GRE3

panegyric

a eulogistic oration or writing; also : formal or elaborate praise <wrote a panegyric on the centennial of the Nobel laureate's birth> accolade, citation, commendation, dithyramb, eulogium, eulogy, homage, hymn, paean, encomium, salutation, tribute

aspersion

a false or misleading charge meant to harm someone's reputation <cast aspersions on her integrity> the act of making such a charge : defamation

stipend

a fixed sum of money paid periodically for services or to defray expenses He receives a small stipend for his work as a research fellow. emolument, hire, packet [British], pay, paycheck, pay envelope, payment, salary, wage

panache

an ornamental tuft (as of feathers) especially on a helmet dash or flamboyance in style and action : verve She played the role of hostess with great panache.

quittance

discharge from a debt or an obligation <the indentured servant obtained a quittance from his master stating he was free to leave and was no longer required to work>

doom

judgment, decision; especially : a judicial condemnation or sentence destiny; especially : unhappy destiny death, ruin The papers are filled with stories of gloom and doom.

puerile

juvenile childish, silly <puerile remarks> <told the teenagers that such puerile behavior would not be tolerated during the ceremony> <allowed the company to be taken over by a bunch of puerile whippersnappers fresh out of business school> adolescent, babyish, immature, infantile, jejune, juvenile, kiddish, childish

intuitive

known or perceived by intuition : directly apprehended <had an intuitive awareness of his sister's feelings> knowable by intuition <intuitive truths> based on or agreeing with intuition <intuitive responses> <makes intuitive sense> readily learned or understood <software with an intuitive interface> knowing or perceiving by intuition possessing or given to intuition or insight <an intuitive mind> She has an intuitive mind. a doctor with an intuitive awareness of his patients' concerns The argument makes intuitive sense.

incongruous

lacking congruity not harmonious : incompatible <incongruous colors> not conforming : disagreeing <conduct incongruous with principle> inconsistent within itself <an incongruous story> lacking propriety : unsuitable <incongruous manners>

effusive

marked by the expression of great or excessive emotion or enthusiasm <effusive praise> They offered effusive thanks for our help. demonstrative, emotional, touchy-feely, uninhibited, unreserved, unrestrained

reclusive

marked by withdrawal from society : solitary

clandestine

marked by, held in, or conducted with secrecy : surreptitious <a clandestine love affair> <I took a clandestine peek at the price tag on the diamond necklace.>

brusque

markedly short and abrupt blunt in manner or speech often to the point of ungracious harshness he asked for a cup of coffee and received a brusque reply: "We don't have any." The teacher was brusque and impatient. abrupt, bluff, blunt (also brusk), crusty, curt, downright, short, short-spoken, snippy, unceremonious

inexorable

not to be persuaded, moved, or stopped : relentless <inexorable progress> the inexorable rise of a political movement

sartorial

of or relating to a tailor or tailored clothes; broadly : of or relating to clothes <poor sartorial taste> They accused him of having poor sartorial taste. The wedding party arrived in sartorial splendor.

outlandish

of or relating to another country : foreign a : strikingly out of the ordinary : bizarre <an outlandish costume> b : exceeding proper or reasonable limits or standards : remote from civilization

insolvent

(1) : unable to pay debts as they fall due in the usual course of business (2) : having liabilities in excess of a reasonable market value of assets held not up to a normal standard or complement : impoverished

sacrilege

: a technical and not necessarily intrinsically outrageous violation (as improper reception of a sacrament) of what is sacred because consecrated to God : gross irreverence toward a hallowed person, place, or thing They accused him of committing a sacrilege. defilement, desecration, impiety, irreverence, profanation, blasphemy

retrench

: cut down, reduce : to cut out : excise : to pare away : remove to make retrenchments; specifically : economize When the economy slowed, the company was forced to retrench.

brash

: heedless of the consequences : audacious <a brash adventurer> : done in haste without regard for consequences : rash <brash acts> : full of fresh raw vitality <a brash frontier town> : uninhibitedly energetic or demonstrative : bumptious <a brash comedian> : lacking restraint and discernment : tactless <brash remarks> : aggressively self-assertive : impudent <brash to the point of arrogance> : piercingly sharp : harsh <a brash squeal of brakes> : marked by vivid contrast : bold <brash colors> She asks such brash questions. <a brash request to get something for free> arch, audacious, bold, bold-faced, nervy, brassbound, brassy, brazen, brazen-faced, cheeky, cocksure, cocky, fresh, impertinent, impudent, insolent, sassy, saucy, wise

propriety

: the quality or state of being proper or suitable : appropriateness : conformity to what is socially acceptable in conduct or speech : fear of offending against conventional rules of behavior especially between the sexes plural : the customs and manners of polite society She conducted herself with propriety. They debated the propriety of the punishment that he was given. When attending a wedding, there are certain proprieties that must be observed. decorum, form, decency

felicitous

: very well suited or expressed : apt <a felicitous remark> : pleasant, delightful <felicitous weather> a felicitous combination of flavors <a felicitous accompaniment to dinner is provided by a harpist on weekends at the restaurant> agreeable, blessed (also blest), congenial, darling, delectable, delicious, delightful, delightsome, dreamy, dulcet, enjoyable, pleasant, good, grateful, gratifying, heavenly, jolly, luscious, nice, palatable, pleasing, pleasurable, pretty, satisfying, savory (also savoury), sweet, tasty, welcome

imbroglio

:an intricate or complicated situation (as in a drama or novel) an acutely painful or embarrassing misunderstanding a violently confused or bitterly complicated altercation : embroilment scandal 3a <survived the political imbroglio> <a celebrated imbroglio involving some big names in the New York literary scene> altercation, argle-bargle [chiefly British], argy-bargy [chiefly British], battle royal, bicker, brawl, contretemps, controversy, cross fire, disagreement, dispute, donnybrook, falling-out, fight, hassle, argument, kickup, misunderstanding, quarrel, rhubarb, row, scrap, set-to, spat, squabble, tiff, wrangle

sybarite

[from the notorious luxury of the Sybarites] : voluptuary, sensualist debauchee, decadent, hedonist, sensualist, voluptuary

epigram

a brief and usually witty or satirical saying epigraph: an apt quotation placed at the be gin ning of a book or essay epitaph: a commemorative inscription on a grave epithet: a term used to characterize the nature of something; sometimes a disparaging term used to describe a person. epigrammatic

precept

a command or principle intended especially as a general rule of action an order issued by legally constituted authority to a subordinate official the basic precepts of a religion I was taught by precept and by example.

eulogy

a commendatory oration or writing especially in honor of one deceased <she delivered the eulogy at his funeral> He delivered a moving eulogy at his father's funeral. <several eulogies were given at the special assembly marking the retirement of the company's longtime president> accolade, citation, commendation, dithyramb, eulogium, encomium, homage, hymn, paean, panegyric, salutation, tribute

myopia

a condition in which the visual images come to a focus in front of the retina of the eye resulting especially in defective vision of distant objects a lack of foresight or discernment : a narrow view of something

draw

a contest or game ending in a tie The game ended in a draw. tie, deadlock, stalemate, impasse, dead heat,standoff

penury

a cramping and oppressive lack of resources (as money); especially : severe poverty <lived in a time when single women like herself faced a lifetime of genteel penury> beggary, destituteness, destitution, impecuniosity, impecuniousness, impoverishment, indigence, necessity, need, neediness, pauperism, penuriousness, poverty, poorness, want

showdown

a decisive confrontation or contest

drapery

a decorative piece of material usually hung in loose folds and arranged in a graceful design hangings of heavy fabric for use as a curtain : the draping or arranging of materials

kindered

a group of related individuals one's relatives : family relationship : kinship of a similar nature or character : like <a kindred spirit> : of the same ancestry philosophy, political theory, and kindred topics I believe she and I are kindred spirits . German and English are kindred languages. affiliated, akin, allied, related

ensemble

a group producing a single effect (1) : the musicians engaged in the performance of a musical ensemble (2) : a group of supporting players, singers, or dancers; especially : corps de ballet

hodgepodge

a heterogeneous mixture : jumble <a hodgepodge of styles> <the exhibit was a hodgepodge of mediocre art, bad art, and really bad art> agglomerate, agglomeration, alphabet soup, assortment, botch, clutter, collage, crazy quilt, farrago, gallimaufry, grab bag, gumbo, hash, miscellany, hotchpotch, jambalaya, jumble, jungle, litter, macédoine, medley, mélange, menagerie, miscellanea, mishmash, mixed bag, montage, motley, muddle, olio, olla podrida, omnium-gatherum, pastiche, patchwork, patchwork quilt, potpourri, ragbag, ragout, rummage, salad, salmagundi, scramble, shuffle, smorgasbord, stew, tumble, variety, welter

crater

a hole in the ground made by the explosion of a bomb or shell Scientists believe the enormous crater was created by the impact of a meteorite thousands of years ago. We flew over the crater of the volcano in a helicopter.

folio

a leaf especially of a manuscript or book

philistine

a person who is guided by materialism and is usually disdainful of intellectual or artistic values one uninformed in a special area of knowledge

belle

a popular and attractive girl or woman; especially : a girl or woman whose charm and beauty make her a favorite <the belle of the ball>

perquisite

a privilege, gain, or profit incidental to regular salary or wages; especially : one expected or promised Use of the company's jet is a perquisite of the job. <give the movers a perquisite if they do a good job> gratuity, tip

catch-22

a problematic situation for which the only solution is denied by a circumstance inherent in the problem or by a rule an illogical, unreasonable, or senseless situation a measure or policy whose effect is the opposite of what was intended a situation presenting two equally undesirable alternatives

verbiage

a profusion of words usually of little or obscure content <such a tangled maze of evasive verbiage as a typical party platform — Marcia Davenport> manner of expressing oneself in words : diction <sportswriters guarded their verbiage so jealously — R. A. Sokolov> The editor removed some of the excess verbiage from the article. <teachers loathe the verbiage that students resort to in order to pad a paper> circumlocution, diffuseness, diffusion, garrulity, garrulousness, logorrhea, long-windedness, periphrasis, prolixity, redundancy, verbalism, verboseness, verbosity, windiness, wordage, wordiness

resurgence

a rising again into life, activity, or prominence <a resurgence of interest> There has been some resurgence in economic activity recently. <the downtown has experienced a resurgence since the commercial revitalization project was completed> reanimation, rebirth, regeneration, rejuvenation, rejuvenescence, renewal, revival, resurrection, resuscitation, revitalization, revivification

goosebumps

a roughness of the skin produced by erection of its papillae especially from cold, fear, or a sudden feeling of excitement

sycophant

a servile self-seeking flatterer <when her career was riding high, the self-deluded actress often mistook sycophants for true friends> apple-polisher, bootlicker, brownnoser, fawner, flunky (also flunkey or flunkie), lickspittle, suck-up, toady

reprimand

a severe or formal reproof to reprove sharply or censure formally usually from a position of authority The soldiers were severely reprimanded. <reprimanded the summer intern for her constant tardiness> baste, bawl out, berate, call down, castigate, chastise, chew out, dress down, flay, hammer, jaw, keelhaul, lambaste (or lambast), lecture, rag, rail (at or against), rant (at), rate, ream (out), rebuke, scold, reproach, score, tongue-lash, upbraid

modicum

a small portion : a limited quantity <only a modicum of skill is necessary to put the kit together> beans, bubkes (also bupkes or bupkus), continental, damn, darn (also durn), diddly [slang], diddly-squat [slang], doodley-squat (or doodly-squat), fig, ghost, hoot, iota, lick, jot, rap, squat [slang], syllable, tittle, whit, whoop

gaffe

a social or diplomatic blunder a noticeable mistake He realized that he had committed an awful gaffe when he mispronounced her name. <committed a huge gaffe when she started drinking from the finger bowl> familiarity, faux pas, gaff, impropriety, indiscretion, solecism

yardstick

a standard basis of calculation <a yardstick for measuring astronomical distances> : a standard for making a critical judgment : criterion <measured by the yardstick of her first book> <was a great success by any yardstick> Some feel that test scores aren't an adequate yardstick for judging a student's ability. Ratings are the yardstick by which TV shows are evaluated by networks. bar, barometer, benchmark, criterion, gold standard, grade, mark, measure, metric, par, touchstone, standard

calamity

a state of deep distress or misery caused by major misfortune or loss a disastrous event marked by great loss and lasting distress and suffering <calamities of nature> <an economic calamity> floods, earthquakes, and other calamities He predicted calamity for the economy. apocalypse, disaster, cataclysm, catastrophe, debacle (also débâcle), tragedy

quandary

a state of perplexity or doubt The unexpected results of the test have created a quandary for researchers. <I'm in a quandary about whether I should try to repair my stereo or buy a new one, even though I don't have the money to do either.> catch-22, double bind, dilemma

obloquy

a strongly condemnatory utterance : abusive language the condition of one that is discredited : bad repute a victim of hatred and obloquy <unable to mount a rational defense of her position, she unleashed a torrent of obloquy on her opponent> billingsgate, fulmination, invective, abuse, scurrility, vitriol, vituperation

qualm

a sudden attack of illness, faintness, or nausea a sudden access of usually disturbing emotion (as doubt or fear) a feeling of uneasiness about a point especially of conscience or propriety He accepted their offer without a qualm. <she has no qualms about downloading pirated music files from the Internet> compunction, misgiving, scruple

vestige

a trace, mark, or visible sign left by something (as an ancient city or a condition or practice) vanished or lost the smallest quantity or trace <a few strange words carved on a tree were the only vestige of the lost colony of Roanoke> echo, ghost, relic, shadow, trace

makeshift

a usually crude and temporary expedient : substitute <when his belt broke, he was forced to use string as a makeshift> expedient, stopgap

seamstress

a woman whose occupation is sewing

reckoning

account, bill computation a summing up When the day of reckoning comes, we will have to face some unpleasant truths. appraisal, appraisement, assessment, estimation, evaluation, estimate, valuation

diffuse

adj being at once verbose and ill-organized <a diffuse report from the scene of the earthquake> not concentrated or localized <diffuse lighting> circuitous, circumlocutory, wordy, garrulous, logorrheic, long-winded, pleonastic, prolix, rambling, verbose, windy v to pour out and permit or cause to spread freely extend, scatter to spread thinly or wastefully The heat was diffused throughout the room. The heat was diffused throughout the room.

pellucid

admitting maximum passage of light without diffusion or distortion <a pellucid stream> reflecting light evenly from all surfaces easy to understand <the pellucid waters that lap upon that island's beaches> <her poetry has a pellucid simplicity that betrays none of the sweat that went into writing it> crystal, crystal clear, crystalline, limpid, liquid, lucent, clear, see-through, transparent

accord

agreement, conformity <acted in accord with the company's policy> a formal reaching of agreement : compact, treaty The two sides were able to reach an accord. balanced interrelationship : harmony hoped to bring about a peace accord between the warring nations

archipelago

an expanse of water with many scattered islands a group of islands something resembling an archipelago; especially : a group or scattering of similar things <an archipelago of small parks within the city>

dilettante

an admirer or lover of the arts a person having a superficial interest in an art or a branch of knowledge : dabbler You can always tell a true expert from a dilettante. <she writes about art not from the point of view of an artist but from that of a committed dilettante> cognoscente, connoisseur

plea

an allegation made by a party in support of a cause something offered by way of excuse or justification <left early with the plea of a headache> an earnest entreaty : appeal <their plea for understanding must be answered> We are making a plea to all companies to stop polluting the environment. The defendant entered a plea of not guilty. adjuration, appeal, conjuration, cry, desire, entreaty, petition, pleading, prayer, solicitation, suit, suppliance, supplication

mercantilism

an economic system developing during the decay of feudalism to unify and increase the power and especially the monetary wealth of a nation by a strict governmental regulation of the entire national economy usually through policies designed to secure an accumulation of bullion, a favorable balance of trade, the development of agriculture and manufactures, and the establishment of foreign trading monopolies

suckling

an infant or young animal that is still taking milk from the mother a very young child

avant-garde

an intelligentsia that develops new or experimental concepts especially in the arts cutting edge, van, vanguard of or relating to an avant-garde <avant-garde writers> advanced, avant-garde, cutting-edge, progressive, state-of-the-art

asylum

an inviolable place of refuge and protection giving shelter to criminals and debtors : sanctuary a place of retreat and security : shelter the protection or inviolability afforded by an asylum : refuge protection from arrest and extradition given especially to political refugees by a nation or by an embassy or other agency enjoying diplomatic immunity an institution for the care of the destitute or sick and especially the insane She asked for political asylum. She was granted asylum after it was made clear that she would be killed if she returned to her native country. madhouse, bedlam, institution

compunction

anxiety arising from awareness of guilt <compunctions of conscience> distress of mind over an anticipated action or result <showed no compunction in planning devilish engines of ... destruction — Havelock Ellis> a twinge of misgiving : scruple <cheated without compunction>

grid

any interconnecting system of links ⇒ the bus service formed a grid across the country

intelligible

apprehensible by the intellect only capable of being understood or comprehended <jargon intelligible only to the initiated> the ability to make complex concepts intelligible to the average reader Very little of the recording was intelligible. accessible, apprehensible, coherent, comprehendible, comprehensible, fathomable, graspable, legible, scrutable, understandable

detestable

arousing or meriting intense dislike : abominable He is a detestable villain. <the detestable actions of a nasty little man> base, contemptible, currish, despicable, ignoble, dirty, dishonorable, execrable, ignominious, low, low-down, low-minded, mean, nasty, paltry, snide, sordid, vile, wretched

bonny

attractive, fair; also : fine, excellent <one of several inns in the Lake District offering bonny accommodations and bountiful breakfasts> <a bonny child dressed in traditional Scottish clothing> A-OK, A1, awesome, bang-up, banner, beautiful, blue-chip, blue-ribbon, boffo, excellent (also bonnie) [chiefly British], boss [slang], brag, brave, bully, bumper, capital, choice, classic, cool [slang], corking, crackerjack, cracking, dandy, divine, dope [slang], down [slang], dynamite, fab, fabulous, famous, fantabulous [slang], fantastic, fine, first-class, first-rate, first-string, five-star, four-star, frontline, gangbusters (also gangbuster), gilt-edged (or gilt-edge), gone [slang], grand, great, groovy, heavenly, high-class, hot, hype [slang], immense, jim-dandy, keen, lovely, marvelous (or marvellous), mean, neat, nifty, noble, number one (also No. 1), numero uno, out-of-sight [slang], par excellence, peachy, peachy keen, phat [slang], prime, primo [slang], prize, prizewinning, quality, radical [slang], righteous [slang], sensational, slick, splendid, stellar, sterling, superb, superior, superlative, supernal, swell, terrific, tip-top, top, top-flight, top-notch, top-of-the-line, topping [chiefly British], top-shelf, unsurpassed, wizard [chiefly British], wonderful

gawky

awkward, clumsy <a gawky adolescent> <the stiff, gawky gait of a newborn colt> awkward, gawkish, clumsy, graceless, klutzy, uncoordinated, ungainly

dupe

bamboozle, beguile, bluff, buffalo, burn, catch, con, cozen, delude, deceive, fake out, fool, gaff, gammon, gull, have, have on [chiefly British], hoax, hoodwink, hornswoggle, humbug, juggle, misguide, misinform, mislead, snooker, snow, spoof, string along, sucker, suck in, take in, trick <we were duped into thinking the dummy was a real alien>

cadge

beg, sponge <cadge a free cup of coffee> She cadged money from her sister.

germane

being at once relevant and appropriate : fitting <omit details that are not germane to the discussion> facts germane to the dispute <my personal opinion isn't germane to our discussion of the facts of the case> applicable, apposite, apropos, pertinent, material, pointed, relative, relevant

prevalent

being in ascendancy : dominant generally or widely accepted, practiced, or favored : widespread Those teaching methods are still prevalent at some schools. a fashion that is prevalent among teenagers conventional, customary, going, popular, prevailing, current, standard, stock, usual

forlorn

bereft, forsaken <left quite forlorn of hope> : sad and lonely because of isolation or desertion : desolate <a forlorn landscape> : being in poor condition : miserable, wretched <forlorn tumbledown buildings> : nearly hopeless <a forlorn attempt> <she was forlorn when she found out the trip had been cancelled> <a forlorn wanderer far from home> bad, blue, brokenhearted, cast down, crestfallen, dejected, depressed, despondent, disconsolate, doleful, down, downcast, downhearted, down in the mouth, droopy, sad, gloomy, glum, hangdog, heartbroken, heartsick, heartsore, heavyhearted, inconsolable, joyless, low, low-spirited, melancholic, melancholy, miserable, mournful, saddened, sorrowful, sorry, unhappy, woebegone, woeful, wretched

teratoid

biology resembling a monster of, resembling, or being a teratoma <a teratoid tumor>

recrudescent

breaking out again : renewing

glum

broodingly morose <became glum when they heard the news> dreary, gloomy <a glum countenance> There's no need to look so glum—things will get better soon. There was a glum silence in the room. black, bleak, cheerless, chill, Cimmerian, cloudy, cold, comfortless, dark, darkening, depressing, depressive, desolate, dire, disconsolate, dismal, drear, dreary, dreich [chiefly Scottish], elegiac (also elegiacal), forlorn, funereal, gloomy, godforsaken, gray (also grey), lonely, lonesome, lugubrious, miserable, morbid, morose, murky, plutonian, saturnine, sepulchral, solemn, somber (or sombre), sullen, sunless, tenebrific, tenebrous, wretched

hector

bully, braggart to intimidate or harass by bluster or personal pressure The judge ordered the attorney to stop hectoring the witness. blackjack, bogart, browbeat, bulldoze, bully, bullyrag, cow, intimidate, mau-mau, strong-arm

countenance

calm expression mental composure look, expression face, visage; especially : the face as an indication of mood, emotion, or character : bearing or expression that offers approval or sanction : moral support to extend approval or toleration to : sanction <refused to countenance any changes in the policy> But there are only two logical choices ... . If you can't countenance the first, you have to accept the second. —Anna Quindlen, Newsweek, 6 Aug. 2007

viable

capable of living; especially : having attained such form and development as to be normally capable of surviving outside the mother's womb <a viable fetus> capable of growing or developing <viable seeds> <viable eggs> capable of working, functioning, or developing adequately <viable alternatives> capable of existence and development as an independent unit <the colony is now a viable state> (1) : having a reasonable chance of succeeding <a viable candidate> (2) : financially sustainable <a viable enterprise> a viable solution to the problem achievable, attainable, doable, feasible, practicable, realizable, possible, workable

utter

carried to the utmost point or highest degree : absolute, total <utter darkness> <utter strangers> It's hard to believe that we were utter strangers just a few days ago. The situation descended into utter chaos. The children displayed an utter lack of interest in the performance. The movie was utter garbage. That argument is utter nonsense. all-out, arrant, blank, blooming [chiefly British], bodacious [Southern & Midland], categorical (also categoric), clean, complete, consummate, cotton-picking, crashing, damn, damned, dead, deadly, definite, downright, dreadful, fair, flat, flat-out, out-and-out, outright, perfect, plumb, profound, pure, rank, regular, sheer, simple, stark, stone, straight-out, thorough, thoroughgoing, total, unadulterated, unalloyed, unconditional, unmitigated, unqualified, absolute, very

etiology

cause, origin; specifically : the cause of a disease or abnormal condition a branch of knowledge concerned with causes; specifically : a branch of medical science concerned with the causes and origins of diseases

redoubtable

causing fear or alarm : formidable illustrious, eminent; broadly : worthy of respect There is a new biography of the redoubtable Winston Churchill. <his next opponent, the reigning champion, would be by far the most redoubtable adversary the young boxer had ever faced> alarming, dire, direful, dread, dreadful, fearsome, forbidding, formidable, frightening, frightful, ghastly, hair-raising, horrendous, horrible, horrifying, intimidating, fearful, scary, shocking, spine-chilling, terrible, terrifying

lurid

causing horror or revulsion : gruesome melodramatic, sensational; also : shocking <paperbacks in the usual lurid covers — T. R. Fyvel> wan and ghastly pale in appearance of any of several light or medium grayish colors ranging in hue from yellow to orange shining with the red glow of fire seen through smoke or cloud a lurid tale of violence and betrayal appalling, atrocious, awful, dreadful, frightful, ghastly, grisly, gruesome (also grewsome), hideous, horrendous, horrid, horrific, horrifying, horrible, macabre, monstrous, nightmare, nightmarish, shocking, terrible, terrific

lurid

causing horror or revulsion : gruesome melodramatic, sensational; also : shocking <paperbacks in the usual lurid covers — T. R. Fyvel> wan and ghastly pale in appearance of any of several light or medium grayish colors ranging in hue from yellow to orange shining with the red glow of fire seen through smoke or cloud a lurid tale of violence and betrayal appalling, atrocious, awful, dreadful, frightful, ghastly, grisly, gruesome (also grewsome), hideous, horrendous, horrid, horrific, horrifying, horrible, macabre, monstrous, nightmare, nightmarish, shocking, terrible, terrific

fulsome

characterized by abundance : copious <describes in fulsome detail — G. N. Shuster> <fulsome bird life. The feeder overcrowded — Maxine Kumin> generous in amount, extent, or spirit <the passengers were fulsome in praise of the plane's crew — Don Oliver> <a fulsome victory for the far left — Bruce Rothwell> <the greetings have been fulsome, the farewells tender — Simon Gray> being full and well developed <she was in generally fulsome, limpid voice — Thor Eckert, Jr.> aesthetically, morally, or generally offensive <fulsome lies and nauseous flattery — William Congreve> <the devil take thee for a...fulsome rogue — George Villiers> exceeding the bounds of good taste : overdone <the fulsome chromium glitter of the escalators dominating the central hall — Lewis Mumford> excessively complimentary or flattering : effusive <an admiration whose extent I did not express, lest I be thought fulsome — A. J. Liebling> <the player's fulsome praise for the coach showed just how hard he was trying to be named captain of the team> adulatory, gushing, gushy, hagiographic (also hagiographical), oily, oleaginous, soapy, unctuous

listless

characterized by lack of interest, energy, or spirit <a listless melancholy attitude> The heat made everyone tired and listless. The party was a listless affair. enervated, lackadaisical, languid, languishing, languorous, limp, spiritless

jubilant

cock-a-hoop, crank [chiefly dialect], crowing, exulting, glorying, exultant, prideful, proud, rejoicing, triumphant <the nominee's jubilant acceptance speech before the cheering crowd>

unerring

committing no error : faultless, unfailing <unerring accuracy> She has an unerring instinct for language. He has an unerring sense of good taste.

fatuous

complacently or inanely foolish : silly <a fatuous remark> <the fatuous questions that the audience members asked after the lecture suggested to the oceanographer that they had understood little> <ignoring the avalanche warnings, the fatuous skiers continued on their course> airheaded, birdbrained, bonehead, boneheaded, brain-dead, brainless, bubbleheaded, chuckleheaded, dense, dim, dim-witted, doltish, dopey (also dopy), dorky [slang], dull, dumb, dunderheaded, empty-headed, stupid, gormless [chiefly British], half-witted, knuckleheaded, lamebrain (or lamebrained), lunkheaded, mindless, oafish, obtuse, opaque, pinheaded, senseless, simple, slow, slow-witted, soft, softheaded, thick, thickheaded, thick-witted, unintelligent, unsmart, vacuous, weak-minded, witless

flagrant

conspicuously offensive <flagrant errors>; especially : so obviously inconsistent with what is right or proper as to appear to be a flouting of law or morality <flagrant violations of human rights> flagrant abuse of the law her flagrant disregard for other people's rights blatant, conspicuous, egregious, glaring, gross, obvious, patent, pronounced, rank, striking

duplicity

contradictory doubleness of thought, speech, or action; especially : the belying of one's true intentions by deceptive words or action the quality or state of being double or twofold the technically incorrect use of two or more distinct items (as claims, charges, or defenses) in a single legal action He exposed the spy's duplicity. <we were lucky not to be taken in by his duplicity> artifice, cheating, cozenage, craft, craftiness, crookedness, crookery, cunning, cunningness, deceitfulness, deception, deceptiveness, dishonesty, dissembling, dissimulation, double-dealing, dupery, deceit, fakery, foxiness, fraud, guile, guilefulness, wiliness

supercilious

coolly and patronizingly haughty <reacted to their breach of etiquette with a supercilious smile> <the supercilious art dealer rolled her eyes when we asked if she had anything for under $1,000> assumptive, bumptious, cavalier, chesty, haughty, highfalutin (also hifalutin), high-and-mighty, high-handed, high-hat, huffish, huffy, imperious, important, lofty, lordly, masterful, overweening, peremptory, pompous, presuming, presumptuous, pretentious, self-asserting, self-assertive, sniffy, stiff-necked, arrogant, superior, toplofty (also toploftical), uppish, uppity

comprehensive

covering completely or broadly : inclusive <comprehensive examinations> <comprehensive insurance> having or exhibiting wide mental grasp <comprehensive knowledge> <a comprehensive overview of European history since the French Revolution> <a comprehensive listing of all the paintings generally attributed to the Dutch artist Rembrandt> all-embracing, all-in [chiefly British], all-inclusive, broad-gauge (or broad-gauged), compendious, complete, encyclopedic, cover-all, cyclopedic, embracive, exhaustive, full, global, inclusive, in-depth, omnibus, panoramic, thorough, universal

guile

deceitful cunning : duplicity <a shady salesman who usually relies on a combination of quick thinking and guile> <a person so full of guile he can't even be trusted to give you the correct time of day> artfulness, artifice, caginess (also cageyness), canniness, craft, craftiness, cunningness, deviousness, foxiness, cunning, guilefulness, slickness, slyness, sneakiness, subtleness, subtlety, wiliness

anthropomorphic

described or thought of as having a human form or human attributes <anthropomorphic deities> : ascribing human characteristics to nonhuman things <anthropomorphic supernaturalism> a story in which the characters are anthropomorphic animals

avid

desirous to the point of greed : urgently eager : greedy <avid for publicity> characterized by enthusiasm and vigorous pursuit <avid readers> He is an avid admirer of horror movies. They took an avid interest in politics. some of the newspaper's most avid readers acquisitive, avaricious, greedy, coveting, covetous, grabby, grasping, mercenary, moneygrubbing, rapacious

desolate

devoid of inhabitants and visitors : deserted : joyless, disconsolate, and sorrowful through or as if through separation from a loved one <a desolate widow> showing the effects of abandonment and neglect : dilapidated <a desolate old house> barren, lifeless <a desolate landscape> devoid of warmth, comfort, or hope : gloomy <desolate memories> <a desolate house abandoned many years ago> <destitute and desolate since her husband walked out on her> black, bleak, cheerless, chill, Cimmerian, cloudy, cold, comfortless, dark, darkening, depressing, depressive, gloomy, dire, disconsolate, dismal, drear, dreary, dreich [chiefly Scottish], elegiac (also elegiacal), forlorn, funereal, glum, godforsaken, gray (also grey), lonely, lonesome, lugubrious, miserable, morbid, morose, murky, plutonian, saturnine, sepulchral, solemn, somber (or sombre), sullen, sunless, tenebrific, tenebrous, wretched

take issue with

disagree

surreptitious

done, made, or acquired by stealth : clandestine acting or doing something clandestinely : stealthy <a surreptitious glance> She had a surreptitious relationship with her employee. <a private investigator adept at taking surreptitious pictures of adulterous couples> backstairs, behind-the-scenes, clandestine, covert, furtive, hole-and-corner, hugger-mugger, hush-hush, private, privy, sneak, sneaking, sneaky, stealth, stealthy, secret, undercover, underground, underhand, underhanded

mulct

fine, penalty <the loan shark usually imposed a mulct of an additional 20% on overdue payments> to punish by a fine to defraud especially of money : swindle to obtain by fraud, duress, or theft

facile

easily accomplished or attained <a facile victory> (2) : shallow, simplistic <I am not concerned ... with offering any facile solution for so complex a problem — T. S. Eliot> : used or comprehended with ease readily manifested and often lacking sincerity or depth <facile tears> This problem needs more than just a facile solution. He is a wonderfully facile writer. superficial, one-dimensional, shallow, skin-deep

testy

easily annoyed : irritable marked by impatience or ill humor <testy remarks> <that coworker would be easier to get along with if she weren't so testy all the time> choleric, crabby, cranky, cross, crotchety, fiery, grouchy, grumpy, irascible, peevish, perverse, pettish, petulant, prickly, quick-tempered, raspy, ratty, short-tempered, snappish, snappy, snarky, snippety, snippy, stuffy, irritable, waspish

docile

easily taught <a docile pupil> easily led or managed : tractable <a docile pony> His students were docile and eager to learn. amenable, biddable, compliant, conformable, obedient, law-abiding, submissive, tractable

apotheosis

elevation to divine status : deification : the perfect example : quintessence <this is the literary apotheosis of the shaggy dog story — Thomas Sutcliffe> acme, quintessence, beau ideal, byword, classic, epitome, exemplar, ideal, perfection

schadenfreude

enjoyment obtained from the troubles of others

malignant

evil in nature, influence, or effect : injurious passionately and relentlessly malevolent : aggressively malicious tending to produce death or deterioration <malignant malaria>; especially : tending to infiltrate, metastasize, and terminate fatally <a malignant tumor> bad [slang], bitchy, catty, cruel, despiteful, malevolent, malicious, malign, hateful, mean, nasty, spiteful, vicious, virulent

pompous

excessively elevated or ornate <pompous rhetoric> having or exhibiting self-importance : arrogant <a pompous politician> relating to or suggestive of pomp or splendor : magnificent She found it difficult to talk about her achievements without sounding pompous. <the pompous waiter served us in the manner of a person doing some poor soul a great favor> assumptive, bumptious, cavalier, chesty, haughty, highfalutin (also hifalutin), high-and-mighty, high-handed, high-hat, huffish, huffy, imperious, important, lofty, lordly, masterful, overweening, peremptory, arrogant, presuming, presumptuous, pretentious, self-asserting, self-assertive, sniffy, stiff-necked, supercilious, superior, toplofty (also toploftical), uppish, uppity

scant

excessively frugal not prodigal : chary barely or scarcely sufficient; especially : not quite coming up to a stated measure <a scant teaspoon> lacking in amplitude or quantity <scant growth> exiguous, hand-to-mouth, light, niggardly, poor, meager, scanty, scarce, skimp, skimpy, slender, slim, spare, sparing, sparse, stingy

teleological

exhibiting or relating to design or purpose especially in nature

extraneous

existing on or coming from the outside <extraneous light> not forming an essential or vital part <extraneous ornamentation> having no relevance <an extraneous digression> She sped up the process by eliminating all extraneous steps. <the architect's streamlined modern style shuns any sort of extraneous ornamentation> accidental, adventitious, alien, extrinsic, external, foreign, supervenient

ubiquitous

existing or being everywhere at the same time : constantly encountered : widespread <a ubiquitous fashion> The company's advertisements are ubiquitous. <by that time cell phones had become ubiquitous, and people had long ceased to be impressed by the sight of one> common or garden [chiefly British], commonplace, everyday, familiar, frequent, garden-variety, household, ordinary, quotidian, routine, common, usual

preternatural

existing outside of nature : exceeding what is natural or regular : extraordinary <wits trained to preternatural acuteness by the debates — G. L. Dickinson> : inexplicable by ordinary means; especially : psychic <preternatural phenomena> She has a preternatural ability to charm people. There was a preternatural quiet in the house. aberrant, aberrated, abnormal, anomalous, atypical, especial, exceeding, extraordinaire, extraordinary, freak, odd, peculiar, phenomenal, exceptional, rare, singular, uncommon, uncustomary, unique, unusual, unwonted

exultant

filled with or expressing great joy or triumph : jubilant <an exultant cheer> <exultant fans> The crowd let out an exultant cheer. Researchers are exultant over the new discovery. cock-a-hoop, crank [chiefly dialect], crowing, exulting, glorying, jubilant, prideful, proud, rejoicing, triumphant

modish

fashionable, stylish <a modish hat> <a modish writer> à la mode (also a la mode), au courant, chic, cool [slang], exclusive, fashionable, fresh [slang], happening, hip, in, stylish, sharp, smart, snappy, supercool, swell, swish, trendy, voguish

propitious

favorably disposed : benevolent being a good omen : auspicious <propitious sign> tending to favor : advantageous Now is a propitious time to start a business. <the success of the first big movie in May was a propitious start for the summer season of blockbusters> auspicious, bright, encouraging, fair, golden, heartening, likely, optimistic, promising, hopeful, roseate, rose-colored, rosy, upbeat

bellicose

favoring or inclined to start quarrels or wars <bellicose hockey players who always seem to spend more time fighting than playing> aggressive, agonistic, argumentative, assaultive, belligerent, brawly, chippy, combative, confrontational, contentious, discordant, disputatious, feisty, gladiatorial, militant, pugnacious, quarrelsome, scrappy, truculent, warlike

indignant

feeling or showing anger because of something unjust or unworthy : filled with or marked by indignation <became indignant at the accusation> He was very indignant about the changes. an indignant tone of voice angered, apoplectic, ballistic, cheesed off [chiefly British], choleric, enraged, foaming, fuming, furious, hopping, horn-mad, hot, incensed, angry, inflamed (also enflamed), infuriate, infuriated, irate, ireful, livid, mad, outraged, rabid, rankled, riled, riley, roiled, shirty [chiefly British], sore, steamed up, steaming, teed off, ticked, wrathful, wroth

nefarious

flagrantly wicked or impious : evil a nefarious scheme to cheat people out of their money <the chaste heroines and nefarious villains of old-time melodramas> black, dark, evil, immoral, iniquitous, bad, rotten, sinful, unethical, unlawful, unrighteous, unsavory, vicious, vile, villainous, wicked, wrong

predominantly

for the most part : mainly altogether, basically, by and large, generally, largely, mainly, mostly, overall, chiefly, primarily, principally, substantially

onetime

former, sometime <a onetime actor> occurring only once : one-shot with any luck, that was a onetime mistake

mendacious

given to or characterized by deception or falsehood or divergence from absolute truth <mendacious tales of his adventures> The newspaper story was mendacious and hurtful. <that tabloid routinely publishes the most moronically mendacious stories about celebrities> lying, dishonest, untruthful

rousing

giving rise to excitement : stirring <a rousing speech> brisk, lively exceptional, superlative <a rousing success> She was met with a rousing reception. <a rousing rendition of our national anthem> breathtaking, charged, electric, electrifying, exhilarating, exhilarative, galvanic, galvanizing, hair-raising, heart-stopping, inspiring, intoxicating, kicky, mind-bending, mind-blowing, mind-boggling, rip-roaring, exciting, stimulating, stirring, thrilling

encomium

glowing and warmly enthusiastic praise; also : an expression of this <the encomiums bestowed on a teacher at her retirement ceremonies> accolade, citation, commendation, dithyramb, eulogium, eulogy, homage, hymn, paean, panegyric, salutation, tribute

trite

hackneyed or boring from much use : not fresh or original That argument has become trite. <by the time the receiving line had ended, the bride and groom's thanks sounded trite and tired> banal, cliché (also cliche), clichéd, cobwebby, commonplace, hack, hackney, hackneyed, moth-eaten, musty, obligatory, shopworn, stereotyped, threadbare, timeworn, tired, stale, well-worn

fetid

having a heavy offensive smell <a fetid swamp> the fetid odor of rotting vegetables malodorous, foul, frowsty [chiefly British], frowsy (or frowzy), funky, fusty, musty, noisome, rank, reeking, reeky, ripe, smelly, stenchy, stinking, stinky, strong

minatory

having a menacing quality : threatening <the novel's protagonist is haunted by a minatory black specter> baleful, dire, direful, doomy, foreboding, ill, ill-boding, inauspicious, menacing, ominous, portentous, sinister, threatening

pugnacious

having a quarrelsome or combative nature : truculent There's one pugnacious member on the committee who won't agree to anything. <a movie reviewer who is spirited, even pugnacious, when defending her opinions> aggressive, agonistic, argumentative, assaultive, bellicose, brawly, chippy, combative, confrontational, contentious, discordant, disputatious, feisty, gladiatorial, militant, belligerent, quarrelsome, scrappy, truculent, warlike

fitful

having an erratic or intermittent character : irregular He had a few fitful hours of sleep. Several fitful attempts at negotiation have failed. aperiodic, casual, catchy, choppy, discontinuous, episodic (also episodical), erratic, intermittent, irregular, occasional, spasmodic, spastic, sporadic, spotty, unsteady

fitful

having an erratic or intermittent character : irregular He had a few fitful hours of sleep. Several fitful attempts at negotiation have failed. aperiodic, casual, catchy, choppy, discontinuous, episodic (also episodical), erratic, intermittent, irregular, occasional, spasmodic, spastic, sporadic, spotty, unsteady

threatened

having an uncertain chance of continued survival <a threatened species>; specifically : likely to become an endangered species

inclined to

having inclination, disposition, or tendency

conversant

having knowledge or experience —used with with She's conversant in several languages. <a world traveler who is highly conversant with the customs of foreign cultures> abreast, acquainted, au courant, familiar, informed, knowledgeable, up, up-to-date, versed, well-informed

zesty

having or characterized by zest : appealingly piquant or lively <a zesty sauce> <zesty humor> pert, poignant, pungent, salty, savory (also savoury), piquant, zingy

equitable

having or exhibiting equity : dealing fairly and equally with all concerned <an equitable settlement of the dispute> existing or valid in equity as distinguished from law <an equitable defense> candid, disinterested, dispassionate, equal, fair, evenhanded, impartial, indifferent, just, nonpartisan, objective, square, unbiased, unprejudiced

astute

having or showing shrewdness and perspicacity <an astute observer> <astute remarks>; also : crafty, wily He is an astute observer of the current political scene. Astute readers will notice the error. His analysis of the battle was very astute. shrewd, canny, clear-eyed, clear-sighted, hard-boiled, hardheaded, heady, knowing, savvy, sharp, sharp-witted, smart

imposing

impressive in size, bearing, dignity, or grandeur He's an imposing man with a powerful voice. <the president of the bank is exactly the sort of imposing figure that one might expect> ugust, distingué, distinguished, dignified, portly, solemn, staid, stately

archaic

having the characteristics of the language of the past and surviving chiefly in specialized uses <an archaic word> : of, relating to, or characteristic of an earlier or more primitive time : antiquated <archaic legal traditions> surviving from an earlier period; specifically : typical of a previously dominant evolutionary stage The company needs to update its archaic computer systems. <a man with some archaic notions about the proper sphere for women> antiquated, obsolete, dated, démodé, demoded, fossilized, kaput (also kaputt), medieval (also mediaeval), moribund, mossy, moth-eaten, neolithic, Noachian, outdated, outmoded, out-of-date, outworn, passé, prehistoric (also prehistorical), rusty, Stone Age, superannuated

circular

having the form of a circle : round <a circular orbit> circuitous, indirect being or involving reasoning that uses in the argument or proof a conclusion to be proved or one of its unproved consequences <a rather circular discussion of the problem that never addresses it directly>

gravitas

high seriousness (as in a person's bearing or in the treatment of a subject) The new leader has an air of gravitas that commands respect. a comic actress who lacks the gravitas for dramatic roles The new leader has a certain gravitas.

apposite

highly pertinent or appropriate : apt <apposite remarks> <enriched his essay on patriotism with some very apposite quotations from famous people on the subject> applicable, pertinent, apropos, germane, material, pointed, relative, relevant

sanctimonious

hypocritically pious or devout <a sanctimonious moralist> <the king's sanctimonious rebuke — G. B. Shaw>

disservice

ill service : harm; also : an unhelpful, unkind, or harmful act <misinformation that does a disservice to readers> Her comments were a disservice to those volunteers. <you do a great disservice to the professionals at the day-care center when you refer to them as "babysitters"> inequity, injury, injustice, raw deal, shaft, unfairness, unjustness, wrong

inexcusable

impossible to excuse or justify <inexcusable rudeness> <spitting at a teacher is inexcusable behavior and will be severely punished> indefensible, inexpiable, insupportable, unforgivable, unjustifiable, unpardonable, unwarrantable

irrefragable

impossible to refute <irrefragable arguments> impossible to break or alter <irrefragable rules> <the prosecutor painstakingly built an irrefragable case> accomplished, certain, inarguable, incontestable, incontrovertible, indisputable, indubitable, irrefutable, positive, sure, unanswerable, unarguable, unchallengeable, undeniable, unquestionable

indefatigable

incapable of being fatigued : untiring <an indefatigable worker> a person of indefatigable patience <an indefatigable laborer who can work from sunrise to sunset> tireless, inexhaustible, unflagging, untiring, weariless

cupidity

inordinate desire for wealth : avarice, greed : strong desire : lust The evidence revealed the cupidity of the company's directors. <reports of great treasure in the Indies inflamed the cupidity of Columbus's crew> acquisitiveness, avarice, avariciousness, avidity, avidness, covetousness, greed, graspingness, greediness, mercenariness, rapaciousness, rapacity

cupidity

inordinate desire for wealth : avarice, greed The evidence revealed the cupidity of the company's directors. acquisitiveness, avarice, avariciousness, avidity, avidness, covetousness, greed, graspingness, greediness, mercenariness, rapaciousness, rapacity

profundity

intellectual depth something profound or abstruse the profundity of his thoughts Her books are a mixture of playfulness and profundity. the depth and profundity of her feelings deepness, profoundness, depth

sedulous

involving or accomplished with careful perseverance <sedulous craftsmanship> diligent in application or pursuit <a sedulous student> an impressively sedulous suitor, he was constantly sending her flowers and other tokens of his affection active, assiduous, bustling, diligent, employed, engaged, hopping, industrious, laborious, occupied, busy, tied-up, working

awkward

lacking dexterity or skill (as in the use of hands) <awkward with a needle and thread> showing the result of a lack of expertness <awkward pictures> lacking ease or grace (as of movement or expression) <awkward writing> lacking the right proportions, size, or harmony of parts : ungainly <an awkward design> lacking social grace and assurance <an awkward newcomer> causing embarrassment <an awkward moment> not easy to handle or deal with : requiring great skill, ingenuity, or care <an awkward load> <an awkward diplomatic situation> She is awkward at dancing. I often find myself in awkward situations. He was put in the awkward position of having to write the memo. clumsy, gauche, graceless, inelegant, rough-hewn, rustic (also rustical), stiff, stilted, uncomfortable, uneasy, ungraceful, wooden

artificial

lacking in natural or spontaneous quality <an artificial smile> <an artificial excitement> imitation, sham <artificial flavor> affected, assumed, bogus, contrived, factitious, fake, false, feigned, forced, mechanical, mock, phony (also phoney), plastic, pretended, pseudo, put-on, sham, simulated, spurious, strained, unnatural

flabby

lacking resilience or firmness : flaccid weak and ineffective : feeble <his daughter playfully poked at his flabby belly> soft, mushy, pulpy, spongy, squashy, squishy, squooshy

dumb

lacking the human power of speech <dumb animals> temporarily unable to speak (as from shock or astonishment) <struck dumb with fear> silent; also : taciturn lacking intelligence : stupid showing a lack of intelligence <asking dumb questions> silent, mum, mute, muted, speechless, uncommunicative, wordless

slang

language peculiar to a particular group argot, cant, dialect, jargon, jive, language, lingo, patois, patter, shop, shoptalk, terminology, vocabulary

hearken

listen to give respectful attention <hearken! I hear the distant beat of the hooves of many horses> attend, hark, harken, hear, listen, heed, mind

skittish

lively or frisky in action : capricious variable, fluctuating easily frightened : restive <a skittish horse> coy, bashful marked by extreme caution : wary <skittish investors>

solicitous

manifesting or expressing solicitude <a solicitous inquiry about his health> full of concern or fears : apprehensive <solicitous about the future> meticulously careful <solicitous in matters of dress> I appreciated his solicitous inquiry about my health. He had always been solicitous for the welfare of his family. attentive, considerate, kind, thoughtful

tendentious

marked by a tendency in favor of a particular point of view : biased He made some extremely tendentious remarks.

dense

marked by compactness or crowding together of parts <dense vegetation> <dense traffic> slow to understand : stupid, thickheaded <was too dense to get the joke> extreme <dense ignorance> a dense cluster of stars That part of the city has a dense population of immigrants. A dense mass of spectators filled the courtroom. compact, crowded, close, jam-packed, packed, serried, thick, tight

doughty

marked by fearless resolution : valiant <a doughty warrior> <the doughty heroes of old> bold, courageous, dauntless, brave, fearless, gallant, greathearted, gutsy, gutty, heroic (also heroical), intrepid, lionhearted, manful, stalwart, stout, stouthearted, undauntable, undaunted, valiant, valorous

irascible

marked by hot temper and easily provoked anger He has an irascible disposition. choleric, crabby, cranky, cross, crotchety, fiery, grouchy, grumpy, irritable, peevish, perverse, pettish, petulant, prickly, quick-tempered, raspy, ratty, short-tempered, snappish, snappy, snarky, snippety, snippy, stuffy, testy, waspish

irascible

marked by hot temper and easily provoked anger an irascible old football coach He has an irascible disposition. choleric, crabby, cranky, cross, crotchety, fiery, grouchy, grumpy, irritable, peevish, perverse, pettish, petulant, prickly, quick-tempered, raspy, ratty, short-tempered, snappish, snappy, snarky, snippety, snippy, stuffy, testy, waspish

pious

marked by or showing reverence for deity and devotion to divine worship marked by conspicuous religiosity <a hypocrite—a thing all pious words and uncharitable deeds — Charles Reade> sacred or devotional as distinct from the profane or secular : religious <a pious opinion> showing loyal reverence for a person or thing : dutiful marked by sham or hypocrisy marked by self-conscious virtue : virtuous deserving commendation : worthy <a pious effort> They lived a quiet, pious life. I'm tired of hearing politicians making pious pronouncements about their devotion to the people. constant, dedicated, devoted, devout, down-the-line, fast, good, loyal, faithful, staunch (also stanch), steadfast, steady, true, true-blue

pious

marked by or showing reverence for deity and devotion to divine worship marked by sham or hypocrisy deserving commendation : worthy <a pious effort> I'm tired of hearing politicians making pious pronouncements about their devotion to the people.

staid

marked by settled sedateness and often prim self-restraint : sober, grave a staid and solemn businessman <everyone was surprised by the racy joke from the usually staid professor> earnest, grave, humorless, no-nonsense, po-faced [British], sedate, severe, sober, sobersided, solemn, serious, uncomic, unsmiling, weighty

stationery

materials (as paper, pens, and ink) for writing or typing letter paper usually accompanied with matching envelopes

dispersion

the act or process of dispersing : the state of being dispersed the scattering of the values of a frequency distribution from an average

grave

meriting serious consideration : important <grave problems> likely to produce great harm or danger <a grave mistake> significantly serious : considerable, great <grave importance> having a serious and dignified quality or demeanor <a grave and thoughtful look> This violation of school rules is a grave matter. His carelessness could have grave consequences. They have placed themselves in grave danger. I have grave doubts about this plan. suffering from a grave illness

upwards of

more than : in excess of <they cost upwards of $25>

sacrosanct

most sacred or holy : inviolable treated as if holy : immune from criticism or violation <politically sacrosanct programs> the government's most sacrosanct institutions The tradition is regarded as sacrosanct. hallowed, holy, inviolable, sacred, unassailable, untouchable

unadorned

not adorned : lacking embellishment or decoration : plain, simple The room is unadorned and very plain. <the completely unadorned clothing favored by members of that religious sect> bald, bare, naked, plain-vanilla, simple, plain, undecorated, unembellished, unornamented, unvarnished

prenatal

occurring, existing, or performed before birth <prenatal care> providing or receiving prenatal medical care <a prenatal clinic> <prenatal patients>

obnoxious

odiously or disgustingly objectionable : highly offensive He said some really obnoxious things about his ex-girlfriend at the party. Some teenagers were being loud and obnoxious. abhorrent, abominable, appalling, awful, disgusting, distasteful, dreadful, evil, foul, fulsome, gross, hideous, horrendous, horrible, horrid, loathsome, nasty, nauseating, nauseous, noisome, noxious, offensive, obscene, odious, rancid, repellent (also repellant), repugnant, repulsive, revolting, scandalous, shocking, sickening, ugly

blithe

of a happy lighthearted character or disposition lacking due thought or consideration : casual, heedless <blithe unconcern> He showed blithe disregard for the rights of others. He was blithe about the risks to his health. cheerful, blithesome, bright, buoyant, canty [British dialect], cheery, chipper, eupeptic, gay, gladsome, lightsome, sunny, upbeat, winsome

colloquial

of or relating to conversation : conversational used in or characteristic of familiar and informal conversation; also : unacceptably informal using conversational style <the new coworker's rudeness soon began—to use a colloquial expression—to rub me the wrong way> <a colloquial essay on what makes a marriage successful> conversational, informal, nonformal, nonliterary, unbookish, unliterary, vernacular, vulgar

monastic

of or relating to monasteries or to monks or nuns : resembling (as in seclusion or ascetic simplicity) life in a monastery He shows a monastic dedication to his job. She studied for the test with monastic zeal.

numerical

of or relating to numbers <the numerical superiority of the enemy> expressed in or involving numbers or a number system <numerical standing in a class> <a numerical code>

bucolic

of or relating to shepherds or herdsmen : pastoral relating to or typical of rural life idyllic rural, country, pastoral, rustic (also rustical)

pavonine

of or resembling a peacock or the colours, design, or iridescence of a peacock's tail

pedantic

of, relating to, or being a pedant(see pedant) narrowly, stodgily, and often ostentatiously learned unimaginative, pedestrian There were those who called him arrogant, and there were others who accused his interpretations of being somewhat pedantic.

doctrinaire

of, relating to, or characteristic of a doctrinaire : dogmatic <a doctrinaire conservative, the columnist takes special delight in baiting liberals> dogmatic, opinionated, opinionative, opinioned, pontifical, self-opinionated

permutation

often major or fundamental change (as in character or condition) based primarily on rearrangement of existent elements <the system has gone through several permutations>; also : a form or variety resulting from such change <technology available in various permutations> the act or process of changing the lineal order of an ordered set of objects an ordered arrangement of a set of objects

culprit

one accused of or charged with a crime one guilty of a crime or a fault the source or cause of a problem The police eventually located the culprits. <the police caught the culprit a mere two blocks from the scene of the crime> crook, criminal, felon, lawbreaker, malefactor, miscreant, offender

apostle

one of an authoritative New Testament group sent out to preach the gospel and made up especially of Christ's 12 original disciples and Paul a person who initiates a great moral reform or who first advocates an important belief or system an ardent supporter : adherent the highest ecclesiastical official in some church organizations <a fervent apostle of universal health care> advocate, advocator, exponent, backer, booster, champion, expounder, espouser, friend, gospeler (or gospeller), herald, hierophant, high priest, paladin, promoter, proponent, protagonist, supporter, true believer, tub-thumper, white knight

dupe

one that is easily deceived or cheated : fool bamboozle, beguile, bluff, buffalo, burn, catch, con, cozen, delude, deceive, fake out, fool, gaff, gammon, gull, have, have on [chiefly British], hoax, hoodwink, hornswoggle, humbug, juggle, misguide, misinform, mislead, snooker, snow, spoof, string along, sucker, suck in, take in, trick

snob

one who blatantly imitates, fawningly admires, or vulgarly seeks association with those regarded as social superiors one who tends to rebuff, avoid, or ignore those regarded as inferior one who has an offensive air of superiority in matters of knowledge or taste Most of the people in the club are snobs who look down on people who attended public schools.

toady

one who flatters in the hope of gaining favors : sycophant She's a real toady to the boss. <no one liked the office toady, who spent most of her time complimenting the boss on what a great job he was doing> apple-polisher, bootlicker, brownnoser, fawner, flunky (also flunkey or flunkie), lickspittle, suck-up, sycophant

antithetical

onstituting or marked by antithesis being in direct and unequivocal opposition the antithetical forces of good and evil <spiritual concerns and ideals that are antithetical to the materialism embraced by modern society> antipodal, antipodean, opposite, contradictory, contrary, diametric (or diametrical), polar

vegetation

plant life or total plant cover inert existence the dense vegetation of the jungle <the local vegetation is flourishing as a result of the recent rains> flora, foliage, green, herbage, leafage, greenery, verdure

unruffled

poised and serene especially in the face of setbacks or confusion not ruffled : smooth <unruffled water> She remained unruffled despite the delays. <remained unruffled by the news that stocks were in a free fall> collected, composed, cool, coolheaded, equal, level, limpid, peaceful, placid, possessed, recollected, sedate, self-composed, self-possessed, serene, smooth, together, tranquil, undisturbed, unperturbed, calm, unshaken, untroubled, unworried

ingenuous

showing innocent or childlike simplicity and candidness <her ingenuous thirst for experience — Christopher Rawson> lacking craft or subtlety <ingenuous in their brutality>

payoff

profit, reward retribution the act or occasion of receiving money or material gain especially as compensation or as a bribe the climax of an incident or enterprise; specifically : the denouement of a narrative a decisive fact or factor resolving a situation or bringing about a definitive conclusion

alacrity

promptness in response : cheerful readiness <accepted the invitation with alacrity> amenability, gameness, goodwill, obligingness, willingness

snappy

quickly made or done <a snappy decision> marked by vigor or liveliness <snappy dialogue> briskly cold stylish, smart <a snappy dresser> à la mode (also a la mode), au courant, chic, cool [slang], exclusive, fashionable, fresh [slang], happening, hip, in, modish, sharp, smart, stylish, supercool, swell, swish, trendy, voguish

self-styled

self-proclaimed <self-styled experts>

cursory

rapidly and often superficially performed or produced : hasty <a cursory glance> Only a cursory inspection of the building's electrical wiring was done. The mayor gave a cursory glance at the report. Even the most cursory look at the organization's records shows problems. hasty, drive-by, flying, gadarene, headlong, helter-skelter, hurried, overhasty, pell-mell, precipitate, precipitous, rash, rushed

imminent

ready to take place; especially : hanging threateningly over one's head <was in imminent danger of being run over> We are awaiting their imminent arrival. These patients are facing imminent death. impending, looming, pending, threatening, around the corner

configuration

relative arrangement of parts or elements: as (1) : shape (2) : contour of land <configuration of the mountains> (3) : functional arrangement <a small business computer system in its simplest configuration> something (as a figure, contour, pattern, or apparatus) that results from a particular arrangement of parts or components the stable structural makeup of a chemical compound especially with reference to the space relations of the constituent atoms We'll have to change the configuration of the system to accommodate the new server. <the basic configuration of the building is that of a geodesic dome> architecture, armature, cadre, frame, edifice, fabric, framework, framing, infrastructure, shell, skeleton, structure

refractory

resisting control or authority : stubborn, unmanageable immune, insusceptible <after recovery they were refractory to infection> <refractory players will be ejected from the game> <believing that rules are only for other people, he's been refractory virtually his entire life> balky, contrary, contumacious, defiant, froward, incompliant, insubordinate, intractable, obstreperous, rebel, rebellious, recalcitrant, recusant, disobedient, restive, ungovernable, unruly, untoward, wayward, willful (or wilful)

irate

roused to ire <an irate taxpayer> arising from anger <irate words> Irate viewers called the television network to complain about the show. <the big increase in cable rates prompted a flood of irate calls and letters> angered, apoplectic, ballistic, cheesed off [chiefly British], choleric, enraged, foaming, fuming, furious, hopping, horn-mad, hot, incensed, indignant, inflamed (also enflamed), infuriate, infuriated, angry, ireful, livid, mad, outraged, rabid, rankled, riled, riley, roiled, shirty [chiefly British], sore, steamed up, steaming, teed off, ticked, wrathful, wroth

fugitive

running away or intending flight <a fugitive slave> <a fugitive debtor> moving from place to place : wandering being of short duration difficult to grasp or retain : elusive likely to evaporate, deteriorate, change, fade, or disappear <dyed with fugitive colors> As he daydreamed, fugitive thoughts passed through his mind. <that fugitive trait called artistic creativity> evasive, elusive, slippery

anodyne

serving to alleviate pain : not likely to offend or arouse tensions : innocuous <the otherwise anodyne comments sounded quite inflammatory when taken out of context> something that soothes, calms, or comforts <the anodyne of bridge, a comfortable book, or sport — Harrison Smith> : a drug that allays pain <as an anodyne for the stress and superficiality of the modern world, there's nothing better than reading a literary classic of substance and insight> analgesic, anesthetic, painkiller

umbrage

shade, shadow shady branches : foliage an indistinct indication : vague suggestion : hint a reason for doubt : suspicion a feeling of pique or resentment at some often fancied slight or insult <took umbrage at the speaker's remarks> dudgeon, huff, miff, offense (or offence), peeve, resentment, pique

blunt

slow or deficient in feeling : insensitive obtuse in understanding or discernment : dull having an edge or point that is not sharp <a blunt instrument> abrupt in speech or manner being straight to the point : direct

bland

smooth and soothing in manner or quality <a bland smile> exhibiting no personal concern or embarrassment : unperturbed <a bland confession of guilt> not irritating, stimulating, or invigorating : soothing dull, insipid <bland stories with little plot or action> The vegetable soup was rather bland. The diplomat's bland statement did nothing to calm the situation. balmy, benign, gentle, delicate, light, mellow, mild, nonabrasive, soft, soothing, tender

patriarchy

social organization marked by the supremacy of the father in the clan or family, the legal dependence of wives and children, and the reckoning of descent and inheritance in the male line; broadly : control by men of a disproportionately large share of power patriarch:the male head of a family or tribe A female head of a family is a matriarch, and such a family would be described as matriarchal.

forgery

something forged an act of forging; especially : the crime of falsely and fraudulently making or altering a document (as a check) counterfeit, fake, hoax, humbug, phony (also phoney), sham <that is a cheap forgery, not an authentic Ming Dynasty vase>

opprobrium

something that brings disgrace public disgrace or ill fame that follows from conduct considered grossly wrong or vicious contempt, reproach,dishonor, disgrace, reflection, scandal

red herring

something that distracts attention from the real issue The argument is a red herring. It actually has nothing to do with the issue.

angular

stiff in character or manner : lacking smoothness or grace lean and having prominent bone structure He has an angular face. She's a tall, angular girl.

acquisitive

strongly desirous of acquiring and possessing <acquisitive developers are trying to tear down the historic home and build a shopping mall> greedy, avaricious, avid, coveting, covetous, grabby, grasping, mercenary, moneygrubbing, rapacious

sophistry

subtly deceptive reasoning or argumentation : sophism

forbidding

such as to make approach or passage difficult or impossible <forbidding walls> disagreeable, repellent <a forbidding task> grim, menacing <a dark forbidding sky> a harsh and forbidding landscape <a dark, forbidding house, that is reputed to be haunted> alarming, dire, direful, dread, dreadful, fearsome, fearful, formidable, frightening, frightful, ghastly, hair-raising, horrendous, horrible, horrifying, intimidating, redoubtable, scary, shocking, spine-chilling, terrible, terrifying

becoming

suitable, fitting; especially : attractively suitable <becoming modesty> That jacket is very becoming on you. She's had her hair cut in a becoming new style. She accepted the award with a becoming humility. applicable, appropriate, apt, fit, befitting, felicitous, fitted, fitting, good, happy, meet, pretty, proper, right, suitable

vituperation

sustained and bitter railing and condemnation : vituperative utterance Voters are tired of all the vituperation in this campaign. billingsgate, fulmination, invective, obloquy, scurrility, vitriol, abuse

syntactic

syntactical,of, relating to, or according to the rules of syntax or syntactics

relapse

the act or an instance of backsliding, worsening, or subsiding a recurrence of symptoms of a disease after a period of improvement Everyone thought she was well until a sudden relapse sent her back to the hospital.

pedagogue

teacher, schoolmaster; especially : a dull, formal, or pedantic teacher <a pedagogue whose classroom lessons consisted entirely of reading directly from the textbook in a monotone> educationist [chiefly British], educator, instructor, teacher (also pedagog), preceptor, schoolteacher

long-winded

tediously long in speaking or writing circuitous, circumlocutory, diffuse, garrulous, logorrheic, long-winded, pleonastic, prolix, rambling, verbose, windy

dilatory

tending or intended to cause delay <dilatory tactics> characterized by procrastination : tardy <dilatory in paying bills> <the homeowner is claiming that local firefighters were dilatory in responding to the call> crawling, creeping, dallying, dawdling, slow, dillydallying, dragging, laggard, lagging, languid, leisurely, poking, poky (or pokey), sluggish, snaillike, snail-paced, tardy, unhurried

transitory

tending to pass away : not persistent of brief duration : temporary <the transitory nature of earthly joy> brief, deciduous, ephemeral, evanescent, flash, fleeting, fugacious, fugitive, impermanent, passing, short-lived, temporary, transient, momentary

aspiration

the act of breathing and especially of breathing in a strong desire to achieve something high or great ambitiousness, ambition, go-getting

pillage

the act of looting or plundering especially in war something taken as booty to plunder ruthlessly : loot The enemy pillaged the town. The town was pillaged and burned. barbarians known for looting and pillaging despoil, loot, maraud, ransack, plunder, sack

diminution

the act, process, or an instance of diminishing : decrease <a diminution of 60 percent over the course of the month> abatement, decline, decrement, dent, depletion, depression, diminishment, decrease, drop, drop-off, fall, falloff, loss, reduction, shrinkage, step-down

detonation

the action or process of detonating rapid combustion in an internal combustion engine that results in knocking <there was a series of detonations around the base of the condemned building, causing it to come crashing down in a matter of minutes> blast, blowup, burst, bursting, explosion, eruption, outburst

orthography

the art of writing words with the proper letters according to standard usage

fleece

the coat of wool covering a wool-bearing animal (as a sheep), coat, fur, hair, jacket, pelage, pile, wool to strip of money or property by fraud or extortion Don't let that salesman fleece you. beat, bilk, bleed, cheat, chisel, chouse, con, cozen, defraud, diddle, do, do in, euchre, fiddle, flimflam, gaff, gyp, hose [slang], hustle, mulct, nobble [British slang], pluck, ream, rip off, rook, screw, shake down, short, shortchange, skin, skunk, squeeze, stick, stiff, sting, sucker, swindle, thimblerig, victimize, sell a bill of goods to, take for a ride, take to the cleaners

distinction

the distinguishing of a difference <without distinction as to race, sex, or religion>; also : the difference distinguished <the distinction between imply and infer> special honor or recognition <took a law degree with distinction> <won many distinctions> choiceness, excellence, excellency, first-rateness, greatness, perfection, preeminence, primeness, superbness, superiority, supremacy

allegory

the expression by means of symbolic fictional figures and actions of truths or generalizations about human existence; also an instance (as in a story or painting) of such expression a symbolic representation : emblem the long poem is an allegory of love and jealousy a writer known for his use of allegory apologue, fable, parable

quintessence

the fifth and highest element in ancient and medieval philosophy that permeates all nature and is the substance composing the celestial bodies the essence of a thing in its purest and most concentrated form the most typical example or representative <the quintessence of calm> <a selfless desire to help others is the quintessence of the virtue of charity> acme, apotheosis, beau ideal, byword, classic, epitome, exemplar, ideal, perfection

self-flattery

the glossing over of one's own weaknesses or mistakes and the exaggeration of one's own good qualities and achievements

eccentricity

the quality or state of being eccentric deviation from an established pattern or norm; especially : odd or whimsical behavior Some people weren't very tolerant of his eccentricity. Talking to her plants is one of her many eccentricities. crotchet, curiosity, idiosyncrasy, erraticism, individualism, kink, mannerism, oddity, peculiarity, quiddity, quip, quirk, singularity, tic, trick, twist

perfidy

the quality or state of being faithless or disloyal : treachery : an act or an instance of disloyalty They are guilty of perfidy. <he decided to forgive his wife's perfidy, choosing to ascribe it to a moment of uncharacteristic weakness> disloyalty, faithlessness, falseness, falsity, inconstancy, perfidiousness, infidelity, unfaithfulness

mendacity

the quality or state of being mendacious fable, fabrication, fairy tale, falsehood, falsity, fib, lie, prevarication, story, tale, taradiddle (or tarradiddle), untruth, whopper <you need to overcome this deplorable mendacity, or no one will ever believe anything you say>

mendacity

the quality or state of being mendacious lie <highly fictionalized "memoirs" in which the facts were few and the mendacities many> <you need to overcome this deplorable mendacity, or no one will ever believe anything you say> fable, fabrication, fairy tale, falsehood, falsity, fib, lie, prevarication, story, tale, taradiddle (or tarradiddle), untruth, whopper

notoriety

the quality or state of being notorious a notorious person He achieved instant fame and notoriety with the release of his film. She gained notoriety when nude photographs of her appeared in a magazine. His comment about the President has given him a notoriety that he enjoys very much.

seniority

the quality or state of being senior : priority a privileged status attained by length of continuous service Promotions are based on merit and seniority. a teacher with less seniority He has worked here longer than I have, so he has seniority over me.

virulence

the quality or state of being virulent: as extreme bitterness or malignity of temper : rancor malignancy, venomousness <the virulence of a disease> the relative capacity of a pathogen to overcome body defenses I was surprised by the virulence of the criticism. acidity, acidness, acridity, acridness, asperity, bile, bitterness, cattiness, corrosiveness, mordancy, tartness, acrimony, virulency, vitriol

solicitude

the state of being concerned and anxious attentive care and protectiveness; also : an attitude of earnest concern or attention <expressed solicitude for his health> a cause of care or concern —usually used in plural He expressed solicitude for my health. <a growing solicitude over the possible results of the criminal investigation> agita, agitation, anxiousness, apprehension, apprehensiveness, care, concern, concernment, disquiet, disquietude, fear, nervosity, nervousness, perturbation, anxiety, sweat, unease, uneasiness, worry

bigotry

the state of mind of a bigot acts or beliefs characteristic of a bigot <a deeply ingrained bigotry prevented her from even considering the counterarguments> dogmatism, illiberalism, illiberality, illiberalness, intolerance, intolerantness, narrow-mindedness, opinionatedness, partisanship, sectarianism, small-mindedness

evocation

the summoning of a spirit imaginative recreation <an evocation of the past> An Anglo-Irishman's Evocation of the Italian Scene

weather

to bear up against and come safely through <weather a storm> <weather a crisis> They weathered a terrible storm while at sea. He has weathered the criticism well.

turbid

thick or opaque with or as if with roiled sediment <a turbid stream> heavy with smoke or mist deficient in clarity or purity : foul, muddy <turbid depths of degradation and misery — C. I. Glicksberg> characterized by or producing obscurity (as of mind or emotions) <an emotionally turbid response> <the pond water became turbid from our swimming and splashing> muddy, riley, roiled, cloudy

inure

to accustom to accept something undesirable <children inured to violence> to become of advantage <policies that inure to the benefit of employees> Does violence on television inure children to violence in real life? <the hardship of army training inured her to the rigors of desert warfare> fortify, indurate, harden, season, steel, strengthen, toughen

preempt

to acquire (as land) by preemption to seize upon to the exclusion of others : take for oneself <the movement was then preempted by a lunatic fringe> to replace with something considered to be of greater value or priority : take precedence over <the program did not appear, having been preempted by a baseball game — Robert MacNeil> to gain a commanding or preeminent place in to prevent from happening or taking place : forestall, preclude The state law was preempted by a federal law. A preemptive action is one that is undertaken in order to prevent some other action from being undertaken. When the air force launched a pre emp tive strike against the missile base, the air force was at tack ing the missiles in order to prevent the missiles from attacking the air force.

patronize

to act as patron of : provide aid or support for to adopt an air of condescension toward : treat haughtily or coolly,to treat as an inferior; to condescend to The family patronizes the arts. He hated being patronized and pitied by those who didn't believe his story. We felt patronized by the waiter at the fancy restaurant; he ignored all our efforts to attract his attention and then pre tend ed not to understand our accents.

hallucinate

to affect with visions or imaginary perceptions to perceive or experience as a hallucination

construe

to analyze the arrangement and connection of words in (a sentence or sentence part) to understand or explain the sense or intention of usually in a particular way or with respect to a given set of circumstances <construed my actions as hostile> The way the court construes various words has changed over time. <the role of the justices of the Supreme Court in construing the constitution> clarify, clear (up), explain, demonstrate, demystify, elucidate, explicate, expound, get across, illuminate, illustrate, interpret, simplify, spell out, unriddle

incense

to arouse the extreme anger or indignation of pleasing attention : flattery

gratify

to be a source of or give pleasure or satisfaction to <it gratified him to have his wife wear jewels — Willa Cather> : to give in to : indulge, satisfy <gratify a whim> A guilty verdict would gratify the victim's relatives. He's only concerned with gratifying his own desires. cater (to), indulge, humor

owe

to be under obligation to render (as duty or service) <I owe you a favor> to be attributable <an idea that owes to Greek philosophy

surpass

to become better, greater, or stronger than : exceed <surpassed her rivals> <surpassed all expectations> to go beyond : overstep to transcend the reach, capacity, or powers of <a beauty that surpasses description> Attendance is expected to surpass last year's record. Last quarter, sales surpassed two million.

surpass

to become better, greater, or stronger than : exceed <surpassed her rivals> <surpassed all expectations> to go beyond : overstep to transcend the reach, capacity, or powers of <a beauty that surpasses description> His work regularly surpasses all expectations. beat, better, eclipse, exceed, excel, outclass, outdistance, outdo, outgun, outmatch, outshine, outstrip, overtop, top, tower (over), transcend, go one better, run circles around (or run rings around)

incur

to become liable or subject to : bring down upon oneself <incur expenses> I incurred his dislike from that day on. Submitting students to the rigors of learning seemed only to incur the wrath of many of them

commingle

to blend thoroughly into a harmonious whole to combine (funds or properties) into a common fund or stock Fact and fiction commingle in the story. He commingled his personal funds with money from the business. amalgamate, combine, comingle, blend, commix, composite, concrete, conflate, fuse, homogenize, immingle, immix, incorporate, integrate, interfuse, intermingle, intermix, meld, merge, mingle, mix

recrudesce

to break out or become active again

attune

to bring into harmony : tune : to make aware or responsive <attune businesses to changing trends> <after years spent in academia, he's finding it difficult to attune himself to the corporate culture> accommodate, harmonize, conciliate, conform, coordinate, key, reconcile

implode

to burst inward <a blow causing a vacuum tube to implode> to undergo violent compression <massive stars which implode> to collapse inward as if from external pressure; also : to become greatly reduced as if from collapsing to break down or fall apart from within : self-destruct <the firm ... imploded from greed and factionalism — Jan Hoffman> <a controlled demolition during which the entire building imploded in a matter of seconds> buckle, cave (in), crumple, founder, give, go, go out, collapse, tumble, yield

entrance

to carry away with delight, wonder, or rapture <we were entranced by the view> <a production of The Nutcracker ballet that will entrance audiences> carry away, enrapture, enthrall (or enthral), rap, rapture, ravish, transport, knock dead, knock one's socks off

litigator

to carry on a legal contest by judicial process to contest at law <litigate a claim> They agree to litigate all disputes in this court. The company's unwillingness to make a deal increased her desire to litigate.

gasp

to catch the breath convulsively and audibly (as with shock) to breathe laboriously a dying man gasping for breath She was gasping for air. blow, heave, hyperventilate, pant, puff, wheeze, be out of breath

smart

to cause or be the cause or seat of a sharp stinging pain; also : to feel or have such a pain to feel or endure distress, remorse, or embarrassment <smarting from wounded vanity — W. L. Shirer> to pay a heavy or stinging penalty <would have to smart for this foolishness> Her eyes were smarting from the smoke. <the injection only smarted for a moment>

bifurcate

to cause to divide into two branches or parts The stream bifurcated into two narrow winding channels. bifurcate a beam of light

congregate

to collect into a group or crowd : assemble It's a place where the homeless congregate. Skiers congregated around the lodge's fireplace. accumulate, amass, assemble, bulk (up), collect, concentrate, gather, constellate, corral, garner, group, lump, pick up, round up

abscond

to depart secretly and hide oneself The suspect absconded to Canada. Several prisoners absconded from the jail.

sweep

to destroy completely : wipe out —usually used with away <everything she cherished, might be swept away overnight — Louis Bromfield> to remove or take with a single continuous forceful action <swept the books off the desk> to remove from sight or consideration <the problem can't be swept under the rug> to drive or carry along with irresistible force <a wave of protest that swept the opposition into office> to move across or along swiftly, violently, or overwhelmingly <fire swept the business district — American Guide Series: Maryland> to win an overwhelming victory in or on <sweep the elections>

prevaricate

to deviate from the truth : equivocate Government officials prevaricated about the real costs of the project. <during the hearings the witness was willing to prevaricate in order to protect his friend> fabricate, fib, lie

prevaricate

to deviate from the truth : equivocate Government officials prevaricated about the real costs of the project. <during the hearings the witness was willing to prevaricate in order to protect his friend> fabricate, fib, lie

vulgarize

to diffuse generally : popularize to make vulgar : coarsen The movie is a vulgarized version of the original story. <the composer's masterpiece has been hopelessly vulgarized by its use in countless TV commercials> overexpose, overuse, stereotype, hackney

flaunt

to display or obtrude oneself to public notice <a great flaunting crowd — Charles Dickens> to wave or flutter showily <the flag flaunts in the breeze> transitive verb to display ostentatiously or impudently : parade <flaunting his superiority> to treat contemptuously <flaunted the rules — Louis Untermeyer> They openly flaunted the rules. display, disport, exhibit, expose, flash, show, lay out, parade, produce, show off, sport, strut, unveil

controvert

to dispute or oppose by reasoning <controvert a point in a discussion> to engage in controversy The attorney offered evidence that controverted the plaintiff's allegations. <ever since the poem was first published, critics and scholars have controverted over the meaning of its concluding lines> altercate, argufy, bicker, brabble, brawl, argue, dispute, fall out, fight, hassle, jar, quarrel, quibble, row, scrap, spat, squabble, tiff, wrangle

afflict

to distress so severely as to cause persistent suffering or anguish <afflicted with arthritis> trouble, injure The disease afflicts an estimated two million people every year. <the South was afflicted by a severe drought> agonize, anguish, bedevil, beset, besiege, curse, excruciate, harrow, persecute, plague, rack, torment, torture

underscore

to draw a line under : underline to make evident : emphasize, stress <arrived early to underscore the importance of the occasion> These failures underscore the difficulty of what we're attempting to do. The President's visit underscores the administration's commitment to free trade. She underscored the most important points. accentuate, bring out, italicize, stress, underline, emphasize

table

to enter in a table British : to place on the agenda to remove (as a parliamentary motion) from consideration indefinitely to put on a table The committee tabled the issue until the next meeting. She plans to table a motion for debate in Parliament.

commence

to enter upon : begin <commence proceedings> to have or make a beginning : start <the meeting will commence soon> begin, embark (on or upon), enter (into or upon), fall (to), get off, kick off, launch, lead off, open, start, strike (into)

settle

to establish in residence to make quiet or orderly to fix or resolve conclusively <settle the question> to make or arrange for final disposition of <settled his affairs> We need to settle this question once and for all.

elongate

to extend the length of These stretching exercises can help elongate your leg muscles. New medical procedures have elongated the careers of many athletes. drag (out), draw out, extend, lengthen, outstretch, prolong, protract, stretch

expiate

to extinguish the guilt incurred by b : to make amends for <permission to expiate their offences by their assiduous labours — Francis Bacon> <Yom Kippur is the holy day on which Jews are expected to expiate sins committed during the past year.> atone (for), mend, redeem, make amends for, make good for

recuperate

to get back : regain to bring back into use or currency : revive <recuperate old traditions> to regain a former state or condition; especially : to recover health or strength She took a day off to recuperate. <half the office was out today, many employees being sick or recuperating from the flu> come back, gain, heal, mend, pull round [chiefly British], rally, recoup, recover, convalesce, snap back

jettison

to get rid of as superfluous or encumbering : omit or forgo as part of a plan or as the result of some other decision <must be prepared to jettison many romantic notions — Christopher Catling> We should jettison these old computers and get new ones. cashier, cast (off), chuck, deep-six, ditch, dump, eighty-six (or 86), exorcise (also exorcize), fling (off or away), discard, junk, lay by, lose, pitch, reject, scrap, shed, shuck (off), slough (off) also sluff (off), throw away, throw out, toss, unload

harbor

to give shelter or refuge to to be the home or habitat of <the ledges still harbor rattlesnakes>; broadly : contain to hold especially persistently in the mind : cherish <harbored a grudge> It is illegal to harbor an escaped convict. He still harbors deep feelings of resentment toward his former employer. I don't harbor any illusions about our chances for success. She studies the genetic material harbored in a cell's nucleus. Some of these animals may harbor disease that could affect humans.

appreciate

to grasp the nature, worth, quality, or significance of <appreciate the difference between right and wrong> to value or admire highly <appreciates our work> to judge with heightened perception or understanding : be fully aware of <must see it to appreciate it> to recognize with gratitude <certainly appreciates your kindness> to increase the value of

masticate

to grind or crush (food) with or as if with the teeth : chew to soften or reduce to pulp by crushing or kneading The cows were masticating their food. <mindlessly masticated peanuts while watching the baseball game on TV> champ, chaw, chew, chomp (on), crunch (on), gnaw (on), bite (on),

defame

to harm the reputation of by libel or slander He says he was defamed by reports that falsely identified him as a former gangster. <of course I want to win the election, but I refuse to defame my opponent in order to do so> asperse, blacken, calumniate, slander, libel, malign, smear, traduce, vilify

backfire

to have the reverse of the desired or expected effect <their plans backfired> <my plan to throw her a surprise party backfired when she ended up sobbing that everyone had forgotten her birthday>

blight

to impair the quality or effect of <the condition that has blighted his son's life — Patricia Guthrie> a disease or injury of plants marked by the formation of lesions, withering, and death of parts (as leaves and tubers) an organism (as an insect or a fungus) that causes blight something that frustrates plans or hopes something that impairs or destroys a deteriorated condition <urban blight> blemish, blotch, defect, deformity, disfigurement, excrescence, excrescency, fault, flaw, imperfection, mar, mark, pockmark, scar = curse, suffering, evil, depression, corruption, distress, pollution, misery, plague, hardship, woe, misfortune, contamination, adversity, scourge, affliction, bane, wretchedness, = disease, plague, pest, fungus, contamination, mildew, contagion, infestation, pestilence, canker, cancer, = frustrate, destroy, ruin, crush, mar, dash, wreck, spoil, crool or cruel scar, undo, mess up, annihilate, nullify, put a damper on, = destroy, injure, blast, ruin, wither, shrivel, nip in the bud, taint with mildew

underlie

to lie or be situated under to be at the basis of : form the foundation of : support <ideas underlying the revolution> to exist as a claim or security superior and prior to (another) We discussed the principles that underlay their methods.

peer

to look narrowly or curiously; especially : to look searchingly at something difficult to discern

vilify

to lower in estimation or importance to utter slanderous and abusive statements against : defame He was vilified in the press for his comments. <claimed that she had been vilified by the press because of her conservative views> asperse, blacken, calumniate, defame, libel, malign, smear, traduce, slander

rile

to make agitated and angry : upset Her comments riled the professor. <one sure way to rile me is to keep yelling for me> aggravate, annoy, bother, bug, burn (up), chafe, eat, exasperate, frost, gall, get, grate, gripe, hack (off), irk, itch, nark [British], nettle, peeve, persecute, pique, put out, rasp, irritate, ruffle, spite, vex

abbreviate

to make briefer; especially : to reduce to a shorter form intended to stand for the whole You can abbreviate the word "building" as "bldg." "United States of America" is commonly abbreviated to "USA." shorten, abridge, curtail, cut back, dock, elide, syncopate, truncate

condense

to make denser or more compact; especially : to subject to condensation The information is collected and then passed on to the CEO in condensed form. The cooler temperatures cause the gas to condense into a liquid. compress, contract, constrict, shrink

exacerbate

to make more violent, bitter, or severe <the proposed shutdown ... would exacerbate unemployment problems — Science> The proposed factory shutdown would only exacerbate our unemployment problems. His angry comments have exacerbated tensions in the negotiation process. aggravate, complicate, worsen

consecrate

to make or declare sacred; especially : to devote irrevocably to the worship of God by a solemn ceremony to devote to a purpose with or as if with deep solemnity or dedication to make inviolable or venerable <principles consecrated by the weight of history> <a philanthropist who consecrated his considerable fortune to an array of charitable causes> <plans to consecrate the altar in the new church with great ceremony> allocate, devote, dedicate, earmark, give up (to), reserve, save, set by

beatify

to make supremely happy to declare to have attained the blessedness of heaven and authorize the title "Blessed" and limited public religious honor She was beatified by the Pope one hundred years after her death.

hike

to move, pull, or raise with a sudden motion <hiked himself onto the top bunk> to raise in amount sharply or suddenly <hike rents>

gloat

to observe or think about something with triumphant and often malicious satisfaction, gratification, or delight <gloat over an enemy's misfortune> After such a tough campaign, they're gloating over their victory in the election.

extol

to praise highly : glorify The health benefits of exercise are widely extolled. <campaign literature extolling the candidate's military record> bless, carol, celebrate, emblazon, exalt, praise (also extoll), glorify, hymn, laud, magnify, resound

remonstrate

to present and urge reasons in opposition : expostulate —usually used with with He got angry when I politely remonstrated with him about littering.

proffer

to present for acceptance : tender, offer He proffered advice on how best to proceed. <proffered his assistance in helping the two sides reach a compromise> extend, give, offer, tender, trot out

compress

to press or squeeze together to reduce in size, quantity, or volume as if by squeezing <compress a computer file> compress the air in a closed chamber capsule, capsulize, collapse, compact, condense, constrict, constringe, contract, narrow (down), squeeze, telescope

malinger

to pretend or exaggerate incapacity or illness (as to avoid duty or work) His boss suspected him of malingering because of his frequent absences from work.

override

to prevail over : dominate to set aside : annul <override a veto> to neutralize the action of (as an automatic control) to extend or pass over; especially : overlap Congress overrode the President's veto. These new rules override the old ones. Don't let anger override common sense.

cater

to provide a supply of food to supply what is required or desired <catering to middle-class tastes> to provide food and service for <catered the banquet> The restaurant caters for parties. A local restaurant catered the banquet. The awards ceremony will be a catered event.

defray

to provide for the payment of : pay This will defray the costs.

convalesce

to recover health and strength gradually after sickness or weakness He is convalescing from his leg injuries. <the long months that the soldier spent in the hospital slowly convalescing> come back, gain, heal, mend, pull round [chiefly British], rally, recoup, recover, recuperate, snap back

fuse

to reduce to a liquid or plastic state by heat : to blend thoroughly by or as if by melting together : combine to become blended or joined by or as if by melting together

grate

to reduce to small particles by rubbing on something rough <grate cheese> to cause to make a rasping sound to utter in a harsh voice to cause irritation : jar <a voice that grates on the nerves>

recapitulate

to restate briefly : summarize to give new form or expression to to repeat the principal stages or phases of <the view that ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny> To recapitulate what was said earlier, we need to develop new ways to gain customers. We understood your point, there's no need to recapitulate. abstract, boil down, brief, digest, encapsulate, epitomize, outline, recap, summarize, reprise, sum up, synopsize, wrap up

rehabilitate

to restore to a former capacity : reinstate to restore to good repute : reestablish the good name of to restore to a former state (as of efficiency, good management, or solvency) <rehabilitate slum areas> to restore or bring to a condition of health or useful and constructive activity The program is intended to rehabilitate criminals. The country has rehabilitated its image since the war. habilitate, reclaim, redeem, regenerate, reform

cauterize

to sear with a cautery or caustic <cauterize a wound> : to make insensible : deaden The doctors cauterized the wound. <time had cauterized his bitterness, and he was willing to let bygones be bygones> benumb, blunt, dull, damp, dampen, deaden, numb

pit

to set into opposition or rivalry —usually used with against

pat

to strike lightly with a flat instrument to flatten, smooth, or put into place or shape with light blows to tap or stroke gently with the hand to soothe, caress, or show approval

impinge

to strike or dash especially with a sharp collision <I heard the rain impinge upon the earth — James Joyce> to have an effect : make an impression <waiting for the germ of a new idea to impinge upon my mind — Phyllis Bentley> encroach, infringe <impinge on other people's rights> bang, bash, bump, collide, crash, impact, hit, knock, ram, slam, smash, strike, swipe, thud

buffet

to strike sharply especially with the hand : cuff : to strike repeatedly : batter <the waves buffeted the shore> : to drive, force, move, or attack by or as if by repeated blows to make one's way especially under difficult conditions

allay

to subdue or reduce in intensity or severity : alleviate <expect a breeze to allay the heat> : to make quiet : calm <trying to allay their fears> The new advertising campaign is an attempt to allay the public's concerns about the safety of the company's products. <a gentle breeze would allay the heat> help, alleviate, assuage, ease, mitigate, mollify, palliate, relieve, soothe

galvanize

to subject to the action of an electric current especially for the purpose of stimulating physiologically <galvanize a muscle> to stimulate or excite as if by an electric shock <an issue that would galvanize public opinion> The group is hoping to galvanize public opinion against the proposed law. The Web site has galvanized support for the project. charge, electrify, excite, exhilarate, thrill, intoxicate, pump up, titillate, turn on

dismantle

to take to pieces; also : to destroy the integrity or functioning of to strip of dress or covering : divest to strip of furniture and equipment The mechanic dismantled the engine to repair it. When will they dismantle the old bridge? The after-school program was dismantled due to lack of funding. He accuses them of trying to dismantle the country's legal system. break down, demount, disassemble, dismember, dismount, knock down, strike, take down

rip

to tear or split apart or open to utter violently : spit out <ripped out an oath> criticize, disparage rend, ribbon, tear, rive, shred, tatter

peregrinate

to travel especially on foot : walk <a couple of backpacking college students who decided to spend the summer peregrinating around Ireland> course, cover, cross, cut (across), follow, go, navigate, pass (over), perambulate, traverse, proceed (along), track, transit, travel

slight

to treat as slight or unimportant : make light of to treat with disdain or indifference <slight a guest> to perform or attend to carelessly and inadequately <don't slight your work> I'm sure he didn't mean to slight you. He was slighted by his colleagues.

medicate

to treat medicinally : to impregnate with a medicinal substance <medicated soap> The patient had been heavily medicated.

transgress

to violate a command or law : sin : to go beyond a boundary or limit to go beyond limits set or prescribed by : violate <transgress divine law> : to pass beyond or go over (a limit or boundary) transgressive adjective transgressor noun He who transgresses must seek forgiveness. There are legal consequences for companies that transgress the rules. err, fall, sin, stray, offend, trespass, wander

inveigle

to win over by wiles : entice to acquire by ingenuity or flattery : wangle <inveigled her way into a promotion> She inveigled him to write the letter. We inveigled the information from him.

inveigle

to win over by wiles : entice to acquire by ingenuity or flattery : wangle <inveigled her way into a promotion> She inveigled him to write the letter. We inveigled the information from him.

dabble

to work or involve oneself superficially or intermittently especially in a secondary activity or interest <dabbles in art> to paddle, splash, or play in or as if in water

glamorous

ull of glamour : excitingly attractive <a glamorous actress> <a glamorous life> A private investigator's job isn't as glamorous as people think. bizarro, fantastic (also fantastical), exotic (also glamourous), marvelous (or marvellous), outlandish, romantic, strange

improbable

unlikely to be true or to occur; also : unlikely but real or true The team made an improbable comeback. <it seems improbable that the two writers never met since they traveled in the same social circles> doubtful, dubious, far-fetched, flimsy, questionable, unapt, unlikely

keen on

very enthusiastic or excited about <wasn't keen on going>

munificent

very liberal in giving or bestowing : lavish characterized by great liberality or generosity <a munificent host who has presided over many charitable events at his mansion> bighearted, bounteous, bountiful, charitable, free, freehanded, freehearted, fulsome, liberal, generous, open, openhanded, unselfish, unsparing, unstinting

munificent

very liberal in giving or bestowing : lavish characterized by great liberality or generosity a munificent host who has presided over many charitable events at his mansion bighearted, bounteous, bountiful, charitable, free, freehanded, freehearted, fulsome, liberal, generous, open, openhanded, unselfish, unsparing, unstinting

treachery

violation of allegiance or of faith and confidence : treason : an act of perfidy or treason a tale of treachery and revenge <was furious that she revealed his secret and never forgave her for the treachery> backstabbing, business, disloyalty, double cross, faithlessness, falseness, falsity, infidelity, perfidy, sellout, betrayal, treason, two-timing, unfaithfulness

belligerent

waging war; specifically : belonging to or recognized as a state at war and protected by and subject to the laws of war inclined to or exhibiting assertiveness, hostility, or combativeness He was drunk and belligerent. <the coach became quite belligerent and spit at an umpire after being thrown out of the game> aggressive, agonistic, argumentative, assaultive, bellicose, brawly, chippy, combative, confrontational, contentious, discordant, disputatious, feisty, gladiatorial, militant, pugnacious, quarrelsome, scrappy, truculent, warlike, on the warpath

feckless

weak, ineffective worthless, irresponsible She can't rely on her feckless son. <a well-intentioned but feckless response to the rise in school violence> counterproductive, ineffective, hamstrung, ineffectual, inefficacious, inefficient, inexpedient

spiral

winding around a center or pole and gradually receding from or approaching it <the spiral curve of a watch spring> of or relating to the advancement to higher levels through a series of cyclical movements coiling, corkscrew, helical, involute, screwlike, winding