Sparknotes Vocabulary

archaic

(adj.) of or relating to an earlier period in time, outdated (In a few select regions of Western Mongolian, an archaic Chinese dialect is still spoken

arboreal

(adj.) of or relating to trees (Leaves, roots, and bark are a few arboreal traits

aloof

(adj.) reserved, distant (The scientist could sometimes seem aloof, as if he didn't care about his friends or family, but really he was just thinking about quantum mechanics

affluent

(adj.) rich, wealthy (Mrs. Grebelski was affluent, owning a huge house, three cars, and an island near Maine

anomaly

(n.) something that does not fit into the normal order ("That rip in the space-time continuum is certainly a spatial anomaly," said Spock to Captain Kirk

affinity

(n.)a spontaneous feeling of closeness (Jerry didn't know why, but he felt an incredible affinity for Kramer the first time they met

abrogate

(v.) to abolish, usually by authority (The Bill of Rights assures that the government cannot abrogate our right to a free press

accede

(v.) to agree (When the class asked the teacher whether they could play baseball instead of learn grammar they expected him to refuse, but instead he acceded to their request

acquiesce

(v.) to agree without protesting (Though Mr. Correlli wanted to stay outside and work in his garage, when his wife told him that he had better come in to dinner, he acquiesced to her demands

abet

(v.) to aid, help, encourage (The spy succeeded only because he had a friend on the inside to abet him

allege

(v.) to assert, usually without proof (The policeman had alleged that Marshall committed the crime, but after the investigation turned up no evidence, Marshall was set free

adumbrate

(v.) to sketch out in a vague way (The coach adumbrated a game plan, but none of the players knew precisely what to do

abscond

(v.) to sneak away and hide (In the confusion, the super-spy absconded into the night with the secret plans

advocate

1. (v.) to argue in favor of something (Arnold advocated turning left at the

abridge

1. (v.) to cut down, shorten (The publisher thought the dictionary was too long and abridged it.) 2. (adj.) shortened (Moby-Dick is such a long book that even the abridged version is longer than most normal books

annex

1. (v.) to incorporate territory or space (After defeating them in battle, the Russians annexed Poland.) 2. (n.) a room attached to a larger room or space (He likes to do his studying in a little annex attached to the main reading room in the library

crescendo

(n.) a steady increase in intensity or volume (The crescendo of the brass instruments gave the piece a patriotic feel

polemic

(n.) an aggressive argument against a specific opinion (My brother

consensus

(n.) an agreement of opinion (The jury was able to reach a consensus only after days of deliberation

ostracism

(n.) exclusion from a group (Beth risked ostracism if her roommates discovered her flatulence

effrontery

(n.) impudence, nerve, insolence (When I told my aunt that she was boring, my mother scolded me for my effrontery

fidelity

(n.) loyalty, devotion (Guard dogs are known for the great fidelity they show toward their masters

petulance

(n.) rudeness, irritability (The Nanny resigned after she could no longer tolerate the child's petulance

complacency

(n.) self-satisfied ignorance of danger (Colin tried to shock his friends out of their complacency by painting a frightening picture of what might happen to them

vocation

(n.) the work in which someone is employed, profession (After growing tired

veracity

(n.) truthfulness, accuracy (With several agencies regulating the reports, it was difficult for Latifah to argue against its veracity

covet

(v.) to desire enviously (I coveted Moses's house, wife, and car

expiate

(v.) to make amends for, atone (To expiate my selfishness, I gave all my profits to charity

exacerbate

(v.) to make more violent, intense (The gruesome and scary movie I saw last night exacerbated my fears of the dark

annul

(v.) to make void or invalid (After seeing its unforeseen and catastrophic effects, Congress sought to annul the law

preclude

(v.) to prevent (My grandfather's large and vicious guard dog precluded anyone from entering the yard

divulge

(v.) to reveal something secret (Pressured by the press, the government finally divulged the previously unknown information

balk

(v.) to stop, block abruptly (Edna's boss balked at her request for another raise

incarnate

1. (adj.) existing in the flesh, embodied (In the church pageant, I play the role of greed incarnate.) 2. (v.) to give human form to (The alien evaded detection by incarnating himself in a human form

redoubtable

1. (adj.) formidable (The fortress looked redoubtable set against a stormy sky.) 2. (adj.) commanding respect (The audience greeted the redoubtable speaker with a standing ovation

liability

1. (n.) something for which one is legally responsible, usually involving a disadvantage or risk (The bungee-jumping tower was a great liability for the owners of the carnival.) 2. (n.) a handicap, burden (Because she often lost her concentration and didn't play defense, Marcy was a liability to the team

façade

1. (n.) the wall of a building (Meet me in front of the museum's main façade.) 2. (n.) a deceptive appearance or attitude (Despite my smiling façade, I am feeling melancholy

renovate

1. (v.) restore, return to original state (The renovated antique candelabra

embellish

1. (v.) to decorate, adorn (My mom embellished the living room by adding

apprehend

1. (v.) to seize, arrest (The criminal was apprehended at the scene.) 2. (v.) to

meager

(adj.) deficient in size or quality (My meager portion of food did nothing to satisfy my appetite

banal

(adj.) dull, commonplace (The client rejected our proposal because they found

punctilious

(adj.) eager to follow rules or conventions (Punctilious Bobby, hall monitor extraordinaire, insisted that his peers follow the rules

irascible

(adj.) easily angered (At the smallest provocation, my irascible cat will begin scratching and clawing

tractable

(adj.) easily controlled (The horse was so tractable, Myra didn't even need a bridle

submissive

(adj.) easily yielding to authority (In some cultures, wives are supposed to be submissive and support their husbands in all matters

callous

(adj.) harsh, cold, unfeeling (The murderer's callous lack of remorse shocked the jury

strident

(adj.) harsh, loud (A strident man, Captain Von Trapp yelled at his daughter and made her cry

rash

(adj.) hasty, incautious (It's best to think things over calmly and thoroughly, rather than make rash decisions

ambivalent

(adj.) having opposing feelings (My feelings about Calvin are ambivalent because on one hand he is a loyal friend, but on the other, he is a cruel and vicious thief

judicious

(adj.) having or exercising sound judgment (When the judicious king decided to compromise rather than send his army to its certain death, he was applauded

incorrigible

(adj.) incapable of correction, delinquent (You can buy Grandma nicotine gum all you want, but I think that after sixty-five years of smoking she's incorrigible

inarticulate

(adj.) incapable of expressing oneself clearly through speech (Though he spoke for over an hour, the lecturer was completely inarticulate and the students had no idea what he was talking about

tangential

(adj.) incidental, peripheral, divergent (I tried to discuss my salary, but the boss kept veering off into tangential topics

emollient

(adj.) soothing (This emollient cream makes my skin very smooth

myriad

(adj.) consisting of a very great number (It was difficult to decide what to do Friday night because the city presented us with myriad possibilities for fun

orthodox

(adj.) conventional, conforming to established protocol (The company's profits dwindled because the management pursued orthodox business policies that were incompatible with new industrial trends

contemporaneous

(adj.) existing during the same time (Though her novels do not

rancid

(adj.) having a terrible taste or smell (Rob was double-dog-dared to eat the rancid egg salad sandwich

sovereign

(adj.) having absolute authority in a certain realm (The sovereign queen, with steely resolve, ordered that the traitorous nobleman be killed

multifarious

(adj.) having great diversity or variety (This Swiss Army knife has multifarious functions and capabilities. Among other things, it can act as a knife, a saw, a toothpick, and a slingshot

flagrant

(adj.) offensive, egregious (The judge's decision to set the man free simply because that man was his brother was a flagrant abuse of power

officious

(adj.) offering one's services when they are neither wanted nor needed (Brenda resented Allan's officious behavior when he selected colors that might best improve her artwork

antiquated

(adj.) old, out of date (That antiquated car has none of the features, like power windows and steering, that make modern cars so great

elated

(adj.) overjoyed, thrilled (When she found out she had won the lottery, the writer was elated

epistolary

(adj.) relating to or contained in letters (Some people call me "Auntie's boy," because my aunt and I have such a close epistolary relationship that we write each other every day

terrestrial

(adj.) relating to the land (Elephants are terrestrial animals

penitent

(adj.) remorseful, regretful (The jury's verdict may have been more lenient if the criminal had appeared penitent for his gruesome crimes

strenuous

(adj.) requiring tremendous energy or stamina (Running a marathon is quite a strenuous task. So is watching an entire Star Trek marathon

scathing

(adj.) sharp, critical, hurtful (Two hours after breaking up with Russell, Suzanne thought of the perfect scathing retort to his accusations

disparate

(adj.) sharply differing, containing sharply contrasting elements (Having widely varying interests, the students had disparate responses toward the novel

fickle

(adj.) shifting in character, inconstant (In Greek dramas, the fickle gods help Achilles one day, and then harm him the next

resplendent

(adj.) shiny, glowing (The partygoers were resplendent in diamonds and fancy dress

brusque

(adj.) short, abrupt, dismissive (The captain's brusque manner offended the passengers

sedentary

(adj.) sitting, settled (The sedentary cat did little but loll in the sun

fractious

(adj.) troublesome or irritable (Although the child insisted he wasn't tired, his fractious behavior—especially his decision to crush his cheese and crackers all over the floor—convinced everyone present that it was time to put him to bed

obscure

(adj.) unclear, partially hidden (Because he was standing in the shadows, his features were obscure

abject

(adj.) wretched, pitiful (After losing all her money, falling into a puddle, and breaking her ankle, Eloise was abject

apocryphal

(adj.) fictitious, false, wrong (Because I am standing before you, it seems obvious that the stories circulating about my demise were apocryphal

evanescent

(adj.) fleeting, momentary (My joy at getting promoted was evanescent

dour

(adj.)stern, joyless (The children feared their dour neighbor because the old man would take their toys if he believed they were being too loud

vehemently

(adv.) marked by intense force or emotion (The candidate vehemently opposed cutting back on Social Security funding

respite

(n.) a break, rest (Justin left the pub to gain a brief respite from the smoke and noise

bane

(n.) a burden (Advanced physics is the bane of many students' academic lives

artisan

(n.) a craftsman (The artisan uses wood to make walking sticks

alias

(n.) a false name or identity (He snuck past the guards by using an alias and fake ID

dearth

(n.) a lack, scarcity (An eager reader, she was dismayed by the dearth of classic books at the library

dirge

(n.) a mournful song, especially for a funeral (The bagpipers played a dirge as the casket was carried to the cemetery

antipathy

(n.) a strong dislike, repugnance (I know you love me, but because you are a liar and a thief, I feel nothing but antipathy for you

proclivity

(n.) a strong inclination toward something (In a sick twist of fate, Harold's childhood proclivity for torturing small animals grew into a desire to become a surgeon

veneer

(n.) a superficial or deceptively attractive appearance, façade (Thanks to her Chanel makeup, Shannen was able to maintain a veneer of perfection that hid the flaws underneath

confection

(n.) a sweet, fancy food (We went to the mall food court and purchased a delicious confection

maverick

(n.) an independent, nonconformist person (Andreas is a real maverick and always does things his own way

enmity

(n.) ill will, hatred, hostility (Mark and Andy have clearly not forgiven each other, because the enmity between them is obvious to anyone in their presence

approbation

(n.) praise (The crowd welcomed the heroes with approbation

antecedent

(n.) something that came before (The great tradition of Western culture had its antecedent in the culture of Ancient Greece

juxtaposition

(n.) the act of placing two things next to each other for implicit

rectitude

(n.) uprightness, extreme morality (The priest's rectitude gave him the moral authority to counsel his parishioners

concede

(v.) to accept as valid (Andrew had to concede that what his mother said about Diana made sense

attain

(v.) to achieve, arrive at (The athletes strived to attain their best times in competition

augment

(v.) to add to, expand (The eager student seeks to augment his knowledge of French vocabulary by reading French literature

denounce

(v.) to criticize publicly (The senator denounced her opponent as a greedy politician

allocate

(v.) to distribute, set aside (The Mayor allocated 30 percent of the funds for improving the town's schools

innovate

(v.) to do something in an unprecedented way (Because of the stiff competition, the company knew it needed to pour a lot of energy into innovating new and better products

placate

(v.) to ease the anger of, soothe (The man purchased a lollipop to placate his irritable son

assuage

(v.) to ease, pacify (The mother held the baby to assuage its fears

reciprocate

(v.) to give in return (When Steve gave Samantha a sweater for Christmas, she reciprocated by giving him a kiss

consign

(v.) to give something over to another's care (Unwillingly, he consigned his mother to a nursing home

forsake

(v.) to give up, renounce (My New Year's resolution is to forsake smoking and drinking

entail

(v.) to include as a necessary step (Building a new fence entails tearing down the old one

curtail

(v.) to lessen, reduce (Since losing his job, he had to curtail his spending

coerce

(v.) to make somebody do something by force or threat (The court decided that Vanilla Ice did not have to honor the contract because he had been coerced into signing it

disclose

(v.) to reveal, make public (The CEO disclosed to the press that the company would have to fire several employees

dispatch

(v.) to send off to accomplish a duty (The carpenter dispatched his assistant to fetch wood

imperative

1. (adj.) necessary, pressing (It is imperative that you have these folders organized by midday.) 2. (n.) a rule, command, or order (Her imperative to have the folders organized by midday was perceived as ridiculous by the others

abide

1. (v.) to put up with (Though he did not agree with the decision, Chuck decided to abide by it.) 2. (v.) to remain (Despite the beating they've taken from the weather throughout the millennia, the mountains abide

reconcile

1. (v.) to return to harmony (The feuding neighbors finally reconciled when one brought the other a delicious tuna noodle casserole.) 2. (v.) to make consistent with existing ideas (Alou had to reconcile his skepticism about the existence of aliens with the fact that he was looking at a flying saucer

diffuse

1. (v.) to scatter, thin out, break up (He diffused the tension in the room by making in a joke.) 2. (adj.) not concentrated, scattered, disorganized (In her writings, she tried unsuccessfully to make others understand her diffuse thoughts

disdain

1. (v.) to scorn, hold in low esteem (Insecure about their jobs, the older employees disdained the recently hired ones, who were young and capable.) 2. (n.) scorn, low esteem (After learning of his immoral actions, Justine held Lawrence in disdain

surmise

(v.) to infer with little evidence (After speaking to only one of the students, the teacher was able to surmise what had caused the fight

disperse

(v.) to scatter, cause to scatter (When the rain began to pour, the crowd at the baseball game quickly dispersed

rescind

(v.) to take back, repeal (The company rescinded its offer of employment after discovering that Jane's resume was full of lies

espouse

(v.) to take up as a cause, support (I love animals so much that I espouse animal rights

arrogate

(v.) to take without justification (The king arrogated the right to order executions to himself exclusively

precocious

(adj.) advanced, developing ahead of time (Derek was so academically precocious that by the time he was 10 years old, he was already in the ninth grade

philanthropic

(adj.) charitable, giving (Many people felt that the billionaire's decision to donate her fortune to house the homeless was the ultimate philanthropic act

quaint

(adj.) charmingly old-fashioned (Hilda was delighted by the quaint bonnets she saw in Amish country

variegated

(adj.) diversified, distinctly marked (Each wire in the engineering exam was variegated by color so that the students could figure out which one was which

dubious

(adj.) doubtful, of uncertain quality (Suspicious that he was only trying to get a raise, she found his praise dubious

gregarious

(adj.) drawn to the company of others, sociable (Well, if you're not gregarious, I don't know why you would want to go to a singles party!)

desiccated

(adj.) dried up, dehydrated (The skin of the desiccated mummy looked like old paper

wizened

(adj.) dry, shrunken, wrinkled (Agatha's grandmother, Stephanie, had the most wizened countenance, full of leathery wrinkles

tedious

(adj.) dull, boring (As time passed and the history professor continued to drone on and on, the lecture became increasingly tedious

insipid

(adj.) dull, boring (The play was so insipid, I fell asleep halfway through

efficacious

(adj.) effective (My doctor promised me that the cold medicine was efficacious, but I'm still sniffling

egregious

(adj.) extremely bad (The student who threw sloppy joes across the cafeteria was punished for his egregious behavior

pernicious

(adj.) extremely destructive or harmful (The new government feared that

jubilant

(adj.) extremely joyful, happy (The crowd was jubilant when the firefighter carried the woman from the flaming building

assiduous

(adj.) hard-working, diligent (The construction workers erected the skyscraper during two years of assiduous labor

deleterious

(adj.) harmful (She experienced the deleterious effects of running a marathon without stretching her muscles enough beforehand

defamatory

(adj.) harmful toward another's reputation (The defamatory gossip spreading about the actor made the public less willing to see the actor's new movie

noxious

(adj.) harmful, unwholesome (Environmentalists showed that the noxious weeds were destroying the insects' natural habitats

ecstatic

(adj.) intensely and overpoweringly happy (The couple was ecstatic when they learned that they had won the lottery

deliberate

(adj.) intentional, reflecting careful consideration (Though Mary was quite upset, her actions to resolve the dispute were deliberate

speculative

(adj.) not based in fact (Sadly, Tessa was convicted on merely speculative evidence

ingenuous

(adj.) not devious; innocent and candid (He must have writers, but his speeches seem so ingenuous it's hard to believe he's not speaking from his own heart

viscous

(adj.) not free flowing, syrupy (The viscous syrup took three minutes to pour out of the bottle

stingy

(adj.) not generous, not inclined to spend or give (Scrooge's stingy habits did not fit with the generous, giving spirit of Christmas

taciturn

(adj.) not inclined to talk (Though Jane never seems to stop talking, her brother is quite taciturn

trite

(adj.) not original, overused (Keith thought of himself as being very learned, but everyone else thought he was trite because his observations about the world were always the same as David Letterman's

reputable

(adj.) of good reputation (After the most reputable critic in the industry gave the novel a glowing review, sales took off

timorous

(adj.) timid, fearful (When dealing with the unknown, timorous Tallulah almost always broke into tears

medley

(n.) a mixture of differing things (Susannah's wardrobe contained an astonishing medley of colors, from olive green to fluorescent pink

nuance

(n.) a slight variation in meaning, tone, expression (The nuances of the poem were not obvious to the casual reader, but the professor was able to point them out

inclination

(n.) a tendency, propensity (Sarah has an inclination to see every foreign film she hears about, even when she's sure that she won't like it

excursion

(n.) a trip or outing (After taking an excursion to the Bronx Zoo, I dreamed about pandas and monkeys

mandate

(n.) an authoritative command (In the Old Testament, God mandates that no one should steal

affront

(n.) an insult (Bernardo was very touchy, and took any slight as an affront to his honor

compunction

(n.) distress caused by feeling guilty (He felt compunction for the shabby way he'd treated her

ardor

(n.) extreme vigor, energy, enthusiasm (The soldiers conveyed their ardor with impassioned battle cries

larceny

(n.) obtaining another's property by theft or trickery (When my car was not where I had left it, I realized that I was a victim of larceny

criteria

(n.) standards by which something is judged (Among Mrs. Fields's criteria for good cookies are that they be moist and chewy

nadir

(n.) the lowest point of something (My day was boring, but the nadir came when I accidentally spilled a bowl of spaghetti on my head

congruity

(n.) the quality of being in agreement (Bill and Veronica achieved a perfect congruity of opinion

immerse

(v.) to absorb, deeply involve, engross (After breaking up with her boyfriend, Nancy decided to immerse herself in her work in order to avoid crying

contravene

(v.) to contradict, oppose, violate (Edwidge contravened his landlady's rule against overnight guests

felicitous

1. (adj.) well suited, apt (While his comments were idiotic and rambling, mine

incumbent

1. (n.) one who holds an office (The incumbent senator is already serving his fifth term.) 2. (adj.) obligatory (It is incumbent upon this organization to offer aid to all who seek it

compound

1. (v.) to combine parts (The difficulty of finding a fire escape amid the smoke was compounded with the dangers posed by the panicking crowds.) 2. (n.) a combination of different parts (My attraction to Donna was a compound of curiosity about the unknown, physical desire, and intellectual admiration.) 3. (n.) a walled area containing a group of buildings (When the fighting started, Joseph rushed into the family compound because it was safe and well defended

attribute

1. (v.) to credit, assign (He attributes all of his success to his mother's undying encouragement.) 2. (n.) a facet or trait (Among the beetle's most peculiar attributes is its thorny protruding eyes

dissent

1. (v.) to disagree (The principal argued that the child should repeat the fourth grade, but the unhappy parents dissented.) 2. (n.) the act of disagreeing (Unconvinced that the defendant was guilty, the last juror voiced his dissent with the rest of the jury

dissipate

1. (v.) to disappear, cause to disappear (The sun finally came out and dissipated the haze.) 2. (v.) to waste (She dissipated her fortune on a series of bad investments

repulse

1. (v.) to disgust (Antisocial Annie tried to repulse people by neglecting to brush

cleave

1. (v.) to divide into parts (Following the scandalous disgrace of their leader, the entire political party cleaved into warring factions.) 2. (v.) to stick together firmly (After resolving their marital problems, Junior and Rosa cleaved to one another all the more tightly

impinge

1. (v.) to impact, affect, make an impression (The hail impinged the roof, leaving large dents.) 2. (v.) to encroach, infringe (I apologize for impinging upon you like this, but I really need to use your bathroom. Now

catalog

1. (v.) to list, enter into a list (The judge cataloged the victim's injuries before calculating how much money he would award.) 2. (n.) a list or collection (We received a catalog from J. Crew that displayed all of their new items

buffet

1. (v.) to strike with force (The strong winds buffeted the ships, threatening to

buttress

1. (v.) to support, hold up (The column buttresses the roof above the statue.) 2. (n.) something that offers support (The buttress supports the roof above the statues

regurgitate

1. (v.) to vomit (Feeling sick, Chuck regurgitated his dinner.) 2. (v.) to throw back exactly (Margaret rushed through the test, regurgitating all of the facts she'd memorized an hour earlier

resolve

1. (v.) to find a solution (Sarah and Emma resolved their differences and shook hands.) 2. (v.) to firmly decide (Lady Macbeth resolved to whip her husband into shape

battery

1.(n.) a device that supplies power (Most cars run on a combination of power from a battery and gasoline.) 2. (n.)assault, beating (Her husband was accused of assault and battery after he attacked a man on the sidewalk

libertarian

(adj.) advocating principles of liberty and free will (The dissatisfied subjects overthrew the monarch and replaced him with a libertarian ruler who respected their democratic principles

dogmatic

(adj.) aggressively and arrogantly certain about unproved principles (His dogmatic claim that men were better than women at fixing appliances angered everyone

palatable

(adj.) agreeable to the taste or sensibilities (Despite the unpleasant smell, the exotic cheese was quite palatable

equivocal

(adj.) ambiguous, uncertain, undecided (His intentions were so equivocal that I didn't know whether he was being chivalrous or sleazy

ostensible

(adj.) appearing as such, seemingly (Jack's ostensible reason for driving was that airfare was too expensive, but in reality, he was afraid of flying

fervent

(adj.) ardent, passionate (The fervent protestors chained themselves to the building and shouted all night long

chronological

(adj.) arranged in order of time (Lionel carefully arranged the snapshots of his former girlfriends in chronological order, and then set fire to them

flabbergasted

(adj.) astounded (Whenever I read an Agatha Christie mystery novel, I am always flabbergasted when I learn the identity of the murderer

cognizant

(adj.) aware, mindful (Jake avoided speaking to women in bars because he was cognizant of the fact that drinking impairs his judgment

complicit

(adj.) being an accomplice in a wrongful act (By keeping her daughter's affair a secret, Maddie became complicit in it

anonymous

(adj.) being unknown, unrecognized (Mary received a love poem from an anonymous admirer

plausible

(adj.) believable, reasonable (He studied all the data and then came up with a plausible theory that took all factors into account

solipsistic

(adj.) believing that oneself is all that exists (Colette's solipsistic attitude completely ignored the plight of the homeless people on the street

caustic

(adj.) bitter, biting, acidic (The politicians exchanged caustic insults for over an hour during the debate

concise

(adj.) brief and direct in expression (Gordon did not like to waste time, and his instructions to Brenda were nothing if not concise

cursory

(adj.) brief to the point of being superficial (Late for the meeting, she cast a cursory glance at the agenda

effervescent

(adj.) bubbly, lively (My friend is so effervescent that she makes everyone smile

onerous

(adj.) burdensome (My parents lamented that the pleasures of living in a beautiful country estate no longer outweighed the onerous mortgage payments

tranquil

(adj.) calm (There is a time of night when nothing moves and everything is tranquil

placid

(adj.) calm, peaceful (The placid lake surface was as smooth as glass

serene

(adj.) calm, untroubled (Louise stood in front of the Mona Lisa, puzzling over the famous woman's serene smile

2.

(adj.) capable of being proved or disproved by experiment (That all cats hate getting wet is an empirical statement: I can test it by bathing my cat, Trinket

malleable

(adj.) capable of being shaped or transformed (Maximillian's political opinions were so malleable that anyone he talked to was able to change his mind instantly

impudent

(adj.) casually rude, insolent, impertinent (The impudent young man looked the princess up and down and told her she was hot even though she hadn't asked him

divisive

(adj.) causing dissent, discord (Her divisive tactics turned her two friends against each other

circumspect

(adj.) cautious (Though I promised Rachel's father I would bring her home promptly by midnight, it would have been more circumspect not to have specified a time

colloquial

(adj.) characteristic of informal conversation (Adam's essay on sexual response in primates was marked down because it contained too many colloquial expressions

convivial

(adj.) characterized by feasting, drinking, merriment (The restaurant's convivial atmosphere put me immediately at ease

mercurial

(adj.) characterized by rapid change or temperamentality (Though he was widely respected for his mathematical proofs, the mercurial genius was impossible to live with

opulent

(adj.) characterized by rich abundance verging on ostentation (The opulent furnishings of the dictator's private compound contrasted harshly with the meager accommodations of her subjects

mawkish

(adj.) characterized by sick sentimentality (Although some nineteenth-century critics viewed Dickens's writing as mawkish, contemporary readers have found great emotional depth in his works

lucid

(adj.) clear, easily understandable (Because Guenevere's essay was so lucid, I only had to read it once to understand her reasoning

incisive

(adj.) clear, sharp, direct (The discussion wasn't going anywhere until her incisive comment allowed everyone to see what the true issues were

limpid

(adj.) clear, transparent (Mr. Johnson's limpid writing style greatly pleased readers who disliked complicated novels

ingenious

(adj.) clever, resourceful (Her ingenious use of walnuts instead of the peanuts called for by the recipe was lauded by the other garden club members who found her cake delicious

ribald

(adj.) coarsely, crudely humorous (While some giggled at the ribald joke involving a parson's daughter, most sighed and rolled their eyes

imperious

(adj.) commanding, domineering (The imperious nature of your manner led me to dislike you at once

elaborate

(adj.) complex, detailed, intricate (Dan always beats me at chess because he develops such an elaborate game plan that I can never predict his next move

mundane

(adj.) concerned with the world rather than with heaven, commonplace (He is more concerned with the mundane issues of day-to-day life than with spiritual topics

solicitous

(adj.) concerned, attentive (Jim, laid up in bed with a nasty virus, enjoyed the solicitous attentions of his mother, who brought him soup and extra blankets

pithy

(adj.) concisely meaningful (My father's long-winded explanation was a stark contrast to his usually pithy statements

commensurate

(adj.) corresponding in size or amount (Ahab selected a very long roll and proceeded to prepare a tuna salad sandwich commensurate with his enormous appetite

wily

(adj.) crafty, sly (Though they were not the strongest of the Thundercats, wily Kit and Kat were definitely the most clever and full of tricks

quotidian

(adj.) daily (Ambika's quotidian routines include drinking two cups of coffee in the morning

poignant

(adj.) deeply affecting, moving (My teacher actually cried after reading to us the poignant final chapter of the novel

lenient

(adj.) demonstrating tolerance or gentleness (Because Professor Oglethorpe allowed his students to choose their final grades, the other teachers believed that he was excessively lenient

pejorative

(adj.) derogatory, uncomplimentary (The evening's headline news covered an international scandal caused by a pejorative statement the famous senator had made in reference to a foreign leader

desolate

(adj.) deserted, dreary, lifeless (She found the desolate landscape quite a contrast to the hustle and bustle of the overcrowded city

culpable

(adj.) deserving blame (He was culpable of the crime, and was sentenced to perform community service for 75 years

venerable

(adj.) deserving of respect because of age or achievement (The venerable Supreme Court justice had made several key rulings in landmark cases throughout the years

reprehensible

(adj.) deserving rebuke (Jean's cruel and reprehensible attempt to dump her boyfriend on his birthday led to tears and recriminations

bereft

(adj.) devoid of, without (His family was bereft of food and shelter following the tornado

recalcitrant

(adj.) defiant, unapologetic (Even when scolded, the recalcitrant young girl simply stomped her foot and refused to finish her lima beans

intractable

(adj.) difficult to manipulate, unmanageable (There was no end in sight to the intractable conflict between the warring countries

haughty

(adj.) disdainfully proud (The superstar's haughty dismissal of her costars will backfire on her someday

perfidious

(adj.) disloyal, unfaithful (After the official was caught selling government secrets to enemy agents, he was executed for his perfidious ways

presumptuous

(adj.) disrespectfully bold (The princess grew angry after the presumptuous noble tried to kiss her, even though he was far below her in social status

profligate

(adj.) dissolute, extravagant (The profligate gambler loved to drink, spend money, steal, cheat, and hang out with prostitutes

oblique

(adj.) diverging from a straight line or course, not straightforward (Martin's oblique language confused those who listened to him

manifold

(adj.) diverse, varied (The popularity of Dante's Inferno is partly due to the fact that the work allows for manifold interpretations

pellucid

(adj.) easily intelligible, clear (Wishing his book to be pellucid to the common man, Albert Camus avoided using complicated grammar when composing The Stranger

trenchant

(adj.) effective, articulate, clear-cut (The directions that accompanied my new cell phone were trenchant and easy to follow

euphoric

(adj.) elated, uplifted (I was euphoric when I found out that my sister had given birth to twins

prurient

(adj.) eliciting or possessing an extraordinary interest in sex (David's mother

tantamount

(adj.) equivalent in value or significance (When it comes to sports, fearing your opponent is tantamount to losing

reprobate

(adj.) evil, unprincipled (The reprobate criminal sat sneering in the cell

superfluous

(adj.) exceeding what is necessary (Tracy had already won the campaign so her constant flattery of others was superfluous

exorbitant

(adj.) excessive (Her exorbitant praise made me blush and squirm in my seat

audacious

(adj.) excessively bold (The security guard was shocked by the fan's audacious attempt to offer him a bribe

brazen

(adj.) excessively bold, brash (Critics condemned the novelist's brazen attempt to plagiarize Hemingway's story

obsequious

(adj.) excessively compliant or submissive (Mark acted like Janet's servant, obeying her every request in an obsequious manner

bombastic

(adj.) excessively confident, pompous (The singer's bombastic performance disgusted the crowd

arid

(adj.) excessively dry (Little other than palm trees and cacti grow successfully in arid environments

ostentatious

(adj.) excessively showy, glitzy (On the palace tour, the guide focused on the ostentatious decorations and spoke little of the royal family's history

idolatrous

(adj.) excessively worshipping one object or person (Xena's idolatrous fawning over the band—following them on tour, starting their fan club, filming their documentary—is really beginning to get on my nerves

ubiquitous

(adj.) existing everywhere, widespread (It seems that everyone in the United States has a television. The technology is ubiquitous here

extant

(adj.) existing, not destroyed or lost (My mother's extant love letters to my father are in the attic trunk

vicarious

(adj.) experiencing through another (All of my lame friends learned to be social through vicarious involvement in my amazing experiences

tacit

(adj.) expressed without words (I interpreted my parents' refusal to talk as a tacit acceptance of my request

eloquent

(adj.) expressive, articulate, moving (The priest gave such an eloquent sermon that most churchgoers were crying

ebullient

(adj.) extremely lively, enthusiastic (She became ebullient upon receiving an acceptance letter from her first-choice college

spurious

(adj.) false but designed to seem plausible (Using a spurious argument, John convinced the others that he had won the board game on a technicality

whimsical

(adj.) fanciful, full of whims (The whimsical little girl liked to pretend that she was an elvin princess

propitious

(adj.) favorable (The dark storm clouds visible on the horizon suggested that the weather would not be propitious for sailing

benign

(adj.) favorable, not threatening, mild (We were all relieved to hear that the

tremulous

(adj.) fearful (I always feel a trifle tremulous when walking through a graveyard

disheartened

(adj.) feeling a loss of spirit or morale (The team was disheartened after losing in the finals of the tournament

despondent

(adj.) feeling depressed, discouraged, hopeless (Having failed the first math test, the despondent child saw no use in studying for the next and failed that one too

zealous

(adj.) fervent, filled with eagerness in pursuit of something (If he were any more zealous about getting his promotion, he'd practically live at the office

illicit

(adj.) forbidden, not permitted (The fourth-grader learned many illicit words from a pamphlet that was being passed around school

compelling

(adj.) forceful, demanding attention (Eliot's speech was so compelling that Lenore accepted his proposal on the spot

ominous

(adj.) foreboding or foreshadowing evil (The fortuneteller's ominous words flashed through my mind as the hooded figure approached me in the alley

amiable

(adj.) friendly (An amiable fellow, Harry got along with just about everyone

amicable

(adj.) friendly (Claudia and Jimmy got divorced, but amicably and without hard feelings

genial

(adj.) friendly, affable (Although he's been known to behave like a real jerk, I would say that my brother is an overall genial guy

conciliatory

(adj.) friendly, agreeable (I took Amanda's invitation to dinner as a very conciliatory gesture

fecund

(adj.) fruitful, fertile (The fecund tree bore enough apples to last us through the entire season

wistful

(adj.) full of yearning; musingly sad (Since her pet rabbit died, Edda missed it terribly and sat around wistful all day long

replete

(adj.) full, abundant (The unedited version was replete with naughty words

garish

(adj.) gaudy, in bad taste (Mrs. Watson has poor taste and covers every object in her house with a garish gold lamé

lurid

(adj.) ghastly, sensational (Gideon's story, in which he described a character torturing his sister's dolls, was judged too lurid to be printed in the school's literary magazine

morose

(adj.) gloomy or sullen (Jason's morose nature made him very unpleasant to talk to

divine

(adj.) godly, exceedingly wonderful (Terribly fond of desserts, she found the rich chocolate cake to be divine

lithe

(adj.) graceful, flexible, supple (Although the dancers were all outstanding, Jae Sun's control of her lithe body was particularly impressive

paramount

(adj.) greatest in importance, rank, character (It was paramount that the bomb squad disconnect the blue wire before removing the fuse

harrowing

(adj.) greatly distressing, vexing (The car crash was a harrowing experience, but I have a feeling that the increase in my insurance premiums will be even more upsetting

verdant

(adj.) green in tint or color (The verdant leaves on the trees made the world look emerald

negligent

(adj.) habitually careless, neglectful (Jessie's grandfather called me a negligent fool after I left the door to his apartment unlocked even though there had been a recent string of robberies

fortuitous

(adj.) happening by chance, often lucky or fortunate (After looking for Manuel and not finding him at home, Harriet had a fortuitous encounter with him at the post office

innocuous

(adj.) harmless, inoffensive (In spite of their innocuous appearance, these mushrooms are actually quite poisonous

fetid

(adj.) having a foul odor (I can tell from the fetid smell in your refrigerator that your milk has spoiled

nonchalant

(adj.) having a lack of concern, indifference (Although deep down she was very angry, Marsha acted in a nonchalant manner when she found out that her best friend had used her clothing without asking

mendacious

(adj.) having a lying, false character (The mendacious content of the tabloid magazines is at least entertaining

pungent

(adj.) having a pointed, sharp quality—often used to describe smells

contentious

(adj.) having a tendency to quarrel or dispute (George's contentious personality made him unpopular with his classmates

tenuous

(adj.) having little substance or strength (Your argument is very tenuous, since it relies so much on speculation and hearsay

corrosive

(adj.) having the tendency to erode or eat away (The effect of the chemical was highly corrosive

ethereal

(adj.) heavenly, exceptionally delicate or refined (In her flowing silk gown and lace veil, the bride looked ethereal

nefarious

(adj.) heinously villainous (Although Dr. Meanman's nefarious plot to melt the polar icecaps was terrifying, it was so impractical that nobody really worried about it

accommodating

(adj.) helpful, obliging, polite (Though the apartment was not big enough for three people, Arnold, Mark, and Zebulon were all friends and were accommodating to each other

latent

(adj.) hidden, but capable of being exposed (Sigmund's dream represented his latent paranoid obsession with other people's shoes

sacrosanct

(adj.) holy, something that should not be criticized (In the United States, the Constitution is often thought of as a sacrosanct document

inextricable

(adj.) hopelessly tangled or entangled (Unless I look at the solution manual, I have no way of solving this inextricable problem

inimical

(adj.) hostile, enemylike (I don't see how I could ever work for a company that was so cold and inimical to me during my interviews

ignominious

(adj.) humiliating, disgracing (It was really ignominious to be kicked out of the dorm for having an illegal gas stove in my room

quixotic

(adj.) idealistic, impractical (Edward entertained a quixotic desire to fall in love at first sight in a laundromat

sophomoric

(adj.) immature, uninformed (The mature senior rolled her eyes at the sophomoric gross-out humor of the underclassman

destitute

(adj.) impoverished, utterly lacking (The hurricane destroyed many homes and left many families destitute

lethargic

(adj.) in a state of sluggishness or apathy (When Jean Claude explained to his boss that he was lethargic and didn't feel like working that day, the boss fired him

consonant

(adj.) in harmony (The singers' consonant voices were beautiful

implacable

(adj.) incapable of being appeased or mitigated (Watch out: once you shun Grandma's cooking, she is totally implacable

inexorable

(adj.) incapable of being persuaded or placated (Although I begged for hours, Mom was inexorable and refused to let me stay out all night after the prom

insatiable

(adj.) incapable of being satisfied (My insatiable appetite for melons can be a real problem in the winter

irrevocable

(adj.) incapable of being taken back (The Bill of Rights is an irrevocable part of American law

fallacious

(adj.) incorrect, misleading (Emily offered me cigarettes on the fallacious assumption that I smoked

cumulative

(adj.) increasing, building upon itself (The cumulative effect of hours spent in the sun was a deep tan

incontrovertible

(adj.) indisputable (Only stubborn Tina would attempt to disprove the incontrovertible laws of physics

cogent

(adj.) intellectually convincing (Irene's arguments in favor of abstinence were so cogent that I could not resist them

remedial

(adj.) intended to repair gaps in students' basic knowledge (After his teacher discovered he couldn't read, Alex was forced to enroll in remedial English

daunting

(adj.) intimidating, causing one to lose courage (He kept delaying the daunting act of asking for a promotion

convoluted

(adj.) intricate, complicated (Grace's story was so convoluted that I couldn't follow it

punitive

(adj.) involving punishment (If caught smoking in the boys' room, the punitive result is immediate expulsion from school

sensuous

(adj.) involving sensory gratification (Paul found drinking Coke, with all the little bubbles bursting on his tongue, a very sensuous experience

sensual

(adj.) involving sensory gratification, usually related to sex (With a coy smile, the guest on the blind-date show announced that he considered himself a very sensual person

extraneous

(adj.) irrelevant, extra, not necessary (Personal political ambitions should always remain extraneous to legislative policy, but, unfortunately, they rarely are

puerile

(adj.) juvenile, immature (The judge demanded order after the lawyer's puerile attempt to object by stomping his feet on the courtroom floor

vacuous

(adj.) lack of content or ideas, stupid (Beyonce realized that the lyrics she had just penned were completely vacuous and tried to add more substance

nondescript

(adj.) lacking a distinctive character (I was surprised when I saw the movie star in person because she looked nondescript

pallid

(adj.) lacking color (Dr. Van Helsing feared that Lucy's pallid complexion was due to an unexplained loss of blood

oblivious

(adj.) lacking consciousness or awareness of something (Oblivious to the burning smell emanating from the kitchen, my father did not notice that the rolls in the oven were burned until much too late

obtuse

(adj.) lacking quickness of sensibility or intellect (Political opponents warned that the prime minister's obtuse approach to foreign policy would embroil the nation in mindless war

indolent

(adj.) lazy (Why should my indolent children, who can't even pick themselves up off the couch to pour their own juice, be rewarded with a trip to the mall?)

erudite

(adj.) learned (My Latin teacher is such an erudite scholar that he has translated some of the most difficult and abstruse ancient poetry

torpid

(adj.) lethargic, dormant, lacking motion (The torpid whale floated, wallowing in the water for hours

profane

(adj.) lewd, indecent (Jacob's profane act of dumping frogs in the holy water in the chapel at his boarding school resulted in his dismissal

diaphanous

(adj.) light, airy, transparent (Sunlight poured in through the diaphanous curtains, brightening the room

flaccid

(adj.) limp, not firm or strong (If a plant is not watered enough, its leaves become droopy and flaccid

vivacious

(adj.) lively, sprightly (The vivacious clown makes all of the children laugh and giggle with his friendly antics

execrable

(adj.) loathsome, detestable (Her pudding is so execrable that it makes me sick

coherent

(adj.) logically consistent, intelligible (Renee could not figure out what Monroe had seen because he was too distraught to deliver a coherent statement

forlorn

(adj.) lonely, abandoned, hopeless (Even though I had the flu, my family decided to go skiing for the weekend and leave me home alone, feeling feverish and forlorn

boisterous

(adj.) loud and full of energy (The candidate won the vote after giving several boisterous speeches on television

vociferous

(adj.) loud, boisterous (I'm tired of his vociferous whining so I'm breaking up with him

succinct

(adj.) marked by compact precision (The governor's succinct speech energized the crowd while the mayor's rambled on and on

benevolent

(adj.) marked by goodness or doing good (Police officers should be commended for their benevolent service to the community

circumscribed

(adj.) marked off, bounded (The children were permitted to play tag only within a carefully circumscribed area of the lawn

fastidious

(adj.) meticulous, demanding, having high and often unattainable standards (Mark is so fastidious that he is never able to finish a project because it always seems imperfect to him

enigmatic

(adj.) mystifying, cryptic (That man wearing the dark suit and dark glasses is so enigmatic that no one even knows his name

remiss

(adj.) negligent, failing to take care (The burglar gained entrance because the security guard, remiss in his duties, forgot to lock the door

penultimate

(adj.) next to last (Having smoked the penultimate cigarette remaining in the pack, Cybil discarded the last cigarette and resolved to quit smoking

obsolete

(adj.) no longer used, out of date (With the inventions of tape decks and CDs, which both have better sound and are easier to use, eight-track players are now entirely obsolete

magnanimous

(adj.) noble, generous (Although I had already broken most of her dishes, Jacqueline was magnanimous enough to continue letting me use them

obstreperous

(adj.) noisy, unruly (Billy's obstreperous behavior prompted the librarian to ask him to leave the reading room

discordant

(adj.) not agreeing, not in harmony with (The girls' sobs were a discordant sound amid the general laughter that filled the restaurant

devious

(adj.) not straightforward, deceitful (Not wanting to be punished, the devious girl blamed the broken vase on the cat

inept

(adj.) not suitable or capable, unqualified (She proved how inept she was when she forgot three orders and spilled a beer in a customer's lap

atypical

(adj.) not typical, unusual (Screaming and crying is atypical adult behavior

obstinate

(adj.) not yielding easily, stubborn (The obstinate child refused to leave the store until his mother bought him a candy bar

accessible

(adj.) obtainable, reachable (After studying with SparkNotes and getting a great score on the SAT, Marlena happily realized that her goal of getting into an Ivy-League college was accessible

swarthy

(adj.) of dark color or complexion (When he got drunk, Robinson's white skin became rather swarthy

frivolous

(adj.) of little importance, trifling (Someday, all that anxiety about whether your zit will disappear before the prom will seem totally frivolous

uncanny

(adj.) of supernatural character or origin (Luka had an uncanny ability to know exactly what other people were thinking. She also had an uncanny ability to shoot fireballs from her hands

grandiose

(adj.) on a magnificent or exaggerated scale (Margaret planned a grandiose party, replete with elephants, trapeze artists, and clowns

seminal

(adj.) original, important, creating a field (Stephen Greenblatt's essays on Shakespeare proved to be seminal, because they initiated the critical school of New Historicism

indigenous

(adj.) originating in a region (Some fear that these plants, which are not indigenous to the region, may choke out the vegetation that is native to the area

transient

(adj.) passing through briefly; passing into and out of existence (Because virtually everyone in Palm Beach is a tourist, the population of the town is quite transient

idiosyncratic

(adj.) peculiar to one person; highly individualized (I know you had trouble with the last test, but because your mistakes were highly idiosyncratic, I'm going to deny your request that the class be given a new test

contrite

(adj.) penitent, eager to be forgiven (Blake's contrite behavior made it impossible to stay angry at him

repentant

(adj.) penitent, sorry (The repentant Dennis apologized profusely for breaking his mother's vase

prosaic

(adj.) plain, lacking liveliness (Heather's prosaic recital of the poem bored the audience

congenial

(adj.) pleasantly agreeable (His congenial manner made him popular wherever he went

pragmatic

(adj.) practical (The politician argued that while increased security measures might not fit with the lofty ideals of the nation, they were a pragmatic necessity to ensure everyone's safety

ascetic

(adj.) practicing restraint as a means of self-discipline, usually religious (The priest lives an ascetic life devoid of television, savory foods, and other pleasures

copious

(adj.) profuse, abundant (Copious amounts of Snapple were imbibed in the cafeteria

pugnacious

(adj.) quarrelsome, combative (Aaron's pugnacious nature led him to start several barroom brawls each month

agile

(adj.) quick, nimble (The dogs were too slow to catch the agile rabbit

demure

(adj.) quiet, modest, reserved (Though everyone else at the party was dancing and going crazy, she remained demure

effulgent

(adj.) radiant, splendorous (The golden palace was effulgent

impetuous

(adj.) rash; hastily done (Hilda's hasty slaying of the king was an impetuous, thoughtless action

patent

(adj.) readily seen or understood, clear (The reason for Jim's abdominal pain was made patent after the doctor performed a sonogram

compliant

(adj.) ready to adapt oneself to another's wishes (Sue had very strong opinions about what to do on a first date, and Ted was absolutely compliant

truculent

(adj.) ready to fight, cruel (This club doesn't really attract the dangerous types, so why was that bouncer being so truculent?)

disaffected

(adj.) rebellious, resentful of authority (Dismayed by Bobby's poor behavior, the parents sent their disaffected son to a military academy to be disciplined

intransigent

(adj.) refusing to compromise, often on an extreme opinion (The intransigent child said he would have 12 scoops of ice cream, or he would bang his head against the wall until his mother fainted from fear

cerebral

(adj.) related to the intellect (The books we read in this class are too cerebral— they don't engage my emotions at all

utilitarian

(adj.) relating to or aiming at usefulness (The beautiful, fragile vase couldn't hold flowers or serve any other utilitarian purpose

impregnable

(adj.) resistant to capture or penetration (Though the invaders used battering rams, catapults, and rain dances, the fortress proved impregnable and resisted all attacks

hallowed

(adj.) revered, consecrated (In the hallowed corridors of the cathedral, the disturbed professor felt himself to be at peace

hardy

(adj.) robust, capable of surviving through adverse conditions (I too would have expected the plants to be dead by mid-November, but apparently they're very hardy

commodious

(adj.) roomy (Holden invited the three women to join him in the back seat of the taxicab, assuring them that the car was quite commodious

putrid

(adj.) rotten, foul (Those rotten eggs smell putrid

circuitous

(adj.) roundabout (The bus's circuitous route took us through numerous outlying suburbs

impertinent

(adj.) rude, insolent (Most of your comments are so impertinent that I don't wish to dignify them with an answer

clandestine

(adj.) secret (Announcing to her boyfriend that she was going to the gym, Sophie actually went to meet Joseph for a clandestine liaison

furtive

(adj.) secretive, sly (Jane's placement of her drugs in her sock drawer was not as furtive as she thought, as the sock drawer is the first place most parents look

covert

(adj.) secretly engaged in (Nerwin waged a covert campaign against his enemies, while outwardly appearing to remain friendly

inviolable

(adj.) secure from assault (Nobody was ever able to break into Batman's inviolable Batcave

staid

(adj.) sedate, serious, self-restrained (The staid butler never changed his expression no matter what happened

insular

(adj.) separated and narrow-minded; tight-knit, closed off (Because of the sensitive nature of their jobs, those who work for the CIA must remain insular and generally only spend time with each other

heinous

(adj.) shockingly wicked, repugnant (The killings were made all the more heinous by the fact that the murderer first tortured his victims for three days

ephemeral

(adj.) short-lived, fleeting (She promised she'd love me forever, but her "forever" was only ephemeral: she left me after one week

diligent

(adj.) showing care in doing one's work (The diligent researcher made sure to check her measurements multiple times

perfunctory

(adj.) showing little interest or enthusiasm (The radio broadcaster announced the news of the massacre in a surprisingly perfunctory manner

amorous

(adj.) showing love, particularly sexual (Whenever Albert saw Mariah wear her slinky red dress, he began to feel quite amorous

iridescent

(adj.) showing rainbow colors (The bride's large diamond ring was iridescent in the afternoon sun

deferential

(adj.) showing respect for another's authority (His deferential attitude toward her made her more confident in her ability to run the company

canny

(adj.) shrewd, careful (The canny runner hung at the back of the pack through much of the race to watch the other runners, and then sprinted past them at the end

perspicacity

(adj.) shrewdness, perceptiveness (The detective was too humble to acknowledge that his perspicacity was the reason for his professional success

bashful

(adj.) shy, excessively timid (Frankie's mother told him not to be bashful when he refused to attend the birthday party

cloying

(adj.) sickeningly sweet (Though Ronald was physically attractive, Maud found his constant compliments and solicitous remarks cloying

saccharine

(adj.) sickeningly sweet (Tom's saccharine manner, although intended to make him popular, actually repelled his classmates

salient

(adj.) significant, conspicuous (One of the salient differences between Alison and Nancy is that Alison is a foot taller

inane

(adj.) silly and meaningless (Some films are so inane that the psychology of the characters makes absolutely no sense

fatuous

(adj.) silly, foolish (He considers himself a serious poet, but in truth, he only writes fatuous limericks

analogous

(adj.) similar to, so that an analogy can be drawn (Though they are unrelated genetically, the bone structure of whales and fish is quite analogous

deft

(adj.) skillful, capable (Having worked in a bakery for many years, Marcus was a deft bread maker

adroit

(adj.) skillful, dexterous (The adroit thief could pick someone's pocket without attracting notice

dormant

(adj.) sleeping, temporarily inactive (Though she pretended everything was fine, her anger lay dormant throughout the dinner party and exploded in screams of rage after everyone had left

somnolent

(adj.) sleepy, drowsy (The somnolent student kept falling asleep and waking up with a jerk

languid

(adj.) sluggish from fatigue or weakness (In the summer months, the great heat makes people languid and lazy

cunning

(adj.) sly, clever at being deceitful (The general devised a cunning plan to surprise the enemy

diminutive

(adj.) small or miniature (The bullies, tall and strong, picked on the diminutive child

unctuous

(adj.) smooth or greasy in texture, appearance, manner (The unctuous receptionist seemed untrustworthy, as if she was only being helpful because she thought we might give her a big tip

decorous

(adj.) socially proper, appropriate (The appreciative guest displayed decorous behavior toward his host

reclusive

(adj.) solitary, shunning society (Reclusive authors such as J.D. Salinger do not relish media attention and sometimes even enjoy holing up in remote cabins in the woods

aerial

(adj.) somehow related to the air (We watched as the fighter planes conducted aerial maneuvers

pacific

(adj.) soothing (The chemistry professor's pacific demeanor helped the class remain calm after the experiment exploded

scintillating

(adj.) sparkling (The ice skater's scintillating rhinestone costume nearly blinded the judges

surreptitious

(adj.) stealthy (The surreptitious CIA agents were able to get in and out of the house without anyone noticing

impassive

(adj.) stoic, not susceptible to suffering (Stop being so impassive; it's healthy to cry every now and then

inveterate

(adj.) stubbornly established by habit (I'm the first to admit that I'm an inveterate coffee drinker—I drink four cups a day

pertinacious

(adj.) stubbornly persistent (Harry's parents were frustrated with his

capricious

(adj.) subject to whim, fickle (The young girl's capricious tendencies made it difficult for her to focus on achieving her goals

potable

(adj.) suitable for drinking (During sea voyages it is essential that ships carry a supply of potable water because salty ocean water makes anyone who drinks it sick

arable

(adj.) suitable for growing crops (The farmer purchased a plot of arable land on which he will grow corn and sprouts

preponderance

(adj.) superiority in importance or quantity (Britain's preponderance of naval might secured the nation's role as a military power

hypothetical

(adj.) supposed or assumed true, but unproven (Even though it has been celebrated by seven major newspapers, that the drug will be a success when tested in humans is still hypothetical

figurative

(adj.) symbolic (Using figurative language, Jane likened the storm to an angry bull

garrulous

(adj.) talkative, wordy (Some talk show hosts are so garrulous that their guests can't get a word in edgewise

archetypal

(adj.) the most representative or typical example of something (Some believe George Washington, with his flowing white hair and commanding stature, was the archetypal politician

frugal

(adj.) thrifty, economical (Richard is so frugal that his diet consists almost exclusively of catfish and chicken liver—the two most inexpensive foods in the store

prescient

(adj.) to have foreknowledge of events (Questioning the fortune cookie's prediction, Ray went in search of the old hermit who was rumored to be prescient

nominal

(adj.) trifling, insignificant (Because he was moving the following week and needed to get rid of his furniture more than he needed money, Jordan sold everything for a nominal fee

gratuitous

(adj.) uncalled for, unwarranted (Every morning the guy at the donut shop gives me a gratuitous helping of ketchup packets

ambiguous

(adj.) uncertain, variably interpretable (Some people think Caesar married Cleopatra for her power, others believe he was charmed by her beauty. His actual reasons are ambiguous

implicit

(adj.) understood but not outwardly obvious, implied (I know Professor Smith didn't actually say not to write from personal experience, but I think such a message was implicit in her instruction to use scholarly sources

incessant

(adj.) unending (We wanted to go outside and play, but the incessant rain kept us indoors for two days

inchoate

(adj.) unformed or formless, in a beginning stage (The country's government is still inchoate and, because it has no great tradition, quite unstable

phlegmatic

(adj.) uninterested, unresponsive (Monique feared her dog was ill after the animal's phlegmatic response to his favorite chew toy

hackneyed

(adj.) unoriginal, trite (A girl can only hear "I love you" so many times before it begins to sound hackneyed and meaningless

noisome

(adj.) unpleasant, offensive, especially to the sense of smell (Nobody would enter the stalls until the horse's noisome leavings were taken away

obdurate

(adj.) unyielding to persuasion or moral influences (The obdurate old man refused to take pity on the kittens

exigent

(adj.) urgent, critical (The patient has an exigent need for medication, or else he will lose his sight

vindictive

(adj.) vengeful (The vindictive madman seeks to exact vengeance for any insult that he perceives is directed at him, no matter how small

astute

(adj.) very clever, crafty (Much of Roger's success in politics results from his ability to provide astute answers to reporters' questions

indigent

(adj.) very poor, impoverished (I would rather donate money to help the indigent population than to the park sculpture fund

capacious

(adj.) very spacious (The workers delighted in their new capacious office space

emaciated

(adj.) very thin, enfeebled looking (My sister eats a lot of pastries and chocolate but still looks emaciated

scurrilous

(adj.) vulgar, coarse (When Bruno heard the scurrilous accusation being made about him, he could not believe it because he always tried to be nice to everyone

nomadic

(adj.) wandering from place to place (In the first six months after college, Jose led a nomadic life, living in New York, California, and Idaho

malevolent

(adj.) wanting harm to befall others (The malevolent old man sat in the park all day, tripping unsuspecting passersby with his cane

cordial

(adj.) warm, affectionate (His cordial greeting melted my anger at once

maudlin

(adj.) weakly sentimental (Although many people enjoy romantic comedies, I usually find them maudlin and shallow

notorious

(adj.) widely and unfavorably known (Jacob was notorious for always arriving late at parties

feral

(adj.) wild, savage (That beast looks so feral that I would fear being alone with it

interminable

(adj.) without possibility of end (The fact that biology lectures came just before lunch made them seem interminable

verbose

(adj.) wordy, impaired by wordiness (It took the verbose teacher two hours to explain the topic, while it should have taken only fifteen minutes

meritorious

(adj.) worthy of esteem or reward (Manfred was given the congressional medal of honor for his meritorious actions

resolute

(adj.) firm, determined (With a resolute glint in her eye, Catherine announced that she was set on going to college in New York City even though she was a little frightened of tall buildings

pliable

(adj.) flexible (Aircraft wings are designed to be somewhat pliable so they do not break in heavy turbulence

pert

(adj.) flippant, bold (My parents forgave Sandra's pert humor at the dinner table because it had been so long since they had last seen her

florid

(adj.) flowery, ornate (The writer's florid prose belongs on a sentimental Hallmark card

protean

(adj.)able to change shape; displaying great variety (Among Nigel's protean talents was his ability to touch the tip of his nose with his tongue

corpulence

(adj.)extreme fatness (Henry's corpulence did not make him any less attractive to his charming, svelte wife

malediction

(n.) a curse (When I was arrested for speeding, I screamed maledictions against the policeman and the entire police department

aspersion

(n.) a curse, expression of ill-will (The rival politicians repeatedly cast aspersions on each others' integrity

anathema

(n.) a cursed, detested person (I never want to see that murderer. He is an anathema to me

laceration

(n.) a cut, tear (Because he fell off his bike into a rosebush, the paperboy's skin was covered with lacerations

requisition

(n.) a demand for goods, usually made by an authority (During the war, the government made a requisition of supplies

maelstrom

(n.) a destructive whirlpool which rapidly sucks in objects (Little did the explorers know that as they turned the next bend of the calm river a vicious maelstrom would catch their boat

pathology

(n.) a deviation from the normal (Dr. Hastings had difficulty identifying the precise nature of Brian's pathology

quagmire

(n.) a difficult situation (We'd all like to avoid the kind of military quagmire characterized by the Vietnam War

debacle

(n.) a disastrous failure, disruption (The elaborately designed fireworks show turned into a debacle when the fireworks started firing in random directions

altercation

(n.) a dispute, fight (Jason and Lionel blamed one another for the car accident, leading to an altercation

partisan

(n.) a follower, adherent (The king did not believe that his rival could round up enough partisans to overthrow the monarchy

congregation

(n.) a gathering of people, especially for religious services (The priest told the congregation that he would be retiring

confluence

(n.) a gathering together (A confluence of different factors made tonight the perfect night

zephyr

(n.) a gentle breeze (If not for the zephyrs that were blowing and cooling us, our room would've been unbearably hot.)

boon

(n.) a gift or blessing (The good weather has been a boon for many businesses located near the beach

colossus

(n.) a gigantic statue or thing (For 56 years, the ancient city of Rhodes featured a colossus standing astride its harbor

salutation

(n.) a greeting (Andrew regularly began letters with the bizarre salutation "Ahoy ahoy.")

travesty

(n.) a grossly inferior imitation (According to the school newspaper's merciless theater critic, Pacific Coast High's rendition of the musical Oklahoma was a travesty of the original

demagogue

(n.) a leader who appeals to a people's prejudices (The demagogue strengthened his hold over his people by blaming immigrants for the lack of jobs

tirade

(n.) a long speech marked by harsh or biting language (Every time Jessica was late, her boyfriend went into a long tirade about punctuality

ballad

(n.) a love song (Greta's boyfriend played her a ballad on the guitar during their walk through the dark woods

vestige

(n.) a mark or trace of something lost or vanished (Do you know if the Mexican tortilla is a vestige of some form of Aztec corn-based flat bread?)

forum

(n.) a medium for lecture or discussion (Some radio talk-shows provide a good forum for political debate

caucus

(n.) a meeting usually held by people working toward the same goal (The ironworkers held a caucus to determine how much of a pay increase they would request

bourgeois

(n.) a middle-class person, capitalist (Many businessmen receive criticism for their bourgeois approach to life

aversion

(n.) a particular dislike for something (Because he's from Hawaii, Ben has an aversion to autumn, winter, and cold climates in general

aisle

(n.) a passageway between rows of seats (Once we got inside the stadium we walked down the aisle to our seats

epitome

(n.) a perfect example, embodiment (My mother, the epitome of good taste, always dresses more elegantly than I do

quandary

(n.) a perplexed, unresolvable state (Carlos found himself in a quandary: should he choose mint chocolate chip or cookie dough?)

confidant

(n.) a person entrusted with secrets (Shortly after we met, she became my chief confidant

conduit

(n.) a pipe or channel through which something passes (The water flowed through the conduit into the container

bard

(n.) a poet, often a singer as well (Shakespeare is often considered the greatest bard

predilection

(n.) a preference or inclination for something (Francois has a predilection for eating scrambled eggs with ketchup, though I prefer to eat eggs without any condiments

artifact

(n.) a remaining piece from an extinct culture or place (The scientists spent all day searching the cave for artifacts from the ancient Mayan civilization

panacea

(n.) a remedy for all ills or difficulties (Doctors wish there was a single panacea for every disease, but sadly there is not

cadence

(n.) a rhythm, progression of sound (The pianist used the foot pedal to emphasize the cadence of the sonata

parody

(n.) a satirical imitation (A hush fell over the classroom when the teacher returned to find Deborah acting out a parody of his teaching style

modicum

(n.) a small amount of something (Refusing to display even a modicum of sensitivity, Henrietta announced her boss's affair in front of the entire office

oration

(n.) a speech delivered in a formal or ceremonious manner (The prime minister was visibly shaken when the unruly parliament interrupted his oration about failed domestic policies

elegy

(n.) a speech given in honor of a dead person (At the funeral, the widow gave a moving elegy describing her love for her husband

disrepute

(n.) a state of being held in low regard (The officer fell into disrepute after it was learned that he had disobeyed the orders he had given to his own soldiers

hierarchy

(n.) a system with ranked groups, usually according to social, economic, or professional class (Women found it very difficult to break into the upper ranks of the department's hierarchy

reprieve

(n.) a temporary delay of punishment (Because the governor woke up in a particularly good mood, he granted hundreds of reprieves to prisoners

bias

(n.) a tendency, inclination, prejudice (The judge's hidden bias against smokers led him to make an unfair decision

penchant

(n.) a tendency, partiality, preference (Jill's dinner parties quickly became monotonous on account of her penchant for Mexican dishes

ruse

(n.) a trick (Oliver concocted an elaborate ruse for sneaking out of the house to meet his girlfriend while simultaneously giving his mother the impression that he was asleep in bed

dialect

(n.) a variation of a language (In the country's remote, mountainous regions, the inhabitants spoke a dialect that the country's other inhabitants had difficulty understanding

pittance

(n.) a very small amount, especially relating to money (Josh complained that he was paid a pittance for the great amount of work he did at the firm

semaphore

(n.) a visual signal (Anne and Diana communicated with a semaphore involving candles and window shades

morass

(n.) a wet swampy bog; figuratively, something that traps and confuses (When Theresa lost her job, she could not get out of her financial morass

chaos

(n.) absolute disorder (Mr. Thornton's sudden departure for the lavatory plunged his classroom into chaos

plenitude

(n.) an abundance (My grandmother was overwhelmed by the plenitude of tomatoes her garden yielded this season

plethora

(n.) an abundance, excess (The wedding banquet included a plethora of oysters piled almost three feet high

consolation

(n.) an act of comforting (Darren found Alexandra's presence to be a consolation for his suffering

paradox

(n.) an apparently contradictory statement that is perhaps true (The diplomat refused to acknowledge the paradox that negotiating a peace treaty would demand more resources than waging war

calumny

(n.) an attempt to spoil someone else's reputation by spreading lies (The local official's calumny ended up ruining his opponent's prospect of winning the election

constituent

(n.) an essential part (The most important constituent of her perfume is something called ambergris

calamity

(n.) an event with disastrous consequences (The earthquake in San Francisco was a calamity worse than any other natural disaster in history

paradigm

(n.) an example that is a perfect pattern or model (Because the new SUV was so popular, it became the paradigm upon which all others were modeled

compliment

(n.) an expression of esteem or approval (I blushed crimson when Emma gave me a compliment on my new haircut

condolence

(n.) an expression of sympathy in sorrow (Brian lamely offered his condolences on the loss of his sister's roommate's cat

utopia

(n.) an imaginary and remote place of perfection (Everyone in the world wants to live in a utopia, but no one can agree how to go about building one

blemish

(n.) an imperfection, flaw (The dealer agreed to lower the price because of the many blemishes on the surface of the wooden furniture

propensity

(n.) an inclination, preference (Dermit has a propensity for dangerous activities such as bungee jumping

intimation

(n.) an indirect suggestion (Mr. Brinford's intimation that he would soon pass away occurred when he began to discuss how to distribute his belongings among his children

infusion

(n.) an injection of one substance into another; the permeation of one substance by another (The infusion of Eastern religion into Western philosophy created interesting new schools of thought

innuendo

(n.) an insinuation (During the debate, the politician made several innuendos about the sexual activities of his opponent

portent

(n.) an omen (When a black cat crossed my sister's path while she was walking to school, she took it as a portent that she would do badly on her spelling test

presage

(n.) an omen (When my uncle's old war injury ached, he interpreted it as a presage of bad weather approaching

edict

(n.) an order, decree (The ruler issued an edict requiring all of his subjects to bow down before him

pariah

(n.) an outcast (Following the discovery of his plagiarism, Professor Hurley was made a pariah in all academic circles

surfeit

(n.) an overabundant supply or indulgence (After partaking of the surfeit of

platitude

(n.) an uninspired remark, cliché (After reading over her paper, Helene

indignation

(n.) anger sparked by something unjust or unfair (I resigned from the sorority because of my indignation at its hazing of new members

camaraderie

(n.) brotherhood, jovial unity (Camaraderie among employees usually leads to success in business

contusion

(n.) bruise, injury (The contusions on his face suggested he'd been in a fight

prudence

(n.) cautious, circumspect (After losing a fortune in a stock market crash, my father vowed to practice greater prudence in future investments

equanimity

(n.) composure (Even though he had just been fired, Mr. Simms showed great equanimity by neatly packing up his desk and wishing everyone in the office well

duplicity

(n.) crafty dishonesty (His duplicity involved convincing his employees to let him lower their salaries and increase their stock options, and then to steal the money he saved and run the company into the ground

guile

(n.) deceitful, cunning, sly behavior (Because of his great guile, the politician was able to survive scandal after scandal

legerdemain

(n.) deception, slight-of-hand (Smuggling the French plants through customs by claiming that they were fake was a remarkable bit of legerdemain

rancor

(n.) deep, bitter resentment (When Eileen challenged me to a fight, I could see the rancor in her eyes

turpitude

(n.) depravity, moral corruption (Sir Marcus's chivalry often contrasted with the turpitude he exhibited with the ladies at the tavern

discrepancy

(n.) difference, failure of things to correspond (He was troubled by the discrepancy between what he remembered paying for the appliance and what his receipt showed he paid for it

plaudits

(n.) enthusiastic approval, applause (The controversial new film received plaudits from even the harshest critics

vicissitude

(n.) event that occurs by chance (The vicissitudes of daily life prevent me from predicting what might happen from one day to the next

avarice

(n.) excessive greed (The banker's avarice led him to amass a tremendous personal fortune

prowess

(n.) extraordinary ability (The musician had never taken a guitar lesson in his life, making his prowess with the instrument even more incredible

adulation

(n.) extreme praise (Though the book was pretty good, Marcy did not believe it deserved the adulation it received

trepidation

(n.) fear, apprehension (Feeling great trepidation, Anya refused to jump into the pool because she thought she saw a shark in it

absolution

(n.) freedom from blame, guilt, sin (Once all the facts were known, the jury gave Angela absolution by giving a verdict of not guilty

parsimony

(n.) frugality, stinginess (Many relatives believed that my aunt's wealth resulted from her parsimony

munificence

(n.) generosity in giving (The royal family's munificence made everyone else in their country rich

conflagration

(n.) great fire (The conflagration consumed the entire building

cupidity

(n.) greed, strong desire (His cupidity made him enter the abandoned gold mine despite the obvious dangers

duress

(n.) hardship, threat (It was only under intense duress that he, who was normally against killing, fired his gun

concord

(n.) harmonious agreement (Julie and Harold began the evening with a disagreement, but ended it in a state of perfect concord

candor

(n.) honesty, frankness (We were surprised by the candor of the mayor's speech because he is usually rather evasive

renown

(n.) honor, acclaim (The young writer earned international renown by winning the Pulitzer Prize

antagonism

(n.) hostility (Superman and Bizarro Superman shared a mutual antagonism, and often fought

dissonance

(n.) lack of harmony or consistency (Though the president of the company often spoke of the company as reliant solely upon its workers, her decision to increase her own salary rather than reward her employees revealed a striking dissonance between her alleged beliefs and her actions

privation

(n.) lacking basic necessities (After decades of rule by an oppressive government that saw nothing wrong with stealing from its citizens, the recent drought only increased the people's privation

grandiloquence

(n.) lofty, pompous language (The student thought her grandiloquence would make her sound smart, but neither the class nor the teacher bought it

serendipity

(n.) luck, finding good things without looking for them (In an amazing bit of serendipity, penniless Paula found a $20 bill in the subway station

clergy

(n.) members of Christian holy orders (Though the villagers viewed the church rectory as quaint and charming, the clergy who lived there regarded it as a mildewy and dusty place that aggravated their allergies

temperance

(n.) moderation in action or thought (Maintaining temperance will ensure that you are able to think rationally and objectively

rapport

(n.) mutual understanding and harmony (When Margaret met her paramour, they felt an instant rapport

infamy

(n.) notoriety, extreme ill repute (The infamy of his crime will not lessen as the decades pass

surrogate

(n.) one acting in place of another (The surrogate carried the child to term for its biological parents

iconoclast

(n.) one who attacks common beliefs or institutions (Jane goes to one protest after another, but she seems to be an iconoclast rather than an activist with a progressive agenda

conformist

(n.) one who behaves the same as others (Julian was such a conformist that he had to wait and see if his friends would do something before he would commit

hedonist

(n.) one who believes pleasure should be the primary pursuit of humans (Because he's such a hedonist, I knew Murray would appreciate the 11 cases of wine I bought him for his birthday

virtuoso

(n.) one who excels in an art; a highly skilled musical performer (Even though Lydia has studied piano for many years, she's only average at it. She's no virtuoso, that's for sure

potentate

(n.) one who has great power, a ruler (All the villagers stood along the town's main road to observe as the potentate's procession headed towards the capital

inquisitor

(n.) one who inquires, especially in a hostile manner (The inquisitor was instructed to knock on every door in town in order to find the fugitive

insurgent

(n.) one who rebels (The insurgent snuck into and defaced a different classroom each night until the administration agreed to meet his demands

sycophant

(n.) one who flatters for self-gain (Some see the people in the cabinet as the president's closest advisors, but others see them as sycophants

toady

(n.) one who flatters in the hope of gaining favors (The other kids referred to the teacher's pet as the Tenth Grade Toady

gluttony

(n.) overindulgence in food or drink (Ada's fried chicken tastes so divine, I don't know how anyone can call gluttony a sin

pulchritude

(n.) physical beauty (Several of Shakespeare's sonnets explore the pulchritude of a lovely young man

kudos

(n.) praise for an achievement (After the performance, the reviewers gave the opera singer kudos for a job well done

hypocrisy

(n.) pretending to believe what one does not (Once the politician began passing legislation that contradicted his campaign promises, his hypocrisy became apparent

conundrum

(n.) puzzle, problem (Interpreting Jane's behavior was a constant conundrum

credulity

(n.) readiness to believe (His credulity made him an easy target for con men

umbrage

(n.) resentment, offense (He called me a lily-livered coward, and I took umbrage at the insult

restitution

(n.) restoration to the rightful owner (Many people feel that descendants of slaves should receive restitution for the sufferings of their ancestors

sobriety

(n.) sedate, calm (Jason believed that maintaining his sobriety in times of crisis was the key to success in life

empathy

(n.) sensitivity to another's feelings as if they were one's own (I feel such empathy for my sister when she's in pain that I cry too

sagacity

(n.) shrewdness, soundness of perspective (With remarkable sagacity, the wise old man predicted and thwarted his children's plan to ship him off to a nursing home

litigant

(n.) someone engaged in a lawsuit (When the litigants began screaming at each other, Judge Koch ordered them to be silent

gourmand

(n.) someone fond of eating and drinking (My parents, who used to eat little more than crackers and salad, have become real gourmands in their old age

neophyte

(n.) someone who is young or inexperienced (As a neophyte in the literary world, Malik had trouble finding a publisher for his first novel

interlocutor

(n.) someone who participates in a dialogue or conversation (When the officials could not come to an agreement over the correct cover of the flags, the prime minister acted as an interlocutor

behemoth

(n.) something of tremendous power or size (The new aircraft carrier is among several behemoths that the Air Force has added to its fleet

aberration

(n.) something that differs from the norm (In 1918, the Boston Red Sox won the World Series, but the success turned out to be an aberration, and the Red Sox have not won a World Series since

linchpin

(n.) something that holds separate parts together (The linchpin in the prosecution's case was the hair from the defendant's head, which was found at the scene of the crime

fortitude

(n.) strength, guts (Achilles' fortitude in battle is legendary

antithesis

(n.) the absolute opposite (Your values, which hold war and violence in the highest esteem, are the antithesis of my pacifist beliefs

consumption

(n.) the act of consuming (Consumption of intoxicating beverages is not permitted on these premises

coronation

(n.) the act of crowning (The new king's coronation occurred the day after his father's death

combustion

(n.) the act or process of burning (The unexpected combustion of the prosecution's evidence forced the judge to dismiss the case against Ramirez

choreography

(n.) the arrangement of dances (The plot of the musical was banal, but the choreography was stunning

encore

(n.) the audience's demand for a repeat performance; also the artist's

metamorphosis

(n.) the change of form, shape, substance (Winnifred went to the gym every day for a year and underwent a metamorphosis from a waiflike girl to an athletic woman

culmination

(n.) the climax toward which something progresses (The culmination of the couple's argument was the decision to divorce

precipice

(n.) the face of a cliff, a steep or overhanging place (The mountain climber hung from a precipice before finding a handhold and pulling himself up

largess

(n.) the generous giving of lavish gifts (My boss demonstrated great largess by giving me a new car

pinnacle

(n.) the highest point (Book reviewers declared that the author's

zenith

(n.) the highest point, culminating point (I was too nice to tell Nelly that she had reached the absolute zenith of her career with that one hit of hers

etymology

(n.) the history of words, their origin and development (From the study of etymology, I know that the word "quixotic" derives from Don Quixote and the word "gaudy" refers to the Spanish architect Gaudí

mores

(n.) the moral attitudes and fixed customs of a group of people. (Mores change over time; many things that were tolerated in 1975 are no longer seen as being socially acceptable

arbitration

(n.) the process or act of resolving a dispute (The employee sought official arbitration when he could not resolve a disagreement with his supervisor

discretion

(n.) the quality of being reserved in speech or action; good judgment (Not wanting her patient to get overly anxious, the doctor used discretion in deciding how much to tell the patient about his condition

propriety

(n.) the quality or state of being proper, decent (Erma's old-fashioned parents believed that her mini-skirt lacked the propriety expected of a "nice" girl

knell

(n.) the solemn sound of a bell, often indicating a death (Echoing throughout our village, the funeral knell made the stormy day even more grim

renunciation

(n.) to reject (Fiona's renunciation of red meat resulted in weight loss, but confused those people who thought she'd been a vegetarian for years

cacophony

(n.) tremendous noise, disharmonious sound (The elementary school orchestra created a cacophony at the recital

wrath

(n.) vengeful anger, punishment (Did you really want to incur her wrath when she is known for inflicting the worst punishments legally possible?)

probity

(n.) virtue, integrity (Because he was never viewed as a man of great probity, no one was surprised by Mr. Samson's immoral behavior

depravity

(n.) wickedness (Rumors of the ogre's depravity made the children afraid to enter the forest

iniquity

(n.) wickedness or sin ("Your iniquity," said the priest to the practical jokester, "will be forgiven.")

pretense

(n.)an appearance or action intended to deceive (Though he actually wanted to use his parents' car to go on a date, Nick borrowed his parents' car under the pretense of attending a group study session

bilk

(v.) cheat, defraud (The lawyer discovered that this firm had bilked several clients out of thousands of dollars

carp

(v.) to annoy, pester (The husband divorced his wife after listening to her carping voice for decades

compress

(v.) to apply pressure, squeeze together (Lynn compressed her lips into a frown

impute

(v.) to ascribe, blame (The CEO imputed the many typos in the letter to his lazy secretary

appraise

(v.) to assess the worth or value of (A realtor will come over tonight to appraise our house

ascribe

(v.) to assign, credit, attribute to (Some ascribe the invention of fireworks and dynamite to the Chinese

stupefy

(v.) to astonish, make insensible (Veronica's audacity and ungratefulness stupefied her best friend, Heather

assail

(v.) to attack (At dawn, the war planes assailed the boats in the harbor

vindicate

(v.) to avenge; to free from allegation; to set free (The attorney had no chance of vindicating the defendant with all of the strong evidence presented by the state

dither

(v.) to be indecisive (Not wanting to offend either friend, he dithered about which of the two birthday parties he should attend

stagnate

(v.) to become or remain inactive, not develop, not flow (With no room for advancement, the waiter's career stagnated

beseech

(v.) to beg, plead, implore (The servant beseeched the king for food to feed his starving family

deprecate

(v.) to belittle, depreciate (Always over-modest, he deprecated his contribution to the local charity

denigrate

(v.) to belittle, diminish the opinion of (The company decided that its advertisements would no longer denigrate the company's competitors

vituperate

(v.) to berate (Jack ran away as soon as his father found out, knowing he would be vituperated for his unseemly behavior

engender

(v.) to bring about, create, generate (During the Olympics, the victories of

induce

(v.) to bring about, stimulate (Who knew that our decision to boycott school lunch would induce a huge riot?)

elicit

(v.) to bring forth, draw out, evoke (Although I asked several times where the exit was, I elicited no response from the stone-faced policeman

amalgamate

(v.) to bring together, unite (Because of his great charisma, the presidential candidate was able to amalgamate all democrats and republicans under his banner

subjugate

(v.) to bring under control, subdue (The invading force captured and subjugated the natives of that place

inure

(v.) to cause someone or something to become accustomed to a situation (Twenty years in the salt mines inured the man to the discomforts of dirt and grime

fetter

(v.) to chain, restrain (The dog was fettered to the parking meter

enthrall

(v.) to charm, hold spellbound (The sailor's stories of fighting off sharks and finding ancient treasures enthralled his young son

elucidate

(v.) to clarify, explain (I didn't understand why my friend was so angry with me, so I asked Janine to elucidate her feelings

consummate

(v.) to complete a deal; to complete a marriage ceremony through sexual

complement

(v.) to complete, make perfect (Ann's scarf complements her blouse beautifully, making her seem fully dressed even though she isn't wearing a coat

dissemble

(v.) to conceal, fake (Not wanting to appear heartlessly greedy, she dissembled and hid her intention to sell her ailing father's stamp collection

perplex

(v.) to confuse (Brad was perplexed by his girlfriend's suddenly distant manner

decry

(v.) to criticize openly (The kind video rental clerk decried the policy of charging customers late fees

upbraid

(v.) to criticize or scold severely (The last thing Lindsay wanted was for Lisa to upbraid her again about missing the rent payment

disparage

(v.) to criticize or speak ill of (The saleswoman disparaged the competitor's products to persuade her customers to buy what she was selling

wane

(v.) to decrease in size, dwindle (Don't be so afraid of his wrath because his influence with the president is already beginning to wane

consecrate

(v.) to dedicate something to a holy purpose (Arvin consecrated his spare bedroom as a shrine to Christina

delineate

(v.) to describe, outline, shed light on (She neatly delineated her reasons for canceling the project's funding

excavate

(v.) to dig out of the ground and remove (The pharaoh's treasures were excavated by archeologists in Egypt

deter

(v.) to discourage, prevent from doing (Bob's description of scary snakes couldn't deter Marcia from traveling in the rainforests

extricate

(v.) to disentangle (Instead of trying to mediate between my brother and sister, I extricated myself from the family tension entirely and left the house for the day

flout

(v.) to disregard or disobey openly (I flouted the school's dress code by wearing a tie-dyed tank top and a pair of cut-off jeans

refract

(v.) to distort, change (The light was refracted as it passed through the prism

rhapsodize

(v.) to engage in excessive enthusiasm (The critic rhapsodized about the movie, calling it an instant classic

revere

(v.) to esteem, show deference, venerate (The doctor saved countless lives with his combination of expertise and kindness and became universally revered

elude

(v.) to evade, escape (Despite an intense search, the robber continues to elude the police

assess

(v.) to evaluate (A crew arrived to assess the damage after the crash

debunk

(v.) to expose the falseness of something (He debunked her claim to be the world's greatest chess player by defeating her in 18 consecutive matches

emote

(v.) to express emotion (The director told the actor he had to emote, or else the audience would have no idea what his character was going through

concoct

(v.) to fabricate, make up (She concocted the most ridiculous story to explain her absence

deplore

(v.) to feel or express sorrow, disapproval (We all deplored the miserable working conditions in the factory

exonerate

(v.) to free from guilt or blame, exculpate (The true thief's confession exonerated the man who had been held in custody for the crime

exculpate

(v.) to free from guilt or blame, exonerate (My discovery of the ring behind the dresser exculpated me from the charge of having stolen it

confound

(v.) to frustrate, confuse (MacGuyver confounded the policemen pursuing him by covering his tracks

coalesce

(v.) to fuse into a whole (Gordon's ensemble of thrift-shop garments coalesced into a surprisingly handsome outfit

circumvent

(v.) to get around (The school's dress code forbidding navel-baring jeans was circumvented by the determined students, who were careful to cover up with long coats when administrators were nearby

captivate

(v.) to get the attention of, hold (The fireworks captivated the young boy, who had never seen such things before

exalt

(v.) to glorify, praise (Michael Jordan is the figure in basketball we exalt the most

enfranchise

(v.) to grant the vote to (The Nineteenth Amendment enfranchised women

forage

(v.) to graze, rummage for food (When we got lost on our hiking trip, we foraged for berries and nuts in order to survive

emulate

(v.) to imitate (I idolize Britney Spears so much that I emulate everything she does: I wear her outfits, sing along to her songs, and date a boy named Justin

interject

(v.) to insert between other things (During our conversation, the cab driver occasionally interjected his opinion

construe

(v.) to interpret (He construed her throwing his clothes out the window as a signal that she wanted him to leave

inoculate

(v.) to introduce a microorganism, serum, or vaccine into an organism in order to increase immunity to illness; to vaccinate (I've feared needles ever since I was inoculated against 37 diseases at age one; but I have also never been sick

implicate

(v.) to involve in an incriminating way, incriminate (Even though Tom wasn't present at the time of the shooting, he was implicated by the evidence suggesting that he had supplied the shooters with guns

exasperate

(v.) to irritate, irk (George's endless complaints exasperated his roomate

deride

(v.) to laugh at mockingly, scorn (The bullies derided the foreign student's accent

prescribe

(v.) to lay down a rule (The duke prescribed that from this point further all of the peasants living on his lands would have to pay higher taxes

cavort

(v.) to leap about, behave boisterously (The adults ate their dinners on the patio, while the children cavorted around the pool

aspire

(v.) to long for, aim toward (The young poet aspires to publish a book of verse someday

debase

(v.) to lower the quality or esteem of something (The large raise that he gave himself debased his motives for running the charity

demean

(v.) to lower the status or stature of something (She refused to demean her secretary by making him order her lunch

mitigate

(v.) to make less violent, alleviate (When I had an awful sore throat, only warm tea would mitigate the pain

fabricate

(v.) to make up, invent (When I arrived an hour late to class, I fabricated some excuse about my car breaking down on the way to school

undulate

(v.) to move in waves (As the storm began to brew, the placid ocean began to undulate to an increasing degree

propagate

(v.) to multiply, spread out (Rumors of Paul McCartney's demise propagated like wildfire throughout the world

cultivate

(v.) to nurture, improve, refine (At the library, she cultivated her interest in spy novels

expunge

(v.) to obliterate, eradicate (Fearful of an IRS investigation, Paul tried to expunge all incriminating evidence from his tax files

procure

(v.) to obtain, acquire (The FBI was unable to procure sufficient evidence to charge the gangster with racketeering

condone

(v.) to pardon, deliberately overlook (He refused to condone his brother's crime

carouse

(v.) to party, celebrate (We caroused all night after getting married

modulate

(v.) to pass from one state to another, especially in music (The composer wrote a piece that modulated between minor and major keys

bequeath

(v.) to pass on, give (Jon's father bequeathed his entire estate to his mother

discern

(v.) to perceive, detect (Though he hid his emotions, she discerned from his body language that he was angry

ascertain

(v.) to perceive, learn (With a bit of research, the student ascertained that some plants can live for weeks without water

connive

(v.) to plot, scheme (She connived to get me to give up my vacation plans

defer

(v.) to postpone something; to yield to another's wisdom (Ron deferred to Diane, the expert on musical instruments, when he was asked about buying a piano

extol

(v.) to praise, revere (Violet extolled the virtues of a vegetarian diet to her meat-loving brother

inhibit

(v.) to prevent, restrain, stop (When I told you I needed the car last night, I certainly never meant to inhibit you from going out

forestall

(v.) to prevent, thwart, delay (I forestalled the cold I was getting by taking plenty of vitamin C pills and wearing a scarf

promulgate

(v.) to proclaim, make known (The film professor promulgated that both in terms of sex appeal and political intrigue, Sean Connery's James Bond was superior to Roger Moore's

refute

(v.) to prove wrong (Maria refuted the president's argument as she yelled and gesticulated at the TV

venerate

(v.) to regard with respect or to honor (The tribute to John Lennon sought to venerate his music, his words, and his legend

repudiate

(v.) to reject, refuse to accept (Kwame made a strong case for an extension of his curfew, but his mother repudiated it with a few biting words

exult

(v.) to rejoice (When she found out she won the literature prize, Mary exulted by dancing and singing through the school's halls

expurgate

(v.) to remove offensive or incorrect parts, usually of a book (The history editors expurgated from the text all disparaging and inflammatory comments about the Republican Party

obfuscate

(v.) to render incomprehensible (The detective did want to answer the newspaperman's questions, so he obfuscated the truth

atone

(v.) to repent, make amends (The man atoned for forgetting his wife's birthday by buying her five dozen roses

repose

(v.) to rest, lie down (The cat, after eating an entire can of tuna fish, reposed in the sun and took a long nap

refurbish

(v.) to restore, clean up (The dingy old chair, after being refurbished, commanded the handsome price of $200

wallow

(v.) to roll oneself indolently; to become or remain helpless (My roommate can't get over her breakup with her boyfriend and now just wallows in self-pity

deface

(v.) to ruin or injure something's appearance (The brothers used eggs and shaving cream to deface their neighbor's mailbox

satiate

(v.) to satisfy excessively (Satiated after eating far too much turkey and stuffing, Liza lay on the couch watching football and suffering from stomach pains

berate

(v.) to scold vehemently (The angry boss berated his employees for failing to

rebuke

(v.) to scold, criticize (When the cops showed up at Sarah's party, they rebuked her for disturbing the peace

reproach

(v.) to scold, disapprove (Brian reproached the customer for failing to rewind the video he had rented

rail

(v.) to scold, protest (The professor railed against the injustice of the college's tenure policy

reprove

(v.) to scold, rebuke (Lara reproved her son for sticking each and every one of his fingers into the strawberry pie

avenge

(v.) to seek revenge (The victims will take justice into their own hands and strive to avenge themselves against the men who robbed them

usurp

(v.) to seize by force, take possession of without right (The rogue army general tried to usurp control of the government, but he failed because most of the army backed the legally elected president

pillage

(v.) to seize or plunder, especially in war (Invading enemy soldiers pillaged the homes scattered along the country's border

calibrate

(v.) to set, standardize (The mechanic calibrated the car's transmission to make the motor run most efficiently

evince

(v.) to show, reveal (Christopher's hand-wringing and nail-biting evince how nervous he is about the upcoming English test

mollify

(v.) to soften in temper (The police officer mollified the angry woman by giving her a warning instead of a ticket

permeate

(v.) to spread throughout, saturate (Mrs. Huxtable was annoyed that the wet dog's odor had permeated the furniture's upholstery

disseminate

(v.) to spread widely (The politician disseminated his ideas across the town before the election

embezzle

(v.) to steal money by falsifying records (The accountant was fired for embezzling $10,000 of the company's funds

foster

(v.) to stimulate, promote, encourage (To foster good health in the city, the mayor started a "Get out and exercise!" campaign

accentuate

(v.) to stress, highlight (Psychologists agree that those people who are happiest accentuate the positive in life

insinuate

(v.) to suggest indirectly or subtly (I wish Luke and Spencer would stop insinuating that my perfect report card is the result of anything other than my superior intelligence and good work habits

recapitulate

(v.) to sum up, repeat (Before the final exam, the teacher recapitulated the semester's material

capitulate

(v.) to surrender (The army finally capitulated after fighting a long costly battle

oscillate

(v.) to sway from one side to the other (My uncle oscillated between buying a station wagon to transport his family and buying a sports car to satisfy his boyhood fantasies

distend

(v.) to swell out (Years of drinking beer caused his stomach to distend

revoke

(v.) to take back (After missing the curfew set by the court for eight nights in a row, Marcel's freedom of movement was revoked

congeal

(v.) to thicken into a solid (The sauce had congealed into a thick paste

coagulate

(v.) to thicken, clot (The top layer of the pudding had coagulated into a thick skin

discomfit

(v.) to thwart, baffle (The normally cheery and playful children's sudden misery discomfited the teacher

foil

(v.) to thwart, frustrate, defeat (Inspector Wilkens foiled the thieves by locking them in the bank along with their stolen money

beguile

(v.) to trick, deceive (The thief beguiled his partners into surrendering all of their money to him

fathom

(v.) to understand, comprehend (I cannot fathom why you like that crabby and mean-spirited neighbor of ours

cajole

(v.) to urge, coax (Fred's buddies cajoled him into attending the bachelor party

instigate

(v.) to urge, goad (The demagogue instigated the crowd into a fury by telling them that they had been cheated by the federal government

exhort

(v.) to urge, prod, spur (Henry exhorted his colleagues to join him in protesting against the university's hiring policies

goad

(v.) to urge, spur, incite to action (Jim may think he's not going to fight Billy, but Billy will goad Jim on with insults until he throws a punch

transgress

(v.) to violate, go over a limit (The criminal's actions transgressed morality and human decency

chide

(v.) to voice disapproval (Lucy chided Russell for his vulgar habits and sloppy appearance

enervate

(v.) to weaken, exhaust (Writing these sentences enervates me so much that I will have to take a nap after I finish

encumber

(v.) to weigh down, burden (At the airport, my friend was encumbered by her luggage, so I offered to carry two of her bags

efface

(v.) to wipe out, obliterate, rub away (The husband was so angry at his wife for

atrophy

(v.) to wither away, decay (If muscles do not receive enough blood, they will soon atrophy and die

enamor

(v.) to fill with love, fascinate, usually used in passive form followed by "of" or "with" (I grew enamored of that boy when he quoted my favorite love poem

inundate

(v.) to flood with abundance (Because I am the star of a new sitcom, my fans are sure to inundate me with fan mail and praise

vacillate

(v.) to fluctuate, hesitate (I prefer a definite answer, but my boss kept vacillating between the distinct options available to us

retract

(v.) withdraw (As the media worked itself into a frenzy, the publicist hurriedly retracted his client's sexist statement

constrain

(v.)to forcibly restrict (His belief in nonviolence constrained him from taking revenge on his attackers

moderate

1. (adj.) not extreme (Luckily, the restaurant we chose had moderate prices; none of us have any money.) 2. (n.) one who expresses moderate opinions (Because he found both the liberal and conservative proposals too excessive, Mr. Park sided with the moderates

collateral

1. (adj.) secondary (Divorcing my wife had the collateral effect of making me poor, as she was the only one of us with a job or money.) 2. (n.) security for a debt (Jacob left his watch as collateral for the $500 loan

coup

1. (n.) a brilliant, unexpected act (Alexander pulled off an amazing coup when he got a date with Cynthia by purposely getting hit by her car.) 2. (n.) the overthrow of a government and assumption of authority (In their coup attempt, the army officers stormed the Parliament and took all the legislators hostage

canvas

1. (n.) a piece of cloth on which an artist paints (Picasso liked to work on canvas

asylum

1. (n.) a place of refuge, protection, a sanctuary (For Thoreau, the forest served as an asylum from the pressures of urban life.) 2. (n.) an institution in which the insane are kept (Once diagnosed by a certified psychiatrist, the man was put in an asylum

blight

1. (n.) a plague, disease (The potato blight destroyed the harvest and bankrupted

harangue

1. (n.) a ranting speech (Everyone had heard the teacher's harangue about gum chewing in class before.) 2. (v.) to give such a speech (But this time the teacher harangued the class about the importance of brushing your teeth after chewing gum

solvent

1. (n.) a substance that can dissolve other substances (Water is sometimes called

chronicle

1. (n.) a written history (The library featured the newly updated chronicle of World War II.) 2. (v.) to write a history (Albert's diary chronicled the day-to-day growth of his obsession with Cynthia

convention

1. (n.) an assembly of people (The hotel was full because of the cattle-ranchers' convention.) 2. (n.) a rule, custom (The cattle-ranchers have a convention that you take off your boots before entering their houses

implement

1. (n.) an instrument, utensil, tool (Do you have a knife or some other sort of implement that I could use to pry the lid off of this jar?) 2. (v.) to put into effect, to institute (After the first town curfew failed to stop the graffiti problem, the mayor implemented a new policy to use security cameras to catch perpetrators in the act

censure

1. (n.) harsh criticism (The frustrated teenager could not put up with anymore of her critical mother's censure.) 2. (v.) to rebuke formally (The principal censured the head of the English Department for forcing students to learn esoteric vocabulary

clamor

1. (n.) loud noise (Each morning the birds outside my window make such a clamor that they wake me up.) 2. (v.)to loudly insist (Neville's fans clamored for him to appear on stage, but he had passed out on the floor of his dressing room

reservoir

1. (n.) reserves, large supply (Igor the Indomitable had quite a reservoir of strengh and could lift ten tons, even after running 700 miles, jumping over three mountains, and swimming across an ocean.) 2. (n.) a body of water used for storing water (After graduation, the more rebellious members of the senior class jumped into the town reservoir used for drinking water

relegate

1. (v.) to assign to the proper place (At the astrology conference, Simon was relegated to the Scorpio room.) 2. (v.) to assign to an inferior place (After spilling a drink on a customer's shirt, the waiter found himself relegated to the least lucrative shift

adverse

(adj.) antagonistic, unfavorable, dangerous (Because of adverse conditions, the hikers decided to give up trying to climb the mountain

arbitrary

(adj.) based on factors that appear random (The boy's decision to choose one college over another seems arbitrary

anachronistic

(adj.) being out of correct chronological order (In this book you're writing, you say that the Pyramids were built after the Titanic sank, which is anachronistic

amenable

(adj.) willing, compliant (Our father was amenable when we asked him to drive us to the farm so we could go apple picking

acute

1. (adj.) sharp, severe (Arnold could not walk because the pain in his foot was so acute.) 2. (adj.) having keen insight (Because she was so acute, Libby instantly figured out how the magician pulled off his "magic.")

aggregate

1. (n.) a whole or total (The three branches of the U.S. Government form an aggregate much more powerful than its individual parts.) 2. (v.) to gather into a mass (The dictator tried to aggregate as many people into his army as he possibly could

adhere

1. (n.) to stick to something (We adhered the poster to the wall with tape.) 2. (n.) to follow devoutly (He adhered to the dictates of his religion without question

expedient

(adj.) advisable, advantageous, serving one's self-interest (In his bid for

resilient

(adj.) able to recover from misfortune; able to withstand adversity (The resilient ballplayer quickly recovered from his wrist injury

curt

(adj.) abruptly and rudely short (Her curt reply to my question made me realize that she was upset at me

rife

(adj.) abundant (Surprisingly, the famous novelist's writing was rife with spelling errors

concomitant

(adj.) accompanying in a subordinate fashion (His dislike of hard work carried with it a concomitant lack of funds

clairvoyant

(adj.) able to perceive things that normal people cannot (Zelda's uncanny ability to detect my lies was nothing short of clairvoyant

eminent

1. (adj.) distinguished, prominent, famous (Mr. Phillips is such an eminent

conspicuous

(There is an eminent stain on that shirt

fraught

(adj.) (usually used with "with") filled or accompanied with (Her glances in his direction were fraught with meaning, though precisely what meaning remained unclear

tenable

(adj.) able to be defended or maintained (The department heads tore

audible

(adj.) able to be heard (The missing person's shouts were unfortunately not audible

mutable

(adj.) able to change (Because fashion is so mutable, what is trendy today will look outdated in five years

soluble

(adj.) able to dissolve (The plot of the spy film revolved around an untraceable and water-soluble poison

manifest

1. (adj.) easily understandable, obvious (When I wrote the wrong sum on the chalkboard, my mistake was so manifest that the entire class burst into laughter.) 2. (v.) to show plainly (His illness first manifested itself with particularly violent hiccups

facile

1. (adj.) easy, requiring little effort (This game is so facile that even a four-year- old can master it.) 2. (adj.) superficial, achieved with minimal thought or care, insincere (The business was in such shambles that any solution seemed facile at best; nothing could really helpit in the long-run

lavish

1. (adj.) given without limits (Because they had worked very hard, the performers appreciated the critic's lavish praise.) 2. (v.) to give without limits (Because the performers had worked hard, they deserved the praise that the critic lavished on them

didactic

1. (adj.) intended to instruct (She wrote up a didactic document showing new employees how to handle the company's customers.) 2. (adj.) overly moralistic (His didactic style of teaching made it seem like he wanted to persuade his students not to understand history fully, but to understand it from only one point of view

empirical

1. (adj.) based on observation or experience (The scientist gathered empirical data on the growth rate of dandelions by studying the dandelions behind his house

agnostic

(adj.) believing that the existence of God cannot be proven or disproven (Joey's parents are very religious, but he is agnostic

acerbic

(adj.) biting, bitter in tone or taste (Jill became extremely acerbic and began to cruelly make fun of all her friends

antiseptic

(adj.) clean, sterile (The antiseptic hospital was very bare, but its cleanliness helped to keep patients healthy

aggrieved

(adj.) distressed, wronged, injured (The foreman mercilessly overworked his aggrieved employees

adept

(adj.) extremely skilled (Tarzan was adept at jumping from tree to tree like a monkey

appalling

(adj.) inspiring shock, horror, disgust (The judge found the murderer's crimes and lack of remorse appalling

apathetic

(adj.) lacking concern, emotion (Uninterested in politics, Bruno was apathetic about whether he lived under a capitalist or communist regime

animated

(adj.) lively (When he begins to talk about drama, which is his true passion, he becomes very animated

arcane

(adj.) obscure, secret, known only by a few (The professor is an expert in arcane Lithuanian literature

anthology

(n.) a selected collection of writings, songs, etc. (The new anthology of Bob Dylan songs contains all his greatest hits and a few songs that you might never have heard before

anecdote

(n.) a short, humorous account (After dinner, Marlon told an anecdote about the time he got his nose stuck in a toaster

accord

(n.) an agreement (After much negotiating, England and Iceland finally came to a mutually beneficial accord about fishing rights off the cost of Greenland

amenity

(n.) an item that increases comfort (Bill Gates's house is stocked with so many amenities, he never has to do anything for himself

acrimony

(n.) bitterness, discord (Though they vowed that no girl would ever come between them, Biff and Trevor could not keep acrimony from overwhelming their friendship after they both fell in love with the lovely Teresa

abnegation

(n.) denial of comfort to oneself (The holy man slept on the floor, took only cold showers, and generally followed other practices of abnegation

alacrity

(n.) eagerness, speed (For some reason, Chuck loved to help his mother whenever he could, so when his mother asked him to set the table he did so with alacrity

anguish

(n.) extreme sadness, torment (Angelos suffered terrible anguish when he learned that Buffy had died while combating a strange mystical force of evil

agriculture

(n.) farming (It was a huge step in the progress of civilization when tribes left hunting and gathering and began to develop more sustainable methods of obtaining food, such as agriculture

accolade

(n.) high praise, special distinction (Everyone offered accolades to Sam after he won the Noble Prize

anxiety

(n.) intense uneasiness (When he heard about the car crash, he felt anxiety

acumen

(n.) keen insight (Because of his mathematical acumen, Larry was able to figure out in minutes problems that took other students hours

arbiter

(n.) one who can resolve a dispute, make a decision (The divorce court judge will serve as the arbiter between the estranged husband and wife

anarchist

(n.) one who wants to eliminate all government (An anarchist, Carmine wanted to dissolve every government everywhere

accretion

(n.) slow growth in size or amount (Stalactites are formed by the accretion of minerals from the roofs of caves

appease

(v.) to calm, satisfy (When the child cries, the mother gives him candy to appease him

accost

(v.) to confront verbally (Though Antoinette was normally quite calm, when the waiter spilled soup on her for the fourth time in 15 minutes she stood up and accosted the man

adorn

(v.) to decorate (We adorned the tree with ornaments

abort

(v.) to give up on a half-finished project or effort (After they ran out of food, the men, attempting to jump rope around the world, had to abort and go home

abhor

(v.) to hate, detest (Because he always wound up kicking himself in the head when he tried to play soccer, Oswald began to abhor the sport

abase

(v.) to humiliate, degrade (After being overthrown and abased, the deposed leader offered to bow down to his conqueror

ameliorate

(v.) to improve (The tense situation was ameliorated when Sam proposed a solution everyone could agree upon

aggrandize

(v.) to increase or make greater (Joseph always dropped the names of the famous people his father knew as a way to aggrandize his personal stature

abate

(v.) to reduce, lessen (The rain poured down for a while, then abated

abjure

(v.) to reject, renounce (To prove his honesty, the President abjured the evil policies of his wicked predecessor

alleviate

(v.) to relieve, make more bearable (This drug will alleviate the symptoms of the terrible disease, but only for a while