GRE Vocabulary

Fortuitous

(adj.) accidental, occurring by a happy chance

Nominal

(adj.) existing in name only, not real; too small to be considered or taken seriously; incredibly small Despite his immense wealth, Frank is a selfish man who gives a nominal amount to charities each year. The court gave me a nominal award that did not cover the cost of my car repairs. Jim did not get a lot of job applicants because he offered only a nominal salary to his employees. Fortunately, I have a credit card with only a nominal interest rate. The fine for an overdue book is pretty nominal at twenty cents a day.

Esoteric

(adj.) intended for or understood by only a select few, private, secret Eric made an esoteric joke that only he and his brother understood. Only a couple of people I know share your esoteric thoughts on those religious principles. While the writing appeared simple, its meaning was esoteric in the fact only a number of scholars could comprehend it. Janice loved her country and found it difficult to agree with the esoteric ideas of the terrorists. Although I did okay in math class, I always considered trigonometry to be an esoteric subject which was best left to the mathematicians.

Endemic

(adj.) native or confined to a particular region or people; characteristic of or prevalent in a field The poisonous snake must have come from another country because it is not endemic to our nation. In Jared's flawed family, alcoholism appears to be endemic as most of the older children have drinking problems. Many of the birds that were once endemic to Africa are now being bred in the United States. As we hiked through the rainforest, we saw endemic creatures we could not have observed anywhere else on the planet. Scientists have to travel across the globe to find the endemic medicine that can only be found on the Australian continent.

Dearth

(n.) a lack, scarcity, inadequate supply; a famine Because there was a dearth of evidence, the district attorney had to drop the charges. The test scores revealed a dearth of comprehension. Although the lake is filled with water, the dearth of aquatic life makes it a gloomy sight. While you can find a house quite cheaply in the suburbs, there is a dearth of affordable housing in the city. The dearth of money going into cancer research is putting many lives in danger.

Demagogue

(n.) a leader who exploits popular prejudices and false claims and promises in order to gain power Only a demagogue could persuade so many people to rebel against authority. The agitators were led by an angry demagogue whose mission was to overthrow the government. Because of the frantic way he delivers his speeches, the preacher comes across as a crazed demagogue. Todd wrote an excellent paper describing Hitler as a demagogue. If a demagogue takes over the throne, the country will be well on its way to self-destruction. The arrogant demagogue made a crazy speech which did not appeal to the educated elite.

Antipathy

(n.) a strong dislike, hostile feeling The teenagers expressed their antipathy for the school by vandalizing the gym. Her antipathy towards her teacher was obvious to everyone in the classroom. Is your antipathy for me so great that you no longer care about my feelings? After serving in the war, he developed an antipathy to guns. The source of my antipathy is my ex-husband's new wife!

Solecism

(n.) a substandard or ungrammatical usage; a breach of etiquette; any impropriety or mistake -something that isn't seen as normal or appropriate; a deviation from the norm According to the fashion critic, the actress committed a major solecism when she wore white after Labor Day. The soldier executed a solecism of protocol when he neglected to salute his commanding officer. When the quarterback committed a large solecism, he cost his team the game. The judge reprimanded the lawyer who exhibited a solecism in court protocols.

Mendicant

(n.) beggar; (adj.) depending on begging for a living Rather than search for a job, Jimmy chooses to live as a mendicant who panhandles his way through each day. The mendicant hoped pedestrians would drop money in his bucket. The alcoholic mendicant begged for money to buy booze. As part of my psychology thesis, I dressed like a mendicant to see how people would treat me when I looked like a beggar. We gave money to the mendicant who was begging on the side of the road.

Equanimity

(n.) calmness, composure, refusal to panic EMS His equanimity allowed him to keep a clear head and escape the burning building. During the horrible storm, it was hard for us to focus and maintain our equanimity. When you are being screamed at for no reason, it is difficult to keep your equanimity. If my mother does not take her antidepressants, she has a hard time upholding her equanimity and often bursts into tears. The government agent was a man of great equanimity who remained his composure even when surrounded by a dozen killers. Even though the fire alarm has sounded, we must maintain equanimity and calmly exit the building.

Aplomb

(n.) poise, assurance, great self-confidence; perpendicularity

Demur

(v.) to object or take exception to; (n.) an objection Citizens have the right to demur and protest any law they feel is unconstitutional. I wanted to stand up and demur but decided against objecting to the marriage. Thomas raised his hand to demur but wasn't allowed to protest. Though she didn't want to go on vacation with her parents, Jess found it hard to demur their request.

Relegate

(v.) to place in a lower position; to assign, refer, turn over; to banish -to put (someone or something) in a lower or less important position or rank After the lead actors had been repeatedly late for rehearsal, the director decided to relegate them to the chorus and replace them with their understudies. Mr. Pierce eases his workload by having his secretary pick out the mail that is most important and relegate everything else to the recycling bin. In spite of her strong commitment to her job, she vowed she would never relegate her maternal duties to a nanny. Because of her shyness, Lori would often relegate herself to doing chores in the kitchen while everyone else enjoyed the party. Even though Hannah never wore half of the outfits in her closet, she refused to let her mother relegate them to the Salvation Army.

Delineate

(v.) to portray, sketch, or describe in accurate and vivid detail; to represent pictorially describe or portray (something) precisely. "the law should delineate and prohibit behavior that is socially abhorrent" Before I began to plant my seeds, I will delineate the rows of my garden to make sure every vegetable grows in a precise line. Jason put a fence up to delineate his property from his neighbor's. If you want your children to properly complete their chores, you have to clearly delineate the tasks so your kids will know what to do. Computer programs which can delineate faces are very helpful to law enforcement agencies. While I cannot delineate the style of car she drove, I can give you the license plate number. Jamie asked her teacher to delineate the project description once more.

Castigate

(v.) to punish severely; to criticize severely *Novice's White Tower* My mother was a cruel woman who never missed an opportunity to castigate my father. When the police chief discovers his officers let the criminal escape, he is sure to castigate them. If you want better results, you should praise your children and not castigate them. How dare you castigate him when you have done the same thing in the past?

Slake

(v.) to satisfy, relieve, or bring to an end -to quench or satisfy one's thirst This electrolyte water should help slake the runners' thirst during the marathon. To slake dehydration, the athletes drank sports drink before, during, and after the triathlon. Parched by unpredictable exertion climbing the mountain, the hikers had to stop and slake their dry mouths with bottled water and fruit.

Declivity

A downward slope; a dip Grandma has a hard time walking from her house to the lake due to her street's slight declivity. There is a sudden declivity immediately after that left turn, making that segment of roadway deadly. When hiking in the woods behind my house, it's hard to notice the steep declivity due to the denseness of the trees. Prominent signage is required along the bike path so that bikers are forewarned about any upcoming declivity.

Surfeit

An excessive amount of something "We had such a surfeit of food during the holidays that we gave a large portion of it to the family across the street." "Since I purchased a surfeit of chocolate from my daughter's school, I know I will be gaining quite a bit of weight."

Incipient

Beginning to exist. "The project is in still in the incipient stages."

Sycophantic

Behaving or done in an obsequious way in order to gain advantage

Disspassionately

Calmly or impartially "The judge listened dispassionately to both arguments."

Dwindle

Diminish gradually in size, amount, or strength

Fledgling

Something that is immature, inexperienced, or underdeveloped

Prevalence

The number or proportion of cases of a particular disease or condition present in a population at a given time; the state of something happening often or being widespread "The prevalence of diabetes and obesity in adults continues to rise as junk food portion sizes get bigger and bigger." "Green is the rarest eye color in the world, with the prevalence of emerald-hued irises estimated at 2%." "With the prevalence of autism increasing, scientists are trying to figure out what is causing so many children to develop the disorder."

Alcazar

a Spanish palace or fortress of Moorish origin

Charnel

a building or vault in which corpses or bones are piled

Investiture

a ceremony in which a person formally receives the authority and symbols of an office On the other hand the pope ceded to the emperor the right of investiture by the sceptre. When Henry the Lion, duke of Saxony and Bavaria, was placed under the imperial ban in 1180, Otto's services were rewarded by the investiture of the dukedom of Bavaria at Altenburg

Malediction

a curse Sometimes my luck is so bad I believe someone has placed a malediction upon me. Before the warlock was imprisoned, he placed a malediction upon his captor's families. The witch's malediction made the young princess fall into a deep sleep. As long as the king is under the wizard's malediction, he will not recall his own identity. So many natural disasters have ripped apart the small nation it appears as if the country is under an unending malediction. In the fairytale, the angry witch invoked a malediction that turned the vain prince into a beast.

Entreaty

a plea, an earnest request

Quandary

a puzzling situation; a dilemma

Elegy

a sad or mournful poem Since I am not an animal lover, I could only sigh as Ann sang an elegy for her dead cat. The celebrated poet has been chosen to write an elegy for the people who died in the terrorist attacks. During the funeral, Clay played an instrumental elegy for his brother. The teenager wrote an elegy describing the end of her longest relationship. When the princess died, one of her favorite songwriters wrote a moving elegy for her.

Disquietude

a state of uneasiness or anxiety

Penchant

a strong attraction or inclination

Bromide

a trite or commonplace remark; a tiresome or boring person; a sedative a trite and unoriginal idea or remark, typically intended to soothe or placate. The bromide "all things come to those who wait" didn't really help the mountain climber hanging from the cliff. Although bromide "time heals all wounds" might encourage some, the platitude won't be much support to those who have lost a limb. Although it is just a cliché, there is a lot of truth in the bromide "the best things in life are free."

Axiom

a universal truth; an established rule Although you keep using that axiom as the basis for your paper, the concept itself is not true. Mrs. Struthers is an awful teacher who does not believe the axiom that states, "all children can learn". According to the axiom, all men have equal worth. The axiom of it being cheaper by the dozen is not true when it comes to feeding a large family at today's market prices. If we can prove this rule is not true, the axiom will be disproved.

Egotist

a vain, conceited person

Compurgation

acquittal from a charge or accusation obtained by statements of innocence given by witnesses under oath

Plentitude

an abundance

Abdication

an act of renouncing the throne

Egoism

an ethical theory that treats self-interest as the foundation of morality; the act of only valuing oneself "Her egoism became apparent among her friends when she kept bragging about everything she did right."

Facsimile

an exact copy

Belfry

bell tower; room in which a bell is hung The Hunchback of Notre Dame lived at the top of the belfry, preferring to be with bats and bells. After climbing to the top of the monastery's belfry, the monk rang the prayer bell twice. A special bell is held in the belfry of the Big Ben Tower.

Abscission

cutting off; separation

Abscond

depart secretly and hide

Aberrant

deviating from a pattern or rule John's aberrant behavior is going to get him in a lot of trouble one of these days. When the astronomer looked into the telescope, he was shocked by the sight of a star moving in an aberrant path. If my aunt does not take her medication, she will have aberrant mood swings. Sarah's aberrant manners led to her being kicked out of the movie theater.

Parley

discussion, usually between enemies; conversation between enemies or rivals The end result of the parley between the two world leaders was a productive trade agreement. After our parley, my former best friend and I decided to stop making unkind remarks about each other. The mediator tried to make sense of the rapid parley between the two parties. When the parley between my husband and his brother sounded as though it was going to turn violent, I stepped between the two men. Unfortunately, the parley between the two rival gang leaders failed to bring peace to the town.

Contumacious

disobedient, rebellious Because the contumacious student refused to obey the principal's instructions, he was suspended from school. The judge was quick to have contumacious defendants removed from his courtroom. When the soldier behaved in a contumacious manner towards his commanding officer, he was court martialed and dismissed from the military. The contumacious football player was kicked off the team for not following the coach's orders. After Jason talked to his therapist, he realized he exhibited contumacious behavior towards authority figures because of his abusive childhood.

Impugned

disputed the truth, validity, or honesty of (a statement or motive) "The mayor leaked news of the arrest to the media to impugn his opponent's character." "How dare you impugn the integrity of our local councilman simply because of a Twitter rumor!"

Impious

disrespectful toward God His lack of protocol in the church caused him to gain a reputation for being impious. Just because you are an atheist does not mean you have to be impious. His impious behavior drew disapproving looks from many of the church leaders. There is a difference between tasteful criticism of the church and downright impious insults. Even if you disagree so strongly, that sort of behavior is simply impious.

Standoffish

distant and cold in manner; unfriendly

Offing

distant part of the sea visible from the shore; near future

Polarized

divide or cause to divide into two sharply contrasting groups or sets of opinions or beliefs

Stevedore

dockworker In an industry heavily focused on imports and exports, working as a stevedore unloading ships pays relatively well. In Iceland, fishermen heavily depend on a skilled stevedore to load and unload the catch of the day. The stevedore had bulging muscles from his years of lifting the heavy cargo he transported from ship to land.

Wizened

dry, shrunken, wrinkled -wrinkly from sickness or old age While the flowers arrived looking fresh and beautiful, they have grown wizened over the past few days. My grandmother's wizened face broke into a smile when I placed my newborn daughter in her arms. Even though Will looks like a wizened old man who cannot care for himself, he is actually an active senior who enjoys skydiving.

Lissome

easily flexed; limber; agile During the show, the lissome monkeys swung from one stand to another. After a back injury Kent is no longer lissome so he is unable to participate in the wrestling match. The lissome break dancers twisted and bent their bodies in a mesmerizing routine. The lissome figure skater moved effortlessly on the ice. The magician promotes himself as "the most lissome man alive" and regularly distorts his body to fit inside of small objects.

Effusive

emotionally excessive; overly demonstrative. "Sally was effusive in her praise of the judges who awarded her the trophy." "Because Uncle Mark is not an effusive person, he has a hard time expressing his feelings to others." "My serious professor rarely smiles and is hardly what I would describe as effusive." "On her wedding day, Janet was so effusive she could not stop crying." "Jackie's first grade teacher is an effusive woman who loves to hug her students." "When Michelle saw her husband for the first time in a year, she gave him a greeting so effusive that everyone in the airport could hear it."

Adulator

excessively praising or admiring. "With Banza eliminated, Bokassa spent extravagantly and surrounded himself with adulators." "She and her adulators will have to settle for the title of Nice Lady Who Died Young." "So what's a mother to do, especially one who's a Stone Cold Steve Austin adulator?"

Imperative

extremely necessary; vitally important

Odious

extremely unpleasant; repulsive Because Mark had an odious personality, he had very few friends. The athlete got arrested for participating in the odious sport of dog fighting. Although I normally notice unpleasant smells right away, I cannot detect the odious scent you noticed in the house. Cleaning the toilet is such an odious task. When my sister cooks, she always leaves an odious mess in the kitchen. You must clean your cat's litter box regularly to avoid having an odious smell in your home. To me, all spiders are odious creatures.

Acrophobia

fear of heights

Accretion

growth in size or increase in amount The accretion of traffic accidents and drunk driving was attributed to the opening of the new downtown mall. The gradual accretion of terror over many years left hundred dead and thousands wounded. Sophia was convinced that the accretion of ice on her car's windshield was preventing her wipers from operating correctly.

Prescient

having or showing knowledge of events before they take place "The psychic's predictions were uncannily prescient and ended up proving true a few weeks later." "It seems that the weather man's forecasts were prescient since it rained all weekend just like predicted." "Extraordinarily prescient, the 1905 book accurately predicted what is going on in today's times."

Kindred

having similar origin, nature, or character

Latent

hidden, present but not realized The detective asked the lab technician to search the room for latent fingerprints. If Janet is anything like her mother, she will show a latent skill for singing when she reaches her teenage years. The latent tension between the two brothers came to a head when the older brother punched his sibling in the face. Hopefully the music retreat will allow me to find the latent talents inside of me. Even though the volcano is quiet right now, it is still a source of latent heat.

Overwhelming

huge; formidable; massive

August

majestic, inspiring admiration and respect Everyone wanted the chance to dine with the august president. When Maggie learned the party was at the august nightclub, she was excited by the thought of meeting some of her favorite celebrities. The critics raved about the august ballerina's performance. Because John is wealthy and the only son of an august politician, he is one of the country's most sought-after bachelors.

Despoiler

n. One who robs, pillages, a person who ruins, destroys Poland was to be dependent on her despoilers, but they evidently meant to make her a serviceable dependant.

Inconstancy

not faithful and dependable "Known for his inconstancy, the married man had children with women all over town." "Lisa refused to acknowledge her husband's inconstancy and pretended his affairs didn't exist."

Homogenous

of the same kind

Magnate

powerful person; wealthy influential business person My grandfather was considered a very influential and wealthy oil magnate. William Randolph Hearst was a magnate in the newspaper industry. Because he was a magnate in the fashion industry, he was always in need of reliable assistants. Due to his status as a political magnate, many people were eager to vote for him in the next election. The magnate suffered a terrible fate when he booked a ticket on the Titanic.

Encomiastic

praising; eulogistic; N. encomium: very high praise; eulogy

Omnipresent

present in all places at all times "The soccer coach described his star player as being omnipresent, all over the field at once." "Because my mother loves carrots, she adds them as an omnipresent ingredient in every dish she makes." "Our omnipresent mayor never misses a chance to get in front of a camera."

Decorous

proper; in good taste Following a decorous dress code that respects the sensitivity and modesty of others is required at the school. When Bill walked away from a fight in church, he behaved in a decorous manner. After Amy had several drinks, she abandoned her decorous behavior and became extremely offensive. The soldier was reprimanded by his commanding officer for behaving in a way that was not decorous. If the students do not act decorous at the dance, they will be asked to leave. The parents asked their children to be on their most decorous behavior at the formal dinner.

Opprobrium

public disgrace; the disgrace incurred by conduct considered outrageously shameful Logain-EotW Although the golfer faced a great deal of opprobrium after being caught with his mistress, he quickly regained the love of his fans. While my actions were inappropriate, I do not consider them an opprobrium which will ruin my reputation. The celebrity chef earned opprobrium when she made a racial slur in front of the media. For the rest of his life, the president will be remembered for his opprobrium brought on by entering our country into an international war. When the mayor stole money from the police retirement fund, it was a major opprobrium which reflected poorly upon the government as a whole.

Synthesizing

putting all the different parts together to create a whole new thing

Pugnacious

quarrelsome, fond of fighting; combative in nature, ready to fight The pugnacious little boy constantly talks back to his mother. John's pugnacious behavior causes him to have few friends. While my twin sister is quite pugnacious, I prefer to avoid confrontations. Of course, I would prefer a docile pet over a pugnacious one any day! Unfortunately, Harriet becomes pugnacious after only a few drinks.

Dross

refuse, waste products "Gold is dross"

Ascribed

regard a text, quotation, or work of art as being produced by or belonging to (a particular person or period)

Deposed

remove from office suddenly "Siuan Sanche has been deposed; Eliada is now the Amyrilin."

Staid

sedate, respectable, and unadventurous Hobbits "Since my aunt is a nun, she always wears such a staid look on her face." "Larry prefers the staid life of a country gentleman."

Sybaritic

self-indulgent "The sybaritic prince spared no expense, always splurging on luxurious things like camels and jewels." "Though most of her family thought she was overly sybaritic, the luxury-loving heiress saw nothing wrong with living the high life."

Victimized

singled (someone) out for cruel or unjust treatment

Deft

skillful, nimble

Rhapsody

speech or writing expressing great pleasure or enthusiasm. "The composer's rhapsody described the passion he felt for his newborn son." "Because the singer was so passionate about his music, he sung the rhapsody with unrestrained enthusiasm." "The enthusiastic researcher launched into a lengthy rhapsody about his latest medical discovery."

Permeated

spread throughout

Excoriate

to criticize severely

Abnegate

to deny, renounce

Exalted

to have elevated by praise or in an estimation

Flit

to pass quickly or abruptly from one place or condition to another

Marginalize

treat (a person, group, or concept) as insignificant or peripheral

Marginalized

treat (a person, group, or concept) as insignificant or peripheral

Candid

truthful and straightforward; frank "When the actress was questioned about her costar, she held nothing back and gave a candid response."

Rambunctious

uncontrollably exuberant; boisterous

Arcane

understood by few; mysterious or secret. "Because it is no longer taught in schools, people are concerned that cursive writing will become arcane." "The elderly teacher had an arcane way of teaching mathematics." "The restaurant location was so arcane, that you had to be blindfolded in order to enter the building." "People always inquired why the identity of my grandfather was kept arcane." "An arcane band was playing in an underground location."

Wanton

undisciplined; unrestrained; reckless -having no concern for the rights, feelings, or safety of others After surveillance cameras failed to pick up the wanton destruction of the library, the county hired a security guard to patrol the building. Although Harold is not a nice boy, I cannot believe he has been accused of wanton cruelty toward his neighbor's dog. The judge sentenced the teenage boy to two hundred hours of community service for his wanton acts of vandalism. Jim's wanton disregard for others was obvious when he drove home drunk.

Stolid

unemotional; can't be moved to smile or show much sign of life He was a stolid man who did not even show his emotions at his mother's funeral. Although it takes a great deal to make me laugh, I would not consider myself to be a stolid person. Even though the homeless little girl appeared to be hungry, my father remained stolid and did not give her any money for food. Having seen his share of bloody crime scenes, the stolid police detective did not blink when he saw the five dead bodies. Sister Mary Catherine rarely smiled in class so I could never tell if the stolid nun appreciated my humor.

Hapless

unfortunate When Jason lost his wife and job on the same day, he knew he was a hapless soul. The hapless storeowners went bankrupt during the economic crisis. After Ellen lost her fortune in Las Vegas, her days were hapless and miserable. The newspaper did a story on the hapless child who was lost in the woods for three days. In the movie, Karen and John are hapless lovers who are separated by their class differences. The hapless slaves were abused and forced to work without pay. With very little effort, the trained soldiers killed the hapless residents of the city. The hapless rabbit could not escape from the trap.

Catholic

universal; wide-ranging As the busy young woman chose from the catholic events displayed, she could pick from sports to crafts to dancing and everything in between. In order to be a well-rounded person, Jeff enrolled in a catholic range of hobbies including weaving, rugby and dog breeding. In the catholic volumes, the student analyzed every minute aspect of the topic of chemistry. With the catholic display of videos to choose from, you could watch a video on a completely different subject each day for the rest of your life.

Capriciousness

unpredictable behavior, subject to whim Because of his capricious nature, Jeremy found it hard to keep a steady job. Since he started taking the medication, Henry has been less capricious. Even though the couple wanted to get married outside, they knew their ceremony depended on the capricious weather. You need to settle down and stop being so capricious

Abortive

unsuccessful; fruitless

Horatory

urging to some course of conduct or action; exhorting; encouraging. tending or aiming to exhort. "The coach gave his players a hortatory speech to inspire them to play well."

Loquacious

very talkative. "After drinking four beers, my normally quiet wife becomes quite loquacious." "While Jared was shy and reserved, his twin brother Michael was outgoing and loquacious." "Because Harold did not want to engage in conversation with his loquacious coworker, he often hid in his office."

Impetus

That which drives one; momentum. "The high crime rate was the impetus for the hiring of one hundred new police officers in our city." "Because the new president was once a military commander, he has a great deal of experience being an impetus for change." "The lack of donations is the impetus causing many non-profit agencies to reduce services offered to the public." "While my daughter normally hates to do her chores, her desire to earn extra money for a cellphone has become her impetus to be more helpful around the house."

Verisimilitude

The sense that what one reads is "real," or at least realistic and believable. *The appearance of truth; the quality of seeming to be true When the man's wife lied on the stand, she destroyed any chance the jury would believe she was capable of giving them even an ounce of verisimilitude. Even though Jeremy was telling a lie, he still managed to present his story with verisimilitude. To make sales, Paul always goes out of his way to present verisimilitude to his customers to make them feel comfortable with him. Although the movie does have some verisimilitude, it does not accurately portray what really happened to the lost hikers. Even though the tabloid's editor insists all of the magazine's stories are carefully researched, there is no verisimilitude in any of the articles.

Abrogates

To abolish by authoritative action To abolish; to do away with The Supreme Court can abrogate laws deemed unconstitutional. If you abrogate your responsibility to vote, then you're asking for another four years of this nightmare. A good father would never abrogate his parental responsibilities. Schools exist to provide education, not as daycare centers for you to abrogate your responsibility as a parent.

Valorizes

To give or ascribe value or validity to People earmark and valorize money differently, depending on how it is acquired

Expurgate

To remove vulgar or obscene material from. The rapper was told that if he did not expurgate the offensive lyrics from his new song, it would never be played on the radio. Although Noah tried very hard to expurgate thoughts of Anna from his mind after the breakup, he still saw her face everywhere. Even though Wikipedia can be a helpful resource, the interactive ability allows anyone to add information that may be inaccurate or expurgate accurate information just because they're offended by it. When she discovered that her brother had found her diary, she decided to expurgate some of the juicier parts by tearing out the pages. The producer agreed to expurgate some of the R-rated scenes so that the movie could be shown on network television.

Proclivity

a a natural inclination or tendency to act a certain way -a natural inclination or tendency to act a certain way As a young child, the award-winning singer had a proclivity for music. His proclivity for cooking made him a big hit in the homeowner's association. It is the proclivity of the gas companies to raise prices when demand is high. If you cannot say anything else about her, you can certainly say she has a proclivity for drama! While Franklin had overcome his gambling problem, he could not get past his proclivity to drink. Your proclivity to only remember your side of the story is amazing! Although Lawrence admired his girlfriend's proclivity for trying new foods, he did not follow her lead and eat a grasshopper.

Dalliance

a casual romantic or sexual relationship; brief or casual involvement with something Since Jill and Frank were both married to other people, their workplace dalliance did not last very long. Teenagers have shallow hearts so it is not surprising that they enter into one dalliance after another. When Mitch learned his fiancée had a dalliance with another man, he cancelled the wedding. The playboy was known for his ability to engage any woman, single or married, in a romantic dalliance. If you are involved in a dalliance with Will, then you should not accept Hank's marriage proposal. It was obvious from the steamy emails that Kim and Fred were having a dalliance outside of the office.

Vicissitude

a change or variation; ups and downs a change of circumstances or fortune, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant. The parental vicissitude I currently have is trying to pay child support for six children. My vicissitude in college was tackling seven classes and a job. Though he had many vicissitudes in life, nothing would stop him from becoming an entrepreneur. Some say that we must go through the vicissitudes in life to become a stronger person. I love my annoying little brother, but we do have our vicissitudes.

Pretensions

a claim or the assertion of a claim to something; entitlement "The butler reeked of pretension as he told me to enter the house through the back door." "To be the president of a country, Marcel is extremely down-to-earth and completely devoid of pretension." "Because the famous actress is without pretension, she is adored by millions of people who love her easygoing personality."

Numismatic

a coin collector To find out the true value of his coin collection, the man sought an accredited numismatist. Gold coins and bars lined the collection vault of the proud numismatist. A numismatist was hired by the museum to help with the gallery's vast assortment of coins and medals. The rare four dollar U.S. coin was verified as legitimate by a numismatist who was familiar with various coins. Freelancing as a numismatist, the archaeologist new a great deal about the coins found on the dig site.

Platitude

a commonplace, stale, or trite remark - something that is said so often that it is not interesting anymore. Because I have heard your platitude a hundred times, it means nothing to me now. The politician ended his speech with a platitude about every man's right to vote. After hearing the salesman's unoriginal platitude, I decided to go to another car dealer. At my uncle's funeral, I heard one platitude after another. Your platitude is meaningless and does nothing for my anger! When asked about the unemployment crisis, the president could only respond with an empty platitude.

Phalanx

a compact or close-knit body of people, animals, or things - a body of troops or police officers, standing or moving in close formation A phalanx of soldiers marched in lockstep, while belting out slogans of war. William was among the phalanx of police officers who stood in close formation, ready to invade the compound. The students mimicked a phalanx of soldiers, protecting their professor from being attacked as they led him to safety. A phalanx of camera men kept on snapping pictures as they walked in close formation, resembling a troop of officers.

Apothegm

a concise saying or maxim "Don't cry over spilled milk is an apothegm which has become worn from overuse, but which will forever remain true and relevant."

Conundrum

a confusing and difficult problem or question

Imprecation

a curse The witch muttered an imprecation at the man who mistreated her. Before the woman was burned at the stake, she uttered an imprecation against her accusers. The woman screamed an imprecation at the police officer who tossed her to the ground. Since I don't believe in magic, the wizard's imprecation didn't scare me.

Despot

a dictator with absolute power Once the despot killed his parents, he was able to run the country with an iron fist. The despot has decided to control all television stations in his nation. When the despot started killing random school children in his small country, the United Nations sent in forces to remove him from power. What kind of man swears he is not a despot yet sits in his golden palace while allowing his people to die of hunger? According to the media, the despot has taken money from the treasury to build his massive mansion.

Progenitor

a direct ancestor -any of a person's direct ancestors; an ancestral form of a species Sharing a common progenitor meant that the two best friends were also 3rd cousins. Some scientists suggest that because we share similar DNA, the human's closest progenitor is chimpanzee. The hybrid plant originally descended from its progenitor, a blueberry bush. Although he was a distant progenitor, everyone said the boy had his great grandfather's smile. Because their beaks are similar in shape, it is likely that the species share a common progenitor.

Calumny

a false and malicious accusation the making of false and defamatory statements about someone in order to damage their reputation; slander. "a bitter struggle marked by calumny and litigation While the film was supposed to be a true story about the actress, it came across as a huge calumny that was produced to tarnish the star's reputation. Although Charles does not personally like Henry, he is not the type of person to spread a calumny about his enemy. The best way for you to defend yourself against calumny is by ignoring the false statements of others. When Jane's ex-husband tried to make a calumny about her in court, the judge ordered him to be quiet. The president refused to respond to his rival's calumny that he lied about his fundraising activities.

Fallacy

a false or mistaken idea Having money makes you happy is a fallacy because happiness has nothing to do with wealth. While the business plan sounds good on paper, it is built on the fallacy that people will pay thirty dollars to see a movie. Because that fallacy is so ridiculous, I cannot understand how you believe it! Mark's fallacy on the workings of the stock market caused us all to lose a great deal of money. The huge fallacy of the proposed budget is the government's inability to come up with the necessary funds.

Pestilence

a fatal epidemic disease, especially bubonic plague

Myrmidon

a follower or subordinate of a powerful person "Under the watchful eye of their superior military leader, every myrmidon followed his first request." "Similar to the Nazis, each myrmidon of this country executed each order with exactness and efficiency." "There was seldom a time that a myrmidon didn't comply completely with the director's requests."

Encomium

a formal expression of praise, a lavish tribute Mrs. Poundstone was surprised and delighted on the last day of school when the students in her most difficult class presented her with an encomium they had written, praising her work as a teacher. Paula finds painting so therapeutic that she has written an encomium celebrating the art form. After all that Mother Teresa accomplished during her life, she certainly deserves every encomium that was ever written praising her tireless work for God and humanity. Of the many statesmen who have written an encomium, Abraham Lincoln wrote one in praise of "The Great Invention of Writing." After William wrote an encomium applauding all the improvements that the principal had made at the school, he offered to read it to the crowd at the retirement party.

Zephyr

a gentle breeze By evening, the harsh wind following the storm had turned into a zephyr that did nothing more than move the leaves. Before Sarah went to bed, she opened the window to feel the zephyr as she slept. The zephyr did very little to cool us off as we sat on the hot porch. With only a zephyr in the air, it is not surprising we came in last in the sailboat race.

Termagant

a harsh-tempered or overbearing woman

Sibilant

a hissing sound The snake's sibilant hiss caused the frightened puppy to flee. As the teenager walked away, she heard her rival's sibilant voice taunting her. The scared cat made a sibilant sound before scratching the little boy. After hitting the curb, we heard a sibilant noise coming from one of the car tires.

Conflagration

a large destructive fire; a conflict or war Although you are angry at her, do not let such a small argument turn into a huge conflagration. It seems as though the conflagration in the Middle East has been going on for centuries. How many military troops are currently involved in the conflagration in Afghanistan? After the treaty is signed, the conflagration between the two countries will come to an end.

Bevy

a large group In hopes of receiving a bevy of presents, Hank invited a lot of people to his birthday party. My essay grade was low because I had a bevy of mistakes in my paper. Because my mother wrote a bevy of items on her grocery list, I was in the store for nearly two hours

Doxy

a lover or mistress

Foibles

a minor weakness or failing of character. "Smoking is the foible that prevents Jenna from being healthy." "Although many people consider Bob's impatience as a foible, I view it as a passion to get things done." "Jake's only foible is his weakness for the gambling tables."

Idiosyncrasy

a mode of behavior or way of thought peculiar to an individual

Propensity

a natural inclination or tendency My mother has a propensity to drink when she gets anxious. Although Jason is smart enough to do well in college, his propensity for partying may interfere with his grades. When reading the story, the first element one notices is the writer's propensity to describe the setting in vivid details. Jill's propensity to lie is going to get her into trouble one of these days. My mother-in-law can not get over her propensity to interfere in my marriage.

Aerie

a nest built high in the air; an elevated, often secluded, dwelling In order to protect its young from predators, an Eagle will often build its aerie in a high place that is difficult to reach. Spotting the aerie of a falcon is often difficult since the nest is so far above where humans are regularly looking. The best place for a bird of prey to build an aerie is at the top of an extremely tall tree, where only other raptors pose a threat.

Sybarite

a person devoted to pleasure and luxury -one who is self-indulgent and addicted to luxury ex. Graendal The sybarite was planning to hire a personal chef to cater to their culinary whims. Because she loved luxurious items, my grandma called herself a sybarite. The sybarite looked forward to their day at the spa. So he could relax whenever he wanted, the sybarite wanted to include a hot tub in his living room renovations.

Harbinger

a person or thing that announces or signals the approach of another "Everyone knows the groundhog is the harbinger of a change in seasons." "Whenever I see clouds, I know they are a harbinger of an approaching storm." "The surprisingly chilly day in September is a harbinger of all that winter has to offer." "When the two enemies called a truce, everyone saw this action as a harbinger in their relationship." "Jillian took the short message as a harbinger that her relationship with Jim was about to end." "If a rise in crime is a harbinger of economic decline, then this country really is in trouble right now."

Reviler

a person who uses abusive language revile: to attack with abusive language To the candidate, it came as no surprise that his political rival would revile him in front of the press. Individuals who are arrogant will often look for ways to revile those they view as beneath them. Although the media goes out of its way to revile the president, its actions have not caused a fall in the leader's popularity. The store manager frequently loses employees because he takes every chance he gets to revile them and complain about their work. Even though people pretend to revile reality shows, most of them simply cannot stop watching the addictive programs. Over half of the employees showed up at the monthly meeting to revile the company leaders on the poor decisions recently made by the organization.

Fomentation

a push for trouble or rebellion Foment: to stir up or incite Kelsier The publicity-hungry politician often made harsh statements about immigrants in order to foment unrest among the public. Despite popular beliefs, the police are here to keep people calm, not to foment violence. The celebrity liked to foment rumors by posting cryptic statements about her private relationships online. If the dictator thinks you're trying to foment turmoil in order to start a rebellion, he'll have you executed on national television. The union representative knows the only way he can get new members is by trying to foment discontent among the factory workers

Panacea

a remedy for all ills; cure-all; an answer to all problems. "Unfortunately there is no panacea that will make cancer instantly vanish from your body." "The software patch is supposed to be a panacea for all of the security risks in the program." "While the president acknowledges the country's problems, he does not offer a panacea to cure them." "Beverly hoped her doctor would write her a prescription for a panacea that would make her sinus headache permanently disappear." "If you believe money is the panacea for all difficulties, you will be shocked to learn you cannot purchase happiness with cash." "Many people believe chicken soup is a panacea for any respiratory illness." "For many women, chocolate is the panacea that makes them forget all their problems."

Cabal

a secret group seeking to overturn something *Kelsier and Vin's group* *Elaida's group* Hundreds of workers formed a cabal to demonstrate their dissatisfaction with the firm's healthcare plan. Because the billionaire is paranoid, he believes his children have formed a cabal to steal his money. A number of board members were part of the cabal that sought to remove the company founder from his position as chairman. During the past few months, independent rebels have formed a united cabal in order to displace the dictator.

Peccadillo

a small sin/mistake or fault Because Josh had grown tired of Patty's criticism of every little peccadillo, he asked her for a divorce. Unless you're perfect, you should never complain about a peccadillo of someone else. When I tried to apologize, Jean just laughed and told me that it was just a small peccadillo and I had nothing to be sorry about. While being fifteen minutes past curfew is just a peccadillo, coming home at dawn is a major problem and you have some explaining to do.

Paean

a song of praise, joy, triumph, victory, or achievement After losing the game, the team was disappointed not to sing their victory paean. The boy wrote a paean for his dad, praising his many accomplishments. After winning the battle, the warriors gathered around and sung a paean. Though the critics insulted it, the film received a paean from most moviegoers. In ancient Greece, a victorious warrior would often sing a paean to Apollo.

Martinet

a strict disciplinarian; a stickler for the rules When I was child, I thought my father was a martinet because he was constantly ordering me around the house. The prison warden is viewed as a martinet because of his strict management of the correctional facility. As a colonel in the army, John is a martinet who believes discipline is the only path to success. The college football coach is known for being a martinet who suspends his players when they do not follow the rules. Like a martinet, Mrs. Abrams insists upon order in her classroom. Bill was a martinet who punished his children for the smallest offenses.

Caprice

a sudden and unaccountable change of mood or behavior; whim His own caprices interposed some delay in the conferring of a pension which George III. His passion for Cynthia, the theme of his most finished poetry, is second only in interest to that of Catullus for Lesbia; and Cynthia in her fascination and caprices seems a more real and intelligible personage than the idealized object first of the idolatry and afterwards of the malediction of Catullus. How far he was personally responsible for the Anglican Settlement, the Poor Laws, and the foreign policy of the reign, how far he was thwarted by the baleful influence of Leicester and the caprices of the queen, remains to a large extent a matter of conjecture. The caprices of Romaica, and the lavish extravagance of Motamid in his efforts to please her, form the subject of many stories

Populist

a supporter of the rights and power of the people Populism: support for the rights and powers of ordinary people Promoting populism meant that the candidate played on the naïve notions of the poor working class. A movement of populism began to take over when the people realized that the wealthy elite were the only ones involved in the government. Populism only works if the political appeal is aimed at the interests of the regular people. The candidate's ability to align himself to the prejudices of the poor made him a product of populism. The basis of populism is the belief that giving power to the people will protect individuals from exploitation.

Morass

a swamp; a difficult situation Although I am normally good with solving puzzles, I am somewhat confused by the math morass given out by my teacher. Even the smartest lawyer will find it difficult to find a solution for this legal morass. The puppy found himself in a morass of being stuck in a tree log. Because Janice did not listen to her parents, she found herself in a financial morass and could not pay her bills. A morass of red tape is preventing the farmer from getting the loans he needs to rebuild his barn.

Perquisite

a tip or payment in addition to regular wages -a privilege, gain, or a special benefit; perk Ronald considers his pension to be the most desirable perquisite of his profession. Our CEO insists that the corporate jet is a perquisite that he truly deserves. Over-sized mansions and exquisite banquets are the perquisite of the rich. The 20-piece band serenaded the king, a perquisite reserved for royalty. Free gas allowance is a perquisite of being a city commissioner.

Vestige

a trace; remnant -the last small part of something that existed before. The shameless killer did not show a vestige of emotion when the judge sentenced him to death. How am I supposed to enjoy my cereal with nothing but that vestige of milk you left in the carton? After the huge fire, only a vestige of the house remained visible among the ashes. My critical mother-in-law has taken everything but the vestige of my self-esteem. When the sun appeared once more, the vestige of the snow melted and revealed the green grass underneath.

Cataclysm

a violent upheaval that causes great destruction and change A severe attack upon the Internet could cause a cataclysm in the financial world. After the hurricane, the cataclysm of an earthquake further disrupted life on the Asian continent. The terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 was a cataclysm of destruction. According to our minister, a cataclysm will soon rid the world of all sinners.

Pastiche

a work that is a mixture of styles, materials, or sources; a mix of unique items The rainbow is made of a pastiche of colors. Because Maggie decorated her residence in a pastiche of styles, every room in her house is uniquely beautified. The mix of country, pop, and soul music made the album a fascinating pastiche of sounds. Because the buffet contains a pastiche of entrees, you shouldn't have any trouble finding a dish to sate your hunger. The critic hated the short story collection and described it as a pastiche of unrelated and unpleasant stories.

Lampoon

a written satire used to ridicule or attack someone Because Freddy posted an uncomplimentary lampoon of his boss on his Facebook page, he soon found himself looking for new employment. Sam wrote a harsh lampoon of the mayor and sent it to the newspaper, but the editor refused to publish it. Ronnie maintains a popular blog that is basically a lampoon of the week's television shows. For the past few decades, the writers of "Saturday Night Live" have written one lampoon after another at the expense of whichever politicians happened to be in the news at the time. People who achieve celebrity status of any kind should not be surprised to see an occasional lampoon in the media that makes fun of some aspect of their lives. Although he uses a comic format to lampoon social issues, his underlying message is intended to be taken quite seriously.

Diurnal

active during the day Because bats are not active during the day, they are not diurnal creatures. John found it hard to work a diurnal job after being on the night shift for fifteen years. In the desert, there are few diurnal animals because of the high daytime temperatures. The diurnal animal wears itself out during the day and sleeps all night.

Truculence

aggressiveness, ferocity -aggressively forceful or hostile behavior The aggressive man's truculence caused him to be arrested and jailed for disorderly conduct. Even though he said that he was against hostility, the dictator secretly encouraged the forceful truculence of the police. The actor is known for his truculence onset and has earned a reputation for being both overly hostile.

Overwrought

agitated; overdone; disturbed; a state of excessive nervousness, excitement or anger When she was not awarded a scholarship, the student became overwrought. An overwrought mom frantically searched the park for her missing son. The man's wife was completely overwrought at his funeral. The bride was overwrought when the florist delivered the wrong flower order. Overwrought at his terminal diagnosis, the patient was preparing to break the news to family.

Droll

amusing in an odd or whimsical way I love this anthology because all the stories are droll and entertaining, rather than making me think too hard. Despite the droll expression on Charlie's face, Marian was afraid that he might have been hurt when he tumbled off the swing. If you're always going to have that droll smirk on your face, I'll never tell you when someone has a crush on you. Everyone enjoyed Professor Hermann's class because his droll sense of humor made his lectures entertaining. As the class clown, David had a droll comment for every point of the discussion. After the droll performance by the children's choir, the PTA invited friends and family to the cafeteria for refreshments. You gave such a droll example of how to do the job that none of the new employees are taking you seriously

Machination

an evil design or plan After being caught running a machination against his political rival, the ruthless candidate lost the election. The con artist's victims quickly fell for his easy money machination. Fortunately law enforcement stepped in before the crazed man could put his machination into action. Reading about the criminals' machination to rob the casino was enthralling. Because Gary wanted the promotion, he set a machination in motion to make his competition appear incompetent. Many spy movies revolve around a bad guy's machination to take over the world.

Subterfuge

an excuse or trick for escaping or hiding something; something intended to deceive -trickery or deceit used to manipulate or achieve one's goals Pinocchio's lies and subterfuge caused his nose to grow longer and longer. The prisoners resorted to subterfuge, tricking the guards into letting them out of their cells. Full of trickery, the sly foxed used his subterfuge to sneak his way into the chicken coop. Subterfuge led by the deceitful media caused everyday people to be confused. During the war, the traitor's subterfuge caused his home country to lose an important battle. From now on, he will no longer subterfuge to his family and instead focus on living an honest lifestyle.

Panegyric

an expression of praise; a speech or written composition used to pay tribute to a person, place, or thing After the princess died a popular singer wrote a panegyric to honor her life. Everyone cried when Jim's best friend delivered a moving panegyric at his funeral. Although the book was supposed to be based on facts, it read like a panegyric praising the actions of the brutal dictator. The tribal wise man wrote a panegyric about the god who had protected the warriors during the battle. Before the poet died of cancer, he penned a beautiful panegyric for his devoted wife.

Circumlocution

an indirect way of expressing something The con man tried to use circumlocution to avoid explaining his real intentions to the wealthy couple. As a politician, the senator had no problem using circumlocution to make his responses sound honest. Sneaky people who want others to be fooled by their words often use circumlocution to hide their true purposes. To sell his company's products, the sly salesman used circumlocution to avoid directly answering the woman's questions. The student used circumlocution in an attempt to stall his teacher while he completed his homework in class.

Augury

an omen or prophecy According to the psychic, the black cat was an augury of my impending death. There are those who view the virus as an augury of the world coming to an end. The gloomy music in the movie scene was an augury of an upcoming tragedy. When the fortuneteller read my palm, she saw an augury of bad luck. The Mayans' augury of the world ending in 2012 did not occur. In many cultures, the crow is often regarded as an augury of bad fortune.

Misnomer

an unsuitable or misleading name

Morass

area of muddy or boggy ground; a complicated or confusing situation "Although I am normally good with solving puzzles, I am somewhat confused by the math morass given out by my teacher." "Even the smartest lawyer will find it difficult to find a solution for this legal morass." "The puppy found himself in a morass of being stuck in a tree log."

Bombast

arrogant, pompous language Because he is a bit too bombastic for me, I will not be voting for that politician again! His bombastic rant made her rethink her decision to go on a date with him. Determined to gain his girlfriend's forgiveness, the teenager made a bombastic declaration in front of the entire school. I cannot believe the minister's bombastic sermon lasted three hours! The cheerleading squad led the crowd in bombastic cheers.

Supercilious

arrogant; behaving in a way that suggest you think that you are superior to others Lynda is so supercilious that she refuses to friend anyone outside her race. The supercilious, stuck-up woman demands special treatment for being pretty. Even though he was just as poor as the others, the supercilious man he was superior. The supercilious queen was known as "snobby" because of the way she treated her citizens. The supercilious man at the picnic refused to sit on the ground like everyone else.

Ersatz

artificial; not genuine; fake Do you believe the ersatz beach created by the city will appeal to those who love the natural features of the seashore? Before segregation ended, minorities were given an ersatz education that was not equal to the education received by their white peers. The art expert quickly recognized the ersatz painting as a fake. In the movie, the lead character created an ersatz version of his dead wife. There is no way an ersatz pizza made with soy cheese can ever compare to a real Italian pizza. At his trial, the defendant argued he could not be charged with selling drugs since his ersatz cocaine was made out of flour and salt.

Assail

attack, assault If anyone ever talks negatively about Alex's father, his response is to assail the person with insults. Because fits of sneezing assail me almost year-round, I never go outside without taking an antihistamine. When difficult circumstances assail my tranquility, I turn to meditation. When I was a child, fears of monsters under the bed would assail me if I didn't keep the light turned on. Dorax wanted to control the universe, and many smaller planets scanned the skies for signs that his fleet was on the way to assail their planet.

Iconoclastic

attacking or seeking to overthrow popular or traditional beliefs, ideas, or institutions "Because Jared was an iconoclast and dared to question the company's mission, he was fired from his job." "The successful entrepreneur is an iconoclast who is not afraid to introduce something new to the market." "The church leader was deemed an iconoclast when he spoke out against his religion's views."

Meretricious

attractive in a cheap, flashy way Because of Christie's meretricious style of dressing, she has often been mistaken for a prostitute and has received a number of indecent proposals. If my mother-in-law didn't decorate her house with so many meretricious knickknacks, it would be a more comfortable place to visit. Adding those flamboyant earrings to such a colorful skirt gives your entire outfit a meretricious effect. This writer usually writes with such a meretricious style that his books are only published in paperback. Buying that flashy sports car was just his meretricious way of showing his ex-wife that he was doing fine without her.

Empirical

based on observation or experiment Our data is based on empirical evidence collected in numerous studies. Because there was no empirical link between the suspect and the victim, the prosecutor found it hard to make a provable case. Using empirical analysis, the researchers were able to identify the components of the unusual chemical compound. The judge asked the members of the jury to only pay attention to the empirical evidence. Until you get empirical proof my husband is not telling the truth, I am not interested in hearing your opinion about him! The results are empirical and reveal that teenagers who do not spend quality time with their parents are more likely to abuse drugs or alcohol.

Pulchritude

beauty; physical beauty Because we all know that beauty is only skin deep, you should always look beneath the pulchritude on the outside to see what's going on in a person's heart and soul. Although this actress is not a woman of great pulchritude, her vast talent has won her more awards than anyone else in the business. The magazine editor had an eye for pulchritude, and he was surrounded by beautiful women until the day he died. Not only is Angelina Jolie a woman of great pulchritude, her humanitarian efforts have demonstrated that she is equally as beautiful on the inside as on the outside. While pulchritude isn't a word that we commonly use, it may be just the right word to describe someone who is too beautiful for words.

Neophyte

beginner; someone who is just learning to do something Because I have very little computer experience, I am a neophyte when it comes to working with most software programs. Since this is my daughter's first swim lesson, she is definitely a neophyte in the sport. Because Jack had no experience with the financial markets, everyone on the trading team considered him to be a neophyte. Even the best golfer in the world was once a neophyte at the sport of golf. As a first time legislator, Sheryl was viewed as a neophyte by the senior elected officials. It was the duty of the veteran soldier to teach the neophyte how to use his weapon.

Tyros

beginners or novices "Julie is a good violinist, but at 13, she is a tyro and still has a lot to learn."

Foppish

behaving or dressing like a dandy; excessively concerned with fashion With a clean appearance, the fop would be disturbed to know that there was a wrinkle in his clothing. Howard, a fop wearing a bowtie and dapper suit, combed every hair into place. As the fop stood on the corner, he looked as if he came straight from the pages of a gentleman's clothing catalogue. With an antique cane in his hand, the fop strolled through the town in his newly pressed gray suit.

Affectation

behavior, speech, or writing that is artificial and designed to impress. "the affectation of a man who measures every word for effect" a studied display of real or pretended feeling: "an affectation of calm." "My mother does not realize buying a pricey new dress to attend a party is an affectation to impress strangers."

Pliant

bending readily; easily influenced -easily manipulated or controlled by people When the slaves were not pliant, their owners would punish them. The bossy man wanted a pliant wife who would obey his every command. As soon as the captors tried to get information from the soldier, they realized he was not a pliant man who would betray his country. The dog was far from pliant and never obeyed his owner's commands. Because Jason is too pliant, he often loans money to people who will never repay him. When George refused to be pliant and follow instructions, he earned a reprimand from his commanding officer.

Acerbic

biting, bitter in tone or taste; expressing harsh or sharp criticism in a clever way. "After John heard his teacher's acerbic comments, he was not motivated to complete his project." "The writer's acerbic tone did not sit well with people who had an issue with harsh criticism." "While you may think your acerbic joke is funny and helpful, others may not appreciate your humor." "My mother-in-law tries to hide the fact she does not like me by using acerbic comments."

Acrid

bitter (to the taste or smell); sharp; bitterly pungent

Rancorous

bitter, hateful; resentful Mr. Knightly is a rancorous old man who is always unhappy and seemingly angry at everyone, even if they are strangers. You could say that someone who is always angry and irritable is a rancorous individual, though you might not want to say that to their face. I tend to be very rancorous in the morning, when people try to wake me up before it is necessary and I could have slept a little longer. While most dogs are friendly and sweet, they can become rancorous if they are treated very poorly, going so far as to resent all humans for the actions of one.

Vitriolic

bitter, sarcastic; harsh or corrosive in tone What was supposed to be a civil debate turned into a debate reaching vitriolic levels, ending with both participants screaming obscenities. Me giving her a vitriolic critique might sting, but harsh is my middle name. Your vitriolic comments about my dress hurt my feelings! World War II was one of the most vitriolic wars of all time, killing over 50 million worldwide. You attitude is vitriolic as rusty metal!

Incarnadine

blood-red in color I needed to find incarnadine tights so that it would appear the same color as my skin. The incarnadine lipstick matched my naturally peachy appearance. Even though he was born blue, the newborn baby had a fresh incarnadine color shortly after birth. When asked to describe the suspect, people said his skin was incarnadine. The lipstick manufacturer created an incarnadine color that was a pinky nude hue.

Abut

border upon; adjoin

Ennui

boredom Ennui crept up in the heart of the lonely child who had nothing better to do than to take a nap. The course was once full of ennui, but the professor later spiced up our lectures with engaging classroom discussion. Despite his ennui, Kurt was able to push past his boredom and finish his homework. The uninterested students were filled with a sense of ennui when listening to the boring lecture. Listening to your dull story about becoming a librarian is leaving me in a state of ennui.

Pugilist

boxer Pugilism: the practice of warring with fists The inexperienced boxer had a lot to learn about the sport of pugilism. Since Anna is not a fan of pugilism, she won't watch her boyfriend participate in a boxing match. The coach suggested the boys put down their knives and fight with their fists in a round of pugilism. Because Eric wants to perfect his boxing skills, he uses a punching bag to practice his pugilism. A verbal argument became an incident of pugilism when fists began to fly through the air

Pithy

brief and full of meaning and substance; concise -using few words in a clever and effective way A popular speaker, Janet was known for her pithy sayings. The title of your book should be pithy and unforgettable. To save time, the professor tried to give pithy answers to all questions. The comic's pithy humor goes over well with smart college students. On the back of the book, there is a pithy blurb which is both clever and short. The best greeting card messages are pithy and meaningful.

Alacrity

brisk and cheerful readiness. "Having studied really hard last night, the student took the exam with alacrity." "The boy jumped up and down with alacrity as he inched closer to the candy store." "The eager student attacked all school work with a rarely seen alacrity."

Halcyon

calm, peaceful I was very content during the halcyon days of my childhood. Because the waters are halcyon, today is a great day for a boat trip. The isolated cabin is sure to provide me with a halcyon escape from the noise of the crowded city. After three months, the celebrity couple's halcyon marriage transformed into a path to divorce. The Smiths were enjoying a halcyon night by the fireplace when the sound of gunfire shattered their peace. Before the dog ran into the room and jumped on me, I was enjoying a halcyon nap.

Placid

calm, peaceful -not easily upset or excited Even when the emergency room was packed with patients, the staff remained placid and calmly did their duties. The stock market has been far from placid during the economic crisis. While the water may appear placid right now, the waves were quite rough earlier. The placid husband was the total opposite of his easily upset wife. After the angry man took the pills, he became placid and quiet. Most police officers have placid personalities and are not disturbed by annoying people. Unless the placid cat was disturbed, it would rest for countless hours on the floor.

Fallible

capable of error Even though we are all fallible to some degree, the most successful people have learned how to rise above their weaknesses. If you want to get the jury's sympathy, you'll need to appear at least a little fallible and not like you believe you're above the law. When we saw our possessions were broken and scattered throughout the apartment, we realized that our so-called burglar-proof alarm system was fallible, after all. It's often a shock to realize that your hero is fallible, which is probably why some parents take a longer time than others to reveal the truth about Santa Claus to their kids. The crime-solving techniques of a couple of decades ago were much more fallible than today's methods.

Solicitude

care or concern for someone or something "His solicitude was shown by the fact that he brought flowers to her every day." "A mother is always going to display some solicitude for her children." "After her boyfriend was in a car accident, she showed her solicitude by visiting until he was out of the hospital." "He waited with solicitude for the test results, hoping his daughter was not suffering from a serious condition." "The bartender showed a great deal of solicitude, which helped him to get great tips." "In an act of solicitude, the church goers banded together to raise money for their injured member."

Economy

careful management of available resources

Circumspect

careful, cautious 1. In this day and age, you need to be circumspect about giving out too much personal information on the internet. 2. Jack found himself circumspect of dating a woman he hardly knew. 3. Even though he knew the killer was in handcuffs, the cop was still circumspect of the criminal. 4. Even though the potential investor liked the business proposal, he was circumspect about investing so much money

Cow (v.)

cause (someone) to submit to one's wishes by intimidation "Cowed by the bold seizure of their leaders, the states of Holland submitted"

Polemical

causing debate or argument Polemic: a written or verbal attack on an individual or thing The political candidate posted a polemic on his blog that mocked his rival's lack of community service. Because I do not like to become involved in the conflicts of others, I refuse to listen to my office mate's polemic about another employee. The newspaper editor used his column to present a polemic that was a scathing attack against the city's dishonest mayor. When the principal received an anonymous polemic about her leadership skills, she urged the writer to meet her face-to-face.

Clangorous

characterized by or making a continuous loud banging or ringing sound.

Bilk

cheat; defraud If those bullies at school continue to bilk Victor out of his lunch money, his father is going to enroll him in Karate classes. Be careful with your inheritance because there are a lot of schemes designed to bilk novice investors with claims of easy money. Because he has always been so anti-government, he constantly accuses the President and Congress of trying to bilk tax-payers out of their hard-earned cash. Fly-by-night contractors are famous for trying to bilk homeowners out of thousands of dollars for so-called home improvements that are never completed.

Sanguine

cheerful; optimistic. optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation. "he is sanguine about prospects for the global economy" "Although the economy is looking better, we should still not be too sanguine about the future." "You can tell by the big smile on her fact that she has a sanguine temperament!" "Despite the fact the soldiers have not been home in eight months, they are still sanguine about seeing their families soon." "The bank manager did not feel sanguine about recovering the loan." "Even though the company was closing stores, it shareholders were sanguine about their future earnings."

Puerile

childish -silly or childish especially in a way that shows a lack of seriousness or good judgment Since my son is thirty-three years of age, I do not find his puerile behavior amusing. Your jokes are puerile and not appropriate for a woman of your years. If you behave in a puerile manner during a job interview, the interviewer will think you are very childish. The fireman was scolded for playing puerile pranks on his coworkers. When Elaine got drunk and started to crawl around on the floor, she showed everyone how puerile she was. The young comedian's puerile jokes did not go over well with the mature audience.

Limpid

clear, transparent; readily understood Because the sky was not limpid, we could not see the stars. We could easily see the fish in the limpid stream. Since I was only allowed to have clear liquids during my hospital stay, I was served a large number of limpid broths. Bill would not drink the water in his glass because it was not limpid and could have contained all kinds of substances. After mixing the two dark chemicals, the students should be able to see through the limpid liquid they have created. The birds flew directly into the limpid window.

Accountered

clothe or equip in something noticeable or impressive. "All restaurants are accoutered with comfortable lounges." "The battalion accoutered six tactical Civil Affairs companies for the 1st Infantry." "Jack was accoutered with his overcoat."

Raiment

clothing, garments The shelter provides housing, food, and raiment for people in need. In the Amish culture, women do not usually wear brightly colored raiment. The bride's raiment was so detailed it took four months to sew. According to scripture when Jesus was resurrected he wore raiment that shimmered with a heavenly light. The heiress will not be happy when she has to trade in her expensive raiment for prison attire.

Maladroit

clumsy; unskillful. "The nervous boy was maladroit and stuttered over his words as he invited the girl to the dance." "When the maladroit waiter served us, he spilled wine on my dress and dropped my plate on the floor." "The maladroit robber locked himself inside of the bank vault."

Microcosms

communities, places, or situations regarded as encapsulating in miniature the characteristics of something much larger "My father has filled his aquarium with a wide variety of fish in order to turn it into a microcosm of the ocean." "Most times the airport seems likes a microcosm of the globe with people arriving and leaving from all over the world."

Grousing

complaining about something trivial "She's been grousing to her boss about the working conditions."

Dissemble

conceal one's true motives, feelings, or beliefs. "Her plan was to dissemble her intentions from her husband so she could successfully plan him a surprise party."

Epistolary

concerned with letters; through correspondence Her epistolary collection of the secret romance contains all the letters the couple exchanged. When the author wrote his book in epistolary form, he allowed his correspondence to create a chronological journal. I miss the days of waiting for epistolary communication to arrive from my childhood pen pal. After the police looked at the stamp on the epistolary evidence, they knew the death threats were coming from someone local. Kate made an epistolary error on the envelope when she forgot to address the prince by his proper title.

Corroborate

confirm or give support to (a statement, theory, or finding).

Pusillanimous

contemptibly cowardly or mean-spirited - lacking bravery or courage The pusillanimous soldier cried because he was scared of the gunfire. During the fight at the basketball game, the pusillanimous man tried to run from his opponent. The pusillanimous girl would not stand up to the school bully. During the storm the pusillanimous boy crawled in bed with his parents. The pusillanimous teenager was afraid to ask the store manager for a job application.

Premonitory

conveying a forewarning. "There was already a premonitory touch of autumn in the bright air." " Without even a premonitory shout a pony bolted for us, from their huddle." "There is a darkly premonitory duet for Lysiart and eglantine." "By some fishermen his approach is regarded as premonitory of the advance of the great sperm whale."

Plucky

courageous; spunky; spirited -brave and determined The plucky preschooler stood up to the bully who was taking his friend's lunch. His plucky attitude made him a great candidate for police officer training academy. Standing up to his commander was a plucky thing for the cadet to do. Her plucky demeanor allowed the acrobat to perform death-defying stunts. With a little determination, the plucky intern was able to move to into a power position rather quickly.

Zenith

culminating points; the strongest or most successful period of time "Since my energy is at its zenith in the morning, I prefer to get my larger tasks completed at the start of the day."

Truncated

cut short truncate: reduce the length of an item by clipping it Although the director loved all of his film footage, he had to truncate the movie so its runtime would be less than forty-five minutes. Jill had to truncate her presentation so it would not exceed five minutes. Because twitter has a character limit, I had to truncate my post so it would meet length requirements. Bill will truncate the huge Christmas tree so it will fit in our small living room. Since the contest limited the manuscript to seventy pages, the playwright had no choice but to truncate his play by deleting scenes.

Tenebrously

darkly; obscurely "Tenebrous clouds loomed in the sky and seemed to grow darker as the storm moved into the area."

Chicanery

deception by means of craft or guile the use of trickery to achieve a political, financial, or legal purpose. Let us expose that business for its financial chicanery and reveal how they waste our tax dollars. That republican is up to his old chicanery, blaming all democrats for the recession. Our city council is full of chicanery, telling citizens a tax increase is now necessary though this wasn't the case 2 weeks ago. People don't trust you because of your chicanery. You can smell the chicanery from a dishonest politician.

Erudition

deep, extensive learning Ken Jennings is a man of great erudition, having won first place on Jeopardy 75 consecutive times. Because he values erudition, my grandfather sent all of his children to school to study. People appreciate Albert Einstein's erudition for structuring many scientific theories. The research project was intense and built erudition in the minds and hearts of the scientists. Writing a 40-page research paper requires mega erudition as one or two book sources are not enough. Interns gain erudition and a wealth of specialized knowledge during their time in medical school.

Insubordination

defiance of authority; refusal to obey orders

Turpitude

depravity, moral corruption -a vile or depraved act In less than an hour, the judge decided to execute the killer for his moral turpitude. The criminal was sentenced to life in prison for the acts of turpitude he committed. Although James is not guilty of carrying out any forms of turpitude, he is far from being a choirboy. Jason did not get the job because he lied when he denied a past arrest regarding his participation in turpitude. If you commit acts of moral turpitude, you may find it difficult to get employment as a law enforcement officer.

Disenfranchise

deprive of voting rights In the early days, only white landowners were allowed rights, all others were disenfranchised at the polls. In the 1950s, authorities discriminated against African Americans and disenfranchised them by requiring them to take a test or pay a fine before allowing them to cast their ballot. Today, officials disenfranchised prisoners and those on probation, but recently governors have allowed them to cast their ballots

Devolve

deputize; pass or be passed to others (power, work, or property); Ex. devolve on/upon/to. To pass on something (i.e., responsibility, rights, or powers) from one person to a lower entity. "Although the king is in charge of ruling the monarchy, he decided to devolve some of the decision making to his younger brothers." "A law was passed to devolve some powers of the central government to regional councils." "The governor has decided to devolve some of the state responsibilities to the parishes so that the local mayors will have more control."

Ignominious

deserving or causing public disgrace or shame When the boxer got knocked out in the first round, everyone knew it was the beginning of an ignominious defeat for him. Since Charles struck out at bat three times, he is credited as the reason our baseball team suffered such an ignominious loss in the state playoffs. Because he divorced his wife and later married her sister, Henry has an ignominious reputation among the townspeople. While our computer teacher was not arrested for stealing school property, she still made an ignominious departure from the building after being interviewed by the police. After being unable to hold back opposing forces, the American troops made an ignominious retreat.

Abstruse

difficult to understand; obscure "Some of the classic novels are too abstruse for beginning readers to understand." "Because I am not a computer programmer, I find most programming languages abstruse."

Incredulous

disbelieving, skeptical The lottery winner was incredulous and could not believe his good fortune. Although the firemen put out fires every day, they were still incredulous about the huge size of the blaze in our neighborhood. Miriam's envious friends were incredulous about her engagement to a wealthy doctor. After trying for five years to become pregnant, Janet was incredulous when she finally received the unexpected news from her doctor. The bank teller gave Kurt an incredulous look when he deposited a real check for twenty million dollars. Because Leslie is such a tiny woman, people find it incredulous she is a police officer.

Perfunctory

done without care; in a routine fashion "The beauty queen waved so often that her greeting was simply perfunctory." "Since I was extremely ill, I was shocked when the doctor only gave me a perfunctory exam." "Because Anne has done the same tasks at work for many years, she does them in a perfunctory way." "When we went out to dinner last night, the bored hostess gave us a perfunctory hello." "While you may see this as a perfunctory job, you are still required to do it correctly!"

Efficacious

effective, producing results Yoga is very efficacious at reducing stress. Because my medicine is efficacious, I expect to feel better soon. Over the years, water therapy has proven quite efficacious at managing arthritis pain. The most efficacious products for your condition are the ones prescribed by your doctor. While I have gotten used to the first version of the software, I do realize the second version of the product is faster and more efficacious. Fortunately for new mothers, there are several natural remedies which are efficacious at curing ear infections. As a loving parent, I believe praise is more efficacious than punishment as a form of discipline.

Cloistered

enclosed by or having a cloister (a covered walk in a convent, monastery, college, or cathedral, typically with a colonnade open to a quadrangle on one side)

Interminable

endless, so long as to seem endless. "Being in the backseat of the car with her grandparents was an interminable experience for the teenage girl." "If I have to sit through one of my father's interminable lectures again, I will go insane!" "As he listened to one interminable speech after another, the reporter felt his eyes grow heavy." "Stifling a yawn, Jackie covered her mouth as she listened to one of her mother's interminable stories about her childhood." "This interminable play has four very long acts!" "Despite the fact they had movies to watch in the van, the little kids still complained about the interminable journey." "Luckily for the gallery, the artist's creativity was interminable"

Ensconce

establish firmly in a position; in a safe/comfortable place "There is no need to worry about the witness because she is ensconced in the safe house." "Once my youngest daughter is ensconced in her bed, I can enjoy some quiet time." "Santa Claus is ensconced in the armchair and waiting for the first child to arrive." "As soon as Helen arrived at the beautiful cabin, she knew she could be ensconced there forever." "Clara is comfortably ensconced in a beach chair and has no immediate plans to return to work."

Scrupulous

exact, careful, attending thoroughly to details; having high moral standards, principled; very careful about doing something correctly Because Shannon is a scrupulous editor, she never misses errors when she proofreads a document. Will is a scrupulous employee who always checks his work for accuracy. Scrupulous landscapers are careful to only destroy weeds and not the beautiful vegetation. Although Margaret tries to be a scrupulous cleaner, she sometimes forgets to dust off the bookshelves. The baker paid scrupulous attention to making the roses perfect on the wedding cake.

Unctuous

exaggeratedly or insincerely polite -not expressing true feelings; pretending to display true feelings -excessively or ingratiatingly flattering; oily. His impression of the president was unctuous and poorly done. Nicky's unctuous demeanor got on everyone's nerves. Turned off by the unctuous compliments, the woman turned down the man's offer of a drink. His unctuous hand gestures let everyone know he was upset about the encounter. The head cheerleader made an unctuous effort to get the geeks to give her their prom queen votes.

Recondite

exceeding ordinary knowledge and understanding - not understood or known by many people Since I do not have a law degree, I find it hard to understand the recondite terms of the contract. The difficult concept of the physics theory was recondite to everyone but the scientists. To me, my daughter's foolish actions are recondite and not understandable at all. The secret government agency worked hard to make sure the alien's presence remained recondite and out of the news. Because genetic engineering is so complicated, few people choose to work in this recondite area of research. The woman waited for the doctor to explain the recondite diagnosis to her.

Hubris

excessive pride or self-confidence The leader of the cult had so much hubris he believed the government would never be able to capture him. Although the priest had taken a vow to help others, his own personal judgment was blinded by hubris. Since Cynthia won the beauty pageant, she has allowed her hubris to turn into arrogance. Most politicians are so inflated by their own hubris they cannot understand the needs of their communities. Eventually, his hubris would be his downfall. Filled with hubris, the rabbit lost the race to the turtle.

Vainglorious

excessively proud or boastful; elated by vanity -overly proud of one's own achievements; tending to boast about personal accomplishments The vainglorious trainer spent more time flexing his own muscles than he did helping build his client's. Giving a vainglorious speech, the self-important CEO went on and on about how much he had done for the company. Although he insisted he wasn't bigheaded, most of Travis's family saw him as boastfully vainglorious. The vainglorious mayor cared not about the city but only about his personal gains.

Jingoism

extreme, chauvinistic patriotism, often favoring an aggressive, warlike foreign policy The man's jingoism led him to attempt to destroy a federal building as a show of loyalty for his own nation. When the invading troops showed jingoism by burning down schools and churches, their leaders reprimanded them. The dictator's jingoism caused him to constantly rant about his nation's superiority while threatening his rivals with war. During wars, soldiers risk being caught up in jingoism and acting overly aggressive with their enemies. My grandfather's jingoism towards foreigners made him appear racist

Munificent

extremely generous, lavish The wealthy actor always gives the members of his staff munificent appreciation gifts. If you were lucky enough to buy that particular technology stock early on, then soon you will be receiving some munificent rewards. The munificent woman is a well-known philanthropist who funds many university scholarships. Even though Mr. Matthews has millions of dollars, he is not munificent and hates to give away any of his money. The sizable gift card was a munificent present from my grandparents.

Byzantine

extremely intricate or complicated in structure. Because the plot was revealed in a byzantine manner, it was difficult to understand. I was totally confused after listening to the byzantine recording. As Kyle walked through the byzantine maze, he became more and more confused. Meg had several questions after reading the byzantine document.

Stentorian

extremely loud The stentorian music was so loud it made my head hurt. During boot camp, we were often awakened by the stentorian voice of our drill sergeant. There was a stentorian noise, and the plane suddenly lost altitude. When my father speaks in a stentorian voice, I know I'm in trouble.

Auspicious

favorable; fortunate; conducive to success His brilliant acceptance speech was an auspicious start to his political career. Everybody knows the end of the year is an auspicious time to buy a car! Because everyone was happy and feeling generous at the party, it was an auspicious time to ask for charitable donations. In Chinese culture, the shade of red is considered auspicious so Chinese men often wear red ties to important meetings. After winning the swimming portion of the triathlon, the athlete seemed well on his way to having an auspicious Olympic debut.

Contrite

feeling regret for having committed some wrongdoing The contrite young boy apologized to his parents for breaking the window and took on extra household chores to cover the cost of repairing it. Feeling ashamed and contrite, I apologized for yelling at my mother and promised never to do it again. Because he wasn't contrite, the judge sentenced the unremorseful man to the maximum number of years. Don't you have any contrite in your heart for murdering my brother?! The unrepentant husband remained contrite even when faced with the damaged his affair had caused.

Fecund

fertile; productive The computer programmer was a fecund person who could quickly identify and solve problems. Although Jim was fecund at work and always met his daily goals, he rarely left his favorite chair at home. The airline is looking for fecund individuals who can complete many tasks in a short period of time. Because gifted students are more fecund than students of lower intelligence, they usually turn in better assignments than their peers. When James turned sixty, he was fired from his job because his managers felt he was no longer fecund and capable of meeting deadlines.

Mores

fixed customs or manners; moral attitudes Social mores of the area insisted that men and women who are courting not spend time alone before marriage. Discussions with religious leaders offered insight into the mores and ancient traditions of the faith. The tribes changing mores were affected by a new generation who believed many of the traditional customs to be barbaric. Differing from the mores of its' neighbor Nigeria, French influenced Cameroon had contrasting values. Ignorant of social mores, the man seemed not to know what behaviors were appropriate for a first date.

Flotsam

floating debris; homeless, impoverished people; objects or individuals considered to be of no worth. According to the old saying, one man's flotsam is another man's treasure. The artist uses flotsam from the city dump to create his sculptures. As soon as my husband realizes there is no value in keeping flotsam, he will allow me to sell his old clothes. When you throw flotsam in the ocean, you damage the marine ecosystem. The spoiled heiress belittled her maid and treated her as though she was flotsam.

Frenetic

frenzied, highly agitated After keeping up a frenetic pace trying to keep up with classes, work, and family, Marcy felt like she was on the brink of a nervous breakdown. My husband doesn't go to a movie unless it is full of the frenetic action of car chases, mob scenes, fights, and intense special effects. Yesterday the sales floor was even more frenetic than usual because of the big clearance sale. Although most people believe that the celebrity couple maintains a frenetic lifestyle, all the stories are pure publicity schemes. After two hours of frenetic frolic, the puppies finally curled up in a ball for a nap.

Orotund

full and rich in sound (in speech); sonorous ex. Morgan Freeman, James Earl Jones (writing style) haughty in tone or style The millionaire's orotund manner made him come across as arrogant. When the president visits with the automotive workers, he tries to be one of the guys by avoiding the use of orotund dialogue. The blogger does not write in an orotund style because he wants his articles to appeal to the general public. Because the politician made an orotund speech about his wealthy upbringing, he lost favor with the middle class voters. The haughty king always spoke to his servants in an orotund tone.

Replete

full; abundant -having much or plenty or something I received a low score on my essay because the paper was replete with mistakes. Although the lemonade was replete with sugar and water, it still had a bitter taste. The twelve bedroom house is replete with five bedrooms. If you do not download the new version of the software, your computer will be replete with error messages. History is replete with examples of the dangers of war.

Disparate

fundamentally different; entirely unlike. "Because there was so much disparate information on the topic, the research process took longer than expected." "When a husband and wife have such disparate incomes, there can often be some degree of resentment in the marriage." "Even though they are identical twins, they have such disparate personalities that it's impossible to get them confused." "I understand that we all have disparate opinions on what to do with the generous donation, but let's make a thorough study on where it would best be spent."

Careering

galloping, running, or moving at full speed "It hit a kerb and lamp post before careering back across Meggeson Avenue, crashing into the parked cars and overturning." "He remembered the car careering off the road, ploughing through a hedge and rolling over a couple of times."

Largess

generosity Because of the millionaire's largesse, twenty underprivileged graduates now have college scholarships. An activist for the poor, Phillip is well-known for his largesse which helps many in need. If it were not for the largesse of Diana's charity, many people in the city would go hungry. When I was in need, I benefited from the largesse of an anonymous donor. The largesse provided by local corporations will support the building of a neighborhood park. Because the donations have been low this year, our church will not be able to give out its usual largesse during the holidays

Cavalier

given to haughty disregard of others; lack of worry Bryan will regret his cavalier attitude about studying when he fails to graduate on time. Because Ted lives a cavalier life and never thinks about his future, he won't have a lot of money to live off when he retires. The police officer acted in a cavalier manner when he searched the suspect's home without a warrant. Since Alan had a cavalier attitude when he proposed to me, I did not take his proposal seriously.

Idolatrous

given to intense or excessive devotion to something It is sad how many people exhibit idolatry towards celebrities. According to the scripture, God punished the greedy man for his idolatry to precious metals. The miser's idolatry centered on the gold coins he kept hidden from his family. Whenever the dictator ventured out in public, he insisted upon idolatry from his people. Worshiping a metal statue and valuing it above everything else is a form of idolatry.

Garrulous

given to much talking, tediously chatty Desperate for peace and quiet, Amanda told the garrulous man sitting next to her to "Shut up!" The garrulous gentleman held up the checkout line as he rambled on to the cashier about his pet squirrel. Mom, who is usually loud and garrulous, was surprisingly quiet as a mouse this morning. Because Jake is garrulous, asking him to keep a secret is impossible. How am I going to sleep sitting next to this garrulous woman on my long flight home? My garrulous sister talked only about boys on the phone all day. Garrulous people make great talk show hosts.

Bonhomie

good-naturedness The life-long friends experienced a sense of bonhomie whenever they got together. The group leader wanted to facilitate bonhomie among the new members. Wanting a smooth school year, the Resident Assistant sought to create bonhomie between the dorm residents. The bonhomie ended when a hostile argument broke out between neighbors.

Sardonic

grimly or scornfully mocking, bitterly sarcastic. "After Rick was fired from the restaurant, he wrote a sardonic review of the eatery." "Jim's sardonic laugh made his parents angry enough to stop paying his cellphone bill." "Female readers were turned off by the newspaper editor's sardonic column that described violence as the best way to teach a woman." "Because Jack spoke to his principal in a sardonic manner, he received a three-day suspension for being disrespectful." "The criminal had a sardonic smile on his face when he shot at the police officer." "In the cartoon, the villain gave a sardonic sneer before kicking the hero off the top of the building."

Banal

hackneyed, trite, commonplace so lacking in originality as to be boring "Because the movie's plot was banal, we knew exactly how the film would end." "At nearly every meeting, he made that same banal speech." "I was bored to death because of his banal conversation." "Filled with repetitive tasks, Sally's job can only be described as banal."

Felicity

happiness; bliss When my mother watched me graduate, she had such a look of felicity on her face. According to the joyful mom, giving birth gave her a felicity she had never known. I hope my coworker finds much felicity in her new career. Cara's felicity had no limits on her wedding day. The boy smiled with felicity when his dream girl agreed to have coffee with him.

Obduracy

hardness, toughness, hard-heartedness, especially against moral influence; stubbornness Although the hurricane was rapidly coming their way, the townspeople were obdurate and did not leave their homes. Sometimes, you are too obdurate for your own good! Despite the defendant's apology, the judge was obdurate and gave him a thirty-year sentence. Because Janice was obdurate, she did not shed a single tear while hearing the tragic story

Deleterious

harmful, injurious. "Because I know alcohol is deleterious, I rarely drink more than one glass of wine." "The overpopulation of large snakes in the forest is deleterious to the wild rat population." "When I gave him the aspirin, I had no idea it would be deleterious to him and induce a seizure."

Noxious

harmful; poisonous; lethal. "Besides being annoying, the mosquito is a noxious insect that can carry and transmit a number of potentially fatal diseases." "When I made the mistake of asking my wife what that noxious smell was, it turned out to be dinner, which I ate with my happy face." "You can avoid getting sick so often by frequently washing your hands to eliminate noxious bacteria and viruses."

Cursory

hasty, not thorough "After doing a cursory head count, Claire realized that two of the campers were not in their tents." "Any cursory observation of human behavior will demonstrate that no one is absolutely predictable in any given situation." "Because the pawnbroker had made only a cursory assessment of his mother's jewelry, Scott decided not to accept his offer." "Although the witness was only able to provide a cursory description of the perpetrator, the police sketch artist was able to come up with a reasonable representation." "If the Millers had the foresight to request a cursory evaluation of their home, they would have known that it was not ready to go on the market."

Tranquilize

have a calming or sedative effect on

magnanimity

having a lofty, generous, and courageous spirit

Capacious

having a lot of space inside; roomy. Having the ability to hold a great amount "When Janet bought a capacious home, she was finally able to use all the furniture she had been keeping in storage." "Len and Kelly traded in their small pickup truck for a capacious sedan that could hold their growing family." "Since we have over five hundred people coming to the wedding, we need to find a capacious venue." "We are only going on an overnight trip, but my wife is still packing several outfits in a capacious suitcase." "While I carry my identification and cash in my pocket, my sister can't leave home without her capacious purse that weighs a ton."

Multifarious

having great variety; numerous and diverse Coming from a small town of only four hundred residents, Jonas was shocked by the millions of people who made up the multifarious population of the big city. The multifarious bookstore had a gigantic selection of books on a large number of subjects. While the school has a multifarious student population, it is actually located in an African American part of town. The multifarious buffet on the cruise shop offered something for everyone. Before you decide to buy a certain car, I suggest you visit a dealer with a multifarious stock so you can test drive many vehicles.

Impecunious

having little or no money. "Since Janice grew up in an impecunious household, she knew a great deal about surviving on very little."

Ambivalent

having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone "When it comes to the election, I am ambivalent about the candidates." "I am ambivalent as to whether or not I want to take the medicine because of the drug's known side effects." "Because he was nervous about performing in front of a crowd, Jed was ambivalent about entering the singing competition." "After five days, the jury is still ambivalent about the defendant's guilt." "Since the employees value their paychecks, they are ambivalent on the idea of a strike." "Congress has reached a stalemate because many of the politicians are ambivalent about passing a bill to raise taxes."

Shrewd

having or showing sharp powers of judgment; astute; clever. "It takes a shrewd analyst to really make a killing in the stock market." "After some shrewd shopping, Marla took the extra money she saved on furniture and went on a tour of Ireland." "As a motivational speaker, Clark is a shrewd manipulator of human emotions." "Ed is a shrewd deal maker; he has sold more cars per year than any salesman in the dealership's history." "His shrewd coaching brought the team to the state championship four years in a row."

Foresighted

having the ability to anticipate the future and prepare for it

Salubrious

healthful; something that is good for you or beneficial for the mind or body. Vegetables are salubrious foods which provide essential nutrients. While nuts are salubrious on a nutritional level, eating too many of them can cause you to gain unwanted weight. Rumor has it that the spring waters in our community are salubrious and filled with healing oils. Because of his religion, Hiram was a very salubrious eater who ate only vegetables and fruits. Janice has decided to open a salubrious restaurant specializing in grilled foods.

Venerated

highly respected venerate: to respect or worship someone or something The Bible says we should venerate our parents and our elders. Although I do believe we should venerate honest politicians, I do not believe these individuals should be paid large salaries. Many people attend church services to venerate God. To venerate Mrs. Johnson's fifty-five years of service in the school system, the county is naming a school in her honor. The town plans to venerate the former president by naming a street after him.

Probity

honesty, integrity -the quality of a person who is completely honest The person who returned the stolen necklace to the police showed a great deal of probity. Although the priest took a vow of probity to never lie, he still misled the police about the suspect's whereabouts. The criminal knew he could not buy the judge who was known for his probity. When the police officer refused a million dollar bribe, he let everyone know he was a man of probity. Banks only hire people with reputations of probity.

Inimical

hostile, unfriendly Although I attempt to avoid the school bully, he always goes out of his way to be inimical to me. The police officer had an inimical attitude towards criminals. Even though my husband's ex-wife is an inimical woman, I usually try to be nice to her. The dog and cat are inimical to each other. As long as the two countries remain inimical, there will never be a treaty between them. After my neighbor learned I had cut down his favorite tree, he was inimical to me.

Inexorable

impossible to stop or prevent; stubborn The inexorable truth is that Shelley is going to die within six months because she has cancer. Following her husband's sudden death, Elaine went into an inexorable depressive state. Of course, the public is enraged by the inexorable rise in gas prices. Because James hit a police officer while driving drunk, he knows it is an inexorable fact he will serve jail time. In hopes of regaining their land, the army started an inexorable march through the country. Karen suspected her husband was cheating, but when she learned the inexorable truth about his infidelity, she was truly heartbroken.

Panoply

impressive array; an impressive collection or exhibition The designer's exciting panoply of dresses won over the fashion critics. Because the Orient is a luxury hotel, its panoply of premium services and amenities is unrivalled in the hotel industry. The school's art panoply will showcase student projects from the current school year. When the media arrived, the boastful world leader made sure they photographed his panoply of exotic cars. The billionaire's panoply of technological gadgets controls every aspect of his home's electrical system. Even the police were shocked by the killer's panoply of trophies that included underwear, earrings, and fingernails from his victims.

Edify

improve someone morally; to benefit by education Moggy: "Graendal can be ...edifying." As good Christians, we must seek to edify our neighbors about God and Jesus Christ. The teacher hoped her speech about good citizenship would edify her students and encourage them to contribute to their communities. According to my therapist, the best way for me to edify my mind is by spending a small portion of my day in personal reflection. John's experience in the military did a lot to edify his character and make him a stronger person. Because Sarah and Sam never failed to edify each other, they were happily married for over sixty years. The purpose of our local youth organization is to help edify the minds of our young community members.

Indecorously

in a way that is not in keeping with good taste and propriety; improperly "Everyone was shocked when Gail wore the indecorous outfit to the church party."

Marginal

in, at, or near the edge or margin; only barely good, large, or important enough for the purpose I was not upset by the marginal price increase. Because the difference in the paint colors is marginal, no one can tell Ann painted her kitchen using two dissimilar hues. The ship sank because the crew knew only marginal safety measures.

Torpid

inactive, sluggish, dull; lazy My torpid brother rests on the couch all day. When June is torpid, she will snuggle under her bed covers and watch television until she falls asleep. The torpid student did nothing but sleep in class each day. According to the preference settings, the laptop will go to sleep when it is has been torpid for five minutes. The player was dropped from the team because he was torpid and refused to put forth effort during practice.

Quiescent

inactive; at rest; not active, quiet For once, our hyperactive Great Dane is quiescent and resting on the rug. Now that school has started back, my neighborhood is pretty quiescent during the day. While the bees are quiescent early in the morning and in the evening, they are overactive in the middle of the day. During the quiescent phase of the lab, we simply observe and note the growth of the cells. Ever since the police department hired ten new officers, crime has been rather quiescent in our town.

Fallow

inactive; unproductive At the end of summer, the once crowded beaches become fallow as the young people return to school. During the great financial depression, millions of families lost their farms because the high price of goods left them unable to plant on their fallow land. A city meeting is being held to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of building a museum on the fallow property that sits on the corner of Main Street and State Street. For four months after my knee surgery, my dancing shoes remained fallow in the closet. In my desk drawer, I have a collection of fallow cellphones that enlarges every time a new smartphone comes onto the market.

Scanty

inadequate; minimal "Since the airline lost two of my bags, I have scanty clothing for my vacation." "Mark has eaten only a scanty amount of food since he came down with the flu." "Because your outfit is scanty, the principal is going to ask you to change into something more appropriate for school."

Untenable

indefensible - not capable or being supported or maintained. The losing debate team had an untenable argument. Since Jack and Jill felt that marriage was untenable, they decided to get a divorce. Atheists do not believe in the idea of a God because they see no proof of the untenable theory. Even after family therapy, the two sisters were unable to save their untenable relationship. The defense attorney says his client will go free as a result of the prosecution's untenable case. Because this high level of productivity is untenable, we will need to find other options for quick manufacturing that meets safety requirements.

Ineffable

inexpressible The model's beauty is ineffable and has everyone tongue-tied. When Jake saw his fiancée walking down the church aisle, he experienced an ineffable feeling. Obviously, my husband's request for a divorce has left me in an ineffable mood. The joy I experienced at the birth of my first child was ineffable. Because of the mansion's largeness, I found writing its description to be an ineffable task. The movie's shocking ending left us all in an ineffable daze.

Redoubtable

inspiring fear or awe; illustrious, eminent - a difficult challenge or challenger Despite his intense workouts, the boxer was no match for his redoubtable competitor who held several title belts. The young singer was anxious about facing off against the redoubtable singer who had been performing for twenty years. Because the teacher knew the test was redoubtable, she urged her students to study tirelessly. Ben knew it would take him several weeks to complete the redoubtable task assigned to him by his manager. Although the basketball player was tall, he had to lift his head to make eye contact with the redoubtable player guarding him on the court. A reward is being offered for information that leads to the capture of the redoubtable mobster who has been on the run for fifteen years

Slighted

insult (someone) by treating or speaking of them without proper respect

Insolence

insulting or contemptuous behavior The rude customer service worker was fired for her insolence after several people reported her disrespect. Full of insolence, the cheeky student was written up for continually talking back to her teacher. Punished for his insolence, the disrespectful Army recruit had to run five extra miles and sleep on the floor.

Didactic

intended to teach "While the professor's lectures were designed to be didactic, they only served to confuse the students." "Although the fiction books are not meant to be didactic, they are quite informative."

Desultory

jumping from one thing to another; disconnected Disgusted by his last place finish, the runner moved in a desultory manner towards the yellow ribbon. The students were confused by the teacher's desultory lecture which seemed to have no real focus. At the party, the unfriendly boy made desultory conversation with a few of the other children. The couple's divorce came as no surprise because everyone knew their marriage was only a desultory arrangement. Because he was not happy with his pay increase, James made only a desultory effort to complete his duties at work.

Acumen

keen insight John's business acumen, along with his computer skills, made him an asset to the software company. While you excel in the area of customer service, you do not possess the financial acumen necessary to become a branch manager. Although Sarah wants to become a state senator, she lacks the political acumen to win enough votes. You need more than acumen to become a successful car salesperson.

Benevolent

kindly, charitable Holding the door open for Marie was very benevolent of you. She was a benevolent woman, volunteering all of her free time to charitable organizations. How benevolent of you to help families in need of Christmas! There are creative ways for kids to be benevolent over the holidays, such as donating old clothes, toys, time, or a portion of their allowance. Raising money for worthy causes, Paul is a benevolent person with a giving spirit

Prescience

knowledge of events or actions before they happen; foresight "Because Janet was amazed by the psychic's prescience, she visited her on a regular basis." "We could not deny the fortuneteller's prescience when his prophecies were realized." "Since Nana has prescience, she knows my baby is going to be a boy." "Fortunately, my prescience led me to bring an umbrella to work on what was supposed to be a sunny day."

Levity

lack of seriousness After battles, some soldiers try and add levity to their days by telling jokes around the campfire. Karen's parents were serious people who did not seem to appreciate her acts of levity during church service. When I watch movies, I prefer films with levity, not tearjerkers. Larry often talks with levity about his crazy fraternity brothers from college. Without the levity provided by the radio, we would all be bored at work. As a student, I really liked Mrs. Walters because she was not too stern and always used levity in her lessons to make the class less formal.

Enervated

lacking energy, weakened, exhausted Because he wasn't in great physical shape, the runner felt enervated after a long-run. Several tough spin-classes left the exhausted exerciser and enervated by lunch. A long battle with cancer left the patient feeling tired and enervated in his hospital bed. Stopping to rest, the enervated swimmer didn't know if he could swim any further at the meet. After days of fleeing on foot, the refugees were both weakened and enervated. Enervate: weaken The wrestler's plan was to deliver a crushing blow which would enervate his opponent. Because he is much heavier than me, the only way for me to enervate him is by putting a sleeping pill in his food. The alcohol appeared to enervate Jason's ability to focus at work. If the hurricane comes near the city, the winds may enervate the flood walls and cause them to crumble. The bullet wound did not enervate the suspect enough to slow him down during the chase.

Insipid

lacking flavor; dull; not at all stimulating lacking flavor Dull or boring "When you present, please do not be an insipid speaker who makes everyone fall asleep!" "The soup lacks the right seasoning and tastes insipid." "Unless your goal is to watch an insipid movie that will bore you to death, do not go and see Hank Wolf's latest film."

Fecklessness

lacking initiative or strength of character; irresponsible. "Larry was such a feckless manager that the company was forced to declare bankruptcy." "Because so many feckless parents are raising children these days, we shouldn't be surprised at the number of irresponsible teenagers."

Obtuse

lacking sharpness of intellect; not clear or precise in thought or expression; not able to think clearly or understand what is obvious and simple Are you so obtuse that you will give away all your money to a fake charity? The obtuse young man had a hard time understanding the simple instructions. If you do not pay attention in math class, you may feel obtuse during the final exam. Sometimes my youngest brother seems too obtuse to understand anything I say. When you are obtuse, you should not get behind the wheel of a moving vehicle. Adam becomes obtuse when he stays up past his bedtime.

Indolent

lazy Jackson lost his job because he was an indolent employee who did nothing but sleep at his desk all day. Because I enjoy being indolent, there is nothing I find more pleasant than relaxing in bed. My indolent daughter waited until the last possible day to start her lengthy research paper. Although Hank can be indolent on his days off, he always gives one hundred percent at work. The fact Aileen never got up before noon told everyone she was an indolent person. For many, summer is an indolent season meant for reclining in the sun.

Avuncular

like an uncle, benevolent and tolerant My father's best friend Joe treats me in an avuncular manner and even calls me his niece. When I was growing up, there was a kind man in my neighborhood who gave all the children advice in an avuncular way. Senator Smith's avuncular personality led the media to refer to him as "Uncle Paul". To my surprise, the kind avuncular doctor was unearthed as the killer at the end of the novel. Because Richard has an avuncular nature and is great with children, he will be a wonderful father.

abombinate

loathe, abhor, despise, detest

Prolix

long-winded and wordy; tending to speak or write in such a way "The prolix professor had a habit of using complex words that most people could not comprehend." "Because the novel was so prolix, I had to read it with a dictionary beside me." "The prolix speaker did not realize most of the audience members were confused by the large words he used." "When the expert witness explained the forensic evidence, he used prolix language that left most of the jury puzzled."

Lugubrious

looking or sounding sad and dismal "Surrounded by dark clouds, the isolated barn made the perfect inspiration for the poet's lugubrious poem." "Just because I'm a bit down today doesn't mean I'm in a lugubrious mood!" "After his wife left him, he walked around in a lugubrious condition for months."

Vociferous

loud and noisy; compelling attention; making a loud outcry The protesters were vociferous as they screamed outside of the government building. A vociferous anti-war activist, my aunt travels across the country making speeches about the destruction caused by war. Although I do not normally get involved in politics, I was a vociferous supporter of our new governor. Voters are vociferous in their outrage about the proposed tax increase. The fans were so vociferous that they cheered their underdog team to victory. At the end of their vociferous argument, both Jane and Peter were angrier than ever.

Nadir

lowest point; point of greatest adversity or despair; all-time low; rock-bottom Even though we thought we had reached our nadir and would fail to meet the project deadline, we were still able to complete the work on time. Since the relationship between the two warring nations has reached its nadir, world leaders are greatly concerned about the risk of nuclear war. Because employees are terribly worried about losing their positions, company morale has reached a nadir. The automobile manufacturer's nadir was reached when the group announced the recall of two million faulty vehicles. When Clark got fired and was unable to find another job, he realized his professional life was at its nadir.

Augment

make (something) greater by adding to it; increase. "Because I want to augment my income, I am thinking about getting a second job." "We need the business loan in order to augment our warehouse so we can fulfill more orders."

Consolidate

make (something) physically stronger or more solid. combine (a number of things) into a single more effective or coherent whole.

Mitigate

make less severe, serious, or painful. lessen the gravity of (an offense or mistake).

Accentuated

make more noticeable or prominent

Spartan

marked by simplicity and lack of luxury; frugal; austere -reflective of vast self-denial The monks have chosen to live a spartan life devoid of all luxuries. As a soldier, Mark is used to traveling with spartan supplies. The décor in my apartment is spartan because I don't have a lot of money for furnishings. While I had my wedding at a five-star hotel, my sister's wedding took place in a spartan courthouse

Repast

meal; food consumed as a meal Hoping to enjoy a romantic repast with her husband, Jill prepared his favorite dishes and lit candles. I woke up early to eat the hotel's free repast that was rumored to be exceptional. After the funeral service, many people feasted upon a repast in the church's dining hall. It took us two days to cook all the food for our holiday repast. On the cruise ship, we were amazed by the huge repast offered to us at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Ignoble

mean, low, base; not deserving respect; not honorable Because Frank has a habit of not showing up on time, he has an ignoble reputation as someone who is not very responsible. The serial killer was buried in an ignoble grave in the back of the cemetery. As punishment for vandalizing one of the school bathrooms, George received the ignoble task of cleaning all the bathrooms for one week. Frank was a greedy man who had only ignoble motives when he helped the young heiress. Unfortunately Harry's twenty-year military career came to an ignoble end when he was arrested for sexually assaulting female members of his staff. The senior nun believed cosmetic kits were ignoble and forbade the younger nuns from having them. During his speech, the district attorney promised to rid the city of ignoble police officers guilty of abusing their power.

Officious

meddling; excessively forward in offering services or assuming authority; offensively intrusive or interfering Because Cory is the boss's son, he thinks he can stick his officious nose into everybody's business without fear of consequences. I usually give law officers their due respect, but I just didn't appreciate that policeman's officious attitude when he was questioning me. Mary doesn't like it when officious strangers try to start a conversation in the checkout line. While the officious sales clerk may have believed he was giving me some helpful advice, he was just wasting my time by telling me things I already knew. As the wedding date grew nearer, Melanie actually began to appreciate the officious interference of her mother in making everything happen.

Dulcet

melodious; pleasing to the ear. "It does not take long for the baby to be comforted by his mother's dulcet singing." "Last night I fell asleep listening to the dulcet sounds of soft jazz." "The candles and the piano player's dulcet music made the restaurant appear very romantic." "As soon as Paige heard the dulcet sound of the flute, she knew she wanted to play the instrument." "Everyone enjoyed listening to the singer's dulcet voice." "By eight o'clock, the sounds of traffic were drowning out the dulcet bird chirps."

Temperate

mild, moderate. "Living in a temperate climate, I sometimes had to wear my jacket in the early fall since it was cool outside." "While walking through the temperate forest, the rain began to fall heavily through the leaves in the warm summer temperature." "Since I live in a temperate region, I experience all of the seasons from warm summers to cold winters."

Melange

mixture; a medley of different things or people The buffet had a mélange of food from various cultures. A mélange of countries were represented at the multicultural art exhibit. Including a mélange of different vegetables made the soup tastier. The singer's set list included a mélange of his old and new hits. The celebrity's book was a mélange of all of the important events of his life.

Unpretentious

modest; not showy. "The girl next door portrayed herself in an unpretentious way so that she was beautiful without striving for attention." "Her unpretentious niece would wear simple clothing and she would do her own hair which made her friends jealous of her." "As the upstanding young man entered the room, his unpretentious nature led everyone to believe that he did not take time to consider his appearance."

Licentious

morally unrestrained; lacking moral discipline or ignoring legal restraint, especially in sexual conduct Graendal It is assumed that pagan festivals once involved many licentious activities, including a number of sexual games. After she became part of a wild crowd, the young girl engaged in licentious acts which shamed her religious family. Even before she became a prostitute, Hazel was considered a licentious woman who lacked morals. Tom is licentious and has no regard for morality or the law. After being offered candy by a licentious man in the park, the scared girls ran to their parents.

Remiss

neglectful in performance of one's duty, careless; negligent If I let you go without food, I would be remiss in my responsibilities as a parent. Remiss in her duties, the waitress forgot to take water to her tables. Jason was furious because the handyman in his building was remiss in making repairs. Because the elves were remiss in their toy making, Santa did not have enough gifts to fill his sleigh. If Carol had not been remiss while babysitting, she would have noticed the baby was ill. Although Jared wore the finest clothes, he was always remiss with his child support payments.

Neologism

new word or expression; a new term or phrase recently added to a person or group's vocabulary The neologism became so popular it was added to most dictionaries. As the teacher listened to the students chatting among themselves, she was confused by a neologism she heard repeatedly. The neologism was widely spoken after a rapper mentioned it in a hit song. After a number of months, the neologism turned into a commonly used phrase. Because a neologism is created every minute, linguists are finding it hard to track all the new words.

Sobriquet

nickname Kitty is the sobriquet Catherine's friends use when addressing her. Because Laura was so small, her father referred to her by the sobriquet of Half-pint. The boxer's self-proclaimed sobriquet was "The Greatest". As soon as you hear the sobriquet, "Queen of Soul", you think of the famous singer. Bill is a sobriquet often used in regards to William.

Outmoded

no longer needed or fashionable "Propeller aircraft were swiftly outmoded by jet aircraft after the 70s, vastly increasing the value of air power." "Cell phones were once cutting edge, but they have since been outmoded by smartphones, which will one day be replaced as well." "The day wheeled vehicles are outmoded by flying cars is when we will have officially reached 'the future.'"

Harangue

noisy, attacking speech Even though the members of the church were falling asleep, the minister continued his harangue on the evils of society. During last month's meeting, the PTA president gave a harangue against the new superintendent. While I met with Joe to have a friendly chat, he wanted to deliver another harangue about his dissatisfaction with life. As usual, the priest made his usual harangue about the dangers of listening to rap music. The candidate's speech was nothing but a harangue against his opponent. In an effort to recruit warriors, the tribal leader made a harangue about one of the neighboring tribes.

Obstreperous

noisy; unruly, disorderly; noisy and difficult to control Because my nephew is obstreperous, he often gets in trouble at school. The teenagers became obstreperous when their school team lost the football game. When my husband drinks too many beers, he becomes obstreperous. The football fans were obstreperous throughout the championship game. Since the defendant was obstreperous during the trial, he was kicked out of the courtroom by the judge. The obstreperous teenagers were asked to leave the movie theater.

Impervious

not affected or hurt by; admitting of no passage or entrance Let us hope these thin walls are impervious to the freezing cold tonight! Since the bank installed an impervious safe, it has not been robbed. The broken window is not impervious to the rain. As evidenced by the recent bombings, not even the nation's capital is impervious to terrorism. Jane's love of shopping seems to have made her brain impervious to the idea of saving money.

Uncongenial

not friendly or pleasant to be with "The woman's uncongenial dining companions on the cruise ship were rude the entire dinner."

Inchoate

not fully formed; disorganized just begun and so not fully formed or developed; rudimentary. "a still inchoate democracy" Because our company just recently opened its doors, we are inchoate and are not offering all of our services yet. While I have started writing my autobiography, it is still inchoate because I have several more chapters to add. Having just come into existence a few years ago, the new political party is considered inchoate by many historians. The computer programmer had a hard time locating the system error because its appearance was random and inchoate. Since the power went out in the building, the electrical service has been inchoate, leaving many floors without lights.

Spurious

not genuine, not true, not valid. "After receiving a low appraisal on my diamond ring, I realized the suspicious-looking jeweler had sold me a spurious jewel." "The con artist made a spurious claim about being a member of the royal family." "Despite the spurious statement the suspect made about his whereabouts on the night of the murder, the police had to release him because of a lack of evidence." "Everyone knows Janice is trying to pass her spurious designer handbag off as the real thing."

Innocuously

not in a harmful or offensive way

Heterodox

not in agreement with accepted beliefs; holding unorthodox opinions not widely accepted "The church will excommunicate anyone who preaches heterodox beliefs." "When the dictator took power, he ordered the death of anyone who held ideas heterodox to his own." "Many of the old professors did not like the heterodox teaching strategies proposed by their young colleague."

Self-evident

not needing to be demonstrated or explained; obvious. "The teacher's instructions were self-evident, so no students asked any questions about the assignment." "Although the scientist considered the proof to be self-evident, other researchers asked for more data to back up the claim." "The writer thought her thesis to be self-evident and was surprised that her professor considered it unclear."

Trifling

not significant, frivolous unimportant or trivial "My time is too valuable to spend on trifling matters that have little worth." "Because of Janet's busy schedule, she does not have time to engage in trifling activities that do not support her daily goals."

Acendency

occupation of a position of dominant power or influence "ascendancy of the government: "ascendancy of video games as a form of virtual media"

Quotidian

occurring daily; commonplace "As the days of celebration wore on, the formerly spectacular events began to seem more quotidian, and the king found himself yawning at the chariot races." "There is a precise schedule for taking care of quotidian tasks, but all your time is your own once you have completed them." "Every year Mrs. Anderson is faced with the task of taking quotidian assignments from the curriculum and trying to make them stimulating for her students." "Even though the life of rock stars may seem exciting and glamorous, the days they spend traveling while on tour are as quotidian as yours and mine." "After the excitement of decorating her new home, Janet made an attitude adjustment and got down to the quotidian chores of housekeeping."

Serendipitous

occurring or discovered by chance in a happy or beneficial way

Amalgamation

occurs when majority and minority groups combine to form a new group Most Lego creations are an amalgamation of many different pieces that combine to form a cohesive whole. My mother's flower garden is an amalgamation of flowers and plants you would never see together in a natural environment. Casual games of football in gym class often result in teams that are an amalgamation of players with wildly varying skills.

Commensurate

of like measure; proportional; equal "You will get a salary increase commensurate with your additional responsibilities and work." "A punishment of 10 years in prison with hard labor for stealing a loaf of bread is not commensurate with the crime." "UPS and FedEx will hire thousands of seasonal employees commensurate to the increased volume in orders during the holiday season."

Tawdry

of little value; gaudy -cheap and poor in appearance or quality Everyone is always expecting a politician to have a tawdry affair. Although Aunt Eloise had lots of money, she always wore such tawdry jewelry. Most people consider reality shows to be tawdry forms of entertainment. Have you ever read any of those tawdry stories in that gossip magazine? When you viewed the handbag up close, you could tell it was a tawdry knockoff. Because Herman did not want people to think him tawdry, he always bought the most expensive clothes on the market.

Portentous

of momentous significance "Because Jack generally expects the worst, his language is normally portentous and filled with warnings." "Mark's portentous voice made him the perfect narrator for the horror movie." "When the portentous music warned us of the upcoming violence in the film, we all sat up straight in our seats."

Umbrage

offense; resentment -to take offense, to find offensive Taking umbrage to a blonde joke, Jenna stormed out of the room. Katy, who is college educated, took umbrage at the boss's suggestion that she was thoroughly under-qualified for the job. I certainly took umbrage for not being invited to my best friend's wedding. The defendant took umbrage for being called a liar by the judge. Ironically, 90% of people taking umbrage with my opinion are the same people who preach freedom of speech.

Invidious

offensive, hateful; tending to cause bitterness and resentment I was shocked to learn my best friend was spreading invidious rumors about me. In Jeremy's opinion, the death penalty is an invidious part of the legal system that should be considered a crime against humanity. Nathan's invidious behavior disturbed others and got him kicked out of the movie theater. When Sally drinks alcohol, she starts to display invidious behavior that makes everyone feel uncomfortable. The dictator's invidious acts caused the people to rise up against him. Although Jimmy has committed some invidious actions in the past, he has completely changed his life since becoming a minister.

Countervailing

offsetting the effect of (something) by countering it with something of equal force "To countervail the customers' concerns about poor service, the company sent out a letter offering to make things right." "To countervail the attack, new troops entered the area with similar forcefulness."

Toady

one who flatters in the hope of gaining favors In order to get a promotion, Amy has been acting like the manager's toady by agreeing with everything he says. Being the toady she is, Elaine fawns over the company president every time she sees him. April became a toady when she brought the teacher an apple. At our bank, Henry is the toady who constantly flatters the branch manager.

Potentate

one who has the power and position to rule over others; monarch -someone with unlimited power, usually a leader of a country or territory Our president cannot become a potentate because he has to share his power with two other branches of government. If William plans on being a potentate and running the country on his own, he needs to become more convincing as a leader. King Henry made himself the potentate of his realm by killing anyone who dared to question his decisions. Since the dictator has his huge army behind him, he can behave as a potentate because no one will challenge his unrestricted power.

Maverick

one who is independent and resists adherence to a group The maverick politician promised to leave behind the ways of the old guard and bring change to the government. When the maverick actor tried to rewrite the script, he was removed from the project and replaced by a less difficult thespian. My maverick boss has made his fortune by using a selling strategy different from that of his competitors. Because the maverick deacon had issues with his pastor's decisions, he started his own branch of the church.

Libertine

one who leads an immoral life My Uncle Charles is a libertine who lives with his four girlfriends. Because Warren is a drunken libertine, he often comes into work with a hangover. Mitch is the libertine who stole money from the church's collection plate. When Al fell in love with Alyssa, he stopped acting like a libertine and started going to church. The film's main character is a libertine who cons wealthy women into marrying him.

Dilettante

one who merely dabbles in an art or a science When it comes to learning how to play the guitar, my daughter is a dilettante who will practice one day but not the next day. The veteran reporters viewed the new guy as a dilettante who would not take his job as seriously as they took their careers. Because Peter studied music composition for eight years, he is definitely not a dilettante in the field of music. The critics did not see the heiress as a serious filmmaker, only as a dilettante who was bored with her life. Although Gary purchased an expensive camera, he is a dilettante because he rarely takes pictures.

Apostate

one who renounces a religious faith When John challenged his church's views, the leaders began to see him as an apostate. Anne was viewed as a dangerous apostate once she left the cult. After Katie exposed the church's secrets, she was regarded as an apostate. To reject a religion that preaches hate and intolerance, I'll gladly become an apostate. Phillip became an apostate and stopped going to church after his wife was murdered

Anachronistic

out-of-date, not attributed to the correct historical period In today's computer world, a floppy disk is an anachronism. These days the habit of introducing yourself to a new neighbor with a welcome gift has become an anachronism. Soon physical books will be completely replaced by e-books and will represent nothing more than an anachronism. Since there were not laptop computers during the Civil War, the presence of a portable computer in the history film is a definite anachronism. When I saw the ancient typewriter in the technology store, I knew I was looking at an anachronism.

Gregarious

outgoing; sociable When you walk in a room, you radiate gregarious energy, surely to brighten all gloomy souls. Gregarious people are likely to hang out with friends every weekend while reserved people keep to themselves. If you want to be more approachable, show a gregarious smile. Storms of people rushed in the nightclub to have a gregarious time dancing and singing to the music. The gregarious 94-year-old grooved to rap music, a move that shocked the other retirees in the room. As gregarious as you are with me, I am sure everyone will admire you.

Histrionic

overly dramatic When John does not take his psychiatric medicine, he might have a histrionic outburst about the smallest of things. The widow's histrionic screaming made the detectives suspicious. Whenever the spoiled toddler does not get her way, she begins to yell in a histrionic manner. Everyone wanted to know why the actor performed the dramatic role in a histrionic way. While the comedian did not tell any funny jokes, his show was hilarious because of his histrionic reactions to his poor performance.

Quixotic

overly idealistic; impractical; unrealistic Although Jack's plan for killing the giant was quixotic, it was the village's only hope. Henry knew running for class president was a quixotic idea, but he was not going to let his enemy run unopposed. It is quixotic to think you can get away with walking into the prison and breaking out your boyfriend. While the knight's quest sounded noble, in reality it was a quixotic plot which could only end in the young man's death. The idea of an obese person participating in a triathlon is a quixotic notion. When the kidnappers received their ransom money, they were still stuck in the city because their quixotic getaway plan had failed.

Maudlin

overly sentimental; showing or expressing too much emotion especially in a foolish or annoying way When I was child, I thought my father was a martinet because he was constantly ordering me around the house. The prison warden is viewed as a martinet because of his strict management of the correctional facility. As a colonel in the army, John is a martinet who believes discipline is the only path to success. The college football coach is known for being a martinet who suspends his players when they do not follow the rules. Like a martinet, Mrs. Abrams insists upon order in her classroom. Bill was a martinet who punished his children for the smallest offenses.

Pallid

pale; pale skin or lacking in vitality or interest Although she is a redhead with very fair skin, Maureen has tried all sorts of ways to give her pallid complexion just a touch of color. His pallid complexion is a definite indication that he spends all his time indoors. Because her face was so pallid, I had no reason to believe that she was pretending to be sick to get out of cleaning up the kitchen. When I saw myself standing next to the mime in the photo, I decided that next to him, my pallid complexion was downright rosy! The January morning was frosty, and we could see our breath turn into pallid clouds in the air as we exhaled.

Remuneration

payment for work done; compensation for goods or services The salary earned by teachers is not enough remuneration for all the work they do on a daily basis. If you want Frank to build your deck, you will have to pay for lumber and give him remuneration for his time. These days it seems most corporate leaders earn a great deal of remuneration for doing very little work. Since you are an hourly worker, your remuneration is dependent upon the hours you put in each day. The job offers an excellent remuneration package that includes health insurance and vacation pay. As a computer programmer with years of experience, Kurt is paid a sizable remuneration for completing large projects.

Penurious

penny-pinching; excessively thrifty; ungenerous -desperately in need; not having enough The penurious little boy could not afford to buy school lunch. While Jason pretends to be penurious and in need of a handout, he is actually a secret millionaire trying to find people who deserve a financial reward. Government assistance is available for penurious families who cannot afford to purchase food. Because Jake is in penurious circumstances, he has been obtaining his meals from a soup kitchen. Helen is penurious and does not have a penny to her name.

Epoch

period of time "Many people consider the development of the first antibiotic to be the epoch of man's therapeutic advances." "When the pharaoh's first son took the throne, his succession marked an epoch in Egyptian history." "Carl knew an epoch began when he first saw the woman he wanted to marry." "As a result of the scientist's discoveries, an epoch of genetic manipulation was triggered." "The development of nuclear weapons indicated an epoch in warfare."

Tenacious

persistent, resolute -not readily letting go or giving up Even though Jackson was smaller than his other teammates, his tenacious attitude allowed him to accomplish as much as they did. Because Eva was tenacious, she rose each time she fell. Trapped in the cabin, the tenacious teenager would not quit until she found a way to escape. Although the odds were against them, the tenacious group of soldiers held on until reinforcements arrived. Even as the man tried to chase him away, the pit bull refused to release his tenacious grip on the little boy.

Hedonist

person who pursues pleasure as a goal My neighbor is a hedonist who likes to party all night. While Janice was on the cruise ship, she lived the life of a hedonist and spent most of her days in search of pleasure. Carol's aunt is a hedonist who pursues her own pleasures outside of her marriage. Because he is a hedonist, Henry never does anything which does not give him joy. Although people call John a hedonist, he is really the type of person who cares about pleasing others.

Epitomes

persons or things that are perfect examples of a particular quality or type

Antithesis

persons or things that are the direct opposite of someone or something else

Cogency

persuasiveness through logic; keen-mindedness in reasoning

Euphony

pleasant, harmonious sound mellifluous, dulcet The love-struck boy thought the sound of his girlfriend's name was the sweetest euphony he had ever heard. When I read the poet's works, I was moved by the melodious euphony of her words. The euphony of the reader's voice tempted me to fall asleep. If you read the lyrics aloud, you can hear the euphony that makes the song so amazing. Our chants filled the meditation room with a relaxing euphony. With their voices in harmony, the choir produced a euphony that uplifted the entire congregation.

Predilection

preference; a strong liking Her predilection for chocolate-covered roaches is so weird! Gregory goes out to watch birds daily so I assume he has a predilection for the hobby. When the repeat offender stood in front of the court, the judge asked him if he had a predilection for getting into trouble. Since she has a sizable art collection, her predilection for art is apparent. George's predilection for his alma mater's football team made him hate other college teams.

Ubiquitous

present, appearing, or found everywhere

Adverse

preventing success or development; harmful; unfavorable.

Differentiation

process in which cells become specialized in structure and function

Ostensible

professed but not necessarily true; appearing as such but not necessarily so Your ostensible prank has done a lot of damage, and now you must face the consequences of your actions. While Jerry is the ostensible author of this amendment, there is some question of who actually deserves credit for the idea. While the ostensible destination of our trip sounded appealing, I was dreading the long drive it would take to get there. In this neighborhood, George is the ostensible authority on native plants for landscaping. Because of his ostensible good will in offering to check on the house while I was on vacation, I felt comfortable giving him the key.

Egalitarian

promoting equal rights for all people The law was written to impose the egalitarian principle that men and women should be treated as equals. Before new laws granted all citizens equal rights, our country was not an egalitarian nation. The justice system is not egalitarian because often the court sentences rich people less harshly than poor people. After the vote, it was obvious the people favored an egalitarian government in which everyone would have equal rights. The dictator laughed at the priest's egalitarian ideas and refused to believe all people were equal.

Mercurial

quick, shrewd, and unpredictable; liable to sudden unpredictable change. (of a person) subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind "Because Mary is taking a new medication, her moods have become quite mercurial and change with the wind." "While my uncle is as predictable as the sunrise, my aunt is very mercurial." "As my sister has mercurial moods, we never know how she will be feeling from one moment to the next." "Eddie's personality becomes mercurial when he drinks too much."

Demure

quiet and modest; reserved My sister is too outgoing for anyone to ever accuse her of being demure. While Helen is quite demure in her job as a librarian, at night she becomes a wild karaoke queen. Because he was nervous at the audition, Biff sang in a demure voice which the judges were unable to hear. At the party last night, Iris was demure and stayed in a corner by herself. Although Meryl may appear demure and quiet, she will speak out for those she loves

Sedition

rebellion or resistance against the government; the act of encouraging opposition to the government The newspaper editor was accused of sedition when he encouraged his fans to rise up against police officers. In some nations, the government censors television networks in order to prevent sedition. The rebels were arrested for sedition when they protested outside of the dictator's palace. When the man made an anti-government speech that inspired people to destroy federal buildings, he was arrested for sedition. At the airport, the cult leader was detained for sedition when he tried to incite people to rebel against airport security. After their meeting, the conspirators against the government were charged with the crime of sedition.

Profligate

recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources -shamelessly immoral After the millionaire saw evidence of his new wife's profligate spending, he quickly filed for a divorce. During the mayor's campaign, he swore to put an end to profligate government spending. Since she is a profligate spender, Jill buys tons of items she never uses. Not surprisingly, none of the company's leaders are willing to accept responsibility for the profligate manner in which our money was spent. Tim made a lot of profligate purchases after winning the lottery. While our employees have not received a pay raise in four years, our company president recently made a profligate statement by getting a private jet.

Intransigent

refusing to compromise, irreconcilable Because my father is usually intransigent, he rarely lets my mother have her way. People have a hard time getting along with Ben because he is such an intransigent leader. When it comes to the safety of my children, I must always take an intransigent position to protect them. Jason has an intransigent nature which makes it very hard for him to find a good restaurant. Even though the divorce proceedings should be over, they are still dragging on because of the intransigent parties involved. If the politicians do not change their intransigent attitudes, they will not pass any bills during this session.

Palatial

relating to a palace; magnificent; on a large scale with elaborate furnishings The palatial diamond ring was so heavy it made Gina's finger hurt. With one hundred and fifty floors, the Abdu tower is one of the most palatial buildings in the world. A palatial house in the country is much cheaper than a similar mansion in the city. Because the museum is so palatial in size, one needs at least two days to view all of the exhibits.

Lapidary

relating to precious stones or the art of cutting them But these were used almost exclusively for lapidary inscriptions. His skill as a working lapidary was very great; and he prepared a number of lenses of garnet and other precious stones, which he preferred to the achromatic microscopes of the time.

Gustatory

relating to the sense of taste The dinner was a gustatory pleasure for the palate. The party included an array of gustatory desserts paired with wine. The chef was trying to teach his students about the gustatory arts. He suffered from an olfactory condition which eliminated any gustatory abilities. The woman's gustatory appetizers included shrimp cocktail.

Germane

relevant; connected "Since we were running out of time, our professor asked us to limit our questions to those germane to today's lecture." "If you post anything other than germane comments beneath this article, you will be banned from the site." "The president will only respond to media questions that are germane to the economic crisis."

Abnegation

renunciation; self-sacrifice; self-abnegation

Reticent

reserved; modest "While Barbara likes to discuss her personal life with our co-workers, I am much more reticent."

Restive

restless -feeling bored or impatient while waiting for something to happen or change As the clock ticked past 7:30, the wedding guests became restive and started to shift in their seats, wondering if something had happened. When we finally trapped the feral cat on our back porch, it became extremely restive, yowling and scratching frantically at the door. Since the words are actually opposites, don't make the common mistake of thinking restful and restive mean the same thing. After just a week of summer vacation, the kids were bored and restive, demanding new things to do. Because Charles is always pacing the floor, it's only natural to conclude that he must have a very restive temperament.

Circumscribed

restricted or limited When my husband drinks too much, I hide his car keys to circumscribe his capacity to drive. A tall electric fence was constructed outside the prison to circumscribe prison escapes. If the president does not agree with the bill being proposed by Congress, he will do everything in his power to circumscribe the passing of the legislation. Our religious town has an ordinance that works to circumscribe the establishment of liquor stores. As soon as the dictator got into power, he immediately began to circumscribe the rights of the people.

Evinced

revealed the presence of (a quality or feeling) "Although they evince an appearance of stability, I've heard that their marriage is beginning to crumble." "J.J. hoped that the jury would evince an attitude of compassion, but he could see from their faces that he was probably doomed."

Doctrinaire

rigidly devoted to theories without regard for practicality; dogmatic "His doctrinaire attitude turned off others as he attempted to force his personal beliefs on all he met." "With a doctrinaire attitude, the politician pressured his constituents to follow his policies blindly." "Doctrinaire in nature, the priest had no patience for parishioners who would not accept his ideas without question."

Sacrosanct

sacred -too important or respected to be criticized or changed The award-winning filmmaker felt his movies were too sacrosanct to be criticized by the media. How dare you write in something as sacrosanct as a Bible? To many, the minister of our church is a sacrosanct individual who should never be criticized. After the builder learned the land he had purchased was once a graveyard, he decided to not build his apartment complex on sacrosanct ground. Woodland Hills Cemetery is sacrosanct and cannot be moved to another plot of land because of the large number of deceased soldiers who are buried there.

Paucity

scarcity; a small amount of something that is not enough Because of the paucity of our oil supply, we need to seek out other fuel resources. I did not have enough to drink because Sally left only a paucity of soda in the bottle. Even though the school claims to be a major university, it has merely a paucity of courses for students to take. It will be difficult for me to construct the project with such a paucity of tools. Although the government claims the unemployment rate is decreasing, there is still a paucity of jobs available. Fortunately, when it comes to protecting our environment, we have more than a paucity of options for going green.

Panache

self-confidence; a showy manner; a showy self-assured manner or style As a master chef, Gordon executes each dish with panache. Danielle always wears her stylish outfits with panache. Each morning, the fashionable young man chooses a colorful tie to add panache to one of his many suits. George's performances always illustrate the panache one would expect from a man who has been acting for over forty years. Although Gail wears weird outfits, she parades around with a panache that dares anyone to question her taste. A good model always walks with panache.

Integrative

serving or intending to unify separate things. "Giving integrative medicine, the doctor was able to infuse both natural and pharmaceutical treatments." "The artist's integrative design blended pieces from several different cultural collections." "Proponents of the integrative wellness center said that the facility would try to incorporate many different parts of healthy living."

Effrontery

shameless boldness I was shocked by the mugger's effrontery to kiss me after grabbing my bag. When the defendant put his feet up on the table, the judge scolded him for his effrontery. My cheating husband has the effrontery to accuse me of being disloyal to him. Although I have an advanced degree in business, my boss still had the effrontery to ask me to bring him coffee. William's wife had the effrontery to bring her lover to the family Christmas party. After eating two steak dinners, Charles had the effrontery to tell the waitress he was broke.

Precis

short summary of facts The military and historical works comprise precis of the wars of Julius Caesar, Turenne and Frederick the Great. During the Reign of Terror he was imprisoned at St Lazare; there he began his Precis de l'histoire universelle, afterwards published in nine volumes

Blithe

showing a casual and cheerful indifference considered to be callous or improper "Although Marcia seems to have a blithe attitude about her job, she is really concerned about moving up at her firm." "The parents blithe behavior towards their children led the police to remove their kids from the home." "Sarah was so blithe about her friend's death that she had a party after his funeral."

Snootily

showing disapproval or contempt towards others, especially those considered to belong to a lower social class

Punctilious

showing great attention to detail or correct behavior. "Because my aunt is quite punctilious when it comes to table settings, every utensil must be turned properly." "My father was punctilious about having all of his ties lined up by color."

Assiduous

showing great care and perseverance. persistent, attentive, diligent "That was very assiduous of you to finish those financial reports weeks ahead of schedule." "With your assiduous attempt at learning Spanish, I think you will master the language in no time."

Canny

showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others; displaying good sense and judgment "The canny man would not buy the used car until it passed his mechanic's inspection." "Because Leonard is a canny investor, he usually sells his stocks before they decrease in value." "In the fable, the wise squirrel is canny enough to store food for the winter." "Mark is a canny card player who knows how to tell when his opponents are bluffing." "The canny detective was able to quickly identify the killer."

Diffident

shy, lacking self-confidence; modest, reserved. "Because she felt unattractive, Mary was diffident and kept to herself at parties." "Although he graduated in the top ten percent of his class, Jules is still diffident about his own intelligence." "Even though everyone told her she was beautiful, the diffident actress still believed she was ugly." "George was a diffident student who never stood up to his bullies."

Cloying

sickly sweet; excessive Jill is no longer impressed by cloying lines of devotion after having her heart broken countless times. While Kelly and Kyle clearly love each other, their public displays of affection are often cloying to the point of being nauseating. The anniversary card was cloying so I knew my unsentimental husband had not purchased it himself. As a comedy, the film had too many cloying scenes that made it seem like a poorly written drama.

Taciturnity

silence or extreme reserve; unwillingness to speak. "My shy brother is taciturn and rarely speaks in public." "Although my grandfather was a taciturn man who spoke infrequently, he was a man people readily followed." "By nature, Sheila is a taciturn woman who keeps her thoughts to herself."

Obsolescence

situation in which older products and processes become out-of-date Since the granite countertops were such an obsolescence in the neighborhood homes, the builder knew he would need to upgrade to higher quality materials like marble. Due to the obsolescence of the car's transmission, the mechanic knew he couldn't purchase the needed transmission from any manufacturer in the world. Once cell phones became equipped with visual tools, regular cameras became an obsolescence in the technological industry.

Adroit

skillful, expert in the use of the hands or mind. "The child was an adroit pianist at an early age." "Because Leonard is adroit at mental calculations, he is able to effortlessly solve complicated math problems." "Their rugby team consists of several adroit players." "Even though Gwen had been taking violin lessons for years, she was still not very adroit at playing compositions." "Sarah is considered to be an adroit plastic surgeon."

Legerdemain

sleight of hand; deception The psychic uses legerdemain to convince people she is talking to their dead loved ones. When the car salesman wanted to sell a car, he often used legerdemain to make individuals believe they were getting the best deal in town. The magic show was filled with legerdemain that kept the audience wondering how the tricks were performed. Since the treasurer used a complicated type of legerdemain to steal company funds, it will be a while before the police can unearth the hidden money. The book publisher offered the magician a great deal of money to write a book explaining his art of legerdemain.

Phlegmatic

slow-moving, sluggish; unemotional. Not easily upset, excited, or angered. "The minister of my church is a phlegmatic man who never seems to get upset about anything." "After our football coach was suspended because of his emotional outbursts, he went to therapy so he could work on being more phlegmatic." "Even though Jeff is constantly being yelled at by his wife, he normally remains phlegmatic and does not get upset." "The normally phlegmatic man could not help but yell when he won a gigantic lottery prize." "While my husband tends to scream when he is bothered by something, I am more phlegmatic and rarely raise my voice."

Epicure

someone who appreciates good food and drink Even though Marie claims to be an epicure, she is not one because she will eat anything served to her. The food critic is an epicure who gets very happy when he eats a delicious meal. Since Hank is an epicure, he refuses to consume any food that is not prepared by a gourmet chef. My uncle is an epicure who will travel across the country to find a tasty dish. Because Mary considers herself to be an epicure, she will not eat any meal that comes from a fast food restaurant. The head chef is an epicure who has spent over twenty years perfecting his signature dishes.

Braggart

someone who boasts "My rich uncle is a braggart who constantly boasts about his possessions." "Since Jim does not want to be seen as a braggart, he never talks about the expensive gifts he receives from his father." "The braggart in the bar keeps talking about all the celebrities he supposedly knows."

Expatriate

someone who chooses to live outside of, or renounce, his or her native country My uncle is an expatriate who left the country of his birth to live in France. By all accounts, Superman is an expatriate because he resides in an area other than his birthplace. Any conversation with a Japanese expatriate will usually revolve around his former life in the United States. Because Alan is an expatriate, he is a citizen of two nations, the one in which he resides and the one in which he was born. While Greg has enjoyed living as an expatriate in Costa Rica, he is now ready to return home to Haiti.

interlocutor

someone who participates in a conversation After Lynn listened to her friends' conversation for a while, she became an interlocutor and expressed her opinion. The music at the party was so loud my interlocutor couldn't understand a word I said during our conversation. Because the wizard is the queen's favorite interlocutor, he spends hours conversing with her. The actor is a poor interlocutor who usually responds to media queries with one word responses. When the man asked about Jill's whereabouts, I pointed him in the direction of an interlocutor who was chatting with the event host.

Anodyne

something that calms or soothes pain The doctor promised to give me a strong anodyne to relieve the throbbing in my neck. Because my aunt has terminal cancer, she often uses marijuana as an anodyne for pain. The soft music is the perfect anodyne to help me relax after work. If the anodyne does not work, back pain will keep me up all night. Jane used volunteering as an anodyne to help her come to terms with her husband's death

Derivative

something that comes from another source; unoriginal The new antibiotic is listed as a derivative of penicillin because it was produced from a penicillin base. When Anna named her children Breanna and Brent, she gave them both names that were a derivative of her mother's name, Brenda. Much of the early soul music we listen to is a derivative of blues music. Because the film is a derivative of a novel, it cannot be entered into the original screenplay competition. Since my baby is allergic to milk she drinks a formula that is a soybean derivative.

Counterpoised

something that is balanced or neutralized by another factor or force "He was kind, civil, and well-mannered-the perfect counterpoise to Taylor at his worst."

Stricture

something that restrains, negative criticism -a restriction or limit placed on an individual or thing The military was called in to help enforce the curfew stricture ordered by the governor. In college, the students must obey the stricture forbidding alcohol on campus. The pet ownership stricture limits the number of pets that condominium owners can have. By placing a stricture on their children's sugar intake, the parents hoped their actions would reduce dental problems. The county stricture bans smoking in all public establishments.

Emollient

soothing; mollifying The lotion was a great emollient for her dry skin. Coconut oil was a suggested emollient for stretch marks. The company's secret lip balm recipe contained a patented emollient. Wanting softer skin, the woman asked the esthetician for a recommendation on an emollient. The dermatologist told his patient to start using an emollient to soothe her dry, winter skin.

Scintillating

sparkling or shining brightly brilliantly and excitingly clever or skillful; remarkably witty "The host's scintillating conversations with celebrities have earned her numerous awards."

Veracious

speaking or representing the truth. "Always veracious, Grandma Marlene will tell you the truth even if it might hurt your feelings."

Polyglot

speaking several languages; a person who is capable of using and understanding several languages Because my sister is a polyglot, she was hired as a language translator for the United Nations. Jaime is a polyglot who uses his knowledge of foreign dialects to tutor people in English. When Tim travels around the world, he has no problem communicating with people because he is a polyglot. The spy agency is looking for a polyglot who can decipher codes that are written in different languages. Since our hotel serves foreign guests, the front desk receptionist must be a polyglot who is fluent in many dialects

Nascent

starting to develop; coming into existence Online dating has gone from a nascent idea to an established concept that helps millions of people find love. Although our nonprofit organization is nascent, we have already raised over a half a million dollars in four months. The obstetrician said the nascent embryo is too small to see right now. Since the nascent restaurant has only been open for two weeks, it does not have printed copies of its menu yet. Currently, there are no families living in the nascent community that was just built around the corner.

Extant

still existing; not exterminated, destroyed, or lost "The extant writings of the ancient philosopher are still quite popular with philosophy students." "Because the jazz singer did not record many of her songs, a number of her best tunes are not extant today." "Although the painter is dead, many of his paintings are extant and available for viewing in the museum named after him."

Acrimonious

stinging; caustic; bitter in words or manner; N. acrimony: bitter ill-natured animosity in speech or behavior

Parsimonious

stingy, miserly; meager, poor, small; the quality of being careful with money or resources To save money, the parsimonious old man always bought used clothes. My mother is parsimonious and never tips more than five percent. Even though I have plenty of money, I tend to be parsimonious with my spending. Since my grandmother is on a fixed income, she is parsimonious and clips every coupon she sees. Despite his wealth, the parsimonious millionaire refused to give any money to charity. My parsimonious employer only pays me minimum wage.

Exhort

strongly encourage or urge (someone) to do something. "While I cannot force you to drive the speed limit, I exhort you to do so or else you might end up in jail." "A good leader will exhort people to achieve their own forms of greatness rather than try to force them on a certain path."

Hidebound

strongly opinionated; narrow-mindedly stubborn. "The hidebound politician refused to change his position on the abortion bill." "Because my grandmother is hidebound, she does not believe in interracial marriage." "The older members of the club are hidebound and will not consider changing the group's membership requirements."

Intractable

stubborn; obstinate; hard to move forward It took six paramedics to handle the intractable task of lifting the eight hundred pound woman. When the hyperactive child did not take his sedative, he was intractable and difficult to manage. Additional police officers were called to the scene when the crowd became intractable. As the project grew larger, it became intractable and required a larger management team. Bringing up the sunken cruise ship is going to be an intractable task.

Obstinate

stubborn; unyielding. "Although the little boy knew he was wrong, he was too obstinate to apologize to his parents." "Everyone described my grandfather as the most obstinate man alive!" "Obstinate and unyielding, the judge refused to give the defendant credit for time served."

Recalcitrant

stubbornly disobedient, resisting authority; stubborn Despite being offered treats by his parents, the little boy was still recalcitrant about doing his homework. Because of its two recalcitrant members, the committee got very little work done. The recalcitrant teenager gets into trouble every day. Since his recalcitrant client was not following instructions, the lawyer had a hard time preparing a solid defense. Over time, the hopeless soldiers became recalcitrant and refused to follow orders. Training the recalcitrant puppy was quite a challenge.

Dogmatic

stubbornly opinionated "The preacher was a dogmatic individual who was quick to argue with anyone who challenged his opinion." "I don't mean to come across as dogmatic, but I am certain I am correct on this issue!" "Because he refused to listen to others, everyone considered the politician to be too dogmatic." "While my supervisor liked to think of himself as an open-minded individual, he was really dogmatic and always had to have the last word."

Capricious

subject to whims or passing fancies; sudden behavior change. *fickle* "Because of his capricious nature, Jeremy found it hard to keep a steady job." "Since he started taking the medication, Henry has been less capricious." "Even though the couple wanted to get married outside, they knew their ceremony depended on the capricious weather." "You need to settle down and stop being so capricious!"

Whipsawed

subjected to two difficult situations or opposing pressures at the same time "The politician tried to whipsaw his followers by going back and forth on his stance." "In an attempt to whipsaw his readers, the author gave two different opinions in his latest article."

Specious

superficially plausible, but actually wrong The intruder tried to give the authorities a specious excuse regarding his presence in the building. Although he could not deliver on them, the salesman made us several specious promises. Several weight loss products on the market make specious claims as to their effectiveness. Rather than admitting he overslept, Joe gave his teacher a specious reason for being late. Because it was based on specious information, the study was flawed. Cody always has a specious story on why his homework was not done.

Lachrymose

tearful After her husband died, my aunt became a lachrymose woman who couldn't stop crying. I do not enjoy watching sad movies with my lachrymose wife because she is way too sensitive. When I watch television shows about people dying from cancer, I become very lachrymose. The pictures of the dead children made everyone lachrymose and sad. At the end of the musical, the separated couple came together in a lachrymose music number. I rarely cry so you should definitely not be calling me lachrymose!

Abeyance

temporary suppression or suspension Immediately following the terrorist attack, pilots had to observe a period of abeyance where they could not depart from the airport. Once the famine was over, the food rationing dictated by the government was put in abeyance. Until after the murder trial, the inheritance will be placed in abeyance. Trading on the stock market has temporarily been put in abeyance while the trade commission investigates financial misdeeds.

Transitory

temporary; lasting a brief time Unfortunately, the homeless people can only stay in the transitory shelter for a short period of time. Jason is a playboy who has never had more than a transitory affection for any of his girlfriends. Before being given a permanent assignment, the soldiers will receive several transitory positions so their skills can be evaluated for final job placement.

Lexicography

the act of writing dictionaries Verrius Flaccus in the Augustan age, had busied themselves with lexicography and etymology. In his dictionary, again, he recast the lexicological materials independently, and enriched lexicography itself, especially by his numerous etymological explanation Lexicon: terminology geared to a particular topic or specific group of people In the first year of law school, we learned a large number of words that became the basics of our legal lexicon. It is hard to understand what teenagers say because their lexicon is constantly changing. Since I am not a software engineer, I could not understand the lexicon used by the programmers who joined me at my table in the cafeteria. Rappers often create new words their fans use as lexicon in their own conversations. Unless you are a physician, you will find it difficult to understand much of the medical lexicon spoken by your doctor.

Revival

the act or process of bringing back to life religious meeting

Supplication

the action of asking or begging for something earnestly or humbly

Antipodes

the direct opposites of something "These two men, antipodal in temperament and political belief, clashed in irreconcilable hostility, and in the conflict of public sentiment, first on the financial measures of Hamilton, and then on the questions with regard to France and Great Britain, Jefferson's sympathies being predominantly with the former, Hamilton's with the latter, they formed about themselves the two great parties of Democrats and Federalists."

Hegemony

the domination of one state or group over its allies The president of the company has hegemony over his employees. While I cannot tell my husband what to do, I do have some hegemony over his actions. Because of the hegemony of the veteran congressmen, the political rookies found it hard to get a bill on the docket. When the dictator was chased out of the country, his hegemony over the people came to an end. Even though the United States continues to see itself as a global power, its hegemony in the world is fading. As the leader of his church, the Pope has hegemony over millions of Roman Catholics.

Pith

the essential or central part -spongy tissue in animals and plants The heart of a watermelon is the best part because he pith tastes the best. Since I don't like orange pith, I purchase non-pulp orange juice from the grocery store. Because the center of the meat is raw, make sure the pith isn't bloody when served.

Distaff

the female branch of a family; the shit that holds the yarn in spinning The personal rivalries on the distaff side became apparent during the transition: When the Bushes won, Nancy did not invite Barbara to tour the living quarters until January 11 — much later than was traditional.

Donjon

the great tower or innermost keep of a castle

Acme

the highest point At her acme, the singer was making over thirty million dollars a year. The team reached its acme when it won the national championship. Becoming the hospital administrator was the acme of William's medical career. When the emperor reached the acme of his power, he controlled twenty huge territories.

Dissents

the holding or expression of opinions at variance with those commonly or officially held

Efficacy

the power to produce a desired result; effectiveness "Fortunately, the medicine had the efficacy to reduce the amount of pain John was feeling" "Since the traffic reports have not been announced yet, the efficacy of the new drunk driving laws cannot be confirmed." "The instructor's efficacy was reduced by the lack of educational materials." "Even after conducting the study, the scientist was not able to prove the cancer drug's efficacy." "If you drink alcohol while taking an antibiotic, you might reduce the strength of the medication and lower the drug's efficacy." "The two child psychologists spent hours debating the efficacy of spanking upon behavior."

Usury

the practice of lending money at exorbitant rates; lending money with ridiculously excessive rates of interest Although Jim did not want to pay the interest rate attached to the loan shark's usury, he needed money to pay for his kid's surgery. Rick refused the loan offer because the terms outdid usury and forced him to pay a sixty percent interest rate on the loan. While Pat was only a teenager, she understood usury and applied a hefty interest rate to the loans she gave her brother. The dishonest lender's usury caused hundreds of people to lose their homes when they failed to meet the high interest payments.

Ostentation

the pretentious or showy display of wealth and luxury, designed to impress "I tried to tell Mary her fur coat was a bit too ostentatious to be worn at a funeral!"

Redaction

the process of editing text for publication

Dynamism

the quality of being characterized by vigorous activity and progress. "The fundraising event's dynamism gave it a reputation for being energetic and lively." "Refusing to change with the times, the political party's refusal to take on dynamism left them behind."

Recension

the revision of a text "This textbook has undergone many recensions, currently being on its seventh edition and with more likely to follow."

Disinterest

the state of not being influenced by personal involvement in something; impartiality. lack of interest in something.

Hermetic

tightly sealed made airtight by fusion or sealing. not affected by outward influence or power; isolated. As a freelance writer who rarely leaves her house, Kate lives a hermetic lifestyle. The billionaire bought a private island so he could raise his kids in a hermetic environment. Because the monk maintained a hermetic lifestyle for twenty years, he was overwhelmed when he moved to a crowded city. The hermetic tribe lives in an isolated part of the continent and has little contact with people outside of its group. When the writer wants peace and quiet, he goes to his hermetic cabin in the mountains.

Interregnum

time between rulers During the interregnum, the people worried that the incoming ruler would treat them differently than the previous king. The interregnum president was a Republican leader that came between two different Democrat administrations. The interregnum between one church leader leaving and the next.

Vituperate

to abuse verbally; berate -to insult or verbally attack someone using abusive language We are sure that the nail technicians vituperate us in their own language when they are irritated. The woman's husband tends to vituperate her when he drinks, always insulting her with foul remarks. To vituperate someone is almost as bad as assaulting them physically. Because the coach continued to vituperate his team with abusive talk, he was given a warning by the college dean.

Promulgate

to announce; to make known "The purpose of the documentary is to promulgate the importance of raising funds for additional cancer research." "Because the minister wants to promulgate his religious beliefs, he is producing a television show that will air next year." "It seems as though the candidate is airing commercials every hour to promulgate his political platform."

Impute

to attribute to someone represent (something, especially something undesirable) as being done, caused, or possessed by someone; attribute. It was wrong of me to impute you for the failure of the dinner party when I was the one who did not properly plan the event. Although Jake cannot impute anyone else for the robbery, he will not admit to committing the crime himself. On Monday, Ellen will impute her failure to complete the project on her malfunctioning computer. Even though my sister had broken the window, she tried to impute the damage onto me.

Eschew

to avoid, shun, keep away from True vegetarians eschew food items that come from living animals. Because I am a strict Christian, I tend to eschew events that are not religious in nature. Since my husband believes chores are a woman's work, he tries to eschew them around the house. Even though I love coffee, I have chosen to eschew the beverage because of the damage it does to my teeth. Twenty years ago the recluse decided to eschew society and settled down on a deserted island. As part of their commitment to God, the nuns have chosen to eschew materialistic items.

Solvent

to be able to meet financial obligations Because the restaurant is not solvent, it will be closing in two weeks. Rick refused to sell his solvent company because it was so profitable. When the man realized he was not solvent and was unable to provide for his wife and kids, he killed himself. The computer company was able to remain solvent for three years before closing its doors.

Herald

to bear news; to announce "Our school herald delivered the announcements every morning." "The herald was to announce the name of the new baby Prince later that afternoon." "The office herald came to everyone's office to bring us news of the impending merger." "Because he was always up-to-date on the latest information, we referred to our friend as a herald." "When the microphone went out, the herald projected his voice loudly."

Coalesce

to blend; to merge

Stymie

to block; to thwart; to stand as an obstacle My rival did everything she could to stymie my efforts to become homecoming queen. Since my parents were unhappy about my college choice, they tried to stymie my decision by withholding their financial assistance. Some people believe the legalization of marijuana will stymie drug violence. At the concert, the security guards worked hard to stymie crazed fans from grabbing their idols. The famous pianist refused to let his blindness stymie his successful career.

Precipitate

to cause or bring about suddenly The rising level of unemployment is going to precipitate a huge crowd at the welfare office. Even though Mark is experiencing pain in his ankle, he cannot think of anything he did to precipitate the injury. The passing of the gun control bill may precipitate a rapid increase in illegal gun sales. Although economists cannot be certain, it is presumed the rising real estate market will precipitate new jobs. The witch got people to purchase her magic potion by telling them the liquid would precipitate true love.

Swerve

to change or cause to change direction abruptly

Arrogate

to claim or take without right The gang is trying to arrogate the public park and turn it into their private meeting space. During her supervisor's absence, Jen took it upon herself to arrogate a leadership role on her team. The government can arrogate your property when it's necessary to protect or develop national interests. Because the toddler believes she can have whatever she wants, she often attempts to arrogate the toys of other children.

Exculpate

to clear from blame; prove innocent Diane's teenage son is constantly getting into some kind of mischief, but he knows how to charm his mother and exculpate himself. The school officials spent the entire year gathering evidence in an effort to exculpate themselves from the charges brought against them in the cheating scandal. Because the Breathalyzer test showed that his alcohol level was well over the legal limit, the driver of the car was not able to exculpate himself from responsibility for the accident. Even though I was always able to exculpate myself from the accusations my boss made against me, I began to believe that he had a serious issue concerning my trustworthiness.

Demarcate

to clearly set or mark the boundaries of a group or geographic area She was convinced that the school's administration should demarcate social studies grades from science grades. The fence was put in place to demarcate one piece of property from the next. The farmer was determined to demarcate his fields in an effort to keep out his neighbor's cattle. We will demarcate the land, but first we need maps to show where the boundary stakes should go. Because the room was so small, it was necessary to demarcate the space so that both roommates had individual areas.

Propitiate

to conciliate; to appease; to make things right by doing something that is requested. Only an idiot believes he can propitiate his way into heaven by giving the church all of his money. To propitiate my dying mother and earn her forgiveness, I promised to look after my sisters forever. After Bill forgot his wife's birthday, he tried to propitiate the situation by purchasing her the pearl necklace she always wanted. People would often sacrifice their friends and family members to propitiate the gods in order to be pardoned for their misdeeds.

Obfuscate

to confuse; to bewilder; to deliberately make something confusing or difficult to understand The loan contract was filled with legal words meant to obfuscate trusting borrowers. Because I am a sympathetic teacher, I avoid using language which will obfuscate my students. Surprisingly, the efforts of the translator only served to obfuscate an already confusing conversation. The last thing I want to do is obfuscate the concept by trying to explain it too rapidly. The arrogant doctor went out of his way to obfuscate my condition. While the professor did not want to obfuscate the scientific theory, he had to rush through his explanation because the class was coming to an end.

Proselytize

to convert someone to a faith, belief, or cause Proselyte: one who has converted to a religion or doctrine The Christian proselyte converted after twenty years as an atheist. As a Democratic proselyte, the former Republican changed his political stances during the recent election. His recent change in opinion on drug legalization led the man to be labeled a proselyte. The newlywed's husband was a proselyte, having converted to Judaism after their marriage. As a proselyte, the newcomer to the Islamic faith knew little about the Arabic language.

Vitiate

to corrupt morally; to contaminate to spoil, make faulty; to reduce the value, quality, or effectiveness of something If you think that crossing your fingers behind your back is going to vitiate the promise you made, think again. Because of the obnoxious behavior of the defendant, the judge instructed the jury not to allow their personal feelings vitiate their objectivity in the case. When peers and bullies apply pressure, it can vitiate the moral character of young people and lead them down the wrong path. While some public servants are found to be corrupt, it is impossible to vitiate the integrity of the majority of law enforcement officers by offering them a bribe. After Bruno figured out how to set off the fire alarm in the gym, he schemed to vitiate the daily routine in the hope that the disruption would force his algebra teacher to postpone the test.

Censure

to criticize harshly; strong disapproval to express severe disapproval of (someone or something), especially in a formal statement. If Bart receives another censure from his boss, he will more than likely lose his job. The pharmacy board will censure the pharmacist for not properly monitoring his drug supply. Since the marine left base without permission, he is expecting both a censure and punishment when he returns tomorrow. The tardy fireman is going to be given a censure by his commander. If you are caught driving without a license, a censure from a police officer will be the least of your worries.

Dupe

to deceive; a person who is easily deceived My brother is a schemer who is always trying to dupe people out of their money. Because Bill does whatever his friends tell him to do, he is the perfect dupe to act as a getaway driver. The athlete tried to dupe the team manager by using purchased urine for the drug test. In order to steal the rare coin, the criminal will have to dupe Jan into believing he has fallen in love with her. Matt tried to dupe the little boy into giving away his lunch money.

Amortize

to diminish by installment payments The businessman was able to amortize his building loan by paying monthly payments on the first and the 15th. After putting down five thousand dollars on the car, the buyer decided to amortize the rest through small payments over two years. If we amortize the debt over 24 months, we will have it paid off in two years. The bankruptcy judge ordered the couple to amortize all debts and have them fully repaid within five years.

Bifurcate

to divide into two parts If citizens are worried about a government having too much power, a bifurcate government would allow one branch to check the other branch The bifurcate system limited the control for the company so that both departments helped control each other. I noticed that the bifurcate stem allowed flowers to produce in opposite directions angling toward the sky.

Quaff

to drink in large quantities; to gulp; to hastily consume a beverage The huge athlete was able to quaff down a gallon of water in less than two minutes. On any college campus, you can find at least one frat boy who will quaff any beverage given to him. My husband always has to quaff a pot of coffee before leaving for work. When the thirsty sailors were on leave, they would quaff as much beer as they could hold. My two friends and I are going to quaff every bottle of beer we see at the town's annual beer festival. At the formal dinner, the two young men did not realize it was inappropriate to quaff their glasses of wine.

Opine

to express an opinion Rather than disagree with my husband in public, I waited until we got home to opine my thoughts on the subject. Dentists opine flossing is essential for maintaining good dental health. While one referee felt the kick was good, the other referee chose to opine a different outlook on the play. Many religious groups opine cloning is an act that attempts to mimic God's power. Because some doctors opine red wine is good for the heart, my grandmother enjoys several glasses of wine each day.

Rhapsodize

to express oneself enthusiastically She had only to mention his name, even just his first name, and he appeared, a show of devotion that made Carol rhapsodize about him. Rhapsody:an expression of great passion that is often displayed in a creative manner The composer's rhapsody described the passion he felt for his newborn son. Because the singer was so passionate about his music, he sung the rhapsody with unrestrained enthusiasm. The enthusiastic researcher launched into a lengthy rhapsody about his latest medical discovery. When the photographer took the wedding picture, he had no idea it would become the rhapsody that would celebrate the couple's love forever.

Presage

to foretell; indicate in advance

Gambol

to frolic; to romp about playfully My dog is always happy to gambol with the other pooches at the park. Because of the rain, students are unable to gambol on the playground during recess. To stay in shape, my husband likes to gambol along the beach every morning. The children in my neighborhood hinder traffic when they gambol in the streets. When the toddler is in a happy mood, he will gambol through the house

Burgeon

to grow and flourish As car prices go down, car dealers are expecting sales to burgeon. Because Janice is pregnant with triplets, everyone is expecting her stomach to burgeon quickly. Left untreated, the weeds in the front yard will burgeon and take over the entire property within days. Since people are becoming more and more dissatisfied with public schools, the number of charter schools is expected to burgeon within the next five years.

Obviated

to have anticipated and prevented (something, such as a situation) or made (an action) unnecessary "Nowadays, parents are able to obviate the stresses of a long road trip with children by entertaining them with all sorts of technological gadgets."

Inculcate

to impress on the mind by repetition, teach persistently and earnestly ex. These ****ing flashcards In order to inculcate a love of reading, the teacher encourages her students to read different types of literature. My father spent most of his life trying to inculcate me with his values! When my puppy chewed up my slippers, I realized how difficult it was to inculcate obedience in a young dog. Do you feel our professors should inculcate us with their political views? No matter what, the coach always tries to inculcate our team with spirit, even after we lose a big game.

Ameliorate

to improve, make better, correct a flaw or shortcoming "The police tried to ameliorate the situation after the false arrest, but the family didn't want to hear their apologies." "A relaxing bubble bath is usually all it takes to ameliorate my stress." "Companies are being asked to clean up their factories and help ameliorate some of the effects of pollution." "Drinking didn't ameliorate the man's problems but made them worse instead."

Tack

to join in a slight or hasty manner "tack on at the end"

Prevaricate

to lie or deviate from the truth -to speak or act in an evasive way Because my sister Sarah does not take bad news well, I always prevaricate when telling her something she does not want to hear. In order to get his bill passed, the politician went out of his way to prevaricate about the release of the environmental study. In hopes of avoiding questions about his recent car accident, the actor tried to prevaricate during his interview. When you prevaricate, you only make a complicated situation worse than it already is. Even after she had been sworn in for her testimony, the witness continued to prevaricate about her relationship with the defendant.

Enumerate

to list separately; to count off Before the judge began to enumerate the charges against Harry, he asked to speak privately with the prosecutor. The hundreds of people that contributed to my book are too many to enumerate, so I will thank them collectively. We laughed at Abigail when she claimed that she could enumerate every star in the heavens. I used my time at the podium to enumerate all of the benefits that accrue from daily exercising. The census attempts to enumerate every person living in the United States at a specific point in time.

Fulminate

to loudly attack or denounce The disgruntled customer continued to fulminate over a price difference. My father would chastise us if we dared to fulminate because we disliked our supper. At the town hall meeting, residents began to fulminate over the proposed tax increase. The diner's frustration caused him to fulminate because his steak was undercooked. When the diva was not given star treatment, she began to fulminate to her manager.

Enfeeble

to make feeble; to weaken

Stultify

to make ineffective or useless, cripple; to have a dulling effect on; to make one appear stupid, foolish, or useless -to cripple or weaken; deprive of strength Eating pizza right before a workout will definitely work to stultify your efforts. A tranquilizer gun will effectively stultify even the most violent animals. If you accidentally drop your cell phone in water, you will effectively stultify it. By referencing actual statistics, he was able to stultify his opponent's argument. The adage that the "pen is mightier than the sword" was shown to be true when the scholar worked to stultify his enemy with mere words.

Palliate

to make less serious; ease; to get rid of or alleviate After surgery, Greg received large does of medications to palliate his suffering. Kurt hoped he could palliate his wife's anger by buying her flowers. After a long night of drinking, Bill takes a pill to palliate the symptoms of the hangover he expects to have the next day. Perhaps a nap will palliate my headache. While the doctor cannot cure the disease, he can give treatments to palliate the terrible effects of the illness. The government believes stimulus checks will palliate some of the country's economic issues. During the counseling session, the therapist will try and palliate the conflict between the frustrated couple.

Husband

to manage prudently and in a conservative manner

Inveigle

to obtain by deception or flattery Speechless I stood by as June was able to inveigle her way into the private club by flirting with the security guard. The detective could inveigle information out of the quietest suspects. Although the salesman thought it would be easy for him to inveigle my grandmother into buying a vacuum she did not need, he soon realized my grandmother was not easily fooled. Tracy had no problem showing off her feminine assets to inveigle her way backstage to meet her favorite singer. Since I did not have enough volunteers for my project, I did my best to inveigle my family members into helping by boasting of my great love for them. The attractive conman was able to inveigle a number of wealthy widows into giving him their fortunes.

Militate

to operate against; work against to have substantial influence' to influence or have an effect on The rain will militate a change of venue for our picnic. During the meeting, the principal's attitude will militate whether or not teachers feel like giving their honest opinions. My boyfriend's prison sentence is going to militate the length of our relationship. In business, the demand will usually militate the product's price. Kara's failure to graduate from high school is sure to militate her ability to get a decent job.

Cosset

to pamper; treat with great care; to treat like a pet; overly indulge From buying expensive toys to boxing vegetable-free lunches, the mother would cosset to her child's every whim.

Extol

to praise highly Because Helen and Gina were jealous of their sister's good fortune, they did not extol her when she won the academic scholarship. I got angry when my mother would extol my brother's accomplishments and ignore all the good things I did. During the church service, the minister went out of his way to extol the contributions of the children's youth choir. Unfortunately, young people have began to extol celebrities instead of the real heroes like teachers and police officers. As Christians, we extol God and his son, Jesus Christ.

Engender

to produce, cause, or bring about The restaurant hoped the act of giving out free ice cream would engender customer loyalty. By revealing the president's secrets, the reporter hoped to engender feelings of distrust among the public. Although I do not like my ex-husband, I would never want my opinion to engender my children to dislike their father. Some people believe violent video games engender feelings of hostility in young people. Watching wealthy CEOs fly about in private jets does not engender public empathy towards big business.

Posit

to put forth; assert - to offer a suggestion Since no other venue is available, I will posit my condominium as a place for the company holiday party. The students were asked to posit their ideas about the dance through the school suggestion box. Before engaging in battle, the general will posit his war plans to the president. The press is waiting to hear the scientist posit his latest theory on molecular movement. To get suggestions for company improvements, the firm's vice-president has asked employees to posit ideas for ways to improve morale.

Attenuate

to reduce in force or degree; to weaken Doctors claim taking the flu vaccine will attenuate the effects of the illness. The doctor suggested I take acetaminophen to attenuate my fever. Jack sleeps with his headphones on to attenuate the nightly noise that comes from his neighbor's house. In the classroom, educators often try to attenuate conflicts by separating the students. Leaders from countries all over the world meet at the United Nations to attenuate hostility between nations.

Abjure

to renounce, repudiate under oath; to avoid, shun. To give up a belief or an activity. "After the tyrant took over the country, the citizens had to abjure their political beliefs." "In order to marry the peasant he loved, the prince made the decision to abjure his title." "Because John ignored his parents' plea to abjure a life of crime, he ended up in prison by making bad choices." "Although chocolate cake is Martha's favorite dessert, she has chosen to abjure it while on her diet." "Because the lawyer felt his potential client was uncooperative, he decided to abjure the case and let another attorney handle it." "Even though Tom made a promise to abjure from criminal acts, he continued to break the law."

Requite

to return or repay -to give payment for something Ted chose to requite Carol for the lovely dinner by presenting her with a bouquet of flowers. Because Alan loaned me twenty dollars when I was broke, I chose to requite the favor when he asked me for a loan. The civil court jury will decide how much money the drug manufacturer must requite the widow for the death of her husband. After the war, the losing countries had to requite the victorious nations billions of dollars for damages. The government will requite the wounded veterans by paying their future medical bills.

Recapitulate

to review a series of facts; to sum up

Disseminate

to scatter or spread widely

Redress

to set right, remedy; relief from wrong or injury -to make something right or the payment for a wrong Kate demanded redress from the builder when her deck collapsed. If Jim is not paid the money he is owed, he will go to court to seek redress. The company hopes to redress the victim's injury by paying out a million dollar settlement. When I hired the attorney, I hoped he could help me get redress from the rental company that had evicted me without valid cause. The manager gave me a free meal as redress for the awful service I received in his restaurant. Do you think the airlines will provide any kind of redress for the people who were stranded in the airport for two days?

Pervasive

to spread throughout; capable of affecting or influencing everything The media's pervasive coverage of the epidemic has most of the country living in fear. In many cities, police corruption is a pervasive issue that touches all communities. Voters are concerned about the pervasive rate of unemployment that is harming both the rich and the poor. Because Jack's mother knows injuries are pervasive in boxing, she is urging him to pursue another sport. The movie's pervasive sex and violence caused the critics to give it an R rating. Despite all the media campaigns focusing on bullying, the practice is still pervasive in schools.

Appropriate

to take possession of for one's own use; confiscate

Supplant

to take the place of, supersede -to kick out or replace in a rough manner If my stepmother thinks she can supplant my real mother, then she has a rude awakening in her future! A text message cannot supplant an actual phone call because it is incapable of expressing emotion. Because the dictator was afraid his enemies might supplant him, he decided to kill all of his rivals. The army is here to support the local police not to supplant its position as a body of authority. Even though virtual schools are becoming popular, there is nothing that can supplant a teacher's physical presence in a classroom.

Insufferable

too extreme to bear; intolerable "Jean filed for divorce from her insufferable husband after only three days of marriage."

Treacly

too sweet; over sentimental Beneath the glitz, the music is treacly and superficially histronic. We were spoon-fed treacly, heart-tugging soap operas. His voice got treacly when he asked me about sex. They are treacly moaners full of greeting-card sentimentality

Inestimable

too valuable or great to be measured It's impossible to define the inestimable role police officers play in keeping society safe. Because of inestimable interest in the free product, the manufacturer's website crashed. I will continue to see the therapist because her stress management tips have proven inestimable to me

Diaphanous

transparent, gauzy; sheer, nearly translucent *Domani dresses*

Itinerant

traveling from place to place The documentary follows the life of an itinerant homeless man who never sleeps in a location more than once. Because Stan is an itinerant farm worker who follows the crops, he will not be in our neighborhood much longer. Jane is an itinerant teacher who travels between schools teaching special education students. Although my father is in the military, he is not an itinerant traveler because he has been stationed at the same base for twenty years. Jim loves the itinerant lifestyle of a musician because of the opportunities he has to travel from city to city.

Guile

treacherous cunning, deceit Although Britney pretends to be sweet and innocent, she has used her guile to become one of the most popular celebrities in the world. The wealthy man used his money and guile to get into politics. If you want to win the competition, you will need to use your guile to beat the others. Vivian used guile to trick the old man into giving her his money. Without guile, it will be hard for the young man to survive as a politician. The man became the head of the mob by using his guile to defeat his enemies

Perfidious

treacherous; disloyal; not able to be trusted Michelle sought revenge on her perfidious friend who stole her lottery ticket. When questioned about his ex-wife, Eric described her as a perfidious woman who could not be faithful to any man. Because the police were waiting for him to try and sell the diamond, the jewel thief had no idea his perfidious behavior had been discovered. Larry knew his plan was perfidious, but he had to finish it to find his mother's killer. While the two women fought, their former best friend smiled as she watched her perfidious scheme unfold.

Implacable

unable to be calmed down or made peaceful. "Ogier could be implacable opponents on the battlefield." "There was nothing Jason could do to please his implacable ex-wife." "Even after being offered a free gift card, the angry customer remained implacable." "The little boy was implacable when his parents left him alone with the babysitter." "Although the lawyer apologized for being late to court, he was still fined by the implacable judge who did not appreciate his tardiness." "The students were not happy about their teacher's implacable policy of not accepting late homework." "After Sandra learned her son had wrecked her car, she was implacable and not willing to listen to any explanations." "With implacable determination, the police vowed to find the man who had killed one of their own."

Unexpurgated

uncensored. "What a heap of money one would give to possess his private, unexpurgated journal! "I was rather hot under the collar, and gave an unexpurgated account of what had happened." "It's a daring man, in this unexpurgated day and generation, who offers to read aloud to a lady."

Immutable

unchangeable Although I tried to get the bank president to change his mind about giving me the loan, I finally realized his decision was immutable. Jake's feelings about his teenage daughter spending the night with her boyfriend were immutable. When two people get married, it is with the assumption that their feelings for each other are immutable and will never alter. Because we can vote for change in our country, there are no laws that are immutable. My medical condition is immutable and cannot be altered even with medication. Do you believe an old dog's habits are immutable or do you believe an old dog can still learn new tricks?

Incontrovertible

unquestionable, beyond dispute Failing grades revealed an incontrovertible fact: no student properly studied for the test. Inconvertible evidence was used to finally put away the ruthless serial killer. How can you deny the incontrovertible proof staring you in the face? The video was incontrovertible and couldn't be converted into DVD form. Confronted with the incontrovertible facts, the suspect had to admit his part in the crime. After telling Nancy the incontrovertible facts, she realized that I was right and no longer debated me. If you give me the incontrovertible truth, then I won't have a reason to argue.

Tacit

unspoken, silent; implied, inferred -implied but not directly stated Although no words were spoken, our nods represented our tacit agreement to a cease fire. In my business, all that is needed for a tacit understanding is a handshake between men. Even though my boyfriend and I have only been dating for three months, we have a tacit understanding to not date other people. In order to take the school field trip, you will need more than your parent's tacit consent. By leaving my keys in my car, I am giving you tacit approval to borrow my car anytime you like.

Exigent

urgent; requiring immediate action My dad has always been an exigent man, asking ridiculous things of me that I'm not capable of doing. I try not to be exigent with my students, but as a teacher I have to press them to get their work done. An exigent officer is difficult to get along with because he asks ridiculous things of his soldiers.

Hackneyed

used so often as to lack freshness or originality Too often used by young girls, the word "like" has become hackneyed. Every time my internet goes down, the cable company gives me a hackneyed explanation. Although I like him as a talk show host, his hackneyed catchphrase is starting to get on my nerves! The impersonator's performance was made worse by his hackneyed impressions. Eventually, the phrase became so hackneyed that people stopped saying it. Because I understand the meaning of the word "love", I do not want it to be overused to the point where it becomes hackneyed

Euphemistically

using a mild or indirect word or expression instead of one considered too harsh or blunt "The man used a euphemistic statement by saying he had to "urinate" instead of saying he had to "go pee."

Laconic

using few words During the laconic phone call, the divorcing spouses only said what was absolutely necessary. The valedictorian delivered a laconic speech, contrast to the salutatorian's lengthy speech. The laconic language of the football players kept the other team from knowing the meaning of their talk. To save valuable time, give me a laconic explanation of what happened. The president is deliberately laconic with his comments so that the media doesn't learn anything from him. I don't have all day, so be laconic with your answers.

Fastidious

very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail My mother was a fastidious woman who always had a complaint on her lips. Arrogant and fastidious, the diva made no friends on her music tour. While Henry would eat just about anything, his wife was so fastidious she barely ate anything. Constantly licking themselves, cats are fastidious creatures. The devoted fans of the science fiction show were fastidious in terms of plot development. Although the fastidious painter had all of his brushes, he refused to paint because his special canvasses were unavailable.

Rococo

very highly ornamented -an ornate and fancy style of architecture and decoration that originated in France in the early 18th century 18th century rococo style was different from traditional English architecture in that it focused on both ornateness and symmetry. The entrance rooms of the French castle were decorated in fancy rococo style. Hidden behind the ancient wall, a rococo garden was crafted with ornate structural designs and light motifs.

Hoary

very old; whitish or gray from age Tanchico Museum The hoary house was built in the eighteenth century and is now part of a museum. When someone told me Jeff's girlfriend was hoary, I could not believe my pal would date a woman three times his age. The hoary tree has been living in the field for over two centuries. Because the computer is hoary, it is doubtful it will function after being in a closet for nearly twenty years. Pete's car is so hoary the manufacturer does not make replacement parts for it anymore.

Vim

vitality and energy; enthusiasm The lively singer's vim came off as a little too enthusiastic. Although most people dread turning 40, the enthusiastic woman embraced the big 4-0 with as much vim and vigor as she possible. Las Vegas is a fast-paced environment filled with spirited vim. After losing a few pounds, the dieter was energized again with vim and vigor.

Peripatetic

wandering from place to place, especially on foot; traveling from place to place Rather than limit myself to one destination, I like to take a more peripatetic vacation where I move around from place to place. Even though Ernest is forced to remain in his cell, his peripatetic imagination takes him to places far away from his limited world. Aristotle, whose teaching style involved walking around while he shared his ideas about life, was the first of many peripatetic philosophers. Because Arthur can write from any location he chooses, he is fortunate enough to live a peripatetic lifestyle.

Voracious

wanting or devouring great quantities of food. having a very eager approach to an activity.

Ablution

washing

Offal

waste parts of a butchered animal; refuse; garbage

Prodigal

wasteful -carelessly and foolishly spending money, time, etc. If you want to save money for college, you should stop your prodigal spending sprees. We should be concerned about our future because of our prodigal youth. After the prodigal son spent all of his inheritance, he had to get a low-paying job. The government's prodigal spending is going to ruin the country's economy. Without giving a thought to others, the prodigal heiress threw away clothes she had never worn. Jack's prodigal actions left him penniless and without a home.

Iniquity

wickedness Those who are quick to criticize the bad deeds of others should first look at their own acts of iniquity. My grandmother, who grew up in a small town where people never locked their doors, saw big cities as dens of iniquity because of their crime rates. Because the dictator killed all his enemies, he was seen as a symbol of iniquity. When I went to my brother's college dorm, I saw drunken boys exhibiting iniquity towards girls. Although my parents were both ministers, I have seen my share of iniquity. Our priest calls the nightclub on the highway a nest of iniquity.

Prudent

wise, careful, cautious. "It is not prudent to go swimming during a hurricane." "Even though my aunt thinks it is hard to quit smoking, she knows it is a prudent decision to stop the bad habit." "My prudent uncle pays for everything with cash so he will not build up a pile of debt." "Since so many car accidents have happened at that intersection, it would be prudent for the city to put a stop sign in the area." "Everyone knows it is prudent to keep your car doors locked in a big city."

Sagacious

wise; having keen perception and sound judgement Wise and full of insight, the sagacious leader would live on to better the world. Many agree that replacing typewriters with computers is a sagacious idea because computers make typing, editing, and proofreading easier. I saw this sagacious dog on television that could add and subtract numbers! It is not very sagacious of you to play with fire. In a tornado warning, the sagacious thing to do is take shelter immediately in the lowest level of your building.

Unabashedly

without embarrassment or shame "The woman's unabashed admirer showed up to her house with a guitar and a song."

Raconteur

witty, skillful storyteller; one recognized as being a talented teller of stories The kindergarten teacher was an excellent raconteur who had no problem keeping her young charges engaged with her stories. Throughout his years on the radio, Talking Ed was a famous raconteur who kept his fans entertained with stories about his wacky wife. A screenwriter is a raconteur who simply puts his stories on paper. After Christmas dinner, we sit by the fireplace and listen to our grandpa, the family raconteur, tell tales about our father's childhood.

Debutante

young woman making debut in high society The debutante teenager spent an enormous amount of money on a dress that she planned to wear only one time. Jessica entered the debutante program that trains upper-class young ladies who intend to make it in the fashion industry. Cathy's wealthy parents drove her to the debutante ball where they expected her to be introduced to an eligible young bachelor. A primly dressed young man led the debutante on to the stage where she performed in a very graceful manner, considering that it was her very first appearance.

Canonical

(adj) authorized, recognized; pertaining to the canon, or body of accepted rules, standards or artistic works The canonical composer always made sure that his hymns fit in with the church's regulations. There is no canonical way of producing poetry, since every poet has his own set of rules for writing. With precise language, the 1900s-canonical literature follows the rules of the time. Per the rules, the patron's canonical rituals should be practiced every Sunday.

Seraphic

(adj.) angelic, heavenly, celestial; stunning When the children put on their angel costumes, they looked seraphic. The woman who played Jesus' mother in the play had a seraphic face. As soon as I heard the seraphic voices of the kids' choir, I started to sob. Jimmy is such an evil little boy no one would ever call him seraphic. When my sister saw the baby's seraphic smile, she finally decided to have children

Surly

(adj.) angry and bad-tempered; rude. "The surly man was yelling at the waitress because he didn't get the right order from the restaurant." "Your usually cheerful dog may act surly if it has a splinter in its paw." "Most people tend to act surly in the morning if they aren't used to waking up early."

Audacious

(adj.) bold, adventurous, recklessly daring Cooper was an audacious soldier who never ran from a battle. Although April is an audacious athlete, she does not participate in any dangerous sports. The millionaire earned his fortune by being an audacious player on the stock market. While Harold's business plan was risky and audacious, it promised great rewards if successful. Because the police captain knew his men were well trained, he planned an audacious attack on the bank robbers.

Bucolic

(adj.) characteristic of the countryside, rural; relating to shepherds and cowherds, pastoral. "The postcard image was beautiful and featured a bucolic white house in a dark green pasture." "My husband and I chose a peaceful bucolic town in the country for our summer retreat." "Even though I was born in the city, I still prefer the quiet of a small bucolic village any day."

Nebulous

(adj.) cloudlike, resembling a cloud; cloudy in color, not transparent; vague, confused, indistinct After the car accident, his memories were quite nebulous. Scientists are not certain why nebulous gas balls rotate around the planet. It was not difficult to realize her answer to the question was nebulous. Beauty is a nebulous term until it is defined by the beholder. With his telescope, he could see the nebulous star very well. Everyone is wondering if the benefits of cloud computing are nebulous.

Trite

(adj.) commonplace; overused, stale -unoriginal and lacking in importance I did not finish the novel because the story's plot was trite and uninspiring. At parties, I tend to avoid trite conversations because they are dull and do not reveal any new information. The senator's response to the unemployment question was trite and unconvincing. Will you stop using those trite clichés? When the comedian finished his trite performance, most of the audience was yawning.

Consummate

(adj.) complete or perfect in the highest degree; extremely skilled (v.) to bring to a state of completion or perfection Phil is a consummate golfer who earned over eight million dollars in tournaments last year. Because my sister is a consummate liar, she can make anyone believe practically anything. My charity organization is looking for a consummate fundraiser to help our group raise much-needed funds. At the poker tables, it was easy to spot the consummate players because they never seemed anxious. All the directors wanted to work with Cary because he was a consummate actor who never forgot his lines.

Genial

(adj.) cordial, pleasantly cheerful or warm Santa Claus is such a genial man that children love to approach him. While I expected my elderly neighbor to be rude, he was actually genial and invited me in for tea. A glass of wine always makes me genial and approachable. How can I resist such a genial party invitation? The genial hosts made sure everyone enjoyed the party. When the genial trainer approached the anxious horse, he was able to calm the animal with a pat and a few kind words. The genial clerk warmly greeted me as soon as I walked through the hotel doors.

Affable

(adj.) courteous and pleasant, sociable, easy to speak to Instead of being such a jerk, you should try being more affable! Since he wanted to be voted the most affable boy at school, Jason always had a smile for everyone. People enjoy eating at that restaurant because the waitresses are always so affable. A most affable man, the candidate is always willing to shake hands with voters. Because Jenna was sometimes quite sarcastic, her friends often forgot how affable she could be

Languid

(adj.) drooping; without energy, sluggish I always get my rest when I take a languid cruise vacation. After a stressful day of work, I am going to enjoy a languid walk through the quiet park. Because I enjoy a laidback pace, I enjoy living on the island which has a languid environment. The dance required the veteran ballerina to make the complex turns at a languid but seductive speed. After sleeping for hours, the cat moved leisurely in a languid motion. The medicine Jake took altered his hyperactive behavior into more languid actions.

Prosaic

(adj.) dull, lacking in distinction and originality; matter-of-fact, straightforward; characteristic of prose, not poetic Because the biggest thing in my hometown is the grocery store, the city really is a prosaic little place. The title of your book is so prosaic that most people are going to walk right past it in the store. As a whole, prosaic writers tend to write very dull stories which most people never remember. Edward was a prosaic man who stood out in a room filled with creative people. Even though the film director described the movie as exciting, the film was actually prosaic and put most of the audience to sleep.

Chary

(adj.) extremely cautious, hesitant, or slow (to); reserved, diffident -cautiously or suspiciously reluctant to do something. Because Vera was chary about going in the old house, I agreed to go in with her. School districts are incredibly chary about hiring people with criminal backgrounds. While Tim has plans to leave college, he is chary about telling his parents of his decision. The bride's nerves made her chary of getting married.

Pernicious

(adj.) extremely harmful; deadly, fatal; highly injurious or destructive The pernicious cycle of abuse within their family must be stopped. Because she hates me, my neighbor is always spreading pernicious lies about me. Jake's pernicious behavior is going to put him in the hospital one of these days. If you are going to behave in such a pernicious manner, I would prefer to not be around you. Although Meredith does not believe her consumption of alcohol has reached a pernicious level, I believe she has a drinking problem.

Gratuitous

(adj.) freely given; not called for by circumstances, unwarranted Even though I had been looking forward to seeing the movie, I walked out of the theater after thirty minutes because of so much gratuitous foul language. Since her son had already served his hours of community service for the vandalism, Selena thought that the school's additional punishment was gratuitous. He's always looking for gratuitous attention from his classmates by pulling all sorts of reckless stunts. That director specializes in the gratuitous exploitation of people's worst nightmares in his horror films. Because I didn't ask for his gratuitous advice, I felt under no obligation to do what he suggested. If you read the labels on most prepared food products, you'll see that many gratuitous ingredients add an excessive amount of fats and carbohydrates.

Mendacious

(adj.) given to lying or deception; untrue A product claiming to help you get ripped abs in a few hours is mendacious advertising. Instead of giving me another mendacious story, just be honest for once. Never forget the mendacious politician will say anything to get your vote, then his promises disappear like tears in the rain. My wife is mendacious for dating another man behind my back. The defendant, Ted, is a mendacious piece of work for pleading not guilty to a crime I know he committed. Always straightforward and honest, Rose does not have a mendacious bone in her body.

Divergent

(adj.) going in different directions; different from each other; departing from conversation, deviant. "There were also divergent attitudes towards industrialization in China and Japan."

Verdant

(adj.) green in tint or color; immature in experience or judgment -green with grass or other rich vegetation After three years of drought conditions, the farmers welcomed the spring rains and hoped they would continue long enough to restore their crops to verdant abundance. When she meditates, Pauline goes to a place in her mind where she is surrounded by verdant pines, blue skies, and cool breezes. Two years after they bought the grand old estate, they had finally restored the grounds and gardens to their original verdant grandeur. The travelers were astounded when they climbed to the top of the parched mountain and found themselves looking down into a lush, verdant valley.

Facetious

(adj.) humorous, not meant seriously; joking often inappropriately While Aaron thought he was being funny, he did not realize his remarks came across as facetious. I'm sorry if I sounded facetious, but seriously, The Quadruple Bypass burger will kill you. Because she was overbearing and often facetious, Jane had few friends. The teacher described her most troublesome student as a facetious young man. Although my offer may have sounded facetious, I really want to help you with your problem! Unfortunately, Henry often confuses being funny with being facetious.

Trenchant

(adj.) incisive, keen; forceful, effective; cutting, caustic; distinct, clear-cut Sometimes your tone of voice is so trenchant that you come across as being a mean person. Although the movie's plot is exciting, the dialogue is boring and needs to be polished until it is more trenchant. Marvin's trenchant wit made him a popular speaker at conservative fundraisers. Even though Kate is a trenchant person who knows a great deal, she does not always think fast on her feet. The scientist's trenchant observations made him the toast of the scientific community.

Subversive

(adj.) intended to undermine or overthrow; (n.) one who advocates or attempts to undermine a political system; intended to destroy the power or influence of a government or an established belief The group published a subversive magazine that contained nothing but negative articles about the current government. On Sunday night, the subversive members of the church usually meet to discuss ways to get rid of their minister. The government closely monitors subversive organizations to see if they pose a threat to the country. In the movie, the dictator sent out troops to kill all of the subversive rebels who were trying to remove him from power. The terrorists blew up the building as a subversive act to protest against our country's occupation of their own nation

Ribald

(adj.) irreverently mocking; coarse, vulgar, or indecent in language -offensive or vulgar humor The comic's sexual jokes were too ribald for my religious mother. Because twelve-year-old Jenny wants to see a film with ribald humor, she must have a parent or guardian accompany her. The teacher sent Jim to the principal's office after he told a ribald joke in class. Although I enjoy a good joke as much as the next person, ribald jokes about rape hold no humor for me. William was ordered to take a sexual harassment class after he was overheard telling a ribald story in the break room.

Churlish

(adj.) lacking politeness or good manners; lacking sensitivity; difficult to work with or deal with; rude Although Ms. X is a beautiful and talented actress, she has a reputation for being churlish and difficult to get along with. Linda decided never to call that babysitter again because the nanny-cam showed that she acted churlish with the children. While I know that Matthew can sometimes be very churlish, I'm thankful that at least he's courteous and respectful when he's behind the wheel. Melissa decided not to accept Freddie's offer to escort her to the party because she knew he became churlish if he had more than two beers. Maria is a very efficient nurse, but her patients find her bedside manner to be churlish and unpleasant.

Abstemious

(adj.) moderate, sparing (as in eating and drinking); characterized by abstinence and self-discipline Gerald was abstemious at dinner and only ate a little of the food on his plate. Because I was abstemious with alcohol when I was younger, I am still quite healthy in my later years. The best way to avoid becoming obese is by being abstemious and only eating what is necessary to survive. While Mr. Peterson was quite abstemious with his meals, he always put out a big feast when he had guests over for dinner.

Myopic

(adj.) nearsighted; lacking a broad, realistic view of a situation; lacking foresight or discernment; particularly biased in one direction If you only question one race of people in your survey, your responses will be myopic. Asking for different opinions is one way to come up with a solution that is broad and not myopic. The conservative talk show host has a myopic viewpoint and is never willing to listen to his guests' perspectives. In the racist's myopic mind, no other race is equal to the white race in terms of superiority. Adam has a myopic mindset that prevents him from socializing with people who do not share his religion.

Imperturbable

(adj.) not easily excited; emotionally steady The imperturbable actress carried on with her performance even when her costar forgot his lines. Surrounded by flames and carrying a small child, the imperturbable fireman kept his cool and found his way out of the burning apartment. The imperturbable spy refused to give out secret information during his interrogation. During the bomb threat, the teacher was imperturbable and did not let her students know how worried she was. The imperturbable young man walked away from the argument before any blows were thrown.

Picayune

(adj.) of little value or importance, paltry, measly; concerned with trifling matters, small-minded -insignificant, small While twenty dollars may seem like a picayune sum to you, it is a fortune to a starving person. Jim was not upset because he lost only a picayune amount of money at the casino. In the big scheme of life, the death of a single ant seems picayune. The hotel manager hates to deal with customers who complain about picayune issues like tiny wrinkles in their bed sheets. On my picayune salary, I can barely pay my bills.

Noisome

(adj.) offensive or disgusting; foul-smelling; harmful or injurious; disgusting in smell As soon as the police arrived on the scene, they became aware of the noisome odor of a gas leak. Janice refuses to ride in her boyfriend's car until he cleans it with something that will eliminate the noisome smell. When we walked into the restaurant, we were overwhelmed by the noisome odor of old fish. Angela's noisome perfume made everyone in the room feel queasy. Because Jake lives on a farm, he is not bothered by the noisome smell of the dirty animals. The student's noisome prank was so offensive in odor that the entire school had to be evacuated.

Querulous

(adj.) peevish, complaining, fretful -full of complaints; complaining Forgive me for sounding querulous, but there is a bug in my soup. I don't mean to be querulous, but I do believe I should get my money's worth at all times. If there was an award for being querulous, my aunt would win because she is always complaining about something. Whenever my father had too many drinks, he would become querulous and complain about everything. I asked the querulous students in my classroom to put down all their complaints in writing. Because Mabel was querulous and never satisfied, her husband left her for another woman.

Sedulous

(adj.) persistent, showing industry and determination -diligent, hardworking, and persistent Even though you completely destroy the ant bed time after time, those sedulous ants will continue to go right back to work rebuilding it. Although she told him that she was already in a relationship with someone, Ethan refused to abandon his sedulous efforts to get a date with Felicia. Because he is a sedulous worker who is always on the lookout for new prospects, Garrison has been Salesman of the Year for six years in a row. This antique table is constructed with sedulous workmanship and an attention to detail that you just don't find in today's manufactured furniture.

Provincial

(adj.) pertaining to an outlying area; local; narrow in mind or outlook, countrified in the sense of being limited and backward; of a simple, plain design that originated in the countryside; (n.) a person with a narrow point of view; a person from an outlying area; a soldier from a province or colony. "Even though James had travelled all over the world, he still wore clothing which was quite provincial and outdated." "Because I grew up in an orphanage run by nuns, I have a very provincial outlook on life and tend to prefer the simple things." "In many romantic-comedy movies, the heroine dreams of leaving her provincial life to find her Prince Charming in the big city."

Enigmatic

(adj.) puzzling, perplexing, inexplicable, not easily understood, mysterious. "When I was growing up, I viewed my father as an enigmatic man who rarely spent time with me." "The lady in red had an enigmatic smile which made all the men curious about her." "After I did a little research, the subject of metaphysics was no longer so enigmatic to me." "The enigmatic spy was not known to have any family or friends." "Although I could not understand the enigmatic message on the blood-stained paper, I knew someone was in trouble." "All the soldiers wanted to know more about their enigmatic captain."

Glib

(adj.) ready and fluent in speech; thoughtless, insincere; flippant Because she is so conceited, Linda is constantly fishing for compliments, and she takes all the glib flattery seriously. Because he is an expert at dancing around an issue with vague comments and glib one-liners, you never know when to take him seriously. Considering the way he fills all his speeches with glib promises that he never follows through on, I'm amazed that he has any supporters at all. By trying to show off and asking those glib questions, you're just making yourself look more ignorant. The glib comments he made about the brewing conflict tells me that he is not very well-informed about the subject.

Penitent

(adj.) regretful for one's sins or mistakes. (n.) one who is sorry for wrongdoing The penitent husband spends days at his wife's grave because he regrets not spending more time with her. When the judge sentences a criminal to prison, he hopes the offender will become penitent and regret his bad choices. The penitent sinner asked for forgiveness during his confessional. As the soldier stood in front of the military judge, he had a penitent look on his face. The teacher did not punish the penitent students who wrote a letter apologizing to the substitute for their poor behavior.

Insular

(adj.) relating to, characteristic of, or situated on an island; narrow or isolated in outlook or experience Because the insular man had lived on a deserted island for several years, he was not very good at making conversation. The people who live on the mountain have insular personalities because they are not used to being around other members of society. My grandparents' insular attitudes make them very uninterested in what is going on outside their own lives. Although I do not socialize a great deal, I do not have any insular traits as of a result of my self-imposed isolation. Only a few people live in their insular neighborhood in the coldest part of Alaska.

Austere

(adj.) severe or stern in manner; without adornment or luxury, simple, plain; harsh or sour in flavor Even though she appeared austere, my teacher was a very kind woman. The soft candlelight made the room's décor less austere. Lacking personal touches, the couple's formal living room was quite austere. Although the furnishings in the house were beautifully designed, they were austere in appearance. Without any decorations, the Christmas tree looked austere.

Refulgent

(adj.) shining, radiant, resplendent When the beauty queen accepted her crown, she had a refulgent smile on her face. The sunlight appeared refulgent on the church's window. During the wedding, the candles provided a refulgent light. Santa's eyes were smiling and refulgent when he laughed. From across the room, I could see the bride's refulgent diamond ring.

Solicitous

(adj.) showing concern or care; fearful or anxious about someone or something; full of anxiety and concern I am going to keep a solicitous eye out for criminals in this hard-hit neighborhood. The solicitous mother did not want her young daughter going out on a date. My girlfriend gets solicitous when I drink too much. Nothing makes me more solicitous right now than my depressing financial situation. There is reason to be solicitous about the future with this depressing job market. The powerful hurricane is making me a bit solicitous.

Oblique

(adj.) slanting or sloping; not straightforward or direct To avoid worrying his wife, the man made an oblique statement about the seriousness of his medical condition. Because the commercial is oblique in its sexual references, it has not been pulled from the Christian network. Putting a dead rat on a person's doorstep is an oblique way in which the mob has been known to warn possible snitches. The slight wink was Larry's oblique way of flirting with me. Chad made an oblique reference about his wife's weight by purchasing her a gym membership.

Fatuous

(adj.) stupid or foolish in a self-satisfied way Buying a car without negotiating down the price is a fatuous move. Don't look fatuous by asking the same question twice! It was a fatuous choice to carry so many glass cups at once. Marie was disappointed by her friend's fatuous pick for a blind date. By ignoring the signs, the fatuous runner fell into a hole. My brother was fatuous for sprinting across the wet kitchen floor.

Turgid

(adj.) swollen, bloated, filled to excess; overdecorated or excessive in language -language that is complex and hard to understand The middle school student could not understand any of the facts listed in the turgid collegiate essay. Even though the scientist tried to make his report simple, it was still too turgid for the average person to comprehend. The movie's plot was so turgid that people left the theater completely confused. When the author wrote his novel, he had no idea it would be too turgid for his target audience to understand. The foreign exchange student could not recognize the turgid wording used on the exam.

Fractious

(adj.) tending to be troublesome; unruly, quarrelsome, contrary; unpredictable The inexperienced teacher found the fractious students difficult to control. During the concert, police officers were on hand just in case the crowd became fractious. The fractious child would not listen to a word his mother said. As a new manager, Hank is not used to dealing with fractious employees who do not follow directions. Surprisingly, the antidepressant turned the reserved little boy into a fractious child who was completely unmanageable. Before this argument gets fractious and we both say things we regret, let us go our separate ways.

Soporific

(adj.) tending to cause sleep, relating to sleepiness or lethargy; (n.) something that induces sleep The professor's boring speech was soporific and had everyone in the audience yawning. While alcohol is soporific and can help you sleep, it does not take away your problems. Because of the medicine's soporific properties, the doctor told me to only take it at bedtime. There is a soporific effect of eating that makes many people sleepy after every meal. Although plane trips are usually soporific to me, I managed to stay awake during the ride to San Francisco.

Dilatory

(adj.) tending to delay or procrastinate, not prompt; intended to delay or postpone Unhappy with her job, the secretary performed every task at a dilatory speed. Because I was running late to the meeting, I asked my assistant to behave in a dilatory manner so I would have time to arrive. My father used a dilatory strategy to keep me out of the house while my mother arranged my surprise birthday party. Although my husband tried to give me a bunch of dilatory errands to keep me away from the house, I still arrived home in time to catch him with his girlfriend.

Pejorative

(adj.) tending to make worse; expressing disapproval or disparagement, derogatory, deprecatory, belittling -expressing disapproval or belittling the importance of something While the detective was supposed to be neutral, he described the suspect in a pejorative manner. A pejorative remark usually brings about an angry response from the listener. Although the writer meant to be kind, his words implied a pejorative point of view. With your pejorative criticism, you have succeeded in making me dislike you! Even though I had a good explanation for my lateness, my employer still described my conduct in a pejorative way.

Irresolute

(adj.) unable to make up one's mind, hesitating "As the troubled young girl faced her school principal, she was irresolute and did not know what to expect as a consequence for her behavior." "The movie's irresolute ending left viewers wondering what happened to the heroine and her true love." "Since the candidate was not prepared for his interview, his answers came across as irresolute and did not sit well with his potential employer who was looking for a confident worker." "Jane was irresolute about the directions so she used a map app on her phone to make sure she did not get lost." "Because Jack is irresolute about the future of the stock market, he is hesitant to make a large financial investment at this time."

Amenable

(adj.) willing to follow advice or authority, tractable, submissive; responsive; liable to be held responsible My husband never complains about anything and is amenable to all my vacation suggestions. Even though these budget cuts are necessary, I know most of the staff will not be amenable to the cutbacks. For the class project, Josh was more amenable to writing a long essay than he was to creating a short film. Is this contract set in stone or is it amenable to change? Because she loved living on her own, April's grandmother was not amenable to the suggestion of living in a nursing home.

Tepid

(especially of a liquid) only slightly warm; lukewarm. showing little enthusiasm. "tepid bathwater"

Gradation

(n) a progression, a process taking place gradually, in stages; one of these stages Although ravens, crows, and blackbirds all come from the same family, they have a gradation in color and wing span. New cars usually have minimal gradation in style and technology from the previous year. Puberty is a gradation from youth to adulthood that lasts anywhere from two to five years. Pablo Picasso's gradation from dark to lighter shades of blue can be found in The Old Guitarist. Natural gradation can be found when the sand on the beach starts to receded and break away over time.

Propriety

(n) the state of being proper, appropriateness; (pl) standards of what is proper or socially acceptable After Harold wore a clown suit to his cousin's funeral, we had to question his sense of propriety. To ensure all legal obligations are met, Tom must review every paragraph of the contract for propriety. When I arrived at the meeting, I saw the directors were engaged in a heated debate over the treasurer's propriety to bookkeeping standards. Because she is an advice columnist who wants to teach people how to behave properly, Helen places emphasis on observing propriety.

Diatribe

(n.) a bitter and prolonged verbal attack Because Sheila was unhappy with the administration, she launched a lengthy diatribe against the board during lunch. Upset about his demotion, Ed made an angry diatribe about his employer. The candidate made a diatribe against his opponent. Even though Janice tried to control her temper in court, she found herself unable to hold in a diatribe about her spouse. His diatribe against his enemy contained words which should not be repeated! The journalist wrote a long diatribe about the politician's abuse of funds.

Coterie

(n.) a circle of acquaintances; a close-knit, often exclusive, group of people with a common interest With his latest novel, James hopes to reach a whole new coterie of readers. Our coterie of girls always sits at the best table in the school cafeteria. The president's coterie of advisers was unable to offer him a solution to the national problem. Because the coterie of rebellious teens refused to leave the store, the police were called.

Effigy

(n.) a crude image of a despised person syn: figure, figurine, likeness he woman torched an effigy of her cheating husband. Mitch's psychiatrist suggested he burn a small effigy of his abusive father so he could let go of his rage. After the quarterback made a fumble that cost his team the big game, he saw his fans burn an effigy made in his likeness. As soon as the citizens learned their brutal leader was dead, they burned an effigy of his image. To express their rebellion, the military prisoners set fire to an effigy of the captors' flag. Anti-war protesters are burning an effigy of the president as a way of demonstrating their disapproval of his decision to send troops into yet another war. When the racist group learned the civil rights leader had won an international award, they burned an effigy of him on a cross.

Canard

(n.) a false rumor, fabricated story an unfounded rumor or story. "the old canard that LA is a cultural wasteland I eat plenty of apples and still get sick so I do not believe the canard about an apple a day keeping the doctor away. In order to sell magazines, the tabloid will knowingly print a canard that is not supported by facts. The newspaper was sued for publishing a canard about a popular celebrity. To get back at her ex-boyfriend, Jane made up a canard about him selling drugs.

Sinecure

(n.) a position requiring little or no work; an easy job -a position that requires no work but still gives a payment; a cushy job Even thought we all thought of the job as a sinecure, Jane took her position very seriously and always worked late into the evening. Dr. Phillips will receive a nice title but will not have to do much teaching as a sinecure in our university's history department. Since John's father owns the company, John has been named a sinecure in the business although he knows nothing about the firm. The elderly man's position as vice-president is a sinecure that only exists as a tribute for his sixty years of company service. Even a small child could manage the role of a sinecure because it requires no actual skill or effort.

Nettle

(n.) a prickly or stinging plant; (v.) to arouse displeasure, impatience, or anger; to vex or irritate severely; to cause someone to be annoyed or angry My brother will often nettle me by reading my diary. If you nettle a bee, you should be prepared to run. My employee's habit of coming in to work late is starting to nettle me. Although Elaine tried to nettle me by describing her great date with my ex-boyfriend, I did not let her comments bother me. Mary does not like to sit outside because the mosquitos always nettle her.

Cupidity

(n.) an eager desire for something; greed John's cupidity led him to try and rob the bank. Because of my husband's cupidity, he is now sitting in jail for making counterfeit money. Cupidity often leads people to take things that do not belong to them. When the president was arrested for theft of company funds, he made no attempt to apologize for his cupidity. Jane got arrested for shoplifting because she could not control her cupidity.

Blemish

(n.) an imperfection, flaw

Perspicacity

(n.) keenness in observing and understanding The detective's perspicacity allowed him to easily recognize the criminal in the crowd. Because the billionaire is known for his perspicacity, many people wait to follow his stock-buying trends. Students rarely act up in Mrs. Henderson's class because of her strong perspicacity to recognize the guilty party. Despite Helen's poor vision, she is able to easily navigate through her home by using her perspicacity to keep track of small details.

Exponent

(n.) one who advocates, speaks for, explains, or interprets; (math) the power to which a number, symbol, or expression is to be raised Once homeless Janice is now a successful businesswoman and exponent for ending homelessness. The president's wife is an exponent of healthy nutrition for young people. After winning several medals in the Olympics, the handicapped athlete became an exponent of training programs for the disabled. As an exponent of multilingual learning, the teacher believes students should experience lessons in multiple languages. Since the scientist doesn't believe in the concept of natural selection, he is not an exponent of Darwin's theory

Charlatan

(n.) one who feigns knowledge or ability; a pretender, impostor, or quack The charlatan pretended to be a doctor so he could go into the hospital and steal prescription drugs. After the charlatan tricked Janet out of her life savings, he became wanted by the police. The charlatan tried to deceive people into thinking he was a minister collecting donations for the poor. When the charlatan used the disguise of a police officer to rob senior citizens, real law enforcement agents were enraged. The charlatan lied when he promised the trustworthy couple he could help them find an affordable home in the city. According to the newspaper, a charlatan dressed like a nun stole the collection plate right out of the minister's hands.

Sophistry

(n.) reasoning that seems plausible but is actually unsound; a fallacy; a false argument meant to trick someone While the claim in the weight-loss ad sounds real, it is actually sophistry from a marketing department that hopes to sell a product at any cost. Surprisingly, many debates are won by individuals who make use of sophistry to convince others they know something they do not. During the debate, Senator Johnson accused his opponent of trying to win votes by using sophistry to convince the public of his impossible claims. Although the cult leader knew he was being dishonest with his group members, he hoped they would believe his sophistry. John tried to use sophistry to hide his illegal actions from the tax agency.

Derelict

(n.) someone or something that is abandoned or neglected; a person without home or property(adj.) left abandoned; neglectful of duty Out of fear for my safety, I chose not to walk inside of the derelict barn. Our small town has a large number of derelict buildings that need to be demolished. Thanks to several volunteer organizations in our community, many derelict areas have been turned into stunning gardens. Because many businesses closed during the economic crisis, the city is now filled with derelict shops and empty factories. My husband used his carpentry skills to turn the derelict shed into a tree house for our children.

Approbation

(n.) the expression of approval or favorable opinion, praise; official approval I need to write a powerful resume to gain approbation from an employer. The crowd was filled with approbation when #56 scored a touchdown. With my mother's approbation, I can sleep over at your house. Because Timothy was never a teacher's favorite in middle school, he was motivated to win the approbation of his high school teachers. Going on the field trip is out of the question unless you get your parents' approbation

Lassitude

(n.) weariness of body or mind, lack of energy Me on Monday after three dys at work After the long race, Jack experienced a feeling of lassitude. This morning, lassitude is preventing me from getting out of bed. When my doctor asked me to describe my symptoms, my main complaint was lassitude since I had very little energy. The stress at work and the stress in her marriage caused Liza to experience an extreme amount of lassitude which left her exhausted. Because Jim had tried so hard to make his marriage work, he felt only sadness and lassitude when it finally came to an end.

Precocious

(of a child) having developed certain abilities or proclivities at an earlier age than usual. (of behavior or ability) indicative of early development. (of a plant) flowering or fruiting earlier than usual.

Incendiary

(of a device or attack) designed to cause fires. tending to stir up conflict. very exciting.

Flagitious

(of a person or their actions) criminal; villainous "Even though the reason behind the kidnapping was for money, the flagitious captor would torment his captives."

Incorrigible

(of a person or their behavior) not able to be changed or reformed "Because my daughter's behavior is incorrigible, she might be grounded for at least a year."

Apocryphal

(of a story or statement) of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as being true Although everyone has heard the apocryphal story of the tooth fairy, there is no way such a magical creature exists. Even though people know the apocryphal account of the shipwreck is false, they still tell the tale over and over again. The old man often shared apocryphal ghost stories with anyone who would listen. While there is an apocryphal rumor circulating about the celebrity's death, the story has not been confirmed by the star's publicist. My youngest daughter does not believe the apocryphal tale of Santa Claus is false

Fungible

(of goods contracted for without an individual specimen being specified) replaceable by another identical item; mutually interchangeable "On the diet plan, the two vegetables are fungible so you can eat either one without changing your calorie count." "The two automobiles are not fungible because one vehicle is worth more than the other vehicle."

Peregrinate

(v.) - to travel from place to place on foot Peregrination:the act of wandering or drifting around A peregrination of the huge mall left us all with throbbing feet. Because Peter wanted to explore the world, he chose a life of peregrination and never slept in one city for longer than three days. The high school graduate has decided to enjoy a peregrination through Europe before attending a local university. While Ted learned a lot in college, he felt he learned even more during his peregrination through a poverty-stricken country.

Upbraid

(v.) to blame, scold, find fault with; to harshly criticize Nynaeve Without a doubt, my parents are going to upbraid me for not passing any of my classes this semester. Jim will often upbraid his wife for spending too much money at the mall. Since Chad has already appeared in court twice for the same offense, he is expecting the judge to upbraid him before giving out a lengthy sentence. The police officer did not hesitate to upbraid the man for driving without insurance. Because my daughter had already wrecked her car, I did not upbraid her for driving recklessly.

Impugn

(v.) to call into question; to attack as false The mayor leaked news of the arrest to the media to impugn his opponent's character. How dare you impugn the integrity of our local councilman simply because of a Twitter rumor! When the prosecutor tried to impugn the defendant's character, the defense lawyer jumped to his feet and made an objection. Everyone was shocked when the student tried to impugn his lab teacher's findings. Even though I hate my ex-husband's girlfriend, I never try to impugn her character in front of my children.

Jettison

(v.) to cast overboard, get rid of as unnecessary or burdensome Keep the good memories in your heart and jettison the bad ones. The company president's decision to jettison most of the workforce was made in order to save the business from bankruptcy. Because the new stroller is not selling well, the company has decided to jettison it from their product line. In order to conserve fuel, the pilot was forced to jettison some of his passengers' suitcases. When I ended my awful marriage, I decided to jettison my past and start a new life. The astronauts had to jettison unwanted materials off the space center in order to make room for more equipment.

Repudiate

(v.) to disown, reject, or deny the validity of -to reject; refuse to support Because I want to avoid the conflict between my two sisters, I repudiate their argument. The company will repudiate any claims of negligence. Despite his claims of innocence, he did very little to repudiate the allegations made against him. Jill is going to repudiate the bill because it is incorrect. During his next speech, the president will repudiate blame for the economic situation

Disabuse

(v.) to free from deception or error, set right in ideas or thinking If you wish to continue to believe that falsehood, I will not disabuse you by telling you the truth. It is my job as a teacher to disabuse students of the notion they can be successful without an education. Even though I know Jessica is telling her mother a lie, I will not disabuse my friend's parent. The minister did everything he could to disabuse his church members about false idols. Although my mother tried, she could not disabuse me of my belief in Santa Claus when I was a kid

Aggrandize

(v.) to increase in greatness, power, or wealth; to build up or intensify; to make appear greater I attempted to aggrandize the CEO's high status in the company to sweet talk him into signing off on the deal. Jack is a philanthropist who only supports causes that aggrandize him in the eyes of the world. I hate listening to that snobbish radio talk show host self-aggrandize. My uncle claims that those that aggrandize their status in the eyes of others end up losing whatever it is that they have.

Embroil

(v.) to involve in a conflict or difficulty; to throw into confusion I avoided my two best friends because I did not want to get embroiled in their dispute. When Jim accepted the package from his friend, he did not realize he had embroiled himself in a drug smuggling operation. Caroline's testimony against her sister-in-law embroiled her in a brutal custody battle. After drinking too much, Marcus became embroiled in a fight with a total stranger. The politician's racist comments embroiled him in a great deal of controversy.

Assuage

(v.) to make easier or milder, relieve; to quiet, calm; to put an end to, appease, satisfy, quench Darren tried to assuage his wife's fear of flying by buying her a drink and holding her hand during takeoff. Mother Theresa believed we could assuage the suffering of the poor by helping those in need. Though he tried to apologize, there was nothing the teenager could do to assuage his crush's hurt feelings. Therapy helped Candace assuage any of the unpleasant emotions he still had regarding her parents' divorce.

Burnish

(v.) to make smooth or glossy by rubbing, polish; (n.) gloss, brightness, luster Richard is forever attempting to burnish his reputation so that he can advance his position within our company. I applied car polish to my Porsche repeatedly, making sure to burnish it to perfection. Presidents look to burnish their legacy during their second term in office. The presidential candidate used his time at the podium to burnish his image in the eyes of the nation.

Conciliate

(v.) to overcome the distrust of, win over; to appease, pacify; to reconcile, make consistent Sarah rebuffed William's attempts to conciliate her by buying her a bouquet of flowers. Nothing Frank did could conciliate Ruthie after she lost her necklace which she received as an heirloom. The seasoned ambassador did his utmost to conciliate France after fighting broke out along its southern border, to no avail. Attempting to conciliate the angry protesters, Bob held up his hands and urged everyone to take a deep breath.

Malign

(v.) to speak evil of, slander; (adj.) evil "By spreading the cruel rumor, my sister hoped to malign her ex-boyfriend." "Because Jack was angry about losing his job, he tried to malign his former employer to anyone who would listen." Although the attorney was upset about the judge's decision, he did not malign the judicial system when he talked to the media."

Espouse

(v.) to take up and support; to become attached to, adopt; to marry People who espouse the Paleo diet claim that they feel better and it's much easier to control their weight. Although the reviews were rather harsh, Emma had the grace to espouse the criticism and try to improve her performance. Although most scientists espouse the Big Bang Theory for the beginning of the universe, there is still no absolute proof of how we got here. While most parents would like their children to espouse the same value system as they do, today's young people are typically very independent-minded and prefer to follow their own path. Just when you think that civilization has finally become enlightened, the media report some horrible crime committed by someone in an organization whose members espouse a doctrine of hate.

Raze

(v.) to tear down, destroy completely; to cut or scrape off or out; demolish As part of his campaign promise, the mayoral candidate pledged to raze all neglected properties that were unfit for human life. Officials struggled with deciding whether or not to raze the abandoned church to make room for a parking lot. The commercial builder has plans to raze the buildings and develop the area into a series of strip malls. After losing the majority of their home in a fire, the Smiths decided to raze their entire residence and build afresh. The decision to drop the bomb should not be taken lightly as the power of the weapon could raze an entire town.

Inure

(v.) to toughen, harden; to render used to something by long subjection or exposure; to become used to; become immune to unpleasant situations or events Raising three dramatic daughters will inure you to temper tantrums. After a while, the guards were able to inure themselves to the voices of the prisoners begging for freedom. Even the veteran detective could not inure himself to the sight of a murdered child. Soon, the girls became inure to the cruel treatment of their kidnapper and started to think of him as their savior. Although the athlete was taking a strong medication, he left the game because he was not able to inure himself to the pain.

Dither

1. to be indecisive 2. A state of agitation Terry tends to dither when someone asks him where to have lunch, as he is never able to decide on a restaurant. Because they dither and dally all afternoon, the children rarely finish their homework. The politician began to dither and stutter when asked his stance on the issue. Every spot, we dither back and forth when deciding on a vacation spot. When trying to determine where to shop for clothes, I usually dither between a few options.

Ossify

1. turn to bone; 2. become fixed and rigid; harden or become inflexible My father's opinion has started to ossify so I know he won't change his mind. Because Elaine has an impulsive nature, she'll never allow her behaviors to ossify. This type of arthritis causes the joints to ossify to the point they become immobile. After Tim joined the church, his beliefs about the afterlife started to ossify. Since the project is due tomorrow, Anne needs to use glue that will ossify rapidly.

Dictum

A formal or authoritative statement As Sarah waited in the unemployment line, she recognized the truth of the dictum, "last hired; first fired". My suspicious aunt is quick to remind us of the dictum that encourages us to keep our enemies close. When Jim foolishly ignored the financial dictum and spent more than he could afford, he found himself homeless after not having enough money to pay his rent. Every doctor knows the dictum, "first do no harm". Because Jason could not follow the safety dictum, he was suspended from the football team.

Claque

A group of sycophantic followers

Anthropocentrism

A human-centered view of our relationship with the environment. For example, Wyclif's emphasis on Scripture was theocentric, not anthropocentric, in both its orientation and influence. Values are weakly anthropocentric and ecocentric Advocates forms of direct and cosmopolitan democracy with active citizenship Allows and promotes the greening of socialism. For the natural philosopher the whole point of view of things was changed; in biology not only had the anthropocentric point of view been banished, but the ancient concept of perpetual flux was brought home to ordinary men, and entered for good into the framework of thought.

Explicator

A person who explains or interprets It took the chemist a long time to explicate the chemical process to the group of financial investors. If the auditor finds an error in the accounting records, the treasurer will need to explicate the mistake. The lawyer asked the victim to explicate what happened when the defendant attacked him. Since I did not understand the medical diagnosis, I asked my doctor to explicate the condition to me. Jim knows he will have to explicate the events that led to him breaking curfew.

Mien

A person's appearance or manner When I saw his downcast face and gloomy mien, I knew he hadn't gotten the promotion.

Transgression

A violation of a law, command, or duty

Equivocal

Ambiguous; intentionally misleading. "Since the defendant's alibi is equivocal, the jury will disregard it almost instantly." "The scientist's theory is equivocal and has not been proven in a lab experiment." "Although I watched the entire film, I was still confused by the movie's equivocal ending that contained many unanswered questions." "The president's equivocal explanation of the war sounded unclear to the public." "Because Frank's testimony was equivocal, the jury members had no choice but to ignore it during their deliberations."

Rejoinder

An answer; a reply; a clever or sharp response The boy was chastised when he responded to the teacher with a sarcastic rejoinder. When the rapper made a rude rejoinder to his critics, he faced harsh backlash from the public. The comic is known for his ability to make a hilarious rejoinder with a deadpan expression on his face. Although I wanted to respond to my supervisor's comment with a biting rejoinder, I bit my tongue. The man received a cutting rejoinder when he tried to flirt with the married woman.

Invective

An emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong, abusive language. The newspaper's invective of the novel really made the author angry. Because your invective hurt my feelings, I am going to stay away from you for a while. The politician's invective about his opponent caused him many votes in the election. When my ex-husband tried to start a fight with me by using an invective, I simply walked away from him. This economic crisis is only going to bring about an invective against the government. Although the movie critic delivered a stinging invective on the film, many people still went out and saw the picture.

Unequivocally

Clearly, unmistakably

Exegesis

Critical explanation or interpretation of a text or scripture Exegesis is drawing out text's meaning in accordance with the author's context and discoverable meaning. Eisegesis is when a reader imposes their interpretation of the text. The student's exegesis of the novel was one of the best summaries the professor had ever read. Because the youth minister wanted the children to easily understand the scripture, he wrote a simple exegesis of the passage. Many of the church rules are derived from man's exegesis of the Bible. After listening to the author's exegesis of his latest book, I realized I had completely missed the theme of the novel. The exegesis of the foreign text can only be interpreted by a linguist who is familiar with ancient Mandarin.

Denigrating

Criticize unfairly. "Bullies often denigrate others to hide their own insecurities."

Divesting

Deprive someone of or to be rid of/free from something "The jury must divest itself from all personal feelings and emotions when weighing the motives of the witnesses." "Hard as he tried, the politician could not divest his constituents from the idea that gun control trampled upon their second amendment rights"

Macabre

Disturbing because concerned with or causing a fear of death "My taste in movies is rather dark, I enjoy mostly macabre horror films"

Truculent

Eager or quick to argue or fight "If your dream is to be a police officer, then you must work on your quick-temper and stop being so truculent."

Gargantuan

Enormous

Avarice

Extreme greed for wealth or material gain "The greedy banker's avarice led him to funnel company funds into his personal account"

Dyspeptic

Grumpy, pessimistic, irritable; suffering from dyspepsia (indigestion) His dyspeptic attitude was in full force as he snapped at his employees for minor errors. Dyspeptic in nature, the woman settled into bed and cried as she murmured about her horrible life. As dyspeptic and irritable as she was, the woman was in a happy mood when she went to the beach. The dyspeptic man could not determine if he was happy or sad. She fussed as her tummy rumbled; the pain from the indigestion leaving her in a dyspeptic mood.

Fascistic

Having or relating to extreme right-wing, authoritarian, or intolerant views or practices

Peevish

Having or showing an irritable disposition "Because Nynaeve is peevish and never satisfied with anything, he finds it hard to make friends"

Fissiparous

Inclined to cause or undergo division into separate parts or groups "When the year began, Nicholas II was clinging to his throne, Lenin was an exile in Zurich and the Bolsheviks were just one faction in a fissiparous revolutionary underground."

Repugnance

Intense disgust "The man's repugnance towards mustard was only outdone by his revulsion of mayonnaise."

Defanging

Make (something) harmless or ineffectual

Dubious

Not to be relied upon; suspect "The teacher was dubious of Johnny's homework excuse." "How many times must I warn you about opening dubious emails?"

Obsequious

Obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree.

Ascetic

One who leads a life of self-denial and contemplation; absent of luxury The ascetic man gave away his fortune and moved into a tiny one-bedroom apartment. When Gregory was a monk, he lived an ascetic lifestyle that excluded worldly goods. The minister encouraged his church members to pursue ascetic lives without earthly pleasures. Because Connie loved sugary foods, she found it very hard to stick to her ascetic diet, which did not include sweets and fatty foods. Jacob chose to live an ascetic life because of his strict religious beliefs.

Mellifluous

Pleasingly smooth and musical to hear

Monastic

Relating to or resembling a monastery (where monks or nuns live), esp. by being quiet, secluded, contemplative, strict, and/or lacking luxuries For the new monks who had recently joined the monastery, the monastic lifestyle was quite shocking. Living a monastic life, the nuns were cut off from the secular world. A monastic lifestyle appealed to the recluse since he preferred a secluded and ritualistic existence. Taking the vow of poverty was part of the monk's monastic ceremony. Committing to the monastic oaths that come along with living in a convent, the priest faithfully honored his vows.

Obviate

Remove (a need or difficulty) "The new medical treatment obviates the need for surgery. The new treatment obviates many of the risks associated with surgery"

Earnest

Serious and sincere Amber cannot win the fight against alcohol because she is not making an earnest attempt to stay sober. The priest will always give you an earnest answer. Because of previous terror attacks, law enforcements agents take all threats in earnest and prepare accordingly. When the man made an earnest offer to pay for the groceries I could not afford, he overwhelmed me with his kindness. When the teacher viewed the poor test grades, she knew her students had not studied in earnest for the mid-term.

Acidulous

Slightly acid or sour; sharp or caustic The acidulous drink burned my tongue. Because the salesclerk spoke to me in an acidulous tone, I chose to take my business elsewhere. Jim apologized because he didn't realize his comment was acidulous and hurtful to Rachel. If the drink is acidulous and bitter, it's because I used too much lemon juice in the mix.

Palliative

Something that relieves pain without dealing with the cause of the condition

Occlude

Stop, close, or obstruct (an opening, orifice, or passage) "Fortunately, the city construction project will not occlude the main highway and cause traffic delays."

Intractably

Stubbornly, unmanageably "It took 6 firefighters to manage toe intractable task of lifting the 800lb woman."

Rescinds

To take away

Vassal

A holder of land by feudal tenure on conditions of homage and allegiance

Discommode

Cause (someone) trouble or inconvenience "We obviously do not want to discommode people, and I understand their reaction to a degree, but the other gates of the park are open."

Proliferate

Increase rapidly in number; multiply

Wily

Skilled at gaining an advantage, especially deceitfully "As a wily con artist, Chris was able to take advantage of a large number of people."

Fetid

Smelling extremely unpleasant. "My own nostrils were filled by a low fetid odour from the patient's necrotic foot wound."

lagniappe

Something given as a bonus. "As a lagniappe, the department store offered free popcorn and drinks to all its customers"

Voluble

Talking fluently, readily, or incessantly "After my friend drinks a few beers, he becomes voluble and will not stop talking."

Uncanny

mysterious; supernatural "Jeff is an uncanny man who likes to eat raw meat." "When the psychic looked at the abandoned house, she had an uncanny sense that something bad had happened to the owner."

Preemptive

That which is done ahead in time to prevent a possible bad event from happening

Ameliorative

That which soothes pain [or another negative condition] or makes it more bearable. "A positive mindset can ameliorate some mental health conditions."

Inscrutable

not readily investigated, interpreted, or understood "When Larry wrote the letter, he was so tired the writing was nearly inscrutable. " "Not even the leading experts in criminology could understand the killer's inscrutable motives."

Heteromorphic

occurring in two or more different forms, especially at different stages in the life cycle

Acquiescence

The reluctant acceptance of something without protest "Nodding her head in sullen acquiescence, Fran agreed to watch the action fill even though she wanted to see a chick flick"

Separatist

relating to the idea of separating a certain group of people from a larger body on the basis of ethnicity, religion, or gender "With a separatist attitude, the leader of the church insisted that the Puritans cut ties with the government supporting Catholicism."

Decrepitude

The state of being worn out or ruined

Recidivism

The tendency of a convicted criminal to reoffend "In the state, the rate of recidivism has decreased as noted by the fact fewer criminals are returning to prison."

Anchorites

religious recluses "Thus arose the first monastic community, consisting of anchorites living each in his own little dwelling, united together under one superior." "It is conjectured that the mountain was at an earlier period the abode of anchorites, whose numbers were increased by fugitives from the iconoclastic persecutions"

Interpolations

the insertion of something of a different nature into something else "Since the author would often interpolate the stories of others by adding his own text, the critics did not view him as a real writer." "Depending on how well my novel flows, my editor may interpolate additional descriptive sentences to give the tale more imagery."

Dessication

the removal of moisture from something

Scansion

the rhythm of a line of verse

Indict

To formally accuse of or charge with a crime

Incriminates

To make (someone) appear guilty of a crime or wrongdoing

Unflagging

tireless; persistent "The persistent reporter was unflagging and refused to give up on the story."

Succored

to be given assistance or aid to "Even though Holly is painfully shy, she is never hesitant to offer succor to anyone who is in pain." "Because of its powers to provide emotional succor in times of stress, Paula keeps a drawer full of chocolate at work, in case of emergency."

Vacillate

To waver between different opinions or actions; be indecisive "If you ask Paula to choose a restaurant for lunch, she will vacillate between restaurants forever."

Rankle

to cause anger, irritation, or deep bitterness "The fact the plane is leaving two hours late is certainly going to rankle the passengers."

Cull

to select from a group "Before we take the pecans to market, we cull the damaged ones that cannot be sold." "The test is administered so the school can cull the best students for the gifted program."

Insurmountable

too great to be overcome; invisible

Brio

vigor or vivacity of style or performance "She tells their story with brio and a mixture of sympathy and tart insight."

Rapacious

aggressively greedy or grasping "Because of its rapacious appetite, the shark is often considered to be more of an eating machine than a living creature." "Our rapacious neighbors have maxed out five different credit cards because they always have to have something newer and better."

Convivial

cheerful and friendly "Carl was a convivial party host who made everyone feel at home." "Since I removed the modern furnishings from my dining room, the area looks more warm and convivial." "The welcome mat on my front porch is a convivial item that greets all my houseguests."

Ebullient

cheerful and full of energy "The ebullient song was so uplifting that I danced in my chair." "Because my Uncle Jake has an ebullient personality, he is a great circus clown."

Opprobrious

expressing scorn or criticism "Elayne was offended by Nynaeve's opprobrious remarks about her drunken behavior." "At the party, a suspicious Kim was convinced her friends were making opprobrious comments about her appearance."

Fealty

formal acknowledgement of loyalty to a lord

Prepotency

having power or influence greater than others preeminent in power, authority, or influence; predominant: a prepotent name in the oil business. Genetics. noting, pertaining to, or having prepotency. "An equally serious problem could arise if children had a prepotent response bias for answering multiple choice questions." "Frankly, the prepotent title he goes under isn't enough to lend his argument any legitimacy."