spokesperson for a popular diet plan, the actress had to be quite ____ about eating junk food, even hiding her M&M in a breath mint container lest the paparazzi snap photos of them inside of the car. Related words: Clandestine, Covert, surreptitious

Extemporaneous

Done without preparation (esp. of speech), or with some preparation but no notes; improvised, done on the spur of the moment. The way rage public affairs forum works is that the moderator will announce a topic, and then anyone who wishes may speak _________on that topic for a few minutes,. As you can imagine, our members are very well-read. Lost in the jungle, the hikers fashioned an _____ shelter from palm leaves. Related words: Impromptu, Ad-lib, "off-the-cuff"

fecund (adj) , fecundity (n)

Fruitful in offspring or vegetation; prolific, fertile Intellectually productive or inventive to a marked degree Rabbits are quite ____; if you've got two, you'll soon have forty. While some novelists seem to return to the same themes over and over, Bredlaw's ___ mind produced whole new universes for every story he wrote. Syn: Prolific, Teeming

orotund

Full and rich in sound (in speech); pompous, bombastic The actor James Earl Jones has long been sought after for voiceover work as well as acting jobs because of his dignified, ___ voice. Related words: Sonorous, Dulcet, Mellifluous, Stentorian.

Amortize (verb)

Gradually pay off a debt, or gradually write off an asset A mortgage is a common form of _____ed debt- spreading the payments out over as long as 30 years is not uncommon.

Hand-wringing

Grasping, squeezing, etc. of the hands as an expression of nervousness, guilt, etc.; extend debate over what to do about an issue There has been much ___ (or ____) over falling test scores, with so-called "experts" acting as if the world will end if students do 1! worse in match and science.

dyspeptic

Grumpy, pessimistic, irritable; suffering from dyspepsia (indigestion) The ____ professor was so angered by a question from a student who hadn't done the homework that he actually stomped out of class. Syn; Curmudgeon, Crotchety, Cantankerous, Crank

Deleterious

Harmful, unhealthful Related: pernicious, Insalutary, insalubrious

Nontrivial

Important or big enough to matter The chief of staff told the assembled doctors, "We all make mistakes. But this mistake was ___, and there is going to be an investigation."

hotly

In an intense, fiery, or heated way The issue of how evolution should be taught in schools was_____ disputed by members of the school board, religious leaders, and parent groups. Related words: Heatedly

Iniquity

Injustice; wrong or wicked action or situation The preacher's sermon about loving your neighbor was regarded by some as a welcome departure from his usual fiery homilies railing against ____. ____ corporations, such as those that spill oil into our oceans, must be punished. Related wordS: Peccadillo Don't confuse with inequity " lack of equality, unfairness"

Graft

Insert part of a plant into another plant, where it continues to grow; join living tissue (such as skin) to part of the body where it will continue to live and grow; attach as if by grafting (verb); the part so grafted (as in a graft of skin); the act of acquiring money or other benefits through illegal means, esp. by abusing one's power (noun) The part of the book describing the financial crisis is good, but the " What You Can Do" section seems ____ed on, almost as though written by a different author. It's not cool for your boss to pressure you into buying girl Scout cookies from her daughter. If she were selling something larger, we'd call that ____.

pedestrian

Lacking excitement; ordinary and dull We made something more___; hot dogs and French fries Related words: Prosaic

Missive

Letter, written message While Don was overseas fighting in World War II, he lived for the ____ from the wife he had left behind.

Harangue

Long, intense verbal attack, esp. when delivered publicly; to speak in a forceful way. Look, I'll clean the gutters when I get a free weekend- I don't need you to keep ____ing me about it. Related words: Tirade, Diatribe, Fulmination

retrospective

Looking to the past or backward; applying to the past, retroactive; an art exhibit of an artist's work over a long period of time The proposed law is ____; anyone who violated the law before the law even existed can be prosecuted

Aggrandize

Make greater; exaggerate Related words:Augment

Adulterate(verb)

Make impure by adding inappropriate or inferior ingredients Some bars ____ top-shelf liquor by pouring cheaper brands into the more expensive brand's bottles. Syn: Taint, Debase

temerpance

Moderation, self-control, esp. regarding alcohol or other desires or pleasures, total abstinence from alcohol. After the end of the American Civil War, Economic change led to an increase in alcohol problems and the birth of the _____ Movements. Grandma is model of _____- she drinks red wine every night, but only the one-third of a glass that she read was conducive to preventing heart attacks. Related words: Teetotaler, Abstain, Sobriety

Endemic

Native, local; natural, specific to, or confined to a particular place. Certain diseases- especially those that require a precise mix of environmental conditions and local plant and animal life to thrice- remain ___ to a particular regions. Antonyms ; Pandemic, epidemic

neologism

New word or phrase (or a new meaning applied to an existing word or phrase) You won't fond "fauxhwak" in the direction- it's a ___ that described a fake mohawk.

Scant

Not enough or barely enough The new intern was ____ help at the conference- he disappeared all day to smoke and didn't seem to realize that he was there to assist his coworkers. The soldiers were always on the verge of hunger, complaining about their ____y rations. Related words: Modicum, Scintilla, iota, Mita, tad, paucity, dearth

unconscionable

Not guided by conscience; morally wrong, unjust, unreasonable Syn : Unprincipled, Unscrupulous

ignoble

Not noble; having mean, base, low motives; low quality What you have done may not be illegal, but it surely is ____people who don't read the user agreement surely do not expect that, by clicking " I agree," they have signed up for a Jelly-of-the Month club!. Related words: Ignominious ( disgraceful, humiliating, contemptible). Ig means "in" which means not

Secular

Not religious or holy; pertaining to worldly things Forty years ago, American companies wished their employees "Merry Christmas"- even the employees who didn't celebrate Christmas. Today, the ___ phrase " Happy holidays " is in common. Western government have grown increasingly ___ over the last century; many have laws prohibiting religious expression from being sponsored by the government.

Impious, pious, piety

Not religious, lacking reverence, ungodly. In religious schools, _____ behavior is generally prohibited. Related words: Irrelevant, Sacrilegious, Blasphemous

taciturn

Not talking much, silent, holding back in conversation Because he felt self conscious about his stutter, Mike had always been _____, but after some very good speech therapy, soon he was much more voluble. Related words : Reticent, Laconic

untempered

Not toned down; not moderated, controlled, or counterbalanced The report was an ____ condemnation of the company's practices- the investigator didn't have a single thing to say. Related words : Qualified, Unqualified.

Landmark

Object (such as a building) that stands out and can be used to navigate by; a very important place, event, etc. The Cicil Rights Act of 1964 was a ____ landmark in the battle for equality. Related words: Watershed

Manifest

Obvious, apparent, perceptible to the eye (adj); to show, make clear, or prove (verb) My superstitious aunt claims that she saw a _____ of our deceased grandfather. Lupus is difficult to diagnose, but something manifests as muscular weakness or joint pain. Noun: list of people of or goods aboard a plan, ship train, etc.

Salient

Obvious, standing out; projecting, protruding, jutting out. The attack on our organization was mostly just partisan bickering, but it did have a few ___ points that I think we should respond to.

Sporadic

Occasional, happening irregularly or in scattered locations. Her attendance was ____ at best, so when she flounced into class after a two-session absence she discovered that not only was everyone working on group projects. " Be seeing you." " Yeah, I hope not ____lly" Related words: Erratic, Desultory

Dupe (noun, verb)

Person who is easily fooled or used (noun); to fool or exploit (verb) The dashing rogue used flattery and lies to ____ several old ladies out of their money. " I feel like a total ___," said Hazel Related words: Hoodwink, bilk, swindle, con, fleece

Recluse

Person who lives in seclusion. That show about hoarders featured a ____ who hadn't left her house in six years. Related words: Hermit, Anchorite

Dilettante noun

Person who takes up an art activity for amusement only or in a superficial way. The " arts center" in the rich neighborhood was populated by _______- a sculpture here, a bit of music appreciation there, two weeks of painting class until they got bored and quit. Related words: Dabbler

bent

Personal inclination or tendency He had a pedantic bent- he was just naturally inclined to correct people's grammar and otherwise act like imperious schoolmaster. Related words: Predilection, Propensity

Ranks

Personnel; a group of people considered all together Among the ___s of our alumni are two senators and many famous authors.

Repertorial

Pertaining to a repertory or repertoire, a stock of available things or a number of theatrical performances presented regularly or in sequence

idyllic

Presenting a positive, peaceful view of rural life (as poetry or prose); pleasant in a natural, simple way An Action-packed vacation wasn't their style. For their honeymoon, they enjoyed a quite ___ in a cabin in the woods. Related words: Bucolic, Pastoral, Georgic, Aracdian

Effigy

Representation or image of a person, esp, a crude facsimile used to mock a hated person. The dictator was disturbed to look out the palace window and see himself being burned in ____. " Scarecrow

Recrudescent

Revival, breaking out into renewed activity The r___ of his psoriasis came at the worst possible time. "Oh, great," he said, "Now I'm going to be shedding skin flakes all over my new coworkers on the first day of work." Related words: Renascent, Resurgent

Asperity

Rigor, severity; harshness or sharpness of tone; roughness of surface Used to a more lax school environment , the freshman at military school was stoked by the ___ of punshinments meted out for even the most minor offenses, as well as the ____with which his drill sergeant bossed him around. The ___ of her cheap, scratchy sweater made her wish she could afford cashmere.

Eclectic

Selecting the best of everything or from many diverse sources. _______taste is helpful in being a DJ Related words: Heterogeneous, Hodgepodge, Medley, Farrago, Potpourri, Pastiche, Olio

Anachronism (noun) Also anachronistic (adj)

Something that is not in its correct historical time; a mistake in chronological; such as by assigning a person or event to the wrong time period. The queen of England is a bit of an ____ with her old- fashioned pillbox hats, Did you catch the ____ in the latest action blockbuster set in Ancient Rome? one of the characters was wearing a wristwatch with his toga!

Reactant

Something that reacts; a substance that undergoes a change in a chemical reaction

Bane (noun), baneful

Something that ruins or spoils Mosquitoes are the ____ of my existence!. The closure of the hospital could not have been more ___ to the already strained community. Opposite is boon

Elegy

Song or poem of sorrow, esp. for a deceased person While composing an ___ is certainly old-fashioned, the poet felt that it was a fitting way for her to honor her father at his funeral Syn: Dirge, lament, Requiem, Threnody

declaim verb

Speak in an impassioned, pompous, pr oratorical manner; giver a formal speech. After a drink or two, Gabe will ____all night about campaign finance reform- you won't be able get a word in edgewise in between all his grandstanding and " expertise". Related words: Grandstand

Permeate

Spread or penetrate throughout Under the Emperor Constantine. Christianity y began to ____ every sector pf public life Related words: Pervade

Hew

Strike, chop, or hack (as with an axe, sword. etc.); make or shape something (such as a statue) with a cutting tool The pioneer had to ___ his own way through the brush in order to proceed westward. She preferred rustic furniture; her dinning room chairs were little more than stumps roughly ____ into stools.

Fluke

Stroke of luck, something accidentally successful It's amazing that I won the prize during halftime, but I guarantee you, it was just a ____ that I made that basket-If I tried a thousand more times, I'm sure I couldn't do it again. Related words: Fortuitous, Windfall

Obstinate

Stubborn or hard to control It's difficult to get an ____ child to eat food he doesn't want to eat. Related words: Intractable, Obdurate

Mired

Stuck, entangled (in something, like a swamp or muddy area), soiled _____in her predecessor's mess and mistakes, the new CEO found it difficult to take the company in a new direction. Related words: Morass, quagmire

Modish

Stylish, contemporary While some sculptors sought to make their work universal and timeless, Dania sculpted ____creations that captured the pop cultural zeitgeist—for instance, a sculpture of Rihanna with an umbrella, or a three-foot high representation of the latest Alexander McQueen heels. Related words: in vogue

Spate

Sudden outpouring or rush; flood After a brief ___ of post-exam partying, Lola is ready for classes to begin again. He was so furious that a ___ of expletives just flew out of his mouth Related words: Inundate, Deluge

Brook (verb)

Suffer or tolerate "You will do your homework every night before you go anywhere, you will do your chores, and you will be home by 9pm, I will ___ no disobeying of these rules, young man!" Related words: Condone, Countenance

Bucolic

Suggesting a peaceful and pleasant view of rural life City dwellers often idealize a ____ lifestyle, but once they're actually out in the country, all they do iOS complain about the bugs and the border! Related words: Pastoral, Idyllic, Georgic, Arcadian

Leery

Suspicious or wary You should be ___ of any business opportunity that requires a startup fee and a "sponsor"- you might find yourself sucked into scam. Related words: Chary

Augury (noun) Also augur (noun)

Telling the future, such as through supernate means Value investors such as Warren Buffet " who attempted to by shares in undervalued companies by analyzing the businesses themselves) consider other's attempts to " time the market" as mere ____, equivalent to trying to predict rain by reading tea leaves. Related words: Prognosticate, Presage

Prohibitive

Tending to forbid something, or serving to prevent something. I was admitted to NYC, but it was _____ly expensive, so I ended up at states school instead. My partner installed at high fence as a ___ barrier against the neighborhood hooligans. Related words: Exorbitant

Arduous

Very difficult, strenuous; severe, hard to endure Related words: Grueling

Sparten

Very disciplined and stern; frugal, living simply, austere; suggestive of the ancient Spartan A young soldier in the ___ environment of the boot camp can really long for a home-cooked meal or even just a comfortable couch to sit on. Her apartment was so ____ that she couldn't serve us both soups. Related words: Ascetic, Austere

Torrid

Very hot, parching, burning; passionate They had a _____love affair in the 80s, but split up because a royal was permitted to marry a commoner. The wandering refugees were in serious danger of becoming quickly dehydrated in the ____ Sahara. Related words: Arid (dry, parched, barren)

Fervid

Very hot; heated in passion or enthusiasm He is a ____ fan of Virginia Tech football, so much so that we've all gotten used to receiving "Go Hokies!" hats and shirts for every birthday, Related words: Ardent, Zealous,Fervent, Pervid

magnate

Very important or influential person, esp. in business Many students pursue MBAs in hopes of becoming wealthy and powerful ____; some students never quite it there, instead spending their careers staring at spreadsheets and taking orders from ____. Related words: Scion, Baron

ardent/ardor

Very passionate, devoted, or enthusiastic He was an ____ heavy metal lover and became offended anytime someone referred to Poison as a "hair band". They were so involve that not even getting each other's awful relatives could dampen their____. Related words: fervent, Fervid, Perfervid. Not arduous which means very difficult. ____means to burn as a sense of burning with passion.

Diaphanous (adj)

Very sheer, fine, translucent The wedding dress was a confection of ___ silk, made of at least ten layers of the thin fabric, each layer of which was so fine you could see through it. Related words: Gossamer

Encomium

WARM PRAISE, glowing praise, esp. a formal expression of praise. Just after all the ______ at his retirement party, he received a gold watch. The first draft of your dissertation is little but an ____ of the works of Christopher. She wrote an_______ in praise of the outgoing president. Synonyms: citation; eulogy; panegyric; salutation; tribute, Laudation, Eulogy, Paean

Lumbar

Walk in a heavy or clumsy way, sometimes due to being weighed down Alicia was a model and was accustomed to walking everywhere as though on a catwalk, so she was quite displease when she broke her leg and had to ___ around in a cast, thumping the ground everywhere she went. Related words: Trudge, plod

Undermine

Weaken, cause to collapse by digging away at the foundation ( of a building or an argument), injure or attack in a secretive to underhanded way. Rather than searching impartially for the truth, these pharmaceutical company " scientists" willfully ignored any evidence that ____ed the conclusion they were being paid to produce. You are Nice to my face, but you are ____ing me behind my back.

Timely

Well-timed, happening at a suitable time Your arrival is quite ___—we were just mulling over a question we're sure you can answer! / His ____departure prevented him from having to do any work. Related words: Opportune

deem

to judge, consider Related words: Assay

Ingratiate

to make an effort to gain good favor with someone Rayan's attempts to ____ himself with the boss were quite transparent' no one really believes that a 25-year-old loves the same cigars, classic rock, and AARP crossword as the 65-year-old company president. Related words: Fawn, Sycophant, Lackey, Toady, Myrmidon

Juxtapose

to place side by side for comparison Making a decision between two engagement rings from two different stores was difficult, he noted-it would be much easier if he could ____ them and compare them directly. Related words: Abreast, Abut

supersede

to replace; to take the position of , cause to be disregard as void or obsolete. Of course, electric washing machines _____ hand-powered ones many decades ago. Related words : Supplant, Outstrip, Overshadow, Eclipse, Supersede

Occlude

to stop up; to prevent the passage of This drain guard is here to make sure nothing " like silverware) ends up ___ your garbage disposal. Occult

Recapitulate

to summarize; to repeat briefly Related words: Précised, Digest, Compendium Don't confuse with capitulate which means surrender

Flout verb

to treat with disdain, scorn, or contempt; scoff at; mock He ____ed the boarding school's curfew so blatantly that, on his way back from a party that lasted past midnight, he actually stopped by the head master's house to say hello to his daughter. Don't confuse with Flaunt meaning " to show off off or parade oneself in a conspicuous way."

Hoodwink

to trick, deceive Pretending to be the building's landlord, the shyster was able to ____ 11 people into paying deposits on a vacant apartment. Related words: Bilk, Swindle, Con, Fleece

Ambivalent

uncertain or unable to decide about what course to follow Related words: Equivocal, Vacillate

munificent

very generous. Related words: Magnanimous \, Philanthropic

amiable

having or displaying a friendly and pleasant manner

wistful

having or showing a feeling of vague or regretful longing

vindictive

having or showing a strong or unreasoning desire for revenge

malevolent

having or showing a wish to do evil to others

emaciate (emaciated)

make abnormally thin, cause to physically waste away After 50 days floating on a raft at sea, he was quite ___; his family was elated that he was alive, but he shocked to see a formerly 165-pound man looking skeletal at just 125 pound Syn: atrophy, degeneration, decline,

converge

more towards one another or toward a point: unite antonym: diverge

reticent

not revealing one's thoughts or feelings readily

feign

pretend to be affected by (a feeling, state, or injury).

Secrete

produce and release substance into organism

ostensible

professed but not necessarily true

mercurial

quick, shrewd, and unpredictable

discursive

rambling, lacking order

Qualify

reach a necessary standard; limit the meaning of something stated; soften a statement

Restive

restless; impatient or uneasy under the control of another The company was purchased by a large competitor, and the employees grew ____ as the new bosses curtailed their freedoms and put a hold on their projects.

defamatory

slanderous, injurious to someone's reputation. Related words: Slander, Traduce, Aspersions

Egress

the action of going out of or leaving a place It is against the fire code to put those boxes there- you cannot block a primary or secondary ___ from the building. synonyms:departure, exit, withdrawal, retreat, exodus; escape ";a means of egress", outlet, Origin-mid 16th century: from Latin egresses 'gone out,' from the verb egredi, from ex- 'out' + gradi 'to step. Opposite is ingress "entering"

ponderous

(adj) heavy; bulky and unwieldy; dull, labored The book assigned by her professor was a____ tome, more a reference book than something you could read straight through. She was so bored she thought she would die. Related words: Tedium

inconsequential

(adj) insignificant, unimportant; illogical. You wrote a bestselling book and got a stellar review in the New York Times- whatever you cousin has to say about it simply ______ Related words: Negligible, Null, Nil

Unprecedented

(adj) never before known or seen, without having happened previously When Nixon resigned, American bravado was at an all-time low- the resignation of a sitting President was disgraceful and ______. Related words: Novel

Indeterminate

(adj) not fixed or determined, indefinite; vague The results of the drug trial were_____: the further trails will be needed to ascertain whether the drug can be released. The lottery can have _____ number of winners- the prize is simply divided among them Related words: Ambiguous

Precarious

(adj) unstable, insecure, dangerous Recognizing that his position at the company was _____, Sanjay requested that his bonus structure be formally written down as a contract, rather than dangled over him as a mere verbal promise. Related words Parlous

Contextualize

(v) place in context, such as by giving the background or circumstances