English Vocabulary
Abstemious
Adj. Sparing or moderate in eating and drinking; temperate in diet. Adj. Abstinent; showing restraint when drinking alcohol. Synonyms: Adj. Austere; self-denying; ascetic Adj. Sober; dry; abstaining.
Ancillary
Adj. Subordinate; subsidiary. Adj. Auxiliary; assisting; supplementary; supportive. Noun. Something that serves to support a primary thing. Synonyms: Adj. Secondary; extra; accessory; additional; accompanying. Noun. Supplement; accessary; adjunct.
Paroxysmal
Adj. Sudden, uncontrolled, and violent; outbursting. Adj. (Pathology) Recurring, esp. a fit, attack, or sudden episode of symptoms; recurrent. Synonyms: Adj. Spasmodic; sporadic; convulsive.
Dyspeptic
Adj. Suffering from indigestion. Adj. Gloomy, pessimistic, and irritable. Noun. A person who suffers from indigestion or irritability. Synonyms: Adj. Bad-tempered; snappish; crabby; cantankerous.
Garish
Adj. Tastelessly showy as of clothes or decoration; gaudy. Adj. Excessively bright; glaringly distasteful as of clothing or decoration. Synonyms: Adj. Tawdry; flashy.
Reductive
Adj. Tending to present a subject or problem in a simplified form. Adj. Serving to reduce or abridge. Synonyms: Adj. Minimizing; diminishing; diminutive; lessening.
Beleaguered
Adj. Troubled with many problems; in a difficult situation. Adj. Surrounded by military forces; besieged. Synonyms: Adj. Harassed; careworn; fraught; long-suffering. Adj. Blockaded; encircled; beset; assailed.
Categorical
Adj. Unambiguously explicit and direct; absolute. Adj. Irrefutable or impossible to deny. Synonyms: Adj. Certain; unequivocal. Adj. Undeniable; indisputable; unquestionable.
Recalcitrant
Adj. Uncooperative, defiant, or resistant to authority/control; disobedient. Synonyms: Adj. Intractable; unmanageable; wayward; ungovernable; willful; insubordinate; contumacious; rebellious; unruly.
Mercurial
Adj. Unpredictable; fickle. Adj. Animated; lively. Adj. In astronomy, relating to the planet Mercury. Synonyms: Adj. Quicksilver; changeable; erratic. Adj. Alive; spirited; enlivened.
Unwonted
Adj. Unusual; rare. Adj. (Archaic) Unaccustomed to something. Synonyms: Adj. Uncommon; unconventional. Adj. Uncustomary; unused to; unfamiliar with.
Noctivagant
Adj. Wandering at night. Synonyms: Adj. Nocturnal.
Infirm
Adj. Weak in body, mind, or health. Adj. Not firm or strong. Synonyms: Adj. Frail; feeble; ailing; decrepit. Adj. Powerless; impuissant; impotent.
Wrought
Adj. Worked into shape by artistry or effort. Adj. Elaborately embellished; ornamented. Adj. Processed for use; manufactured; constructed. Adj. (Of metal) Beaten into shape by tools. Adj. Excited.
Ungainly
Adjective (Of a person or movement) awkward; clumsy. Synonyms: Adjective. Gauche; graceless; gawky; ungraceful.
Out of Kilter/Off-Kilter
Adjective Phrase. Not in order; out of whack. Synonyms: Adjective Phrase. Not adjusted; not working; out of order.
Mundivagant
Adjective. (Archaic) Wandering over the world. Synonyms: Adjective. Peripatetic.
Amiable
Adjective. (Disposition) Friendly; sociable. Synonyms: Adjective. Affable; cordial.
Picayune
Adjective. (Informal) Petty; worthless; valueless. Synonyms: Adjective. Diminutive; frivolous; inconsequential.
Peckish
Adjective. (Informal) Slightly hungry. Adjective. Irritated. Synonyms: Adjective. Famished; starved. Adjective. Annoyed.
Pellucid
Adjective. (Literary) Allowing light to pass through; translucent. Adjective. Clear, as of water, air, or crystal. Adjective. Clear in meaning; easy to understand. Synonyms: Adjective. Transparent; luculent. Adjective. Crystal; crystalline. Adjective. Limpid.
Malefic
Adjective. (Literary) Causing or capable of harm or evil, esp. by supernatural means. Synonyms: Adjective. Baneful; malicious; vicious; spiteful.
Temerarious
Adjective. (Literary) Confident in contempt of danger or opposition; reckless; rash. Synonyms: Adjective. Bold; brash.
Fervid
Adjective. (Literary) Extremely hot. Adjective. Passionate; emotional. Synonyms: Adjective. Ardent; impassioned; fervent. Adjective. Warm; fiery; red-hot; blazing; heated; sizzling; sultry; sweltering; scorching; torrid.
Tenebrous
Adjective. (Literary) Gloomy; dark; shadowy. Adjective. Hard to understand; obscure. Synonyms: Adjective. Black; darkened; darksome; dimmed; dusky.
Atrabilious
Adjective. (Literary) Melancholy or ill-tempered. Synonyms: Adj. Gloomy; ill-natured; peevish; splenetic.
Sylvan
Adjective. (Literary) Of, relating to, or inhabiting the woods. Synonyms: Adjective. Wooded; woody; woodsy; bosky.
Refulgent
Adjective. (Literary) Shining brightly; radiant; resplendent. Synonyms: Adjective. Beaming; bedazzling; brilliant; dazzling; effulgent; fulgent; glowing; lambent; lucent; lucid; luminous; lustrous; radiant; sheeny; shiny; splendid.
Lucent
Adjective. (Literary) Shining. Adjective. Allowing light to pass through; translucent. Synonyms: Adjective. Bright; beaming; bedazzling. Adjective. Crystal clear; limpid; pellucid; see-through; transparent.
Nonferrous
Adjective. (Of Metal) Containing little or no iron.
Pallid
Adjective. (Of a person's face) Pale and unhealthy. Adjective. Uninteresting; dull. Synonyms: Adjective. White; pasty; wan; anemic; whey-faced; ashen; sickly; sallow. Adjective. Uninspired; unexciting; unimaginative; lifeless.
Remontant
Adjective. (Of certain roses) Blooming more than once in a season. Synonyms: N/A
Palatable
Adjective. (Of food or drink) Tasty. Adjective. Acceptable or satisfactory. Synonyms: Adjective. Edible; eatable; appetizing; savory. Adjective. Pleasant; pleasing; agreeable.
Bleak
Adjective. (Of land) Bare and exposed to the elements. Adjective. Cold and cutting. Adjective. Depressing. Synonyms: Adjective. Barren. Adjective. Chilly. Adjective. Dark; dismal; dreary.
Scurrilous
Adjective. (Of language) Abusive or defamatory. Adjective. Obscenely humorous. Synonyms: Adjective. Vulgar; foul-mouthed; indecent; insulting.
Opprobrious
Adjective. (Of language) Scornful, critical, or contemptuous. Adjective. Disgraceful or shameful. Synonyms. Adjective. Abusive; hateful; scurrilous; vitriolic; vituperative; pejorative. Adjective. Dishonorable; ignominious.
Turbid
Adjective. (Of liquid) Cloudy because of stirred sediment. Adjective. Confused or obscured in meaning. Synonyms: Adjective. Murky; muddy; milky. Adjective. Unclear.
Sullen
Adjective. (Of the sky) Darkened by clouds; gloomy; dismal. Adjective. Broodingly sulky or bad-tempered; gloomy. Synonyms: Adjective. Upset; churlish; morose.
Balmy
Adjective. (Of the weather) Pleasantly warm; soothing. Adjective. (Informal) Crazy; foolish. Synonyms: Adjective. Clement; temperate. Adjective. Insane; loco; wacky; loopy; nuts; kooky; nutty.
Auspicious
Adjective. Conducive to success; favorable. Synonyms: Adjective. Promising; advantageous; opportune; propitious.
Illustrious
Adjective. Famous; distinguished; well-known. Synonyms: Adjective. Celebrated; renowned; esteemed; glorious; outstanding; noteworthy; preeminent; prestigious; redoubtable; superior; remarkable; famed.
Adipose
Adjective. Fatty. Noun. Animal fat. Synonyms: Adjective. Blubbery; lardy.
Captious
Adjective. Faultfinding; difficult to please. Synonyms: Adjective. Carping; hypercritical; judgemental; overcritical.
Penitent
Adjective. Feeling regret for one's sins; repentant. Noun. A person who repents and seeks forgiveness for sins. Synonyms: Adjective. Contrite; sorrowful; sorry.
Arable
Adjective. Fit for growing crops. Synonyms: Adjective. Farmable; fertile.
Clubbable
Adjective. Fit for social clubs; sociable. Synonyms: Adjective. Gregarious; social; convivial; outgoing; extroverted; affable; friendly; companionable; boon.
Lissome
Adjective. Flexible and graceful, esp. of body. Synonyms: Adjective: Agile; nimble; lithe; supple; lithesome; gracile.
Glib
Adjective. Fluent and voluble but insincere and shallow. Synonyms: Adjective. Smooth-talking; slick; flippant.
Bibulous
Adjective. Fond of or inclined to drink. Adjective. Absorbent. Synonyms: Adjective. Drunken; intemperate. Adjecitve. Absorptive; spongy.
Querulous
Adjective. Full of complaints. Synonyms: Adjective. Whiney; complaining; fussy.
Contrite
Adjective. Full of guilt and regret; remorseful. Synonyms: Adjective. Penitent; guilt-ridden; ashamed; apologetic.
Libidinous
Adjective. Full of sexual desire; lustful. Synonyms: Adjective. Lascivious; lewd.
Convivial
Adjective. Fun-loving; fond of company; friendly. Synonyms: Adjective. Companionable; extroverted/extraverted; gregarious; sociable; social; outgoing.
Ecumenical
Adjective. General; universal; worldwide. Adjective. Promoting christian church unity. Synonyms: Adjective. Comprehensive. Adjective. Nonsectarian; ecumenic.
Spectral
Adjective. Ghostly; phantom. Synonyms: Adjective. Shadowy; apparitional.
Flighty
Adjective. Given to flights of fancy; capricious. Synonyms: Adjective. Unpredictable; unstable; giddy.
Jocular
Adjective. Given to joking and good humor. Synonyms: Adjective. Facetious; waggish; humorous; jovial; jolly; playful; jocund; jocose.
Saturnine
Adjective. Gloomy. Synonyms: Adjective. Somber; moody; glum; dour.
Supererogatory
Adjective. Going beyond the requirements of duty. Adjective. Superflous; excessive. Synonyms: Adjective. Excess; extra; redundant; spare; supernumerary.
Hoary
Adjective. Gray or white with age. Adjective. Unoriginal; stale; trite. Adjective. Ancient; old. Synonyms: Adjective. Graying; silvery; grayish white. Adjective. Overused; banal; jejune. Adjective. Age-old; antiquated; timeworn.
Avid
Adjective. Greedy; extremely eager for. Synonyms: Adjective. Enthusiastic; zealous; desirous.
Rapacious
Adjective. Greedy; grasping. Adjective. Of animals, predacious. Synonyms: Adjective. Plundering; ravenous; edacious; esurient. Adjective. Predatory; raptorial.
Verdant
Adjective. Green with vegetation. Synonyms: Adjective. Flourishing; grassy; leafy; lush.
Rampant
Adjective. Growing quickly; profusely widespread. Adjective. (Of animals) standing on hind legs. Synonyms: Adjective. Uncontrollable; prevalent.
Jejune
Adjective. Not interesting; dull; insipid. Adjective. Childish; immature; juvenile. Adjective. Lacking nutritive value. Synonyms: Adjective. Boring; mind-numbing; humdrum; pedestrian. Adjective. Kiddish; puerile; infantile. Adjective. Unhealthy; nonnutritive; nonnutritious.
Imperious
Adjective. Domineering; overbearing; dictatorial. Adjective. Urgent; imperative. Synonyms: Adjective. Haughty, bossy; tyrannical; autocratic. Adjective. Critical; crucial; demanding.
Pretentious
Adjective. Done for show; ostentatious. Synonyms: Adjective. Showy; grandiose; gaudy.
Kinetic
Adjective. Pertaining to motion. Synonyms: Adjective. Energetic; animated; lively; peppy; perky; spirited; sprightly; vivacious; zippy.
Venereal
Adjective. Pertaining to or resulting from sexual intercourse. Synonyms: Adjective. Genital.
Alluvial
Adjective. Pertaining to soil deposits left by running water. Synonyms: Adjective. Earthy.
Clandestine
Adjective. Done in secret, esp. for subversive or deceptive purposes. Synonyms: Adjective. Covert; furtive; hole-and-corner; hush-hush; private; sneaky; stealth; surreptitious; undercover.
Furtive
Adjective. Done in secret. Synonyms: Adjective. Sly; secretive; sneaky; surreptitious; covert; clandestine.
Perfunctory
Adjective. Done routinely and with little interest; mechanical. Adjective. Indifferent; apathetic. Synonyms: Adjective. Cursory; desultory; thoughtless; careless.
Skeptical
Adjective. Doubtful; dubious; incredulous. Synonyms: Adjective. Disbelieving; leery; unconvinced; suspicious.
Obtuse
Adjective. Dull of mind; stupid. Adjective. Not sharp. Synonyms: Adjective. Asinine; dumb. Adjective. Blunt; rounded.
Equitable
Adjective. Fair; impartial. Synonyms: Adjective. Just; unbiased; unprejudiced; egalitarian; objective; neutral; nonpartisan.
Fallacious
Adjective. False; misleading. Synonyms: Adjective. Wrong.
Conversant
Adjective. Familiar with; having knowledge of. Synonyms: Adjective. Experienced; abreast; knowledgeable.
Infamous
Adjective. Famous for something bad. Synonyms: Adjective. Disgraceful; dishonorable; notorious.
Actuarial
Adjective. Pertaining to statistics in assessing insurance risks, esp. of life expectancy.
Vehement
Adjective. Impassioned; zealous; strongly emotional. Adjective. Marked by great energy. Synonyms: Adjective. Passionate; ardent; emphatic; enthusiastic; fervent; forceful.
Tacit
Adjective. Implied; understood without being said. Synonyms: Adjective. Implicit; indirect; unspoken.
Quixotic
Adjective. Impractical; unrealistic; idealistic. Synonyms: Adjective. Dreamy; impracticable; starry-eyed.
Quiescent
Adjective. Inactive; at rest; dormant. Synonyms: Adjective. Still; motionless; inert; lethargic; sluggish; torpid.
Insoluble
Adjective. Incapable of being dissolved. Adjective. Unsolvable. Synonyms: Adjective. Indissoluble; Water-insoluble. Adjective. Unresolvable; inexplicable.
Incorrigible
Adjective. Incapable of correction or reform. Synonyms: Adjective. Incurable; irreformable; irremediable; unredeemable.
Perforated
Adjective. Pierced with holes or a hole. Synonyms: Adjective. Punctured; penetrated.
Unremitting
Adjective. Incessant; continuous; constant; not stopping or growing weaker. Synonyms: Adjective. Continual; ongoing; persistent; unceasing; inexorable.
Inchoate
Adjective. Incipient; just begun. Adjective. Undeveloped; rudimentary. Synonyms: Adjective. Incipient; beginning. Adjective. Unformed; embryonic; fledgling.
Ineffable
Adjective. Indescribable; beyond words; inexpressible. Synonyms: Adjective. Incommunicable; indefinable.
Ineffectual
Adjective. Ineffective; futile. Synonyms: Adjective. Useless; impotent; inefficient; feckless; otiose.
Feckless
Adjective. Ineffective; useless; weak. Adjective. Worthless; irresponsible. Synonyms: Adjective. Incompetent; futile; otiose.
Ineluctable
Adjective. Inescapable; unavoidable. Synonyms: Adjective. Inevitable; unstoppable; inexorable.
Perspicacious
Adjective. Insightful; wise; judicious. Synonyms: Adjective. Acute; astute; observant; sagacious.
Insuperable
Adjective. Insurmountable; unbeatable. Synonyms: Adjective. Impassable.
Prudential
Adjective. Intelligent in business matters. Adjective. Having good judgement. Synonyms: Adjective. Economical; cost-effective. Adjective. Wise; sound; perspicacious; judicious.
Prefatory
Adjective. Introductory; relating to a preface. Synonyms: Adjective. Beginning; preliminary; initial.
Masturbatory
Adjective. Involving masturbation. Adjective. Excessively self-absorbed or self-indulgent.
Irrevocable
Adjective. Irreversible; unchangeable; permanent. Synonyms: Adjective. Unrectifiable; irreparable; unalterable.
Esoteric
Adjective. Known only to the chosen few. Synonyms: Adjective. Arcane; abstruse.
Listless
Adjective. Lacking energy; spiritless; languid; indifferent. Synonyms: Adjective. Lackadasical; limp.
Flippant
Adjective. Lacking proper respect or seriousness. Synonyms: Adjective. Smart-alecky; cheeky; light-minded; glib.
Gauche
Adjective. Lacking social grace; unsophisticated. Synonyms: Adjective. Awkward; graceless; inelegant; rough-hewn; tactless.
Sumptuous
Adjective. Lavish; expensive-looking. Synonyms: Adjective. Opulent; splendid; ritzy; grand; rich; palatial.
Legitimate
Adjective. Lawful. Adjective. Real; official; genuine. Adjective. Born in wedlock. Verb. To make legal or lawful. Verb. To establish as lawfully born. Synonyms: Adjective. Legal; licit. Adjective. Authentic. Verb. To make licit.
Licit
Adjective. Legal; lawful; permissible. Synonyms: Adjective. Legitimate; authorized; allowable; warrantable.
Torpid
Adjective. Lethargic; lacking energy. Synonyms: Adjective. Listless; languid; sluggish; inactive; slothful; lackadaisical.
Leonine
Adjective. Like a lion. Synonyms: Adj. Catlike; feline.
Languid
Adjective. Listless; lacking in energy; lackadaisical. Synonyms: Adjective. Drooping; dull; spiritless; torpid; sluggish; indolent.
Jaunty
Adjective. Lively and self-confident. Adjective. Stylish, as of clothing. Synonyms: Adjective. Sprightly; carefree; jolly. Adjective. Fashionable; natty; dashing; dapper; spiffy.
Skittish
Adjective. Lively; frisky. Adjective. (of an animal) easily frightened. Synonyms: Adjective. Nervous; edgy; excited.
Endemic
Adjective. Local. Noun. A chronic disease restricted to a local place that does not spread outside of it. Synonyms: Adjective. Regional; indigenous.
Inveterate
Adjective. Long established and unlikely to change (habit, feeling, disease, practice). Synonyms: Adjective. Ingrained; deep-seated; entrenched; congenital; ineradicable.
Strident
Adjective. Loud and harsh; grating. Synonyms: Adjective. Shrill; raucous; noisy.
Salacious
Adjective. Lustful; lecherous; having strong sexual desires. Synonyms: Adjective. Libidinous; lascivious; licentious; prurient.
Causative
Adjective. Making something happen or exist; producing an effect. Synonyms: Adjective. Casual.
Fetid
Adjective. Malodorous; stinking. Synonyms: Adjective. Foul; funky; fusty; musty; noisome; rank; reeking; ripe; smelly; stinky; strong.
Confluent
Adjective. Merging; flowing together. Noun. Merging streams. Synonyms: Adjective. Joining; meeting. Noun. Tributary; Feeder; bayou.
Jocund
Adjective. Merry; cheerful; lighthearted; jocular. Synonyms: Adjective: Blithe; elated; jolly; euphoric; halcyon.
Tepid
Adjective. Mildly warm. Adjective. Lacking enthusiasm; apathetic. Synonyms: Adjective. Lukewarm; warmish. Adjective. Unenthusiastic; halfhearted; indifferent
Unpretentious
Adjective. Modest; not showy. Synonyms: Adjective. Simple; plain; humble; unassuming.
Dolorous
Adjective. Mournful; sorrowful. Synonyms: Adjective. Agonized; anguished; bemoaning; bewailing; deploring; doleful; dolesome; grieving; heartbroken; lamentable; lugubrious; plaintive; plangent; regretful; rueful; sorrowful; wailing; woeful; weeping.
Westering
Adjective. Moving or shifting to the west.
Centrifugal
Adjective. Moving outward from the center. Synonyms: Adjective. Spreading.
Centripetal
Adjective. Moving toward the center. Synonyms: Adjective. Integrative; centralizing.
Canorous
Adjective. Musical; melodious. Synonyms: Adjective. Euphonic; euphonious; mellifluous.
Parochial
Adjective. Narrow-minded. Adjective. Of or relating to a local church parish. Synonyms: Adjective. Insular; restricted.
Myopic
Adjective. Nearsighted; lacking foresight. Synonyms: Adjective. Shortsighted.
Natty
Adjective. Neat and trim in dress or appearance; fashionable; dapper. Synonyms: Adjective. Snappy; spiffy; dashing; stylish; modish.
Obstreperous
Adjective. Noisy and difficult to control; unruly. Synonyms: Adjective. Clamorous; boisterous; strepitous; vociferous.
Apolitical
Adjective. Not caring about politics. Synonyms: Adjective. Nonpolitical; politically neutral.
Incredible
Adjective. Not credible; unbelievable. Adjective. Extremely great. Synonyms: Adjective. Implausible; inconceivable; incredulous; unconvincing. Adjective. Marvelous; amazing; astonishing; awe-inspiring; astounding.
Inscrutable
Adjective. Not easily understood. Synonyms: Adjective. Arcane; cryptic; enigmatic; mysterious; mystic, occult; uncanny.
Impenitent
Adjective. Not feeling regret for one's sins; unrepentant. Synonyms: Adjective. Remorseless; unashamed; unapologetic.
Tentative
Adjective. Not final or complete; provisional. Adjective. Uncertain; hesitant. Synonyms: Adjective. Iffy; preliminary. Adjective. Cautious; timid.
Savory
Adjective. Pleasant in taste or smell. Adjective. Attractive; pleasing. Synonyms: Adjective. Appetizing; aromatic; delectable; fragrant; luscious.
Bucolic
Adjective. Pleasantly rustic; idyllically rural. Adjective. Of or pertaining to shepherds or herdsmen; pastoral. Synonyms: Adjective. Country; backwoods; countrified; agrarian; campestral.
Remediable
Adjective. Repairable/reparable; curable. Synonyms: Adjective. Correctable; corrigible; fixable.
Mesic
Adjective. Requiring moderate moisture. Synonyms: Adjective. Mesophytic.
Xyloid
Adjective. Resembling wood; ligneous. Synonyms: Adjective. Woody; woodlike; wooden.
Surly
Adjective. Rude and bad-tempered. Synonyms: Adjective. Gruff; bearish; boorish; petulant; cantankerous.
Boorish
Adjective. Rude; insensitive; crass. Synonyms: Adjective. Crude; churlish; coarse; impolite.
Plaintive
Adjective. Sad; sorrowful. Synonyms: Adjective. Mournful; wistful; doleful; dolorous; forlorn; melancholic; wretched; woeful; disconsolate.
Saline
Adjective. Salty. Noun. A salt solution. Synonyms: Adjective. Salty; brackish; briny.
Mordant
Adjective. Sarcastic or caustic. Adjective. Burning or corroding. Synonyms: Adjective. Acerbic; biting; sardonic; scathing. Adjective. Corrosive.
Bestial
Adjective. Savage; brutal. Adjective. Relating to beasts and base inhuman instincts. Synonyms: Adjective. Animalistic; feral.
Arcane
Adjective. Secret; esoteric; known only to a few. Synonyms: Adjective. Mysterious; enigmatic; cryptic; recondite.
Assertive
Adjective. Self-assured; confidently aggressive. Synonyms: Adjective. Self-confident; decisive; strong-willed; bold.
Tumid
Adjective. Swollen; enlarged. Adjective. Using pompous language; bombastic. Synonyms: Adjective. Bulging; puffed; bloated; turgid. Adjective. Fulsome; inflated; overblown.
Garrulous
Adjective. Talkative. Synonyms: Adjective. Blabby; chatty; loquacious; talky; motormouthed; voluble.
Voluble
Adjective. Talkative; garrulous. Synonyms: Adjective. Chatty; loquacious.
Loquacious
Adjective. Talkative; wordy. Synonyms: Adjective. Chatty; voluble; garrulous; prolix; verbose.
Flaxen
Adj. (Literary) Pale yellowish-gray, esp. of hair. Synonyms: Adj. Blond/blonde; golden.
Evanescent
Adj. (Literary) Quickly fading; short-lived. Synonyms: Adj. Vanishing; disappearing; ephemeral.
Rubescent
Adj. (Literary) Reddening; blushing. Synonyms: Adj. Flushing; ruddy.
Crapulent
Adj. (Literary) Related to drinking alcohol or drunkenness. Synonyms: Adj. Drunk; intoxicated.
Empyrean
Adj. (Literary) Relating to heaven or the sky. Noun. (Literary). Heaven or the sky. Synonyms: Adj. Heavenly; celestial; ethereal; supernal; superlunary. Noun. Heaven; firmament, the sky; ether; welkin.
Hymeneal
Adj. (Literary) Relating to marriage. Synonyms: Adj. Conjugal; marital; matrimonial; nuptial; espousal.
Finny
Adj. (Literary) Relating to or resembling a fish. Synonyms: Adj. Finlike.
Supernal
Adj. (Literary) Relating to the sky or the heavens; celestial. Synonyms: Adj. Empyrean; empyreal; ethereal; superlunary.
Fulgent
Adj. (Literary) Shining brightly. Synonyms: Adj. Radiant; dazzling; resplendent; effulgent.
Effulgent
Adj. (Literary) Shining brightly; radiant. Synonyms: Adj. Dazzling; beaming; brilliant.
Niveous
Adj. (Literary) Snowy or resembling snow. Synonyms: Adj. Snow-white.
Rufescent
Adj. (Literary) Somewhat reddish; tinged with red; rufous. Synonyms: Adj. Reddish-brown; russet; rust-colored.
Fuliginous
Adj. (Literary) Sooty; dusky. Synonyms: Adj. Grungy; mucky; murky; dingy; smokey.
Rhadamanthine
Adj. (Literary) Stern and inflexible in judgment. Synonyms: Adj. Stony; unfeeling; callous; unsympathetic.
Stilly
Adj. (Literary) Still and quiet. Adv. (Literary) Quietly and with little movement. Synonyms: Adj. Tranquil; calm; peaceful; serene; placid. Adv. Calmly; noiselessly.
Redolent
Adj. (Literary) Strongly smelling of (followed by of). Adj. (Archaic/Literary). Sweet-smelling; fragrant. Adjective. Suggestive or reminiscent of. Synonyms: Adjective. Ambrosial; aromatic; perfumed; savory; scented; pungent. Adjective. Evocative; calling up.
Sea-girt
Adj. (Literary) Surrounded by sea. Synonyms: Adj. Seabound; ocean-bound.
Fugacious
Adj. (Literary) Tending to disappear; fleeting; short-lived. Synonyms: Adj. Evanescent; ephemeral.
Impuissant
Adj. (Literary) Unable to take effective action; powerless. Synonyms: Adj. Helpless; hamstrung; handcuffed.
Wonted
Adj. (Literary) Usual; habitual; customary. Adj. (Archaic) Accustomed; habituated. Synonyms: Adj. Common; Conventional. Adj. Used to; familiar; habituated.
Stygian
Adj. (Literary) Very dark. Adj. Relating to the Styx River (Greek mythological river that serves as boundary between Earth and the Underworld). Synonyms: Adj. Gloomy; obscure; dimmed; dusky; black; darkened. Adj. Hellish; infernal.
Bosky
Adj. (Literary) Wooded; covered by trees or bushes. Synonyms: Adj. Sylvan; woody.
Orgulous
Adj. (Literary/Archaic) Haughty or proud. Synonyms: Adj. Arrogant; hubristic; supercilious; egocentric; egoistic.
Puissant
Adj. (Literary/Archaic) Powerful or influential. Synonyms: Adj. Strong; mighty; potent.
Lacustrine
Adj. (Literary/Technical) Associated with lakes.
Hyperbolic
Adj. (Of Language) Exaggerated; marked by overstating the truth. Synonyms: Adj. Farfetched; inflated.
Glaucous
Adj. (Technical/Literary) Of a dull grayish-green or blue color, as on plants or birds. Adj. Covered with a whitish bloom like on grapes or plums. Synonyms: Adj. Aquamarine; viridescent.
Fractious
Adj. (Typically children) Irritable and quarrelsome. Adj. (Of a group) Difficult to control; unruly; troublesome. Synonyms: Adj. Grouchy; peevish; testy; crabby; crotchety. Adj. Disobedient; recalcitrant; refractory; uncontrollable.
Dipsomaniac
Adj. (no longer in technical use) An alcoholic. Synonyms: Noun. Drunk; drunkard; boozer; lush.
Sentient
Adj. Able to perceive or feel things; conscious. Synonyms: Adj. Aware.
Emaciated
Adj. Abnormally thin or weak, esp. b/c of illness or lack of food. Synonyms: Adj. Bony; skeletal; wasted; gaunt.
Campy
Adj. Absurdly exaggerated, artificial, theatrical, or affected in a usually humorous way. Synonyms: Adj. Theatric; overdramatic; farcical.
Mealy-mouthed
Adj. Afraid to speak frankly or straightforward; devious. Synonyms: Adj. Indirect; doubtful; equivocal.
Ashen
Adj. Ash-colored; gray. Adj. (Of a person's face) Pale; drained of color due to shock, fear, or illness; pallid. Synonyms: Adj. Silvery; slate; grayish. Adj. Pasty; wan; blanched.
Cantankerous
Adj. Bad-tempered, argumentative, and uncooperative. Synonyms: Adj. Contentious; peevish; quarrelsome; cranky; grumpy; grouchy; dour; testy; petulant; surly.
Audacious
Adj. Bold; fearless; intrepid; unafraid. Synonyms: Adj. Risky; unflinching.
Frivolous
Adj. Carefree; silly and not serious. Adj. Insignificant; unimportant. Synonyms: Adj. Flippant; glib; waggish. Adj. Inconsequential; negligible; trivial.
Vaporous
Adj. Characteristic of vapors; misty; foggy. Adj. Light; unsubstantial; airy; diaphanous. Adj. Lacking in substance or clarity; vague. Synonyms: Adj. Gaseous; pneumatic; Adj. Gossamer; ethereal; feathery; delicate; sheer.
Limpid
Adj. Clear, as of water, crystal, or air. Adj. Clear in meaning, as of writing or speech. Adj. Completely calm. Synonyms: Adj. Transparent; lucid; lucent; see-through. Adj. Pellucid. Adj. Composed; cool.
Exacting
Adj. Demanding or rigid. Adj. Requiring close attention. Synonyms: Adj. Strict; stern; inflexible. Adj. Difficult; testing.
Deplorable
Adj. Deserving censure or contempt. Adj. Lamentable; regrettable. Adj. Wretched; very bad. Synonyms: Adj. Disgraceful; reprehensible; unforgivable. Adj. Grievous. Adj. Dreadful; sad; terrible.
Epicurean
Adj. Devoted to the pursuit of pleasure, esp. food and drink. Noun. A person devoted to pleasure, esp. good food and drink. Synonyms: Adj. Gluttonous; libertine. Noun. Gourmand; Bon vivant.
Scrupulous
Adj. Diligent, thorough, and extremely detailed. Adj. Moral; honest. Synonyms: Adj. Careful; meticulous; fastidious; painstaking. Adj. Principled; ethical; upright.
Misanthropic
Adj. Disliking or hating mankind/humankind and avoiding human society. Synonyms: Adj. Antisocial; cynical; unfriendly.
Dichotomous
Adj. Divided into two contrasting or opposite parts. Synonyms: Adj. Separated; split; disjointed.
Extemporaneous
Adj. Done without preparation; impromptu; improvised. Synonyms: Adj. Extemporized; extemporary; spontaneous; ad lib; unpremeditated.
Chthonic
Adj. Dwelling in or under the earth. Adj. Also, pertaining to the underworld. Synonyms: Adj. Infernal; hellish; Stygian; Styxian.
Irascible
Adj. Easily angered or provoked. Synonyms: Adj. Irritable; testy; touchy; snappish; prickly.
Compensable
Adj. Eligible for compensation or payback, esp. for a bodily injury. Synonyms: Adj. Remunerative.
Interminable
Adj. Endless (often hyperbolically and wearily). Synonyms: Adj. Never-ending; ceaseless; everlasting; incessant; infinite; unending.
Poignant
Adj. Evoking a keen sense of sadness or regret. Adj. Painfully affecting emotions. Synonyms: Adj. Touching; moving; sad; affecting.
Uxorious
Adj. Excessively fond of or submissive to one's wife. Synonyms: Adj. Doting; henpecked.
Treacly
Adj. Excessively sentimental. Adj. Resembling treacle (syrupy). Synonyms: Adj. Soppy; mawkish; corny. Adj. Sticky; glutinous.
Demonstrative
Adj. Openly displaying feelings. Adj. Serving to prove; conclusive. Adj. (Grammar) Indicating the thing referred to (This, that, those). Synonyms: Adj. Expressive; effusive; affectionate. Adj. Incontestable; irrefutable.
Fanciful
Adj. Overimaginative and unrealistic. Synonyms: Adj. Imaginary; unreal; romantic.
Pervious
Adj. Permeable; allowing passage or entrance. Synonyms: Adj. Porous; penetrable.
Indefatigable
Adj. Persisting tirelessly; incapable of being fatigued. Synonyms: Adj. Tireless; untiring; steadfast; unflagging; unwavering.
Whimsical
Adj. Playfully fanciful (imaginative/fantastic), esp. in an amusing way. Adj. Capricious; unpredictable. Synonyms: Adj. Curious; eccentric; quaint. Adj. Erratic; impulsive; fickle.
Dowdy
Adj. Poorly dressed; shabby; unfashionable (typically of a woman). Adj. Not neat or tidy; shabby. Synonyms: Adj. Unstylish; slovenly; sloppy. Adj. Dirty; sordid; grimy.
Plenipotent
Adj. Possessing full power or authority. Synonyms: Adj. Supreme; plenipotentiary; authoritative.
Palmary
Adj. Praiseworthy; outstanding. Synonyms: Adj. Admirable; commendable; laudable; estimable.
Ubiquitous
Adj. Present everywhere, esp. at once. Synonyms: Adj. Omnipresent; ever-present.
Propitious
Adj. Presenting favorable circumstances; favorable. Synonyms: Adj. Promising; auspicious; felicitous.
Sacrosanct
Adj. Regarded as too important or valuable to be interfered with; sacred, holy, or inviolable. Synonyms: Adj. Blessed; hallowed; consecrated; untouchable; invulnerable.
Equestrian
Adj. Related to horseback riding. Noun. A person skilled in horseback riding and horses. Synonyms: Adj. Horsy; equine. Noun. Jockey; horse rider.
Vampish
Adj. Relating to a seductive woman who uses her sexual attractiveness to exploit men. Synonyms: Adj. Coquettish; kittenish; coy; dallying.
Matrilineal
Adj. Relating to a social system in which family descent and inheritance rights are traced through the mother.
Pathological
Adj. Relating to pathology (diseases). Adj. Relating to mental or physical disease; mentally disturbed. Adj. (Informal) Compulsive; obsessive. Synonyms: Adj. Morbid; diseased; unhealthy. Adj. Persistent; obsessional.
Hydric
Adj. Requiring a lot of moisture. Synonyms: Adj. Hydrophytic.
Struthious
Adj. Resembling ostriches and related birds. Synonyms: Adj. Struthian.
Refractory
Adj. Resisting control or authority; unmanageable. Adj. Resistance to treatment or cure. Synonyms: Adj. Intractable; stubborn; headstrong.
Restive
Adj. Restless and impatient; unable to relax due to stress or worry. Synonyms: Adj. Uneasy; fidgety.
Sardonic
Adj. Scornfully mocking. Synonyms: Adj. Sarcastic; caustic; ironical.
Emulous
Adj. Seeking to emulate or imitate someone or something. Synonyms: Adj. Aspiring.
Tutelary
Adj. Serving as a protector or guardian, esp. as a deity or spirit. Adj. Relating to protection or guardianship. Synonyms: Adj. Protecting; guardian; protective.
Ephemeral
Adj. Short-lived. Synonyms: Adjective. Fleeting; transient; transitory; passing; momentary; evanescent.
Politic
Adj. Shrewd or prudent in practical matters; tactful. Adj. Contrived in a shrewd and practical way; expedient. Adj. Political. Synonyms: Adj. Wise; sensible; judicious; canny.
Fatuous
Adj. Silly and pointless. Synonyms: Adj. Foolish; stupid; inane; nonsensical.
Homespun
Adj. Simple and unsophisticated. Adj. (Of cloth or yarn) made or spun at home. Synonyms: Adj. Unpolished; unrefined; plain. Adj. Homemade; handmade; handcrafter.
Capacious
Adj. Spacious; roomy. Synonyms: Adj. Commodious; voluminous.
Frugal
Adj. Sparing or economical with food or money; saving. Adj. Costing little; meager; scant. Synonyms: Adj. Thrifty; prudent. Adj. Paltry; scanty.
Episodic
Adjective. Telling many separate events; serial. Adjective. Occurring at irregular times or intervals. Synonyms: Adjective. Loosely connected; divided; serialized; periodical. Adjective. Occasional; casual; aperiodic.
Irenic
Adjective. Tending to promote peace; peaceable. Synonyms: Adjective. Peaceful.
Antepenultimate
Adjective. Third from last.
Tertiary
Adjective. Third. Synonyms: Adjective. Ordinal; tertian; triennial.
Credulous
Adjective. Too trusting. Synonyms: Adjective. Gullible; believing; naive.
Sinewy
Adjective. Tough; firm; strong. Adjective. Vigorous or forceful, as of language. Synonyms: Adjective. Brawny; muscular.
Liminal
Adjective. Transitional or initial. Adjective. (Psychology) Relating to the threshold beyond which sensation becomes too faint to experience. Synonyms: Adjective. In-between. Adjective. Barely perceptible.
Insidious
Adjective. Treacherous; crafty; deceitful. Adjective. Proceeding gradually or subtly with harmful effects. Synonyms: Adjective. Stealthy; surreptitious; sly; sneaky.
Tortuous
Adjective. Twisting; turning. Adjective. Not direct or straightforward; complicated, long, and confusing. Synonyms: Adjective. Bending; curling; curvy; circuitous. Adjective. Tricky; ambiguous.
Implacable
Adjective. Unable to be calmed or stopped; unyielding. Synonyms: Adjective. Inexorable; unrelenting; unyielding; relentless; unalterable.
Unsung
Adjective. Uncelebrated; not praised or acclaimed. Synonyms: Adjective. Overlooked; forgotten; nameless.
Precarious
Adjective. Uncertain. Adjective. Risky; dangerous. Synonyms: Adjective. Unstable; insecure. Adjective. Chancy; dicey.
Intransigent
Adjective. Uncompromising. Synonyms: Adjective. Stubborn; dogged; inflexible; implacable.
Diffident
Adjective. Unconfident. Synonyms: Adjective. Shy; bashful; modest; unassuming.
Irrepressible
Adjective. Uncontrollable; unable to be restrained. Synonyms: Adjective. Unquenchable; uncontainable; uncontrollable; inextinguishable.
Uncouth
Adjective. Uncultured; crude; lacking manners; unsophisticated. Synonyms: Adjective. Uncivilized; uncultivated; unrefined; boorish; oafish; common.
Stoic
Adjective. Unemotional; impassive. Synonyms: Adjective. Apathetic; detached; phlegmatic; stolid.
Infallible
Adjective. Unerring; incapable of mistakes. Synonyms: Adjective. Flawless; unfailing; inerrant; correct.
Hapless
Adjective. Unfortunate; unlucky. Synonyms: Adjective. Luckless; ill-fated; jinxed.
Prosaic
Adjective. Unimaginative; dull. Synonyms: Adjective. Banal; mundane; drab; jejune; pedestrian; vapid; hackneyed; trite.
Gratuitous
Adjective. Unnecessary; unjustified; unwarranted. Adjective. Given or done free of charge. Synonyms: Adjective. Inessential; needless; uncalled-for; superfluous. Adjective. Complimentary; costless; gratis; free.
Banal
Adjective. Unoriginal; boring; dull. Synonyms: Adjective. Trite; hackneyed; clichéd; platitudinous; vapid; jejune; prosaic; overdone; quotidian.
Surreal
Adjective. Unreal; dreamlike; fantastic. Synonyms: Adjective. Unbelievable; unearthly; uncanny.
Inexorable
Adjective. Unyielding; relentless; not able to be stopped or changed. Synonyms: Adjective. Unrelenting; implacable; unalterable; unremitting.
Exigent
Adjective. Urgent. Adjective. Requiring great effort; demanding. Synonyms: Adjective. Pressing; emergent. Adjective. Difficult; taxing; exacting.
Hortatory
Adjective. Urging; persuading. Synonyms: Adjective. Exhorting; encouraging.
Otiose
Adjective. Useless; futile. Adjective. (Archaic) Idle; indolent. Synonyms: Adjective. Fruitless; ineffectual; ineffective; vain. Adjective. Listless; slothful; lazy.
Bombastic
Adjective. Using pompous, inflated language. Synonyms: Adjective. Grandiose; histrionic; rhapsodic; overblown.
Prolix
Adjective. Using too many words; wordy. Synonyms: Adjective. Long-winded; circuitous; circumlocutory; garrulous; verbose; pleonastic; rambling; voluble.
Obscure
Adjective. Vague; unclear. Adjective. Relatively unknown. Synonyms: Adjective. Ambiguous; cryptic; dark. Adjective. Nameless; no-one.
Declamatory
Adjective. Vehement or bombastic in speech or expression. Synonyms: Adjective. Rhetorical; oratorical; extravagant.
Vindictive
Adjective. Vengeful. Synonyms: Adjective. Revengeful.
Egregious
Adjective. Very bad and easily noticed. Synonyms: Adjective. Flagrant; blatant; gross.
Multitudinous
Adjective. Very numerous; forming a great number. Adjective. Comprising many items, parts, or elements. Synonyms: Adjective. Abundant; profuse; prolific; copious; numberless.
Uncanny
Adjective. Very strange or supernatural. Synonyms: Adjective. Mysterious; unnatural; weird.
Painstaking
Adjective. Very thorough; careful. Synonyms: Adjective. Meticulous; assiduous; thorough; fastidious.
Trenchant
Adjective. Vigorous or incisive in expression or style. Adjective. (Archaic or literary) Having a sharp edge. Synonyms: Adjective. Cutting; piercing; penetrating; sharp.
Peripatetic
Adjective. Walking or traveling about; itinerant. Adjective. Relating to Aristotle or his philosophy. Noun. A person who walks or travels about. Noun. A member of Aristotelian school. Synonyms: Adjective. Nomadic; roving; migrant. Noun. Nomad; migrant; wanderer.
Errant
Adjective. Wandering; deviating from the proper course. Synonyms: Adjective. Straying; aberrant; wayward.
Martial
Adjective. Warlike. Synonyms: Adjective. Soldierly; military; service.
Affable
Adjective. Warmly friendly and easily approachable. Synonyms: Adjective. Cordial; amiable; genial.
Tenuous
Adjective. Weak or slight. Adjective. Slender, thin, or fine; insubstantial. Synonyms: Adjective. Meager; flimsy; dubious; shaky. Adjective. Fragile; delicate; wispy; gossamer.
Decorous
Adjective. Well behaved; dignified; socially correct. Synonyms: Adjective. Civilized; polite.
Felicitous
Adjective. Well chosen or suited; appropriate. Adjective. Pleasant; delightful. Synonyms: Adjective. Apt; applicable; becoming. Adjective. Agreeable; congenial; darling.
Feral
Adjective. Wild or untamed. Synonyms: Adjective. Ferocious; undomesticated.
Prudent
Adjective. Wise; judicious. Adjective. Careful in providing for the future; provident. Synonyms: Adjective. Sagacious; discreet; circumspect; sober.
Judicious
Adjective. Wise; sound in judgement; perspicacious. Synonyms: Adjective. Intelligent; thoughtful; astute.
Malevolent
Adjective. Wishing ill-will. Adjective. Evil. Synonyms: Adjective. Hateful; malicious.
Inept
Adjective. Without skill. Adjective. Bungling and clumsy. Adjective. Inappropriate. Synonyms: Adjective. Incompetent; inefficient. Adjective. Cumbersome; awkward. Adjective. Unsuitable; out of place.
Redundant
Adjective. Wordy. Adjective. Excessive; repetitive. Synonyms: Adjective. Verbose; long-winded; circumlocutory; discursive; prolix. Adjective. Superfluous; unnecessary.
Estimable
Adjective. Worthy of respect; deserving admiration. Synonyms: Adjective. Praiseworthy; esteemed; palmary; laudable; commendable; exemplary; eminent.
Ex Officio
Adjective/Adverb (Latin). By virtue of holding an office or position.
Ad Hominem
Adjective/Adverb. Attacking an opponent's character rather than answering his argument; literally meaning "to the man." Adjective. Appealing to prejudices and emotions rather than reason. Synonyms: Adjective. Smearing; personal.
Overhead
Adjective/Adverb. Over one's head; up in the sky; aloft. Noun. Operating costs; fixed costs of running a business, as rent, lighting, and heating expenses, which cannot be charged or attributed to a specific product or part of the work operation. Synonyms: Adjective. Aerial; up above; skyward; atop.
À La Carte
Adjective/Adverb. With a separate price for each item on the menu.
Verbatim
Adjective/Adverb. Word for word. Synonyms: Adjective/Adverb. Exactly; directly; literally.
Peradventure
Adv. (Archaic/Humorous) Perhaps; possibly. Noun. Uncertainty, chance, or doubt. Phrase. Beyond Peradventure (Without question or doubt). Synonyms: Adv. Maybe; conceivably; perchance; mayhap; potentially. Noun. Accident; luck; fate; fortune; destiny.
Perchance
Adv. (Archaic/Literary) By chance; perhaps. Synonyms: Adv. Maybe; possibly; conceivably; mayhap; peradventure; imaginably.
In medias Res/Medias in res
Adv. (Latin for "into the middle of things") A literary and artistic technique where the narrative starts in the middle of the story instead of from its beginning (ab ovo or ab initio). The characters, setting, and conflict are often introduced through a series of flashbacks or through characters relating past events to each other.
In Extremis
Adv. (Latin) At the point of death. Synonyms: Adv. At death's door; near-death.
Ad Nauseum
Adv. (Latin) To a sickening or disgusting degree. Synonyms: Adv. At length; endlessly; repeatedly.
Apace
Adv. (Literary) Swiftly; quickly. Synonyms: Adv. Rapidly; briskly; speedily.
Hyperbolically
Adv. Exaggeratedly; unrealistically; in a manner that overstates the truth. Synonyms: Adv. Inflatedly.
Exempli Gratia (e.g.)
Adv. For example; such as. Synonyms: Adv. For the sake of example; for instance; like.
Seriatim
Adv. In a series; one after another. Synonyms: Adv. Successively; consecutively; sequentially.
Alfresco
Adv. In the open air, esp. when eating; out-of-doors. Adj. Done or eaten in the open air; outdoor. Synonyms: Adv. Out; open-air. Adj. Open-air; outside.
Tandem (In Tandem)
Adv. One behind the other. Phrase. In single file.
Nigh
Adv/Adj/Prep. (Archaic/Literary) Near. Adv. Almost Verb. To draw or come near; to approach. Synonyms: Adj. Approaching; close; nearby. Adv. Around; close by; beside; alongside.
Sub Rosa
Adverb (Latin) In secret; confidentially; privately. Synonyms: Adverb. Clandestinely; covertly; furtively.
In Loco Parentis
Adverb (Latin). In place or role of parents (referencing teacher or other guardian).
Askance
Adverb. (Preceded by to look) With a sideways look, usually with suspicion or mistrust. Synonyms: Adverb. Skeptically; suspiciously; distrustfully.
Et Alii (et al.)
Adverb. And others. Synonyms: Adverb. Et Alia; et aliae.
Automagically
Adverb. Automatically; in a way that is hidden from or not understood by the user, and in that sense, apparently "magical."
Ipso Facto
Adverb. By the fact itself; by the very nature of the deed; because of that fact: as an inevitable result. Synonyms: Adverb. Actually; by that very fact.
Incidentally
Adverb. By the way; apart or aside from the main subject of attention. Adverb. In a manner that is liable to happen as a consequence; accidentally. Synonyms: Adverb. Parenthetically; speaking of which. Adverb. By chance.
Ad Infinitum
Adverb. Endlessly; without limit. (literally meaning to infinity). Synonyms: Adverb. Continuously; endlessly; interminably; in perpetuity; sempiternally; invariably.
Erstwhile
Adverb. Formerly; in the past. Adjective. Former. Synonyms: Adverb. Onetime; erst; at one time. Adjective. Late; old; once; onetime; past.
By Rote
Adverb. From memory. Synonyms: Adverb. In a mechanical way.
Summarily
Adverb. Immediately; straightaway. Synonyms: Adverb. Without delay; promptly; swiftly.
Pell-Mell
Adverb. In confusion; in disorder. Adjective. Disordered; confused. Synonyms: Adverb. Hurriedly and carelessly. Adjective. Chaotic; disarrayed.
Qua
Adverb. In the capacity of; in the role of (someone or something). Synonyms: Adverb. As; as being in.
Piecemeal
Adverb. Piece by piece; gradually. Adjective. Done piece by piece; gradual. Synonyms: Adverb. At intervals; by installments; by degrees. Adjective. Bit by bit; little by little; incremental; step-by-step.
Videlicet (viz.)
Adverb. That is to say; namely; explicitly. Synonyms: Adverb. Especially; i.e.; particularly; specially; to wit.
To wit
Adverb. That is to say; namely; explicitly. Synonyms: Adverb. Especially; i.e.; particularly; specifically; videlicet.
Id Est (i.e.)
Adverb. That is; in other words. Synonyms: Adverb. As it were.
In spite of
Adverb. Without being affected by; notwithstanding; despite. Synonyms: Adverb. Regardless of; in disregard or defiance of.
Ad hoc
Adverb/Adjective. For one specific purpose. Synonyms: Adjective. Impromptu; provisional; extemporaneous.
Long Pig
Noun. (Obsolete and among Maori and Polynesian peoples) Human flesh as food for cannibals. Synonyms: Noun. Body tissue.
Ch'i (Qi)
Noun. (Oriental Medicine) Vital energy believed to circulate around the body in currents.
Cognitive Dissonance
Noun. (Psychology) Inconsistent thoughts or beliefs. Synonyms: Noun. Internal conflict; inner turmoil.
Gestalt
Noun. (Psychology) Something that is made of many parts and yet is somehow more than or different from the combination of its parts. Synonyms. Noun. A unified whole.
Calliope
Noun. (Steam organ). A musical instrument consisting of a set of harsh-sounding steam whistles that are activated by a keyboard. Noun. (Greek mythology) The muse of heroic poetry.
Brinksmanship
Noun. (Usu. Politics). The practice of pushing a dangerous situation to the edge (brink) of disaster before stopping in order to gain something. Synonyms. Noun. Courting disaster.
Ornithology
Noun. (Zoology) The study of birds.
Xu
Noun. A Vietnamese monetary unit worth one hundredth of a dông.
Presage
Noun. A bad omen or portent. Verb. To portent; to predict something bad. Synonyms: Noun. Prognostication; forewarning; foreboding. Verb. To foreshadow; to foretell.
Curmudgeon
Noun. A bad-tempered, difficult person (usually old man). Synonyms: Noun. Grouch; bellyacher; sourpuss; whiner; griper.
Insignia
Noun. A badge of office, rank, or membership. Noun. A distinguishing mark or sign of anything. Synonyms: Noun. Emblem; coat of arms; ensign; symbol; regalia.
Parlay
Noun. A bet to increase the previous winnings. Verb. To gamble the previous winnings to gain greater value. Synonyms: Noun. Wager; bet. Verb. To wager; to stake; to back; to game.
Towser
Noun. A big dog. Noun. (Informal) A large rough person.
Diatribe
Noun. A bitter verbal attack; a tirade. Synonyms: Noun. Harangue; criticism; denunciation; invective; screed.
Cockalorum
Noun. A boastful, self-important person. Noun. Boastful talk. Synonyms: Noun. Braggadocio; bluster; bombast; grandiloquence.
Phalanx
Noun. A body of people, animals, or things. Noun. Army; brigade; troop. Noun. One of the bones of the hand or foot. Synonyms: Noun. Crowd; group. Noun. Military unit; force; legion; throng; brigade; company; division. Noun. Hand or feet.
Jawbone
Noun. A bone of the jaw, esp. the lower jaw (mandible). Verb. (Informal) To influence or persuade by talking rather than force. Adjective (Informal) Influencing, persuading. Synonyms: Noun. Chin, mentum. Verb. Sweet-talk, flatter, cajole, wheedle. Adjective. Cajoling; wheedling.
Bibliophile
Noun. A book lover. Synonyms. Noun. Bibliolater; bibliomaniac; bookman; bookworm; reader.
Prong
Noun. A branch or a fork. Synonyms: Noun. Hook.
Hiatus
Noun. A break, gap, or pause of work, series, process, or sequence. Synonyms: Noun. Respite; discontinuity;
Waft
Noun. A breeze; wind; a draft. Verb. To float; to drift (on water or air). Synonyms: Noun. Puff; zephyr; breath; air; current; airflow; squall. Verb. To glide; to hang; to hover; to sail.
Swath
Noun. A broad strip or area of something. Noun. A row or line of cut grass, grain, or other crop.
Bleb
Noun. A bubble. Noun. In medicine, a blister or vesicle. Synonyms: Noun. A boil; a swelling; a pustule; a pimple.
Interment
Noun. A burial. Synonyms: Noun. Obsequy; entombment.
Gorge
Noun. A canyon; a narrow valley between hills or mountains with rocky walls and a stream running through it. Verb. To eat greedily. Synonyms: Noun. Ravine; canyon; gully. Verb. To stuff; to cram; to fill.
Dalliance
Noun. A casual romantic or sexual relationship; flirtation. Noun. A brief or casual involvement with something; a trifling away of time. Synonyms: Noun. Affair; coquetry. Noun. Dawdling; delaying.
Totalitarianism
Noun. A centralized government that exercises control over the freedom, will, or thought of others. Synonyms: Noun. Absolutism; authoritarianism; autocracy; despotism; tyranny.
Author Surrogate
Noun. A character who expresses the ideas, questions, personality, and morality of the author.
Fictional Fictional Character
Noun. A character whose fictional existence is introduced within a larger work of fiction.
Attribute
Noun. A characteristic; a trait. Verb. To ascribe to; to explain. Synonyms: Noun. Feature; aspect; facet. Verb. To credit to; to assign a source.
Epithet
Noun. A characterizing word or phrase of something; a nickname. Noun. An abusive nickname. Synonyms: Noun. Sobriquet; byname; label; alias.
Quack
Noun. A charlatan; an impostor. Synonyms: Noun. Faker; pretender; phony.
Malcontent
Noun. A chronically unsatisfied person. Noun. A rebel. Adjective. Dissatisfied. Synonyms: Noun. Grumbler; whiner; complainer. Noun. Agitator; dissident; rabble-rouser. Adjective. Disgruntled; displeased; discontent.
Rotunda
Noun. A circular building, esp. with a dome. Synonyms: Noun. Edifice.
Municipality
Noun. A city, town, or district with some degree of local self-government. Synonyms: Noun. Community; township.
Coterie
Noun. A close group with shared interests; clique. Synonyms: Noun. Circle; cadre.
Pall
Noun. A cloth spread over a coffin, hearse, or tomb. Noun. A dark cloud. Noun. Anything that covers with an air of gloom or darkness. Verb. To become less appealing through familiarity. Synonyms: Noun. Covering; cloak; veil; shroud; layer; overshadow. Verb. To become bored; to lose interest; to weary; to sicken.
Cohort
Noun. A colleague; an associate. Synonyms: Noun. A partner.
Congeries
Noun. A collection; an aggregation. Synonyms: Noun. Assemblage; heap; accumulation; agglomeration.
Bildungsroman
Noun. A coming of age story. Synonyms: Noun. Education novel; formation novel.
Grievance
Noun. A complaint for an injustice. Synonyms: Noun. Gripe; grief; outrage.
Panoply
Noun. A complete or impressive collection of things. Noun. A splendid display. Noun. A complete set of arms of suit of armor. Synonyms: Noun. Array; range. Noun. Regalia; splendor; show.
Lichen
Noun. A complex plantlike organism made up of an alga or a cyanobacterium and a fungus growing in symbiotic association on a solid surface (such as on a rock or the bark of trees). Noun. A skin disorder.
Synesthesia
Noun. A condition that causes different senses to blend; "seeing sounds" or "hearing colors."
Parley
Noun. A conference, especially between enemies. Synonyms: Noun. Negotiation; discussion.
Assertion
Noun. A confident and forceful statement, often without supportive evidence. Synonyms: Noun. Declaration; allegation; affirmation.
Albatross
Noun. A constant burden. Noun. Any of several large, web-footed sea birds of the family Diomedeidae. Synonyms: Noun. Encumbrance; handicap; hinderance. Noun. Oceanic bird; pelagic bird.
Fusillade
Noun. A continuous discharge of firearms. Noun. A discharge or outpouring of anything. Synonyms: Noun. Barrage; broadside; salvo; volley.
Clangor
Noun. A continuous loud banging or ringing sound. Synonyms: Noun. Babel; blare; cacophony; racket; clamor; discordance; tolling; clang.
Polemic
Noun. A controversial argument. Noun. A controversialist; one who argues. Synonyms. Noun. A spat; bicker. Noun. Polemist.
Recrimination
Noun. A counter accusation; countercharge. Synonyms: Noun. Allegation; accusation; denunciation; indictment; incrimination.
Poltroon
Noun. A coward. Synonyms: Noun. Dastard; craven; chicken.
Malefactor
Noun. A criminal. Noun. A person who does evil or harm. Synonyms: Noun. Culprit; fiend; felon; convict. Noun. Evildoer; villain.
Admonition
Noun. A criticism or warning. Synonyms: Noun. Adjuration; advice; counsel; guidance; caveat.
Panacea
Noun. A cure-all. Synonyms: Noun. Elixir; catholicon; nostrum; theriac.
Anathema
Noun. A curse; words to harm someone. Noun. A person or thing hated. Synonyms: Noun. Execration; imprecation; malediction. Noun. Bane; pariah; abomination.
Umber
Noun. A dark reddish-brown color, like dark wood or rich soil. Adj. Of a dark reddish-brown color, like dark wood or rich soil.
Mensch
Noun. A decent, mature, and responsible person. Synonyms: Noun. Good person.
Sockdolager
Noun. A decisive blow or answer. Noun. An exceptional person or thing. Synonyms: Noun. A finisher. Noun. Crackerjack; standout.
Rampart
Noun. A defensive wall or mound. Synonyms: Noun. Fortification; bulwark; stronghold; barricade; bastion.
Bulwark
Noun. A defensive wall; rampart. Noun. Strong support or protection. Verb. To fortify; to safeguard. Synonyms: Noun. Fortification; fortress; redoubt; bastion. Noun. Buttress; bastion. Verb. To defend; to guard; to protect.
Delectation
Noun. A delight or enjoyment. Synonyms: Noun. Pleasure; amusement; joy.
Scion
Noun. A descendent or heir. Noun. A shoot or twig of plant to form a graft. Synonyms: Noun. Ancestor; offshoot.
Adjuration
Noun. A desperate request. Synonyms: Noun. Appeal; conjuration; supplication.
Sleuth
Noun. A detective or investigator. Verb. To investigate. Synonyms: Noun. Private investigator. Verb. To probe; to scrutinize.
Schema
Noun. A diagram; framework; plan. Synonyms: Noun. Scheme; blueprint; concept.
Lexicon
Noun. A dictionary. Noun. The vocabulary of a person, group, subject, or language. Synonyms: Noun. Glossary; wordbook. Noun. Lingo; dialect; language; jargon; vernacular; verbiage; speech.
Asperity
Noun. Meanness, of tone or temper. Noun. Hardship; difficulty. Noun. Roughness of a surface. Synonyms: Noun. Acrimony; bile; vitriol. Noun. Rigor; adversity. Noun. Unevenness; ruggedness.
Dementia
Noun. Mental deterioration. Synonyms: Noun. Mental disorder; senility.
Acumen
Noun. Mental sharpness; keen insight. Synonyms: Noun. Astuteness; shrewdness; acuity; cleverness.
Clemency
Noun. Mercy; leniency. Noun. Good, comfortable weather. Synonyms: Noun. Forgiveness.
Mirth
Noun. Merriment and laughter. Synonyms: Noun. Glee; gaiety; happiness; cheer; jocundity; joviality.
Quibble
Noun. Minor objection or complaint. Noun. Doublespeak; ambiguous or evasive language. Verb. To equivocate; to avoid an issue. Verb. To carp; to cavil; to nag. Synonyms: Noun. Disagreement. Noun. Equivocation. Verb. To lie. Verb. To find fault with.
Bric-a-brac
Noun. Miscellaneous objects and ornaments of little value. Synonyms: Noun. Knickknacks, trinkets, gewgaws, baubels.
Malfeasance
Noun. Misconduct by a public official. Synonyms: Noun. Misbehavior; impropriety; misdoing; wrongdoing; malefaction.
Ambivalence
Noun. Mixed emotions. Synonyms: Noun. Conflict; equivocation; doubt.
Temperance
Noun. Moderation; self-restraint. Noun. Moderation or abstinence from alcoholic liquors. Synonyms: Noun. Self-control; discipline. Noun. Teetotalism; sobriety.
Susurration
Noun. Murmur; whispering sound. Synonyms: Noun. Mutter; mumble; susurrus.
Adonis Complex
Noun. Muscle dysmorphia; a disorder where the person is preoccupied with appearance, esp. musculature. Synonyms: Noun. Reverse anorexia nervosa.
Comity
Noun. Mutual courtesy; civility. Noun. (Comity of Nations) Courtesy between nations. Synonyms: Noun. Harmony; peace; concord; amity.
Synergy
Noun. Mutual effort. Synonyms: Noun. Cooperation; teamwork; collaboration.
Lore
Noun. Myth; traditional wisdom. Synonyms: Noun. Traditional knowledge; folklore; fable.
Proximity
Noun. Nearness. Synonyms: Noun. Closeness.
Propinquity
Noun. Nearness; proximity. Noun. Kinship. Synonyms: Noun. Closeness; adjacency.
Laissez-Faire
Noun. Noninterference, esp. economically from the government. Synonyms: Noun. Do-nothing policy; nonintervention.
Eccentricity
Noun. Oddity; peculiarity. Synonyms: Noun. Bizarreness; foible; idiosyncrasy; quirk; weirdness.
Umbrage
Noun. Offense; annoyance. Noun. Shady branches; shadow, esp. from trees. Noun. A hint; a suggestion. Noun. Reason for doubt; suspicion. Synonyms: Noun. Resentment; indignation. Noun. Disbelief; incredulity. Noun. Inkling; connotation.
Dudgeon (In high dudgeon)
Noun. Offense; deep resentment. Adverb/Phrase. Indignantly; angrily. Synonyms: Noun. Anger.
Apostate
Noun. One who abandons his beliefs, cause, or party. Synonyms: Noun. Traitor; defector.
Agnostic
Noun. One who believes the existence of a God can be neither proven nor disproven. Noun. A person who holds neither of two opposing positions. Adjective. Noncommital. Synonyms: Noun. Skeptic; unbelieving.
Ascetic
Noun. One who leads a life absent of luxury, practicing severe self-discipline. Adjective. Self-restraining; disciplined. Synonyms: Adjective. Self-denying.
Slugabed
Noun. One who stays in bed until a late hour. Synonyms: Noun. Idler; loafer; layabout.
Herpetologist
Noun. One who studies reptiles. Synonyms: Noun. Animal scientist; zoologist.
Venality
Noun. Openness to bribery. Noun. Willingness to do dishonest acts for money. Synonyms: Noun. Corruptness; immorality, unscrupulousness.
Elocution
Noun. Oratory; style or manner of speaking or reading in public. Synonyms: Noun. Declamation; eloquence; locution.
Éclat
Noun. Ostentatious display. Noun. Brilliance of success. Synonyms: Noun. Splendor; grandeur. Noun. Aclaim; acclamation; praise.
Mortify
Verb. To humiliate; to shame. Verb. To discipline one's body and appetites. Synonyms: Verb. To embarrass; to chagrin. Verb. To subdue (desires); to deny (desires); to restrain (oneself).
Verbiage
Noun. Overabundance of words; wordiness. Noun. Style of expressing words; wording. Synonyms: Noun. Verbosity; redundancy; repetition; loquacity; long-windedness; prolixity; tautology; garrulity. Noun. Diction; language; phrasing.
Shellshock
Noun. PTSD due to prolonged exposure to warfare. Synonyms: Noun. Combat fatigue; battle fatigue.
Longanimity
Noun. Patient endurance of hardship, injuries, or offense; forbearance. Synonyms: Noun. Sufferance.
Remuneration
Noun. Payment; compensation. Synonyms: Noun. Remittance; wage; salary.
Détente
Noun. Peace, esp. between nations. Synonyms: Noun. Easement; Passivity.
Dilettante
Noun. Person who dabbles in the arts. Synonyms: Noun. Amateur; nonprofessional; unskilled.
Paraphernalia
Noun. Personal belongings. Noun. Equipment; gear. Synonyms: Noun. Effects; personal effects; personal property; possessions. Noun. Accoutrements.
Amenity
Noun. Pleasant behavior; civility. Noun. Something increasing comfort; material pleasure; convenience. Synonyms: Noun. Courtesy; pleasantry. Noun. Luxury; accommodation; creature comfort.
Solstice
Noun. Point or time at which the sun is farthest from the equator (northernmost-summer; southermost-winter).
Necromancy
Noun. Practice of talking to spirits of dead people. Noun. Black magic. Synonyms: Noun. Evil magic; witchcraft; sorcery.
Cachet
Noun. Prestige; the state of being respected or admired. Noun. A distinguishing mark or seal. Synonyms: Noun. Distinction; status; eminence; kudos. Noun. Stamp; status.
Inroad
Noun. Progress; an advance. Noun. A hostile attack; a raid. Synonyms: Noun. Headway; steps forward; gains. Noun. Encroachment; incursions.
Aegis (Under the Aegis)
Noun. Protection, backing, or support of a person or organization. Synonyms: Noun. Auspices; sponsorship; endorsement.
Obloquy
Noun. Public criticism or verbal abuse. Noun. Disgrace, esp. from public abuse. Synonyms: Noun. Vilification; opprobrium; vituperation; condemnation; denigration; aspersion. Noun. Dishonor; ignominy; odium; disrepute; infamy.
Nostrum
Noun. Quack medicine; a hypothetical cure that may have no effect. Synonyms: Noun. Patent medicine; elixir; panacea.
Apartheid
Noun. Racial segregation, usually referring to the Republic of South Africa's policy of segregation from 1948 to 1991. Synonmys: Noun. Discrimination; racism.
Credulity
Noun. Readiness to believe. Synonyms: Noun. Gullibility; naïveté.
Deductive Reasoning
Noun. Reasoning from general to specific. Synonyms: Noun. Top-down logic.
Pleonasm
Noun. Redundancy in words. Synonyms: Noun. Verbosity; verboseness; superfluity.
Forbearance
Noun. Refraining from something; patient self-control. Noun. A delay in enforcing a legal right; giving of further time for repayment. Synonyms: Noun. Resisting; avoidance.
Intransigence
Noun. Refusal to compromise; inflexibility. Synonyms: Noun. Stubbornness; bullheadedness; adamancy; doggedness; implacability.
Conjecture
Noun. Speculation; a theory; a guess. Verb. To guess; to speculate. Synonyms: Noun. Hypothesis; guesswork; hunch; inference; supposition. Verb. To surmise; to assume.
Fighting Words
Noun. Speech which would likely make the person whom they are addressed commit an act of violence. Fighting words are a category of speech that is unprotected by the First Amendment.
Auspices (Under the Auspices)
Noun. Sponsorship; support; aegis. Idiom. Under the protection. Synonyms: Noun. Protection; endorsement.
Defalcation
Noun. Stealing funds held by an official. Synonyms: Noun. Embezzlement; misappropriation.
Bristle
Noun. Stiff coarse hairs. Verb. To stand or rise stiffly. Verb. To become rigid with anger. Synonyms: Noun. Barb; feeler; fiber; quill. Verb. To rage; to fume; to storm.
Pandiculation
Noun. Stretching, esp. after waking.
Punctilio
Noun. Strict attention to etiquette. Synonyms: Noun. Good manners; civilities.
Apoplexy
Noun. Stroke (blockage or hemorrhage of a blood vessel to the brain) marked by paralysis and unconsciousness. Noun. Extreme anger. Noun. (Informal) Speechlessness caused by anger. Synonyms: Noun. Occlusion.
Cosmology
Noun. Study of the universe. Synonyms: Noun. Cosmogenesis; cosmogony.
Panache
Noun. Style; flair; a flamboyant manner. Synonyms: Noun. Elegance; dash; charisma.
Occult
Noun. Supernatural forces. Adjective. Hidden; secret; concealed. Adjective. Mysterious; abstruse. Adjective. Relating to supernatural forces. Verb. To hide. Synonyms: Adjective. Unknown; arcane; cryptic; enigmatic. Verb. To belie; to blot out; to cloak; to curtain; to enshroud; to obscure.
Glut
Noun. Surplus; an overabundance. Verb. To fill of feed to excess. Synonyms: Noun. Surfeit; oversupply. Verb. To gorge.
Obelisk
Noun. Tapering, four-sided shaft of stone, usually monolithic and having a pyramidal apex.
Abeyance
Noun. Temporary cessation or suspension. Synonyms: Discontinuance; intermission; quiescence; remission; moratorium.
Bivouac
Noun. Temporary encampment, usually without shelter. Verb. To encamp, usually without shelter. Synonyms: Noun. Camp; encampment.
Apollo
Noun. The Greek and Roman god of sunlight, prophecy, music, and poetry.
Politburo
Noun. The Principal policymaking committe of a Communist Party.
Decalogue
Noun. The Ten Commandments. Synonyms: Noun. Rules; Law of Moses; code; canon.
Congress
Noun. The U.S. government legislature. Noun. The act of coming together. Noun. Sex; coitus. Synonyms: Noun. Assembly; association. Noun. Sexual intercourse.
Occident
Noun. The Western Hemisphere; the countries of Europe and America. Synonyms: Noun. The West; western regions.
Prognostication
Noun. The ability to tell the future. Noun. A prophecy; divination. Synonyms: Noun. Prediction; foretelling; forecast.
Extortion
Noun. The act of illegally taking something by abuse of one's power, position, rank, or authority. Synonyms: Noun. Blackmail; shakedown.
Self-Effacement
Noun. The act of making one's actions inconspicuous, esp. because of humility. Synonyms: Noun. Modesty; humbleness.
Libation
Noun. The act of pouring a liquid offering, esp. wine, as a religious ceremony. Noun. The liquid poured. Noun. (Informal) A drink, esp. an alcoholic one. Synonyms: Noun. Oblation.
Consumption
Noun. The act of taking in or absorbing, as of food, drink, etc. Noun. (Dated: 1834-1943) A wasting disease, esp. pulmonary tuberculosis. Synonyms: Noun. Devouring.
Connotation
Noun. The additional meaning a word or thing implies; undertone. Synonyms: Noun. Implication; hint.
Deductible
Noun. The amount you have to pay out-of-pocket for expenses before the insurance company will cover the remaining costs. Adjective. Able to be taken away from an amount, usually for taxes.
Semblance
Noun. The barest trace or small amount. Noun. Outward appearance, esp. when the reality is different. Noun. (Archaic) A likeness; similarity. Synonyms: Noun. Fragment; modicum; shred. Noun. Guise; facade. Noun. Resemblance.
Exordium
Noun. The beginning. Noun. In rhetoric, the introductory part of a speech or treatise. Synonyms: Noun. Introduction; foreword; preamble; preface; prelude.
Canon
Noun. The body of ecclesiastical law. Noun. A rule, principle, or standard. Noun. Any set of recognized sacred books. Noun. The works of an author deemed acceptable. Synonyms: Noun. A criterion; edict.
Cynosure
Noun. The center of attention. Noun. Something that serves to guide. Synonyms: Noun. Compass; direction.
Ethos
Noun. The character or culture of a community, group, or person. Synonyms: Noun. Philosophy; ideology; mindset; mentality.
Milieu
Noun. The environment; the setting. Synonyms: Noun. Atmosphere; surroundings; ambience; location.
Countenance
Noun. The face or facial features. Noun. Calm facial expression; composure. Verb. To tolerate; to permit. Verb. To support. Synonyms: Noun. Profile. Verb. To brook.
Physiognomy
Noun. The face or facial features. Noun. The art of assessing someone's character based on their outward appearance. Synonyms: Noun. Expression; feature.
Fulcrum
Noun. The fixed point around which a lever pivots.
Ideation
Noun. The formation of ideas or concepts. Synonyms: Noun. Thought; conception.
Rictus
Noun. The gape (open-mouth) of a bird's mouth. Noun. A fixed grimace or grin. Synonyms: Noun. Fixed expression; contortion.
Zeitgeist
Noun. The general spirit or attitude of the time. Synonyms: Noun. Climate; outlook; trend.
Apogee
Noun. The highest or most distant point; climax. Noun. (Astronomy) The point in orbit of a heavenly body when it is farthest from the earth. Synonyms: Noun. Pinnacle; apex; zenith; acme; capstone; crescendo; crest; crown; culmination; high noon; meridian; ne plus ultra; summit.
Zenith
Noun. The highest point. Synonyms: Noun. Top; acme; crest; apex.
Acme
Noun. The highest point; the peak. Synonyms: Noun. Summit; zenith; apogee; climax.
Etymology
Noun. The history of a word. Synonyms: Noun. Word origin.
Maw
Noun. The jaws or throat of a voracious animal. Synonyms: Noun. Gullet; mouth; chops.
Watershed
Noun. The land area that supplies water to a river system. Noun. A turning point; an important change. Synonyms: Noun. Basin; bowl; lagoon; valley. Noun. Milestone; event; landmark.
Checkov's Gun
Noun. The literary technique whereby an element is introduced early in the story, but whose significance does not become clear until later on.
Nadir
Noun. The lowest point of great adversity or despair. Noun. (Astronomy) The point of a celestial sphere directly below an observer. Synonyms: Noun. Rock bottom; all-time low.
Semantics
Noun. The meaning or interpretation of the meaning of a word, phrase, or sentence. Noun. The study of the meanings of words. Synonyms: Noun. Connotation.
Malapropism/Malaprop
Noun. The misuse of a word by confusion with one of a similar sound. Synonyms: Noun. Misstatement; malaprop. Examples: Flamingo/flamenco; auspicious/suspicious; affluence/influence.
Miscegenation
Noun. The mixture of races, esp. through marriage. Synonyms: Noun. Crossbreeding; interbreeding; mixed marriage.
Eaves
Noun. The overhanging edge of a roof. Noun. The overhanging edge of anything (like a hat). Synonyms: Noun. Rim; overhang. Noun. Ledge.
Offal
Noun. The parts of a butchered animal that are considered inedible by human beings. Noun. Waste; garbage. Synonyms: Noun. Debris; junk; refuse; rubbish; trash; scrap.
Marxism
Noun. The political, economic, and social theories of Karl Marx including the belief that the struggle between social classes is a major force in history and that there should eventually be a society in which there are no classes.
Altruism
Noun. Unselfish concern for the welfare of others; selflessness. Noun. Animal behavior that benefits another at its own expense. Synonyms: Noun. Unselfishness; humanitarianism.
Tautology
Noun. Useless repetition using different words. Synonyms: Noun. Indirect speech; discursiveness.
Virulence
Noun. Venomous hostility. Noun. The capacity to be infectious. Synonyms: Noun. Acrimony; bitterness; malice; spite. Noun. Noxiousness; toxicity; infectiousness.
Turbulence
Noun. Violent movements of air or water. Noun. State of violent agitation. Synonyms: Noun. Disturbance; tumult; turmoil.
Emesis
Noun. Vomit; regurgitation. Synonyms: Noun. Barf; puke; spew.
Ablution
Noun. Washing; act of cleansing. Synonyms: Noun. Bath.
Detritus
Noun. Waste; debris. Noun. (Geology) Gravel, sand, silt or other material produced by erosion. Noun. Organic waste material from decomposing plants or animals. Synonymns: Noun.
Atrophy
Noun. Wasting away. Verb. To waste away; to decline. Synonyms: Noun. Wasting; emaciation; shriveling. Verb. To dwindle; to deteriorate; to shrivel.
Turpitude
Noun. Wickedness; depravity. Noun. A wicked, shameful, base, or depraved act. Synonyms: Noun. Immorality; vileness; evil.
Bedlam
Noun. Wild uproar and confusion. Synonyms: Noun. Commotion; mayhem; pandemonium.
Logophile
Noun. Word lover. Synonyms: Noun. Word buff.
Hate Speech
Noun. Words that attack, threaten, or insult a person or group on the basis of national origin, ethnicity, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability.
Narrative Hook
Noun. a literary technique in the opening of a story that "hooks" the reader's attention so that he will read on. The "opening" may consist of several paragraphs for a short story, or several pages for a novel, but ideally is the opening sentence. Synonyms: Noun. Hook.
Incarnadine
Noun/Adj. (Literary) A bright crimson or pinkish-red color. Verb. To color a bright crimson or pinkish-red color. Synonyms: Noun/Adj. Dark red; rosy. Verb. To redden; to flush.
Dichotomy
Nouns. A division into two opposite parts. Synonyms: Noun. Separation; split; contradiction; disjunction.
Limn
Ver. (Literary) To depict or describe in painting or words. Synonyms: Verb. To sketch; to paint; to illustrate.
Rend
Verb (Literary) To tear into pieces. Verb. (Literary) To cause great emotional pain. Synonyms: Verb. To sever; to rip; to shred. Verb. To traumatize; to afflict; to trouble; to distress; to torment.
Descry
Verb (Literary). To catch sight of. Synonyms. Verb. To spot; to notice; to see; espy.
Fleece
Verb (Literary). To overspread, as with a fleece. (Ex. A host of clouds fleecing the summer sky.) Verb. To defraud or swindle. Noun. A fabric made of wool. Synonyms: Verb. To cheat.
Tope
Verb. (Archaic/Literary) To drink alcohol to excess, usually habitually. Synonyms: Verb. To booze; to binge-drink.
Judder
Verb. (Chiefly British) To vibrate violently, esp. something mechanical. Noun. Violent shaking and vibration. Synonyms: Verb. To shake; to shudder; to quiver. Noun. Jolt; jerk; joggle.
Coruscate
Verb. (Literary) Flash or sparkle (of light). Synonyms: Verb. Glimmer; shimmer.
Hark
Verb. (Literary) Listen. Synonyms: Verb. To hear; to lend an ear.
Furbelow
Verb. (Literary) To adorn with trimmings. Noun. A ruffle or pleat, as on a woman's skirt or petticoat. Synonyms: Verb. To bedeck; to embellish. Noun. A frill; flounce.
Inhume
Verb. (Literary) To bury in a grave. Synonyms: Verb. To inter; to consign to the grave; to deep-six.
Espy
Verb. (Literary) To catch sight of. Synonyms: Verb. To glimpse; descry; discern; to spot; to notice.
Repine
Verb. (Literary) To complain; to feel or express discontent. Synonyms: Verb. To fret; to beef.
Tarry
Verb. (Literary) To delay leaving or acting (on something). synonyms: Verb. To procrastinate; to linger; to loiter; to dawdle; to dally; temporize.
Bedizen
Verb. (Literary) To dress up or decorate gaudily or in a tasteless manner. Synonyms: Verb. To adorn; to embellish; to festoon.
Fulminate
Verb. (Literary) To explode violently or flash like lighting. Verb. To protest vehemently. Synonyms: Verb. To flash; to crack; to blow up; to detonate; to thunder. Verb. To rail; to rage; to rant; to declaim.
Ravish
Verb. (Literary) To fill with strong emotion. Verb. (Archaic) To seize or carry off (someone) by force. Verb. (Dated) To rape. Synonyms: Verb. To enrapture; to charm; to delight. Verb. To snatch; to steal; to abduct. Verb. To sexually assault; to molest.
Betide
Verb. (Literary) To happen to. Synonyms: Verb. To befall; to come to.
Fleer
Verb. (Literary) To jeer or laugh disrespectfully. Synonyms: Verb. To sneer.
Repose
Verb. (Literary) To lay something to rest in or on something. Verb. To lie or be at rest. Noun. A state of rest, sleep, or tranquility. Synonyms: Verb. To place; to set; to situate. Verb. To relax; to lounge; to recline. Noun. Restfulness; calm; stillness; inactivity.
Bestrew
Verb. (Literary) To scatter about objects (on a surface). Synonyms: Verb. To strew; to sprinkle; to pepper.
Admonish
Verb. To caution or advise against. Verb. To reprove or scold, esp. in a good-willed manner. Verb. To urge to a duty. Synonyms: Verb. To warn; to strongly criticize.
Congeal
Verb. To change from a soft/fluid state to solid, esp. by cooling. Verb. To come together to form a whole; coalesce. Synonyms: Verb. To coagulate; to curdle; to thicken.
Indict
Verb. To charge with a crime. Synonyms: Verb. To formally accuse.
Jabber
Verb. To chatter rapidly or unintelligibly. Synonyms: Verb. To babble; to blather.
Vindicate
Verb. To clear from blame or suspicion; to exculpate. Verb. To prove to be right or justifiable. Synonyms: Verb. To absolve; to acquit; exonerate.
Conflate
Verb. To combine (texts, ideas, etc.) into one; to merge. Synonyms: Verb. To mix; to blend; to unite; to fuse.
Coalesce
Verb. To combine; to fuse. Synonyms: Verb. To consolidate; to blend; to come together; to unite; to integrate.
Indemnify
Verb. To compensate for loss, damage, or injury. Verb. To guard against anticipated loss, damage, or injury. Synonyms: Verb. To compensate; to repay; to recompense. Verb. To insure; to secure.
Comport
Verb. To conduct oneself; to behave. Verb. To agree, usually followed by with. Synonyms: Verb. To compose; to control; to temper. Verb. To accord; to harmonize; to jibe; to conform.
Discomfit
Verb. To confuse, embarrass, or upset. Verb. To frustrate someone's plans; to thwart. Verb. (Archaic) To defeat in battle. Synonyms: Verb. To disconcert; to abash; to fluster. Verb. To foil; to checkmate. Verb. To conquer; to vanquish.
Addle
Verb. To confuse; to muddle. Verb. (Archaic) To rotten, as eggs. Synonyms: Verb. To baffle; to befuddle. Verb. To go bad; to spoil.
Felicitate
Verb. To congratulate. Synonyms: Verb. To commend; to praise; to extol; to compliment.
Deify
Verb. To consider as a god or god-like. Synonyms: Verb. To elevate; to glorify.
Contextualize
Verb. To consider something together with the situation, events, or information related to it, rather than alone. Synonyms: Verb. To study; to check.
Solace
Verb. To console. Noun. Comfort. Synonyms: Verb. To comfort; to soothe; to calm. Noun. Consolation; relief.
Machinate
Verb. To contrive or plot, esp. artfully or for evil; to scheme. Synonyms: Verb. To conspire; to collude; to complot.
Micromanage
Verb. To control in a detailed, meddlesome manner. Synonyms: Verb. To supervise; to bureaucratize.
Proselytize
Verb. To convert or try to convert someone. Synonyms: Verb. To recruit; to evangelize.
Debauch
Verb. To corrupt; to seduce from virtue. Synonyms: Verb. To defile; to violate; to deprave; to corrupt.
Suppurate
Verb. To create pus. Synonyms: Verb. To fester; to putrefy.
Revile
Verb. To criticize abusively. Synonyms: Verb. To censure; to condemn; to castigate; to lambaste; to denounce; to malign; to excoriate.
Fustigate
Verb. To criticize harshly; to reprimand; to chide; to chastise; to castigate. Synonym: Verb. To rebuke; to upbraid; to scold; to reprove; to censure;
Excoriate
Verb. To criticize severely; to denounce. Verb. To strip the skin. Synonyms: Verb. To berate; to castigate; to chastise. Verb. To abrade; to scrape; to scratch; to chafe.
Avouch
Verb. To declare as fact; to affirm; to assert. Synonyms: Verb. To attest; to authenticate; to testify; to certify.
Acquit
Verb. To declare not guilty; to free from a crime. Verb. To release from an obligation. Verb. To conduct oneself. Synonyms: Verb. To absolve; to vindicate; to exonerate. Verb. To discharge. Verb. To behave; to comport.
Embellish
Verb. To decorate. Verb. To add fictitious details. Synonyms: Verb. To bedeck; to adorn. Verb. To enrich; to give details.
Apotheosize
Verb. To deify; glorify as a god. Synonyms: Verb. To idolize; to aggrandize.
Disenfranchise
Verb. To deprive someone of a privilege or right, like voting, citizenship, etc. Synonyms: Verb. To prevent; to disfranchise.
Dissuade
Verb. To deter or persuade not to do something. Synonyms: Verb. To discourage; to disincline; to disadvise; to dehort.
Abominate
Verb. To detest; to dislike strongly. Synonyms: Verb. To abhor; to despise; to hate.
Prevaricate
Verb. To deviate from the truth (implying someone is rather evading the truth rather than purposely making false statements). Synonyms: Verb. To equivocate; to lie; hedge; to deceive; to belie.
Enjoin
Verb. To direct or order to do something. Synonyms: Verb. To command.
Deter
Verb. To discourage or restrain from acting. Verb. To prevent; to check. Synonyms: Verb. To dissuade; to disadvise. Verb. To hamper; to hinder; to impede.
Misappropriate
Verb. To dishonestly take, usually funds entrusted to one's care; to embezzle. Synonyms: Verb. To steal; to expropriate; defalcate; peculate.
Abhor
Verb. To dislike intensely; to loathe. Synonyms: Verb. To hate; to despise.
Perturb
Verb. To distress; to agitate. Verb. To throw into confusion; to disorder. Synonyms: Verb. To worry; to upset; to unsettle; to trouble; to disconcert; to unnerve.
Roil
Verb. To disturb; to disquiet; to irritate. Verb. To move turbulently. Verb. To make turbid (unclear) by stirring up sediment. Synonyms: Verb. To vex; to anger. Verb. To boil; to churn; to seethe. Verb. To muddy.
Dichotomize
Verb. To divide into two contrasting or opposite parts. Synonyms: Verb. To separate; to split; to contradict; to disjoint.
Subjugate
Verb. To dominate or control; to conquer. Synonyms: Verb. To defeat; to quell.
Conscript
Verb. To draft into the military. Noun. A person drafted into the military. Synonyms: Verb. To enlist; to recruit. Noun. A recruit; a draftee.
Circumscribe
Verb. To draw a line around; encircle. Verb. To limit; to confine. Synonyms: Verb. To outline; to gird; to girdle. Verb. To demarcate; to demark.
Elicit
Verb. To draw out (a response, answer, or fact) from someone in reaction to one's own actions or questions. Synonyms: To evoke; to bring out; to extract.
Quaff
Verb. To drink with relish, usually an intoxicating one. Synonyms: Verb. To gulp; to guzzle; to imbibe.
Expel
Verb. To drive or force out. Verb. To cut off membership or relations. Synonyms: Verb. To discharge; to eject. Verb. To excommunicate; to banish; to oust.
Desiccate
Verb. To dry out thoroughly, usually for preservation. Synonyms: Verb. To dehydrate; to parch.
Peter
Verb. To dwindle to nothing. Verb. To tire; to exhaust. Synonyms: Verb. To decrease; to diminish. Verb. To wear out.
Abash
Verb. To embarrass. Synonyms: Verb. To disconcert; to shame.
Personify
Verb. To embody; to represent. Verb. To give human qualities to a thing or abstraction. Synonyms: Verb. To be; to stand for; to exemplify; to epitomize. Verb. To personate.
Matriculate
Verb. To enroll, esp. into a college. Synonyms: Verb. To register; to join; to sign up for.
Accouter/Accoutre
Verb. To equip; to outfit. Synonyms: Verb. To furnish to clothe.
Adulate
Verb. To excessively praise or flatter someone. Synonyms: Verb. To brown-nose; to fawn; to worship.
Excommunicate
Verb. To exclude from a group, especially a church. Synonyms: Verb. To banish; to oust; to expel; to exile; to dispossess.
Ostracize
Verb. To exile; to shut out. Synonyms: Verb. To ban; to blackball; to exclude; to snub; to excommunicate; to shun.
Opine
Verb. To express an opinion. Synonyms: Verb. To comment; to remark; to weigh in; to editorialize; to note.
Deprecate
Verb. To express disapproval of. Verb. To belittle. Synonyms: Verb. To condemn; to disparage.
Bemoan
Verb. To express grief; to distress; to lament. Synonyms: Verb. To bewail; to deplore; to grieve (for); to mourn; to regret.
Inundate
Verb. To flood; to overspread with water. Verb. To overwhelm. Synonyms: Verb. To deluge; to overflow; to submerge. Verb. To overburden; to overload; to swamp.
Ensue
Verb. To follow in order; to come afterward. Synonyms: Verb. To befall; to turn out.
Proscribe
Verb. To forbid; to prohibit. Synonyms: Verb. To outlaw; to ban.
Impose
Verb. To forcibly place upon. Synonyms: Verb. To foist.
Conceptualize
Verb. To form ideas. Snonyms: Verb. To gestate; to brainstorm.
Stratify
Verb. To form in strata or layers. Synonyms: Verb. To overlay.
Abdicate
Verb. To formally relinquish power. Synonyms: Verb. To step down; to forgo; to resign.
Exculpate
Verb. To free from blame; to clear from guilt/fault. Synonyms: Verb. To acquit; to absolve; to exonerate; to vindicate.
Absolve
Verb. To free from responsibility or guilt. Synonyms: Verb. To acquit; to exonerate; to vindicate; to pardon; exculpate.
Disembody
Verb. To free or separate (soul, spirit) from a body.
Extricate
Verb. To free; to disentangle. Synonyms: Verb. To bail out; to extract; to liberate; to unfetter.
Unfetter
Verb. To free; to liberate. Synonyms: Verb. To emancipate; to release; to extricate.
Daunt
Verb. To frighten; to intimidate. Synonyms: Verb. To alarm; to appall; browbeat.
Glean
Verb. To gather slowly, bit by bit. Verb. To gather grain or produce left by reapers. Synonyms: Verb. To collect; to garner. Verb. To reap; to sift.
Ingratiate
Verb. To get on someone's good side (usually followed by with). Synonyms: Verb. To flatter.
Belie
Verb. To give a false impression; to disguise or contradict. Verb. To show to be false. Synonyms: Verb. To conceal; to cover. Verb. To disprove; to confute; to refute.
Gerrymander
Noun. A dividing of a voting area so as to give your party an unfair advantage. Verb. To divide a voting area so as to give your party an unfair advantage. Synonyms: Noun. Cheat. Verb. To fix; to rig; to tamper with.
Voucher
Noun. A document proving payment; receipt. Noun. Someone who supports another or the correctness of a statement. Synonyms: Noun. Certificate; check; ticket; evidence; documentation. Noun. Champion; verifier; supporter.
Caricature
Noun. A humorously exaggerated imitation. Verb. To show as an exaggerated imitation. Synonyms: Noun. Mockery; farce; parody. Verb. To mock; to ape.
Yeoman
Noun. A middle-class farmer. Noun. A petty officer in the Navy. Synonyms: Noun. A worker; a freeholder.
Quorum
Noun. A minimum number of members necessary to conduct a meeting. Synonyms: Noun. Required number.
Foible
Noun. A minor weakness or character flaw. Synonyms: Noun. Weak point; personal imperfection.
Amortize
Verb. To gradually reduce the cost of an asset (debt, mortgage, etc.). Synonyms: Verb. To write off; to pay off.
Neophyte
Noun. A person who is new to a subject, skill, or belief; beginner. Synonyms: Noun. Newcomer; novice.
Pander
Verb. To gratify or indulge a desire or person(s). Verb. To seek favor from by fawning or w/servile behavior. Synonyms: Verb. To please; to satisfy. Verb. To brownnose; to flatter; ingratiate.
Accrue
Verb. To grow by addition, usually finances. Synonyms: Verb. To accumulate; to amass.
Burgeon
Verb. To grow or develop quickly; to flourish. Verb. To put forth young shoots; to bud. Synonyms: Verb. To thrive; to prosper. Verb. To sprout; to blossom.
Maul
Verb. To handle roughly. Synonyms: Verb. To manhandle; rough up; to beat up.
Ossify
Verb. To harden into bone. Verb. To harden or set in one's ways; to cease developing. Synonyms: Verb. To fossilize; to harden; to petrify. Verb. To become rigid; to stagnate; to become inflexible; to rigidify.
Impede
Verb. To hinder; to slow down the progress of. Synonyms: Verb. To obstruct; to stymie.
Connote
Verb. To hint; to imply. Synonyms: Verb. To suggest; to state indirectly.
Expatriate Expat
Noun. A person who lives outside their native country. Adjective. Living outside their native country. Verb. To settle oneself abroad. Synonyms: Noun. Foreigner; alien; emigrant. Adjective. Emigrant; non-native; foreign.
Doctrinaire
Noun. A person who stubbornly attempts to apply a theory/doctrine without regard for practical difficulties. Adjective. Stubbornly attempting to apply a theory/doctrine without regard for practical difficulties. Synonyms: Noun. Zealot; dogmatist. Adjective. Dogmatic; opinionated; pontifical.
Hypochondriac
Noun. A person with imaginary ailments. Adjective. Having imaginary ailments. Synonyms: Noun. Neurotic. Adjective. Neurotic; hypochondriacal.
Prodigy
Noun. A person, esp. young, with extraordinary talents or abilities. Noun. An impressive example. Synonyms: Noun. Genius; virtuoso; wunderkind. Noun. Model; paragon; paradigm; epitome; archetype.
Daguerreotype
Noun. A photograph taken by an early photographic process employing an iodine-sensitized silvered plate and mercury vapor.
Fane
Noun. A place of worship. Synonyms: Noun. Temple; church; synagogue; mosque.
Juxtaposition
Noun. A placement of things side by side for comparison or contrast. Synonyms: Noun. Adjacency.
Autotroph
Noun. A plant capable of synthesizing its own food from organic substances. Synonyms: Noun. Autophyte; plant.
Apothegm
Noun. A short, wise saying; proverb; adage; maxim. Synonyms: Noun. Dictum; saying; axiom; aphorism.
Gewgaw
Noun. A showy but worthless trinket. Synonyms: Noun. Bauble; knickknack; bric-a-brac.
Chichi
Noun. A showy person or thing. Adjective. Trendy; showy. Synonyms: Noun. Stylishness; dapperness; elegance; modishness. Adjective. Flamboyant; swank.
Herald
Noun. A sign of something to come; a harbinger. Verb. To announce; to usher in. Synonyms: Noun. Omen; messenger. Verb. To augur; to forebode; to forecast.
Raconteur
Noun. A skilled storyteller. Synonyms: Noun. Narrator; anecdotist.
Menial
Noun. A slave; a servant. Adj. Lowly and degrading. Adj. Slavish; submissive; servile. Synonyms: Noun. Factotum; laborer. Adj. Low-status.
Soupçon
Noun. A slight trace, as of taste or flavor. Synonyms: Noun. A bit, dab, vestige, sprinkle, touch.
Placket
Noun. A slit in a garment (such as a skirt) often forming the closure.
Modicum
Noun. A small amount. Synonyms: Noun. Bit; iota; shred; ounce; scintilla.
Pinnace
Noun. A small boat.
Dapple
Noun. A small contrasting spot or blotch. Noun. A spotted or blotched appearance, esp. of the coat of an animal. Verb. To mark with spots. Synonyms: Noun. Speckle; speck; patch; splotch. Verb. To speckle; to bespeckle.
Ramekin
Noun. A small individual baking dish.
Paucity
Noun. A small or insufficient quantity; scarcity. Synonyms: Noun. Sparseness; dearth; shortage.
Rivulet
Noun. A small stream. Synonyms: Noun. Brook; channel; creek; river; beck (Northen English mountain stream).
Peccadillo
Noun. A small, insignificant sin or offense; a petty misdeed. Synonyms: Noun. Indiscretion; wrongdoing.
Brook
Noun. A small, natural freshwater stream. Verb. To tolerate. Synonyms: Noun. Beck; creek; river; rivulet. Verb. To endure; to accept.
Emollient
Noun. A softening or soothing agent especially for the skin; salve. Adjective. Soothing; softening; mollifying. Synonyms: Noun. Balm; lotion. Adjective. Demulcent; healing.
Sentry
Noun. A soldier who guards a door or gate. Synonyms: Noun. Sentinel; guard; custodian; lookout; watchman.
Helix
Noun. A spiral; coil.
Adjutant
Noun. A staff officer assisting the commander. Noun. An assistant. Synonyms: Noun. Aide; auxiliary; helper.
Philatelist
Noun. A stamp collector. Synonyms: Noun. Collector; aggregator.
Desuetude
Noun. A state of disuse. Synonyms: Noun. Idleness; inactivity.
Non Sequitur
Noun. A statement that does not relate logically to what comes before it. Synonyms: Noun. "It does not follow."
Touchstone
Noun. A stone used to test the fineness of gold alloys. Noun. A standard; a test of authenticity or quality. Synonyms: Noun. Guide; barometer; criterion.
Lagoon
Noun. A stretch of salt water separated from the sea by a low sandbank or coral reef.
Shoal
Noun. A stretch of shallow water. Adjective. Shallow; lacking depth in water. Verb. To make or become shallow. Synonyms: Noun. Reef; shallow; ford; sandbank; sandbar. Adjective. Not deep. Verb. To shallow.
Martinet
Noun. A strict disciplinarian, esp. a military one. Synonyms: Noun. Authoritarian; taskmaster.
Redoubt
Noun. A stronghold; a defendable position; a fortification. Synonyms: Noun. Fortress; bastion; bulwark.
Fortification
Noun. A stronghold; something that protects; a redoubt. Synonyms: Noun. Blockade; fortress; reinforced position; bulwark; bastion.
Lout
Noun. A stupid, rude, or awkward person; a brute. Verb. To bow in respect. Synonyms: Noun. A boor; bumpkin; clodhopper; gawk; clod.
Nuance
Noun. A subtle difference in meaning or color. Synonyms: Noun. Distinction; implication.
Spasm
Noun. A sudden burst of energy. Noun. (Pathology) A sudden involuntary muscle contraction. Synonyms: Noun. Burst; paroxysm. Noun. Convulsion; cramp; twitch.
Caprice
Noun. A sudden change in behavior/mind or weather. Synonyms: Noun. Capriciousness; whim.
Paroxysm
Noun. A sudden violent burst of emotion; outburst. Noun. (Pathology) A fit, attack, or sudden increase or recurrence of symptoms. Synonyms: Noun. Flare-up; fit; spasm.
Implication
Noun. A suggestion; something implied. Noun. Involvement. Synonyms: Noun. Connotation; hint; undertone. Noun. Connection; association.
Buttress
Noun. A support, usually of stone. Verb. To support; to prop up. Synonyms: Noun. Brace; prop. Verb. To bolster; to reinforce; to uphold.
Advocate
Noun. A supporter; a defender. Verb. To support; to defend. Synonyms: Noun. Exponent; backer; champion; apologist. Verb. To back; to champion.
Sovereign
Noun. A supreme ruler. Adjective. Possessing supreme power. Synonyms: Noun. Ruler; monarch; head of state; overlord. Adjective. Supreme; absolute; unlimited; unrestricted.
Moratorium
Noun. A suspension of activity. Synonyms: Noun. Delay; freeze; postponement; abeyance.
Nomenclature
Noun. A system of words used in a particular discipline; terminology. Synonyms: Noun. Classification; language; toponomy.
Incluing
Noun. A technique of world-building, in which the reader is gradually exposed to background information about the world in which a story is set.
Armistice
Noun. A temporary truce in war. Synonyms: Noun. Ceasefire; peace.
Proclivity
Noun. A tendency to choose to do something; a predisposition. Synonyms: Noun. Propensity; liking; inclination; leaning; bent; predilection.
Juggernaut
Noun. A terrible, destructive, or irresistible force. Synonyms: Noun. An overpowering force.
Communism
Noun. A theory or system of social organization based on the holding of all property in common, actual ownership being ascribed to the community as a whole or to the state. Synonyms: Noun. Bolshevism; totalitarianism.
Contrivance
Noun. A thing created skillfully & inventively to serve a particular purpose. Noun. A device which gives a sense of artificiality. Synonyms: Noun. Scheme; strategm; plot. Noun. Machine; device; contraption.
Abstraction
Noun. A thing that exists in thought, not reality. Noun. Preoccupation; absentmindedness. Noun. Art that does not represent reality, seeking to achieve its effect using shapes, forms, colors, and textures. Noun. Removal, esp. water from a river or other source. Synonyms: Noun. Concept; thought; ideal. Noun. Distraction; inattention. Noun. Extraction; separation.
Menace
Noun. A threat or danger. Verb. To threaten; to endanger. Synonyms: Noun. Hazard; risk; jeopardy. Verb. To risk; to imperil.
Day of Reckoning
Noun. A time when one is called to account for one's actions. Synonyms: Noun. Judgement; doomsday.
Scintilla
Noun. A tiny trace or spark of a quality or feeling. Example: "A scintilla of doubt." Synonyms: Noun. A nip; a bit; smidgen; iota; shred; modicum.
Lagniappe
Noun. A tip or gratuity, especially one given to a customer. Noun. An unexpected bonus. Synonyms: Noun. Gift; present; largess.
Celluloid
Noun. A tough, transparent, flammable plastic made in sheets from camphor and nitrocellulose, formerly used for cinematographic film. Noun. Motion-picture film. Synonyms: Noun. Movie; flick; cinema.
Vestige
Noun. A trace; remains. Synonyms: Noun. Remnant; relic; footprint; indication; soupçon.
Embargo
Noun. A trade ban on a certain country. Verb. To ban trade with a certain country. Synonyms: Noun. Bar; prohibition; stoppage; moratorium. Verb. To bar; to prohibit; to outlaw.
Quisling
Noun. A traitor who collaborates with an enemy force occupying their country. Synonyms: Noun. Sympathizer; defector; betrayer.
Flounder
Noun. A type of fish with a flat body. Verb. To struggle clumsily. Synonyms: Noun. Flatfish. Verb. To flop; to stumble; to bumble.
Grouse
Noun. A type of game bird. Noun. A complaint; a grumble. Verb. To complain; to grumble. Synonyms: Noun. Grievance; objection; quibble. Verb. Protest; object.
Burqa
Noun. A veil worn by Muslim women that covers the entire body and face, with a mesh window or grille across the eyes for sight.
Niqab
Noun. A veil worn by Muslim women that covers the hair and face, but not the eyes, with a loose black garment (abaya) that covers from head to feet.
Mogul
Noun. A very rich or powerful person. Synonyms: Noun. Magnate; tycoon.
Precipice
Noun. A very steep cliff. Noun. The brink of a dangerous situation. Synonyms: Noun. Bluff; crag; escarpment. Noun. Crisis.
Quarry
Noun. A victim; an object of a hunt. Noun. An excavation; a digging. Verb. To excavate a quarry. Synonyms: Noun. Chase; prey; game. Noun. Hole; unearthing. Verb. To dig up; to bore; to burrow.
Infraction
Noun. A violation; a breach of a rule. Synonyms: Noun. Infringement; offense; crime; transgression.
Maelstrom
Noun. A violent whirlpool. Noun. A confused, violent situation. Synonyms: Noun. Tourbillion; vortex; swirl. Noun. Turbulence; tumult; disorder; upheaval; bedlam; pandemonium; disarray; chaos; confusion.
Caveat
Noun. A warning or caution. Synonyms: Noun. Admonition.
Wastrel
Noun. A wasteful person. Synonyms: Noun. Squanderer; spendthrift; profligate; spender; prodigal; waster.
Velleity
Noun. A weak desire or leaning w/no effort to obtain it. Synonyms: Noun. Want; inclination; tendency.
Infirmity
Noun. A weakness or ailment. Synonyms: Noun. Sickness.
Tycoon
Noun. A wealthy and powerful businessperson; mogul. Synonyms: Noun. Magnate; fat cat.
Scourge
Noun. A whip; a lash. Noun. A source of widespread affliction. Verb. To whip; to lash. Verb. To punish severely. Synonyms: Noun. Plague; torment.
Tourbillion
Noun. A whirlwind or whirlpool. Synonyms: Noun. Vortex; cyclone; whirl; maelstrom.
Maxim
Noun. A wise saying; proverb; adage; an expression of general truth. Synonyms: Noun. Aphorism; axiom; dictum; motto; theorem.
Aphorism
Noun. A wise saying; proverb; adage; maxim. Synonyms: Noun. Dictum; saying; apothegm; axiom.
Adage
Noun. A wise saying; proverb; maxim. Synonyms: Noun. Aphorism; axiom; motto; dictum; precept.
Witticism
Noun. A witty remark. Synonyms. Noun. Repartee; zinger; wisecrack; riposte; epigram.
Acronym
Noun. A word formed from the initial letters or groups of letters of words in a set phrase and pronounced as a separate word.
Contronym
Noun. A word with two opposite meanings; auto-antonym. Examples: To sanction; to peruse; to overlook; to dust.
Palindrome
Noun. A word, phrase, sentence, or verse that reads the same backward or forward.
Fledgling
Noun. A young bird just able to fly. Noun. An inexperienced person. Adjective. Young or inexperienced. Synonyms: Noun. Chick; babe. Noun. Neophyte; novice; tyro; rookie. Adjective. Incipient; callow.
Debutante
Noun. A young woman making a debut into society.
Xerosis
Noun. Abnormal dryness of the skin or eyes.
Teetotalism
Noun. Abstinence from alcoholic beverages. Synonyms: Noun. Temperance; abnegation; abstemiousness.
Invective
Noun. Abusive language. Adjective. Insulting, abusive, as of language. Synonyms: Noun. Insults; expletives; curses; censure; reproach; castigation; recrimination; pejorative. Adjective. Vituperative; denunciatory.
Passivity
Noun. Acceptance of what happens without response, emotion, or resistance; inactivity. Synonyms: Noun. Lifelessness; apathy; indifference.
Epexegesis
Noun. Addition of words for further clarification.
Compromise
Noun. Agreement between two or more sides in which each side gives up some of what it wants. Noun. Exposure to danger. Verb. To settle; to accept a lower standard. Verb. To expose to danger or make vulnerable. Verb. To impair or diminish in function. Synonyms: Noun. Accommodation; accord; arrangement. Verb. To give and take. Verb. To put in jeopardy.
Profusion
Noun. An abundance or large quantity. Synonyms: Noun. Extravagance; surplus; glut; copiousness.
Imputation
Noun. An accusation. Synonyms: Noun. Allegation; incrimination.
Precedent
Noun. An act that serves as a guide for later acts. Adj. Coming before; preceding. Synonyms: Noun. An example; model; paradigm; standard; guide. Adj. Previous; foregoing; former; prior; antecedent.
Thespian
Noun. An actor or actress. Adjective. Of or relating to drama or theater. Synonyms: Noun. A performer; impersonator; tragedian; histrionic. Adjective. Dramatic.
Apologue
Noun. An allegory or moral fable, often w/talking animals or object. Synonyms: Noun. Folktale; folklore.
Progenitor
Noun. An ancestor; a forefather. Synonyms: Noun. Primogenitor; forebear.
Polis
Noun. An ancient Greek city-state. Synonyms: Noun. Metropolis; city; municipality.
Canid
Noun. An animal of the carnivorous, Canidae family including dogs, wolves, coyotes, foxes, and jackals. Synonyms: Noun. Canis; Canidae; aureus.
Gesticulation
Noun. An animated or expressive gesture (action to convey feeling). Synonyms: Noun. Body language; motion.
Carp
Noun. An annoying complaint. Noun. A large freshwater cyprinid fish. Verb. To annoyingly complain and criticize; to cavil. Synonyms: Noun. Grievance; gripe. Verb. To nag; to grumble; to quibble.
Skid Row (Road)
Noun. An area of cheap barrooms and run down hotels, frequented by alcoholics and vagrants. Synonyms: Noun. Red-light district; ghetto.
Commodity
Noun. An article of trade; merchandise. Noun. Benefit; advantage. Synonyms: Noun. Goodes; wares; product. Noun. Aid; asset.
Pastiche
Noun. An artistic work in a style that imitates that of another work, artist, or period. Noun. An incongruous mixture; hodgepodge. Verb. To imitate the style of (an artist or work). Synonyms: Noun. Imitation; copy; mimicry. Noun. Medley; jumble; melange; patchwork. Verb. To copy; to emulate; to mimic.
Abettor
Noun. An assistant, esp. in wrongdoing. Synonyms: Noun. Accessory; accomplice.
Consortium
Noun. An association, typically of several business companies. Noun. An association; a society. Noun. (Law) The right of companionship with one's husband. Synonyms: Noun. Alliance; coalition; union.
Acolyte
Noun. An attendant, assistant, or follower. Noun. In Christianity, an alter attendant in public worship. Synonyms: Noun. Aid; helper.
Sanction
Noun. An authoritative permission or approval. Noun. In law, a penalty or reward. Verb. To authorize; to approve. Verb. To penalize. Synonyms: Noun. Allowance; backing.
Ocher
Noun. An earthy yellow or red. Adj. Of an earthy yellow or red.
Egoist
Noun. An egocentric, self-centered, or egoistic person. Synonyms: Noun. Narcissist; self-aggrandizer; ego-tripper; cockalorum.
Adversary
Noun. An enemy; an opponent. Synonyms: Noun. Antagonist; foe.
Gamut
Noun. An entire range or extent. Synonyms: Noun. Spectrum; breadth; scope.
Rapprochement
Noun. An establishment or reestablishment of cordial relations (esp. in international relations). Synonyms: Noun. Reconciliation; detente.
Malefaction
Noun. An evil deed; crime; wrongdoing. Synonyms: Noun. Offense; misdeed; misdoing; sin; transgression; violation.
Miscreant
Noun. An evildoer; a villain. Adjective. Evil; villainous. Synonyms: Noun. Lowlife; fiend; malefactor. Adjective. Criminal.
Surfeit
Noun. An excess. Verb. To overindulge in something. Synonyms: Noun. Surplus; overabundance; glut. Verb. To overfeed; to glut; to fill.
Sinologist
Noun. An expert in Chinese language, literature, history, art, and customs. Synonyms: Noun. Scholarly name; bookman; scholar.
Virtuoso
Noun. An expert in the arts. Synonyms: Noun. Expert; master; maestro.
Mavin/Maven
Noun. An expert or connoisseur. Synonyms: Noun. Ace; adept; artist; authority; crackerjack; guru; maestro; expert; virtuoso.
Adept
Noun. An expert. Adjective. Highly skilled. Synonyms: Noun. An authority; a connoisseur. Adjective. Experienced; accomplished.
Jingoist
Noun. An extremely aggressive and militant patriot. Synonyms: Noun. Flag-waver; loyalist; nationalist.
Utopia
Noun. An ideal place or state. Synonyms: Noun. Paradise.
Anhedonia
Noun. An inability to experience pleasure.
Accretion
Noun. An increase by natural growth. Noun. An addition. Synonyms: Noun. Accumulation.
Impropriety
Noun. An indecent or improper act. Synonyms: Noun. Indecency; inappropriateness; unsuitableness.
Pococurante (poh-koh-koo-ran-tee)
Noun. An indifferent person. Adjective. Indifferent. Synonyms: Noun. Nonchalance; apathy. Adjective. Careless; nonchalant; apathetic.
Innuendo
Noun. An indirect or allusive remark, usually disparaging. Synonyms: Noun. Intimation; insinuation; suggestion.
Denizen
Noun. An inhabitant; a resident. Noun. A person who regularly frequents a place; an habitué. Synonyms: Noun. Dweller; habitant; tenant. Noun. A regular; a familiar; a frequenter.
Affront
Noun. An insult; an offense. Verb. To insult; to offend. Synonyms: Noun. Indignity; slight. Verb. To disrespect; to outrage; to slight.
Flashback
Noun. An interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached; analepsis.
Flashforward
Noun. An interjected scene that takes the narrative forward in time from the current point the story has reached; prolepsis.
Rendition
Noun. An interpretation or performance of music or a drama. Noun. A translation. Noun. The legal process of sending a suspect to another country to be interrogated or detained.
Erudition
Noun. Bookishness; scholarship; extensive knowledge acquired from books. Synonyms: Noun. Learnedness; education; literacy.
Brevity
Noun. Briefness or conciseness in speech or writing. Synonyms: Noun. Terseness; shortness.
Equanimity
Noun. Calmness under stress. Synonyms: Noun. Levelheadedness; composure; coolness.
Aptitude
Noun. Capacity for learning. Noun. Natural ability; talent. Synonyms: Noun. Competence; savvy. Noun. Inclination; tendency; predilection; propensity.
Insouciance
Noun. Casual lack of concern; indifference. Synonyms: Noun. Apathy; disinterest; nonchalance.
Validation
Noun. Checking something's accuracy. Noun. Affirmation that a person's opinions or feelings are valid. Synonyms: Noun. Attestation; confirmation; corroboration; substantiation; testimony; proof.
Alacrity
Noun. Cheerful willingness or readiness; eagerness. Synonyms: Noun. Promptness; liveliness; readiness.
Analogy
Noun. Comparison; similarity. Synonyms: Noun. Correlation; metaphor.
Table d'hôte
Noun. Complete meal of several courses offered in a restaurant at a fixed price. Synonyms: Noun. Banquet; feast; supper.
Kleptomania
Noun. Compulsion to steal.
Corollary
Noun. Conclusion; result. Synonyms: Noun. Consequence; aftermath.
Temerity
Noun. Confidence in contempt of danger or opposition; foolhardiness; recklessness. Synonyms: Noun. Nerve; audacity; rashness.
Aplomb
Noun. Confidence; poise; assurance. Synonyms: Noun. Composure; equanimity; imperturbability.
Compliance
Noun. Conformity or accordance. Noun. Cooperation or obedience. Synonyms: Noun. Agreement; consent.
Sadism
Noun. Enjoyment from causing others pain, especially sexually. Synonyms: Noun. Malice; barbarity; brutality; cruelness; atrociousness; viciousness.
Effervescence
Noun. Enthusiasm. Noun. Bubbles; fizz. Synonyms: Noun. Vivacity; excitement. Noun. Foam; froth.
Acclaim
Noun. Enthusiastic approval; favorable opinion. Verb. To applaud; to praise. Synonyms: Noun. Acclamation; kudos. Verb. To extol; to laud.
Stasis
Noun. Equilibrium or inactivity caused by opposing equal forces. Synonyms: Noun. Balance.
Perpetuity
Noun. Eternity; infinity; foreverness. Noun. (In law) An annuity (income) payable forever. Synonyms: Noun. Continuity; continuance.
Censor
Noun. Examination and removal of offensive parts in movies, art, or publications. Noun. An adverse critic; faultfinder. Verb. To examine and remove offensive parts in movies, art, or publications. Synonyms: Noun. Carper; nag; nitpicker. Verb. Bowdlerize; to expurgate; to edit.
Prowess
Noun. Exceptional ability or skill. Noun. A valiant deed, esp. in battle. Synonyms: Noun. Accomplishment; aptitude; dexterity; excellence. Noun. Courage; bravery.
Tour De Force
Noun. Exceptional achievement, usually by an author, artist, or the like. Synonyms: Noun. Masterpiece.
Plethora
Noun. Excess; overabundance. Synonyms: Noun. Surfeit; glut; profusion.
Vanity
Noun. Excessive pride; conceit. Synonyms: Noun. Egotism; narcissism; vainglory; haughtiness.
Dispensation
Noun. Exemption from a rule. Noun. Distribution; dispensing. Noun. A system of order, government, or organization of a nation. Synonyms: Noun. Immunity; exception. Noun. Disbursement; allocation. Noun. Arrangement.
Breadth
Noun. Extent; width. Noun. Freedom from narrowness or restraint; liberality. Synonyms: Noun. Broadness.
Guise (Under/In the Guise)
Noun. External appearance; semblance. Noun. False appearance. Noun. Style of dress; costume. Verb. To dress; to attire. Idiom. Disguise; false appearance. Synonyms: Noun. Face; outward. Noun. Pretense; pretext; disguise.
Repugnance
Noun. Extreme dislike. Synonyms: Noun. Aversion; abhorrence; disgust; distaste; animus; revulsion.
Voracity
Noun. Extreme hunger; gluttony. Synonyms: Noun. Ravenousness; rapacity; hungriness.
Bravado
Noun. False bravery. Synonyms: Noun. Boastfulness; boldness; swagger.
Nepotism
Noun. Favoritism shown to relatives, as by giving them jobs. Synonyms: Noun. Patronage.
Acrophobia
Noun. Fear of heights. Synonyms: Noun. Phobia.
Hydrophobia
Noun. Fear of water. Noun. Rabies. Synonyms: Noun. Phobia. Noun. Zoonosis; symptom.
Trepidation
Noun. Fear; agitation. Synonyms: Noun. Dread; fright; worry; nervousness; apprehension.
Emolument
Noun. Fee or salary; profit derived from employment. Synonyms: Noun. Payment; compensation.
Blarney
Noun. Flattering; wheedling talk Noun. Deceptive or misleading talk; nonsense. Verb. To flatter or wheedle. Synonyms: Noun. Cajolery; sweet talk. Noun. Nonsense; hooey. Verb. To coax; to sweet talk.
Blandishment
Noun. Flattery intended to persuade. Synonyms: Noun. Cajolery; coaxing; blarney.
Coquetry
Noun. Flirtation. Synonyms: Noun. Flirting; dalliance.
Flotsam
Noun. Floating debris. Synonyms: Noun. Ruins; wreckage; rubble.
Viand
Noun. Food. Synonyms: Noun. Dish; chow; eats; edibles; grub; provisions; comestibles.
Dint
Noun. Force; effort. Idiom. (By Dint Of) As a result of; due to the efforts of. Synonyms: Noun. Exertion; strain; struggle.
Prescience
Noun. Foresight; knowledge of the future. Synonyms: Noun. Foreknowledge; divination.
Absolution
Noun. Forgiveness; freeing from blame or guilt. Synonyms: Noun. Pardon; amnesty.
Eulogy
Noun. Formal praise, esp. at one's death. Synonyms: Noun. Tribute.
Shrapnel
Noun. Fragments from an exploded artillery shell. Synonyms: Noun. Ammunition; ammo; bullet; shell.
Volition
Noun. Free will. Synonyms: Noun. Choice; autonomy; will.
Bonhomie
Noun. Friendliness; geniality; good-heartedness. Synonyms: Noun. Congeniality; conviviality; cordiality; affability.
Refuse
Noun. Garbage; rubbish. Adjective. Worthless. Verb. To decline to accept. Synonyms: Noun. Litter; waste; junk; trash. Verb. To pass; to dismiss.
Inductive Reasoning
Noun. Generalization: reasoning from detailed facts to general principles. Synonyms: Noun. Bottom-up logic; stereotype.
Largess
Noun. Generous bestowal of gifts or money. Synonyms: Noun. Generosity; liberality; bounty; philanthropy; magnanimity.
Providence
Noun. God, esp. when caring for the universe. Synonyms: Noun. Divine intervention; God's will.
Kilter (Off-Kilter)
Noun. Good condition; working order. Adj. (Idiom) Not perfectly balanced; not aligned. Synonyms: Noun. Health; repair.
Consignment
Noun. Goods to be delivered. Noun. Agreement to pay a supplier after the goods are sold. Synonyms: Noun. Load; cargo; shipment.
Gerontocracy
Noun. Government ruled by elders.
Euphoria
Noun. Great happiness. Synonyms: Noun. Elation; high spirits.
Cupidity
Noun. Greed, esp. for money or possessions. Synonyms: Noun. Avarice; materialism; rapaciousness.
Avarice
Noun. Greediness for wealth. Synonyms: Noun. Cupidity; covetousness; avidness; rapacity.
Tutelage
Noun. Guidance; instruction; teaching. Synonyms: Noun. Guardianship; apprenticeship.
Escapism
Noun. Habitual, mental diversion to imaginative activity or entertainment as an escape from reality or routine. Synonyms: Noun. Diversion; avoidance.
Sclerosis
Noun. Hardening of tissue; especially from inflammation and certain disease states. Though it may occur in many areas of the body, the term is most often associated with blood vessels.
Animadversion
Noun. Harsh criticism; disapproval. Synonyms: Noun. Condemnation; disapprobation; censure.
Crustiness
Noun. Harshness; surliness; rudeness. Noun. A crisp or thick outer layer or covering (crust). Synonyms: Noun. Irritability; irascibility; testiness.
Perdition
Noun. Hell; final spiritual ruin; loss of the soul. Synonyms: Noun. Eternal damnation.
Annals
Noun. Historical records. Synonyms: Noun. Archives; accounts.
Notoriety
Noun. Ill fame; disrepute. Synonyms: Noun. Infamy; opprobrium.
Edification
Noun. Improvement or enlightenment. Synonyms: Noun. Betterment; elucidation; enhancement.
Descant
Noun. In Music, an additional melody sung above the principal melody. Noun. A comment, criticism, or discourse. Verb. To discuss at length.
Smart
Verb. To hurt. Adjective. Intelligent. Adjective. Clean, neat, and well-dressed. Synonyms: Verb. To ache; to sting. Adjective. Clever; bright; shrewd. Adjective. Stylish; chic; fashionable; modish; dapper; natty; jaunty.
Postulate
Verb. To hypothesize; to claim or assume the existence or truth. Synonyms: Verb. To posit; to presuppose; to theorize.
Extemporize
Verb. To improvise (speech, music, actions). Synonyms: Verb. To ad lib.
Ad lib
Verb. To improvise speech, music, etcetera. Adj. Impromptu; extemporaneous. Adv. Freely; without restraint or limit. Synonyms: Verb. To extemporize. Adj. Improvised. Adv. At one's pleasure; without stint.
Actuate
Verb. To incite to action; to motiviate. Verb. To make (a machine or device) operate. Synonyms: Verb. To incite; to animate.
Imbue
Verb. To inspire; to influence. Verb. To saturate with color, moisture, dye, etc. Synonyms: Verb. To invest; to ingrain; inculcate; indoctrinate. Verb. To infuse; to soak; to impregnate.
Inculcate
Verb. To instill or teach by forceful repetition (usually followed by upon, in, or with). Synonyms: Verb. To impart; to indoctrinate; to implant.
Edify
Verb. To instruct or improve morally or intellectually. Synonyms: Verb. To enlighten; to education.
Nettle
Verb. To irritate; to vex. Synonyms: Verb. To provoke; to upset; aggravate; to annoy; to bother; to exasperate; to gall; to grate; to irk; to peeve; to spite.
Sequester
Verb. To isolate; to hide away. Verb. (Law) To take away assets until a debt has been paid. Noun. A general cut in government spending. Synonyms: Verb. To cloister; to insulate; to segregate.
Shanghai
Verb. To kidnap (a man or seaman) for enforced service at sea, esp. on a merchant ship. Synonyms: Verb. To abduct; to capture.
Emigrate
Verb. To leave (exit) a country and settle in another.
Minify
Verb. To lessen; to reduce in size or importance. Synonyms: Verb. To decrease; to minimize.
Concatenate
Verb. To link together in a chain or series. Synonyms: Verb. To couple; to connect; to string together.
Ameliorate
Verb. To make better; to improve. Synonyms: Verb. To alleviate; to lighten; to mitigate.
Elucidate
Verb. To make clear; to explain. Synonyms: Verb. To clarify; to explicate; to expound; to demystify.
Alleviate
Verb. To make easier to endure. Synonyms: Verb. To soothe; to comfort; to relieve; to allay.
Augment
Verb. To make greater by adding to it; to increase. Synonyms: Verb. To amplify; to enlarge; to escalate; to intensify.
Preclude
Verb. To make impossible; to prevent; to eliminate. Synonyms: Verb. To inhibit; to thwart; to avert; to forestall; to obviate.
Stultify
Verb. To make ineffective or useless; cripple; to impair. Synonyms: Verb. To hamper; to impede; to obstruct.
Reify
Verb. To make or consider (something abstract) more concrete or real. Synonyms: Verb. To materialize.
Atone (for)
Verb. To make up, as for sins or errors. Synonyms: Verb. To mend; to redeem; to right; to expiate.
Emulate
Verb. To match or surpass someone's achievement by imitation. Verb. To imitate. Synonyms: Verb. To mimic; to imitate; to copy.
Malversate
Verb. To misuse funds entrusted to one; to embezzle. Synonyms: Verb. Defalcate; misappropriate; peculate.
Migrate
Verb. To move from one place to another, although not typically permanent.
Immigrate
Verb. To move into (enter) a country and settle in.
Demur
Verb. To object; to protest. Noun. Objection; protest. Synonyms: Verb. To complain; to cavil; to dispute; to disagree. Noun. Hesitation; complaint; dispute; dissent.
Reconnoiter
Verb. To observe a region or enemy to gain military information. Synonyms: Verb. To survey; to explore.
Abrogate
Verb. To officially repeal or abolish. Synonyms: Verb. To annul; to nullify; to cancel; to rescind.
Flout
Verb. To openly disregard (rules, law, convention). Synonyms. Verb. To defy; to refuse to obey; to rebel against.
Marshal
Verb. To organize. Noun. A federal or municipal law officer. Noun. A military officer of the highest rank. Synonyms: Verb. To set up; to arrange. Noun. Lawman; peace officer. Noun. Commissioned military officer.
Adumbrate
Verb. To outline; to sketch in a shadowy way. Verb. To foreshadow. Synonyms: Verb. To depict; to draw. Verb. To herald; to forerun; to prefigure; to foretell.
Gourmandize
Verb. To overeat. Synonyms: Verb. To gorge; to glut; to gluttonize.
Discern
Verb. To perceive as separate or distinct. Verb. To recognize; to see. Synonyms: Verb. To detect; to determine; to perceive.
Solemnize
Verb. To perform the ceremony of (marriage, funeral, etc.); to make official through ceremony. Verb. To render serious or grave. Synonyms: Verb. To commemorte; to formalize; to observe.
Nonplus
Verb. To perplex; to confuse. Synonyms: Verb. To puzzle; to baffle; to bewilder; to fluster; to confound; to muddle; to flummox.
Harry
Verb. To persistently attack (an enemy or territory). Verb. To harass. Synonyms: Verb. To assail; to maraud; to ravage; to assault. Verb. To beleaguer; to hassle; to molest.
Induce
Verb. To persuade or influence. Verb. To bring about; to produce. Synonyms: Verb. To convince; to prompt; to inspire; to motivate. Verb. To effect; to create; to generate; to engender.
Disabuse
Verb. To persuade someone that an idea or belief is mistaken; to free from deception or error; disillusion. Synonyms: Verb. To undeceive; to disenchant; to open the eyes of.
Coax
Verb. To persuade with flattery. Synonyms: Verb. To cajole; to wheedle.
Wheedle
Verb. To persuade with flattery. Synonyms: Verb. To coax; to cajole.
Cajole
Verb. To persuade with flattery. Synonyms: Verb. To coax; to wheedle.
Appose
Verb. To place next to; to place side by side. Synonyms: Verb. To juxtapose; to pair.
Juxtapose
Verb. To place side by side, esp. for comparison or contrast. Synonyms: Verb. To appose; to pair.
Trill
Verb. To play or sing in tremulous vibrations of sound. Verb. (of birds, insects, etc.) To sing or utter in a succession of rapidly alternating sounds. Verb. To resound vibrantly, or with a rapid succession of sounds, as the voice, song, or laughter. Noun. A warbling or twittering sound or utterance. Noun. A succession of sounds (by insects, bird, people laughing). Synonyms: Verb. To warble; to sing; to chirp; to tweet. Verb. To sing; to chant. Noun. Quaver; chant; song.
Remonstrate
Verb. To plead in protest, objection, or disapproval. Synonyms: Verb. To complain; to argue; to demur.
Decant
Verb. To pour (as liquid) from one container to another without disturbing the sediment. Synonyms: Verb. To drain; to transfer.
Laud
Verb. To praise (achievements); to glorify, esp. publicly. Synonyms: Verb. To extol; to acclaim; to proclaim.
Extol
Verb. To praise enthusiastically; to glorify Synonyms: Verb. To laud; to acclaim.
Imprecate
Verb. To pray for evil or invoke a curse on someone. Synonyms: Verb. To damn; to execrate; to anathematize.
Supplicate
Verb. To pray humbly. Synonyms: Verb. To beg; to ask.
Extrapolate
Verb. To predict on the basis of known data. Synonyms: Verb. To deduce; to hypothesize.
Bear Down
Verb. To press or weigh down. Verb. To strive harder; to intensify one's efforts. Synonyms: Verb. To close in on. Verb. To strive toward.
Feign
Verb. To pretend. Synonyms: Verb. To fake; to make believe.
Forfend
Verb. To prevent (something) by precautionary measures. Verb. (Archaic) To avert; to keep away. Synonyms: Verb. To defend; to secure; to protect. Verb. To prohibit.
Stridulate
Verb. To produce a shrill, grating sound, like a cricket does by rubbing together certain parts of the body. Synonyms: Verb. Squeak.
Tweedle
Verb. To produce high-pitched sounds like a bird, singer, or musical instrument. Verb. To perform lightly on a musical instrument. Synonyms: Verb. To whistle; to pipe; to chirp. Verb. To play.
Engender
Verb. To produce or cause; to give rise to. Verb. To beget; to procreate. Synonyms: Verb. To bring about; to bring on; to induce. Verb. To spawn; to sire; to breed.
Goad
Verb. To provoke to action. Verb. To prick or drive to action. Noun. A stick used for driving cattle. Noun. Anything that encourages to action. Synonyms: Verb. To spur; to prod; to incite. Noun. Prod; spike; staff. Noun. Stimulus; incentive; inducement.
Tout
Verb. To publicly praise or promote. Synonyms: Verb. To brag about; to laud.
Quash
Verb. To put an end to; to suppress. Verb. To reject or void, esp. legally. Synonyms: Verb. To quell; to subdue. Verb. to cancel; to repeal; to rescind.
Propound
Verb. To put forward (an idea) for consideration; to propose. Synonyms: Verb. To offer; to proffer; to tender; to set forth; to posit; to postulate.
Cavil
Verb. To raise trivial objections; to find fault with unnecessarily. Synonyms: Verb. To quibble; to carp; to criticize.
Peruse
Verb. To read thoroughly. Verb. (Informal) To scan or browse. Synonyms: Verb. To pore over; to scrutinize. Verb. To speed-read; to leaf; to skim.
Abase
Verb. To reduce or lower in rank, reputation, office, prestige, or esteem; to humble. Synonyms: Verb. To belittle; to debase; to degrade.
Forbear
Verb. To refrain or abstain an impulse. Verb. To refrain from doing or using something. Synonyms: Verb. To resist temptation; to avoid; to desist.
Repudiate
Verb. To reject; to refuse to accept or support. Verb. To show that something is untrue. Synonyms: Verb. To abandon; to disavow; to revoke.
Assuage
Verb. To relieve, as of pain, hunger, or anger. Synonyms: Verb. To allay; to alleviate.
Bowdlerize
Verb. To remove offensive passages of a play, novel, etcetera; to expurgate. Synonyms: Verb. To censor; to redact.
Extirpate
Verb. To remove or destroy totally; to exterminate. Verb. To uproot. Verb. To surgically remove an organ. Synonyms: Verb. To exterminate; to destruct; to eradicate.
Doff
Verb. To remove or take off, as of clothing. Synonyms: Verb. To disrober; to undress.
Eviscerate
Verb. To remove the entrails; disembowel. Verb. To deprive of vital or essential parts. Synonyms: Verb. To gut, devitalize, or weaken.
Abnegate
Verb. To renounce or reject (something desired or valuable). Synonyms: Verb. To deny oneself (something); to relinquish; to give up; to surrender (something).
Abjure
Verb. To renounce upon oath (a belief, cause, or claim). Verb. To solemnly reject. Verb. To abstain from; to avoid. Synonyms: Verb. To abnegate; to forswear; to disavow. Verb. To disallow; to turn down. Verb. To forbear; to refrain.
Rescind
Verb. To repeal; to cancel. Synonyms: Verb. To abolish; to abrogate; to annul; to invalidate.
Iterate
Verb. To repeat. Synonyms: Verb. To go over.
Supplant
Verb. To replace. Synonyms: Verb. To supersede; to override; to displace.
Invoke
Verb. To request help. Verb. To appeal to or cite as authority for support. Verb. To call forth; to bring about. Synonyms: Verb. To beg; to implore; to solicit. Verb. To refer to. Verb. To conjure; to summon.
Resonate
Verb. To resound. Verb. To evoke images, memories, and emotions for someone. Verb. To produce a positive feeling, emotional response, or opinion. Synonyms: Verb. To echo; to reverberate.
Reverberate
Verb. To resound; to echo. Synonyms: Verb. To re-echo; to resonate; to vibrate.
Venerate
Verb. To respect; to revere. Synonyms: Verb. To glorify; to exalt; to esteem.
Convalesce
Verb. To return to health and strength after illness. Synonyms: Verb. To recover; to recuperate.
Deride
Verb. To ridicule; to make fun of. Synonyms: Verb. To insult; to disparage; to mock; to scoff; to scorn; to taunt.
Efface
Verb. To rub out; to erase (outlines, traces, inscriptions). Verb. To wipe out; to do away with. Verb. To make inconspicuous; to cause to vanish. Synonyms: Verb. To scratch out; to cut out. Verb. To abolish; to black out; to eradicate. Verb. To withdraw oneself.
Lope
Verb. To run with long bounding stride. Noun. A long bounding stride. Synonyms: Verb. Gallop; trot. Noun. Gallop; trot.
Chide
Verb. To scold; objurgate; berate. Synonyms: Verb. To criticize; to blame; to castigate; to censure; to condemn; to rebuke; to reprimand; to reproach; to upbraid.
Abrade
Verb. To scrape or rub off, esp. by friction. Synonyms: Verb. To chaff; to wear.
Abscond
Verb. To secretly leave, esp. from the law. Synonyms: Verb. To flee; to depart.
Conspire
Verb. To secretly plot wrongdoing. Synonyms: Verb. To scheme; to machinate; to collude; to connive.
Equivocate
Verb. To use intentionally misleading or ambiguous language. Synonyms: Verb. To lie.
Cannibalize
Verb. To use/remove parts, equipment, assets, employees, etc. from (an item, product, or business) in order to use them in another. Verb. To eat a member of the same species. Synonyms: Verb. To recycle; to reuse.
Arboreal
Adjective. Relating to trees; treelike. Synonyms: Adjective. Arborescent.
Coxcomb
Noun. (Archaic) A conceited, foolish man; dandy. Synonyms: Noun. Fool.
Gloaming
Noun. (Literary) Twilight; dusk. Synonyms: Noun. Evening.
Toilsome
Adj. (Archaic/Literary) Involving hard work. Synonyms: Adj. Arduous; demanding; taxing; exacting; grueling; laborious; strenuous; operose; tiresome.
Superlunary
Adj. (Archaic/Literary). Relating to heaven; celestial. Synonyms: Adj. Heavely; empyrean; ethereal; supernal; elysian
Plangent
Adj. (Literary) (Of a sound) Loud, reverberating, and mournful. Synonyms: Adj. Sonorous; resounding; resonant; clangorous; reverberant.
Lambent
Adj. (Literary) (Of light) Softly glowing or flickering. Synonyms: Adj. Luminous; refulgent; effulgent; radiant; scintillating; luminescent; resplendent.
Wont
Adj. (Literary) Accustomed (as of habit). Noun. Habit. Verb. (Archaic) To become accustomed to. Synonyms: Adj. Habituated; adapted; acquainted; familiarized; Noun. Custom; practice; habitude. Verb. To habituate; to adapt; to familiarize.
Madding
Adj. (Literary) Acting madly; frenzied; insane. Synonyms: Adj. Frantic; raving; berserk; crazy.
Sublunary
Adj. (Literary) Belonging to this world as opposed to a better, spiritual one; earthly. Adj. Between the moon and earth. Synonyms: Adj. Terrestrial; worldly.
Storied
Adj. (Literary) Celebrated in stories. Synonyms: Adj. Legendary; illustrious; celebrated; famed.
Bacchanalian
Adj. (Literary) Characterized by drunken revelry. Synonyms: Adj. Dionysiac; carousing; Dionysian; crapulous.
Lachrymal
Adj. (Literary) Connected with weeping or tears. Synonyms: Adj. Lacrimal; lachrymose.
Darksome
Adj. (Literary) Dark or gloomy. Synonyms: Adj. Darkish.
Perfidious
Adj. (Literary) Deceitful and untrustworthy. Synonyms: Adj. Treacherous; disloyal; unfaithful.
Sempiternal
Adj. (Literary) Everlasting; eternal; never-ending. Synonyms: Adj. Perpetual; abiding; enduring; lasting; permanent; timeless; unending.
Vainglorious
Adj. (Literary) Excessively prideful; boastful. Synonyms: Adj. Conceited; pompous; egotistical; arrogant.
Plumbless
Adj. (Literary) Extremely deep (water). Synonyms: Adj. Bottomless; abysmal; abyssal.
Noisome
Adj. (Literary) Foul-smelling. Synonyms: Adj. Mephitic; noxious.
Mephitic
Adj. (Literary) Foul-smelling; noxious (esp. of gas or vapors). Synonyms: Adj. Stinking; fetid; malodorous; putrid; miasmic; miasmal; noisome; olid; reeking; fusty; odorous;
Flexuous
Adj. (Literary) Full of bends and curves. Synonyms: Adj. Sinuous; curving; tortuous; meandering; circuitous.
Rutilant
Adj. (Literary) Glowing or glittering with red or golden light (fiery). Synonyms: Adj. Radiant; shining; beaming.
Viridescent
Adj. (Literary) Greenish or becoming green. Synonyms: Adj. Virescent.
Virescent
Adj. (Literary) Greenish. Synonyms: Adj. Green; viridescent.
Darkling
Adj. (Literary) Growing dark or characterized by darkness. Synonyms: Adj. Dark; black; darksome; lightless; pitch-black.
Wondrous
Adj. (Literary) Inspiring wonder or delight; marvelous. Synonyms: Adj. Amazing; awesome; stunning; incredible; extraordinary; miraculous; phenomenal; fascinating; breathtaking; spectacular; impressive; fantastic; awe-inspiring.
Perfervid
Adj. (Literary) Intense and impassioned; very fervent. Synonyms. Adj. Fervid; passionate; ardent; vehement; emotional.
Nescient
Adj. (Literary) Lacking knowledge; ignorant. Synonyms: Adj. Clueless; oblivious; incognizant; unaware; uninformed.
Clarion
Adj. (Literary) Loud and clear. Noun. A medieval trumpet with a curved shape. Noun. The sound from a clarion. Synonyms: Adj. Blaring.
Lightsome
Adj. (Literary) Nimble; agile; graceful. Adj. (Literary) Merry and carefree. Synonyms: Adj. Lissome; light-footed; spry. Adj. Cheerful; buoyant; gay; blithe; chipper; eupeptic.
Nocuous
Adj. (Literary) Noxious, harmful, or poisonous. Synonyms: Adj. Toxic; pernicious; pestiferous; baneful; deleterious; mephitical; malign.
Abstract
Adj. Existing in thought, but not reality; theoretical. Adj. Relating to artwork that does not represent reality, seeking to achieve its effect using shapes, forms, colors, and textures. Adj. Difficult to understand; abstruse. Verb. To extract or remove. Verb. To divert or draw away the attention of; distract. Noun. A summary of contents in a writing. Synonyms: Adjective. Hypothetical; philosophical; unreal. Verb. To disconnect. Noun. A recap; a synopsis.
Prodigious
Adj. Extraordinary in size, amount, extent, degree, force, etc. Synonyms: Adj. Enormous, immense, huge, gigantic, tremendous.
Infinitesimal
Adj. Extremely small; incalculably or immeasurably small. Synonyms: Adj. Microscopic; teeny; negligible; minute; minuscule; tiny.
Fictive
Adj. Fictitious; imaginary. Synonyms: Adj. Fabricated; fictional; invented; made-up; make-believe.
Agog
Adj. Full of interest or excitement; eager. Synonyms: Adj. Enthusiastic; avid.
Fraught
Adj. Full of, usually something unpleasant (followed by with). Adj. Stressed; distressed; anxious. Synonyms: Adj. Abounding; abundant; replete; teeming. Adj. Uneasy; worried.
Putative
Adj. Generally considered or reputed to be; supposed; presumed. Synonyms: Adj. Acknowledged; recognized; ostensible.
Noxious
Adj. Harmful, poisonous, or very unpleasant. Synonyms: Adj. Insalubrious; noisome; deadly; toxic; virulent.
Pernicious
Adj. Harmful; destructive, esp. gradually. Adj. Fatal; deadly. Synonyms: Adj. Adverse; deleterious; pestiferous; ruinous; inimical. Adj. Mortal.
Crusty
Adj. Harsh; surly; rude. Adj. Having a crisp or thick outer layer or covering (crust). Synonyms: Adj. Testy; prickly; touchy; curt.
Corpulent
Adj. Having a large body; fat. Syunonyms: Adj. Fleshy; obese; overweight; podgy; plump; heavyset.
Mealy
Adj. Having the qualities of meal; powdery; soft, dry, and crumbly. Adj. Pale; sallow: Adj. Of or containing meal; farinaceous. Adj. Covered with or as if with meal or powder.
Eminent
Adj. High; lofty. Adj. Famous; celebrated; distinguished. Synonyms: Adj. Outstanding; notable; renowned.
Madcap
Adj. Impulsive, reckless, or rash often in an amusing way. Synonyms: Adj. Foolhardy; heedless; crackpot; brash; audacious; temerarious.
Inimitable
Adj. Incapable of being copied; matchless; unique. Synonyms: Adj. Distinctive; special; peerless; incomparable; nonpareil.
Bawdy
Adj. Indecent; lewd; or obscene, esp. in writing or drama. Synonyms: Adj. Ribald; racy; naughty.
Incontrovertible
Adj. Indisputable; undeniable; irrefutable; not controvertible. Synonyms: Adj. Unquestionable; accurate.
Incongruous
Adj. Inharmonious, inconsistent, or inappropriate for the situation/thing; out of place. Synonyms: Adj. Incompatible; unsuited; conflicting.
Didactic
Adj. Intended to teach; instructive. Adj. Inclined to teach or lecture too much and in a patronizing way. Synonyms: Adj. Instructional; educational; informative.
Fungible
Adj. Interchangeable; able to be replaced by another identical item. Synonyms: Adj. Changeable; compatible.
Heady
Adj. Intoxicating. Adj. Exciting; exhilarating. Adj. Violent; destructive. Adj. Impetuous. Adj. Shrewd; intelligent. Synonyms: Adj. Inebriating. Adj. Thrilling; invigorating. Adj. Impulsive; rash.
Extraneous
Adj. Irrelevant or unrelated to the subject. Adj. Not belonging to something; external; foreign. Synonyms: Adj. Inapplicable; impertinent. Adj. Alien.
Desultory
Adj. Lacking a plan, purpose, or enthusiasm. Adj. Jumping from one subject to another without order; disconnected. Synonyms: Adj. Aimless; erratic; haphazard. Adj. Digressing; discursive; unfocused.
Stuffy
Adj. Lacking fresh air; poorly ventilated. Adj. Dull; tedious; boring. Adj. Blocked up and difficult to breath. Adj. Self-important; pompous. Adj. Rigid in attitudes; old-fashioned; conservative. Adj. Ill-tempered; sulky.
Inelegant
Adj. Lacking grace, elegance, refinement, or good taste. Synonyms: Adj. Awkward; clumsy; gauche; uncouth; unrefined.
Voluminous
Adj. Large; substantial; sizeable/sizable. Adj. Very loose-fitting; baggy. Adj. (Of writing) Very lengthy and full. Adj. Spacious; capacious. Synonyms: Adj. Considerable; big; ample; vast. Adj. Sagging; bagging. Adj. Comprehensive. Adj. Cavernous; roomy; spacey.
Matronly
Adj. Like a married, middle-aged, and dignified woman; motherly. Synonyms: Adj. Ladylike; full-figured; womanish.
Avuncular
Adj. Like an uncle, esp. a kind and patient one.
Supine
Adj. Lying on one's back. Adj. Failing to act or protest b/c of moral weakness or indolence. Synonyms: Adj. Recumbent; prone; prostrate. Adj. Spineless; pliant; passive; indifferent.
Sun-kissed
Adj. Made warm or brown by the sun; suntanned. Adj. Sunny. Synonyms: Adj. Dark-skinned; bronzed; tanned. Adj. Sunlit; sunshiny.
Recondite
Adj. Mysterious or difficult to understand; abstruse. Adj. Beyond ordinary knowledge; esoteric. Synonyms: Adj. Obscure; arcane.
Equable
Adj. Not easily disturbed or angered; calm and even-tempered. Adj. Not varying or fluctuating greatly; uniform. Synonyms: Adj. Composed; imperturbable; unflappable. Adj. Constant; consistent; even; steady.
Staid
Adj. Of a sedate, serious, or humorless character. Adj. Fixed, settled, or permanent. Synonyms: Adj. Solemn; stiff, unsmiling; composed. Adj. Investerate; lasting.
Aestival
Adj. Of or belonging to the summer. Synonyms: Adj. Summery; summerlike.
Seminal
Adjective. (Of work, event, moment, or figure) Original and influencing future developments. Adjective. Relating to semen. Adjective. (Botany) Relating to seed. Synonyms: Adjective. Influential; generative; groundbreaking; pioneering; innovative; formative.
Ectopic
Adjective. (Pathology) Occurring in an abnormal position or place. Adjective. (Pathology) Abnormal implanting of the fertilized egg out of the uterus. Synonyms: Adjective. Displaced.
Hiemal
Adjective. (Rare) Of or relating to winter. Synonyms: Adjective. Wintry; winter-like; brumal.
Aboriginal
Adjective. (Relating to humans, plants, and animals) Inhabiting a land in its earliest times; indigenous. Synonyms: Adjective. Original; native.
Epidemic
Adjective. (of a disease) Affecting many persons at the same time and spreading in a locality where the disease is not permanently prevalent. Adjective. Widespread; prevalent. Noun. A temporary prevalence of a disease. Noun. A rapid spread or increase in the occurrence of something. Synonyms: Adjective. Contagious; endemic.
Sesquipedalian
Adjective. (of words) Polysyllabic; long. Adjective. Using long words.
Automagical
Adjective. (technical or computer process) Operating in a way that is hidden from or not understood by the user.
Derelict
Adjective. Abandoned by the owner; deserted. Adjective. Negligent; remiss. Adjective. Very poor in condition; dilapidated. Noun. A person negligent in duties. Noun. A vagrant; bum. Synonyms: Adjective. Desolate. Adjective. Careless. Adjective. Dingy; neglected; ruined; shabby. Noun. Beggar; hobo.
Retentive
Adjective. Able to hold, keep, or recall. Adjective. Having a good memory. Synonyms: Adjective. Absorbent; imbibing; permeable. Adjective. Recollective.
Sententious
Adjective. Abounding in pithy aphorisms or maxims. Adjective. Excessively moralizing; self-righteous. Synonyms: Adjective. Pithy; concise. Adjective. Didactic; homiletic/homiletical; moralistic; moralizing; preachy; sermonic.
Abounding
Adjective. Abundant. Synonyms: Adjective. Plentiful; teeming; copious; filled.
Consummate
Adjective. Accomplished or supremely skilled. Verb. To make perfect; to fulfill. Verb. To complete a marriage by having sex.
Inured
Adjective. Accustomed to hardship. Verb. To accustom to hardship; to toughen. Synonyms: Adjective. Acclimated; hardened; toughened.
Impetuous
Adjective. Acting without thought; controlled by emotion. Adjective. Moving with great force. Synonyms: Adjective. Impulsive. Adjective. Forceful.
Vertiginous
Adjective. Affected with vertigo; dizzy; dizzying. Synonyms: Adjective. Whirling; reeling; giddy; light-headed.
Postprandial
Adjective. After dinner.
Bellicose
Adjective. Aggressive; hostile; belligerent. Synonyms: Adjective. Pugnacious; combative; antagonistic; warlike.
Belligerent
Adjective. Aggressively hostile or warlike; pugnacious. Synonyms: Adjective. Bellicose; combative; confrontational; disputatious; feisty; quarrelsome; scrappy; truculent.
Overwrought
Adjective. Agitated; excited; nervous. Adjective. (piece of writing or art) Overdone; complicated in design; elaborated to excess. Synonyms: Adjective. Edgy; high-strung; tense; frantic. Adjective. Overblown; overelaborate.
Hermetic
Adjective. Airtight; tightly sealed. Adjective. Hidden or protected from the outside world; isolated. Synonyms: Adjective. Tight; impervious. Adjective. Recluse; solitary.
Omniscient
Adjective. All-knowing. Synonyms: Adj. All-seeing; pansophical.
Officious
Adjective. Annoyingly telling others what to do when not asked or needed. Synonyms: Adjective. Self-assertive; overbearing; domineering.
Archaic
Adjective. Antiquated; old-fashioned. Synonyms: Adjective. Antediluvian; obsolete; dated; outmoded; outdated; ancient; timeworn.
Meretricious
Adjective. Apparently attractive but having no value. Synonyms: Adjective. Garish; gaudy; brassy; tawdry; cheap; tacky; gimcrack; trashy.
Demagogic
Adjective. Appealing to mass prejudice, often using lies; rabble-rousing. Synonyms: Adjective. Inflammatory; provocative; subversive; incendiary.
Ostensible
Adjective. Appearing to be true, but not. Synonyms: Adjective. Alleged; supposed; specious.
Apposite
Adjective. Appropriate; suitable; well-adapted. Synonyms: Adjective. Pertinent; relevant; apt; applicable.
Polemical
Adjective. Argumentative; quarrelsome. Synonyms: Adjective. Controversial; disputatious.
Patrician
Adjective. Aristocratic; of noble birth. Synonyms: Adjective. Royal; blue-blooded; noble.
Ad Feminam
Adjective. Attacking a woman's character rather than her argument. Synonyms: Adjective. "To the woman."
Iconoclastic
Adjective. Attacking cherished traditions; unorthodox. Synonyms: Adjective. Dissentient; dissenting; heretical; heterodox; maverick; nonconformist; nonorthodox; unconventional.
Comely
Adjective. Attractive; beautiful. Synonyms: Adjective. Good-looking; pretty; ravishing.
Anthropomorphic
Adjective. Attributing human qualities to nonhumans. Synonyms: Adjective. Humanlike.
Petulant
Adjective. Bad-tempered; crabby. Synonyms: Adjective. Moody, testy; irritable; surly; cantankerous; crotchety.
Laconic
Adjective. Concise; using few words. Synonyms: Adjective. Short; terse; to the point; succinct.
Arbitrary
Adjective. Based on one's wishes or whims without regard to reason or fairness; inconsistent. Adjective. Unrestrained and autocratic in exercising power; tyrannical. Synonyms: Adjective. Capricious; whimsical; unpredictable. Adjective. Dictatorial; undemocratic; despotic; authoritarian.
Rudimentary
Adjective. Basic; elementary. Adjective. Undeveloped. Synonyms: Noun. Fundamental; simple. Noun. Uncomplete; incomplete.
Flummoxed
Adjective. Bewildered; perplexed; confused. Synonyms: Adjective. Puzzled; baffled; muddled.
Magniloquent
Adjective. Boastful in speech. Synonyms: Adjective. Grandiloquent; pompous; bombastic.
Corporeal
Adjective. Bodily; physical. Adjective. Material; tangible. Synonyms: Adjective. Fleshly; carnal.
Strepitous
Adjective. Boisterous; noisy. Synonyms: Adjective. Cacophonous; clamorous; rambunctious; riotous; rowdy; obstreperous; vociferous.
Pestiferous
Adjective. Bringing disease; pestilential; infective. Adjective. Pernicious; evil. Adjective. Troublesome; annoying. Synonyms: Adjective. Infectious; contagious; virulent; toxic. Adjective. Malicious. Adjective. Bothersome; abrasive; irksome.
Evocative
Adjective. Bringing strong thoughts, feelings, or memories to mind. Synonyms: Adjective. Suggestive; reminiscent; expressive.
Effervescent
Adjective. Bubbly; fizzy. Adjective. Enthusiastic; excited. Synonyms: Adjective. Sparkling; carbonated; aerated. Adjective. Lively; spirited; vivacious.
Onerous
Adjective. Burdensome; troublesome. Adjective. Involving heavy legal obligations. Synonyms: Adjective. Arduous; difficult; laborious; demanding.
Halcyon
Adjective. Calm; peaceful (as of days). Adjective. Rich; wealthy; prosperous. Adjective. Happy; joyful; carefree. Noun. A legendary bird (kingfisher) with the power to calm the winter sea. Synonyms: Adjective. Placid; quiet; serene. Adjective. Affluent; thriving; well-off. Adjective. Elated; golden; excited.
Viable
Adjective. Capable of living or succeeding. Adjective. Practical; feasible. Synonyms: Adjective. Possible; workable; achievable; doable.
Circumspect
Adjective. Careful to consider all circumstances and possible consequences. Synonyms: Adjective. Cautious; wary; chary; discreet.
Pathogenic
Adjective. Causing disease. Synonyms: Adjective. Infective; unhealthful; morbific.
Cloying
Adjective. Causing disgust through excess. Adjective. Sickly sweet or sentimental; ingratiating. Synonyms: Adjective. Saccharine.
Grievous
Adjective. Causing grief or sorrow. Synonyms: Adjective. Appalling; atrocious; severe; grave.
Sudorific
Adjective. Causing sweat. Noun. A drug that induces sweating. Synonyms: Adjective. Diaphoretic. Noun. Medicine.
Chary
Adjective. Cautious or careful. Synonyms: Adjective: Alert; circumspect; heedful; wary; safe.
Symbiotic
Adjective. Characterized by mutual benefit; shared. Synonyms: Adjective. Cooperative; interdependent; reciprocal; united.
Xeric
Adjective. Characterized by or adapted to a dry habitat; requiring little moisture. Synonyms: Adjective. Xerophytic.
Winsome
Adjective. Charming in a childlike or naive way. Synonyms: Adjective. Cute; attractive; cheerful; pleasant; appealing.
Blithe
Adjective. Cheerful; joyous. Adjective. Indifferent; carefree. Synonyms: Adjective. Happy; jaunty. Adjective. Apathetic.
Caustic
Adjective. Chemically corrosive. Adjective. Sarcastic in a critical way. Synonyms: Adjective. Acrid; burning. Adjective. Mordant; scathing.
Puerile
Adjective. Childishly silly. Synonyms: Adjective. Childish; immature; juvenile; jejune.
Explicit
Adjective. Clearly expressed or shown. Synonyms: Adjective. Clear; straightforward; specific; clear-cut; definitive; obvious; unequivocal.
Marked
Adjective. Clearly noticeable; evident. Synonyms: Adjective. Conspicuous; apparent; obvious.
Artful
Adjective. Clever or skillful, usually in a crafty or deceitful way. Synonyms: Adjective. Adroit; slick; sly; cunning.
Pugnacious
Adjective. Combative; quarrelsome; belligerent. Synonyms: Adjective. Aggressive; bellicose; argumentative; contentious; disputatious; hostile; bellicose.
Provincial
Adjective. Coming from a country, territory, or region. Adjective. Narrow-minded; limited in outlook. Adjective. Unpolished and unsophisticated. Noun. A person who comes from a country, territory, or region. Noun. An unpolished and unsophisticated person. Synonyms: Adjective. Parochial; small-minded. Adjective. Bumpkin; countryman; hillbilly; yokel.
Trite
Adjective. Commonplace; stale; worn-out. Synonyms: Adjective. Overused; quotidian; overdone; platitudinous; vapid; clichéd; banal; jejune; prosaic; hackneyed.
Hackneyed
Adjective. Commonplace; stale; worn-out. Synonyms: Adjective. Overused; trite; overdone; platitudinous; vapid; clichéd; banal; quotidian.
Analogous
Adjective. Comparable; similar. Synonyms: Adjective. Corresponding; akin; related; alike; cognate; connate; correspondent; matching; resemblant; resembling; suchlike.
Plenary
Adjective. Complete; full; absolute; unqualified. Adjective. Attended by all qualified members; fully constituted. Synonyms: Adjective. Unrestricted; comprehensive; entire.
Solicitous
Adjective. Concerned; worried. Adjective. Particular. Synonyms: Adjective. Caring; attentive; interest.
Sectarian
Adjective. Confined to a particular group or sect, especially religious or political. Noun. A member of a group of sect. Noun. A bigoted or narrow-minded member of a group, especially religious or political. Synonyms: Adjective. Exclusive; factional; separatist; partisan. Noun. Intolerant, prejudiced person.
Elitist
Adjective. Considered superior by others or by themselves. Adjective. Believing in or associated with elitist class, its ideologies, or its institutions. Noun. A person professing superiority. Noun. A person who believes in elitism. Synonyms: Adjective. Aristocratic; snobbish.
Subdued
Adjective. Controlled; less intense. Synonyms: Hushed; low-key; mellow; muted; restrained.
Expedient
Adjective. Convenient and practical, although possibly immoral. Noun. A means to an end, although possibly immoral. Synonyms: Adjective. Worthwhile; appropriate. Noun. Measure; means; stratagem; plan.
Colloquial
Adjective. Conversational; informal (as of language). Synonyms: Adjective. Non-formal; vernacular; newsy.
Recreant
Adjective. Cowardly. Adjective. Unfaithful. Noun. A coward. Noun. A traitor. Synonyms: Adjective. Dastardly, pusillanimous; craven. Adjective. Disloyal.
Craven
Adjective. Cowardly; contemptibly timid. Noun. A coward. Synonyms: Adjective. Lily-livered; faint-hearted; spineless; timorous; pusillanimous. Noun. Poltroon; dastard; chicken.
Bovine
Adjective. Cowlike; oxlike. Adjective. Slow moving, like an ox. Synonyms: Adjective. Bovid; Bovidae.
Wanton
Adjective. Cruel and unprovoked; malicious. Adjective. (Of a woman) Having sex with many men; promiscuous. Synonyms: Adjective. Atrocious; brutal; vicious; heartless. Adjective. Lewd; lascivious; pornographic; smutty; indecent.
Procrustean
Adjective. Cruel or inflexible in enforcing conformity. Synonyms: Adjective. Ruthless; unmerciful.
Vociferous
Adjective. Crying out noisily; clamorous. Synonyms: Adjective. Obstreperous; strepitous; boisterous.
Aquiline
Adjective. Curved or hooked like an Eagle's beak. Synonyms: Adjective. Beaked.
Imperiling
Adjective. Dangerous; hazardous. Synonyms: Adjective. Perilous; risky; threatening; grave; unsafe; parlous; deleterious; inimical; pernicious.
Parlous
Adjective. Dangerous; hazardous; risky. Synonyms: Adjective. Perilous; risky; threatening; grave; unsafe.
Perilous
Adjective. Dangerous; hazardous; risky. Synonyms: Adjective. Threatening; unsafe; grave; parlous.
Somber
Adjective. Dark in color. Adjective. Gloomy; depressing; dismal. Adjective. Serious; grave. Adjective. Gloomily dark; shadowy; dimly lit. Synonyms: Adjective. Sad; dull; sober; solemn.
Tessellated
Adjective. Decorated with small pieces of colored glass or stone fitted together; like a mosaic.
Determinate
Adjective. Definite; having defined limits. Synonyms: Adjective. Certain.
Contingent
Adjective. Dependent. Adjective. Possible. Adjective. Accidental. Noun. A representative group. Synonyms. Adjective. Conditional. Adjective. Likely; uncertain. Adjective. Fortuitous. Noun. Group.
Dispossessed
Adjective. Deprived of homes, possessions, and security. Synonyms. Adjective. Disfranchised; disenfranchised; evicted.
Disenfranchised
Adjective. Deprived of the right to vote. Adjective. Deprived of power; marginalized. Adjective. Deprived of a right or privilege. Synonyms: Adjective. Oppressed; subjugated; suppressed.
Reprehensible
Adjective. Deserving blame; blameworthy. Synonyms: Adjective. Culpable; condemnable; blamable; reproachable.
Probative
Adjective. Designed to test or try. Adjective. (Law) Serving to prove; substantiating. Synonyms: Adjective. Confirmational; corroborating; probatory; supporting; verifying.
Aberrant
Adjective. Deviating from the usual way. Adjective. Abnormal. Synonyms: Adjective. Not normal.
Sedulous
Adjective. Diligent; constant in effort. Synonyms: Adjective. Assiduous; dedicated.
Deprecatory
Adjective. Disapproving. Adjective. Apologetic. Synonyms: Adjective. Critical; scathing; condemnatory. Adjective. Rueful; sorry; regretful; remorseful; repentant.
Cacophonous
Adjective. Discordant; inharmonious. Synonyms: Adjective. Dissonant; unmelodious.
Brusque/Brusk
Adjective. Discourteously blunt. Synonyms: Adjective. Abrupt; curt; snippy.
Unscrupulous
Adjective. Dishonest; immoral. Synonyms: Adjective. Corrupt; crooked.
Pejorative
Adjective. Disparaging; belittling; insulting. Noun. A disparaging or belittling word or expression. Synonyms: Adjective. Demeaning; denigrative; derogatory. Noun. Slander; denigration; insult; affront.
Irreverent
Adjective. Disrespectful. Synonyms: Adjective. Insolent; impudent.
Aloof
Adjective. Distant physically or emotionally. Synonyms: Adjective. Detached; distant.
Cynical
Adjective. Distrusting other's motives. Synonyms: Adjective. Nonbelieving; doubtful.
Giddy
Adjective. Dizzy. Adjective. Frivolous and lighthearted; impulsive; flighty. Adjective. Happy; joyful. Verb. To make giddy. Synonyms. Adjective. Light-headed; swimmy; vertiginous; woozy; whirling; aswoon. Adjective. Silly; birdbrained; ditzy. Adjective. Euphoric; elated; blithe; exultant; ecstatic; rapt; rapturous.
Maleficent
Adjective. Doing evil or harm. Synonyms: Adjective. Immoral; bad; corrupt; hateful; heinous; vile; malevolent.
Vapid
Adjective. Dull; uninteresting. Adjective. Tasteless. Synonyms: Adj. Ordinary; commonplace; run-of-the-mill; banal; trite; pedestrian; dry; quotidian; mundane; drab; jejune; hackneyed. Adj. Flavorless; flat; unpalatable; unsavory; stale.
Diurnal
Adjective. During the day (as opposed to nocturnal). Adjective. Daily. Synonyms: Adjective. Everyday; quotidian; day-to-day.
Moribund
Adjective. Dying, on the way out. Synonyms: Adjective. Terminal; declining.
Expectant
Adjective. Eagerly anticipating. Adjective. Pregnant. Synonyms: Adjective. Excited; agog; waiting; anticipatory.
Choleric
Adjective. Easily angered, bad-tempered; irritable. Synonyms: Adjective. Irascible; grumpy; crotchety; cantankerous; crabby; waspish; snappish; angry; irate.
Facile
Adjective. Easy. Adjective. (Of theory or argument) Ignoring the true complexities of an issue; superficial. Synonyms: Adjective. Effortless; undemanding. Adjective. Simplistic; oversimplified.
Eldritch/Eldrich/Elritch
Adjective. Eerie; spooky. Synonyms: Adjective. Weird; ghostly.
Urbane
Adjective. Elegant in manner. Synonyms: Adjective. Civilized; refined; sophisticated.
Sublime
Adjective. Elevated or lofty in thought, language, etc. Adjective. Awe-inspiring. Synonyms: Adjective. Great; magnificent.
Vacuous
Adjective. Empty. Adjective. Stupid; inane. Synonyms: Adjective. Bare; blank; devoid; stark; vacant; void. Adjective. Birdbrained; brain-dead; dense; dim; doltish; asinine; dumb; witless; softheaded.
Gregarious
Adjective. Enjoying company; sociable. Synonyms: Adjective. Companionable; extroverted; convivial; outgoing; social; affable; friendly; clubbable.
Tantamount
Adjective. Equivalent; equal. Synonyms: Adjective. Same; commensurate.
Quotidian
Adjective. Every day; daily. Adjective. Ordinary; commonplace; everyday. Synonyms: Adjective. Day-to-day. Adjective. Regular; common; garden-variety; routine; usual; normal.
Malign
Adjective. Evil in effect; injurious. Verb. To slander; to speak evil of. Synonyms: Adjective. Hurtful; malicious; hateful; virulent. Verb. To defame; to libel; to vilify.
Unctuous
Adjective. Exaggeratedly or insincerely polite. Adjective. Oily; greasy. Synonyms: Adjective. Sycophantic; ingratiating.
Exorbitant
Adjective. Excessive. Synonyms: Adjective. Inordinate; extravagant; superfluous.
Superfluous
Adjective. Excessive; unnecessary. Synonyms: Adjective. Gratuitous; redundant; exorbitant.
Smarmy
Adjective. Excessively flattering; servile. Synonyms: Adjective. Ingratiating; unctuous; smug; obsequious; sycophantic; fawning.
Lugubrious
Adjective. Excessively mournful; exaggeratedly sad. Synonyms: Adjective. Cheerless; depressing; melancholy; dismal; dolorous; doleful.
Fastidious
Adjective. Excessively particular and hard to please; painstaking. Synonyms: Adjective. Meticulous; choosy.
Primordial
Adjective. Existing from the beginning of time; primeval. Adjective. Basic and fundamental. Synonyms: Adjective. Ancient; prehistoric. Adjective. Innate; inherent.
Nominal
Adjective. Existing in name only; not actual or real. Adjective. Relating to, or being, a noun. Adjective. (Usu. of a price or amount of money) Small; insignificant. Synonyms: Adjective. Titular; honorary; so-called. Adjective. Inconsequential; paltry.
Satirical
Adjective. Exposing human folly to ridicule or irony. Synonyms: Adjective. Sardonic; mocking.
Terse
Adjective. Expressed in few words. Synonyms: Adjective. Brief; concise; succinct; laconic.
Succinct
Adjective. Expressed in few words; brief; concise; terse; laconic. Synonyms: Adjective. Pithy.
Gnomic
Adjective. Expressed in pithy maxims or aphorisms. Adjective. Enigmatic; ambiguous. Adjective. Resembling gnomes — species in folklore with short stature and act as treasure guardians. Synonyms: Adjective. Terse; concise; laconic. Adjective. Cryptic; mysterious. Adjective. Troll.
Effusive
Adjective. Expressing a lot of emotion; gushing. Adjective. (Geology) Characterized by an outpouring of lava. Synonyms: Adjective. Gushy; demonstrative; exuberant.
Dogmatic
Adjective. Expressing opinions strongly as if they were facts. Synonyms: Adjective. Opinionated; assertive; doctrinaire.
Supernumerary
Adjective. Extra; excessive. Noun. An extra. Noun. An actor employed to play a walk-on. Synonyms: Adjective. Additional; superfluous. Noun. Surplus; addition.
Antediluvian
Adjective. Extremely ancient; antiquated. Synonyms: Adjective. Out-of-date; antique; age-old; archaic; timeworn.
Wroth
Adjective. Extremely angry. Synonyms: Adjective. Annoyed; enraged; furious; indignant; infuriated; angered; horn-mad; incensed; inflamed; rabid; irate; ireful; livid; mad; outraged; sore.
Harrowing
Adjective. Extremely disturbing or distressing. Synonyms: Adjective. Troubling; grieving; tormenting.
Stentorian
Adjective. Extremely loud. Synonyms: Adjective. Blaring; blasting; booming; stentorious.
Panglossian
Adjective. Extremely optimistic, esp. in the face of adversity or hardship. Synonyms: Adjective. Hopeful; looking on the bright side; pollyannish.
Virulent
Adjective. Extremely poisonous. Adjective. Hostile; bitter. Synonyms: Adjective. Toxic; venomous. Adjective. Acerbic; vitriolic; acrid.
Lurid
Adjective. Gruesome; macabre; revolting. Adjective. Shockingly vivid. Adjective. Lacking color. Adjective. Terrible in intensity, fierce passion, or unrestraint. Adjective. Shining with an unnatural, fiery glow. Synonyms: Adjective. Appalling; atrocious; awful; dreadful. Adjective. Catchpenny; sensationalist. Adjective. Ashen; ashy; blanched; cadaverous; livid; pale; mealy; paled; pallid; pasty; peaked; wan.
Hirsute
Adjective. Hairy; shaggy. Synonyms: Adjective. Furry; bristly; furred.
Casual
Adjective. Happening by chance; random. Adjective. Careless and offhand. Adjective. Apathetic; unconcerned. Adjective. Not dressy. Adjective. Irregular; occasional. Synonyms: Adjective. Fortuitous; unplanned. Adjective. Without thought. Adjective. Indifferent; nonchalant. Adjective. Informal dress. Adjective. Aperiodic; erratic.
Jovial (By Jove)
Adjective. Happy; joyful. Adjective. Relating to Jove, or Jupiter, the Roman god of the weather. Idiom. (By Jove) Exclamation to emphasize surprise, approval, or agreement. Synonyms: Adjective. Blithe; blithesome; gay; gleeful; jocose; jocular; jocund; jolly; merry; mirthful.
Deleterious
Adjective. Harmful, injurious. Synonyms: Adjective. Damaging; hurtful; adverse; nocuous; detrimental; pernicious.
Inimical
Adjective. Harmful; unfavorable. Adjective. Hostile; unfriendly. Synonyms: Adjective. Adverse; destructive; injurious; imperiling; deleterious; pernicious.
Benign
Adjective. Harmless; gentle. Synonyms: Adjective. Anodyne; innocuous; inoffensive; kind.
Acrid
Adjective. Harsh in smell or taste. Adjective. Caustic in language or tone. Synonyms: Adjective. Pungent or sour; bitter. Adjective. Acrimonious; Vitriolic.
Cursory
Adjective. Hasty and without attention to detail. Synonyms: Adjective. Offhand; desultory; rushed; hurried.
Odious
Adjective. Hateful; detestable; highly offensive; disgusting; repugnant. Synonyms: Adjective. Abhorrent; abominable; horrible;
Rawboned
Adjective. Having a lean and bony physique; gaunt. Synonyms: Adjective. Skinny; thin.
Aspirant
Adjective. Having ambitions to achieve. Noun. A person who has ambitions to achieve. Synonyms: Noun. Applicant; candidate.
Titular
Adjective. Having an important title without the power or duties. Adjective. Having the feature character's name in the title. Synonyms: Adjective. So-called; in name only; nominal; honorary.
Multifarious
Adjective. Having great variety; diversified. Synonyms: Adjective. Diverse; varied; multitudinous; multifaceted; assorted; miscellaneous.
Incorporeal
Adjective. Having no material body or form. Synonyms: Adjective. Insubstantial; intangible; impalpable; nonphysical; disembodied.
Feverish
Adjective. Having or showing a fever. Adjective. Excited, restless, or uncontrolled. Synonyms: Adjective. Febrile; fevered. Adjective. Agitated; frenzied; hectic.
Febrile
Adjective. Having or showing a fever; feverish. Synonyms: Adjective. Hot; burning; flushed; sweating.
Virile
Adjective. Having strength, energy, and strong sex drive (usually of a man); manly. Synonyms: Adjective. Macho; masculine.
Ambivalent
Adjective. Having two opposing feelings at the same time or mixed feelings. Synonyms: Adjective. Unsure; uncertain; indecisive.
Nebulous
Adjective. Hazy; vague. Adjective. Resembling a cloud of interstellar gas and dust. Synonyms: Adjective. Confused; obscure. Adjective. Nebular.
Acephalous
Adjective. Headless. Adjective. Without a ruler or leader. Synonyms: Adjective. Beheaded.
Ebullient
Adjective. High-spirited; cheerful; full of energy. Synonyms: Adjective. Vivacious; enthusiastic; exuberant; buoyant; jaunty; effervescent; euphoric; exhilarated.
Baroque
Adjective. Highly ornate and extravagant in style. Adjective. Relating to or denoting a style of European architecture, music, and art of the 17th and 18th centuries that followed mannerism and is characterized by ornate detail. In architecture the period is exemplified by the palace of Versailles and by the work of Bernini in Italy. Major composers include Vivaldi, Bach, and Handel; Caravaggio and Rubens are important baroque artists. Noun. The baroque style.
Pertinacious
Adjective. Holding firmly to an opinion or course of action; persistent. Synonyms: Adjective. Tenacious; stubborn; determined; obstinate; resolute; dogged; insistent; unrelenting; unyielding.
Aboveboard
Adjective. Honest; frank. Synonyms: Adjective. Trustworthy; candid; truthful; artless.
Aghast
Adjective. Horrified or shocked. Synonyms: Adjective. Appalled; dismayed; stunned.
Ribald
Adjective. Humorous in a vulgar, usually sexual, way. Synonyms: Adjective. Bawdy; foul-mouthed; naughty; risqué.
Facetious
Adjective. Humorous. Adjective. Not meant seriously. Synonyms: Adjective. Flippant; frivolous; glib.
Esurient
Adjective. Hungry, greedy. Synonyms: Adjective. Rapacious; ravenous; devouring; voracious.
Pharisaic
Adjective. Hypocritically self-righteous. Adjective. Of or relating to the Pharisees. Synonyms: Adjective. Affected; artificial; phony.
Utopian
Adjective. Idealistic; impractical. Synonyms: Adjective. Quixotic; romantic; starry-eyed.
Unconscionable
Adjective. Immoral and unreasonable. Adjective. Unreasonably excessive. Synonyms: Adjective. Unscrupulous; unprincipled; unethical. Adjective. Unwarranted; unnecessary.
Farcical
Adjective. Pertaining to a play with ridiculous happenings. Adjective. Ludicrous; absurd. Synonyms: Adjective. Amusing; comical; funny.
Sober
Adjective. Not intoxicated or drunk. Adjective. Serious; solemn. Adjective. Muted in color. Verb. To become free unaffected by alcohol. Synonyms: Adjective. Clearheaded; teetotal; abstinent; abstemious. Adjective. Grave; somber; staid; unemotional. Verb. To quit drinking; to dry out.
Humble
Adjective. Not proud; modest; down-to-earth. Verb. To lower in condition or status. Synonyms: Adjective. Meek; unassuming; soft-spoken. Verb. To deprive of confidence.
Secular
Adjective. Not religious; not spiritual. Synonyms: Adjective. Worldly; materialistic.
Unrequited
Adjective. Not returned in kind; unreciprocated. Synonyms: Adjective. Unreturned; rejected.
Indiscriminate
Adjective. Not selective; random. Synonyms: Adjective. Haphazard; aimless.
Unassuming
Adjective. Not showy; unpretentious. Synonyms: Adjective. Demure; down-to-earth; modest; humble.
Obsequious
Adjective. Obedient or excessively servile. Synonyms: Adjective. Ingratiating; sycophantic; fawning; unctuous; subservient; slavish; smarmy.
Surreptitious
Adjective. Obtained or done in secret; clandestine. Synonyms: Adjective. Stealthy; sneaky; furtive.
Contrived
Adjective. Obviously planned or forced instead of arising naturally; artificial. Verb. To obviously plan; invent; devise. Synonyms: Adjective. Affected; phony; false; feigned; fake; unnatural. Verb. To engineer; to manufacture; to stage.
Contemporary
Adjective. Occurring in present times; modern. Adjective. Occurring in the same time period; coexistent. Noun. A person who is about the same age as another person. Synonyms: Adjective. New; present-day; current. Adjective. Coetaneous; coeval; concurrent.
Sallow
Adjective. Of a sickly, yellowish color, esp. of skin. Verb. To make sickly and yellow in color. Synonyms: Adjective. Pale and unhealthy; jaundiced. Verb. To make pale and unhealthy; to jaundice.
Apocryphal
Adjective. Of doubtful authenticity; questionable. Synonyms: Adjective. Unverified; unauthenticated; unsubstantiated.
Nugatory
Adjective. Of no real value; worthless. Adjective. Useless; futile. Synonyms: Adjective. Unimportant; trifling; trivial; insignificant. Adjective. Vain; unavailing; invalid.
Vernal
Adjective. Of or relating to spring. Synonyms: Adjective. Springlike; spring.
Estival
Adjective. Of or relating to summer. Synonyms: Adjective. Summery; aestival.
Brumal
Adjective. Of or relating to winter. Synonyms: Adjective. Wintry; winter-like; hiemal.
Homogeneous
Adjective. Of the same kind. Synonyms: Adjective. Similar; comparable.
Crass
Adjective. Offensive; insensitive. Synonyms: Adjective. Coarse; boorish; rude; vulgar.
Bumptious
Adjective. Offensively self-assertive. Synonyms: Adjective. Cocky; egotistic; self-important; conceited; arrogant.
Antiquated
Adjective. Old-fashioned; obsolete; antediluvian. Synonyms: Adjective. Ancient; archaic; outmoded; timeworn.
Unilateral
Adjective. One-sided. Synonyms: Adjective. One-party.
Artless
Adjective. Open and honest. Synonyms: Adjective. Innocent; natural; real; simple; unaffected; frank; aboveboard.
Receptive
Adjective. Open to arguments, ideas, or change. Synonyms: Adjective. Broad-minded; open-minded.
Venal
Adjective. Open to bribery. Synonyms: Adjective. Corrupt; bribable; corruptible.
Equivocal
Adjective. Open to more than one meaning; ambiguous. Synonyms: Adjective. Unclear; inconclusive; inexplicit.
Ambiguous
Adjective. Open to more than one meaning; equivocal. Synonyms: Adjective. Unclear; inconclusive; inexplicit.
Amenable
Adjective. Open to suggestion; easily persuaded or controlled. Adjective. Able to be corrected, revised, or altered. Synonyms: Adjective. Receptive; cooperative; responsive; agreeable.
Heavy-Handed
Adjective. Oppressive; harsh. Adjective. Clumsy; graceless. Synonyms: Adjective. Severe; cruel. Adjective. All thumbs; blundering; bungling.
Sanguine
Adjective. Optimistic; hopeful. Adjective. Reddish; blood red. Synonyms: Adjective. Cheerful; happy. Adjective. Flushed; reddish.
Workaday
Adjective. Ordinary; commonplace. Synonyms: Adjective. Everyday; routine; normal; average.
Indigenous
Adjective. Originating naturally in an area; native. Adjective. Innate; inborn; inherent. Synonyms: Adjective. Aboriginal; domestic; endemic. Adjective. Built-in; hardwired; inbred; ingrained; intrinsic.
Pedantic
Adjective. Ostentatious in one's learning. Adjective. Overly concerned with minute details in teaching. Synonms: Adjective. Precise; perfectionist; persnickety.
Sophomoric
Adjective. Overconfident and conceited, but immature. Synonyms: Adjective. Inexperienced; foolish.
Overweening
Adjective. Overconfident; conceited. Synonyms: Adjective. Arrogant; cocksure; cocky; smug; haughty.
Wan
Adjective. Pale or sickly in appearance or complexion. Adjective. Pale or weak lighting. Synonyms: Adjective. Pallid; ashen; white; gray. Adjective. Dim; faint.
Bygone
Adjective. Past; gone by; earlier; former. Noun. A past occurrence. Synonyms: Adjective. Long-ago; lost; previous.
Immaculate
Adjective. Perfectly clean, neat, or tidy. Adjective. Perfect; flawless. Synonyms: Adjective. Spotless; pure; pristine; unsoiled. Adjective. Fautless
Piquant
Adjective. Pleasantly spicy or tart. Adjective. Interesting, exciting, or attractive. Adjective. Lively; excited. Synonyms: Adjective. Flavorful; biting; tangy; zesty; peppery. Adjective. Engaging; stimulating. Adjective. Provocative; animated; spirited; vivacious.
Ambrosial
Adjective. Pleasing in taste or smell. Adjective. Worthy of the gods. Synonyms: Adjective. Tasty; nectarous; fragrant; aromatic; redolent; savory; scented; sweet; perfumed. Adjective. Heavenly; ambrosian.
Hoity-toity
Adjective. Pompous; highfalutin; pretentious. Adjective. Thoughtlessly silly or lighthearted; flighty; impulsive and unpredictable. Synonyms: Adjective. Snobbish; haughty; arrogant; supercilious; superior; imperious; self-important. Adjective. Capricious; mercurial.
Impecunious
Adjective. Poor; having no money. Synonyms: Adjective. Penniless; poverty-stricken; destitute; broke; impoverished; indigent.
Indigent
Adjective. Poor; needy; impoverished. Noun. A needy person. Synonyms: Adjective. Impecunious; insolvent; poverty-stricken; destitute; penniless. Noun. Vagrant; beggar; pauper; derelict.
Ominous
Adjective. Portending evil or harm; threatening. Synonyms: Adjective. Dire; dismal; apocalyptic; foreboding.
Cogent
Adjective. Powerfully persuasive; convincing. Synonyms: Adjective. Effective.
Omnipresent
Adjective. Present everywhere. Synonyms: Adjective. All-present; ubiquitous.
Coy
Adjective. Pretending shyness or modesty to attract. Adjective. Shy; modest. Synonyms: Adjective. Coquettish; flirtatious; kittenish. Adjective. Bashful; timid; demure.
Highfalutin
Adjective. Pretentious; pompous, especially of speech. Synonyms: Adjective. Grandiloquent; flowery; high-flown; high-sounding; magniloquent.
Prolific
Adjective. Producing abundantly; productive. Synonyms: Adjective. Fruitful; fertile; fecund; rich.
Verboten
Adjective. Prohibited; forbidden. Synonyms: Adjective. Banned; taboo; disallowed.
Salient
Adjective. Prominent; noticeable or important. Synonyms: Adjective. Conspicuous.
Egalitarian
Adjective. Promoting equality for all; equal. Noun. A person who promotes equality for all; equalitarian. Synonyms: Adjective. Democratic; equitable. Noun. Democrat; leveler.
Litigious
Adjective. Prone to bringing lawsuits. Adjective. Disputatious; argumentative. Synonyms: Adjective. Belligerent; contentious; disputable.
Commensurate
Adjective. Proportional; equal. Synonyms: Adjective. Comparable; corresponding; adequate.
Cathartic
Adjective. Providing psychological/emotional relief or purging through open expression. Adjective. Purgative; cleansing. Synonyms: Adjective. Purifying.
Discursive
Adjective. Rambling. Adjective. Concluding by reason not intuition. Synonyms: Adjective. Digressive; indirect; deviating. Adjective. Logical.
Haphazard
Adjective. Random; by chance. Synonyms: Adjective. Aimless; indiscriminate.
Profligate
Adjective. Recklessly wasteful. Adjective. Immoral; licentious (promiscuous and unprincipled in sexual matters). Noun. A wasteful person. Synonyms: Adjective. Prodigal.
Pleonastic
Adjective. Redundant with words. Synonyms: Adjective. Redundant; verbose; superfluous.
Perverse
Adjective. Rejecting what is right. Synonyms: Adjective. Contrary; corrupt; improper.
Histrionic
Adjective. Related to acting or actors; dramatic. Noun. An actor. Synonyms: Adjective. Theatrical; melodramatic; hammy; thespian. Noun. Character.
Classical
Adjective. Relating to Greek and Roman antiquity, literature, art, architecture, or etc. Adjective. Based on customs usually handed down from a previous generation; traditional. Adjective. Regarded as representing an exemplary standard. Synonyms: Adjective. Conventional; customary; classic.
Epochal
Adjective. Relating to a particular time in history. Adjective. Highly significant; momentous. Synonyms. Adjective. Epoch-making; historical. Adjective. Memorable; eventful.
Campestral
Adjective. Relating to fields or open country; rural. Synonyms: Adjective. Rustic; pastoral; arcadian; bucolic.
Pecuniary
Adjective. Relating to money. Synonyms. Adjective. Financial; monetary; fiscal.
Epistolary
Adjective. Relating to or contained in letters.
Carnal
Adjective. Relating to sensual desires and appetites; sexual. Synonyms: Adjective. Lewd; sensuous; fleshy; libidinous.
Phonetic
Adjective. Relating to spoken language or speech sounds. Synonyms: Adjective. Oral; spoken; vocal.
Visceral
Adjective. Relating to the inner organs. Adjective. Relating to deep inward feelings rather than intellect. Synonyms: Adjective. Gut; abdominal. Adjective. Innate; instinctive; instinctual.
Sinistral
Adjective. Relating to the left hand (opposite of dextral). Adjective. Left-handed.
Dextral
Adjective. Relating to the right hand (opposite sinistral). Adjective. Right-handed.
Conceptual
Adjective. Relating to thought or the generation of ideas. Synonyms: Adjective. Abstract; theoretical; visionary.
Temporal
Adjective. Relating to time. Adjective. Worldy; secular. Adjective. Enduring for a time only; temporary; transitory (opposed to eternal). Synonyms: Adjective. Momentary; transitory. Adjective. Material; earthly; physical; materialistic.
Indicative
Adjective. Serving as a sign; suggestive. Adjective. In grammar, pertaining to the mood of the verb used for objective statements or questions. Noun. In grammar, a verb expressing a statement of fact or asking a question. Synonyms: Adjective. Symbolic; exhibitive; connotative.
Acute
Adjective. Severe; intense. Adjective. Deeply perceptive. Adjective. Extremely great or serious. Adjective. Sharp. Synonyms: Adjective. Excruciating; cutting. Adjective. Keen; smart. Adjective. Important. Adjective. Spiked; sharpened.
Obscene
Adjective. Sexually offensive or disgusting by accepted standards. Adjective. Offensive; repugnant; disgusting. Synonyms: Adjective. Shocking; vile; foul. Adjective. Salacious; lewd.
Brazen
Adjective. Shamelessly bold and disrespectful; impudent. Synonyms: Adjective. Brash; audacious; shameless.
Amorphous
Adjective. Shapeless. Synonyms: Adjective. Formless; undefined.
Flagrant
Adjective. Shockingly noticeable or evident. Adjective. Without shame; conspicuously wicked. Synonyms: Adjective. Blatant; glaring; obvious.
Supercilious
Adjective. Showing arrogant disdain and superiority. Synonyms: Adjective. Stuck-up; high-and-mighty; imperious; pompous; superior.
Meticulous
Adjective. Showing great care, precision, and attention to detail. Synonyms: Adjective. Fastidious; painstaking.
Boastful
Adjective. Showing or speaking with excessive pride and self-satisfaction. Synonyms: Adjective. Bragging; full of oneself; egotistical; magniloquent; grandiloquent.
Flamboyant
Adjective. Showy in display or behavior. Synonyms: Adjective. Flashy; ornate.
Ostentatious
Adjective. Showy; flashy. Synonyms: Adjective. Flaunty; pretentious; gaudy.
Canny
Adjective. Shrewd. Adjective. Wisely economical. Synonyms: Adjective. Clever; artful; astute. Adjective. Cost-effective; prudent; frugal; thrifty.
Astute
Adjective. Shrewd; clever. Synonyms: Adjective. Perceptive; discerning; keen; insightful.
Wizened
Adjective. Shriveled; withered; wrinkled. Verb. To wither; to shrivel. Synonyms: Adjective. Diminished; shrunken. Verb. To shrink; to waste away; to atrophy.
Adroit
Adjective. Skillful; clever. Adjective. Dexterous; nimble. Noun. A skilled person. Synonyms: Adjective. Very able; adept; skilled; artful. Adjective. Agile; graceful; limber; lissome; lithe; spry; flexible. Noun. Expert; master; maestro; virtuoso; guru; crackerjack.
Dilatory
Adjective. Slow to act; intended to cause delay. Synonyms: Adjective. Tardy; unhurried; sluggish; lazy; leisurely; procrastinating.
Lethargic
Adjective. Sluggish. Synonyms: Adjective. Inactive; torpid; dull; laid-back; listless; languid; lackadasical.
Negligible
Adjective. So unimportant that it can be disregarded. Synonyms: Adjective. Insignificant; trivial.
Demulcent
Adjective. Soothing, as a medicinal substance. Noun. A medication that soothes injured skin. Synonyms: Adjective. Healing; balsamic; emollient. Noun. Ointment; lotion; salve; emollient.
Doleful
Adjective. Sorrowful; mournful; melancholy. Synonyms: Adjective. Depressing; dejected; dispirited; cheerless; crestfallen; rueful; somber; woebegone.
Acidulous
Adjective. Sour in taste, manner, or speech. Synonyms: Adjective. Bitter.
Maculated
Adjective. Spotted or stained. Verb. To mark with spots; to stain. Synonyms: Adjective. Blotched; dotted; dappled; speckled; splotched. Verb. Blotch; dot; dapple; speckle; splotch.
Pervasive
Adjective. Spread throughout; extensive. Synonyms: Adjective. Distributive; permeant; permeating; permeative; prevalent; ubiquitous; universal.
Quizzical
Adjective. Strange and amusing. Adjective. Questioning; puzzled. Adjective. Mildly teasing or mocking; bantering. Synonyms: Adjective. Odd; comical. Adjective. Puzzling; perplexed; baffled.
Arresting
Adjective. Striking; interesting; attracting attention. Adjective. Making a legal capture. Synonyms: Adjective. Absorbing; consuming; engaging; enthralling; fascinating; gripping; immersing; intriguing; involving; riveting; alluring; compelling; impressive; intriguing; thought-provoking.
Robust
Adjective. Strong and healthy. Adjective. Rich; full-bodied; flavorful. Adjective. Strong in effect for most situations. Synonyms: Adjective. Booming; hearty; hefty; potent; powerful.
Modish
Adjective. Stylish; fashionable. Synonyms: Adjective. A la mode; in style; in vogue; chic; smart; sharp; snappy; trendy; voguish.
Servile
Adjective. Submissive; slavish. Synonyms: Adjective. Groveling; subservient.
Saccharine
Adjective. Sugary; sweet tasting. Adjective. Cloyingly or ingratiatingly agreeable. Adjective. Overly sentimental. Synonyms. Adjective. Syrupy. Adjective. Sycophantic; obsequious. Adjective. Mawkish; maudlin; mushy; corny; sappy;
Appropriate
Adjective. Suitable or fitting. Verb. To set apart for a specific purpose. Verb. To take (money) for oneself; take possession of. Verb. To steal. Synonyms: Adjective. Applicable; proper. Verb. To allocate; to allot. Verb. To confiscate; to embezzle; to misappropriate.
Morose
Adjective. Sullen or gloomy (as a person or mood). Synonyms: Adjective. Sulky; ill-tempered; dour; glum; moody; cantankerous.
Natant
Adjective. Swimming; floating. Synonyms: Adjective. Natatory.
Turgid
Adjective. Swollen, distended, or congested. Adjective. Bombastic; pompous. Synonyms: Adjective. Tumescent; bloated; tumid. Adjective. Overblown; inflated; high-flown; pretentious; grandiose.
Muliebrity
Noun. (Literary) Womanly qualities; womanhood; femininity. Synonyms: Noun. Womanliness; femaleness; effeminateness.
Terra Firma
Noun (Latin). Solid ground; dry earth as opposed to sea or air. Synonyms: Noun. Land; soil.
In Vino Veritas
Latin. Under the influence of alcohol, a person tells the truth.
Sine Qua Non
Noun (Latin). An essential condition; something absolutely necessary. Synonyms: Noun. Necessity; requirement; requisite; must-have.
Caveat Emptor
Noun (Latin). Let the buyer beware: The principle that the seller of a product cannot be held responsible for its quality unless it is under warranty. Synonyms: Noun. Buy at your own risk.
Modus Operandi (MO)
Noun (Latin). Mode of operating; procedure. Synonyms: Noun. Rule of thumb.
Cavalier
Noun. (Archaic) A horseman trained in arms; knight. Noun. A man escorting a woman. Adjective. Dismissive of important matters, often disdainful; supercilious. Synonyms: Noun. Galant. Noun. Gentleman. Adjective. Superior; arrogant; haughty; imperious; high-and-mighty; uppity.
Knar
Noun. (Archaic) A knot on a tree or in wood. Synonyms: Noun. knag; knurl; node.
Slubberdegullion
Noun. (Archaic) A slovenly or worthless person. Synonyms: Noun. Layabout; idler; loafer; shirker; do-nothing.
Quidnunc
Noun. (Archaic) An inquisitive and gossipy person. Synonyms: Noun. Gossip; rumormonger; gabber; busybody.
Grimalkin
Noun. (Archaic) An old female cat. Noun. (Archaic) A spiteful old woman. Synonyms: Noun. Feline. Noun. A crone.
Clock Calm
Noun. (Archaic) Dead calm. Synonyms: Noun. Calmness.
Bricolage
Noun. (Art/Literature) A construction or creation from diverse resources. Synonyms: Noun. Patchwork.
Carom
Noun. (Billiards, pool) A shot where the cue ball hits two balls in succession. Noun. Any strike and rebound, as a ball. Verb. To strike and rebound, as a ball. Synonyms. Verb. To bounce; to ricochet.
Selenotropism
Noun. (Biology) Growth in response to moonlight.
Wynd
Noun. (Chiefly Scottish) A narrow street or alley. Synonyms: Noun. Alleyway; passageway.
Metadata
Noun. (Computing) Data that provides information about other data. Synonyms: Noun. Information.
Gamin
Noun. (Dated) A neglected boy left to run the streets. Synonyms: Noun. Street urchin; waif; stray.
Ambuscade
Noun. (Dated) An ambush. Verb. (Archaic) To ambush (someone). Synonyms: Noun. Trap; waylaying. Verb. Bushwhack; entrap.
Slyboots
Noun. (Derogatory/Informal) A sly or mischievous person. Synonyms: Noun. Trickster; rapscallion; rascal.
Euphemism
Noun. (Figure of Speech) A mild expression in place of an unpleasant one. Example: "We're teaching our toddler how to go potty," Bob said. Synonyms: Noun. Saying; locution.
Chiasmus
Noun. (Figure of Speech) A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with the parts reversed. Example: The famous chef said people should live to eat, not eat to live.
Hyperbole
Noun. (Figure of Speech) An extravagant statement; the use of exaggerated terms for the purpose of emphasis or heightened effect. Example: I have a ton of things to do when I get home.
Apostrophe
Noun. (Figure of Speech) Directly addressing an absent or imaginary person, inanimate object, or some abstraction. Example: "Oh, you stupid car, you never work when I need you to," Bert sighed.
Alliteration
Noun. (Figure of Speech) Repetition of the beginning sounds of words. Example: She sells seashells by the seashore.
Assonance
Noun. (Figure of Speech) Repetition of vowel sounds. Example: How now, brown cow?
Antithesis
Noun. (Figure of Speech) The placement of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases. Noun. The direct opposite. Example: As Abraham Lincoln said, "Folks who have no vices have very few virtues." Synonyms: Noun. Antipode; contrast.
Anaphora
Noun. (Figure of Speech) The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses, sentences, or verses. Example: Unfortunately, I was in the wrong place at the wrong time on the wrong day.
Irony
Noun. (Figure of Speech) The use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning. Noun. A statement or situation where the meaning is contradicted by the appearance or presentation of the idea. Synonyms: Noun. Contrariness; double meaning.
Metaphor
Noun. (Figure of speech) Something used to represent something else. Synonyms: Noun. Symbol; emblem; analogy.
Schadenfreude
Noun. (German) Enjoyment from seeing other's misfortune. Synonyms: Noun. (Rare) Epicaricacy.
Deus Ex Machina
Noun. (God from the Machine) A plot device dating back to ancient Greek theater, where the primary conflict is resolved through a means that seems unrelated to the story (i.e. a God comes down out of nowhere and solves everything, saving the character from peril).
Caesura
Noun. (In Prosody/Poetry) A pause in the middle of a verse. Noun. An interruption; a break. Synonyms: Noun. A respite; a pause; a rest.
Crackpot
Noun. (Informal) An eccentric, unrealistic, or fanatical person. Adj. Eccentric; impractical; lunatic. Synonyms: Noun. Nutcase; oddball; weirdo. Adj. Unusual; crazy; unhinged; wacky.
Ballyhoo
Noun. (Informal) Clamorous publicity or advertising to win customers; an attention-seeking demonstration. Noun. Clamor or outcry. Verb. To clamorously advertise. Synonyms: Noun. Promotion; marketing; propaganda. Noun. Commotion; uproar. Verb. Glorify.
Sheeple
Noun. (Informal) People who are easily persuaded and tend to follow what others do (portmanteau of sheep and people).
Persona Non Grata
Noun. (Latin) An unwelcome or unacceptable person. Synonyms: Noun. An undesirable; an outcast.
Mea Culpa
Noun. (Latin) My fault. Synonyms: Noun. My blame; guilt acknowledgment.
Fidus Achates
Noun. (Latin/Literary). A faithful friend. Synonyms: Noun. Devoted friend; trustworthy friend.
Codicil
Noun. (Law) A document that adds or changes a will. Noun. Appendix; supplement. Synonyms: Noun. Addition; addendum.
Ichor
Noun. (Literary/Greek Mythology) A blood-like fluid in the veins of the gods. Synonyms: Noun. Blood; lifeblood.
Jactitation
Noun. (Law) A false claim that causes injury to another. Noun. Boasting; bragging. Noun. (Medicine) tossing, jerking, or twitching of the body. Synonyms. Noun. Crowing; rhodomontade; self-praise; gasconade; braggadocio. Noun. Jactation; restlessness.
Fiduciary
Noun. (Law) A person to whom property or power is entrusted for the benefit of another; a trustee. Adjective. Relating to the relationship between trustee and beneficiary.
Easement
Noun. (Law) A right to cross or otherwise use someone else's land for a specified purpose. Noun. A feeling of comfort or peace. Synonyms. Noun. Right of way. Noun. Something soothing; balm.
Nymph
Noun. (Literary) A beautiful young woman. Noun. A mythological spirit of nature as a beautiful maiden inhabiting rivers, woods, or other locations. Noun. A young insect that undergoes incomplete metamorphosis. Synonyms: Noun. Damsel; maiden; sprite.
Philippic
Noun. (Literary) A bitter verbal attack or denunciation. Synonyms: Noun. Tirade; harangue; broadsude; invective.
Dingle
Noun. (Literary) A deep, wooded valley. Synonyms: Noun. Dell; vale.
Fulguration
Noun. (Literary) A flash like lightning. Synonym: Noun. Flickering; coruscation; luminescence.
Zephyr
Noun. (Literary) A gentle breeze. Synonyms: Noun. Waft; gust; draft.
Travail
Noun. (Literary) A painful or laborious effort. Verb. To engage in a painful or laborious effort. Synonyms: Noun. Ordeal; trial; tribulation; hardship. Verb. To struggle; to toil.
Wayfarer
Noun. (Literary) A person who travels on foot. Synonyms: Noun. Gypsy; nomad; rover; itinerant; traveler; roamer.
Tryst
Noun. (Literary) A secret meeting, especially between lovers. Synonyms: Date; engagement; rendezvous.
Isle
Noun. (Literary) A small island or peninsula. Synonyms: Noun. Islet; Cay.
Dell
Noun. (Literary) A small valley, usu. among tress. Synonyms: Noun. Vale; dingle.
Prothalamium
Noun. (Literary) A song or poem celebrating a wedding.
Fulmination
Noun. (Literary) A violent explosion or flash-like lighting; fulguration. Noun. Vehement protest or censure. Synonyms: Noun. Blast; discharge. Noun. Tirade; diatribe; outburst; rant; condemnation.
Susurrus
Noun. (Literary) A whispering or rustling sound. Synonyms: Noun. Susurration; murmur.
Bacchanal
Noun. (Literary) A wild and drunken revelry. Noun. A priest, worshiper, or follower of Bacchus. Adj. Pertaining to Bacchus; bacchanalian. Synonyms: Noun. Orgy; carnival; party; merrymaking.
Swain
Noun. (Literary) A young (male) lover, admirer, or suitor. Noun. (Archaic) A country youth/lad. Synonyms: Noun. Beau; boyfriend; courter. Noun. Provincial; countryman; yokel; hick; bumpkin; backwoodsman.
Youngling
Noun. (Literary) A young person or animal. Synonyms: Noun. Youth; kids; children.
Lea
Noun. (Literary) An area of grassy or arable land. Synonyms: Noun. Meadow; field.
Pulchritude
Noun. (Literary) Beauty. Synonyms: Noun. Prettiness; comeliness; gorgeousness.
Cockcrow
Noun. (Literary) Dawn. Synonyms: Noun. Aurora; dawning; daybreak; morning.
Aurora
Noun. (Literary) Dawn. Noun. A natural electrical phenomenon characterized by streams of reddish or greenish lights in the sky, usually near the northern or southern magnetic pole. Synonyms: Noun. Daybreak; morning; dawning; cockcrow.
Horripilation
Noun. (Literary) Gooseflesh; goosebumps; a bristling of the hairs on the skin from cold, fear, or excitement. Synonyms: Noun. Goose pimples; jimjams.
Greensward
Noun. (Literary) Grassy ground. Synonyms: Noun. Meadow; grass-plot; lawn; pasture.
Dolor
Noun. (Literary) Great sorrow; distress. Synonyms: Noun. Sadness; unhappiness; dejection; depression.
Lenity
Noun. (Literary) Kindness; gentleness. Noun. Leniency. Synonyms: Noun. Compassion; kindliness; beneficence. Noun. Mercy; clemency.
Nescience
Noun. (Literary) Lack of knowledge or awareness; ignorance. Synonyms: Noun. Incognizance; obliviousness; unawareness.
Brume
Noun. (Literary) Mist; fog. Synonyms: Noun. Vapors; haze.
Eld
Noun. (Literary) Old age. Synonyms: Noun. Agedness; dotage; oldness.
Threescore
Noun. (Literary) Sixty.
Celerity
Noun. (Literary) Speed. Synonyms: Noun. Swiftness.
Ether
Noun. (Literary) The clear sky. Noun. (Chemistry) A pleasant-smelling colorless volatile liquid that is highly flammable. It is used as an anesthetic and as a solvent or intermediate in industrial processes. Synonyms: Noun. Heavens; firmament; empyrean; welkin.
Visage
Noun. (Literary) The face; the countenance. Noun. The appearance. Synonyms: Noun. Expression; cast; look.
Welkin
Noun. (Literary) The sky or heaven. Synonyms: Noun. Firmament; stratosphere; empyrean; ether.
Firmament
Noun. (Literary) The sky or the heavens. Synonyms: Noun. Empyrean; welkin; ether; empyrean.
Knell
Noun. (Literary) The sound of a funeral bell; hence the figurative omen of death or failure. Verb. To sound a funeral bell. Synonyms: Noun. A toll; chime; clang; ringing; tolling; ring; clangor. Verb. To toll; to ring; to chime; to sound.
Perfidy
Noun. (Literary) Treachery; betrayal. Synonyms: Noun. Disloyalty; faithlessness; treason.
Declination
Noun. A downward slope. Noun. Decline; refusal; rejection. Noun. Deterioration; decay. Noun. Deviation; swerving. Synonyms: Noun. Descent; declivity; downhill. Noun. Disallowance; nay; nonacceptance. Noun. Decadence; degeneration. Noun. Aberration; alteration; detour; divergence.
Impetus
Noun. A driving force; a stimulus. Synonyms: Noun. Impulse; incentive; motivation; inducement.
Arroyo
Noun. A dry creek that temporarily fills after sufficient rain. Synonyms: Noun. Watercourse; brook; channel.
Murphy's Law
Noun. A facetious propositions that if anything can go wrong, it will.
Calumny
Noun. A false and malicious accusation. Synonyms: Noun. Slander; defamation.
Sophism
Noun. A false argument meant to deliberately deceive. Synonyms: Noun. Fallacy; deception.
Canard
Noun. A false rumor; a fabricated story. Synonyms: Noun. Lie; fib.
Pretense
Noun. A false show; make-believe. Synonyms: Noun. Charade; pretext.
Presentiment
Noun. A feeling that something, often bad, is going to happen; a foreboding. Synonyms: Noun. Premonition; presage; intuition; pre-notion.
Melee
Noun. A fight. Synonyms: Noun. Fray; brawl; fracas; affray.
Miff
Noun. A fit or ill humor. Noun. A petty quarrel. Verb. To annoy; to offend. Synonyms: Noun. Offense; resentment; umbrage; ire. Noun. Dispute; discord. Verb. To affront; to displease.
Trowel
Noun. A flat-bladed tool used for spreading cement or mortar. Noun. A hand-held tool used for scooping earth in gardening.
Buoy
Noun. A float used to mark water channels or other hazards. Verb. To keep afloat. Verb. To encourage. Synonyms: Noun. Floating device; beacon; water marker. Verb. To float. Verb. To inspire; to energize.
Gadfly
Noun. A fly that bites livestock, esp. a horsefly, warble fly, or botfly. Noun. An annoying person, esp. one who criticizes and provokes others. Synonyms: Noun. Annoyance; nuisance.
Buffoon
Noun. A foolish person; a clown. Noun. A gross, stupid person. Synonyms: Noun. Harlequin; zany; jester; comedian; comic. Noun. Clod; boor; lout; ouf.
Tontine
Noun. A form of life insurance whereby on the death or default of a participant his share is distributed to the remaining members.
Panegyric
Noun. A formal expression of praise. Synonyms: Noun. Tribute; speech of praise; acclamation.
Boulevardier
Noun. A frequenter of fashionable Parisian locales. Synonyms: Noun. Man-about-the town; bon vivant.
Chador
Noun. A full length cloak worn by Muslim women, typically held close by the wearer's hands or under the arms that does not cover the face.
Ombudsman
Noun. A government appointee who investigates and resolves complaints by private persons against the government. Synonyms: Noun. A judge; inspector.
Absolutism
Noun. A government by a complete and unrestricted ruler or authority. Noun. Any belief that values, principles, etc. are complete and not relative, dependent, or changeable. Synonyms: Noun. Autarchy; authoritarianism; autocracy; totalitarianism; tyranny; dictatorship; totalism.
Junta
Noun. A governmental council who rules after a coup d'état. Synonyms: Noun. Faction; council.
Patina
Noun. A green or brown film on the surface of bronze or similar metals, produced by oxidation over a long period. Noun. A gloss or sheen on a surface resulting from age or polishing. Noun. The impression or appearance of something.
Retinue
Noun. A group of advisors, assistants, or others accompanying an important person; entourage. Synonyms: Noun. Aides; staff; cortege.
Denomination
Noun. A group or branch of any religion. Noun. The face value of a banknote, coin, or postage stamp. Noun. A name or designation, esp. to classify things. Synonyms: Noun. Sect; religious group. Noun. Unit; measure. Noun. Title; label.
Avant-Garde
Noun. A group who invents surprising ideas in art, literature, music, etc. Adjective. Introducing surprising ideas in art, literature, music, etc. Synonyms: Noun. Cutting edge; vanguard. Adjective. Unconventional; forward-looking; progressive.
Sentinel
Noun. A guard; a watchman. Synonyms: Noun. Sentry; lookout.
Censure
Noun. A harsh criticism or disapproval. Verb. To blame; to criticize; to disapprove. Synonyms: Noun. Reproach; condemnation; rebuke; reprimand. Verb. Reproach; condemn; rebuke; reprimand.
Hijab
Noun. A head scarf worn by Muslim women that covers the hair and neck, but not the face.
Inkling
Noun. A hint. Synonyms: Noun. Idea; clue; hunch.
Avocation
Noun. A hobby. Synonyms: Noun. Pastime; pursuit; hobbyhorse; recreation.
Waif
Noun. A homeless or abandoned person (usu. child), animal, or thing. Noun. A young person who is thing and looks unhealthy or uncared for. Synonyms: Noun. Guttersnipe; ragamuffin; orphan; stray; urchin.
Aspiration
Noun. A hope or ambition. Synonyms: Noun. Desire; longing; yearning.
Chimera
Noun. A horrible creature of the imagination. Noun. In Greek mythology, a fire-breathing she-monster with a lion's head, goat's body, and a serpent's tail. Synonyms: Noun. Illusion; nightmare.
Parody
Noun. A humorous imitation; a spoof. Verb. To imitate in a humorous way. Synonyms: Noun. Burlesque; caricature; farce. Verb. To spoof; to lampoon.
Voyeur
Noun. A sexually prying person. Synonyms: Noun. Peeping Tom; ogler.
Jouska
Noun. A hypothetical conversation that you compulsively play out in your head—a crisp analysis, a cathartic dialogue, a devastating comeback—which serves as a kind of psychological batting cage where you can connect more deeply with people than in the small ball of everyday life, which is a frustratingly cautious game of change-up pitches, sacrifice bunts, and intentional walks.
Jowl
Noun. A jaw, esp. the lower jaw. Noun. The cheek, esp. loose and fleshy. Adjective. Jowled. Synonyms: Noun. Jawbone; jawline; mandible.
Arbiter
Noun. A judge; a person with the power to decide a matter in a dispute. Synonyms: Noun. Moderator; mediator; referee.
Conviction
Noun. A judgment that someone is guilty of a crime. Noun. A strongly held belief. Synonyms: Noun. Guilty sentence. Noun. Opinion.
Agglomeration
Noun. A jumbled collection or mass. Synonyms: Noun. Cluster; aggregation; assemblage; congeries.
Bandog
Noun. A large and fierce dog for protection. Synonyms: Noun. Guard dog; watchdog; attack dog.
Conflagration
Noun. A large destructive fire. Synonyms: Noun. Fire; blaze; inferno; firestorm; bonfire; wildfire; arson.
Mausoleum
Noun. A large tomb. Synonyms: Noun. Burial; coffin; grave; sepulchre; crypt.
Demagogue
Noun. A leader who appeals to mass prejudice, often using lies; rabble-rouser. Synonyms: Noun. Agitator; firebrand; fomenter; provocateur.
Skein
Noun. A length of thread or yarn, loosely coiled and knotted. Noun. A tangled or complicated arrangement, state, or situation. Noun. A flock of wild geese or swans in flight, typically in a V-shaped formation. Synonyms: Noun. Knot; snarl reel. Noun. Mess; quagmire; web.
Collation
Noun. A light meal, usually allowed during a fast. Noun. An arrangement in their proper sequence, usually pages. Synonyms: Noun. Repast; chow; supper. Noun. Systematization; assembling; ordering.
Foreshadow
Noun. A literary device in which an author drops subtle hints about plot developments to come later in the story.
Poetic Justice
Noun. A literary device in which virtue is ultimately rewarded or vice punished, often in modern literature by an ironic twist of fate intimately related to the character's own conduct.
Abscess
Noun. A localized collection of pus surrounded by inflamed tissue. Synonyms: Noun. Swelling; ulcer.
Maverick
Noun. A lone dissenter; a free thinker; a nonconformist. Adjective. Nonconformist; unconventional. Synonyms: Noun. Individualist; outsider; rebel. Adjective. Unorthodox; nontraditional.
Screed
Noun. A long and often angry speech or writing, esp. a diatribe. Noun. A leveled layer of material (e.g., cement) applied to a floor or other surface. Synonyms: Noun. Harangue; tirade.
Roman-Fleuve
Noun. A long novel often many volumes chronicling the history of a family community or other group. Synonyms: Noun. Stream novel.
Dupatta
Noun. A long scarf worn by South Asian women that is loosely draped across the head and shoulders and often paired with matching garments.
Firth
Noun. A long, narrow inlet of the sea. Synonyms: Noun. Estuary.
Harangue
Noun. A long, pompous speech. Noun. A scolding, long verbal attack. Verb. To deliver a long, pompous speech. Synonyms: Noun. A tirade; a diatribe.
Plume
Noun. A long, soft feather. Noun. Something featherlike. Noun. A cloud of smoke spreading like a feather. Verb. To adorn with feathers. Synonyms: Noun. Quill; plumage; plumule.
Lexicomane
Noun. A lover of words; one who enjoys looking up words in the dictionary. Adjective. Word-loving.
Thoroughfare
Noun. A main road or public highway. Noun. A passage or way through. Synonyms: Noun. Roadway; avenue; artery.
Roué
Noun. A man devoted to a life of sensual pleasure. Synonyms: Noun. Rake; lecher; cad; bounder; rakehell; profligate.
Womanizer
Noun. A man who seduces women; philanderer. Synonyms: Noun. Casanova; lecher; lothario.
Lothario
Noun. A man who seduces women; rake. Synonym: Noun. Womanizer; lecher; philanderer.
Philanderer
Noun. A man who seduces women; womanizer. Synonyms: Noun. Casanova; lecher; lothario.
Amazon
Noun. A masculine woman. Noun. The largest river in the world in volumes of water carried, located in South America. Noun. A member of a group of female warriors from ancient Greek stories.
Repast
Noun. A meal. Synonyms: Noun. Collation; chow; grub.
Gauge
Noun. A means of judging; a test. Verb. To evaluate; to judge. Synonyms: Noun. Barometer; benchmark; meter; indicator. Verb. To measure; to appraise; to assess; to calculate.
Busybody
Noun. A meddling or prying person. Synonyms: Noun. Gossip; snoop; blabbermouth.
Bolsheviks
Noun. A member of the more radical majority Social Democratic Party in Russia from 1903-1917, advocating seizure of power by the proletariat. Noun. (after 1918) A communist. Synonyms: Noun. Commie; socialist; leninist.
Populist
Noun. A member of the political party representing the interest of the common people. Noun. A believer in the rights of the common people. Adjective. Relating to a political party that represents the rights of the common people. Synonyms: Noun. Democrat. Adjective. Democratic.
Psychosis
Noun. A mental disorder characterized by a break from reality. Synonyms: Noun. Mental illness.
Neurosis
Noun. A mental disorder of fear and anxiety. Synonyms: Noun. Disturbance; folie; neuroticism.
Pore
Noun. A minute opening in a surface, esp. skin, through which gases, liquids, or microscopic particles can pass. Verb. To study industriously. Verb. To ponder; to meditate. Synonyms: Noun. Opening; orifice; aperture; hole. Verb. To brood; to contemplate.
Double Standard
Noun. A moral code applied more strictly to one group than another. Synonyms: Noun. Contrasting principles; two sets of rules.
Opus
Noun. A musical composition. Noun. A literary work. Synonyms: Noun. Artistic work Noun. Book.
Harp
Noun. A musical instrument that has strings stretched across a large open frame and that is played with your fingers. Verb. To play a harp. Verb. (harp on/upon) To dwell on persistently in speaking or writing; to belabor. Synonyms: Verb. To reiterate; to repeat; to nag.
Propensity
Noun. A natural inclination or tendency. Synonyms: Noun. Aptness; proneness; proclivity; bias; leaning; penchant; predilection; predisposition.
Blackball
Noun. A negative vote. Verb. To vote against. Verb. To ostracize. Synonyms: Verb. To blacklist; to ban.
Aerie
Noun. A nest of a large bird of prey (Eagle; Hawk). Synonyms: Noun. Eyrie; bird nest.
Dragnet
Noun. A net drawn through a river or across ground to trap fish or game. Noun. A network of measures to apprehend criminals. Synonyms: Noun. Manhunt; search.
Portmanteau
Noun. A new word formed by joining two others and combining their meanings. Noun. (Chiefly British) A large trunk or suitcase. Synonyms: Noun. Word blending. Noun. Bag; case; luggage.
Neoterism (nee-ot-uh-riz-uhm)
Noun. A newly invented word or phrase. Synonyms: Noun. Neologism; coinage.
Neologism
Noun. A newly invented word or phrase. Synonyms: Noun. Neoterism; neology; coinage.
Alcove
Noun. A nook; a recess or small room adjacent to or opening out of a room. Synonyms: Noun. Niche; cavity; hollow; apse.
Carpetbagger
Noun. A northerner in the US who went to the South after the Civil War to make money. Noun. A political candidate who runs for office in a place they've lived in for a short time. Synonyms: Noun. Self-seeker; opportunist.
Epistolary Novel
Noun. A novel written as a series of documents. The usual form is letters, although diary entries, newspaper clippings, and other documents are sometimes used.
Parasocial Relationship
Noun. A one-sided relationship that a media user engages in with a media persona, where one person expends emotional energy, interest, and time, and the other party, the persona, is completely unaware of the other's existence. Parasocial relationships are most common with celebrities, organizations (such as sports teams), or television stars. Media users can form parasocial relationships with celebrities, live-action fictional characters, social media influencers, animated characters, and any other figure they encounter through media, including movies, TV shows, podcasts, radio talk shows, or social media platforms, such as Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok.
Anodyne
Noun. A painkilling drug. Adjective. Relieving pain. Adjective. Not likely to provoke or offend; inoffensive. Synonyms: Noun. Analgesic; anesthetic. Adjective. Analgetic. Adjective. Harmless; benign; innocuous.
Mauve
Noun. A pale purple color. Adjective. Pale purple. Synonyms: Adjective. Lavender; plum; violet; lilac.
Kleptophilia
Noun. A paraphilia (abnormal sexual arousal) in which a person is sexually aroused by stealing. Synonyms: Noun. Kleptolagnia; chremastistophilia.
Arboretum
Noun. A park where trees and shrubs are displayed and studied. Synonyms: Noun. Botanical garden.
Col
Noun. A pass or depression in a mountain range. Synonyms: Noun. Gap; opening; break.
Paisley
Noun. A pattern of curved, feather-shaped figures based on a pine-cone design from India. Adjective. Having a pattern of curved, feather-shaped figures based on a pine-cone design from India.
Viceroy
Noun. A person appointed by a higher authority to govern a province. Noun. A brightly marked American butterfly, Limenitis archippus, closely mimicking the monarch butterfly in coloration. Synonyms: Noun. Governor; delegate.
Factotum
Noun. A person employed to do all work around the house. Synonyms: Noun. Handyman; servant.
Bon Vivant
Noun. A person fond of good food and luxury. Synonyms: Noun. Epicurean; gastronome; gourmand.
Tatterdemalion
Noun. A person in tattered clothing; a shabby person. Adjective. Ragged; unkempt. Synonyms: Noun. A raggamuffin. Adjective. Dilapidated; shoddy; beat-up; damaged.
Nonesuch
Noun. A person or thing without equal; paragon. Synonyms: Noun. Beau Ideal; model of excellence.
Incendiary
Noun. A person who commits arson. Noun. A substance used to start fires. Noun. A person who excites factions, quarrels, or sedition; agitator. Adjective. Tending to excite or inflame; inflammatory. Adjective. Producing fire. Synonyms: Noun. Firebug; arsonist; pyromaniac; flamer; igniter; inflamer. Noun. Demagogue; exciter; firebrand; fomenter; inciter; instigator; provocateur; rabble-rouser. Adjective. Seditious; instigative; provocative.
Fabulist
Noun. A person who composes or relates fables. Noun. A liar, esp. a person who invents elaborate, dishonest stories. Synonyms: Noun. Fabricator; fibber; storyteller; falsifier.
Whistle-blower
Noun. A person who exposes wrongdoing in an organization. Synonyms: Noun. Tattletale; squealer.
Heretic
Noun. A person who holds controversial opinions, usually with a church. Synonyms: Noun. Apostate; dissenter; nonconformist; maverick; counterculturist; renegade; individualist.
Gastronome
Noun. A person who is knowledgeable about good food and drink. Synonyms. Noun. A gourmet; epicure.
Blight
Noun. A plant disease. Noun. Something that spoils or damages. Verb. To infect a plant with blight. Verb. To destroy, ruin, or decay. Synonyms: Noun. Fungus; mildew, mold, rot, decay. Noun. Affliction; scourge; bane; plague. Verb. To wither; to blast. Verb. To wreck; to spoil
Bromide
Noun. A platitude or trite saying. Noun. A binary compound of bromine with another element or a radical including some used as sedatives. Synonyms: Noun. Banality; cliché; triviality.
Farce
Noun. A play with ridiculous happenings. Noun. An absurd event. Synonyms: Noun. Parody; burlesque; comedy.
Socialism
Noun. A political/economic theory advocating state and community ownership of industry and capital. Synonyms: Noun. Communism; Bolshevism; Marxism; Collectivism.
Bias
Noun. A preconceived opinion in favor or against something or someone(s); prejudice. Noun. A strong interest; tendency. Synonyms: Noun. Partiality; partisanship.
Hypocrisy
Noun. A pretense of principles one does not have. Synonyms: Noun. Insincerity; deceit; deception.
Interrobang/Interabang
Noun. A printed punctuation mark (‽) designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection.
Prerogative
Noun. A privilege; a right. Synonyms: Noun. Birthright.
Repatriation
Noun. A process of returning (a refugee or prisoner of war) to their homelands after the violence or turmoil in those places ceases.
Luminary
Noun. A prominent or inspiring person in their field. Noun. A body that gives light, esp. a celestial one (sun or moon). Synonyms: Noun. Celebrity; notable; superstar. Noun. Light.
Rail
Noun. A protective barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and its supports. Noun. A roadway overlaid with parallel steel bars over which trains travel. Verb. To criticize harshly. Synonyms: Noun. Banister; guardrail. Noun. Railroad; railway. Verb. To scold; to catigate.
Manifesto
Noun. A public declaration of beliefs, policies, or intentions, usually political. Synonyms: Noun. Platform; proclamation.
Affray
Noun. A public fight. Synonyms: Noun. Fray; melee.
Crimson
Noun. A purplish red color. Adjective. Deep, purplish red. Synonyms: Noun. Red; redness; maroon. Adjective. Reddish; scarlet; cherry-red; ruddy.
Riposte
Noun. A quick, witty reply. Synonyms: Noun. Witticism; retort; repartee; epigram.
Repartee
Noun. A quick, witty reply; witticism. Noun. A conversation of witty replies. Synonyms: Noun. Banter; badinage; epigram; riposte; witticism; raillery.
Quietude
Noun. A quiet, still, or calm state in a person or place. Synonyms: Noun. Calmness; tranquility; stillness; placidity; sereneness.
Foray
Noun. A raid. Noun. A quick, sudden attack. Noun. An initial venture. Verb. To raid. Synonyms: Noun. An incursion; invasion.
Lectern
Noun. A reading desk in a church with a Bible. Noun. A podium; a speaker's reading stand. Synonyms: Noun. Rostrum; pulpit.
Pretext
Noun. A reason given to hide the real reason for doing something; false reason. Synonyms: Noun. Deceptive excuse; alleged reason; pretense.
Leitmotif
Noun. A recurring theme, esp. in literature or music. Synonyms: Noun. Motif; idea; point.
Attrition
Noun. A reduction in size, strength, or numbers. Noun. A gradual reduction in work force without firing of personnel, as when workers resign or retire and are not replaced. Synonyms: Noun. Erosion; wearing down.
Oblation
Noun. A religious offering. Synonyms: Noun. Sacrifice; libation.
Anchorite
Noun. A religious recluse. Synonyms: Noun. Hermit; ascetic.
Crackerjack
Noun. A remarkable person or thing. Adjective. Remarkable; exceptionally good. Synonyms: Noun. Ace; adept; expert; guru; maestro; master. Adjective. Accomplished; ace; adept; consummate; experienced.
Respite
Noun. A rest or break. Synonyms: Noun. Reprieve; hiatus; breather; downtime; lull.
Trammel
Noun. A restraint; a hindrance. Synonyms: Noun. Obstacle; impediment; barrier; handicap; deterrent.
Boor
Noun. A rude or impolite person. Synonyms: Noun. Lout; oaf.
Potentate
Noun. A ruler. Synonyms: Noun. Sovereign; monarch.
Tenement
Noun. A run-down and often overcrowded apartment complex, esp. in a poor section of a city. Synonyms: Noun. Lodgings; rental; slums.
Immolation
Noun. A sacrifice, usually by killing. Noun. The killing or destruction, often by fire. Synonyms: Noun. Offering.
Dearth
Noun. A scarcity; inadequate supply. Synonyms: Noun. Deficiency; paucity.
Savant
Noun. A scholar. Synonyms: Noun. Bookman; pundit; polymath; sage.
Collusion
Noun. A secret agreement for wrongdoing. Synonyms: Noun. Conspiracy; connivance.
Truism
Noun. A self-evident truth. Synonyms: Noun. Adage; aphorism; maxim; axiom.
Dotard
Noun. A senile, old person. Synonyms: Noun. Geezer.
Concatenation
Noun. A series of interconnected or interdependent things or events. Synonyms: Noun. Chain; link; series.
Geneva Convention
Noun. A set of international agreements of conduct for treating prisoners of war, established in 1864.
Valetudinarian
Noun. An invalid; a sickly person. Adj. Invalid; sickly. Noun. A person who is unduly anxious about their health. Adj. Being unduly anxious about one's health. Synonyms: Noun. Convalescent. Adj. Bedridden; feeble; debilitated; ailing. Noun/Adj. Hypochondriac.
Effluvium
Noun. An invisible vapor, esp. a noxious or disagreeable one. Noun. A waste by-product. Synonyms: Noun. Exhalation; odor; smell. Noun. Garbage; scrap; junk.
Comestible
Noun. An item of food. Adjective. Edible; eatable. Synonyms: Noun. Victuals; provisions; viand; sustenance. Adjective. Esculent.
Stymie
Noun. An obstruction; hindrance. Verb. To hinder; to block; to thwart. Synonyms: Noun. Blockage; interference. Verb. To foil; to impede; to obstruct.
Amnesty
Noun. An official pardon. Synonyms: Noun. Forgiveness; immunity; reprieve.
Functionary
Noun. An official. Synonyms: Noun. Agent; civil servant.
Unguent
Noun. An ointment for application to wounds. Synonyms: Noun. Balm; cream; emollient.
Fissure
Noun. An opening; a groove; a split. Verb. To split. Synonyms: Noun. Gap; cleavage; crevice. Verb. To cleave.
Overture
Noun. An orchestral piece at the beginning of an opera, play, or composition. Noun. An introduction to something more substantial. Noun. A proposal for opening negotiations or establishing a relationship. Synonyms: Noun. Prelude, introduction; opening. Noun. Opening move; advances.
Platitude
Noun. An overused saying; a cliché. Synonyms: Noun. Banality; bromide; cliché; inanity; homily.
Nemesis
Noun. An unbeatable opponent. Synonyms: Noun. Adversary.
Litotes
Noun. An understatement for emphasis by using its opposite (and usually a double negative). Example. "Not a bad singer" or "Not unhappy." Synonyms: Noun. Rhetorical device; meiosis; understatement; figure of speech.
Plight
Noun. An unfortunate state; a predicament. Verb. To pledge, usually one's troth in marriage. Synonyms: Noun. Dilemma; trouble; quandary. Verb. To engage (in marriage).
Lowest Common Denominator
Noun. An unintelligent group who accepts low-quality products and entertainment. Synonyms: Noun. Lowbrow people; everyman; Joe Blow.
Arrears (In arrears)
Noun. An unpaid or overdue debt. Idiom. Behind or late in payment. Synonyms: Noun. Indebtedness; arrearage.
Black Swan
Noun. An unpredictable and unforeseen event, usually with extreme consequences. Synonyms: Noun. Surprise.
Myrmidon
Noun. An unquestioning follower. Noun. In Greek mythology, a member of Achilles' warriors on the expedition against Troy. Synonyms: Noun. Disciple; follower.
Acclivity
Noun. An upward slope. Synonyms: Noun. Elevation; incline.
Forebears
Noun. Ancestors; forefathers. Synonyms: Noun. Progenitor.
Pedigree
Noun. Ancestral line; line of descent. Noun. (Of animals) Purebred. Synonyms: Noun. Ancestry; heritage; lineage. Noun. Thoroughbred.
Poleis
Noun. Ancient Greek city-states. Synonyms: Noun. Municipalities; cities; metropolises.
Indignation
Noun. Anger at an injustice. Synonyms: Noun. Displeasure; resentment; wrath; ire; choler.
Ire
Noun. Anger; wrath. Synonyms: Noun. Lividness; madness; indignation; fury; furor; choler; outrage; rage.
Consternation
Noun. Anxiety or confusion from something unexpected. Synonyms: Noun. Dismay; distress; disquiet; perturbation.
Tenet
Noun. Any opinion or principle, esp. one held as true by members of a group. Synonyms: Noun. Belief; creed; doctrine; dogma.
Ephemeron
Noun. Anything short-lived. Noun. An insect that lives only for a day in its winged form. Synonyms: Noun. Transient; ephemeral; impermanence.
Approbation
Noun. Approval. Synonyms: Noun. Commendation; blessing.
Adjunct
Noun. Assistant; help. Adjective. Additional. Adjective. Attached to a staff in a temporary or auxiliary capacity. Synonyms. Noun. Appendage; accessory. Adjective. Extra.
Pansexuality
Noun. Attraction to any sex or gender. Synonyms: Noun. Omnisexuality.
Accolade
Noun. Award of merit. Synonyms: Noun. Honor; tribute; prize.
Apiculture
Noun. Bee-keeping.
Occlusion
Noun. Blockage. Noun. In pathology, blockage of a blood vessel. Noun. In dentistry, the fitting together of the upper and lower jaw teeth. Synonyms: Noun. Obstruction; barricade.
Consanguinity
Noun. Blood relation; kinship. Noun. Close relation or connection. Synonyms: Noun. Kin; lineage.
Gasconade
Noun. Boastful talk. Synonyms: Noun. Bluster; braggadocio; cockalorum; brag; grandiloquence; magniloquence.
Braggadocio
Noun. Boastful, arrogant behavior. Noun. A boasting person; braggart. Synonyms: Noun. Cockiness; bluster; bombast; cockalorum; grandiloquence. Noun. Boaster; bragger; show-off.
Revelry
Noun. Boisterous merrymaking. Synonyms: Noun. Celebration; carousal.
Effrontery
Noun. Bold rudeness or disrespect; impudence. Synonyms. Noun. Nerve; brashness.
Gall
Noun. Bold, disrespectful behavior. Verb. To vex; to irritate. Synonyms: Noun. Impudence; effrontery; nerve; brashness; insolence. Verb. To annoy; to bother.
Discourse
Noun. Conversation. Noun. A formal discussion of a subject. Verb. To converse. Verb. To treat a subject formally in speech or writing. Synonyms: Noun. Dialogue; dissertation; communication. Verb. To discuss; to speak about; to chat.
Interlocutor
Noun. Conversationalist. Noun. A person who questions; interrogator. Noun. A man in the middle line of a minstrel show who questions the end men and acts as the leader. Synonyms: Noun. Conversationist; talker; dialogist. Noun. Interviewer. Noun. Minstrel; middleman.
Jobbery
Noun. Corruption in public office. Synonyms: Noun. Graft; bribery; malfeasance; corruptness.
Reckoning
Noun. Count; computation; calculation. Noun. A settlement of accounts. Noun. A statement of an amount due; bill. Noun. Judgement. Synonyms: Noun. Arithmetic; ciphering. Noun. Estimation; appraisal; assessment.
Gumption
Noun. Courage; spunk; guts. Noun. Common sense; shrewdness. Noun. Initiative; resourcefulness. Synonyms: Noun. Grit; fortitude; moxie; backbone. Noun. Levelheadedness; sense; sensibleness. Noun. Enterprise; drive; go-ahead.
Reproach
Noun. Criticism; blame. Verb. To criticize; to blame. Synonyms: Noun. Defamation; dishonor; disgrace. Verb. To backbite; to bash; to berate; to chide; to rebuke; to reprimand; to scold; to upbraid; to discredit.
Fete
Noun. Day of celebration; a holiday. Noun. A festive celebration. Verb. To celebrate. Synonyms: Noun. Carnival; fest; festivity; festival; fiesta; gala. Noun. Bash; blowout; party; shindig. Verb. To revel; to make merry.
Carrion
Noun. Dead or decaying flesh. Synonyms: Noun. Corpse.
Subterfuge
Noun. Deceit used to achieve one's goal; trickery. Synonyms: Noun. Artifice; deception; dishonesty; duplicity; cheating; guile; cunning; chicanery; pretense; fraud; knavery.
Guile
Noun. Deceitful cleverness. Synonyms: Noun. Duplicity; trickery; chicanery.
Duplicity
Noun. Deceitfulness; double-dealing; contradictory doubleness of thought, speech, or action usually to belie one's true intentions. Synonyms: Noun. Deception; trickery; subterfuge; double-dealing; dishonesty; guile; chicanery; knavery.
Artifice
Noun. Deceptive behavior; trickery. Noun. Clever or artful skill. Synonyms: Noun. Hoax; contrivance; gimmick; trick; knavery; subterfuge; legerdemain. Noun. Ingenuity; inventiveness; craftiness.
Affirmation
Noun. Declaration of the existence or truth of something. Noun. Support, approval, or encouragement. Noun. (Law) Solemn pledge by one who refuses to take an oath. Synonyms: Noun. Assertion; confirmation.
Tinsel
Noun. Decoration consisting of thin strips of shiny metal foil. Noun. A showy or superficial attractiveness or glamour. Synonyms: Noun. Spangle; glitter; clinquant. Noun. Showiness; pretentiousness; flamboyance.
Angst
Noun. Deep anxiety or dread, typically an unfocused one about the human condition or the state of the world in general. Synonyms: Noun. Perturbation; worry; apprehension; disquietude; unease.
Reverence
Noun. Deep respect. Synonyms: Noun. Admiration; veneration; adoration; awe; deference.
Progeny
Noun. Descendant; offspring. Noun. A result; outcome. Synonyms: Noun. Breed; children; lineage; heir; seed; spawn. Noun. Product.
Aberration
Noun. Deviation from the normal way. Noun. Mental irregularity or disorder. Noun. (Biology) An abnormal characteristic. Synonyms: Noun. Detour. Noun. Oddity; peculiarity. Noun. Abnormality; anomaly; irregularity; divergence.
Variance (At Variance)
Noun. Difference; discrepancy. Noun. Disagreement; dispute; quarrel. Idiom. In a state of disagreement or difference. Synonyms: Noun. Deviation; divergence. Noun. Contention; division.
Sedulity
Noun. Diligence; continuance in effort. Synonyms: Adjective. Assiduousness; committment.
Discord
Noun. Disagreement or dispute. Noun. Unpleasant musical notes. Synonyms: Noun. Strife; disharmony; tumult. Noun. Cacophony; dissonance.
Dissonance
Noun. Disagreement; discord. Noun. Disagreeable or harsh sounds; cacophony. Synonyms: Noun. Conflict; disaccord; discordance; dissension; dissent; dissidence; disunion; disunity; division; friction; infighting; strife; variance. Noun. Incongruity; inharmony; noise; racket.
Opprobrium
Noun. Disgrace arising from shameful conduct. Noun. Harsh criticism or censure. Synonyms: Noun. Ignominy; public contempt. Noun. Vilification; vituperation; condemnation.
Knavery
Noun. Dishonest conduct; trickery. Synonyms: Noun. Antic; caper; deceitfulness; chicanery.
Couture
Noun. Dressmaking and designing. Noun. A fashion designer. Adjective. Created by a fashion designer. Synonyms: Adjective. Fashionable.
Expostulation
Noun. Earnest and kindly protest. Synonyms: Noun. Objection; remonstrance.
Dexterity
Noun. Ease and grace in physical activity; agility. Noun. Cleverness; mental adroitness. Synonyms: Noun. Nimbleness; sleight; spryness; deftness. Noun. Skill; know-how.
Efficacy
Noun. Effectiveness; the power to produce a desired result or effect. Synonyms: Noun. Efficiency; potency.
Equinox
Noun. Either of the two times each year (about March 21 and September 23) when the sun crosses the equator and day and night everywhere on earth are approximately equal length.
Apotheosis
Noun. Elevation to the rank of a god. Noun. Ideal; epitome; quintessence. Synonyms: Noun. Deification; exaltation. Noun. Model; classic; perfection.
Verve
Noun. Energy; enthusiasm. Synonyms: Noun. Gusto; moxie.
Logrolling
Noun. In U.S. Politics, exchange of favors, especially by legislators by voting for each other's bill. Noun. A sport where two players floating on a log try to dislodge one another by spinning the log with their feet. Synonyms: Noun. Favor; back scratching; favor of office.
Clerestory
Noun. In architecture, high windows above eye level.
Carapace
Noun. In crustaceans and arachnids (as well as vertebrates such as turtles and tortoises), the hard shell of the exoskeleton that covers the cephalothorax. Synonyms: Noun. Shell.
Graft
Noun. In surgery, the tissue for transplant. Noun. In botany/horticulture, a piece of a plant that is attached to part of another plant. Noun. Illegal use of political influence for personal gain. Verb. To transplant; to splice; to unite (tissue or plant). Synonyms: Noun. Transplant. Noun. Payoff for fraud.
Levity
Noun. Inappropriate lack of seriousness. Synonyms: Noun. Frivolity; facetiousness; flightiness.
Autonomy
Noun. Independence; freedom. Synonyms: Noun. Self-government; sovereignty; liberty; self-rule;
Disparity
Noun. Inequality; difference. Synonyms: Noun. Discrepancy; distinction.
Leverage
Noun. Influence; advantage. Verb. To use (something) for gain. Synonyms: Noun. Bargaining chip; clout; vantage. Verb. To exploit.
Incongruity
Noun. Inharmony, disharmony, inconsistency, or inappropriateness for the situation or thing. Synonyms: Noun. Incompatibility; unsuitability; conflict.
Iniquity
Noun. Injustice; wickedness. Synonyms. Noun. Sin; evil.
Savvy
Noun. Intelligence; Know-how. Adjective. Intelligent. Synonyms: Noun. Acumen; knowledge; intellect. Adjective. Acute; cunning; keen; smart.
Fervor
Noun. Intense emotion. Noun. Intense heat. Synonyms: Noun. Excitement; enthusiasm; ardor; passion; zeal. Noun. Warmth; fire.
Vehemence
Noun. Intensity of emotion or expression. Synonyms: Noun. Fervor; ardor; assertiveness; fierceness.
Sadomasochism
Noun. Interaction, esp. sexual activity, in which one person enjoys inflicting pain on another person, who derives pleasure from experiencing pain. Combination of sadism and masochism. Synonyms: Noun. S-M; S and M.
Viscera
Noun. Internal organs in the abdomen; intestines. Synonyms: Noun. Bowels; entrails.
Diaspora
Noun. Jews living in countries outside of Israel. Noun. Any group that has been dispersed outside of its traditional homeland, as Africans during the trans-Atlantic slave trade and Jews after the Babylonian captivity. Noun. The dissemination of anything from its local place. Synonyms: Noun. Dispersion; migration; displacement; scattering; exile.
Euthanasia
Noun. Killing to end suffering; mercy killing. Synonyms: Noun. Painless death; putting out of misery; assisted suicide.
Clairvoyance
Noun. Knowledge about something/someone not obtained through ordinary perception or reasoning but rather through extrasensory perception. Synonyms: Noun. Extrasensory perception; sixth sense.
Apathy
Noun. Lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern. Synonyms: Noun. Indifference; detachment; passivity.
Acreage
Noun. Land area measured in acres. Synonyms: Noun. Property; real estate; plot.
Hegemony
Noun. Leadership or dominance, esp. by one country or social group over others. Synonyms: Noun. Dominion; supremacy.
Frondescence
Noun. Leafage; foliage. Synonyms: Noun. Vegetation; herbage.
Autodidactism/Autodidacticism
Noun. Learning without a teacher or formal education. Synonyms: Noun. Self-education; self-directed learning.
Furlough
Noun. Leave of absence, esp. to a member of the armed forces. Noun. A temporary release from prison. Noun. A temporary layoff from work. Verb. To grant a temporary leave of absence. Verb. To lay off. Synonyms: Noun. Layoff. Verb. Layoff.
Foliage
Noun. Leaves in general; frondescence. Synonyms: Noun. Leafage.
Lien
Noun. Legal claim on someone's property until the debt on it is repaid. Synonyms: Noun. Hold on property; mortgage.
Diminution
Noun. Lessening; reduction in size. Synonyms: Noun. Weakening; abatement; shrinkage; depletion.
Badinage
Noun. Light, playful talk; banter. Synonyms: Noun. Banter; repartee; raillery.
Gingham
Noun. Lightweight plain-woven cotton cloth, typically checked or striped in white and a bold color.
Effluent
Noun. Liquid waste or sewage discharged into a river or sea. Synonyms: Noun. Effluvium; outflow; pollutant.
Ennui
Noun. Listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement. Synonyms: Noun. Boredom; terium.
Carousal
Noun. Loud, drunken merrymaking. Synonyms: Noun. Revelry; jamboree.
Virtu
Noun. Love for curious or rare art; connoisseurship.
Prestidigitation
Noun. Magic tricks. Synonyms: Noun. Legerdemain; thaumaturgy; abracadabra.
Thaumaturgy
Noun. Magic; the performances of miracles. Synonyms: Noun. Sorcery; wizardry.
Tenor
Noun. Meaning; intent; drift. Noun. Continuous course or movement. Noun. Quality; character; condition. Noun. A male voice in between bass and alto. Synonyms: Noun. Purport; gist; mood; tone. Noun. Direction; trend. Noun. Trait; aspect. Noun. Falsetto.
Nihilism
Noun. Rejection and skepticism of laws, morals, institutions, and religion, often believing life is meaningless. Noun. Annihilation of the world and oneself. Synonyms: Noun. Negativity; cynicism; pessimism; anarchy. Noun. Self-destruction; destruction.
Iteration
Noun. Repetition. Noun. (Computing) New version; incarnation. Synonyms: Noun. Redundancy; duplication; repeat; replay; reprise. Noun. Interpretation.
Atavism
Noun. Reversion to a primitive type or ancestor. Synonyms: Noun. Throwback; relapse; regression.
Derision
Noun. Ridicule; mockery. Synonyms: Noun. Disrespect; insult; contempt.
Rote
Noun. Routine; repetition. Synonyms: Noun. Drill; grind; lockstep.
Self-Immolation
Noun. Sacrifice by fire. Synonyms: Noun. Ritual sacrifice.
Connivance
Noun. Secret cooperation in wrongdoing. Synonyms: Noun. Collusion; conspiracy; complicity.
Divination
Noun. Seeing the future by supernatural means or rituals. Synonyms: Noun. Augury; divining; soothsaying.
Gravitas
Noun. Seriousness or dignity in conduct and appearance. Synonyms: Noun. Solemnity; sobriety.
Pederasty
Noun. Sexual activity involving a man and a boy.
Lechery
Noun. Sexual indulgence. Synonyms: Noun. Lasciviousness; carnality; lewdness.
Coitus
Noun. Sexual intercourse, especially between a man and woman. Synonyms: Noun. Sex; copulation; intimacy.
Asylum
Noun. Shelter or protection. Noun. An institution for the mentally ill. Synonyms: Noun. Refuge; sanctuary; safety. Noun. Mental hospital; psychiatric hospital.
Statecraft
Noun. Skill in state affairs, government, and diplomacy. Synonyms: Noun. Governance.
Adoxography
Noun. Skilled writing on an unimportant subject.
Legerdemain
Noun. Sleight of hand; magic. Noun. Trickery; deception. Synonyms: Noun. Trick; prestidigitation; hocus-pocus; conjuring. Noun. Deceit; duplicity; guile; beguilement.
Torpor
Noun. Sluggishness or inertia. Noun. Lethargic indifference; apathy. Synonyms: Noun. Languor; listlessness; stupor; hebetude. Noun. Disinterest; nonchalance.
Mote
Noun. Small speck, esp. of dust. Synonyms: Noun. Scintilla; speck; particle; grain.
Exiguity
Noun. Smallness; thinness; the quality of being meager. Synonyms: Noun. Scarcity; deficiency; dearth; insufficiency.
Sobriety
Noun. Soberness; teetotalism. Noun. Seriousness; gravity; solemnity. Synonyms: Noun. Abstinence; temperance; abstemiousness. Noun. Graveness; earnestness.
Apologist
Noun. Someone who defends an idea, cause, or person; defender. Synonyms: Noun. Proponent; advocater; exponent; advocate; vindicator.
Polymath
Noun. Someone who shows great knowledge and learning; polyhistor. Synonyms: Noun. Savant; pundit; learned person.
Litmus Test
Noun. Something (such as an opinion about a political or moral issue) used to pass judgment about whether someone or something is acceptable. Noun. (Chemistry) A test to establish the acidity or alkalinity of a mixture. Synonyms: Noun. Acid/base test.
Concession
Noun. Something given up or yielded. Noun. Something done or agreed to, usually grudgingly, in order to reach an agreement or improve a situation. Synonyms: Noun. Adjustment; acknowledgment; compromise.
Gossamer
Noun. Something light, flimsy, or delicate. Noun. A fine filmy cobweb. Adjective. Light; sheer; delicate. Synonyms: Noun. Silk; gauze; chiffon. Adjective. Gauzy; filmy; cobwebby; wispy; fibrous; silky.
Anachronism
Noun. Something located at a time when it could not have existed or occurred. Synonyms: Noun. Chronological error; misdate.
Figment
Noun. Something mentally invented or imagined. Synonyms: Noun. Fabrication; fiction; delusion.
Archaism
Noun. Something old, as in a word, expression, or literary style. Synonyms. Noun. Antiquity; relic; antique; remnant.
Recourse
Noun. Something or someone turned to for help. Synonyms: Noun. Alternative; assistance; resort; help.
Soporific
Noun. Something that causes sleep, as a medicine or drug. Adjective. Sleep-causing. Adjective. Sleepy. Synonyms: Noun. Sleeping pill; drug. Adjective. Somnific. Adjective. Drowsy; slumberous.
Harbinger
Noun. Something that comes before and signals the arrival of another. Noun. Anything that foreshadows a future event; omen. Synonyms: Noun. Herald; sign; indicator.
Complement
Noun. Something that completes or makes perfect. Verb. To complete; to make perfect. Synonyms: Noun. Accompainment; companion. Verb. To accompany; to go with.
Red Herring
Noun. Something that distracts attention from the real issue. Noun. A dried fish, turned red by smoking. Synonyms: Noun. Ruse; gimmick; diversion; pretext; feint; bait-and-switch; distraction.
Outlier
Noun. Something that exists on the outside of a group. Synonyms: Noun. Anomaly; aberration; peculiarity.
Incentive
Noun. Something that induces action; e.g., rewards, fear, punishment, etc. Synonyms: Noun. Inducement; motivation; stimulus; impetus; impulse; incitement; provocation.
Inducement
Noun. Something that motivates. Synonyms: Noun. Incentive; encouragement; incitement.
Dissolution
Noun. The practice of dissolving. Noun. The breaking down, disrupting, or dispersing of anything (tie, union, partnership, assembly, etc.) Noun. Debauched living; dissipation. Noun. Death; decease; termination; decay. Synonyms: Noun. Decomposition. Noun. Demise; destruction; collapse.
Collectivism
Noun. The principle of giving a group priority over each individual in it. Noun. Political/economic theory advocating state and community ownership of industry and capital. Synonyms: Noun. Communism; socialism; totalitarianism.
Gradient
Noun. The rate something rises or declines. Noun. An incline or decline. Noun. (Physics) An increase or decrease in the magnitude of a property (e.g. temperature, pressure, or concentration) observed in passing from one point or moment to another. Synonyms: Noun. Ramp; slant; inclination; incline; slope; tilt; upgrade; declination; decline; declivity; descent dip; downgrade.
Fruition
Noun. The realization of a plan or project achievement. Noun. (Literary) The state or action of producing fruit. Synonyms: Noun. Fulfillment; attainment; realization.
Tintinnabulation
Noun. The ringing or sound of bells. Synonyms: Noun. Jingle; chime; clangor.
Optics
Noun. The science of light and vision. Noun. The public perception of a situation. Synonyms: Noun. Physics; catoptrics. Noun. Viewpoint; visual image; mental representation.
Lee
Noun. The sheltered side of something; the side away from the wind. Synonyms: Noun. Refuge; cover.
Timbre
Noun. The sound or voice quality as distinct from its pitch. Synonyms: Noun. Tone; tonality; resonance; tone color.
Effulgence
Noun. The state of being bright and radiant; splendor; brilliance. Synonyms: Noun. Brightness; Luminosity; refulgence; luster.
Salience
Noun. The state of being noticeable or important; highlight. Synonyms: Noun. Prominence; conspicuousness; strikingness; notability.
Vexillology
Noun. The study of flags.
Eugenics
Noun. The study of hereditary improvement of the human race by controlled selective breeding.
Entomology
Noun. The study of insects. Synonyms: Noun. Zoological science.
Epiphany
Noun. The sudden realization of the meaning of something. Synonyms: Noun. Eye-opener.
Orthography
Noun. The system in which words are spelled.
Nib
Noun. The tip of a pen.
Objectification
Noun. The treatment of someone as a material rather than a person. Synonyms: Noun. Embodiment.
Gentrification
Noun. The trend of middle- and upper-income Americans moving into city centers and rehabilitating much of the architecture but also replacing low-income populations and changing the social character of certain neighborhoods. Synonyms: Noun. Redevelopment; restoration; rehabilitation; urban renewal.
Coercion
Noun. The use of force to get someone to obey. Synonyms: Noun. Arm-twisting; force; compulsion; duress; pressure.
Circumlocution
Noun. The use of many words instead of few; verbosity. Noun. Evasion in speech; a roundabout/indirect expression. Synonyms: Noun. Verboseness; ambage. Noun. Equivocation.
Polysyndeton (pol-ee-sin-di-ton)
Noun. The use of several conjunctions (and, but, for, so) in close succession.
McCarthyism
Noun. The use of unsupported accusations for any purpose. Context. The term refers to U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy, from 1947 to 1956 during the Second Red Scare and characterized by heightened political repression as well as a campaign spreading fear of influence on American institutions and of espionage by Soviet agents.
Philtrum
Noun. The vertical groove between the base of the nose and the border of the upper lip.
Vox Populi
Noun. The voice of the people; popular opinion. Synonyms: Noun. Public opinion; popular sentiment.
Hagiography
Noun. The writing or study of the lives of saints.
Larceny
Noun. Theft. Synonyms: Noun. Burglary; robbery.
Astrology
Noun. Theory (pseudoscience) of the influence of planets and stars on human events. Synonyms: Noun. Astromancy; horoscopy.
Funambulist
Noun. Tightrope walker. Synonyms: Noun. Performer.
Mores
Noun. Traditional customs; practices. Synonyms: Noun. Codes; formalities; etiquette.
Commodification
Noun. Transformation of goods, services, ideas, and people into articles/objects of trade. Synonyms: Noun. Merchandise; assets; possessions.
Peregrination
Noun. Travel by walking. Synonyms: Noun. Traveling.
Infantilization
Noun. Treating something as if it is a child or immature.
Chicanery
Noun. Trickery; deception. Synonyms: Noun. Fraud; deceit; guile; duplicity.
Reticence
Noun. Uncommunicativeness; reserve. Synonyms: Noun. Restraint; hesitation; taciturnity.
Qualms
Noun. Uneasy feelings. Synonyms: Noun. Anxiety; apprehension; hesitation; nervousness; misgivings; disquiet; pangs.
Windfall
Noun. Unexpected good fortune. Noun. Something blown down by the wind, as fruit. Synonyms: Noun. Jackpot; profit; bonus; bonanza.
Solidarity
Noun. Union or fellowship. Synonyms: Noun. Unity; community; cooperation.
Alienate
Verb. To cause (someone) to feel isolated or estranged. Verb. To turn away. Synonyms: Verb. To disaffect; to disgruntle.
Requiescat In Pace
Phrase. (Latin) May he/she rest in peace. Synonyms: Phrase: R.I.P.
Barring
Preposition. Excepting; except for; omitting; but. Noun. Anything that obstructs, hinders, or impedes. Verb. To exclude or except; to prevent or hinder. Synonyms: Preposition. Apart from; aside from. Noun. Prohibition; banning. Verb. To expel; to forbid.
-Monger
Suffix. Broker; dealer. Suffix. A person who attempts to stir up or spread something that is discreditable. Synonyms: Noun. Vendor; hawker; trader. Examples: Rumormonger; fishmonger; warmonger.
-Plex
Suffix. Made up of numbers or parts; e.g., duplex, googolplex.
Gird
Verb. (Literary) To secure with a belt. Verb. To surround; to enclose. Verb. To prepare (oneself) for action. Synonyms: Verb. To girdle; to begird; to band; to belt. Verb. To encircle; to enclose; to circle. Verb. To brace; to steel; to ready.
Circumvallate
Verb. (Literary) To surround with a rampart or wall. Synonyms: Verb. To fortify; to rampart; to embattle; to build defenses around.
Dulcify
Verb. (Literary) To sweeten. Verb. To calm or soothe. Synonyms: Verb. To allay; to appease; to assuage.
Illude
Verb. (Literary) To trick; to delude. Synonyms: Verb. To swindle; to defraud; to fleece; to bilk; to bamboozle.
Lave
Verb. (Literary) To wash; to bathe. Synonyms: Verb. To cleanse; to clean; to sponge down; to scrub up; to rinse.
Gyre
Verb. (Literary) To whirl; to gyrate; to swirl or move in a circle. Noun. A spiral or vortex. Synonyms. Verb. To spiral; to rotate; to twist; to swivel; to pirouette. Noun. Helix; curl; whorl; twirl; swirl.
Unman
Verb. (Literary) to deprive of manly qualities (like courage or confidence). Synonyms: Verb. To demoralize; to emasculate; to dispirit.
Percolate
Verb. (Of a liquid or gas) To filter; to brew (coffee). Verb. To spread gradually; to germinate. Synonyms: Verb. To strain; to filtrate. Verb. To permeate; to pervade; to spread.
Sublimate
Verb. (Psychology) To modify an impulse into a culturally acceptable activity. Synonyms: Verb. To channel; to control; to divert; to redirect.
Philander
Verb. (of men) To have casual or illicit sex with a woman or with many women; to be sexually unfaithful to one's wife. Synonyms: Verb. To womanize.
Vituperate
Verb. To abuse verbally; to berate. Synonyms: Verb. To revile; to criticize harshly; to chide; to scold.
Inure
Verb. To accustom to hardship. Synonyms: Verb. To acclimate; to harden.
Acclimate
Verb. To adapt; to get used to. Synonyms: Verb. To accustom.
Aggrieve
Verb. To afflict; to distress. Verb. To infringe or deny the rights of. Synonyms: Verb. To sorrow; to grieve. Verb. To wrong; to oppress; to abuse.
Acquiesce
Verb. To agree without protest. Synonyms: Verb. To accede; to cave in; to conform.
Jibe
Verb. To agree; to harmonize. Synonyms: Verb. To conform; to correspond; to comport.
Assay
Verb. To analyze; to examine. Synonyms: Verb. To asses; to evaluate.
Vex
Verb. To annoy; to irritate; to anger. Synonyms: Verb. To infuriate; to antagonize; to nettle; to exasperate; to irk.
Obviate
Verb. To anticipate and prevent something bad. Synonyms: Verb. To counteract; to preclude; to forestall.
Accost
Verb. To approach and speak to often in an angry, aggressive, or unwanted way. Verb. To solicit for sexual purposes. Synonyms: Verb. To annoy; to confront.
Entreat
Verb. To ask earnestly; to beg; to implore. Synonyms: Verb. To beseech; to supplicate; to importune.
Posit
Verb. To assume without proof; postulate. Noun. An assumed fact or idea; assumption. Synonyms: Verb. To suppose; to hypothesize; to presume.
Entice
Verb. To attract; to tempt. Synonyms: Verb. To lure; to allure.
Ascribe
Verb. To attribute or credit to. Synonyms: Verb. To assign; to source; to charge.
Suffice
Verb. To be enough; to satisfy. Synonyms: Verb. To be sufficient; to meet.
Vacillate
Verb. To be indecisive. Synonyms: Verb. To waver; to dither; to be unsure.
Behoove
Verb. To be necessary or proper for (someone). Synonyms: Verb. To be incumbent on; to be obligatory for; to be required of; to be expected of.
Disparage
Verb. To belittle; to regard as being of little worth. Synonyms: Verb. To denigrate; to undervalue; to play down.
Genuflect
Verb. To bend the knee or touch one knee to the floor in reverence or worship. Verb. To show deference or servility. Synonyms: Verb. To kneel; to bow. Verb. To fawn; to defer to.
Objurgate
Verb. To berate; to chastise; to criticize severely. Synonyms: Verb. To chew out; to castigate; to scold; to hide; to lambaste; to reprimand; revile; to chide; to upbraid.
Upbraid
Verb. To blame; to find fault with. Synonyms: Verb. To scold; to berate; to castigate; to chastise; to chide; to reprimand; to reproach; to objurgate; to censure.
Repatriate
Verb. To bring or send back (a person, esp. P.O.W.) to his country. Noun. A person who was sent back to their country. Synonym. Verb. To extradite; to deport.
Browbeat
Verb. To bully; to intimidate. Synonyms: Verb. To hector; to strong-arm; to castigate; to harass; to tyrannize; to bullyrag; to daunt.
Impugn
Verb. To call into question; to attack as false. Synonyms: Verb. To criticize; to challenge.
Convoke
Verb. To call together; to convene. Synonyms: Verb. To assemble; to gather; to rally.
Emasculate
Verb. To castrate. Verb. To weaken. Synonyms: Verb. To caponize; desexualize; fix; geld; neuter; spay; unsex. Verb. To deprive of force; vitiate.
Extenuate
Verb. To cause (an offense) to seem less serious. Verb. (Literary/Archaic) To make (someone) thin. Synonyms: Verb. To mitigate; to palliate; to lessen; to downplay.
Micturate
Verb. To urinate. Synonyms: Verb. To pee; to tinkle; to peepee; to wee.
Cull
Verb. To select from a group. Verb. To reduce the size, esp. of animal populations. Noun. Selection of inferior ones from a group. Noun. Reduction in size, esp. of animal populations. Synonyms: Verb. To choose; to extract. Noun. Extraction. Noun. Rejection.
Allocate
Verb. To set aside for specific purposes. Synonyms: Verb. To assign; to divide among; to appropriate.
Whet
Verb. To sharpen (a knife, tool) by grinding or friction. Verb. To stimulate; to make keen or eager. Synonyms: Verb. To hone; to edge.
Appall
Verb. To shock, dismay, or horrify. Synonyms: Verb. To alarm; to distress.
Abbreviate
Verb. To shorten a word or phrase. Synonyms: Verb. To abridge; to compress.
Jostle
Verb. To shove; to bump. Synonyms: Verb. To shake.
Eschew
Verb. To shun; to avoid. Synonyms: Verb. To dodge; to evade; to get around.
Cloy
Verb. To sicken or cause distaste with an excess of food, sweetness, pleasure, etc. Synonyms: Verb. To overfill; to cause weariness; to bore; to glut.
Loll
Verb. To sit, lie, or stand in a lazy, relaxed way. Verb. To hang loosely; droop. Synonyms: Verb. To lounge; to sprawl; to recline; to slouch.
Denigrate
Verb. To slander (damage the reputation); to defame. Synonyms: Verb. To criticize unfairly; to disparage; to deprecate.
Simper
Verb. To smile in a silly way. Noun. A silly smile. Synonyms: Verb. To smirk. Noun. A smirk.
Articulate
Verb. To speak clearly. Verb. To unite by a joint, usually in botany or zoology. Adjective. Well-spoken. Synonyms: Verb. To enunciate; to express. Verb. To connect; to concatenate. Adjective. Coherent; eloquent.
Vilify
Verb. To speak ill of. Synonyms: Verb. To defame; to slander; to denounce.
Backbite
Verb. To speak negatively about an absent person; to slander. Synonyms: Verb. To defame; to vituperate.
Expedite
Verb. To speed up the progress of. Synonyms: Verb. To accelerate; to hasten.
Impale
Verb. To stab; to pierce. Synonyms: Verb. To prick; to puncture.
Temporize
Verb. To stall or act evasively in order to gain something. Synonyms: Verb. To procrastinate; to delay; to filibuster.
Espouse
Verb. To stand up for; to support (a cause or ideal). Verb. (Archaic) To marry. Synonyms: Verb. To adopt; to advocate; to defend; to embrace. Verb. To betroth; to wed.
Pilfer
Verb. To steal, esp. in small amounts. Synonyms: Verb. To thieve; to loot; to rob; to heist; to purloin; to filch.
Filch
Verb. To steal. Synonyms: Verb. To purloin; to loot; to thieve; to rob.
Purloin
Verb. To steal. Synonyms: Verb. To theft; to filch; to pilfer; to rob.
Deign
Verb. To stoop (in position or rank) to do something; to lower oneself. Synonyms: Verb. To condescend.
Divest
Verb. To strip or deprive someone of something, esp. property, rights, clothing, ornaments, etc. Verb. To rid; to free. Synonyms: Verb. To dispossess; to expropriate.
Abate
Verb. To subside; to decrease; to lessen. Synonyms: Verb. To dwindle; to dull; to recede.
Capitulate
Verb. To surrender under agreed conditions. Synonyms: Verb. To cede; to succumb.
Bilk
Verb. To swindle; to cheat; to defraud. Verb. To avoid; to escape. Verb. To block the development of. Noun. A cheat. Noun. A trick; fraud. Synonyms: Verb. To dupe; to trick. Verb. To elude; to evade. Verb. To hinder; to impede. Noun. A swindler; trickster; defrauder. Noun. Deceit.
Recant
Verb. To take back; to deny, a statement, opinion, etc. Synonyms: Verb. To disavow; to renege; to renounce; to repudiate.
Assimilate
Verb. To take in; to absorb. Synonyms: Verb. To conform; to incorporate.
Indoctrinate
Verb. To teach someone to accept a set of beliefs uncritically. Verb. To teach or inculcate. Synonyms: Verb. To brainwash; to imbue; to instill.
Lacerate
Verb. To tear (flesh) roughly; to mangle. Verb. To distress emotionally. Synonyms: Verb. To wound; to gash. Verb. To offend; to hurt feelings.
Jettison
Verb. To throw overboard. Synonyms: Verb. To eject; to discard; to dump.
Titillate
Verb. To tickle; to excite a tingle or itch, as by touch. Verb. To excite; to arouse. Synonyms: Verb. To stimulate; to amuse; to tantalize; to tease.
Bedevil
Verb. To torment; to harass. Synonyms: Verb. To anguish; to distress; to bother.
Commodify
Verb. To transform a person, good, or idea into an article of trade. Synonyms: Verb. To commercialize.
Transmogrify
Verb. To transform in a grotesque or humorous manner. Synonyms: Verb. To convert; to alter; to mutate.
Lionize
Verb. To treat as a celebrity. Synonyms: Verb. To celebrate; to glorify; to honor.
Infantilize
Verb. To treat as a child or immature. Synonyms: Verb. To baby; to coddle.
Patronize
Verb. To treat in a falsely kind way that betrays superiority; to condescend. Verb. To do business with as a customer. Synonyms: Verb. To look down on; to talk down to. Verb. To shop; to buy from.
Importune
Verb. To urgently or persistently beg. Synonyms: Verb. To badger; to beseech; to entreat; to implore; to lobby.
Meander
Verb. To wander randomly. Verb. To speak/write aimlessly; to ramble. Verb. (of a river or road) To follow a winding course. Noun. A winding curve or bend in a river or road. Noun. A circuitous, random journey. Synonyms: Verb. To stray; to roam.
Fritter
Verb. To waste. Noun. A fried food usually containing meat, seafood, fruit, or vegetables. Synonyms: Verb. To squander; to misspend, to dissipate.
Swathe
Verb. To wrap in layers of fabric. Noun. A piece of wrapped material. Synonyms Verb. To envelop; to bind; to swaddle; to bandage.
Wrick
Verb. To wrench; to strain. Noun. A sprain. Synonyms: Verb. To crick; to kink; to rick. Noun. An injury.
Asseverate
Verbs. To declare earnestly or solemnly; affirm positively; aver. Synonyms: Verb. To aver; to assert; to proclaim.
