all vocab
pedantic
Excessively concerned with book learning and formal rules
succor
Help in time of distress
Levity
Lightness or gaiety or manner or expression
effusive
Overflowing with words or feelings; gushing
Discursive
Rambling; covering a wide range of subjects
emolument
Salary or fees for work done; compensation
refulgent
Shining, radiant
expatiate
To elaborate, speak or write at great length
malinger
To pretend to be sick in order to avoid something
vicissitude
a change or variation; ups and downs
imbroglio
a complicated or intricate situation
emendation
a correction
Stricture
a criticism, critical comment
reprobate
a dishonest or immoral person; a scoundrel
sycophant
a flatterer; one who fawns on others in order to gain favor
cacophony
a harsh, jarring sound
myrmidon
a loyal follower
Iconoclast
a person who attacks cherished or popular beliefs
sinecure
a position that provides a good income or salary but that requires little or no work
predilection
a preference or preconceived liking
peccadillo
a small sin or fault
martinet
a strict disciplinarian
proclivity
a tendency to do something regularly
paradigm
a typical example used as a model
plethora
a very large amount of something
miscreant
a vicious person
invective
abusive language
machination
an evil design or plan
Epigraph
an inscription on a building, a short quotation or saying at the beginning of a book or chapter, intended to suggest its theme
crotchet
an odd notion or whim that one clings to stubbornly
Pariah
an outcast
importune
beg persistently and urgently
supercilious
behaving as if you are better than other people
complicity
being an accomplice in a wrongdoing
tangential
beside the point; divergent
acerbic
bitter, sharp in taste or temper
tenable
capable of being held or defended
puerile
childish and silly
adduce
cite as evidence
banal
common, ordinary
Equanimity
composure, calmness, evenness of mind and temper
egregious
conspicuously bad, remarkable or outstanding for some undesirable or offensive quality
abstruse
difficult to understand
mandacious
dishonest
wizened
dry, shrunken, wrinkled
alacrity
eagerness
irascible
easily angered
docile
easy to teach or manage
efficacy
effectiveness
hypobole
exaggeration
infinitesimal
extremely small
odious
extremely unpleasant; repulsive; hateful
truculent
fierce and cruel; eager to fight
blandishment
flattering or coaxing speech or action
mellifluous
flowing smoothly and sweetly, like honey
magnanimous
generous in forgiving, above small meanness
obeisance
gesture of respect
senescent
growing old; aging
assiduous
hard working; diligent
capacious
having a lot of space
tantamount
having equal force, effect, or value
salubrious
healthy
Etherea
heavenly, not earthly
quixotic
idealistic but impractical
inexorable
impossible to stop or prevent
insouciant
indifferent; lacking concern or care
ineffable
inexpressible, unable to describe in words
Didactic
instructive
Anomalous
irregular, out of place
Licentious
lacking moral restraint, especially in sexual conduct
nonage
legal minority; period before maturity
vapid
lifeless, dull. boring, flat, stale
avuncular
like an uncle
lissome
limbe, flexible, moving with ease and grace
circuitous
longer than the most direct way
lugubrious
looking or sounding sad and dismal
strident
loud and harsh
sonorous
loud and pleasant sound
supine
lying on the back
sanctimonious
making a show of being morally superior to other people
variegated
multicolored
Incessant
never stopping, going on all the time
stolid
no easily moved, aroused, or excited
inchoate
not fully formed; disorganized
spurious
not genuine; false
heterodox
not in agreement with accepted beliefs; holding unorthodox opinions
vacuous
not showing purpose
dissemble
not showing true intentions
umbrage
offense; resentment
ribald
offensive in speech or gesture
exponent
one who champions or advocates
remuneration
payment for work done
bombastic
pompous; using inflated language
ubiquitous
present or existing everywhere
commensurate
proportional to size or degree
vindicate
proving something to be true
contentious
quarrelsome, inclined to argue
mercurial
quick, shrewd, and unpredictable
objurgation
rebuke severely; scold
intransigent
refusing to compromise
bucolic
relating to the countryside
Germane
relevant, fitting
compunction
remorse, regret
Redress
reparation, compensation, satisfaction for a wrong done
superannuated
retired because of age, weakness, or ineffectiveness
Opulent
rich, wealthy, very well-to-do, having substantial means
fetid
smelling extremely unpleasant
parvenu
someone newly wealthy
mnemonic
something such as a acronym used to help someone remember something
Abstemious
sparing or moderate, especially in eating and drinking
nascent
starting to develop; coming into existence
Refractory
stubborn and disobedient, impossible to work with or manage
Obsequious
subservient, ready and willing to serve
ruminate
think deeply about something
admonish
to advise someone not to do something
transmute
to alter
supplicate
to beg earnestly and humbly
Disparage
to belittle, speak or treat as inferior
expurgate
to censor
Truncate
to cut short
goad
to drive or urge on
ostracize
to exclude someone from a group
suppurate
to fester, form, or discharge pus
edify
to improve
interpolate
to insert; change by adding new words or material
palliate
to make less serious; ease
prognosticate
to predict
obviate
to prevent; to make unnecessary
engender
to produce, cause, or bring about
Aver
to state positively, declare with confidence
surfeit
to supply, fill, or feed to excess or the point of discomfort
capitulate
to surrender
Enervate
to weaken, drain of energy, deprive of force or vigor
propitiate
to win over, appease
accede
to yield to; to assume an office or dignity
duplicity
treachery, deceitfulness
legerdemain
trickery
impalpable
unable to be felt; intangible
Catholic
universal; wide-ranging
grandiloquent
using big and fancy words when speaking for the purpose of impressing others
offal
waste, garbage, rubbish
volition
will; conscious choice
sagacious
wise
redoubtable
worthy of fear or respect; mighty
captious
(adj.) excessively ready to find fault
pernicious
(adj.) extremely harmful; deadly, fatal
mordant
(adj.) sharply or bitterly harsh
nostrum
(n.) an alleged cure-all; a remedy or scheme of questionable effectiveness
Oligarchy
A government ruled by a few powerful people