Unofficial SAT Word Dictionary (A~I)

adrenaline

n. a hormone produced by the adrenal gland for stimulation of energy and strength She won the race as one last surge of adrenaline propelled her forward to the finish lane. When he was frightened by the noises emanating from the cemetery, a surge of adrenaline enabled Roscoe to jump a six-foot fence and race down the street.

ablution

n. a cleansing with water or other liquid, especially as a religious ritual; the liquid used in such an act The witch doctor used ablutions of clear water to cleanse the stricken man of his illness. The ablutionary water appeared to help the suffering woman. (adj.)

horrific

adj. causing great horror, scary, terrifying The horrific Holocaust was caused by the idea of racial superiority. Plane crashes are horrific and increase public concern for safety.

corrosive

adj. causing something to be destroyed, rusted, or eaten away over a period of time This acid is highly corrosive and will eat away at anything it touches, so you must be careful with it. A parent's corrosive belittling of a child can cause irreparable psychological damage when the child reaches adulthood.

genial

adj. cheerful and pleasant, friendly, helpful The host's genial manner put everyone at ease at the party. The interviewer's genial personality made her guest feel comfortable at the meeting.

blithe

adj. cheerful; carefree A blithe spirit is the most wonderful aspect of Jane's personality. The children were blithely playing in the street and unaware of the danger of passing cars. (adv.)

elaborate

adj. clear, detailed carefully The elaborate lighting system took months to install in the new auditorium. The general refused to make a charge with his forces until he had further intelligence that elaborated the enemy's position. (v.)

explicit

adj. clearly and frankly expressed The directions on the computer are so explicit that anyone who can read can operate it. Because of their explicit sexual material, many television shows are not aired until young children are in bed.

distinct

adj. clearly separate and different; unmistakable or evident Jane and Mary had the distinction of being the only twins to run for Congress. (n.) Those two dogs are of distinct breeds; one is huge with short hair, and the other is tiny with long hair.

inept

adj. clumsy; incompetent Zelda was an inept dancer who liked to think of herself as a ballerina. My father's inept attempt at humor was an embarrassment to the whole family.

evanescent

adj. happening for a brief period The young film star never realized that fame is evanescent until the movie producers lost interest in her. Houseflies are evanescent, having life spans of only a few days.

brash

adj. hasty and reckless; impetuous; unthinking Sometimes one brash act is all it takes to cause a tragedy. The brash, young driver endangered many as he ran the stop sign.

choleric

adj. hot-tempered; quick to anger When my dad gets in one of his choleric moods, everyone stays clear. When guests come, the neighbor's choleric dog is kept chained to the tree.

extensive

adj. huge; comprehensive; widespread The Sahara Desert forms part of the extensive desert system in Africa. David, the scholar, had an extensive knowledge of Arctic history.

illicit

adj. illegal The gang made most of its money from the sale of illicit drugs. We hoped the illicit activities would not come to our little town.

intractable

adj. stubborn; uncontrollable; disobedient Matthew's parents finally decide to send him to military school when they realized he was intractable. The new disease is intractable; no antibiotic has any effect upon it.

hapless

adj. unlucky The hapless individual stood on the corner, hoping to collect enough money to buy supper for his family. Sam's hapless game of blackjack cost him $200.

essential

adj. important; vital; absolutely necessary Water is essential to the growth of new communities and to progress. Quiet is essential in the public library.

inebriated

adj. intoxicated; drunk Too many parents allow their teenagers to get inebriated at their homes. Although Hemingway was inebriated much of the time, he never allowed this to interfere with his writing.

inherent

adj. intrinsic; part of the basic nature of something It is an inherent property of Earth to rotate around the Sun. In the mountains, we could feel the inherent sweetness of the brisk, clean air.

indomitable

adj. invincible, unconquerable, indefatigable The coach's indomitable spirit helped the team to victory. The indomitable spirit of the colonies resulted in the Declaration of Independence.

immersed

adj. involved deeply, absorbed Jane was immersed in the textbook and was oblivious to the phone ringing. The gold doubloons immersed in salt water for 100 years had no physical change. (v.)

incoherent

adj. jumbled, chaotic, hard to understand Herb's account of the bank robbery was hysterical and incoherent. Angie was incoherent when explaining what happened in the cafeteria.

imminent

adj. just about to happen The clouds made us sure that a thunderstorm was imminent. We saw the little girl fall off her bike and knew the crying was imminent.

epic

adj. of major proportions in size and scope The discovery of DNA was an epic event, helping us interpret an individual's makeup. The Ten Commandments is an epic movie starring Charlton Heston.

indigent

adj. poor The indigent family was forced to seek assistance in a shelter. After his business collapsed, Pete became indigent and lived on the streets.

cavalier

adj. showing arrogant disregard n. a gallant gentleman Colonel Moore was disliked because of his cavalier attitude toward the troops in his command. Darren was a cavalier that always kissed a lady's hand when first introduced.

adjunct

n. something connected or added in a subordinate position; an assistant The library was an adjunct to the Blakemore's original home. The general's adjutant is not a adjunct, but a permanent part of his staff command.

aegis

n. a shield or protection The dentist used a numbing agent as an aegis against the pain that would result when he performed the root canal. The young actress's nasty attitude was her aegis against being hurt.

apathy

n. absence or suppression of emotion or excitement The apathy of the senior class was apparent when so few came to the senior prom. After a serious illness, it is common for a person to feel apathetic until he regains his strength.

autism

n. absorption in self-centered mental activity; withdrawal Jerry always seemed to be in his own world; his condition was diagnosed as autism. Helen's autism was characterized by daydreams, fantasies, and delusions.

celibacy

n. abstinence from sex The priest never married because he had taken a vow of celibacy. The friends all swore they would remain celibate until married. (adj.)

condone

v. to allow to happen; to purposely overlook The kids loved their babysitter because she condoned behavior that their parents would never permit. Although the school has a dress code, the dean condones many outlandish outfits.

burlesque

n. exaggerated imitation SNL has performed burlesques of famous people for over twenty years. Before movies were invented, Vaudeville actors were famous for their burlesque skits.

cupidity

n. excessive greed, especially for the money A good politician should have little cupidity and an abundance of concern for his constituents. The cupidity of the Roman upper class led to the demise of the Roman Empire.

debauchery

n. excessive self-indulgence Ernest Hemingway was often guilty of alcoholic debauchery, but he never let this affect his writing. After the couple won the lottery, their debauchery was evident when they purchased eight automobiles of different colors.

guru

n. expert, chief proponent, a leader The elder congressman was his political guru. The old martial arts teacher was considered a guru by his students.

generalize

v. to be general rather than specific; to form a general conclusion Wilma always generalized; everything was either always bad or always good. Our teacher asked us to be specific in our criticism and to avoid generalizations. (n.)

dispel

v. to drive away; to dissipate After the police dispelled the crowd from the scene of the accident, the wreckers hauled away the tangled, wrecked automobiles. An exorcist was called in to dispel the evil spirits.

desiccate

v. to dry out; to preserve food; dehydrate The package of fruit had been desiccated and packaged to be sold to campers. It didn't rain for two months and all Emma's garden vegetables desiccated.

ferret

v. to force out of hiding The Mexican general declared that he would ferret Zorro out no matter where he attempted to hide. The fox ran into a hold, and the hunting dogs tried to ferret him out.

beset

v. to harass; to surround The hikers were beset by hordes of killer bees that came out of the woods. When three of our aircraft crashed we knew we were beset with design problems we had yet to understand.

abhor

v. to hate deeply; detest While most people abhor liver and beets, Zachary loves both. It is generally believed that most women have an abhorrence of mice. (n.)

abominate

v. to hate or loathe intensely The world abominates the use of child labor in Third World countries. Fox hunting is an abomination because it involves torture and death of an animal for sport. (n.)

engross

v. to occupy the entire attention of; absorb Brenda's favorite novels are ones that fully engross her. The children were so engrossed by the storyteller that they forgot what time it was.

ensue

v. to occur just after or as the result of another event Panic ensued when police opened fire at the terrorists. Rioting ensued after the home team lost the pennant.

fuel

v. to provide or add to; renewed energy to stimulate The heating system in their home is fueled by natural gas. The more she talked, the more she fueled his anger, and the louder he yelled.

instigate

v. to provoke; to stir up My brother instigated the bad behavior, but I got in trouble for it. Joshua was so upset about the teacher's decision that I thought he would try to instigate a riot in the classroom.

enrage

v. to put in a rage; infuriate, anger It enrages my wife when it rains and I forget to wipe my feet before coming into the house. Muriel enraged her boss when she departed on a Caribbean vacation and left a mountain or unfinished work on her desk.

inquire

v. to seek information; ask questions My mother inquired as to where we were last night. The court intervened to inquire whether the witness is credible.

grapple

v. to seize firmly or hold onto something, wrestle Jim grappled with Carl for the wrestling crown of the heavyweight division. As Steve slid down the hill, he grappled a small bush just before the edge of the cliff.

emit

v. to send or give out; to express, utter; to put in circulation as money Bullfrogs emit a low croaking sound. The new federal laws on automobile emissions are directed at reducing pollution on our nation's highways.

exemplify

v. to serve as an example Benjamin Franklin exemplifies the wisdom and strength of the founding fathers. Christina exemplifies the model skydiver because she has had over 300 jumps with never a mishap.

appropriate

v. to set aside; take without permission Our cat appropriated the leftovers from the kitchen counter. Congress voted to appropriate funds for three new national parks.

cavort

v. to strut; frolic; to prance Jim's ponies constantly cavort in their corral. Johnny and the neighborhood kids cavorted happily in the first snow of the year.

gaudy

adj. too showy; lacking good taste Country performers used to be known for their gaudy clothing. The rhinestone jewelry was far too gaudy to wear to work.

halcyon

adj. tranquil; peaceful; calm; happy and carefree Father would look back fondly on those halcyon days at college when he hadn't a care in the world. I just love the halcyon atmosphere of a quiet, warm cabin in the woods during a snowstorm.

autocratic

adj. tyrannical, despotic; ruling absolutely Mrs. Jones is so autocratic her children have to make appointments to see her. Mary Sue is an autocratic three-year-old who thinks she should get whatever it is she wants whenever she wants it.

implacable

adj. unable to be pleased, inflexible It was impossible to negotiate with an implacable union. Sally was so implacable that everyone left her to fend for herself.

inevitable

adj. unavoidable, bound to happen. In Los Angeles, traffic delays are inevitable every day of the year. Two things are inevitable: death and taxes.

disinterested

adj. unbiased; not taking sides If you don't care, you are uninterested, which is different from being disinterested. A referee must remain disinterested in the outcome of the game and not take sides.

immutable

adj. unchangeable Those who believe in fate believe their destiny is immutable. The Rocky Mountains appear immutable; however, they are changing all the time.

betroth

v. to promise to marry; to become engaged Nancy is betrothed to the captain of the basketball team. Her betrothed, Jim, presented her with an engagement ring. (n.)

enunciate

v. to pronounce; to state definitely Jackie must learn to enunciate if she hopes to become a public speaker. When one clearly enunciates each syllable it is much easier to understand what he is saying.

flourish

v. to prosper, thrive, to grow strong Walt's air conditioning business flourishes in Florida where the weather is warm most of the year. The Roman Armies advanced on the barbarians with a flourish of swords and spears. (n.)

dubious

adj. uncertain; full of doubt Adam's parents were dubious about his potential as a scholar; however, he made the dean's list every semester. The army is dubious about the effectiveness of a love bomb that showers flowers on the enemy.

figurative

adj. expressing something as a figure of speech Strong poetry is usually full of figurative language. When Bob told Rita she was as dumb as a brick, he was speaking figuratively. (adv.)

irate

adj. extremely angry, irritated The long wait at the checkout counters made shoppers irate. Joe wrote an irate letter to the editor about school sports.

infinitesimal

adj. extremely small Even an infinitesimal amount of bacteria may cause food poisoning. Alex thinks he looks exactly like Mel Gibson, but I can see only an infinitesimal similarity.

bizarre

adj. extremely unconventional or far-fetched As the medication began to take effect, Randolph's eye took on a faraway look, and he muttered something bizarre about riding the pony one more time. Mardi Gras in New Orleans is a bizarre affair during which people dance all night in the French Quarter and wear wild, colorful costumes.

equitable

adj. fair The public thought the teachers deserved an equitable salary. Judges try to make equitable rulings, but sometimes people don't view them that way.

cardinal

adj. of great importance; chief Finding food was the cardinal concern of the shipwrecked crew. The cardinal rule of June's mom is "pick up your dirty clothes."

fatuous

adj. silly; foolish The high school boys were driven to fatuous acts for attention when the twenty-year-old girl announced that she was their substitute for the day. The audience made fatuous comments during the serious play.

asinine

adj. silly; stupid Adam is usually a nice guy, but sometimes he is so asinine no one can stand him. The phone solicitor asked so many asinine questions that Ralph finally hung up.

intensify

v. to increase the strength, size, or force of; accelerate; escalate The desert heat intensified the discomfort of the troops marching back to their base. The artillery shelling intensified before the major attack on the village.

apprise

v. to inform; to tell; to make aware of Please apprise the harbor-master of the arrival of the King's yacht in the marina. The General has been apprised that his army now refuses to fight anyone, anytime, anywhere.

facile

adj. skillful in an offhand way Many people believe the poems of Emily Dickinson are too facile to be judged among the best. The motivational speaker who addressed us today is the most facile lecturer I have ever heard.

adroit

adj. skillful; deft Many fourth graders are more adroit on the computer that their parents are. Mr. Smith adroitly removed Eric from the class before he could cause a problem. (adv.)

dormant

adj. sleeping or inactive Bears hibernate in caves and remain dormant throughout the winter. The rain fell steadily over the dormant village as nightfall approached.

cosmopolitan

adj. sophisticated; confident in many places or situations The opening of the art exhibit attracted a cosmopolitan crowd. Dave is cosmopolitan, feeling at home wherever he travels.

doleful

adj. sorrowful; melancholy The doleful expression on the dog's face suggested he thought he had been deserted by his owners. When the doctor arrived to examine her ailing husband, Jessica dolefully opened the door to let him in. (adv.)

commodious

adj. spacious, roomy, capacious The new airline seats, even in economy class, are much more commodious than before. In Hong Kong, the government-built apartments are not very commodious, only about half the size of a small, two-bedroom apartment in the United States.

capacious

adj. spacious; roomy; able to hold much The old castle has a capacious dining room large enough to seat a small army. David's memory for jokes is capacious; he remembers them all.

extempore

adj. spoken, performed, or composed with little or no advanced preparation The Congressman unexpectedly delivered an extempore speech about his campaign. Winston unexpectedly stood at the podium and with ease spoke extemporaneously about the team. (adj.)

extol

v. to praise; to laud Many financial advisors extol the value of frugality. The president extolled the work of the police who, with their efforts, reduced the crime rate in the city.

frank

adj. straightforward; open and sincere in expression Jim's frank remark about Marge's weight made her cry. The boss encouraged us to speak frankly at the meeting even if we were critical of the way he ran the company. (adv.)

efface

v. to rub away Many ancient cemetery headstones have been effaced by the ravages of time and can no longer be read. To assure that he left no clues, the thief effaced his fingerprints from the stolen car.

allege

v. to state without proof Because Roger had not been proven guilty in court, the newspapers could only refer to him as the "alleged thief." (adj.) Jack alleges that Jake ate the cookies in the cookie jar but is blaming him.

delete

v. to wipe out; omit; destroy The editor deleted the second paragraph in the article because it was not pertinent to the story. In his speech the ex-president deleted all references to the election results, probably because he lost.

gauche

adj. unpolished; ill-bred; unsophisticated; inelegant; unmannerly Gerald's so gauche he even addresses the Mayor as "old buddy." Nancy's gauche behavior shocked everyone at the senator's reception.

capricious

adj. unpredictable; impulsive The weather is capricious in South Florida; the sun shines, and the next minute the sky turns black and the rains begin. Joe's capricious attitude confounds his parents; one minute he's going to college, and the next he's joining the army.

barren

adj. unproductive; lacking; sterile; desolate The Sahara Desert in North Africa is barren of greenery except for an occasional oasis fringed with palm trees. Jo Ann wanted children, but the doctor told her it would be impossible because she was barren.

fruitless

adj. unproductive; without results; unsuccessful Eric has been writing for years, but his attempt to write the great American novel is still fruitless. Since she has three large dogs, Sally's attempts to clean the house are usually fruitless.

hypothetical

adj. unproven The teacher gave us a hypothetical situation and told us to role-play. Several hypothetical explanations exist, but none has ever been proven.

forensic

adj. using the methods of science to provide information; pertaining to or used in legal proceedings Forensic medicine is the use of medical facts and finding that can provide information relating to a crime. The court found the defendant criminally insane and sentenced him to a facility of forensic psychology for mental evaluation.

ethereal

adj. very light; delicate; heavenly An ethereal mist covered the base of the hill at sunrise. The ethereal scent of freshly baked apple pie permeated the kitchen.

cataclysm

n. a violent upheaval or change One of the United Nations' missions is to avoid the cataclysm of a third World War. The sudden earthquake was cataclysmic in its destruction. (adj.)

cascade

n. a waterfall; anything resembling a waterfall Rachel's hair formed a beautiful cascade down her back. A cloud of confetti cascaded down onto the crowd celebrating the New Year. (v.)

antonym

n. a word of opposite meaning; the opposite of "synonym" "Hot" and "cold" are examples of antonyms. "Short" and "tall," "ugly" and "pretty," "fast" and "slow" are opposites and therefore antonyms.

artisan

n. a worker skilled in a craft The artisans of Pueblo, Mexico are known for their beautiful pottery. The Italian painter and sculptor Michaelangelo was both an artist and an artisan.

dilettante

n. an amateur Amy wants to be an artist, but we all know she's a dilettante with little ability in painting. The art instructor hopes her students will develop into more than dilettantes.

cherub

n. an angel represented in art as a beautiful, chubby child with small wings The wooden chest was overlaid with gold and painted with cute cherubs. My niece is like a cherub as long as she gets what she wants.

council

n. an assembly or meeting for consultation, advice, or discussion Aston's Council meets once a month discussing future developments of the city. Our local council listened to the community about changes in the tax code.

connoisseur

n. an expert, particularly in matters of art and taste My uncle is a connoisseur of fine wines. Art dealer Jorge Guizar is a connoisseur of Mexican art of the 19th century.

increments

n. increasing units As he got older, his allowance was raised in increments. We climbed the mountain in small increments so that we could save our energy.

guile

n. skill in treachery, deceit Few people realized that Bob's reputation as a shrewd businessman was due to his guile. (Beguile is the action of guile, verb.) Butch beguiled his friends out of their lunch money. (v.)

finesse

n. skillfulness; subtlety; craftiness The ice skater skates with finesse, leaping and twirling with graceful abandon. The prosecuting attorney finessed the witness into admitting that she had not been telling the truth. (v.)

forte

n. something in which a person excels Spelling has always been Zachary's forte. Tanya is a born actress, so the director highlighted her forte by giving her the lead in the play.

fiefdom

n. something one has rights over If any fiefdom controlled the hydrogen bomb, it could well control the world. A man's home is his fiefdom, and he makes his own policy.

anathema

n. something or someone greatly disliked or disapproved of Fur coats are anathema for people who believe animals should not be killed to clothe humans. Meat is anathema to vegetarians.

entity

n. something that exists; something having its own independent existence Although the two museum buildings are in separate locations, they are part of a single entity. The internet is a separate entity in the world of communications.

imbecility

n. stupidity, silliness, absurdity, simplemindedness Joey's imbecility caused him to be the brunt of mistreatment by others. Years ago people in the state of imbecility were assumed to be mentally ill.

buttress

n. support for a wall; encouragement or support for a person The attorney was warned by the judge to buttress his arguments with more facts before talking to the jury. (v.) The east wall of the cathedral has a beautiful stone buttress supporting it.

glut

n. surplus; over-abundance At tax time, charities usually get a glut of contributions. Our choir has a glut of sopranos but very few altos.

extradition

n. surrendering a criminal to another jurisdiction Costa Rica has no extradition agreement with the U.S.A.; American criminals cannot be brought back for their crimes. Germany extradited the banker to the U.S. to face formal charges. (v.)

celerity

n. swiftness of action or motion; speed Students who are slow to do their classwork move with great celerity when the bell rings for dismissal. David's celerity is improved when the coach is timing him.

covenant

n. sworn agreement; a pledge The settlers made a covenant with the Indians that they would assist each other in times of need. The boys signed a covenant that they would never break the rules of their club.

empathy

n. the ability to share someone else's feelings or experiences He loves children and has a certain empathy with them because he vividly recalls what it was like when he was a child. (To have empathy is to empathize.) I empathize with Kim because I can imagine how I would feel if I were in her position.

apostasy

n. the absolute rejection of one's religion, principles, or loyalties The apostasy from communism in the Soviet Union during the 1980s has helped make peace efforts easier between Russia and democratic countries. Coach Burrel was an apostate; he thought his team should never throw a forward pass. (A person who commits apostasy is called an apostate.)

divine

v. to foretell; to prophesy; to infer, to guess Stockbrokers make their living divining when to buy and when to sell stocks. Old-timers used to use a stick to divine where they should dig a well.

extricate

v. to free from difficulty Matthew's parents hired a lawyer to extricate him from the legal charges brought against him. After the blizzard many in the city needed snow plows to extricate their cars from their driveways.

harangue

v./n. to lecture, berate; a long bombastic speech Our neighbor is a farmer who goes to town once a week on Saturdays and harangues everyone he meets about how bad the government treats farmers. A perpetual haranguer, Jeannie was a feminist who believed everyone who didn't believe as she did was anti-feminist.

flounder

v./n. to move about in a clumsy manner; a fish Sarah floundered with the new dance and fell on the floor in an awkward heap. Henry served flounder stuffed with crab.

insolent

adj. arrogant; insulting Because the parents were afraid to discipline their children in public, the whole theater had to endure the children's insolent behavior. The insolent sales clerk refused to offer help, even after we requested it.

chintzy

adj. gaudy; cheap; tacky The hat looked chintzy but received the same admiration from prospective buyers as the expensive one. Bob was so chintzy he tipped waiters with wooden nickels.

futile

ad. useless; hopeless Romeo made a futile attempt to awaken Juliet from her sleep. After taking poison, Romeo took one last futile breath before he died.

carcinogenic

adj. able or likely to cause cancer Tests on laboratory rats determine that certain substances are carcinogenic, possibly causing cancer in humans. The government requires warnings on cigarette packs stating that tobacco has been shown to be a carcinogenic substance.

compatible

adj. able to function in harmony with others Joan and Cindy are compatible; they both like movies and boys, and boys and movies. John's sister is not compatible with any members of her family since she became a famous New York model.

dispassionate

adj. able to think clearly without strong feeling or bias; calm; impartial The book about the Kennedy family history provides a more dispassionate understanding of the tragic events than one would not get in National Enquirer magazine. The killer described his heinous criminal acts in a frighteningly dispassionate manner, with a blank stare on his face.

anthropomorphic

adj. ascribing human characteristics to something that is not human, i.e., animals, gods 'Alice in Wonderland' and 'Winnie-the-Pooh' are classic examples of anthropomorphic works. Young girls are almost always anthropomorphic toward their dolls.

incipient

adj. beginning We heard the incipient crackling and knew the chicks were almost out of their shells. Support for the mayor was incipient, but we all knew it would grow.

erudite

adj. deeply learned; scholarly Most professional speakers are erudite, understanding proper grammatical structure and using large vocabulary. (To be erudite is to have erudition.) The extent of Dr. Smith's library is an indication of his erudition.

inveterate

adj. deeply rooted; habitual When it comes to playing golf, Jordan is an inveterate cheater. After hearing Michael's latest story, we are convinced that he is an inveterate liar.

crestfallen

adj. disappointed and sad; downcast or depressed; dejected The tennis player strode confidently out onto the court but returned crestfallen, having lost the first set. The children were crestfallen when they learned their father was leaving.

contemptuous

adj. feeling contempt; disdainful; scornful Nancy is so contemptuous of the family that she sent each member a spiteful note. Sometimes the child who is given the most by his parents turns out to be the most contemptuous adult.

fecund

adj. fertile; productive Leonardo Da Vinci's fecund artistic abilities have left the world many art treasures. Our cat is so fecund that she once had three litters in one year.

expedient

adj. giving an immediate advantage; practical The rescue worker knew it was expedient to use a tourniquet before his patient lost too much blood. The teacher thought it expedient to solve the misunderstanding before it became a fistfight.

artless

adj. having no skill or art; crude Sarah was afraid to take her boyfriend home to meet her family because he tended to be artless when discussing politics and religion. The boy claimed to be a juggler, but after he threw the balls in the air it was apparent that he was artless.

hostile

adj. having or showing ill will The wild dog's hostile actions scared the children. The hostile crowd began to throw rocks at the building.

dulcet

adj. melodious, soft, soothing Senator Kramer was a political campaigner who could hypnotize an audience with sweet words and dulcet tones. Nothing was dulcet about the rock-and-roll music that shook the McCrakens' house from their son's room every morning before school.

bovine

adj. of, relating to, or resembling an animal such as an ox, cow, or buffalo; solid; dull The bovine features of the man scared the children. Gateway Computer Company uses a unique bovine design on their computer packaging.

conducive

adj. promoting; contributing Strong study habits are conducive to good grades. My mattress is always conducive to a good night's sleep.

dialectical

adj. relating to the rules and methods or reasoning To determine a truth about something, the dialectical approach is to examine all the possibilities in order to find the more correct one. Plato taught Aristotle his dialectical approach to philosophical analysis.

cosmic

adj. relating to the universe in contrast to Earth alone Cosmic rays enter the earth's atmosphere from outer space at the speed of light. Radio noise in the cosmic atmosphere originates beyond the Milky Way.

fraught

adj. teeming with; laden; full; involving Although Mark Twain's books were fraught with humor, they nevertheless drove home good advice for their readers, young and old. Fraught with guilt about losing her temper with the children, Mary treated them to ice cream after supper.

impulsive

adj. tending to act thoughtlessly, impelling, spur-of-the-moment The impulsive teenagers jumped into the pool fully clothed. The impulsive youth purchased a car over the internet even though he lacked a driver's license.

egalitarian

adj./n. advocating the doctrine of equal rights for all citizens; a person who advocates equal rights The Communists preached an egalitarian philosophy, but in the end, they were the same old fascists the world has known through the ages. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a true egalitarian; he preached equal rights for citizens of all races and religions.

circa

adv. about; at an estimated historical time period The exact date of the first Egyptian dynasty is not known, but it is believed to have occurred circa 3000 B.C. Circa is another word for "about" or "more or less," and it always refers to an estimate time period or date.

contumely

adv. contemptuously, rudely, arrogantly; insultingly The rude child contumely told his parents to shut up. Phil contumely took his roommate's belongings and used them without asking first.

en masse

adv. in a body as a whole; as a group

helter-skelter

adv. tumultuously, disorderly, haphazardly, in a confused manner The delegates were running helter-skelter at the convention trying to meet the candidates. The children ran helter-skelter all over the house playing blind mand's buff.

askance

adv. with suspicion, disapproval or a lack of trust With riots in the city, tourists will be looking askance at vacationing here this summer. The horse looked askance at the rattlesnake slithering up the hill toward him.

denomination

n. a classification or category; a religious group or sect composed of a number of congregations Annie and Bill belonged to two different religious denominations; Annie was Baptist and Bill was Lutheran. Our money is minted in many different denominations, from pennies up to hundred dollar bills.

chasm

n. a deep opening; a gorge Chasms in the ice were formed by the slow-moving glacier. A rope bridge stretched across the chasm.

hologram

n. a three-dimensional image created by laser beams Tampa Museum has a hologram display which produces many ghostly images. The hologram of the dead man projected on the wall caused everyone to leave the building.

chateau

n. a French estate, manor, castle or large house in the country (plural: chateaux) Marta and her family found a crumbling chateau in France where their grandfather had been born. Many old chateaux in Europe are now historical museums.

curmudgeon

n. a bad-tempered or irritable person; a difficult person Grandpa, you're turning into a complaining, cranky old curmudgeon! To pay my kids back for all the hard times they gave me, I plan to age into a disagreeable, cane-carrying curmudgeon.

brigand

n. a bandit or robber, usually one of an outlaw band Jose Gaspar and his brigands pirated the western coast of Florida. Billy the Kid was proud of his ability as a brigand.

ensign

n. a banner; a flag; a naval officer The ship's ensign was flown at half-mast to honor the dead. The graduates at the U.S. Naval Academy are given the rank of ensign upon completion.

crony

n. a close friend or companion Jim and his cronies go to the football games on Friday nights. John Dillinger and his cronies robbed the First National Bank.

foliage

n. a cluster of leaves, flowers, and branches The foliage in the fall displays multiple colors that blend into one beautiful painting. Beautiful, luxuriant, green foliage dots the south with many exotic plants.

anthology

n. a collection of artistic works which usually have a similar form or subject This Bob Dylan anthology includes some rare recordings of his best songs. New Monic Books is planning an anthology of books teaching easy-memory techniques.

catheter

n. a flexible tube inserted into a bodily channel (mainly bladder) to permit injection or withdrawal of fluids The doctor inserted a catheter into the patient's artery to inject a drug. Because he was unable to go to the restroom, the patient had to be catheterized. (v.)

citadel

n. a fortress overlooking a city; a stronghold Charlie was a citadel of strength, always there for his friends no matter what. There are many ancient citadels in Spain; they are among the attractions more visited by tourists.

cataract

n. a large waterfall; a deluge; an eye abnormality Niagara Falls is probably the most well-known cataract in North America. The old dog developed cloudy cataracts on both his eyes.

antipathy

n. a natural basic dislike; aversion Mary Ellen loves to cook but has always felt a certain antipathy toward housework. Dr. Howell's antipathy toward students who cheat on tests is well-known.

epicure

n. a person who enjoys food and drink of a high quality, often having great knowledge of the subject I get nervous when I cook for my mother because she is an epicure who won't hesitate to criticize what I did wrong. My son has become an epicure of fine wines.

dirge

n. a song or hymn for a funeral or memorial for the dead; any mournful music That folk song sounds more like a dirge than it does a poem. The dirge the organist played at Aunt Bea's funeral was so sad there wasn't a dry eye in the church.

elegy

n. a sorrowful or mournful poem or musical composition, especially mourning for the dead The princess sang a beautiful elegy in memory of her slain prince. The sad poem that she wrote was actually an elegy for her favorite plant, which died from overwatering.

ferment

n. a state of agitation Mrs. Jones's ferment was clear when she kicked Scott out of the class. The ferment between the nations led to the eventual war.

chaff

n. anything worthless; the husks separated from grain On the farm, the chaff is separated from the grain by a procedure called "threshing." Billy's toy boxes have accumulated loads of chaff: legs, arms, and other useless pieces of toys.

anxiety

n. apprehension; uneasiness; nervousness; disquiet Seth felt pangs of anxiety because he knew he was going to be late for his daughter's wedding. The rescue workers' anxiety deepened when the mountain climbers hadn't returned by nightfall.

demeanor

n. behavior; deportment The colonel's stern military demeanor makes his children frightened of him. Judging from her demeanor, I would say she is very uncomfortable being here.

curriculum

n. courses offered by an educational institution The first-year curriculum in colleges consists of generalized classes introducing various courses of study. It is common for students to reassess their curriculum after the sophomore year.

infamy

n. evil reputation; extreme disgrace Western outlaws such as Jesse and Frank James have been made heroes in movies, but in reality, their infamy is what should be remembered. The infamy of Germany's Adolf Hitler will live for eternity.

hyperbole

n. extreme exaggeration Henry says he works out sixteen hours a day, but we know he's using hyperbole. Many jokes are based upon hyperbole.

ambivalence

n. indecision; experiencing contradictory emotions Jim's ambivalent feelings of both respect and disgust for his boss made him unsure about accepting the promotion. Ric's ambivalence about whether to attend college or to take a job instead caused him many sleepless nights.

circumlocution

n. indirect speech; talking around the facts Politicians are notorious for circumlocution, talking much but saying little. The driver's circumlocution concerning why his driver's license was out of date did not amuse the police officer.

dexterity

n. mental skill or adroitness; the ease of use of the body Jerry is a tennis champion due to his dexterity, speed, and determination. Magicians must develop superior manual dexterity in order to make their tricks appear to be magical.

humility

n. modesty, lack of pride; unpretentiousness With humility Thomas thanked everyone who helped him win the election. Most people accept the Nobel Prize with humility and pride.

entourage

n. one's attendants or associates The princess's entourage consisted of her family and friends. Rock stars have an entourage of bodyguards and assistants who travel with them when they are on the road performing.

converse

n. opposite; reverse I always seem to have the converse opinion of my parents. She always takes the converse position from mine, so we constantly argue. (adj.)

epaulet

n. ornamental strip, loops or fringed shoulder piece sewn across the shoulder The epaulets on a soldier's uniform most frequently signify his or her rank. The police officer's uniform includes epaulets of a contrasting color.

cartography

n. the art of technique of producing maps and charts Captain John Smith was renowned for his cartography of North America. Governments have cartography departments to keep all the maps of their country updated with the latest roads and bridges.

elite

n. the best or most skilled members of a group Members of the school's academic teams are among the educational elite of the entire state. The city was defended by an elite corps of the army's finest soldiers. (adj.)

apogee

n. the most important; the highest or most distant point, especially in space At their apogee, the novels of Mickey Spillane claimed worldwide sales of over 180 million books. The young model felt she had reached the apogee of her career when her face was on the cover of Vogue magazine.

bathos

n. triteness or triviality in style; overly sentimental, mawkish writing or emotion The convention began on a high note but regrettably ended on a low ebb of common political speech-making bathos. The book's plot, thrilling in the beginning, ended on a note of bathos, as the hero and heroine never married and neither seemed to care.

candor

n. truthfulness, sincere honesty Speaking with candor, the governor called for police reforms throughout the state. The coach told his team that candor means to speak honestly, and that to speak candidly, the team stunk. (adv.) (Candid is showing candor.)

couplet

n. two successive lines of verse forming a unit in poetry Many early American poems were written in couplets. Browning and her contemporaries utilized couplets to communicate their feeling about love.

genre

n. type or category Of all the genres of literature, my favorite is poetry. Many artists choose one genre and then stay with it rather than creating in other media.

heterodoxy

n. unconventionality; unorthodox Jeff's heterodoxy was well-known among his contemporaries. The priest's heterodoxy caused him to be removed from his position.

assent

v. agree to a situation, opinion, or proposal; to concur The Moore Building Company assented to monthly building inspections for the new office complex it was building for the city. A bill in Congress can only be passed with the assent of the majority. (n.)

inspire

v. arouse, to encourage, to give hope to, stimulate Shakespeare has inspired generations of playwrights and authors. The chance to win the gold medal at the Olympics inspires many athletes to excel.

denigrate

v. belittle; defame; attack one's reputation Keith denigrated his opponent, attempting to show that she was unqualified to be the new dog catcher. Jack's father would denigrate him for minor things when angry and then later apologize for the harsh things he had said.

endow

v. bestow; grant; to give, especially a large gift Grandfather Samuel endowed each child with a trust fund. Nature endowed her with extraordinary beauty and grace.

check

v. bring to a stand still, to stop, to hold back, to block Inflation must be held in check if the dollar is to have any value. A system of checks and balances keeps any one of our three branches of government--legislative, judicial, executive--from dominating the other.

infuse

v. cause to take in and be filled with; instill; to introduce into His landscape paintings were infused with warm, subtle light. The teacher infused knowledge into her students.

finagle

v. obtain by trickery; to use devious or dishonest methods Jim finagled his way into the private party by entering through the kitchen when no one was looking. Horace's construction company finagled a look at the bids of their competitors in order to become the lowest bidder.

condescend

v. patronize; to lower oneself The sorority's condescending attitude made me decide not to join. (adj.) The teachers were all surprised when the superintendent condescended to talk to their representative.

heed

v. pay careful attention, notice, observe Bill heeded Tom's tip to purchase high-tech stock, and he prospered. Heed the teacher's advice to study, and you'lll pass the examination.

diffuse

v. scatter; disperse; cause to spread in many directions The rats diffused once the light was turned on. The smoke diffused over such a large area that the smoke detectors weren't triggered.

amend

v. to alter, modify, improve; change for the better Congress failed to obtain the necessary votes to amend the U.S. Constitution. The club amended the membership rules to allow younger people to join.

harass

v. to annoy or trouble repeatedly or persistently; to hinder or exhaust by repeated attacks She felt she was being harassed by his constant, nonstop phone calls. Hecklers harassed the comic until he couldn't take anymore and walked off stage.

avail

v. to be useful; be of value to; to serve The doctors' efforts to save the man were of no avail; he died the next day. (n.) The Colonel's preparations did not avail his troops, as the enemy struck in an unsuspected region of the front lines.

brook

v. to bear or tolerate; to put up with Cynthia stormed from the room shouting she would no longer brook any of Sir Anthony's insults. The substitute teacher could no longer brook the class's behavior that she sent everyone to the principal's office.

inculcate

v. to cause someone to have particular beliefs or values by repeating them frequently; to implant in someone's mind by earnest and frequent repetition; instill The goal is to inculcate in students a tolerance for people of other religions and races by educating them in those areas. Religious cults entrap people by isolating them and inculcating the beliefs of the cult by brainwashing.

bemuse

v. to cause to be confused; to muddle Kevin was bemused by his blind date who refused to speak to him but sent him notes instead. His parents were bemused when John's computer began smoking and making strange sounds. (The word muse means to think about things. To be bemused is to think about something to the point of confusion.)

denounce

v. to condemn; to expose critically As an act of conscience, the young terrorist denounced his fellow terrorists and confessed his criminal acts to the police. The captured soldiers were asked to denounce their government and join in the revolution.

canvass

v. to conduct a survey or poll; to make a survey The neighbors were canvassed to see who was in favor of paying to put in new sidewalks. The police canvassed the neighborhood, showing the photo of a suspected criminal and asking if he had been seen in the area.

extrapolate

v. to deduce; to infer After he was presented with all the evidence, the detective was able to extrapolate the location of the weapon. The accused man extrapolated his fate by studying the expressions on the faces of the jury members.

champion

v. to defend or fight for; advocate; to support The Sierra Club champions protection of wildlife and the environment. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a champion of civil rights for African-Americans.

evade

v. to elude or avoid by cunning; to flee from a pursuer The escaped prisoners evaded the authorities by breaking into a cathedral and disguising themselves as nuns. Jane evades helping her sister wash dishes by claiming she has homework to do.

fester

v. to generate pus; to cause resentment or irritation Diane's resentments towards her boss's unkind remarks about her work festered until they finally drove her to quit her job. Private Sholley's wound festered for so long it was impossible for the surgeons to save his leg.

eradicate

v. to get rid of; exterminate; destroy We hoped to eradicate the bugs by fogging the house. It is my father's mission to eradicate all weeds in our yard.

inure

v. to get used to something undesirable; harden Bob inured to the hardships of prison life after his first year. After thirty days at sea, Bob was inured to life in a life raft.

feign

v. to give a false appearance; to pretend Jeremy talked a good game, but he also feigned knowledge of space science he did not possess. Elizabeth feigned illness in order to stay home from school the day of her final exam in math.

decimate

v. to kill; largely destroy The dust decimated the cotton fields of the south during the 1930s. The Texans were decimated by the Mexicans at the Alamo in 1836.

emaciate

v. to make extremely thin, usually by starvation or disease Joan emaciated herself by losing so much weight on her crash diet. It was sad to see the emaciation of the cattle that had not eaten in weeks during the winter dry spell. (n.)

clinch

v. to make final; to settle; embrace The Yankees clinched the World Series in four games against the Phillies. Tom's offer to trade his favorite hog for Farmer Brown's bull clinched the deal.

decry

v. to openly denounce Mitchell decried the high rate of unemployment in the state. Mrs. Potts decried the low grades made in her English class.

belittle

v. to put someone down; demean Although the entire platoon worked hard digging the trenches, the Captain belittled their efforts as too little too late since the war had come to an end. Because he constantly belittles his older sister, Pete's parents try to keep them apart as much as possible.

allay

v. to relieve, calm or pacify The mother sang a lullaby to allay the baby's fear. The doctor hoped to allay the problem with medication.

disperse

v. to scatter in various directions; distribute widely Napoleon dispersed troops strategically along the mountain's ridge where they could fire down upon the Austrian army as it advanced up the hill. The police arrived and dispersed the riotous crowd with threats of arrest if they did not leave the parade grounds.

delve

v. to search intensely for a thing or information The pop music idol said she was tired of journalists delving into her private life. The attorney general promised he would delve into the rash of robberies in the valley.

desist

v. to stop doing something; cease Sue was politely asked by her neighbors to desist from playing music after 11 PM because it kept them awake. Mary tried to desist from the remainder of the apple pie but finally gave in and gobbled it down.

acrimonious

adj. bitter; nasty; spiteful Alex and Lisa's divorce was beset with acrimonious accusations from each side. Football players make acrimonious comments at their opponents as a means of intimidation, hoping to get the other side upset and throw off their game.

allegory

n. a symbolic story Saint Augustine's "City of God" is an allegory of the triumph of Good over Evil. Alice in Wonderland can be interpreted as an allegory.

accouterments

n. the equipment needed for a particular activity or way of life; one's outfit or equipment She has all the accouterments of the successful businesswoman: a luxury car, designer clothes, and a beautiful house. After completing his scuba diving course, Mike needed to purchase the appropriate accouterments to dive on his own.

acme

n. the highest point When he thought the stock market had reached its acme, Mr. Johnson sold his stock. It had been a hot morning, but the sun had not yet reached its acme.

aggregate

n. total; a collection of different things The so-called "Soup de Jour" was actually an aggregate of the restaurant's leftovers. In order to win the election, the Governor knew he must find an aggregate of voters to support his political platform.

accord

v. agree; conform; to grant; bestow upon The time I spent in the Army Reserve away from home accorded me the opportunity to realize how much I miss my wife and children. Mrs. Larson was not in accord with her daughter's wishes to begin dating at the age of twelve. (n.)

abut

v. border upon; to adjoin Texas abuts Mexico on its southern border. The abutting rocks formed a perfect wall for riflemen to defend the castle. (adj.)

affect

v. influence, to impress the mind or move the feelings of emotion The overall joyousness at the birthday party affected the attitude of everyone in a positive way. The author was greatly affected by the uncomplimentary, disastrous reviews of his novel.

abrogate

v. to abolish, repeal, to nullify by authority; to do away with; to end formally Congress abrogated the treaty, saying that it no longer applied. Our town abrogated the old law regarding how many horses a person can have pulling his carriage.

accrue

v. to accumulate over time Bryan's unpaid parking tickets accrued to the point that they would have paid for his college tuition. By the time he was eighteen, he had accrued a good knowledge of computer skills.

ad lib

v. to act, speak and perform spontaneously or off the cuff Unprepared for her monthly budget presentation, Barbara ad-libbed her report. Jack forgot his lines in the middle of the second act and had to ad lib his dialogue with the other actors.

acquit

v. to decide officially someone is not guilty of a particular crime; to free from an obligation Tanya was acquitted of all criminal charges against her. June acquitted herself well in front of the panel because she had planned her answers beforehand.

abnegate

v. to deny oneself; to reject People on diet programs are expected to abnegate fattening foods. Monks often practice some form of abnegation in hopes of purifying themselves of sins. (n.)

abysmal

adj. bottomless; hopeless Because of the abysmal clutter in Gary's room, his mother decided to keep the door closed. Our country's national deficit is so high as to be abysmal.

addicted

adj. devoting (oneself) habitually or compulsively My mother regrets she allowed herself to become addicted to nicotine. Betty became so addicted to soap operas that she found a night job in order to stay home during the day.

abstract

adj. difficult to understand; impersonal; theoretical Dad's paintings are all abstract, and we can't tell what they are supposed to represent. Christopher's directions to his house were so abstract we were lost for two hours.

integral

adj. essential Charlie is an integral member of our school's math team. Most children agree that chocolate should be an integral part of everyone's diet.

impending

adj. about to happen soon; about to occur or appear The impending crisis over trade made everyone nervous. Our windows were boarded up and we had all our supplies, so we watched TV and waited for the impending hurricane.

categorical

adj. absolute; unconditional The defendant categorically denied that he had stolen a bottle of vodka at the liquor store. (adv.) O. J. Simpson's categorical denial of the murder of his wife made national news.

copious

adj. abundant; plentiful Farmer Brown was overjoyed with his copious crop of tomatoes. David gave copious reasons to explain why he should be allowed to stay home from school.

adventitious

adj. accidental or incidental; not expected or planned; irrelevant Dr. Edward's appointment to Chief of Staff was adventitious to his experience because his brother-in-law was the administrator. Buying new shoes was adventitious to Ethel's shopping trip, considering she went out for groceries.

concomitant

adj. accompanying; happening together and connected with; going along with Old age and the concomitant loss of memory are part of a natural progression. The banana splits and the concomitant weight gain sent Mary into a tizzy when she couldn't fit into her new prom dress.

conventional

adj. ordinary; common Martha's writing is conventional; she will not win an award for creativity. My grandmother is full of conventional wisdom.

culinary

adj. relating to cooking Her desire to create new recipes was fueled by her interest in entering the culinary contest. James attended culinary school to fulfill his dream of becoming a chef.

convolution

n. a complexity of coils, twists, and folds The movie is good, but the plot has so many convolutions that you really have to concentrate. The small child tried to work out exactly how many snakes were hidden among the endless convolutions in the pattern.

idiosyncrasy

n. a behavioral quirk Harriet had a way of smacking her lips every time she was asked a question, a harmless enough idiosyncrasy, only it drove everyone crazy after a while. Jimmy Chen's habit of eating soup as a last course is no idiosyncrasy; most Chinese have soup last instead of first as is the American custom.

gastronomy

n. the art of good eating One can learn a great deal about a country by studying its gastronomy. The feast was a gastronomic delight with every gourmet dish imaginable. (adj.)

chemotherapy

n. use of chemical agents in the treatment of disease, especially cancer The chemotherapy prescribed by doctors is in proportion to the size and type of cancer to be destroyed. She was aware of the side effects of chemotherapy, such as the temporary loss of her hair, but accepted the risk.

hubris

n. very great pride and belief in one's own importance; arrogance; excessive pride considered as a sin It was hubris that led them to believe that they could take over the business without any opposition at all. He was publicly shamed and shunned for his hubris.

amid

prep. in the middle of or surrounded by Hortensia wrote from Brazil that she was living amid savages in the jungle. On the floor, amid mounds of books, we found two small envelopes full of money.

imbibe

v. to drink or absorb Young adults tend to imbibe too much. The scholar intended to imbibe every bit of wisdom that his teachers placed before him.

botch

v. bungle; to spoil something by doing it badly The funding was withdrawn after the tree frog scientists botched the first stage of the research. Pauline's brother tried to decorate his bedroom but botched it so badly she had to do it over for him.

burnish

v. to polish or rub to a high gloss The silver bracelet was burnished to a bright finish. Copper, brass, and silver are highly burnishable. (adj.)

definitive

adj. conclusive; stating the last word Tommy had a definitive answer for why he didn't believe in ghosts; he'd never seen any. Fast food restaurants provide the definitive solution for eating on the run.

eon

n. a very long, indefinite period of time Dinosaurs roamed the Earth eons ago. Eons passed before life appeared on Earth.

forcible

adj. accomplished by force; powerful; violent Everyone was shocked by the forcible entry of the police into the wrong house. The policeman's forcible grip on the frail man caused a broken arm and muscle damage.

caustic

adj. acidic; corrosive Amy learned the hard way that soda is caustic to a car's finish. Jennifer is known for her caustic comments about non-vegetarians.

contiguous

adj. adjoining; side by side Our property is contiguous to our neighbor's. The umpire did not see both outs because they were contiguous.

corporal

adj. affecting or related to the body as in punishment Corporal punishment was administered to the prisoner. The corporal treatment of slaves was depicted in the movie "Roots."

amenable

adj. agreeable, pleasant, willing to give in to the wishes of another The Seminole Indians were amenable to sharing revenue from the bingo hall games. Jane was amenable to returning the call the next day when the main office would be open.

hermetic

adj. airtight; not influenced by the outside Many film stars want their children to lead hermetic existences. The solution was hermetically sealed, but we still called Poison Control. (adv.)

equivocal

adj. ambiguous; confusing By Danny's equivocal letters home from summer camp, his parents couldn't tell if he liked it or not. When Eli asked Maureen to the dance, her answer was so equivocal that he decided to ask someone else.

droll

adj. amusing in an unusual, humorous way The comedian's humor was so droll you had to think about the punch line a minute to understand the joke. The talk show host has a droll scene of humor that only his fans appreciate.

archaic

adj. ancient; outdated With the advent of personal computers, typewriters have become archaic. Former social customs such as men opening car doors for women became archaic with the emergence of the women's rights movement.

indignant

adj. angry as a result of insult The teens became indignant when the security guard started to follow them around the store. Pat became indignant when she learned of the rumors that had been spread about her.

indifferent

adj. apathetic; ambivalent Lois grew so indifferent that she could find little to interest her. A stoic is indifferent to pleasure or pain.

apropos

adj. appropriate; relevant; opportune; suitable It was really apropos for the school principal to give credit to the coaches for their contribution to the team's victory. Jack's comic remarks about his father's auto accident were not apropos; they were malapropos. (Malapropos is the opposite of apropos and means "inappropriate.")

contentious

adj. argumentative; quarrelsome Curley is the most contentious character in "Of Mice and Men;" he is always trying to pick a fight. Holly's stepfather is the most contentious man I've ever met; it is no wonder the kids try to stay out of his way.

flabbergasted

adj. astounded or amazed After the first game, the fans were flabbergasted to realize how much their team had changed in the last year. Jessica was flabbergasted by the unexpected gift.

garbled

adj. confused and unclear; mixed up; distorted He left a garbled message on my answering machine. He was so sleepy that his speech had become garbled.

grandiloquent

adj. attempting to impress with big words or grand gestures It was another grandiloquent political affair, with the candidates making the same old promises to lower taxes and increase free services. The new teacher's grandiloquence didn't fool the class one bit; she really knew very little about South American history. (n.)

benighted

adj. being in a state of intellectual darkness; ignorant; unenlightened Many benighted people never vote and don't realize how important their vote could be to their country. Cameron had never read a book but was so benighted he did not realize he would never be accepted into Harvard.

ecclesiastical

adj. belonging to or connected with the Christian religion Mrs. Brown was proud of her husband, the minister, until it was time to wash and iron his ecclesiastical garments. The many churches in the old city gave it an ecclesiastical feeling.

harried

adj. beset by problems or harassed The harried voters became distressed by the long ballot and voted for the first names they came to. Tom was harried by constant doubts about trading his car for a new one.

grotesque

adj. bizarre or outlandish, as in character or appearance Jose's grotesque impersonation of the preacher was totally inappropriate. Many of Edgar Allan Poe's short stories are grotesque in nature.

flagrant

adj. blatantly bad; scandalous Brian's flagrant disregard for Shelia's feelings is what upset her the most. The professor gave the otherwise acceptable essay a poor grade because it was filled with flagrant spelling errors.

ebullient

adj. boiling, bubbling with excitement The ebullient audience impatiently awaited the star's appearance on stage. Pam was ebullient when she told her friends about her first date.

impudent

adj. bold, impertinent, rude, insolent Chuck's impudent language brought a defamation of character lawsuit. Sheila, the impudent child, antagonized her mother at bedtime.

brazen

adj. bold, shameless; impudent; also like brass Tiger Woods' brazen attempt to reach the green in two strokes paid off with a birdie. The brazen cymbals worn by the dancers made metallic, melodious sounds.

concise

adj. brief and to the point When writing an e-mail, it is best to be concise. The doctor was concise when he reviewed the extent of his patient's injuries.

incandescent

adj. bright; giving off light Thomas Edison invented the incandescent light bulb. Chloe has an incandescent personality that can light up a whole room.

inauspicious

adj. bringing, predicting, or characterized by misfortune The inauspicious ending of the Dolphins' season caused the resignation of the coach. British inauspicious losses in the South caused the Americans to win.

insouciant

adj. calm and carefree; lighthearted Children play insouciantly as if they did not have a care in the world. (adv.) Jake's insouciant behavior was inappropriate at his grandfather's funeral, showing lack of respect for his memory.

combustible

adj. capable of burning; easy to excite Gasoline vapor is highly combustible. The sign read, "Trucks carrying combustibles are not allowed to use this tunnel." (n.)

ambulatory

adj. capable of walking Although Robin's foot was in a cast, she was still ambulatory with the aid of a crutch. Most ambulatory patients do not stay overnight at the hospital.

appalling

adj. causing dismay or horror It was absolutely appalling the way the members of the band taunted the cheerleaders with accusations that their legs looked like twigs. We were appalled at the way Nancy scolded her children for minor offenses. (v.)

grievous

adj. causing emotional or physical suffering; painful; grave and deplorable; heinous; expressing or full of grief; anguished The family's loss of income was a grievous situation; they lost their home, their cars, everything! The end of the war left the country in a grievous condition; all buildings were destroyed, farm animals were killed, and little food and no fresh water were left.

circumspect

adj. cautious; heedful of situations and potential consequences In his usual circumspect manner, Frank first insured himself against all losses before placing a bet. Pat's five-year-old circumspectly looks both ways before crossing the street. (adv.)

deliberate

adj. cautious; prudent v. to think over Charley's horse was old and cautious; he proceeded at a slow and deliberate pace up the mountain trail. The judge said he would have to deliberate before making a decision.

defeatist

adj. characterized by acceptance or expectation of defeat Their defeatist attitude shortened the battle by days and caused the downfall of the nation. His defeatist comments set him up for a loss he was unable to handle.

dogmatic

adj. characterized by an authoritative, often arrogant assertion of opinions or beliefs Grandpa was always dogmatic about his views on the best way to grow corn. The opinions or ideas vehemently asserted by a dogmatic person are known as dogma.

avid

adj. characterized by great eagerness; an unbounded craving Leslie always had an avid desire to become a TV journalist until she discovered she might have to get up at 4 a.m. Elizabeth became an avid reader at the age of three.

idyllic

adj. charming in a rustic way; naturally peaceful Chuck and Cathy bought an idyllic cabin in the Smoky Mountains. Uncle Frank likes to paint idyllic seascapes.

engaging

adj. charming; pleasing; attractive Phillip's engaging personality made him popular with his fellow students. The movie was not engaging; it was boring from beginning to end.

analogous

adj. comparable; similar or equivalent Forcing some men to retire is analogous to condemning them to an early death. Driving and traffic laws are fairly analogous from state to state.

arrant

adj. complete; unmitigated; downright; total He dismissed the rumors as arrant nonsense, saying they were absolute falsehoods. In the story of "Pinnochio," the boy's nose kept growing longer because of his arrant dishonesty.

ambiguous

adj. confusing; unclear as to meaning Some of the questions on the verbal SAT appear ambiguous upon first reading. Because the road map was ambiguous, we stopped at a gas station to get directions.

germane

adj. connected with and important to a particular subject or situation; relevant I don't think a question about funds is really germane to a discussion about why we have to protect our children. I think hiring more school crossing guards is germane to the children's safety, considering the increase in traffic in the area.

conjugal

adj. connected with marriage or the relationship between husband and wife Some prisons allow the inmates to have conjugal visits with their spouses, especially if the inmates are incarcerated for a long time. Mr. and Mrs. Smith just celebrated fifty years of conjugal bliss.

equestrian

adj. connected with the riding of horses; of or concerning horsemanship The American Indians of the West were born equestrians who began riding horses at an early age. (n.) In the center of town they are going to erect an equestrian statue in honor of the late, great jockey who was born here.

cognizant

adj. conscious; aware The patient did not appear to be cognizant because he would not respond to any stimuli. Roger was cognizant of the dangers of skydiving, but he was determined to give it a try anyway.

homogeneous

adj. consisting entirely of one thing or quality The gifted class is very homogeneous; everyone in it has a high IQ. My taste in candy is homogeneous; I like only chocolate.

fibrous

adj. containing or relating to fibers Bran cereal contains a large quantity of fibrous wheat, believed to be beneficial. The advantage of fibrous paper towels is that they absorb liquid and are handy in kitchen use.

chronic

adj. continuing for a long time; continuous When lower back pain becomes chronic, it's time to see a doctor. Her chronic gossiping led to her being kicked out of the Garden Club.

interminable

adj. continuing for too long and seeming never to end; endless or seemingly endless; monotonously long When I wrecked the car, Larry's interminable tirade went on for hours. The professor's interminable lecture droned on for so long that Jack fell fast asleep.

incessant

adj. continuing without interruption; nonstop The teacher gave Allison and Karen a detention for their incessant chatter in class. Their incessant bickering drove Mike and Barbara to divorce.

bourgeois

adj. conventional; boringly middle-class Many writers of the 1920s moved to Paris, which they believed was less bourgeois, and therefore more artistic than the United States. When she returned from college, she realized how bourgeois her hometown was compared to the academic university atmosphere to which she had grown accustomed.

galore

adj. copious; characterized by abundance, plentiful Champagne galore bubbled out of the fountain at the wedding. At the banquet, there was food galore beyond one's imagination.

complaisant

adj. cordial, amenable, eager to please The host's complaisant manner made everyone feel welcome. Jeff was too complaisant about customer returns without a receipt.

civil

adj. courteous; polite; civilized Uncle Frank tries to be civil during family functions, but he always ends up upsetting someone. Although the couple had a most unpleasant divorce, they were civil to each other for the sake of the children.

bosky

adj. covered with an abundance of trees or shrubs; wooded The bosky area near the river hid the tributaries in its uncharted wilderness. We paddled to a bosky island to set up camp.

hirsute

adj. covered with hair, shaggy Jeanie could not believe her sister could be attracted to such a hirsute man. Jerry's English sheepdog was hirsute; he looked like a large ball of fur.

craven

adj. cowardly To let his wife do his fighting for him was the act of a craven husband with no backbone. The craven girl remained outside the house of horrors while her friends experienced the torment inside.

concave

adj. curbed inward like the interior of a sphere You've lost so much weight that your stomach is almost concave! It was obvious that my cake "fell" when I saw the concave shape of the top of it.

convex

adj. curved or rounded like an exterior sphere or circle The camera's close-up lens created the effect of a convex surface. Looking into the convex mirror, the child laughed at his distorted appearance.

incisive

adj. cutting to the heart of the matter David's incisive comments proved that he understood the novel. His letters to the editor are always incisive and current.

defunct

adj. dead or inactive; having ceased to exist Latin is a defunct language kept alive only by some religions. Although Shakespeare has been dead for centuries, his plays will never be defunct.

cognitive

adj. dealing with senses Ben's poetry makes wonderful use of cognitive imagery. The cognitive apparatus of older people is often not what it was when they were young. (Cognition (n.) is the mental process of acquiring knowledge.)

controversial

adj. debatable between opposing sides The idea that their son could ever do anything wrong is a very controversial subject in that family. To write a persuasive paper the topic must be controversial, or the paper will have no purpose.

arbitrary

adj. decided by judgment rather than law or statute The grading system of the young teacher was arbitrary, without rhyme or reason, depending on her mood that day. Joseph Stalin was a cruel dictator, having millions of his fellow Russians arbitrarily put to death at his slightest whim. (adv.)

derogatory

adj. degrading Nancy heard the other girls whispering derogatory stories about her family living in a slum. James often makes derogatory remarks about his friends, yet he does not seem to understand that his uncomplimentary words drive them away.

disconsolate

adj. dejected; downcast; deep in grief or sorrow Tony was disconsolate after losing the race and a position on the Olympic team. The family of the injured child was so disconsolate that for a time they did not answer sympathy calls from their neighbors.

exacting

adj. demanding, difficult, requiring great care In college, Henry came to realize that the exacting teachers he disliked in high school were the ones from whom he learned the most. A good cosmetic surgeon must be exacting so that none of his surgical stitches will be detected when the scars heal.

contingent

adj. dependent upon Ellen said that going out on Saturday night was contingent upon her having a date. The mother told the children that ordering dessert was contingent upon their cleaning their plates.

downcast

adj. depressed or sad The team's downcast faces indicated they had lost the championship game. The attendants at the funeral service were downcast throughout the ceremony.

bleak

adj. depressing, harsh, cold, barren After Joy lost the first set 6-0, her chances of winning the girl's tennis championship began to look bleak. The thought of the bleakness of the Aleutian Islands, where the winds howl constantly, makes one shiver. (n.)

bereft

adj. deprived, robbed, or devoid, as of life, hope or happiness She was bereft when she returned from college to learn that her beloved dog had died. My grandmother was bereft after the death of her husband of over sixty years.

avant-garde

adj. describing the advanced group in any field, especially the arts; dealing with experimental methods. Throughout his long art career, Picasso was avant-garde, always ahead of the pack with his experimental artwork. Paris is the center of avant-garde fashion, where all the newest designs are displayed for the first time.

forlorn

adj. desolate or unhappy; left alone and neglected; hopeless As I left little Bobby on his first day of school, he gave me such a forlorn look. Feeling forlorn and destitute, I sat on the curb and sobbed next to my broken-down truck.

despondent

adj. despairing; depressed After Herman left her at the altar, Lilly was despondent for days. Our dog Spot has been despondent ever since his friend, the neighbor's dog, died.

foreordained

adj. determined in advance; fated; predestined Prince Charles's role as future King of England is foreordained since he's heir apparent. The prince's bride was foreordained at an early age.

deft

adj. dexterous; skillful The quarterback deftly avoided the linebacker's rush while calmly throwing a touchdown pass. (adv.) In one deft move, with a flick of the wrist, the magician produced a live pigeon where one had not been.

diverse

adj. different; varied Humphrey's collection of diverse antique classic automobiles was the largest in the state. Randy was very educated and had a diverse education with degrees in medicine, law, and business.

cumbersome

adj. difficult to handle because of size or weight; burdensome Jame's backpack was cumbersome because it was filled with books. The Christmas tree was cumbersome to get into the house, but it looked beautiful when it was set up.

Byzantine

adj. difficult to understand and complicated; characterized by the architectural style of the Byzantine empire Byzantine architecture is characterized by spires, domes, arches, and minarets. To refer to something as Byzantine is to suggest it is complicated and intricate.

intricate

adj. difficult to understand in detail; having many complexly interrelated parts, angles, or aspects; involved; elaborate The novel's intricate plot will not be easy to translate into a movie. That is an extremely intricate model of a car engine, with hundreds of tiny parts to place correctly.

imperceptible

adj. difficult to understand or perceive; not plain At college, Lester learned that he was not nearly as smart as he had thought; many concepts were imperceptible to him. No aspect of the law should be imperceptible to an astute lawyer.

cantankerous

adj. difficult, ill-tempered, and irritating to deal with Baseball players become cantankerous whenever they are hit with a wild pitch. The child became cantankerous when he did not get his milk on time.

guttural

adj. disagreeable, marked by utterance that is strange or unpleasant The carpenter let out a loud guttural scream as the hammer fell on his foot. Wanting to get out of the cage, the parrot let out a low guttural screech.

discordant

adj. disagreeing; quarrelsome; in conflict The city council's discordant attitude discouraged those who wanted to correct community problems. Every generation develops artists with a discordant style that later becomes fashionable and highly sought-after.

dire

adj. disastrous; desperate The hurricane struck the Florida Keys with dire results; many homes were destroyed. Jeff's dire predictions about a stock market crash unfortunately came true.

dissonant

adj. discordant, inharmonious, in disagreement Carl's dissonant friends always argued over who would be first at the video machines. The violin section of the orchestra turned their instruments before the performance so they would not be dissonant.

harsh

adj. discordant, unpleasant, severe, demanding, caustic, abusive Snow White received harsh treatment from her stepmother, who tried to kill her. The critics had nothing but harsh words for the new play on its opening night.

corrupt

adj. dishonest, unethical, unprincipled The corrupt politicians must be thrown out of office. Charley's corrupt friends led him astray by cheating the IRS.

aloof

adj. distant, reserved in manner; uninvolved Most everyone thought Theodore aloof when actually he was only very shy. My cat acts aloof with strangers, but she really craves attention.

inadvertent

adj. done or happening unintentionally; not planned; inattentive, or resulting from inattention It was an inadvertent mistake to throw the term paper away when I was in a hurry to clean before company arrived. I inadvertently put the wrong gas in the car because I was too involved in a conversation with someone at the pumps. (adv.)

impromptu

adj. done or said without earlier planning or preparation; spontaneous or improvised Tanya did very well on a moment's notice, giving an impromptu performance at the piano. The actress was totally unprepared for winning the award, but her impromptu acceptance speech was very appropriate and touching.

eclectic

adj. drawn from many sources Sally's home decor is eclectic; she likes a bit of everything, modern as well as antique. Rescued at sea after days of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Hal enjoyed an eclectic menu of turkey, ham, chicken, and assorted vegetables.

apprehensive

adj. dreading or fearing coming adversity The soldier's mother had great apprehension about her son's welfare as she opened a telegram from the Department of Defense. (n.) Peter entered the classroom in an apprehensive state because he hadn't studied for the exam.

insipid

adj. dull; bland Our math teacher tells the most insipid jokes, but we all laugh because he is such a nice guy. Because the fraternity party was attended by only the most insipid people, I took my leave as soon as I was able.

devout

adj. earnestly devoted to religion; pious; showing devotion My friend's mother is a devout Catholic who never misses mass on Sunday. Toni is a devout health fanatic who eats only organic foods and exercises for three hours every day.

irascible

adj. easily angered, irritable Normally, Rose was a pleasant wife and mother, but if a member of her family prevented her from watching her favorite TV show, she could become quite irascible. Uncle Tim was a real grouch; even on his birthday, he would find a way to become as irascible as a spoiled child.

gullible

adj. easily cheated or fooled Joel could not believe he had been so gullible as to believe his friend's wild story. In order to take money from their victims, con artists rely on the gullibility of people. (n.)

docile

adj. easily taught; obedient, easy to handle A desirable quality of basset hounds is that they are docile pets. Cameron was a fierce professional wrestling competitor, but his wife said he was a sweet, docile husband.

devoid

adj. entirely without; lacking The island was devoid of drinking water, so the shipwrecked sailors had to drink coconut milk. Our football team is totally devoid of an offense; we haven't scored a touchdown in the last four games.

congruent

adj. equivalent, compatible, of the same shape Gerry learned about congruent triangles in geometry. After making a duplicate, I had a congruent key to my house.

exquisite

adj. especially beautiful; delicately or finely made; keenly felt; intense Uncle Bob brought back the most exquisite Chinese embroideries, the beauty of which I have never seen elsewhere. The father cried from exquisite love and wonder as he watched his child being born.

elusive

adj. evasive; hard to pin down The scientist from Costa Rica dedicated his life to his search for the elusive buffalo butterfly. The greased pigs were slippery and elusive in the children's catch-a-pig rodeo event.

introspective

adj. examining one's own feelings After the divorce, Jeff became much more introspective, realizing that he must not cause the same problems in a new relationship. When she was young Melissa was an outgoing child, but after entering high school she became very introspective.

inordinate

adj. exceeding a reasonable or normal amount Basketball players' salaries are inordinate compared to the average layman's wage. Tom worked inordinate hours of overtime and was seldom home with his family.

exorbitant

adj. exceeding normal bounds; excessive, unfair The undisclosed fees on our tour were exorbitant. The airline fare was exorbitant, but I had no choice and had to pay it.

formidable

adj. exceptionally difficult; fearsome or intimidating There were formidable obstacles to reaching an early settlement in the lawsuit. The young fighter was worried about facing his formidable opponent in the ring.

flamboyant

adj. excessively showy, ornate; highly elaborate The Palace of Versailles is one of the most flamboyant edifices ever constructed. After they win the lottery, many people become flamboyant with their newly-found wealth.

gaunt

adj. excessively thin and angular, physically haggard Those who lived after the Holocaust were gaunt from months of torture. Many of the models today maintain gaunt bodies in order to preserve their jobs.

fragmentary

adj. existing only in small parts; not complete; incomplete or disconnected All the evidence was fragmentary and not sufficient to bring in a guilty verdict. Tom talks in such a fast and fragmentary manner that it is almost impossible to follow or understand anything he tries to explain.

baroque

adj. extravagantly decorated or ornate; flamboyant Madelaine's paintings are baroque in style, reminiscent of the masters of the 18th century. Count Dracula's mansion in Transylvania looks scary because it is dark-looking and baroque.

distraught

adj. extremely anxious and upset, mentally disturbed or deranged Mrs. May was distraught over the death of her little dog. John Charles was not distraught over the sinking of his boat because it was heavily insured.

heinous

adj. extremely bad or evil; despicable; atrocious We were shocked to read about the heinous murders committed by the Manson family. Our neighbor was arrested for the heinous treatment of his dogs; he left them tied in the hot sun all day with no shade and no water.

harrowing

adj. extremely distressing; disturbing or frightening After the harrowing experience when Eddie's main parachute didn't open and his emergency chute saved him only at the last minute, he vowed never to jump again. After the harrowing rollercoaster ride, Jill thought she was going to get sick.

eloquent

adj. extremely expressive in speech, writing, or movement Stan gave a moving, eloquent speech on the virtues of gardening. The dancers glided eloquently across the stage with practices, graceful movements. (adv.)

fervid

adj. extremely hot; with great passion He was fervid in his belief that professional wrestling is a legitimate sport. Everyone sitting in his section at the game could see that Jim was a most fervid Miami Dolphins fan.

imperative

adj. extremely important or urgent; unavoidable It is imperative that sales of cigarettes to children be prevented. It is imperative that you return the movies on time because we don't have enough money to pay late charges.

destitute

adj. extremely poor Harry never bothered to buy life insurance, and when he died his wife and fourteen children were left destitute. The destitute old man stood begging on the street corner.

insufferable

adj. extremely unpleasant and therefore difficult to bear; unbearable; intolerable George is an insufferable bore, and I don't know how you can tolerate spending so much time with him. During the summer months, the heat is so insufferable that hardly anyone goes outside.

impartial

adj. fair; unbiased Mrs. Greene tries to be impartial, but it is impossible with her son in the class. We searched for an impartial judge for the science fair.

erroneous

adj. fallacious; false It is erroneous to assume that you won't have to work for what you get in life. The erroneous date on the new coins will make them valuable as collectors' items.

contrived

adj. false; artificial; not spontaneous; obviously planned Everyone except her father could tell that Sally's tears were contrived. Although it became a popular song, it seemed contrived to me.

faux

adj. false; phony; fake The facade on our townhouse is actually faux limestone, not real at all. Many fur coats are made of faux fur, not actual animal pelts.

chimerical

adj. fanciful; imaginary; absurd His hope for straight "A"s proved to be chimerical at best because he was a straight D student. Lou had some chimerical scheme to make diamonds by crushing soda bottles.

distant

adj. faraway, far-removed, unfriendly, uncommunicative Joseph's distant relatives live in the city of Bialystok, Poland Sue was so distant with Mike, he thought she was angry.

corpulent

adj. fat; obese England's Kind Henry VIII was known for his corpulent build. "Corpulent" is a euphemism for "fat."

auspicious

adj. favorable; promising for the future Although our soccer team had a bad year, we are hoping for an auspicious start next year. The weather was sunny and fair, auspicious weather for a picnic in the park.

intrepid

adj. fearless; bold The bullfighter was intrepid as he stood in the arena before the fierce bull. The Green Berets have always been known for their intrepidity. (n.)

arrogant

adj. feeling superior to others; overbearing The arrogant attitude of the French aristocracy was the chief cause of the French Revolution. Harvey was an arrogant public official who lost the election because of his poor public relations with his constituents.

animated

adj. filled with activity; vigor; movement Bill became animated on those topics that interested him, like hunting and fishing. Tina became highly animated when she heard she was voted "the most likely to succeed."

determined

adj. firm of purpose; unwavering; unfaltering The determined firefighters smashed through the door to get to the fire. Brad was determined to pass the SAT and spent all of his free time studying.

egregious

adj. flagrant; extremely bad Matthew's table manners were worse than bad; they were egregious. Sue's three year-old boy was not just mischievous; he was an egregious terror.

impeccable

adj. flawless Miss America was impeccable as she waltzed down the walkway. My mother is so impeccable that she cleans before the housekeeper arrives.

foolhardy

adj. foolishly adventurous and bold Jack's foolhardy shot in the last seconds of the game resulted in a loss. Harry's decision was foolhardy, causing him to receive a demotion.

infatuated

adj. foolishly in love Joey was so infatuated with the little girl who sat in the first row that he stammered when he tried to speak to her. Although we liked the candidate at first, it soon became clear that he was infatuated with the position of power, not serving the people.

compelling

adj. forceful; urgently needing attention The minister gave a compelling sermon about the importance of global brotherhood. A compelling argument not to drive and drink can be found in the alarming national statistics on drunk driving accidents.

emphatic

adj. forcibly expressive The foreman was emphatic that no workers come to work on the construction site without wearing their steel helmets. The sign emphatically warned visitors to keep their hands out of the gorilla cage. (adv.)

curvilinear

adj. formed, bound, or characterized by curved lines Squares and rectangles have no curvilinear lines. Surveyors have special instruments to lay out curvilinear streets in subdivisions.

forthright

adj. frank; going straight to the point The boss asked everyone to be forthright at the company meeting. When Kathy asked Marx if her dress made her look fat, she wasn't expecting his answer to be so forthright.

ingenuous

adj. frank; simple; charmingly naive The ingenuous little boy was a breath of fresh air; he answered every question honestly and from the heart. Molly was ingenuous when she moved to Los Angeles, but she learned quickly not to trust everyone she met.

frenetic

adj. frantic; frenzied Before the publication of the daily newspaper, the editorial room was filled with frenetic activity. The cheerleaders made a frenetic display of school spirit as the team took the field.

antiseptic

adj. free from germs; exceptionally clean Joan is such a clean freak, she insists that her kitchen counters be antiseptic. It is a prerequisite for hospital rooms to be antiseptically clean before surgery. (adv.)

equable

adj. free from many changes or variations; even Sam had an easygoing, equable temperament. Southern Florida lays claim to a pleasant and equable temperature year-round.

gratis

adj. free; without charge; not costing anything All our drinks were gratis because Joel lost the bet and had to pay the tab. Since I rented the car for the whole week, mileage was gratis, which saved me a great deal of money.

amiable

adj. friendly; agreeable Teachers or coaches without amiable personalities have two strikes against them. Princess Diana was well-loved by the English because she was amiable with each person, regardless of his or her station in life.

cordial

adj. friendly; welcoming; warm and gracious; courteous Relations between the two leaders are said to be cordial, hopefully allowing them to reach an amicable solution. I try to have a cordial relationship with my ex-husband, but when I hear his voice on the phone, my blood boils!

ghastly

adj. frightening and shocking; inducing fear; terrifying; having a deathlike color or appearance; pale; ghostlike It was a ghastly crime, very bloody and cruel. Mr. Peabody's appearance was so ghastly that he looked like the Ghost of Christmas Past.

hereditary

adj. from one's ancestor, possessed at birth Blue eyes are a hereditary trait in our family. The doctor diagnosed a hereditary defect in the young boy's heart.

economical

adj. frugal, thrifty, saving Economical shoppers wait for the day after Thanksgiving to find the best values for items on sale. Buying in volume is the most economical way to shop.

amorous

adj. full of love; relating to love Romeo and Juliet is a tragic and amorous love story about two people who commit suicide. We don't double date with them anymore because their amorous behavior in public is embarrassing.

foppish

adj. gaudy; ornate; overly dressed Bill wears such foppish clothes his peers make fun of him. Jean's foppish green hair made her the talk of the town.

fulsome

adj. generous in amount, extent, or spirit; abundant, copious Politicians who always greet voters with fulsome exchanges make one wonder about their sincerity. This critic gave a fulsome review of the new play, which helped make it a smash hit on Broadway.

gratuitous

adj. given freely; unjustified; uncalled for The attack upon the children at the park was gratuitous. Many current movies contain far too much gratuitous violence for the average movie-goer.

delectable

adj. giving great pleasure; pleasing to the taste; delicious That cake is so delectable that I will have another piece, please. You look absolutely delectable in that dress; all the boys will want to dance with you.

auxiliary

adj. giving help or support; supplementary; additional Volunteers are an important part of the hospital's auxiliary staff. When the 'Merry Widow' broke down at sea, Jake had to switch to his auxiliary engine to get back to the marina.

grandiose

adj. grand and impressive, especially flashy and showy Our coach had a grandiose plan to beat the Dallas Cowboys, but he didn't count on the fact they had a grandiose plan of their own. In all respects it was a simple enough house, but the one exception was the grandiose fireplace in the family room; it was big enough to drive a truck through.

contrite

adj. grieving and expressing remorse, feeling sorrow for sins or faults; penitent for shortcomings; apologetic Harry's contrite appeal to the group was accepted, and he was forgiven. Mary's contrite message to her parents helped to alleviate their differences.

culpable

adj. guilty; deserving blame We all felt culpable for the child's illness because we hadn't reported how often she had been left alone. Johnny was culpable for the theft of the Girl Scout cookeis.

credulous

adj. gullible; eager to believe The credulous children believed that their teacher lived under her desk. Riki was not so credulous as to believe that a tall, dark, and handsome stranger was waiting to sweep her off her feet.

implausible

adj. hard to believe or credit; not probable The plot of the movie involving a twenty-year-old brain surgeon is implausible. The teacher did not believe Josh's implausible excuse for being late.

esoteric

adj. hard to understand Abstract algebra is too esoteric for the average math student. Steve uses esoteric vocabulary with his children; they don't understand what he is talking about.

arduous

adj. hard, difficult, tiresome Swimming three miles was the most arduous exercise Jeannie ever had. The long, arduous boat trip was made even worse by stormy seas and much seasickness.

draconian

adj. hard, severe, cruel Judge McNamara handed down a draconian sentence to the defendant: sixty years in jail for spitting on the sidewalk. The word "draconian" did not originate with the fictional character Count Dracula, but with an ancient Greek official.

assiduous

adj. hard-working; diligent, busy Roger earned the job as a foreman at the plant because he is the most assiduous worker they have. Only the more assiduous students were invited to join the honor society.

deleterious

adj. harmful or injurious to one's health or well-being It is well-known that smoking cigarettes has a deleterious effect on one's health, yet some people still smoke. It is a proven fact that sunbathing is deleterious to a person's well-being.

innocuous

adj. harmless; banal Lennie's innocuous smile causes people to trust him immediately. Some movies that seem innocuous to us seem scandalous to our grandparents.

benign

adj. harmless; mild; kind Because Charlie has a benign personality, he makes friends easily. George was relieved when the doctor reported that his tumor was benign.

averse

adj. having a feeling of opposition, repugnance, or disinclination Harry's wife says her husband is not averse to watching three football games on TV at the same time. Jane decided not to become a surgical nurse because she has an aversion to the sight of blood. (n.)

frowzy

adj. having a slovenly or unkempt appearance Harvey's frowzy, oversized clothing is typical of this generation and distinguishes it from generations past. Jim's frowzy look caused some people to go home and wash up.

infamous

adj. having a very bad reputation; notorious Billy the Kid is one of the most infamous bank robbers of all time. In London we visited the infamous torture chamber, which still houses some gruesome reminders of the past.

cryptic

adj. having an ambiguous or hidden meaning Breaking Germany's cryptic codes during World War II helped the Allies win the war. While exploring the cave, we stumbled across a cryptic message written on the wall.

angular

adj. having an angle or angles; crooked; gaunt The mountain trail is angular and difficult to travel. Jeb had an angular face with stark facial bones and a hooked nose.

anticlimactic

adj. having an end that is less important than what precedes it Ralph had been counting on celebrating his raise for so long that when it finally came, the moment was anticlimactic. Green Bay was so far ahead, their final touchdown was anticlimactic.

erstwhile

adj. having been previously; formerly Dolphins fans dream of their erstwhile star Dan Marino and a Super Bowl victory had he not retired. Jack's erstwhile friends joined together and gave him a welcome home party.

atavistic

adj. having characteristics relating to an earlier type; related to a throwback Some peoples have the atavistic appearance of their ancestors from thousands of years ago. The atavistic behavior of the street gang is a throwback to the days of cavemen.

heterogeneous

adj. having dissimilar parts or elements Students of all abilities were in the same class, making a heterogeneous group. The elements in that concoction are heterogeneous.

hale

adj. having good health, vigorous Dr. Wing's prognosis was that I would be hale and able to resume a full schedule. The team physician expects all players to be hale by the time of the starting whistle.

arid

adj. having little rain; very dry; lacking imagination or feeling; uninteresting The desert is so arid that nothing grows there. Hillary found the book so arid that it put her to sleep.

flimsy

adj. having little substance or significance; not believable The cheerleaders arrived with a flimsy excuse for being held up in traffic. Checking out the merchandise, we discovered the umbrellas to be flimsy and of inferior material.

corrugated

adj. having parallel rows of folds which look like a series of waves; shaped or bent into ridges Some potato chips are corrugated and look like ruffles. The computer was packed in a corrugated cardboard box.

clairvoyant

adj. having the ability to foresee things; having exceptional insight Some psychics claim they are clairvoyant and can communicate with the dead. Louise's mother seemed to be clairvoyant because she always knew when her daughter wasn't telling the truth.

androgynous

adj. having the characteristics of nature of both male and female, neither specific Customers of both genders consider the T-shirt an androgynous item of clothing. Pat, a character on SNL, is androgynous; no one knows if Pat is a man or a woman.

effectual

adj. having the power to bring about a result Parents have yet to discover an effectual way to make small children like their spinach. (The opposite of effectual in ineffectual.) The police tried several ways to catch the thieves, all of them ineffectual.

filial

adj. having the relationship of a child to a parent Before Jan's children could go to school, they had a filial responsibility to make their beds. Father assumed I would take over the family business as my filial responsibility.

competent

adj. having the skills or knowledge to do something well enough to meet a basic standard; qualified; capable Jo Ann is not a genius, but she had proven to be competent in managing the shop. I don't think that Sondra will be a competent computer programmer because she can't type or spell and has no ambition.

avuncular

adj. helpful; generous; understanding The children's uncle was avuncular, while their father was quite domineering and difficult to get along with. From all we have heard about the old geezer, Santa Claus must be an avuncular fellow indeed.

ancillary

adj. helping; providing assistance; subordinate Christopher worked as an auto mechanic but at night earned an ancillary income as a waiter. Jack was an ancillary employee at the plant and was able only to work part time.

congenital

adj. hereditary Because the defect was congenital, the doctors anticipated it and treated it immediately. All of my sisters have blue eyes, which is a congenital trait.

callow

adj. immature and inexperienced When rescued, the callow boater had neither a life preserver nor a radio on his sailboat. Judy may have been callow, but we never saw a more enthusiastic, hard-working young lady at the glove factory.

impervious

adj. impenetrable Joe's new watch was very expensive because it is impervious to water. Some students do not want to improve themselves; they are impervious to instruction.

ineluctable

adj. impossible to be avoided or resisted; inescapable Pamela found it hard to say no to Ralph's ineluctable charm when he asked her to marry him. I struggle daily against the ineluctable energy my children seem to have.

inscrutable

adj. impossible to comprehend or interpret; mysterious He believes that a certain part of his life must remain inscrutable and private. His expression was inscrutable as I told him my story.

inimitable

adj. impossible to copy because of being of very high quality or a particular style; incomparable; matchless Louis Armstrong's gravelly voice is inimitable. To me, the sunset on the Gulf of Mexico has an inimitable beauty and peacefulness that I find nowhere else on Earth.

impenetrable

adj. impossible to enter or go through; impossible to influence; immovable; impervious The castle was so heavily guarded and protected that it was impenetrable to unwelcome visitors. Jeff's mood was so impenetrable that all my jokes and antics wouldn't even put a smile on his face.

irrefutable

adj. impossible to refute or disprove; indisputable The man didn't have a chance against the traffic cop's irrefutable evidence against him. It is an irrefutable fact that dinosaurs existed millions of years ago.

insatiable

adj. impossible to satisfy; constantly wanting more Most teenage boys tend to have insatiable appetites. The starving puppy was insatiable.

bilious

adj. in a bad mood; extremely unpleasant; ill-tempered He was a bilious old man who griped and complained about everything. The walls were painted a bilious shade of green which made the room dreary and unpleasant to enter.

composed

adj. in a calm and collected state; serene; controlled; tranquil She finally stopped crying and composing herself. (v.) Because he had studied well, he was composed when the teacher handed out the test.

insolvent

adj. in a state in which one's financial liabilities exceed one's assets ABC Company was insolvent because all three owners drew large salaries. Overusing of credit cards is the easiest way to become insolvent.

consonant

adj. in agreement; harmonious The marching band was consonant, playing a lovely rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner." When Jack learned that his idea about marriage was consonant with Diane's he proposed.

embryonic

adj. in an early stage of development; in an undeveloped stage; rudimentary Nick's business is in an embryonic stage, but in a year he hopes to have a much larger business. In our biology class, we are studying the various stages of the birth of a pig, from embryonic conception to the actual birth.

dilapidated

adj. in bad condition and needing repair; fallen into disrepair or decay We still use the dilapidated barn for storing tools, but it is no longer good for anything else. Our farm tractor looks dilapidated, but it still plows the fields as well as when it was new.

de facto

adj. in fact; actually existing, especially without lawful authority Javier became the de facto president when his troops captured the capital. De facto religious segregation exists in many countries without the approval of the respective governments.

decorous

adj. in good taste; proper The audience at an opera can usually be counted on to be decorously dressed in gowns and formal attire. (adv.) The chaperones were pleased to observe the polite, decorous behavior of their students at the prom.

asunder

adj. in separate parts or widely separated When the earthquake stopped, we found the trees on our farm had been uprooted and torn asunder. The views of the settlers and the Indians were as far asunder as the North Pole is from the South.

inert

adj. inactive After we had finished Thanksgiving dinner, everyone was inert in front of the television set. Even though they had been lively at the pep rally, the team was inert on the field.

incompatible

adj. incapable of associating or blending; inharmonious The sound of bagpipes is incompatible with that of most other instruments. Many high school couples are incompatible, yet they stay together.

intangible

adj. incapable of being apprehended by the mind or senses Intangibles in a good government are difficult to evaluate. (n.) Goodwill is an intangible asset in any business and it is difficult to place a value.

ineffable

adj. incapable of being expressed or described When we snorkeled on the reef, we experienced the ineffable beauty of the sea. The sun rising over the Rocky Mountains is an ineffable spectacle that I will always cherish.

incorrigible

adj. incapable of being reformed When it comes to playing practical jokes, my father is incorrigible. The convict proved that he was incorrigible, so he was sent back to prison.

comprehensive

adj. including everything It is impossible to do a comprehensive study of American literature in just one semester. Zachary's knowledge of the presidents was comprehensive; he could recite them in order without missing one.

irrational

adj. incoherent, illogical, without apparent reason Herb's irrational behavior made him undesirable to all the colleges. The attorney's irrational attempt to sway the jury was unsuccessful.

delirious

adj. incoherent; mentally confused; hallucinating The crowd became delirious with joy when the team scored the winning touchdown. Carla became delirious after three days in bed with a high fever; she was so confused that at times she thought she was at the library.

cumulative

adj. increasing in size, scope or quantity by successive additions Because the final exam is cumulative, we have to study all our notes. The cumulative effects of the accident are not yet known.

inexorable

adj. inevitable; unavoidable Walter bowed to the inexorable truth that he would never be a major film star. The inexorable winds pulled the trees from the ground.

doctrinaire

adj. inflexible; dogmatic Even though evolution is widely accepted, some people maintain a doctrinaire view of creationism. The professor's doctrinaire views about gasoline power were scorned by his progressive colleagues who believe in the future of electric power.

innate

adj. inherent; inborn Scott has an innate ability to run quickly; his coaches first noticed it when he was still in preschool. Eric has an innate charm which makes it impossible for anyone to dislike him.

intrinsic

adj. inherent; part of the essential nature of something Juliet gets away with so much because of her intrinsic charm. An intrinsic characteristic of the tiger shark is that is will eat just about anything, including garbage.

insidious

adj. intended to trap or beguile, cunning The linebacker's insidious moves lulled the defense into exposing the quarterback. The insidious Bubonic Plague of 1665 killed about fifteen percent of London's population.

extreme

adj. intense, severe, excessive, exaggerated Extreme cold is dangerous for heart patients. Jill will go to any extreme to get Jack to do what she wants. (n.)

bracing

adj. invigorating; energizing; stimulating; healthy and fresh The family took a bracing walk on the beach so they would have a good appetite for breakfast. A bracing wind was blowing off the ocean, causing the surf to be higher than usual and making the conditions perfect for surfing.

eccentric

adj. irregular; not conventional The professor was well-known for his eccentric antics. Linda's eccentric aunt hides her jewelry in jelly jars.

irrevocable

adj. irreversible The judge had the last word, and it was irrevocable. Because the store is going out of business, all sales are irrevocable.

insular

adj. isolated; related to an island Coronado is an insular community located off the coast of San Diego. I believed the only way I could succeed in college was to stay away from parties and lead an insular existence.

inchoate

adj. just begun; in an initial or early stage Because the cancer was inchoate, the doctors were able to stop its spread. Her pregnancy was inchoate; even she did not know about it yet.

benevolent

adj. kind; generous because Uncle Harry is so benevolent, he is the favorite uncle of all his nieces and nephews. The United Way is a benevolent organization that supports many different charities.

amoral

adj. lacking a sense of right and wrong; without moral feelings The retarded man was completely amoral and could not judge good from bad. Many animals are not amoral; they have standards of conduct in their relationships with each other.

bland

adj. lacking flavor or zest; dull The doctor put Edgar on a bland diet of non-spicy foods in order to help heal his stomach ulcers. Christopher's bland sense of humor was humorous in a smiling way more than a laughing way.

dejected

adj. lacking hope; in low spirits; depressed William felt dejected because he had sprained his ankle and had to sit out the game. Jennie was dejected when her kitten was lost; she sat around the house and moped all day.

disingenuous

adj. lacking in candor, insincere; giving a false appearance of frankness The ex-criminal was disingenuous about his background when he applied for a job. It was disingenuous of Harold to say he played football for Notre Dame when he really was only the team's waterboy.

deficient

adj. lacking in some necessary quality or element Flunking his last exam, Frank was deficient in credits for graduation. The doctor suggested his patient was deficient in vitamin C and should take vitamin supplements.

haphazard

adj. lacking order or purpose; not planned; random Larry's haphazard attempt to fix the leaking roof only made the problem worse. Sam's haphazard painting actually turned out to be pretty good; his art teacher said it was a good example of modern art.

anemic

adj. lacking power, vitality Jill's anemic condition was caused primarily by her starvation diet. Phil finds most romance novels anemic fare and not worthy of being called literature.

improvident

adj. lacking prudent foresight, careless, wasteful The improvident heir quickly spent the family fortune and became broke. Underwater adventures that are improvident can be dangerous recreational pastimes.

impious

adj. lacking respect or reverence; not pious Shouting in a church is impious behavior. The criminal appeared on 'Sixty Minutes' espousing his impious ideas.

intemperate

adj. lacking restraint or self-control; excessive, overindulgent The governor said he would not be provoked into intemperate action. The leader was accused of using intemperate language to stir up anger in the crowd.

diffident

adj. lacking self-confidence; timid In order to assuage her diffidence, Beth was persuaded to enroll in drama class. (n.) The diffident kitten was stuck in the tree for hours and was afraid to come down.

impolitic

adj. lacking sensitivity and skill in dealing with others; not wise, tactless Greg's impolitic statements concerning junk bonds caused personal resentment. Bill's impolitic remarks about the other candidates cost him votes.

indolent

adj. lazy The indolent students never got up in time to attend their first period class. After they won the lottery, the couple became even more indolent and quit their part-time jobs.

bereaved

adj. left alone; especially through the death of another When their pony died, the bereaved children were told by their mother that everyone dies, and it was all right to cry and feel sad for a time. The bereaved widow wore a black dress to her husband's funeral.

indulgent

adj. lenient My parents are too indulgent with my youngest sister, who is turning into a brat. Glen knows that he is his grandmother's favorite because she is so indulgent with him.

inanimate

adj. lifeless, sluggish, dull, spiritless An inanimate body was found in the high grass by a jogger. Disney was famous for inanimate creatures he brought to life on film.

giddy

adj. lightheaded; dizzy, frivolous After Sue Ellen won the beauty contest, she was absolutely giddy with joy. Jackie didn't faint, but she said the sun was so hot she felt giddy.

imperial

adj. like an emperor The Vatican is decorated with imperial splendor. My older sister's imperial attitude is the most annoying thing about her.

inimical

adj. like an enemy; hostile; harmful or adverse; having or tending to have a bad effect Newspaper editors regard any restrictions on them as being inimical to free speech and a hindrance to their ability to make the public aware. Excess of control is inimical to creative expression because it stops the flow of one's imagination.

invidious

adj. likely to cause unhappiness or offense; tending to arouse feelings of resentment or animosity; offensive or discriminatory He offended the kindergarten teacher when he made an invidious comparison of children to pigs. One candidate made an invidious comparison of his opponent to a bowling ball.

inflammatory

adj. likely to excite strong feelings, especially of anger; tending to arouse and excite the emotions; fiery The drunken man's inflammatory remarks made the bartender so furious that he threw the drunk outside. The actress was very perturbed by the reporter's inflammatory headline, "Black Widow Weds Another Victim."

apt

adj. likely; having a tendency to; suitable Considering his past history, Mr. Simmons is apt to continue being late for work at the factory. The kitchen roof is apt to leak in a heavy rain until it is fixed.

conciliatory

adj. making peace The feuding family became conciliatory after the death of their grandfather. The conciliatory handshake was a symbol that the opponents would try to get along.

coherent

adj. making sense; holding together The man the police pulled over for careless driving was surprisingly coherent. Leslie gave a coherent and interesting explanation of the computer problem.

ironic

adj. meaning the opposite of what is said or expressed; incongruous It is ironic that Eric can't swim and lives on an island. We thought it was ironic that Brad, who is afraid of heights, lives on the 50th floor.

gamesome

adj. merry, frolicsome The children were gamesome at the maypole and leaped about playfully. When the clock struck midnight on New Year's Eve, everyone was gamesome and full of life.

fastidious

adj. meticulous; picky Mr. Williams hired a fastidious secretary to overlook legal details in his office. My wife is a fastidious housekeeper who never lets dust settle on anything for five minutes.

coy

adj. modest, demure, timid, shyly flirtatious Frank always gets coy when asked to recite in class. Judy's coy behavior made her attractive to many men.

ascetic

adj. monk-like; practicing self-denial The American author Thoreau led an ascetic existence at Walden Pond for over two years, but he had each Sunday lunch with his mom. The priest had few basic comforts; he lived the life of an ascetic in a monastery. (n.)

chaste

adj. morally pure; without obscenity The main character in the romantic novel lives a chaste, uneventful life and marries a rich banker. Jo Ann became a nun and lived a life of chastity. (n.)

itinerant

adj. moving from place to place James Michner was an itinerant writer who moved to each place about which he planned to write. Monica told Jose that if he hoped to marry her, he would have to put down roots and put an end to his itinerant lifestyle.

internecine

adj. mutually harmful or destructive; deadly to both sides The atomic bomb was the most internecine occurrence in the last century. The gang violence is internecine and must be ended.

indigenous

adj. native to an area The sabal palm is indigenous to Florida. We couldn't be sure that the tomatoes were indigenous, but they tasted great.

endemic

adj. native, belonging to a specific region or people Cacti are endemic to Arizona. Spanish is the endemic language to Mexico.

indefatigable

adj. never becoming tired; not subject to fatigue For many years Annie has been an indefatigable campaigner for human rights. Sarah's indefatigable pleas for a kitten are wearing me out!

infallible

adj. never wrong; incapable of failing Many students believe that they are infallible until they go to college. My team was infallible this year, winning the championship.

fledgling

adj. new, young, inexperienced Still in his teens, John pursued his fledgling career in aviation by building his own airplane. A fledgling bird is one reluctant to leave the nest and to try his wings.

extinct

adj. no longer existing or living Because she had been unsuccessful in love, Rachel thought the perfect man had become extinct. Many species could become extinct within the next century.

aristocratic

adj. noble; snobbish Fox hunts are an aristocratic pastime. Kelly's phony English accent and pretense of an aristocratic background win her few friends.

glib

adj. nonchalant, insincere, superficial, readily fluent Charlie's glib attitude caused everyone to think before answering any question. The politician's glib remarks had no effect on the audience because they were unbelievable.

incontrovertible

adj. not able to be "turned against" or disputed; certain; indisputable It is incontrovertible that two plus two equals four. The suspect's fingerprints on the window were considered incontrovertible evidence of his participation in the robbery.

insuperable

adj. not able to be conquered or overcome; extremely great or severe; overwhelming Hospitals now face insuperable difficulties with too few staff members and too little money. Because of her recent diagnosis of cancer, she battled against seemingly insuperable odds to win, and she did it!

ineradicable

adj. not able to be removed; impossible to wipe out of existence, memory He spoke in such a commanding way that he left us with the ineradicable impression that we had been listening to a future leader. After Sheila married him, she grew tired of looking at the ineradicable tattoo that screamed "Betsy" across his chest.

ineffectual

adj. not able to produce the desired effect; useless The child tried to berate his father, but the attempt was ineffectual. We now know that leeching is an ineffectual way to reduce a fever.

awry

adj. not according to plan; off course; not straight Although we made detailed plans for our Canadian vacation, things began going awry when we had a flat tire not one mile from home. Two things children learn about Robin Hood: he always beats up the Sheriff of Nottingham, and his arrows never go awry.

derelict

adj. not cared for; abandoned; neglectful; remiss He was derelict in visiting his mother, and she often felt alone and unloved. The old factory has become derelict and run down since it closed two years ago.

bona fide

adj. not counterfeit or phony; genuine; real The accountant told his clients that bona fide charities would suffer if the new tax law passed. The banks have means to determine when paper money is not bona fide.

imperturbable

adj. not easily excited or disturbed; calm The lifeguard was imperturbable in a crisis. No matter how many times I disobeyed him, my father was imperturbable.

flaccid

adj. not firm or stiff After a long sickness, the athlete's muscles became flaccid, suffering a considerable loss of strength. The overripe celery stalks lost their freshness and became flaccid when they were left in the sun for several days.

circuitous

adj. not following a direct path; roundabout The road leading to the castle was a circuitous one, steep with many twists and turns. On our vacation, we love to take the circuitous route to our grandmother's so we can visit the historical sites en route.

bogus

adj. not genuine; counterfeit The bank confiscated Rick's twenty-dollar bill, telling him it was bogus and that they would have to notify the U.S. Treasury Department. The grocery clerk returned the bogus ID to the young teen and chided him for attempting to buy cigarettes when he was not of a legal age.

intermittent

adj. not happening regularly or continuously; stopping and starting repeatedly; occurring at intervals The rain was intermittent with the sunshine all day long. Good reception on our TV is intermittent, depending on how clear the weather is.

incongruous

adj. not harmonious, not appropriate, out of place Bathing suits look incongruous on a ski slope in Alaska. The witness's incongruous testimony damaged his credibility for the defense.

exempt

adj. not having to obey a rule or to do something usually necessary; excused Unlike profitable businesses, charitable organizations are exempt from paying taxes. Bertha was exempt from jury duty because she was in the hospital at the time she was summoned.

fallow

adj. not in use, inactive After his most successful novel, the author took an extensive vacation, allowing his writing talent to lie fallow for a two-year period. We allowed the overworked land to lie fallow for several seasons.

immaterial

adj. not likely to make a difference; irrelevant It's immaterial whether the trial is held in San Diego or Los Angeles. Your complaint is immaterial to the issue at hand.

fickle

adj. not loyal or consistent Summer weather is fickle; each morning the sun shines, but when you are ready to play golf, it starts to rain. Mary Jane's fickle nature was well-known by her boyfriends; she told each he was her favorite.

devious

adj. not open, honest, or straightforward; sneaky; underhanded Cheating is a devious way to win a game. When he told his wife he was working late but instead went to visit a girlfriend, Bob was being devious.

delinquent

adj. not paid on time; neglectful of a duty failing to do what the law requires n. a person who is delinquent Sue was delinquent in paying her mortgage payment, so the bank threatened to foreclose and take her house. A juvenile delinquent is someone under the legal age of adulthood who has committed a crime.

extrinsic

adj. not part of the essential nature of things The historical information in the book was extrinsic to the actual plot. Gary's good looks were completely extrinsic to his superb ability as a house painter.

incredible

adj. not plausible or believable Since she was only eight, her incredible violin performance had everyone baffled. His solution to the math problem was incredible but correct.

factitious

adj. not real, genuine or natural; artificial She loved her engagement ring until she learned that it was factitious. The factitious appearance of the driver's license was the bouncer's reason for not allowing the boys to enter the adult establishment.

irrelevant

adj. not related to the subject at hand Those documents are totally irrelevant to the investigation. Your reasoning is totally irrelevant to the debate.

facetious

adj. not serious; humorous Diana's facetious remark about Jessica made everyone laugh. Our statement about the new dress code was completely facetious, but the dean took it seriously.

impassive

adj. not showing or feeling any emotion; insensate Nick kept his face impassive, but his mind was racing. The criminal seemed impassive even as the guilty verdict was read.

generic

adj. not specific to any particular thing; produced or sold without a brand name; general; common; not protected by trademark I usually prefer to buy generic products because they are cheaper and generally the same. Christmas has become a sort of generic holiday, celebrated by people of all religions.

inalienable

adj. not subject to transfer, surrender, or removal; sacred Inalienable rights are freedoms that cannot be taken away from a United States citizen. The right to survival has to be the first on any list of inalienable rights for every human being.

atypical

adj. not typical; abnormal A banana without a curve is atypical of the species. It was atypical for Mrs. Moore to walk to work during the summer season without her umbrella and raincoat.

inviolate

adj. not violated, injured, disturbed, or profaned; pure or intact For centuries the tomb lay inviolate until, by accident, it was discovered when a peddler's donkey fell through the dry ground and into the tomb. The wedding cake remained inviolate all day, until the boy tripped and fell while carrying it to the table.

detrimental

adj. obviously harmful or damaging Smoking is detrimental to your health. Some toys are detrimental to young children because the children can injure themselves while playing with them.

incidental

adj. occurring accidentally, of less importance The incidental costs for the care of a car add up to a large amount of money. The small valise containing incidentals was being checked by customs. (n.)

fitful

adj. occurring at irregular intervals; spasmodic; restless Mr. Claymore spent a fitful, sleepless night when his wife entered the hospital because of chest pains. The coach flew into a fitful rage when his star player failed to arrive for the game.

fortuitous

adj. occurring by accident or chance Arriving at the opera at the last moment, we agreed it was fortuitous there were seats available for the two of us. "The most fortuitous event of my entire life," said President Roosevelt, "was meeting my wife, Eleanor."

diurnal

adj. occurring every day Brad enjoys a diurnal cup of coffee while reading the newspaper. Diurnal is the opposite of nocturnal, which means occurring during the night.

biennial

adj. occurring every two years Our family takes biennial snow skiing trips to the mountains. She planted biennial flowers in her garden.

concentric

adj. of circles or spheres having the same center All of the rings around the bull's eye on a dartboard are concentric. All the coils of the spring are concentric.

celestial

adj. of or pertaining to heaven or the sky above The moon is a celestial body. My friend is very interested and involved in celestial studies.

incendiary

adj. of or relating to objects that produce intense heat and fire when ignited; inflammatory; likely to cause violence or strong feelings of anger and strife Thai food is usually so spicy and hot that it is incendiary! He gave an incendiary speech at last night's rally, and the crowds rioted as a result.

cerebral

adj. of or relating to the brain; describing an intellectual person Dr. Clark was a cerebral Boy Scout leader; he would say, "Construct the canvas shelters in the proximity of the promontory," instead of saying, "Pitch the tents on the hill." "Finnegan's Wake" is considered far too cerebral for third-grade students.

blatant

adj. offensively noisy; totally obtrusive The coach was disappointed with the team's efforts and at halftime made a blatant display of his disapproval. John blatantly turned up his stereo to disrupt his parents' dinner party.

hydraulic

adj. operated, moved or effected by means of water The flood waters produce hydraulic motion, sweeping away homes in their path. The water in Florida provides hydraulic power for FPL's enormous electrical output.

banal

adj. ordinary; not original; trite The student's story was so banal that the teacher fell asleep while grading it. It drives my father crazy when I have long, banal conversations with my friends on the phone.

elliptical

adj. oval; missing a word; obscure An elliptical statement is one that is difficult to understand, either because there is something left out or because it is so obscure the audience doesn't understand. She learned from the makeup artist that because her face is elliptical, she should apply makeup in a way that makes it look narrower and less square.

haughty

adj. overly convinced of one's importance and superiority; arrogant The hostess welcomed her guest warmly, but she received a cold, haughty reply. Sue was devastated by the haughty look and cold greeting from her fiance's parents.

histrionic

adj. overly dramatic, theatrical The little boy's histrionic cries after scrapping his figure got everyone's attention. Everything Michael said was on the swaggering, histrionic side, as if he were the coolest guy on campus.

garrulous

adj. overly talkative Uncle Tom is so garrulous that we know we have to set aside a full hour every time he calls. Our garrulous neighbor never asked much about us, but we knew her whole life's story.

hackneyed

adj. overused; cliché A strong writer always avoids hackneyed expressions. Although the adult viewers found the film's dialogue hackneyed, most of the children thought the dialogue was funny.

concurrent

adj. parallel; happening at the same time Ryan's participation in three concurrent sports finally wore him out. The criminal was given ten concurrent life sentences for his heinous crime.

ardent

adj. passionate, full of desire or emotion Christina has been Zach's ardent admirer since the first grade. Millie is an ardent exerciser, riding her bike ten miles every day.

frugal

adj. penny-pinching; stingy; careful with money Kevin is so frugal that he orders children's portions when he goes through the fast-food window. In our club, we chose the most frugal person to be the treasurer.

consummate

adj. perfectly skillful v. to complete or perfect David Copperfield is a consummate magician. After finally getting the buyer and seller to sign the contract, Chuck was happy to consummate the deal.

diligent

adj. persevering; hardworking; industrious Barry was a diligent worker and deserved his promotion to manager. The fire department volunteer was diligent and stayed on the job until the fire was entirely put out.

archival

adj. pertaining to historical or public records, documents or archives David's search for his family's archival genealogy sent him to Norway, the country from which his family had emigrated. The official government archival vaults in Washington, D.C. were closed for the holidays. (The archives are a place where the archival documents are kept.)

climactic

adj. pertaining to the highest or most intense point The climactic ending of the movie Jaws was when the shark was about to eat the hero. The stadium was silent during the climactic point of the tennis match.

domestic

adj. pertaining to the household; of one's own country Domestic violence is too prevalent in American households. Domestic tequila is made in Mexico.

corporeal

adj. physical and not spiritual; tangible; material palpable; having substance His corporeal possessions were many, but his spiritual beliefs meant more to him. I believe in having dreams and fantasies, but it is the corporeal things like my job and my paycheck that keep me going!

blunt

adj. plain-spoken with a lack of feeling; abrupt My English teacher was very blunt when she told me I am not college material. The doctor hated to be blunt, but he knew he had to tell the patient to get his affairs in order quickly.

clandestine

adj. planned or occurring in a secret manner, especially for subversive or illicit purposes; done in secret The three inmates held a clandestine meeting to discuss their prison breakout plans. Jimmy and Sue had to meet clandestinely after school because they knew her parents didn't approve of their relationship. (adv.)

euphemism

adj. pleasant expression used in place of an unpleasant one Euphemisms are regularly used as polite ways to describe body parts and bodily functions. The euphemism "passed away" is a more pleasant expression than the word "died."

congenial

adj. pleasant to be around; social; agreeable Miss Texas was voted Miss Congeniality in the Miss America pageant. The atmosphere at the property appraiser's office is congenial; everyone enjoys his job, and visitors are welcome at any time.

euphonious

adj. pleasing to the ear Carla sings in the choir because she has a sweet, euphonious voice. The low, euphonious croaking of the summer frogs was music to Jeff's ears.

impecunious

adj. poor; having very little money; lacking funds; penniless I first knew him as an impecunious student living in one small room; now he is rich and famous. Right now I am impecunious, but when I finish college, I will have a very profitable career and be comfortable in no time.

amicable

adj. possessing or showing friendliness or good will; peaceable The two countries came to an amicable understanding following the war. When we moved into the neighborhood, the neighbors came to meet us and were most amicable.

impotent

adj. powerless; helpless Our team was impotent against the state champs. The revolutionaries became an impotent force when their leader was killed.

inborn

adj. present at birth, as opposed to something acquired; inherent, hereditary Children seem to have an inborn love of music. Newborns have an inborn resistance to certain diseases for a short time.

flaxen

adj. resembling flax; yellowish in color She had long braids of flaxen hair. The flaxen tablecloth adorning the table was handed down to Joy by her grandmother.

incumbent

adj. presently holding a particular office or position; required or obligatory; necessary to do something Arnold Smith, the incumbent mayor, faces a tough fight for reelection next year. As your supervisor and preceptor, it is incumbent upon me to instruct you in your duties and to teach you our policies.

effervescent

adj. producing bubbles of gas; foaming; full of energy Champagne is so effervescent that bubbles jet out of the bottle when it is first opened. She has one of those effervescent personalities that often characterize those who are chosen to participate on TV game shows.

fruitful

adj. producing good results; successful; productive He had a long and fruitful career as a research chemist, discovering and inventing many helpful compounds. Joshua's investment in IBM proved very fruitful, and he is now a millionaire.

fertile

adj. productive, resourceful, fruitful Mary was delighted she was able to grow eggplants in her garden, and she attributed her success to the fertile soil. Mark's fertile mind keeps churning out new inventions by the dozens.

commensurate

adj. proportionate; equal In most companies, pay is commensurate to experience. Before the 1960s, pay for men and women was not commensurate.

discreet

adj. prudent; thoughtfully reserved Wilma's friends tell her all their secrets because they know she'll be discreet. Doctors are required to be discreet with any information their patients may not wish divulged.

inquisitive

adj. prying, snooping, curious, eager for knowledge The young student is bright and inquisitive, traits we admire in education. The inquisitive woman spread rumors about her neighbor.

belligerent

adj. quarrelsome; ready to fight Josh is very belligerent when people try to prove they know more than he does about country music. Eric is the nicest guy until he has a drink; then he becomes belligerent.

brusque

adj. quick and rude in manner or speech; impolitely abrupt; curt When Jerome called about the job vacancy, the secretary was brusque and told him the job was already taken. A brusque welcome greeted his late return from a poker night with the boys.

captious

adj. quick to point out faults; critical Mark is a captious member of the board of directors who finds fault with every new proposal from his fellow members. Maria's mother is far too captious with her, so Maria is developing an inferiority complex.

discursive

adj. rambling on aimlessly George's novel quickly becomes discursive, and the reader loses the storyline completely. J.D.'s speech was so discursive that we never could decide what point he was trying to make.

desultory

adj. random; without purpose Because of Peter's desultory attitude, his sergeant refused to write a recommendation for him. Rick made a few desultory attempts to get a job, but nothing came of them.

cursory

adj. rapid and superficial; performed with haste and scant attention to detail The general berated the private for his cursory attempt to clean his locker. The general contractor was so cursory in the construction of our home that he forgot to lay the plumbing lines.

authentic

adj. real, bona fide, original They found an authentic draft of the Declaration of Independence hidden in the closet of the farmhouse. Jane was a truly authentic person; there was nothing false about her whatsoever.

florid

adj. red or ruddy in color; flushed The Scoutmaster could tell by her florid complexion that the Girl Scout was suffering from heat exhaustion. A newborn baby's complexion, often florid at birth, lightens to a more normal complexion in a few days.

genteel

adj. refined; polished Lisa is not at all genteel, but she does know how to have a good time. Joan's grandmother was too genteel to go to the hockey game.

incredulous

adj. refusing or reluctant to believe Sam tried to reassure his incredulous customers that the meat was beef, not horse meat. Charlie was incredulous when advised he was accepted to West Point.

fraternal

adj. related to brothers The fraternal organization did all they could to help the family of their deceased member. The war veterans who served together formed a fraternal support group.

cinematic

adj. related to making motion pictures A new cinematic presentation of the old Zorro film series was well-received by the public. The present cinematic trend of violence in films disturbs many parents and teachers.

ferrous

adj. relating to iron and its properties Rose plants are affected by ferrous compounds in the soil that determine their degree of color. To prevent anemia the doctor prescribed a B-12 vitamin instead of ferrous vitamin supplements.

connubial

adj. relating to marriage or the state of being married Every society has its own ceremony for celebrating the connubial rite of passage. After twenty years of marriage, they were still in a state of connubial bliss.

cardiac

adj. relating to or affecting the heart Horace had a heart attack and now takes a stress test yearly to determine his cardiac condition. The patient suffered cardiac arrest, but the emergency room doctor started the heart beating again.

fiscal

adj. relating to public money or other financial matters; monetary Financial planners assume the fiscal responsibility of their clients, hoping to make them more money. A fiscal year is a period of twelve months, but not always January 1st to December 31st; it can be any 12-month consecutive period.

empirical

adj. relying on observation or experience In science class, we do experiments so that we can base our findings on empirical evidence. The class proved the hamburgers' deliciousness by the empirical method; we ate them.

bucolic

adj. rural or rustic in nature, country-like The art judges gave first prize to the painting of a bucolic landscape painted in greens and blues. There is nothing bucolic about big city life; honking horns and bustling streets are neither peaceful nor rustic.

dismal

adj. sad; without hope; gloomy The weather is so dismal today that I don't feel like doing anything but staying indoors. The vacation was a dismal failure; it rained every day at the beach.

covert

adj. secret; hidden; concealed Sam carried out covert missions for the CIA in China during the Korean War. The covert military operation was never discovered by the press. (Overt, which means open or unconcealed, is the opposite of covert.)

furtive

adj. secretive; sly Our cat always makes furtive attempts to hid when a stranger comes to the house. When Ronny comes home after his parents' curfew, he furtively sneaks in the window so they won't see him. (adv.)

gregarious

adj. seeking and enjoying the company of others; sociable Paige was so gregarious that she hated to be alone. Bernard's gregarious nature made him an enjoyable person.

complacent

adj. self-satisfied; overly pleased with oneself The complacent soldier failed to dig a foxhole, so when the bombing started this oversight resulted in his becoming a complacent dead soldier. The complacent young girl never seemed to get a second date because all she would talk about was herself.

egocentric

adj. selfish; believing that one is the center of everything Unless she changes her egocentric attitude, Trish's arrogance and self-centeredness will make her few friends. The actor was so egocentric he could talk for hours using himself as the only subject.

isolated

adj. separate, set apart; unconnected, sequestered The researchers in the lab isolated and attempted to identify the virus. (v.) The patient with pneumonia was put into an isolated room.

discrete

adj. separate; distinct; disconnected The success of the play was a result of many discrete performances. Jack and Jill may look alike, but their personalities are discrete.

divergent

adj. separating, differing in opinion, deviating Captain Clark's divergent opinions about where the land mines lay along the road made everyone feel uneasy. The Christians and the Muslims have divergent opinions about deities.

dour

adj. severe; gloomy; stern The garbage collector was a dour one-legged man with never a kind word for anyone. The barren dourness of the infertile land made it impossible for Tim's family to make a living as farmers. (n.)

hypercritical

adj. severely critical; inclined to judge severely and find fault; hard to please Our English teacher was so hypercritical when grading our midterm papers, the highest grade in the class was a C+. The hypercritical coach made the whole team stay after practice and run through more plays.

doddering

adj. shaky, feeble, unsteady, as from old age They put their grandmother in assisted living because she was becoming too doddering to live alone. Although the minister has become doddering, he still preaches an inspiring sermon.

grisly

adj. shockingly repellent, ghastly, horrid, macabre Poe is renowned for telling grisly tales in many of his works. The police officer turned his face from the grisly scene of the automobile accident.

ephemeral

adj. short-lived The common housefly is an ephemeral insect. Poets write poems about first love being sweet but ephemeral.

condensed

adj. shortened, reduced, compact Campbell's makes many popular condensed soups. To save time, Charlie read a condensed version of Great Expectations.

flippant

adj. showing a rude attitude; shallowly humorous; disrespectful Henry lost thousands of dollars at bingo, so he did not appreciate the flippant remark from a friend who said, "Better luck next time." Flippant with the judge in traffic court, Charlie was charged with contempt of court.

beneficent

adj. showing kindness resulting in benefits Ian's father was the beneficent benefactor who sponsored the baseball team. Jerry Lewis's beneficent telethon for MDA raised millions for research.

iridescent

adj. showing many bright colors which change with movement; shiny, lustrous, or brightly colored Her latest fashion collection features iridescent materials which make the models seem to be clothed in a liquid rainbow. The toothpaste ad promises you an iridescent, sparkling white smile.

astute

adj. shrewd, clever, keen Louisa has a natural astuteness in dealing with angry people and winning them over to her view. (n.) Mary was known to be very astute bargainer when it came to buying cars.

inane

adj. silly; senseless Todd's inane comments were amusing to the class and irritating to the teacher. The film has some funny lines, but for the most part it is inane.

anterior

adj. situated in front The anterior is up front, the interior inside, the exterior outside, and the posterior bringing up the rear. The anterior part of a ship is called the "bow."

antipodal

adj. situated on the opposite side of the globe; exactly opposite The north and south poles are antipodal. Their personalities are antipodal; he likes to party, and she likes to sit at home and read.

interstellar

adj. situated or occurring between the stars The interstellar sky lab will make deep space travel more convenient. Many interstellar studies of medicine will take place in the new space village.

artful

adj. sly; crafty The Miami con men were artful at bilking senior citizens of their savings. A good conversationalist, Jerome was artful at entertaining the museum visitors who came to see his paintings.

elfin

adj. small and sprightly; mischievous, fairylike Jane is small and has an elfin charm until she starts to sing; then she sounds like a bullfrog in a pond. The entire family had an elfin quality like the little people who belong in the Land of Lilliputians.

impregnable

adj. so strongly made that it cannot be broken into or taken by force; able to withstand any attack; absolutely secure, as a point or position in a debate The fortress was built so strongly that it was impregnable to the enemy troops, no matter what tactics or weapons they used. My father's attitude is impregnable to my pleas, and he won't let me go on a date until I am sixteen years old.

convivial

adj. sociable The food, drink, and conversations were extraordinary, making the evening a convivial occasion. Jim is extremely convivial and has never turned down an invitation to a party.

eminent

adj. standing out; renowned; distinguished Michael Jordan is considered the most eminent basketball player of the 20th century. The most eminent feature of the hammerhead shark is its hammer-shaped head.

austere

adj. stern, as in manner; unadorned; severely simple and plain The chateau in Baigts, France was very austere, without furniture and with bare floors throughout. The austerity of life in the village was understandable; many were jobless, and evidence of poverty was everywhere. (n.)

astringent

adj. stern, harsh, or severe Everyone fears the General's astringent criticism because their promotions are dependent upon his approval. The critic's astringent review of the play caused the author to have a fainting spell.

extant

adj. still existing; current; not extinct, destroyed or lost She is the author of the earliest extant volume of poetry by an African-American. In years to come, the numbers of his extant paintings will decrease and their value will increase at the same rate.

inclement

adj. stormy; rough; severe Many areas of the country are forced to close schools for inclement weather. While we were on a cruise, the waters became inclement and most of us became seasick.

formal

adj. strictly following traditions or conventions; stiff, rigid, prescribed Lee offered his sword to General Grant in the formal gesture of surrender. Ruth's signature on the lease will make our agreement formal.

crass

adj. stupid; without consideration for how other people might feel; lacking in sensitivity or refinement; crude It is crass and rude to ask someone how much money she earns. He makes crass, mean comments about her worn-out clothes even though he knows she can't afford to buy any more clothes.

durable

adj. sturdy, long-wearing, lasting, enduring Blue jeans are constructed of denim, which is a very durable fabric. John bought an antique table because it was durable and well-constructed.

apposite

adj. suitable and right for the occasion; fitting; appropriate The film starts in a graveyard, an apposite image for the decaying society, the theme of the film. The husband's arguments about money spent on medicine are not apposite to the health of his wife.

alliterative

adj. the repeating of initial consonant sounds in language "She sells seashells down by the seashore" is an alliterative tongue-twister. "Round and round the rugged rock the rascal ran," is a sentence which alliterates the letter R. (v.)

exhaustive

adj. thorough, complete Because the play is tomorrow, we had to have an exhaustive dress rehearsal this afternoon. Sherlock Holmes has gone down in literature as a famous detective who solves his cases by virtue of an exhaustive search for clues.

baleful

adj. threatening; hurtful; malignant; ominous The prisoner sat in baleful silence while the judge read his jail sentence. They sky was balefully thick with clouds. (adv.)

arable

adj. tillable, productive, able to be farmed Along the coast of Ireland, the land is frequently too rocky to be arable. The reason there are many exotic tree farms in Homestead, Florida, is that the climate is mild and the land is so arable.

askew

adj. to one side; crooked; awry After the flood receded, the bridge was found to be askew of the road which connected to it. After his pratfall, the clown's hat was askew.

disproportionate

adj. too great or small when compared to something else; unbalanced The mother gave her baby a disproportionate amount of milk, taking only a sip herself. When I went over my monthly budget, I found there was a disproportionate amount of money spent on clothing as compared to that spent on food.

innumerable

adj. too great to be calculated Sharon requested a product report innumerable times, but she has yet to receive it. His poor record-keeping caused innumerable errors and made his taxes impossible to audit.

belated

adj. too late; delayed; tardy Absentminded people are so abundant that stores now have a wide variety of belated birthday cards. His brother used to send belated gifts, but now he sends nothing at all.

intransigent

adj. uncompromising; stubborn One member of the jury was intransigent in his views of the crime, so a mistrial was finally called. Lucy was intransigent about not wanting to go to school on the first day.

callous

adj. unfeeling, insensitive A callous remark about someone is a statement that does not take into consideration the feelings of another. The doctor was alarmed at the callousness of the hospital medical staff on night duty. (n.)

catholic

adj. universal; embracing everything Michaelangelo was a catholic artist who created everything from sculpture to murals. Students attending Ivy League schools are usually very catholic in their outlook.

arcane

adj. unknown to the masses; mysterious Many of the symbols inside the pyramids are arcane to everyone except Egyptologists. The Chinese secret society had arcane hand signals to be used only by members.

extraneous

adj. unnecessary; extra I did not enjoy the movie because there were too many extraneous characters who did not add to the plot. The speaker did not appreciate the extraneous comments from the audience and stopped talking until everyone was silent.

derivative

adj. unoriginal; coming from or based on something else The word "atomic" is a derivative of the word "atom." (n.) The derivative term paper Sammy turned in was rejected by the teacher because it was the same one she had seen from another student a year earlier.

iniquitous

adj. unrighteous, evil, unjust, infamous The corrupt company's iniquitous practices should not go unpunished. Jed's false testimony was iniquitous and hedged on perjury.

erratic

adj. unstable; inconsistent; unpredictable March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb; those are erratic conditions. The boy's erratic behavior toward his dog--sometimes being attentive, sometimes ignoring his pet for days--worried his parents.

ethics

adj. values pertaining to human conduct; moral philosophy The ethics of the fight promoter were questionable; he willingly encouraged a brain-damaged boxer to take a bout that could maim or kill him. The ethics of the tobacco business are under severe scrutiny because tobacco and cigarette smoking have been proven to cause cancer.

cogent

adj. very convincing Matthew made a cogent argument about the benefits of wearing a helmet when biking. The attorney's last piece of evidence was the most cogent on presented during the trial.

exuberant

adj. very energetic; high-spirited My children were so exuberant once we got to Disney World that I had no idea how I was going to keep up with them all day. The Wright Brothers were tremendously exuberant the day their airplane flew for the first time.

excruciating

adj. very intense After her fall, she was in excruciating pain until she was given medication. Although the exam was excruciating, it separated those who had studied from those who had not.

conspicuous

adj. very noticeable; tending to attract attention; easily seen; prominent In Mexico, where almost everyone has black hair, Debbie's blonde hair was conspicuous. He was conspicuous by his absence, particularly since the party was in his honor.

hoary

adj. very old and white with age; grey-haired; of great age; ancient A hoary butler slowly opened the creaking door of the old, dilapidated house. Dr. Jones blew the dust off the hoary map he found in the mummy's tomb.

chary

adj. vigilant, careful, cautious, wary Dave was chary of investing in computer chip companies. Phillip was chary about donating to charities after he found out his last donation went to a charlatan organization.

frail

adj. weak; slender; delicate; fragile Although she has always been a healthy woman, she appears frail since her surgery. The frail, old cat placed itself on the bed very gingerly.

decrepit

adj. weakened by old age or illness; worn out The old dog was so decrepit that we were forced to have her euthanized. The decrepit old man could barely get out of bed.

demure

adj. well-behaved; quiet; shy; modest Two demure little girls sat quietly near their mother with their hands in their laps. Mary Louise was so demure she never raised her tone of voice, even when she hit her finger while hammering a nail.

compliant

adj. willingness to adhere, acting in accordance The company was compliant with the state agency's directives. It is necessary to be compliant with the state traffic laws for your own safety.

feasible

adj. within reason, likely, able to be done It is not feasible to drive to Charleston and return the same day. To break the nicotine habit is feasible; millions have done it.

impetuous

adj. without much thought; sudden and impulsive; rash Grandma impetuously jumped out of the car and tapped the bear on the head with a shovel. (adv.) I regret my impetuous decision to buy the car when I lost my job and couldn't pay for it.

demonic

adj. working devilishly; persistent; evil Jack's demonic Olympic practice habits, running six hours a day on the track, ultimately paid off when he won the gold medal. The terrorist's demonic plan to poison the city's water supply was foiled by the police.

creditable

adj. worthy of belief and praise David's work in fundraising as president of the United Way was extremely creditable. The CEO's report was received as creditable since the stock rose fifty points.

estimable

adj. worthy of respect or admiration; capable of being estimated For many years, she ran an estimable publishing house of which her publishing peers thought highly. The young boxer was an estimable opponent for the champ, and he won the fight after a tough struggle.

execrable

adj. wretched, very bad, detestable It was an unusually execrable winter; it snowed for weeks and the sun never shone. The hostess demonstrated execrable taste by inviting all three of Ric's former wives to the party.

ethnocentricity

n. a belief that one's own group is superior Hitler's ethnocentricity can be seen in his book Mein Kempf, which advocates the racial superiority of the Germanic race. The Ku Klux Klan's downfall was based on the American people's rejection of ethnocentric prejudice. (adj.)

diatribe

n. a bitter verbal attack Coach Johnson's diatribe about the bad call was futile because he knew the referee would not reverse his decision. The prosecuting attorney began his opening statement with a diatribe declaring the defendant to be a low-down, lying, scheming, no-good rat.

benediction

n. a blessing; a prayer asking for help and protection; an utterance of good wishes Each Sunday for many years Father Fulton led the benediction services in his church on Sunday. There was no family present to offer their benediction when Jack and Jill married quite unexpectedly in a Las Vegas marriage chapel.

invective

n. insulting or abusive speech Bill's speech about his opponent was full of invective. The subtleties of invective in his writing are clever yet mean.

carnage

n. a bloody and massive slaughter, especially in battle; a massacre The carnage of World War I caused many to become disillusioned with the war in general. An absolute carnage took place in our backyard after my father discovered a nest of rats.

infraction

n. a breaking of a rule or law; violation or breach My son already had two bus referrals, and he was warned that one more infraction of the rules would get him kicked off the bus. When I got home a half hour late, Mom grounded me for infraction of curfew.

epigram

n. a brief and usually witty saying Greeting card companies make huge profits creating epigrams about love. Sally's favorite epigram is, "A friend in need is a friend indeed."

aphorism

n. a brief, witty saying Benjamin Franklin was famous for his many aphorisms. "A penny saved is a penny earned" is an example of a common aphorism almost everyone has heard.

harlequin

n. a buffoon, in comedy, wearing masked face and variegated tights In the opera Pagliacci, Beppe is a harlequin. Jackson dressed as a harlequin in Italian tradition for the New Year's Eve party.

capitol

n. a building where a state legislature on U.S. Congress meets We needed passes to be admitted to the capitol building in Washington, D.C. The budget hearing will be held at the capitol.

arsenal

n. a building where weapons and military equipment are stored; a collection of weapons; armory; any supply or store The army planned to attack enemy arsenals in order to cripple their armament supply. The comedian had an arsenal of hilarious jokes that kept us laughing for hours.

edifice

n. a building, especially one of imposing appearance or size The construction of one edifice led to another, and New York City became a skyline of enormous skyscrapers. The Taj Mahal may not be the largest edifice ever constructed, but surely it is one of the most imposing in the world.

eruption

n. a bursting out Just as the students were settling down, an eruption from the loud speaker disrupted them. The eruption of a volcano is beautiful yet deadly.

farrago

n. a careless or confused mixture; a hodge-podge Charlie ran from the burning building wearing a farrago of different shoes. The student roommates furnished their apartment with a farrago of furniture.

incantation

n. a chant The witch's incantation turned the prince into a frog. The coach's incantations seemed to have no effect on his losing team.

coterie

n. a circle of close associates or friends Today's tennis stars rarely travel alone but surround themselves with a coterie of managers and coaches. Rock stars have a coterie of fans who follow them from concert to concert.

bloc

n. a coalition of factions; parties with a common interest or purpose NATO began as a bloc of nations with the purpose of halting the rise of international communism. Before the Civil War, the southern states formed a bloc of states that were called the Confederate States of America.

amenity

n. a comfortable, pleasant feature The hotels at Disney World offer all the athletic amenities one could hope for: swimming, golf, tennis, and a gymnasium for exercising. The log cabin had no amenities such as electricity or running water.

ecosystem

n. a community of living things, together with their environment Our local environmentalists are working to preserve the delicately balanced ecosystem of the wetlands. A pond is an interesting ecosystem to study because it contains plants, mammals, reptiles, fish, and numerous microorganisms.

analogy

n. a comparison of two things; similarity Our teacher drew an analogy between professional wrestlers and Roman gladiators. The analogy section of the SAT asks students to find the relationship that is similar among pairs of words. (Words not similar are said to be not analogous.)

fiasco

n. a complete or humiliating failure The children's plan to release all the animals at the Humane Society was an utter fiasco. Teresa ordered $300 worth of Girl Scout cookies, and her parents had to pay for the fiasco.

compendium

n. a concise summary The compendium on the back of the novel compelled Davis to want to read the book. A compendium of books written by Earnest Hemingway can be found in most libraries.

epilepsy

n. a condition caused by electrical impulses in the central nervous system Julius Caesar and Albert Einstein were both victims of epilepsy. Epilepsy is more treatable now in the past.

correlation

n. a connection between two or more things There's a high correlation between smoking and lung cancer. There is little correlation between wealth and happiness, so they say, but ask me my opinion after I get rich.

continuum

n. a continuous whole without clear division into parts At the carnival, a continuum of weaving dancers moved in a seemingly endless chain. Albert Einstein believed that space and time are not distinct dimensions, but a continuum, a belief which he called the Theory of Relativity.

ensemble

n. a coordinated outfit or costume; a performing group The popular ensemble for students today is blue jeans and a T-shirt. An ensemble of actors in a movie usually consists of a number of stars all with more or less equal parts to play.

arcade

n. a covered area or passageway in which there are shops; archways connected by pillars or columns They are building a new shopping arcade, and Jim's wife can't wait to see the new stores. The kids love to visit the arcade to play video games.

cloister

n. a covered walk; a tranquil, secluded place To escape from the rain we ran to the cloister which led up to the building. Seeking relaxation, Jim cloistered himself in his hotel room for the entire week of his vacation.

canopy

n. a covering from the weather; natural or man-made The fierce storm windows blew the canopy away from the campsite and left the campers exposed to the heavy rain. We sat quietly under the forest canopy and listened to all the beautiful bird calls.

hoarfrost

n. a covering of minute ice needles on the ground The children love to break the hoarfrost as it forms on the puddles. The hoarfrost covered the ground, so we could not tell the lake from the fields.

eddy

n. a current of water or air running contrary to the main current; a whirlpool After the riots in the city were quelled, an eddy of protest began against the local police, with charges of police brutality. The boys threw stones into the eddy and watched the fast whirlpool revolve in circles.

barrage

n. a curtain of artillery fire; any overwhelming attack, as of words or blows When Maria walked into the sorority house after her date, she was barraged with questions. (v.) The boxer backed his opponent into the corner with a barrage of hammering punches.

arrears

n. a debt that is late in being paid The occupants learned if they didn't pay their rent in arrears by the first of the month they would be evicted. Jose's charge account is badly in arrears.

coup de grace

n. a decisive finishing blow, act or event General Patton's coup de grace in Sicily caused Germany's defeat and Britain's embarrassment. Joe Louis's coup de grace against Max Baer resulted in his retaining the heavyweight boxing crown.

bulwark

n. a defensive wall; something serving as a principal defense Quebec City is the only city in North America with a bulwark built entirely around it. Our mother was a bulwark against bad times; no matter how bad things became, she always wore a smile and had a cheerful word.

encore

n. a demand by an audience for a repetition or an additional performance; an additional performance in response to the audience demand The audience applauded endlessly as a traditional means of requesting an encore. When the band was called back for an encore, they played their most famous song to satisfy the crowd.

damper

n. a depression or restraint An eyewitness put a damper on the defendant's hopes when he identified him as the one who committed the crime. Jack's father put a damper on their vacation plans when he informed the family there was no money to travel this year.

inquisition

n. a detailed questioning; an official inquiry; an inquest or other legal investigation; questioning that is prolonged, unrelenting, or brutal I don't want to be late because I can't stand my father's inevitable, endless inquisition. The harsh inquisition imposed on the captured soldier wasn't enough to make him talk.

exposition

n. a detailed statement intended to explain something difficult; a public exhibition Fred put on a wonderful public exposition of African artifacts he had procured over a period of five years. The computer technician gave me a long exposition on the components and structure of the motherboard, but I still don't understand it.

conviction

n. a determined belief or fixed opinion; the process or act of finding a person guilty of a crime It was my father's personal conviction that all murders should be given the death penalty. Ever since Chris's first conviction for burglary 10 years ago, he has been in jail more than he has been out.

catapult

n. a device for hurling things v. to slingshot Before the invention of cannons, catapults that hurled stones were used to attack castles. When the Dolphins beat the Steelers, the victory catapulted them into first place in their division.

dilemma

n. a difficult situation; any problem or predicament John faced the dilemma of either taking a cut in pay or losing his job. It was a small dilemma, but Bill couldn't choose between pecan or cherry pie for dessert.

conundrum

n. a dilemma; any problem or puzzle In most mystery novels, the conundrum is solved by the novel's end. During the long drive, Jean invited entertaining conundrums to help keep Jeff awake.

glaucoma

n. a disease of the ocular (eye) system, increased pressure on the eyeball, causing damage The doctor checked the eye pressure to determine if his patient had glaucoma. Glaucoma caused Carl's loss of eyesight in the left eye after years of neglect.

disarray

n. a disorderly or confused condition; a lack of organization My house is in such disarray that I can't find my car keys. The salesman's car was in such disarray that his products were lost in a sea of trash.

epoch

n. a distinct or notable period in history; a long period of time; an era The 1960s was an epoch of turmoil and unrest that seemed to go on forever, but many great things came from that era. The epoch of rock and roll began in the early 1950s but continues, ever evolving, to this day.

enclave

n. a distinct territory surrounded by a foreign area; any distinct small group surrounded by a larger group Luxemburg is a small enclave surrounded by larger countries. In Guadalajara, Mexico, there are many enclaves of Americans.

fallacy

n. a false belief; false idea or notion It is a common fallacy that only boys are good at math. The old wives' tale about cats lying on babies to "steal" their breath is a fallacy.

farce

n. a false imitation; a mockery 'Third Rock from the Sun' is a farce about aliens living on earth today. Saturday Night Live is a farcical TV program that pokes fun at American celebrities and events. (adj.)

canard

n. a false story with the intention of misleading or doing harm After they hit a tree, the boys concocted a canard about a dog running into the road. As soon as I walked into the house and saw my mother's face, I knew that my canard was unsuccessful.

bravado

n. a false, exaggerated, or boastful display of courage It was an act of bravado when Josh volunteered to rescue the drowning man; everyone knew Josh couldn't swim. With childish bravado, when his mother caught Bryan writing on the wall with a crayon, he told her it wasn't his fault; his brother Sam had done it.

consternation

n. a feeling of anxiety, shock or confusion; a state of dismay There was general consternation as the crowd learned the terrifying news of the terrorist bombing. To his consternation, as he started to board his plane he realized his passport was at home.

animosity

n. a feeling of ill will; bitter hostility After fighting over the same boyfriend, the two sisters had a strong animosity toward each other. The animosity between the opposing teams was evident in their vicious play.

elation

n. a feeling or condition of elevated spirits; great joy When the doctor pronounced Julie cured of cancer, her elation knew no bounds. Pete just bought his first car, and his feeling of elation is that of a child receiving his favorite toy for Christmas.

dossier

n. a file of documents or records; a detailed report Jim submitted a dossier of his work experiences to his new employer. The FBI keeps a dossier on world terrorists.

croissant

n. a flaky, rich, crescent-shaped roll or pastry I cannot eat croissants because of the butter in the mixture. The French bakery is well-known for its delectable croissants with fruit filling.

armada

n. a fleet of warships An armada entered the harbor ready for battle. The Spanish Armada of 1733, eighteen ships in all, sank in the Florida Keys during a hurricane.

carnivore

n. a flesh-eating animal Alligators and crocodiles are carnivores, so they only eat meat. The most famous of the carnivorous dinosaurs was Tyrannosaurus Rex. (adj.)

confraternity

n. a fraternal union; brotherhood Commercial Travelers Union is a well-known confraternity offering services to those who paid to belong. The Kiwanis is a famous confraternity promoting goodwill in the community.

cohort

n. a friend or associate Members of the '60s rock group "The Beatles" had all been cohorts before becoming famous. The neighborhood bully and his many cohorts were always teasing and picking on the other children at the playground.

hiatus

n. a gap or interruption in space, time, or continuity; a break Emily looked to Christmas vacation as a welcome hiatus from the drudgery of schoolwork. After reviewing the tax plat, Richard found a hiatus of ownership between his property and his neighbor's.

apparition

n. a ghostly image; phantom; specter Josh claimed strange apparitions were entering his room at night. An American Indian in war plant is a strange apparition to see in downtown Manhattan.

deity

n. a god or goddess; someone or something worshiped as a god The Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans had not one, but many deities that they worshiped. Some people's only deity is money, so they devote all their time and effort to making more.

embargo

n. a government order to temporarily suspend foreign trade The United States embargo on goods to and from Cuba had been controversial since it was first instituted. Gasoline prices will increase if there is an embargo on oil imported from any of the oil-producing Arab nations.

crescendo

n. a gradual increase in loudness of music; a gradual increase in intensity or force of anything A crescendo of cheers from the crowd grew to a deafening roar when we won the game. There has been a rising crescendo of criticism which started last year and is now reaching a climax.

attrition

n. a gradual reduction or weakening; a rubbing away Because our school has so many older teachers, the retirement attrition rate is high. Washed ashore, the once jagged glass shard had become a smooth gem due to the endless wave attrition.

clique

n. a group bound together by a common interest In the fall, the clique of players on the football team sticks together as though they think they are some kind of special gift to mankind. The women formed a writer's clique and each week gathered to discuss their writing.

claque

n. a group hired to applaud at a performance; anyone who bestows approval motivated by self-interest The TV producer hired a claque to applaud when cue cards give them the signal. It is not illegal to hire a claque to vote for a political candidate.

bevy

n. a group of animals; an assemblage Bud's hunting dogs flushed out a bevy of quail. A bevy of shoppers rushed into the store on opening day.

guild

n. a group of people united with a common goal Charley joined the guild for health insurance because it was less expensive than individual insurance. Jill joined the Animal Rights 'Guild' to protest with others about animal testing.

faction

n. a group, usually part of a larger group The Salem witch trials began because a faction of the Puritans believed in witchcraft. Although a faction in our class did not like their schedule changes, no options were discussed.

ingenue

n. a guileless unsophisticated person Faye was signed to a contract to play the part of an ingenue on Broadway. A novice can be considered an ingenue in the arts.

coiffure

n. a hairdo; arrangement of hair In the 18th century prior to the French Revolution, French royalty wore elegant coiffures. Joan wanted her new coiffure to be exactly like that of her favorite movie star Angelina Jolie.

calumny

n. a harmful statement, known by the maker to be false He was subjected to the most vicious calumny about his prison record, but he knew it would make matters worse to argue. Donna was enraged at the calumnies aimed at her and got even by tossing stink bombs into certain people's offices.

cache

n. a hiding place, or the objects hidden in a hiding place Treasure hunters have searched for Blackbeard's treasure in Bahamian caves, but no one has yet found his cache. When they could no longer carry their supplies, the hikers left them in a cache they would return to.

chronicle

n. a history; record of event Our literature book has a chronicle of each period of American literature. My sister is the historian of our family; she has a chronicle of all the important events of our youth.

chalet

n. a kind of Swiss farmhouse with overhanging eaves The first prize was a chalet on the edge of the mountain by the winding trail. The injured hiker stopped to rest for the night in a deserted chalet.

idiom

n. a language or style of speaking peculiar to a people "Shoot yourself in the foot" is an idiom that refers to doing something that hurts yourself. Curse words simply aren't a part of John's usual idiom.

archipelago

n. a large body of water containing many islands; a group of islands The islands in the Hawaiian archipelago make up the fiftieth state in the United States. The Florida Keys is an archipelago of islands over a hundred mile long connected by thirty-four bridges.

conflagration

n. a large destructive fire New Mexico recently suffered a major conflagration that destroyed hundreds of homes and thousands of acres of land. They say that a cow named Elsie was responsible for the conflagration that occurred in Chicago in the early 1900s.

drone

n. a lazy person, loafer v. to talk on and on in a dull way Beth was a drone who loafed on the job and took advantage of her co-worker's hard work.

demagogue

n. a leader, especially a rabble rouser Historians agree that Hitler and Mussolini were demagogues greatly responsible for starting World War II. Lawyers, politicians, and other authority figures who inflame the populace to further their own aims are said to be demagogues who engage in demagoguery.

furlough

n. a leave of absence After basic training, the new recruits received a furlough before reporting for active duty. Private Jones asked for a weekend furlough so he could visit his wife.

esplanade

n. a level open stretch of paved land or grassy ground near water The esplanade mall is near the Lazy River, with walkways in both directions. In New Orleans, people stroll along the esplanade every afternoon.

fabrication

n. a lie; something made up Those who know Ruth are sure her story about dating Prine William is pure fabrication. Although Tim's list of his qualifications was a total fabrication, he got the job and did well.

chameleon

n. a lizard that changes colors; a highly changeable person Our Senator is a political chameleon; he changes sides like a lizard changes colors. In Florida, chameleons are popular yard critters because they eat roaches.

fjord

n. a long narrow inlet from the sea between steep cliffs or hills Norway and New Zealand are two countries noted for having the most scenic fjords in the world. The ship took us to the fjords to examine the distinctive flora and fauna.

ballyhoo

n. a lot of noise and activity, often with no real purpose; exaggerated advertising or publicity WIth all the ballyhoo over the hula hoop, you'd think it the greatest invention since penicillin. The newest anti-cancer pills were ballyhooed as a cure-all for any cancer.

guffaw

n. a loud or boisterous burst of laughter Joey's whistles and guffaws while the principal was speaking resulted in everyone laughing. John's guffaws in the midst of a serious speech helped to release tension in the audience.

baritone

n. a male singer who has a voice level below tenor but higher than bass A powerful Italian baritone sang three unforgettable arias at the concert in the park. He thought his voice level was bass, but his music teacher told him he was a natural baritone.

cachet

n. a mark of prestige; a mark of approval Courtesy is the daughter of Ambassador Douglas and is the cachet of good breeding. The letter to the Three Musketeers was sealed with the royal cachet, which meant it came directly from the King of France.

bazaar

n. a marketplace or shopping quarter, especially one in the Middle East The hospital ran a bazaar in its parking lot to raise money for local medical charities. In Istanbul, Turkey, there are said to be over 4,000 stalls selling assorted goods in the Grand Bazaar.

influx

n. a mass arrival or incoming; a continuous coming South Florida has an influx of northern tourists every winter. We will have to build an addition to the school because of the influx of new students.

ingot

n. a mass of metal casting, a bar Fort Knox has gold ingots stored there for protection. Gold ingots were found on many Spanish ships sunk by inclement weather.

caucus

n. a meeting of leaders, especially a local political group Some delegates to political conventions are selected by votes in caucuses, while others are appointed. A caucus was held to determine who would represent the union at the national conference.

courier

n. a messenger Frederick works as a courier for United Parcel Service. The spy acted as a courier, carrying secret information between the United States and Europe.

codger

n. a mildly eccentric and usually elderly man Mr. Girard was an old codger who was always eavesdropping on our private conversations. On the golf course, the young boys had to play through the old codgers who were playing very slowly.

foible

n. a minor character flaw Greg's foibles include a tendency to go back to the free buffet one too many times. In an election year, we always tend to dwell on the candidates' foibles.

exemplar

n. a model or original; an example The littlest ballerina was cited as being an exemplar as a student. George Washington is presented in American history as the exemplar of a true patriot.

enigma

n. a mystery; puzzle How twin boys could be so different is an enigma to their parents. Agatha Christie's books always contain an enigma that makes the reader want to continue reading.

appellation

n. a name, title, or other designation Mussolini, the Italian dictator, was known by the more familiar appellation "El Duce." My children create appellations like "Blue Bear" and "Frog Face" for their stuffed animals.

aperture

n. a narrow opening, usually a hole; especially one that controls the amount of light reaching an optical instrument All cameras have an aperture control that regulates the amount of light striking the undeveloped film. The little aperture in the fence allowed the children to spy on our neighbors' party.

isthmus

n. a narrow strip of land, with water on both sides, which connects two larger bodies of land The isthmus at Istanbul connects Europe and Asia. The isthmus of Panama is bounded by the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean.

gamin

n. a neglected boy left to run about in the streets In India, everywhere our tour bus stopped, there would be a gang of gamins begging for money. In the novel Oliver Twist, we learn of the intolerable living conditions in English orphanages of the 19th century and the life of the many homeless, streetwise gamins.

dromedary

n. a one-humped domesticated camel The dromedary is widely used as a beast of burden in Northern Africa and Western Asia. A dromedary is also known as an Arabian camel.

brazier

n. a pan for holding burning coals We toasted marshmallows over the open brazier. In Mongolia, the indigenous people cook much of their food on open braziers.

component

n. a part of something; an element or ingredient Water is the greatest component in human blood. One component of getting into an Ivy League school is getting straight "A"s throughout high school.

cerebellum

n. a part of the brain between the cerebrum and brain stem that controls muscle coordination and equilibrium After the accident, Mary had loss of equilibrium caused by a damaged cerebellum. Jack's loss of muscle coordination was related to an injured cerebellum.

configuration

n. a particular arrangement or pattern of a group of related things The configuration of the theater seating was such that everyone had a perfectly clear view of the entire screen and could clearly hear what was being said. By configuring some of the wires on my motherboard, my son will be able to boost up the speed of my processing unit. (v.)

bias

n. a particular tendency or inclination; in a diagonal manner Many people have a bias against foreigners because of the language barrier. The design of a dress Martha was sewing required a bias cut from front to back. (adj.)

flashback

n. a past incident recurring vividly in the mind Jim's flashback of his wedding day brought him pleasant memories. Joan's flashback of her auto accident frightened her.

decade

n. a period of ten years High school students have changed a great deal over the past decade. In this decade we have seen vast technological changes.

doldrums

n. a period or condition of depression or inactivity Jack is in the doldrums; ever since he lost his job, he has moped around unhappily. For thirteen days we were becalmed in the Horse Latitude near the Equator, our ship drifting in the doldrums without the faintest breeze to fill the sails.

interlude

n. a period or event that comes between two others; a pause or space; interval The ferry trip across the sound was a relaxing interlude during the drive. An hour with the masseuse was a wonderful interlude in the middle of my hectic work day.

claimant

n. a person making a claim The judge awarded all six of the claimants an equal share of the insurance money. Rosalie not only wanted the house in her divorce, but she also was the claimant for her husband's birdcage collection.

highbrow

n. a person of superior intellectual interest and taste The highbrows met at the opera house to view 'Dr. Faustus' sung in high German. The minimum acceptable IQ necessary to join that highbrow club is 135. (adj.)

clone

n. a person or thing very much like another John looks so much like his father he could be a clone. McDonalds restaurants are clones of each other; they are exactly alike.

creditor

n. a person to whom money is owed Mr. Randolph's lawyer recommended he declare bankruptcy; he had too many creditors and not enough assets with which to pay. The entire banking industry is based entirely on performing as a creditor for depositors, then turning around and becoming creditors for borrowers.

gadfly

n. a person who annoys by persistent criticism; an insect A person who does not have a good word for anyone is considered a gadfly. The horse flew past the finish line with a gadfly attached to his nose.

impresario

n. a person who arranges public entertainment; any manager or producer Mr. Shaw has become one of New York's leading theatrical impresarios, handling some of the biggest names in entertainment. Dave sees himself as a great impresario, trying to become agent and manager of all the high school bands and hoping that he will make one of them famous.

buffoon

n. a person who behaves comically; clown Mary Ann doesn't realize what a buffoon she becomes when she tries to get attention at parties. Leslie stopped dating Tom when she realized what a buffoon he really was.

herald

n. a person who conveys or announces official news; messenger; a person or thing that signals the beginning or approach of something The daffodil blooming is a herald of spring. Paul Revere was a herald, announcing the coming of the British.

dissident

n. a person who disagrees Cuba, under Castro, responds to political dissidents by imprisoning them. Sports dissidents paraded in Manhattan protesting the Yankees' move to Miami.

anomaly

n. an irregularity; a deviation from the norm A cold day in July is an anomaly in South Florida. It was an anomaly for Karen to fail her math test because she is usually a straight "A" student.

disciple

n. a person who embraces and assists in spreading the teachings of another Disciples of some churches spread the word by going door to door. Every professional football team has disciples who would never dream of missing a game.

bon vivant

n. a person who enjoys life, especially food and drink Jackie's idea of a bon vivant's life was eating at fine restaurants every night. Jacque's glamorous reputation preceded him as a playboy living a life of a bon vivant.

bigot

n. a person who is strongly partial to his or her own group, race or religion Members of the Ku Klux Klan are proud to be considered bigots. My father says he is not a bigot, yet he got very upset when a black family moved into our neighborhood.

confidant

n. a person with whom one can share feelings and secrets (female - confidante) My best friend is my closest confidante because I can trust her not to tell my secrets. Everyone should have a confidant because there always comes a time when one needs to be able to talk privately to someone he or she can trust.

countenance

n. a person's face, especially the expression; calm control; composure The old farmer's countenance showed many years of hard work. The captain's countenance during the attack gave his troops confidence in the face of danger.

asylum

n. a place of safety, as for political refugees; also an institution for the care of the ill The defector's family appealed to the courts to give him asylum in this country, but the appeal was denied, and he had to return to his country. People with certain types of severe mental problems are often committed to asylums for the mentally ill.

habitat

n. a place where a person, animal, or thing is most likely to be found Southwest Florida is the natural habitat for manatees. We replicated the turtle's habitat in our aquarium.

banter

n. a playful conversation; good-natured teasing The professional baseball player carried on lighthearted banter with admiring teens who waited in line for his autograph. He was a master of witty banter, always reducing his friends to tears of laughter.

impasse

n. a point in a process at which further progress is blocked; stalemate We have reached an impasse in the negotiations; neither side will budge. A "Mexican Standoff" is a slang for impasse, referring to the Alamo and neither side conceding.

benchmark

n. a point of reference; a standard by which to measure; a criterion Four years of college is the benchmark for a basic college education. The benchmark time which marathon runners try to achieve is two hours and ten minutes.

cusp

n. a point or pointed end Betty was born on the cusp of the astrological sign of Leo, so she had some attributes of Virgo. He rounded the cusp of the 200-meter race and then broke the tape on the straightaway.

inclination

n. a preference or tendency, or a feeling that makes a person want to do something; liking If I were as unhappy and insecure with my employer as you are with yours, my inclination would be to look for another job. I so want to impress Dan on our first date that my inclination is to buy a new dress for the occasion.

canon

n. a principle, decree, law or body of laws, especially in religion The canon for lawyers is to treat their clients with fairness, honesty, and responsibility. Josh's parents try hard to follow the canons of their church although they have been known to break a minor canon occasionally.

bastion

n. a projecting part of a fortress; stronghold; fortified place The guerrila band fled into the mountains and found a bastion of protection in a hidden cave. The country drugstore is a bastion for a bunch of tobacco-chewing seniors who sit on the porch and swap tales.

apocalypse

n. a prophetic prediction, especially one concerning the end of the world The apocalyptic visions of soothsayers predicting the end of the world have fortunately always been wrong. (adj.) Many scientists have a theory that the apocalypse could occur when a huge meteor collides with Earth.

hypothesis

n. a proposition assumed as a premise in research, argument, or conversation After years of research, marine biologists have reached a hypothesis that whales do communicate with each other using a variety of clicking sounds. The scientists conducted many experiments hoping to prove their hypothesis.

carapace

n. a protective covering; shell The Florida spiny lobster's carapace has many sharp horns for protection. Captain Kirk's ray gun could not penetrate the alien's carapace.

forum

n. a public meeting place for open discussion; a public meeting The Roman Senate held a forum to discuss the benefits of installing a public sewer system. The presidential forum is held on TV to allow maximum public viewing.

edict

n. a public order given by an authority The judge enacted an edict stating there would be no cameras in the courtroom for the remainder of the trial.

foray

n. a quick raid or sudden advance; a new venture The small group of soldiers attempted a foray into the village but were surprised to be met by a large enemy patrol. The model's foray into acting proved very lucrative for her, as she seemed to be a born movie star.

fusillade

n. a rapid outburst or barrage A fusillade of machine-gun fire tore through the plane's right wing. As soon as the president reached the podium a fusillade of questions was hurled at him by the mass of reporters.

gradient

n. a rate of inclination; a slope The steep gradient up the hill made it difficult to pedal my bike. The gradient of metabolism is important in the field of biology.

insurgent

n. a rebel; someone who revolts against a government The governments of some small countries are dependant on insurgents. Jeremy is an insurgent who prides himself on being unique.

innuendo

n. a remark that suggests something but does not refer to it directly; an indirect hint, implication, or insinuation In the workplace, sexual innuendoes, no matter how innocent or covert, can be interpreted as sexual harassment. I caught Dad's little innuendo about the scratch on his car, so I know he thinks that I did it.

domicile

n. a residence; home; dwelling The most common domicile of college students is the dormitory. The police had to visit the domicile because the neighbors had complained about loud music.

gambit

n. a risk taken for some advantage The general's gambit paid off when his troops won the battle. The employee's daring gambit won him a raise from his boss.

churl

n. a rude or vulgar person; a crude or illiterate peasant of yokel Jim is such a churl, always rude, drunk and insensitive. Rex's churlish behavior offended the bride and groom at the wedding. (adj.)

boor

n. a rude person; someone who is unrefined She boorishly asked for a take-home bag at the wedding reception. (adv.) Jake was not invited to the society dinner because everyone knew he was a boor.

conservatory

n. a school for the teaching of music, acting, or art; a room, usually connected to a house, in which plants are grown and kept; a greenhouse My sister wanted to learn to play the piano professionally, so Mom and Dad saved enough money to send her to a well-known conservatory in New York. The university's agricultural department boasts a wonderful conservatory, filled with more exotic and beautiful plants than any other in the country.

conspiracy

n. a secret agreement, plot The two men formed a conspiracy to take control of the company at the meeting. The French Revolution was a conspiracy to overthrow the ruling royalty.

collusion

n. a secret agreement; conspiracy The owner of the New England Patriots accused the other team owner of collusion, forcing that owner to sell his ownership. There was collusion among the office workers who secretly agreed not to join the union.

intrigue

n. a secret or crafty scheme or plot The tale of political intrigue explained the underhanded dealings of a corrupt government and its plan to overthrow the present ruler. The fictional espionage agent James Bond is driven by intrigue in all aspects of his life.

excerpt

n. a selection, quote, or portion taken from a work of literature An excerpt from my book was used in the newspaper article. Magazines use headline-size excerpts of the most interesting part of a story to attract a reader's attention to that story.

felony

n. a serious crime; a crime punishable by imprisonment for more than a year Jay's burglary was a felony and got him three years in jail. Judy's felonious attempt to steal a car was frustrated by an empty gas tank. (adj.)

compromise

n. a settlement of differences in which each side makes concessions It is hoped that a compromise will be reached at today's meeting between the labor union and the company's administration. My vote on this issue was a compromise of my principles, but I am satisfied with my decision.

concert

n. a shared purpose; togetherness or cooperation; agreement We must both act in concert to be successful. The speaker said that the richer countries of the world should work in concert to help the poorer ones.

epilogue

n. a short concluding section to a literary work or a play; often a summary My role in the play is to present the epilogue, in which I explain the idea of the play and interpret the theme. A book's epilogue is placed at the end of the book just before the index.

interim

n. a short period of time; the interval of time between two events; meantime I started writing about that two years ago, but unfortunately, other books on the subject have come out in the interim. Yesterday we presented our case to the principal, but in the interim, we shall just have to wait for his decision.

anecdote

n. a short, humorous story The seminar was interesting because the speaker included many personal anecdotes. Mr. Alkek told a humorous anecdote about the time he applied for his first job and was so nervous he couldn't remember his own name.

compunction

n. a slight feeling of guilt for something one has done; remorse I don't have any compunction about telling my roommate to leave because he hasn't upheld his half on the responsibilities. Robin Hood had no compunction about stealing because he felt that the wealthy could afford to give up some of their riches for the less fortunate.

hibachi

n. a small Japanese-style charcoal brazier, outdoor grill We used the hibachi to cook steaks and corn on the cob outside on the lawn. We have a special area at the condo near the pool for hibachi cooking.

cabal

n. a small group of people who plan a secret plot, especially political There was an assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler by a cabal of people within his own regime. The cabal of sophomore girls that Jill wanted to be part of constantly snubbed her.

bibelot

n. a small object of beauty or rarity Many bibelots found in the sunken treasure proved to be emeralds and rubies. Carl surprised Mary with an attractive golden bibelot to wear on her wrist.

cranny

n. a small opening as in a wall or rock face The secret message was found stuffed into a small cranny in the courtyard wall next to the church. We searched the house from top to bottom and did not overlook a single nook or cranny.

bauble

n. a small, inexpensive trinket Mixed among the precious gems in Jennifer's jewelry box were costume jewelry and other cheap baubles. The child was delighted with the plastic and glass bauble she received from her aunt.

hovel

n. a small, miserable dwelling; an open, low shed In the famous play Tobacco Road, the characters are poor tobacco farmers who live in hovels made of cardboard and discarded wooden boxes. Compared to the Summertons' palatial estate on Long Island, Jane said her apartment in the Bronx was a hovel.

crevice

n. a small, narrow crack or space; fissure A lizard darted into a crevice between two stones. The harsh light revealed every crevice and wrinkle in his face.

criterion

n. a standard or rule by which something can be judged; a basis for judgment (plural: criteria) There is no special criterion for making a fortune, but some say the fastest way is to marry rich. The physical criteria for a good basketball player include being seven feet tall and able to jump like a kangaroo.

confluence

n. a state of flowing together; a place where rivers begin to flow together The confluence of the instruments in Mozart's work is what makes it melodious. The confluence of the two rivers forms the fertile valley.

crag

n. a steep, rugged rock or cliff Mt. McKinley is full of crags, causing it to be one of the most dangerous mountains to climb. The two huge crags were the entrance to the lost gold mines in Arizona.

bouillabaisse

n. a stew made with several kinds of fish and shellfish; mixture of things Captain Pete made bouillabaisse from clams, shrimp, and lobster. The new play on Broadway is a bouillabaisse of comic routines in different humorous styles.

cessation

n. a stopping or ceasing, coming to an end Her parents put a deadbolt lock on the door, putting a cessation to her coming in late at night. Because the students could not handle the responsibility, the deans announced the cessation of the privilege.

contempt

n. a strong feeling of combined dislike and lack of respect; scorn The socialite made no attempt to conceal her contempt for anyone who was of lower social status than she was. The judge had him removed and held him in contempt of the court when he deliberately and with malice disrupted the proceedings.

denunciation

n. a strong, public criticism; a verbal attack or condemnation The Russian leader gave a denunciation of the evils of the communist system. The maestro's denunciation of his pianist's performance was terribly embarrassing to the musician in question.

dolt

n. a stupid person Only a dolt would put his shoes on backward. Jonathan felt doltish because he was the only student to fail gym class. (adj.)

cuisine

n. a style or type of cooking The Chinese cuisine in the new restaurant is excellent. When I asked Dad what cuisine he preferred for his birthday dinner, he said, "Home cooked."

herbicide

n. a substance used to destroy plants, especially weeds Environmentalists have proven that herbicidal runoffs from farmland pollute our rivers, streams, and oceans. (adj.) Ed completely destroyed his lawn after he mistook herbicide for fertilizer.

incursion

n. a sudden and unwanted entrance to a place or area; a raid or sudden invasion Sally led an incursion in the cafeteria hoping to overtake our lunch table. Our troops led an incursion on the small, unprotected village, looting and plundering as we went.

debacle

n. a sudden calamitous downfall; collapse or failure The bank declared bankruptcy as a result of a debacle created by the thieving board of directors. A worse debacle you would never hope to see; it rained on the Easter parade.

implication

n. a suggestion of something that is made without saying it directly; something implied or suggested There was no implication that they were divorcing, as they always seemed so happy together. The decision to quit school has serious, negative implications for your future as a successful businessman.

ideology

n. a system of ideas Capitalism and communism are opposing ideologies. The candidate's platform had more to do with ideology than it did with political facts.

homeopathy

n. a system of natural healing Herbs can be used as a method of homeopathy for healing. Homeopathy is considered a form of alternative medicine.

halyard

n. a tackle or rope used on a ship to hoist and lower In the America's Cup, experts are needed to handle the halyards under everyday conditions. Because of the high winds, Dennis was told to slacken the halyards to make sailing easier.

bivouac

n. a temporary shelter or encampment, especially for military purposes In worsening weather with darkness closing in, the climbers prepared a bivouac and settled down for the night. The first platoon pulled back from the lines and bivouacked in a small valley for a week to rest. (v.)

domain

n. a territory over which one rules or over which one has influence or power The African plain is the lion's domain. The courtroom is the domain of attorneys and judges.

commodity

n. a thing, something bought and sold Wheat is a valuable commodity on the worldwide market. A good reputation is a valuable commodity for everyone to have.

boon

n. a timely benefit; a blessing The week-long rain was a boon to the farmers whose crops were withering from the drought. The decline of interest rates proved a boon to the real estate market; more families could afford to buy homes.

iota

n. a tiny amount, the least bit I woke up very tired after sleeping just an iota the night before. Lance was still hungry after only eating an iota of dinner.

hoax

n. a trick; practical joke; fraud He didn't understand that he was the object of the hoax until everyone started laughing. We knew him for years before we learned that his identity was a hoax.

altercation

n. a vehement argument, a heated quarrel The shoplifter had an altercation with the policeman. When Professor Pitt said the South started the Civil War, an altercation broke out among the southern students in his class.

estuary

n. a waterway where the ocean tide meets the river current A branch of the sea or gulf at the lower end of the river is an estuary. Some believe strip mining up river will ruin the estuary in Charlotte Harbor because of the chemical waste.

femme fatale

n. a woman who attracts men by her aura of charm and mystery Mata Hari was a famous femme fatale who was a German spy during World War I. In the play 'Damn Yankees,' the character Lola was a femme fatale sent by the devil to entice a baseball player.

ideogram

n. a written symbol representing an idea rather than a word Many ideograms appear in general use, for example, the "&" means the word "and." The "$" sign is an ideogram for the monetary term "dollar."

debutante

n. a young woman making her formal entrance into society Max checked the attendance list for his girlfriend's name at the debutante ball. It was hard to believe that the old crone had once been a debutante.

cipher

n. a zero; a thing that has no value; a code; the solution to a code Phil was not surprised at the cipher he earned on his math test. The secret message was written in cipher.

charisma

n. ability to attract followers Danielle's personal charisma and charm made her the perfect class president. The con man had a charisma that helped him bilk hundreds of people of their life's savings.

brogue

n. accent; regional dialect Kenny was from Ireland, so his friends loved to hear him talk with his Irish brogue. You can tell from the tennis players' brogue they are Australian.

battery

n. act of beating or pounding; an emplacement for one or more pieces of artillery; an object designed to produce electric energy Stan was arrested for assault and battery after the barroom fight. The battleship focused its fire on the Japanese batteries along the beach. The boy's toy car required two batteries in order for it to run.

antagonism

n. active hostility or opposition Neighborhood gangs in large cities are encountering increasing antagonism from their communities. Julie's aspirations as an actress met with antagonism from her father, who wanted her to be a test pilot.

anguish

n. agonizing pain, mental or physical George's remembrances of the war and his dead comrades filled him with anguish. It was anguishing for Jill to see her husband after cancer had reduced him to a shadow of his former self. (adj.)

concord

n. agreement; harmony The uprising ended twelve years of concord in that country. Recess is not always a time of concord because some kids are usually running around and yelling.

efficacy

n. an ability to produce the intended result; effectiveness The recently ran a series of tests to measure the efficacy of the new cancer drug. The efficacy of the program has yet to be determined, as not quite all the results of the study have been documented.

despot

n. an absolute ruler Fidel Castro is the despotic ruler of Cuba. (adj.) My big brother is the despot of the family; he is always bossing my brothers and sisters around.

confederate

n. an accomplice; an ally With the aid of my confederates, I will win this war. The bully vandalized the entire neighborhood in one night with the help of his confederates.

breach

n. an act of breaking a law, promise, agreement or relationship; a violation His refusal to work on a Sunday was a breach of contract. There have been serious security breaches in the CIA, revealing national security secrets to foreign powers.

insurrection

n. an act or instance of open rebellion against a government or other authority; uprising; a revolt If the leaders try to take away our right to vote, the inevitable insurrection will be so large and violent that they will undoubtedly change their minds. I tried to take away phone privileges during the week, but the ensuing insurrection of my four teenage daughters was more than I could bear.

annex

n. an addition or attachment The wedding reception was held in the annex of the church. Bill built an annex adjacent to his office for storage purposes.

appurtenance

n. an additional feature; something that supplements a more important thing; an accessory The swimming pool was only an appurtenance, but it made the Handleys decide the house was the one they would purchase. Military careers do not pay well, but the appurtenances are good: free room and board and a good retirement plan.

compliment

n. an admiring remark or the act of congratulating someone Upon receiving the compliment, the young girl blushed and smiled. George, the waiter, complimented Joan on her fluency in French. (v.)

escapade

n. an adventurous, unconventional act Joe and Alan's escapade at the beach during Spring Break is one they will never forget. Hiking in the Rockies for three full days was our most recent family escapade.

counsel

n. an advice given as a result of consultation; a lawyer or group of lawyers representing a client Geroge became the counsel to the city council for legal matters. Henry obtained counsel to handle his case in court.

emissary

n. an agent sent to represent another person or group, especially a government The peace talks were presided over by emissaries from all the countries involved. When I get into trouble, my big sister acts as emissary to soften up my parents before they see me.

armistice

n. an agreement between two countries or factions to stop fighting; a truce A two-week armistice was declared between the rival gangs. North and South Korean declared a temporary armistice so they could discuss a peace treaty.

fiat

n. an authoritative, often arbitrary, decree or order The general ruled by fiat for eight years after seizing power. The new administrator handed down a fiat that disallowed any breaks, other than thirty minutes for lunch each day.

euthanasia

n. an easy and painless death; the act or practice of causing death painlessly to end suffering Dr. Kevorkian is famous for his practice of euthanasia on terminal patients. The euthanasia of unwanted domestic animals has been the subject of moral debate in the United States for years.

altar

n. an elevated structure, as a mound or platform where religious rites are performed The wedding was performed in front of the congregation at the church altar. Gerry was a ham actor who devoted his life to the altar of fame and glory.

gaffe

n. an embarrassing mistake; a crude social error; blunder; a faux pas His failure to consult with the county's Hispanic leadership was a major gaffe and may have cost him the election. When Susie showed up at the formal ball in jeans and a T-shirt, she was so embarrassed by her fashion gaffe that she never attended another public activity.

incarnation

n. an embodiment, as of a god, idea, or quality; the human form of a spirit, or the human representation of a principle or idea He dances so effortlessly and smoothly, he is the incarnation of gracefulness. The guard said that the inmate was so mean and devious that he was the incarnation of the devil.

catharsis

n. an emotional or psychological cleansing that brings relief or renewal The companionship of domesticated pets can sometimes lead to a catharsis for mentally disturbed patients. Returning to the French World War II battlefield he had known fifty years before, William found the experience cathartic. (adj.)

etching

n. an engraving, a design or inscription into a hard surface, especially printing The etching on the glass bowl showed images of the twelve astrological signs. The art show featured etching cut into ivory.

horde

n. an enormous number of persons gathering together; crowd Outside the stadium, hordes of happy alumni waited in line for the ticket sale. As the golfers approached the 18th green, hordes of spectators marched behind them.

foyer

n. an entranceway or lobby, especially in theaters or hotels The foyer contains ornate wooden furniture made of teak and rosewood. The mansion had a marble foyer brightly lit by a crystal chandelier.

influenza

n. an epidemic disease caused by a virus, respiratory infection Influenza shots will be scarce this fall, making the disease of utmost concern in doctors' minds. Irene was diagnosed with a virus, fever, aches, and pains probably related to influenza.

calamity

n. an event causing extreme harm, suffering, or destruction; disaster The factory closing was a calamity for the city; it left thousands unemployed. Lately, Jake's life has been a series of calamities: a bitter divorce, loss of his job, and the bank repossession of his home.

caricature

n. an exaggerated portrait or description When we were in Rome, a street artist did a caricature of Jason, exaggerating his mouth and nose. Bill made his living drawing caricatures of tourists for ten dollars apiece.

diorama

n. an exhibit of scenic presentation featuring a painted background and statues The diorama featuring model railroads and towns was the center attraction at the mall. Charlie's functional diorama of the volcano spewing lava attracted many adults as well as children.

annotation

n. an explanatory note added to a text The annotations that explained in detail what was written on each page were printed in italics at the bottom of each page. Carl read the explanatory annotations in his chemistry book before taking the test.

homage

n. an expression of great respect and honor We paid homage to him for his achievements in medical research. The city is going to pay homage to the great football star by naming a major highway after him.

idol

n. an image representing a deity, object of devotion Isis, an idol of ancient Egypt, was the goddess of fertility. Valentino, a matinee idol, became the object of devotion to many women.

escalation

n. an increase in intensity Many Americans were unhappy with the escalation of the Vietnam War. From first to second semester, we usually see an escalation of good grades.

flotilla

n. an indefinite number of boats Admiral Nimitz was in charge of the American flotilla in the Pacific during World War II. Columbus sailed to find the new world in a flotilla of three Spanish ships.

aspersion

n. an insulting or malicious remark about someone Sally's feelings were hurt when she overheard the aspersions her tennis coach cast on her intelligence. Jill said she didn't wish to cast aspersions on her boss, but he was a jerk.

interstice

n. an intervening space, a crack or crevice Harvey caught his foot in an interstice while climbing the mountain. The broken necklace settled in the interstice between the two rocks.

chattel

n. an item of personal, movable property; slave The bank held a chattel mortgage on all our office equipment, chairs, computers and even our electric clock. Please do not order me around, Lady Boswell, I am neither your servant nor your chattel.

artifact

n. an object made by human work of archaeological or historical interest Even as a child, the museum curator had a penchant for collecting artifacts. The children found several arrowheads and thought they were merely rocks rather than Indian artifacts.

fetish

n. an object of unreasonable, obsessive reverence or attention Her psychologist said the reason Darlene had a fetish for washing her hands a dozen times a day was that she had a guilt complex about something in her past life, and she was trying to wash the guilt away. Chocolate was more than a fetish with Mary; she had to have a chocolate fix several times a day.

asset

n. an object of value; a useful or valuable person or resource A student who is hard working in high school is usually an asset to his/her college. Peter's greatest asset is his salesmanship.

effigy

n. an object that represents someone who is not liked, usually created in order to express hatred of that person The people gathered in the village square to throw stones at the king in effigy, using a dummy made of cloth and straw with an old tin cup representing his crown. At the pep rally, our team burned the other team's mascot in effigy.

hindrance

n. an obstruction, an annoying interference or delay In today's world, a lack of education is a hindrance to one's career. The obstructions built into the pyramids are hindrances to looters.

hybrid

n. an offspring of two different species, whether animal or plant George's hybrid of roses and tiger lilies sold out on the first day. A tangelo is a hybrid fruit derived from tangerines and oranges on a new plant.

decree

n. an order having the force of law The decree by the city council that all dogs must be kept on a leash set off a bitter conflict among dog owners. In Dodge City, during the days of the great cattle drives of the 1880s, Sheriff Wyatt Earp enforced the decree that all guns must be turned over to the sheriff's deputies before a man could ride into town.

chronology

n. an order of events from the earliest to the latest Though sketchy, geology can give clues of Earth's chronology. Josephine put the biographies of famous Americans in chronological order. (adj.)

behest

n. an order or command Randy took the dog for a walk at his wife's behest. The secretary typed the letters at the behest of her boss.

decanter

n. an ornamental glass bottle used for serving wine or liquids In restaurants, people often order decanters of wine to be served during dinner. The cut glass decanter looks lovely in the china cabinet.

gazebo

n. an outdoor structure with a roof and open sides The gazebo in the mission courtyard was used for weddings in the summer, but in the winter, goats would come and huddle together to stay warm and out of the rainy weather. On Sunday afternoons the family gathers together in the shade of our backyard gazebo.

extrovert

n. an outgoing person Jim was an extrovert, always talking and making everyone laugh with his remarks. An extrovert should never get a job in a funeral parlor.

cliché

n. an overused expression or idea; a commonplace Fiction writers try to avoid clichés in order to keep their writing fresh and interesting. Typical clichés one hears are "Have a nice day" and "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."

disservice

n. an unfair or harmful action; harm; injury Calling the judge unfair is a great disservice as he is the most honest person I know. Jeffrey did a great disservice to his sister when he used her credit card without her permission.

contretemps

n. an unlucky event, often happening in public and causing social embarrassment We had a slight contretemps at the theater because someone tried to push in front of us and Richard got angry. A silly contretemps at the party nearly destroyed their friendship, but they eventually kissed and made up.

brouhaha

n. an uproar; hubbub What began as a quiet party suddenly turned into a brouhaha when the party animals arrived. My mother warned me that if the sleepover turned into a brouhaha, she would send all my friends home.

et al

n. and others The commissioners, sheriff, treasurer, et al waited for Judge Smith to join the meeting. Books by Jones, Smith, Brown, et al were on sale at Barnes & Noble bookstore.

fauna

n. animals of a specific region On our vacation in Alaska, we saw much fauna that we'd never seen at home. The fauna of Florida would never survive in New England.

barometer

n. any device that measures air pressure for weather predictions As the barometer continued to fall, we knew there was a good chance of rain. Joe predicted a dry weather for the weekend based on his barometer reading.

bacchanal

n. any drunken party or riotous celebration The Johnsons, who lived next door, had the reputation of throwing a wild bacchanal every weekend. Bacchanals originated from the Greek god of wine and fertility, Bacchus, whose followers celebrated him with drink and riotous festivities.

annuity

n. any income paid at fixed intervals Each year Muriel receives a small annuity from her late husband's retirement account. The farmer sold his farm with payments over twenty years, an annuity he and his wife now live on comfortably.

bureaucracy

n. any large administrative system with numerous rules and regulations Because of the bureaucracy involved, we were sure it would take over a year to get a building permit from the county government. Government intervention into all aspects of personal life is bureaucracy at its worst.

haven

n. any shelter or safe place; refuge Churches and hospitals are usually considered safe havens. The convict sought haven in a barn after his escape from prison.

dialect

n. any special variety of a language Jorge was raised in Spain and speaks in a Spanish dialect. The Chinese language has many dialects.

hippodrome

n. any structure or arena for equestrian and other spectacles The Hippodrome in England hosted the Beatles many times for their concerts. The indoor track finals were staged at the hippodrome to allow room for the participants and spectators.

filigree

n. anything delicate or fanciful A filigree of light patches of snow covered the road to the farmhouse. Teddy wore a large pin of diamonds laced with gold filigree.

blight

n. anything that injures, destroys or prevents growth A blight of grasshoppers took over the land and destroyed all the crops. A depressing blight fell over the town when the factory closed and the workers lost their jobs.

decorum

n. appropriateness of conduct or behavior; propriety One of the most forgotten rules of decorum is for a gentleman to remove his hat when entering a building. On the first day of school, the principal lectured on the proper decorum expected from all students.

heresy

n. belief that is opposed by the establishment The Catholic Church used to consider it heresy to eat meat on Fridays. Many visionaries commit heresy with ideas that are not traditional.

demerit

n. blame; penalty Jerry had so many demerits he was called to the principal's office. Kathy gave demerits to the workers who arrived late for their shift.

idolatry

n. blind or excessive devotion to something Ben's parents worried about his idolatry toward the occult. Elvis's idolatrous fans stormed Graceland. (adj.)

ennui

n. boredom and dissatisfaction; lack of interest The whole country seems to be affected by the ennui of the long winter, which allowed so few days of sunshine. Ricardo's ennui caused him to fall asleep in the middle of class.

cornucopia

n. bounty, plenty, affluence, an abundance There was a cornucopia of sea life surrounding the sunken ship. There was a cornucopia of food on the buffet table.

effrontery

n. brazen boldness; audacity; presumptuousness Only Holly had the effrontery to tell the teacher that he was wrong. The royal family will tolerate no effrontery.

chutzpah

n. brazen, audacious behavior that is sometimes admired but often rude Herb had a lot of chutzpah for attending his ex-wife's wedding and kissing the bride. Put a little chutzpah into your efforts, and act as if you know what you are doing.

brevity

n. briefness We were all relieved that the speakers recognized the benefits of brevity. The reception was marked by its brevity, as the bride and groom wished to leave for their honeymoon as soon as possible.

equanimity

n. calmness; composure The young soldier faced his death with equanimity. The mayor's chief asset was that he was able to maintain his equanimity while turmoil raged around him.

aptitude

n. capacity for learning; natural ability Jess is all thumb and has no aptitude for fixing things around the house. The special aptitude of flora and fauna to adapt to changing environmental conditions is what allows them to continue their existence.

hierarchy

n. categorization of a group according to ability or status Ed was very low in the company's hierarchy; he only delivered the mail and emptied the trash. Chief Sitting Bull was at the top of the tribe's hierarchy.

bane

n. cause of harm; torment; ruin When we were young, my sister was the bane of my existence because she always wanted to be with me and my friends. Some houseplants are baneful to house pets. (adj.)

gist

n. central and material part, an essence The gist of the report was based on unsubstantiated records, audits, and facts. The gist of her book report on World War II was how the United States entered the war.

apparel

n. clothing, personal attire, something worn The boutique is known for its designer apparel. Uniforms are considered proper apparel at some schools.

chloroform

n. colorless, volatile, toxic liquid that produces anesthesia The rags soaked with chloroform burst into flames and started the fire. The doctor used chloroform on the dog, putting him to sleep in preparation for surgery.

alloy

n. combination of two or more metals Bronze is an alloy consisting of copper and tin. The wiring used in computers is mostly made up of alloys that are excellent conductors of electricity.

injunction

n. command or order, usually having to do with the court Randy was served with an injunction that said he must keep his dog on a leash. As Lois finished the chocolate fudge sundae, she recalled her doctor's injunction that she must cut down on her intake of sugar.

camaraderie

n. comradeship; friendship The sisters developed such a camaraderie in college that they remained friends for life. People find their jobs more enjoyable if there is a sense of camaraderie among their fellow workers.

anomie

n. condition of an individual or of society resulting from a breakdown in standards and values Bill's general feeling of anomie caused him to lose interest in his career. Anomie in the cities that summer was the basis for widespread labor riots.

contravention

n. contrary, opposition David's report without documentation was a contravention of company policy. The student rebellion appeared to be a contravention of school rules.

critique

n. critical review or commentary The delegate has given us the first formal critique of the current economic policy and how it has affected the people. The reporter responded to the harsh critique of her performance by fleeing from the room in tears.

flak

n. criticism; opposition; anti-aircraft shells Heavy flak filled the air as the bombers flew over the city. The attorney took a lot of flak from the media when he agreed to defend a suspected serial killer.

artifice

n. cunning; trickery Mary's helpless demeanor was really an artifice she used around men to get what she wanted. Mary Poppins resorted to an artifice when she told the children their medication was really a spoonful of sugar.

elixir

n. cure-all; a medicinal concoction Those who sell so-called elixirs sold on TV make fraudulent claims of cures that cannot be verified. Coca-Cola was considered an elixir when first introduced to the market because at that time it contained the juice of coca leaves.

derring-do

n. daring action and deeds Evil Knievel's derring-do on the motorcycle made him famous as a daredevil. James Bond films show many acts of derring-do performed by stunt actors dressed up to look like Bond.

audacity

n. daring; boldness Jennifer had the audacity to tell her friend Myrtle that she looked better before she had the facelift. Wilber made the audacious decision to go over Niagara Falls in a wastebasket. (adj.)

carrion

n. dead and rotting flesh After mauling its prey, the lion left the carrion to the hyenas. For days after the battle, the battlefield was littered by the carrion of brave soldiers.

demise

n. death; the end Chuck was devastated by the demise of his pet turtle. General George Custer met his demise at Little Big Horn.

chicanery

n. deceitfulness; trickery We suspected chicanery when six people held the same winning lottery ticket for the same car. Halloween is a night when many children commit acts of chicanery if they are not given candy.

ignominy

n. deep disgrace In "The Scarlet Letter," Hester Prynne's sin is an ignominy. Once the mob was broken up, the former gangsters lived a life of ignominy.

gossamer

n. delicate floating cobwebs; a sheer gauzy fabric; something delicate, light The bride wore a white silk wedding dress which touched the floor; as she proceeded up the aisle to the altar, the gossamer of fine Italian lace gently touched her face. Between the audience and the actors on stage hung a fabric as thin as gossamer, heightening the feeling that the actors were in a dreamlike setting.

annals

n. descriptive record; history The championship team of 1963 went down in the school's annals as the best ever. The annals of history are rife with endless wars between tribes, kingdoms, and nations.

compote

n. dessert of fruit cooked in syrup, also the dish in which it is served For dessert, the hostess prepared a most unusual compote of tropical fruit. The compote broke, spilling the variety of melons of the floor.

itinerary

n. detailed plan, a list of places to visit Our itinerary included hearing a speech from the visiting congressman. Joey's itinerary led him to Boston, New York, and Washington D.C.

allegiance

n. devotion or loyalty to a person, country, or cause In many American schools, students pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States at the beginning of each school day. Harry says he has no allegiance to any team and will play for the one that pays the best.

altruism

n. devotion to helping others; selflessness The Salvation Army is an organization devoted to altruism. The college depended on the altruism of its graduates to provide scholarships for deserving students.

discrepancy

n. difference; inconsistency There always seems to be a discrepancy between what my big brother says I should do and what he does. Why does there always seem to be a discrepancy between what my checkbook says and what the bank says.

havoc

n. disorder or chaos; great destruction The students wrecked havoc the day the substitute arrived. John's notebook was in a state of havoc; no wonder he failed the exam.

anarchy

n. disorder; lawlessness; without government After the military coup, the South American country was in a state of anarchy. The day the substitute teacher arrived, anarchy broke out in the classroom.

breadth

n. distance from side to side; width; freedom from restraint The breadth of the box was sixteen inches. The breadth of the view of the Sahara from the Atlas Mountains is spectacular.

bromide

n. dull, over-familiar saying; cliché; a chemical compound used as a sedative The lecture consisted of many bromides that the audience had heard before. John took a bromide as a sedative to calm his nerves after meeting with his wife's divorce attorney.

capitalism

n. economic system of free enterprise Those who are firm believers in capitalism would not do well in an autocratic society. Some scholars believe capitalism is the most productive economic system in human history.

brink

n. edge On the brink of disaster, Mike finally regained control of the skidding car. Grandpa Ed was on the brink of death when the paramedics arrived and saved his life.

gusto

n. enthusiastic enjoyment; zest After playing a rough first half, the team quaffed the water with gusto. Jim greets each new day with gusto.

bliss

n. extreme happiness or joy Coming from Norway, Hans's idea of pure bliss was two weeks of lying on a sunny Florida beach. (Anything that promotes a feeling of bliss can be said to be blissful.) Henry and Jane thought their entire married life would be blissful. (adj.)

depravity

n. extreme wickedness When Ed was arrested for shoplifting, his mother told the judge she attributed his depravity to violent movies and video games. Adolf Hitler will forever be remembered in history for his depravity towards the Jewish people and humanity in general.

fluency

n. facility or polish in speech President Kennedy's fluency in the English language made him a great orator. You must have fluency in certain languages to become an ambassador.

fidelity

n. faithfulness; loyalty My parents have shown their fidelity to each other through thick and thin for almost fifty years. Bootleg music tapes often do not have the fidelity of the originals.

disinformation

n. false information deliberately spread During the Cold War the Russians disseminated disinformation to make America appear warlike. Disinformation usually emanates from a source desiring to creat a false impression.

heirloom

n. family possession handed down from generation to generation The Chinese vase was an heirloom until Chris broke it into a hundred pieces. From her grandmother, Kathy received a mink coat which was a family heirloom.

couture

n. fashion, especially high fashion Jane works for a department store chain, and they sent her to Paris to study the latest couture. For three years Henry studied the art of couture in the finest French design institutions.

chanteuse

n. female singer in cabarets and nightclubs Edith Piaf was a famous French chanteuse who sang on the European nightclub circuit. The chanteuse hopped on top of the piano to sing her finale.

fray

n. fight or scuffle; brawl A fray occurred in the cafeteria when Kirk spilled his lunch on Jody. After Mark was beaned by the pitcher, a fray ensued between the teams.

blandishment

n. flattery; sweet talk The teacher was unaffected by Johnny's daily blandishments of how he loved her course; she flunked him. Arthur succumbed to the blandishments afforded a rock musician and came to think he could walk on water.

flotsam

n. floating wreckage of a ship; debris When the flotsam floated ashore, it became evident that a small freighter had wrecked during the storm. The flotsam floating in the river was dangerous to small boats that might run into it.

fodder

n. food given to cows, horses, and other farm animals; raw material The scandalous activities in the White House were fodder for the news media and gossip mongers for months on end. My father is trying a new mixture of fodder for the animals, and so far, they are eating twice as much as they had been.

dotage

n. foolishness; senility Grandmother has reached her dotage; in her kitchen, she keeps washing the same pot. Although the minister is in his dotage, he delivers an inspiring service every Sunday.

clemency

n. forgiveness; mercy The president granted clemency to those who had run off to Canada as a protest against the Vietnam War. The condemned man appealed to the governor for clemency for his horrific crime.

endurance

n. fortitude; staying power Sailing in the America's Cup races requires great endurance and agility. Marathon races are run over a distance of slightly more than twenty-six miles and require great endurance on the part of the runners.

autonomy

n. freedom and independence; self-government For years the Irish have been fighting to establish complete autonomy from Great Britain. My daughter can't wait until she is eighteen when she feels she will be autonomous. (adj.)

impunity

n. freedom from punishment; immunity from harm, punishment or retribution Drug dealing was carried on with impunity in broad daylight because even the police were afraid to be in that neighborhood. Because he is a recognized hero and has served his country tirelessly, he can speak with impunity about his country's shortcomings.

harmony

n. friendship, accord, pleasant agreement, like-mindedness At the factory, Jack and Jill worked together in harmony for years. The interior decorator chose a color scheme which is in harmony with the house.

amity

n. friendship, good will, harmony The amity of the ship's crew made our cruise very enjoyable. Because of their friendship, James and Mary decided "Amity" would be a good name for their new boat.

amalgam

n. fusion; compound; a blend of different things Julie's character is a curious amalgam of charm and aloofness. Dr. Harvey, the dentist, filled the large cavity with an amalgam of gold and silver.

conclave

n. gathering of a group, secret assembly The conclave held its annual get-together for both business and vacation in Hawaii. The political parties hold a conclave every four years for choosing a president.

consensus

n. general agreement The bill to legalize nude beaches failed to pass consensus. A consensus is more than a majority; it means most everyone agrees.

gazetteer

n. geographic dictionary; journalist, publicist Marvin opened the gazetteer to find Lichtenstein and the surrounding countries. "The World Atlas" is a well-known gazetteer utilized by many.

heyday

n. glory days; prime In his heyday, Uncle John was an Olympic gold medalist. It is hard to believe that in our parents' heyday they did some of the same silly things we do today.

encomium

n. glowing and warm praise, an enthusiastic tribute At the award dinner, encomiums were lavishly bestowed on the winning female swim team. The outgoing resident received enthusiastic encomiums from both parties.

bonhomie

n. good-natured, friendly disposition Rice's bonhomie was seen in his genuine smile for his friends and co-workers. The bonhomous young man made friends easily. (adj.)

contraband

n. goods smuggled into or out of a place where they are illegal; goods banned by law from being imported or exported When going through customs at the border, Lucy was found to be carrying thousands of pounds worth of contraband and was immediately arrested. The police had confiscated contraband from the criminals.

elegance

n. grandeur; refinement; grace The old mansion was furnished with elegance; expensive tapestries and paintings were displayed throughout. John was a gentleman devoted to the pursuit of elegance: art, history, and gourmet dining.

fervor

n. great ardor or zeal On Super Bowl Sunday the fervor of the fans is unbounded. Michael Jordan's fervor for the game of basketball was obvious each time he stepped onto the court.

eulogy

n. great praise, especially for someone who has recently died; formal commendation Tony knew my brother better than anyone, so I asked him to give my brother's eulogy at the memorial service. When his granddaughter delivered the eulogy, the mourners became tearful.

avarice

n. greed; extreme desire for wealth Mr. Ford was a philanthropist without an ounce of avarice in his character. Avarice ruled Scrooge's life because of his miserly desire to gain and hoard wealth.

felicity

n. happiness; adeptness at expressing things The immigrants had dreams of felicity in their new country. Children with a good vocabulary have more felicity in communication than those without.

drudgery

n. hard, tiresome, boring work The best way to avoid drudgery is to find a job you enjoy. The young girls who think motherhood looks like fun should also consider the drudgery involved.

duress

n. hardship; restraint; confinement The judge ruled the defendant's confession was obtained under police duress and could not be used as evidence. Social scientists have come to understand that people laboring in competitive industries are often under emotional duress.

cacophony

n. harsh sounds; jarring discordant sounds, dissonance An unpleasant cacophony was produced as the orchestra tuned their instruments. A cacophony in the classroom was created by everyone talking at once.

ballast

n. heavy material used to balance ships; stabilizer The old sailing ships carried tons of rocks in their holds to provide ballast so they wouldn't turn over in a storm. In order to stabilize the ship during rough seas, the captain ordered his crew to take on more ballast.

falsetto

n. high singing voice Many modern artists who lack tenor voices sing falsetto. When Glen dressed as a woman for Halloween, he also spoke in a falsetto.

bombast

n. high-sounding use of language without much real meaning To listen to his bombast, you would think Carl was the only person who ever got a speeding ticket. Some people debate by shouting down their opponents with bombastic language. (adj.)

enmity

n. hostility; deep-seated hatred When she saw his new girlfriend, she found it was not easy to disguise her enmity. The enmity between the feuding families is the basis of the conflict in the story.

chagrin

n. humiliation; disappointment Susan was beside herself with chagrin when she entered the men's restroom by mistake. Much to Max's chagrin, he tripped on stage and fell during graduation.

floe

n. ice floating in sheets on the surface of a body of water We watched the polar bear amble across the ice flow. The ice breaker cut through many ice floes before opening up a channel for normal ship traffic.

hieroglyphics

n. illegible or incomprehensible symbols, illegible writing Egyptian hieroglyphics have been deciphered by Egyptologists. The doctor's handwriting on the prescription looks like hieroglyphics.

enormity

n. immensity The boys did not understand the enormity of their vandalism of the church until they found themselves in jail. The enormity of the universe is hard to comprehend.

deficit

n. inadequacy or insufficiency; shortage The theater had been operating at a deficit of over $150,000 a year and finally closed. Jake's monthly budget shows a deficit because he makes $1000, but his bills total $1400.

anachronism

n. incongruity; something out of time or place in history In his play, Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare makes mention of a clock. This is an anachronism because at the time of the play clocks had not yet been invented. A caveman depicted watching television in his cave would be an anachronism.

colloquial

n. informality of language; street language A common colloquial expression used is, "What's up?" Another is "cool." The colloquial expressions are the hardest to learn when studying a foreign language because they don't always make sense to a non-native speaker.

denizen

n. inhabitant Sharks are often called denizens of the deep, even though their habitat is often in shallow waters near shore. The neighborhood residents were frequent denizens of Joe's Bar and Grill down the street.

cant

n. insincere statements made to give one the appearance of goodness When the preacher was asked a question he could not answer, he resorted to endless cant about the devil. Cant is speech without sincerity or honesty about high ideals, goodness, or piety.

imposition

n. instance of inconvenience, unwelcome burden Unannounced house guests are an imposition on the hostess. Johnny picked up the package, which was an imposition as the errand took him out of his way.

blasphemy

n. insult to anything sacred; profanity The Royal Canadian Mounted Police consider it blasphemy for any of their officers to say anything bad about their organization. It was nothing short of blasphemy for Carl to say George Washington never cut down a cherry tree and that he told many lies.

deluge

n. inundation; flood We were afraid the fireworks would be canceled because of the deluge that started right before sunset. We were deluged by phone calls after putting the ad in the paper.

butte

n. isolated hill or mountain with steep sides on a large plain. We had a picnic on the butte outside of town overlooking a beautiful valley. The hunter spotted the deer on top a butte.

arbiter

n. judge; one who makes decisions To settle the problem between the two parties, an arbiter was called in to assess the disagreement. The baseball plate umpire serves as arbiter for all pitched balls that cross home plate.

folly

n. lack of common sense or of good judgment; foolishness, or a foolish action or belief; rash behavior It would be folly to attempt a trip through the mountains in this snowstorm. It was pure folly for Marsha to think she could pay for a $70,000 car on a minimum-wage salary.

hacienda

n. large estate, especially in a Spanish-speaking country In Caracas, many oversized haciendas line the more expensive area of the country. The tour in Spain included a visit to the haciendas, which could be compared to American plantations.

brawn

n. large, solid muscles; great muscular strength Myrtle went out with everybody on the wrestling team and told her friends she preferred guys with brawn instead of brains. The old man didn't have the brawn to carry a heavy load up the hill to the factory.

femur

n. largest bone in the body, thigh bone Dr. George repaired the patient's broken left femur with a steel plate and four screws. A biology professor waved the femur, saying, "This is the longest bone in the body."

hegemony

n. leadership of one nation or group over another In the 1920s America was unchallenged in financial hegemony. The hegemony of the Nazi party lasted far longer than it should have.

capital

n. location of the center of government; money used to make more money The capital of France is Paris. We invested a great deal of capital so our business would succeed.

booty

n. loot; the spoils of war; goods or property seized by force; a valuable prize Pirates kept their booty in chests which they sometimes buried on deserted beaches. The burglars were apprehended before they could make off with the booty.

din

n. loud, confused noised; uproar, commotion As Jim caught the ball, a din from the crowd prevented him from hearing the announcer. Because of the rioting, the din prevented an announcement from the police to be heard.

devotion

n. loyalty; profound dedication; fondness Pat's devotion to his father, who was a lawyer, was the factor that encouraged him to study law in college. Tom's devotion to archery, unfortunately, did not end well; he dislocated his right shoulder.

crux

n. main point; the heart of the matter After Harry rambled on for hours, it was difficult to understand the crux of his speech. The mechanic thought the crux of the car's problem was a bad water pump.

husbandry

n. management of resources, especially in agriculture The nation's husbandry of natural resources is crucial in assuring their availability for future generations. (Husbandry is the practice of conserving resources; to husband is to economize.) Experts say the world's oil resources will soon be exhausted, and we must soon begin to husband oil. (n.)

furor

n. maniacal act; violence, unrestrained anger The sale of fake IDs to teens caused a furor when discovered by the public. A furor ensued when my father learned that I wrecked his car.

armament

n. military supplies and weapons; the process of arming for war The United States government believes its nuclear armament is a deterrent to the possibility of a third world war. Major Randolph is the armaments officer for the 36th Division.

alms

n. money or goods given as charity to the poor Goodwill collected alms from the community during its spring donation drive. The alms were distributed to the poor.

ambiance

n. mood, feeling; general atmosphere The ambiance in the locker room was depressing after the team lost the championship. For their daughter's birthday party, the Jeffersons created an ambiance of gaiety with balloons and party favors.

integrity

n. moral stature, honesty, trustworthiness, structural soundness The officer's integrity is unquestionable, as she has a flawless record. The integrity of a building depends on a sound foundation.

ballad

n. narrative poem recited or sung, a folk song Albert read the class several of Robert Burns's ballads. We sat around the campfire while a guitar player sang ballads about cowboys and the Old West.

bedlam

n. noise and confusion Following the championship soccer match, the stadium was in a state of bedlam. Bedlam broke out in the cafeteria after Bob was hit in the head by a flying meatloaf.

fracas

n. noisy quarrel, brawl Buster created a fracas in the hotel lobby, and the police were called. The fracas in the schoolyard resulted in two students being suspended.

fanatic

n. one extremely devoted to a cause or idea The fanatics were eager to die for the glory of their country. Green Bay Packer fans are fanatics for their team.

facet

n. one of the small, flat faces of a cut gemstone; one of the parts or features of something That stone shines brilliantly because it has so many facets to catch the light. There's always one facet of Jeff's life that isn't going smoothly.

iconoclast

n. one who attacks and seeks to overthrow traditional or popular ideas or institutions Troy's iconoclastic views were not popular with his parents. (adj.) Thomas Edison was a great iconoclast; without his iconoclastic views we might still be sitting in the dark.

cynic

n. one who distrusts humans and their motives Because of the negative experiences he had as a young sailor, Herman Melville grew ever more cynical. (adj.) A cynic would believe that a philanthropic organization really keeps the money it collects, rather than giving it to the poor.n

glutton

n. one who eats or consumes a great deal; a person having the capacity to receive or withstand something Every day at school lunch the Pitts children behave in a gluttonous manner; so much so, it made one wonder if they were ever fed at home. (adj.) Jack was a glutton for punishment; no matter how many times he was knocked down in the fight, he kept getting up.

censor

n. one who examines a material to as ascertain whether it is objectionable The censor rated the new French film suitable for mature adults only. The book on Princess Diana was censored in England but sold well in the United States. (v.)

egotist

n. one who excessively speaks boastfully of oneself; one who is conceited The fact that Mike is an egotist is not lost on anyone who talks to him. Lance is an actor who is so egotistic that when he plays King Henry V, he thinks he really is the King. (adj.)

also-ran

n. one who is defeated in a race, election, or other competition; a loser Even though Al Gore received millions of votes in the presidential election, he was an also-ran to George W. Bush. With twenty thousand runners in the New York Marathon, even if you defeat nineteen thousand nine hundred and ninety eight, you will be an also-ran.

gourmand

n. one who is excessively fond of good food and drink Joey, being a gourmand, was asked the best place to dine. Jill was ordered by the doctor to stop being such a gourmand and watch fat consumption.

apprentice

n. one who is learning a vocation Jack was an apprentice electrician two years before he received his electrician's license. A horse-racing jockey must serve a one-year apprenticeship unless he first wins forty races.

emigrant

n. one who leaves one's place of residence or country The emigrants were stopped at the border. The emigrant left Russia in search for a better life in the United States.

hedonist

n. one who lives by the belief that pleasure-seeking is the primary goal of life Peter's life as a hedonist was not compatible with his budget! Mary's boyfriend was too much of a hedonist to care about her wants and hopes.

heretic

n. one who maintains unorthodox religious opinions or beliefs; one who dissents from official church doctrines The movie 'The Exorcist' is about a young heretic named Regan. The priest was thought to be a heretic and was asked to leave the order.

benefactor

n. one who provides help to others (The benefactor is the one who gives benefits. The beneficiary is the one who receives them.) Diane became a benefactor of the United Way Fund when she made a financial contribution. When Charles received aid from the United Way for his pet ranch, he became a beneficiary.

guise

n. outward appearance, semblance; false appearance Every night the undercover detective would enter the toughest part of town in the guise of a junkie, uncovering the identity of many drug pushers. Amy was extremely cautious of advances made toward her by Harold because, as she put it, he had the guise of an angel but the intentions of a devil.

forbearance

n. patience The hunter showed great forbearance by sitting in the tree stand all day long. Social workers must possess forbearance to deal with their difficult clients.

doggerel

n. poetic verse of generally poor quality The editor returned Walter's poetry, saying that it was unpublishable doggerel. Most greeting cards contain doggerel rather than real poetry.

amnesty

n. political pardon The new president granted full amnesty to all political prisoners. (Amnesty refers to a group of people, while "pardon" refers to one person.) After the Vietnam War, many draft-dodgers who had gone to Canada were granted amnesty and later returned home.

effusion

n. pouring forth There was a great effusion of relief when the astronauts were brought back safely. The clown's entrance caused an effusion of laughter and good feelings in the children's ward of the hospital.

clout

n. power and influence over other people or events; a powerful blow or stroke Kevin has clout over his teacher because his father is the principal of the school. When John called Jim a moron, Jim gave John a backhanded clout that bloodied his nose.

approbation

n. praise; approval The Olympic team was met with parades and cheering approbation when they returned home. The third graders all wanted to be liked and sought the approbation of their teachers.

hypocrisy

n. pretending to be what you are not, or pretending to believe something that you do not; insincerity I think going to church is hypocrisy for many because they only use it as a social time or gossip hour. The political critics are accusing the candidate of hypocrisy and deceit.

charlatan

n. quack; fraud The charlatan sold an elixir guaranteed to give anyone eternal life for just $19.95. Today there are many charlatan diet products offered on TV. (adj.)

epigraph

n. quotation set at the start of a literary writing; an engraved inscription "Justice is blind" is a famous epigraph in some legal textbooks. Our teacher gave a test which asked us to explain how the epigraph applies to the novel.

deference

n. respect for another's view or wishes The family showed deference to their elderly grandmother's whim and agreed to have dinner at 4 PM. The woman in the checkout line with two cartloads of groceries stepped aside and showed deference to the lady with only one grocery item.

asperity

n. roughness or harshness, as of surface, weather, sound, or manner Although he seemed like a mild-mannered man, his asperity became clear when his children asked too often for money. When the fishing boat was twenty miles offshore, the crew was amazed by the asperity of the sea.

imprimatur

n. sanction or approval, support Our plan has the company president's imprimatur for a company holiday party. The director of the meet gave his imprimatur to admit unregistered members.

dearth

n. scarcity; lack A dearth of rain last summer led to many failed crops, especially corn and cotton in the valley. There always seems to be a dearth of cookies in the cookie jar after our granddaughter's visit.

disdain

n. scorn; contempt Rita viewed the Brussels sprouts with disdain and refused to eat them. The millionaire lottery winner treated her former friends with disdain.

dell

n. secluded hollow or small valley; a glen, usually wooded We built a new home in a private dell surrounded by wooded hills. The farmer stood in the dell watching his livestock.

collateral

n. security offered for payment of a debt The bank loaned Jim Morris $20,000 in cash, but he had to put up his house as collateral in case he didn't pay the loan back. Harvey put up his Super Bowl ring as collateral for a $1,000 loan from a loan company.

gravity

n. seriousness or importance Young children don't understand the gravity of playing with matches. We didn't realize the gravity of Steven's drug addiction until it was too late.

complicity

n. sharing in wrongdoing The complicity of the two students on the test caused them both to fail. Henry finally admitted his complicity in the senior prank.

dictum

n. short saying expressing truth My mother's dictum was, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." "Times have changed" is usually the dictum that begins one of my grandfather's stories about how things used to be.

decadence

n. social decay; loss of moral values The decadence of some New York City neighborhoods is frightening! Many of society's problems stem from the moral decadence of modern times.

comity

n. social harmony, mutual courtesy A period of natural comity was experienced after the new president was elected. The politician requested patience and comity from the crowd so the candidates could address the issues.

aspirant

n. someone who aspires, as to high honors or position Prince Charles is the aspirant to the throne of England. Although many people are aspirants to doctoral degrees, far fewer actually earn them.

entrepreneur

n. someone who assumes the financial risk of beginning and operating one or more businesses; an independent business person Peter is an entrepreneur who made his fortune with his computer software company. Jack has become quite the entrepreneur since starting his first business in his basement ten years ago.

interloper

n. someone who becomes involved without being asked or wanted; someone who enters a place without being allowed; meddler We felt like interlopers when we tried to join the game because we were obviously unwelcome. Raccoons are cute, but they are unwelcome interlopers when they tear my trash apart in the driveway.

fatalist

n. someone who believes fate is in control of everything that happens The fatalist believes that he can do nothing to alter his circumstances in life. The patient was a fatalist and refused treatment for his illness; whatever would happen would happen anyway, he believed.

authoritarian

n. someone who believes in total obedience or subjection to authority figures A true authoritarian is one who believes in dictatorships, many of which are still to be found in Third World countries. An owner needs to be an authoritarian person to his dog if he expects him to learn obedience. (adj.)

facsimile

n. something closely resembling another; imitation; reproduction The antique Chinese vase was a facsimile of one from the Ming dynasty. The bell from the tavern was an exact facsimile of Big Ben in London.

antecedent

n. something going before; an occurrence or event preceding another The steam engine was the antecedent to the gasoline engine. The atomic bomb was the antecedent to the hydrogen bomb.

figment

n. something imaginary or invented; a fabrication The ghosts Jimmy saw in his bedroom were figments of his imagination. Many children have imaginary friends which are only figments and which usually disappear with age.

corollary

n. something that results from something else; a natural result or consequence That child's poor behavior is just a corollary to the way his parents spoil him. Employee satisfaction is a direct corollary to an increase in their wages.

harbinger

n. something that shows what will happen in the future; an indication; an omen The latest financial figures are seen by many to be harbingers of future financial doom. The robin is a harbinger of spring.

balm

n. something that soothes, heals or comforts; an oil or ointment It was a balmy day, perfect for a game of golf or a trip to the beach. (adj.) A soothing balm was applied to alleviate Jane's sunburn.

encumbrance

n. something that stands in the way or burdens; hindrance Because he is a noble person, he has to free himself of past encumbrances before he can get romantically involved. A large purse is usually an encumbrance when traveling.

bagatelle

n. something unimportant or insignificant; trifle The pirates were proud of their booty until they realized it was all bagatelle. Zach's uncle buys him bagatelle every year for his birthday, but Zach thanks him as if it were gold.

dross

n. something useless; rubbish; impurities formed on melted metal during production So much of what's on TV is pure dross and not worth watching. At the garage sale, we found some interesting items that someone had regarded as dross.

catalyst

n. something which causes reactions in other things without being affected itself My mother is usually the catalyst of family arguments. The shootings at Columbine High School were the catalyst for stricter security in public schools.

appendage

n. something which exists as a smaller and less important part of something larger Arms and legs are appendages of the human body. At parties John Paul hates being made to feel like an appendage to the company instead of an important part of it.

drawl

n. speech with drawn-out vowels; slow speech George spoke with a drawl, and it was sometimes difficult to understand him. His drawl gave Mike away as having been raised in a southern state.

auspices

n. sponsorship or protection; patronage; encouragement The withdrawal of troops from Yugoslavia will be carried out under the auspices of the United Nations. The Toys for Kids fundraiser this Christmas is being held under the auspices of the local banks.

frenzy

n. state of extreme excitement, confusion or agitation Airline customers were in a frenzy because of the long delays created by the weather. George was in a virtual frenzy after he lost the winning lottery ticket.

disposition

n. state of mind; a person's usual way of feeling Roger always has such a cheerful disposition that we have asked him to be the neighborhood Santa Claus this year. The disposition of the puppy was aggressive and untamed, so I didn't think she would do well around small children.

demography

n. statistical study of human populations Demography is the study of characteristics shared by groups of people. A demographic study shows that the age children begin working increases during every five-year period. (adj.)

homily

n. story with a message Our minister gives a special homily every Sunday just for the children. At camp we sat around the campfire while our counselor gave the daily homily.

angst

n. strong anxiety and unhappiness; a feeling of dread Ken believes the world is coming to an end, so he is filled with angst, troubled by constant worries about the catastrophe ahead. Bonnie chewed her nails and waited with angst for her lab results.

aspiration

n. strong desire to achieve a goal Her aspiration was to become first a beauty queen and then a movie star. Father Flanagan had aspirations to start an orphanage for boys and call it "Boys' Town."

ascent

n. the act of ascending, rising or going up I could feel the air pressure in my ears during the plane's ascent. The divers began their ascent from a depth of 75 feet.

duplicity

n. the act of deception; the act of being two-faced Anyone who tells a lie is engaging in an act of duplicity. Used car salesmen often don't tell the truth about the condition of a used car, resorting to duplicity in order to make a sale.

bequest

n. the act of giving; something left to someone in a will Hortensia's jewelry was a bequest from her mother for her graduation. Tim's father bequeathed his business to his son in his will. (v.) (Bequeath is a verb meaning the act of leaving something in a will.)

inquiry

n. the act of inquiring An inquiry into the cause of the accident has begun. The inquiry into the robbery revealed many clues.

exultation

n. the act of rejoicing; jubilation When she learned she had gotten the lead role, Kelly was in a state of exultation. His parents could barely control their exultation as he walked across the stage to receive his doctoral degree.

diminution

n. the act or process of diminishing; reduction The crew of the crippled research submarine was concerned with the diminution of their air supply. There was an obvious diminution of the temperature as the sun began to set.

elocution

n. the art of public speaking Classes in elocution are helpful to those who seek a career in politics because public speaking for politicians is very important. Although the valedictorian's message was wonderful, his elocution was less than desirable.

filibuster

n. the attempt to delay or prevent action; legislative tactic In their Congressional filibuster against medical insurance, the opponents talked for six straight days to prevent the issue from coming to a vote. The class attempted a filibuster so the teacher would forget to assign homework.

infrastructure

n. the basic structure of an organization or system; foundation The infrastructure of the building was so weak that the engineers didn't think it would stand under the stress of an earthquake. The new building codes dictate that the infrastructure of new houses must be able to withstand hurricane force winds.

constituency

n. the body of voters from a district represented by an elected official; a group of supporters for anything The politicians from the Kennedy family have a large constituency of Irish American citizens in New England. The candidate and his constituency comprised of mostly women fought hard for women's rights.

dissolution

n. the breaking up into parts; termination of a legal bond or contract After the divorce, the dissolution of the family assets was handled by the attorneys. The dissolution of the company left the employees wondering if they still had jobs.

alternative

n. the choice between two possibilities; a situation presenting such a choice "I've had two bypass operations," said Harry. "It's no fun, but better than the alternative." The hikers decided there was no alternative but to wade across the stream.

anonymity

n. the condition of being unknown or nameless Although Emily Dickinson allowed several of her poems to be published, she did not use her name because she preferred to remain in anonymity. It was difficult to trace the origin of the painting because of the anonymity of the artist.

compassion

n. the deep sorrow for the suffering of another along with an urge to help; pity Even though we did not know the deceased, we attended the viewing to show our compassion for the family. My friend sent a little gift to show her compassion when I was not chosen for the part.

antithesis

n. the direct opposite Although Jane and June are twins, in temperament the unflappable Jane is the antithesis of the expectable June. North is the antithesis of South.

girth

n. the distance around something; something that encircles Jonathan placed the saddle on top of the horse and fastened the girth. The girth of the planet Earth is about twenty-five thousand miles.

dichotomy

n. the division into two parts that are usually contradictory It is a dichotomy when parents tell their children never to lie but also never to hurt someone's feelings. The minister spoke of the dichotomy between religious righteousness and bigotry, meaning that it is a sin to serve both masters.

awe

n. the emotion of respect mixed with fear; reverence The sight of Notre Dame cathedral in France filled the tourists with awe. The aborigines of New Guinea were awed upon seeing their first airplane fly over the jungle treetops. (v.)

finis

n. the end or conclusion The finis to the show was when the actors took their final bow and the curtain came down. The Nuremburg Trials of Nazi war criminals marked a symbolic finis to World War II.

genocide

n. the extermination of all members of a certain race, nationality, religious or ethnic group Adolf Hitler's attempt at genocide has made him one of the most hated and disrespected figures in history. It is hard to believe that genocide is still being practiced in some Third World countries.

facade

n. the front of a building; outward appearance, especially if superficial or misleading The facade of this townhouse is made of limestone. Behind her facade of gentleness was a tough competitor.

extremity

n. the furthest point; the greatest degree; the utmost extreme; a limb or appendage of the body Key West, Florida, is the southernmost extremity of the United States. I knew Sheila was in shock because her breathing was shallow, her pulse faint, and her extremities pale and cold.

apex

n. the highest point; peak Shadows are the shortest when the sun reaches its apex. When the swing reached its apex, we feared the little girl might fall and be injured.

dregs

n. the least valuable part of something; the sediment contained in liquids The dregs formed by tea in the bottom of the cup are sometimes used to predict the future. The occupants of the prison were the dregs of society: murderers, rapists, and thieves.

bilge

n. the lowest point of a ship's inner hull; nonsense, rubbish The Senator said the newspaper articles about his crookedness were complete bilge. The tanker's bilge was leaking oil at sea, creating an environmental hazard.

arson

n. the malicious burning of a property When the McDougall office building burned, the owners were arrested on suspicion of arson. Arson is generally assumed to be an attempt to illegally collect fire insurance by the owners, or someone hired by them.

archetype

n. the original model or pattern The Wright Brothers' first airplane was an archetype of more advanced airplanes that were to follow. Hercules is the archetypal strong man. (An archetype is similar to a prototype; both archetypes and prototypes usually precede something else.)

epitome

n. the perfect example Benjamin Franklin was the epitome of the enlightened statesman. Michael Jordan is the epitome of a basketball player.

apotheosis

n. the perfect example; divine Einstein is often referred to as the apotheosis of intellect. Many disagree as to whether Coke or Pepsi is the apotheosis of soft drinks.

interregnum

n. the period between two successive governments After the shooting of President Reagan, the leader in the interregnum was Al Haig. The policy regarding an interregnum is set up by law regarding presidential succession.

antiquity

n. the quality of ancientness; ancient times The greater the rarity and antiquity of art objects, the more valuable they usually become. Our doctor said the greater the antiquity of one's bones, the more brittle they become.

debris

n. the remains of something destroyed; scattered rubble or wreckage When we passed the site of the wreck, the debris was still on the ground. On Christmas morning we ripped into our gifts, leaving our debris all over the room.

hinterlands

n. the remote or lesser developed areas of any country The hinterlands are much more picturesque than urban areas. As children, we disappeared into the hinterlands to avoid the crowds of the city.

hone

n./v. a tool for sharpening; to sharpen Frank honed his knife down to a precise instrument. Sam honed his tennis game by playing four times a week.

biopsy

n. the removal of a sample of human body tissue for the purpose of examination Dr. Child's biopsy report revealed that his prostate was not cancerous but only swollen, as older men's prostates are frequently found to be. The biopsy report of Mrs. Warner's breast revealed a small cancer in an early stage of growth.

cadence

n. the rise and fall of sound The cadence of a cat's purr is very comforting. The sergeant called "cadence," and the troops marched in step onto the parade grounds.

gemology

n. the science dealing with gemstones In the study of gemology, one learns the differences between real and synthetic items. Bennie, the gemologist, examined the diamond to check for color and clarity.

entomology

n. the scientific study of insects One primary function of entomologists is to discover how to prevent insects from destroying crops. Because I find farming fascinating, I want to major in entomology.

composure

n. the state of being calm and not emotional; self-possession; serenity You may feel nervous, but don't lose your composure in front of the camera. I was terrified during the storm, but I managed to keep my composure for my kids' sake.

ballistics

n. the study of the dynamics or flight characteristics of projectiles Most naval warships carry ballistic missiles. Detective Culleton specializes in ballistics and is always called to a crime scene whenever a firearm is involved.

epistemology

n. the study of what can be known Epistemology is a branch of philosophy investigating the limits of knowledge. Stanley studied epistemology to better understand the possibilities of educational systems.

apoplexy

n. the sudden loss of bodily functions caused by the rupture of a blood vessel Suddenly paralyzed with apoplexy, which later turned out to be a brain hemorrhage, my grandfather was taken to the hospital by ambulance. Molly was seized by apoplexy when she was a giant man peering into her bedroom window.

fulcrum

n. the support about which a lever turns; any prop or support The knee could be considered the fulcrum of the leg. We used a fulcrum to lift the bolder.

genesis

n. the time when something came into existence; the beginning or origin; creation The book of Genesis is about the creation of the earth and of man. Unfortunately, your first cigarette can be the genesis of a lifelong habit that is very hard to break.

coup

n. the violent overthrow of a government by a small group; a victorious accomplishment In this century alone there have been almost one hundred military coups in Latin America. It was a real coup for James when his teammates elected him captain of the basket-weaving team.

gamut

n. the whole range of things that can be included in something Her stories caused me to experience the gamut of emotions from joy to despair. My daughter gave me the gamut of excuses for not cleaning her room, from "I forgot," to "I think I am dying!"

electorate

n. those who participate in an election; qualified voters Each political candidate for office promises the electorate various things he will do for the voters when elected. In our system, we have an electorate as well as a popular vote to elect the president.

discourse

n. thoughtful spoken or written discussion of a subject; conversation The movie was a wonderful discourse on love and what it truly means. The locker room discourse after the game became a shouting match about who did what wrong.

chord

n. three or four musical notes played together The notes E, G#, and B comprise the E chord. The teacher instructed the student to play major and minor chords on the piano.

catacomb

n. underground cemetery, especially one with tunnels and tombs The catacombs of Rome run for miles beneath the city. The Egyptian pyramids have catacombs for those of royal birth.

fluke

n. unlikely windfall; a chance event; a fish By some fluke, Jesse was hired because he arrived early for the interview. Tim caught thirty flukes on his birthday.

clamor

n. uproar The clamor of the street traffic gave Josh a headache. The sailors clamored for shore-leave while their ship was in Honolulu. (v.)

gratuity

n. voluntary gift for services rendered It has become a way of life to leave a gratuity after dining services are completed. At some restaurants, the maitre d' expects a gratuity for special service.

garret

n. watchtower; refuge; unfinished part of the house just under the roof Jane went to the garret and found unpublished books of a famous cousin. He entered the garret and took up the midnight duty watch.

axiom

n. widely-held belief Our geometry teacher told our class the next homework assignment would be to memorize the axioms for triangles. "The rich get richer and the poor get poorer" is an often-heard axiom.

bon mot

n. witticism or a clever reply Oscar Wilde's writings were full of delicious bon mots that entertained and at the same time gave pause for serious thought. John's pleasant bon mot about labor and management brought both sides together in agreement.

epitaph

n. writing on a tombstone; a short commemoration Horace's epitaph lists him as ten years older than he had always claimed to be. George wrote a brief epitaph to honor his departed friend.

forge

n./v. a furnace where metal is heated and wrought; to shape, break, or flatten with blows; to counterfeit He placed the two metals into the forge. They forged plates to print counterfeit dollar bills.

egress

n./v. a place or means of going out; exit The fire department was concerned that they were too few egresses from the building. A mousehole is a means of egress for visiting mice.

bludgeon

n./v. a thick club; coerce, bully Henry's bludgeoning accusations about his neighbor's dog caused his friend to break up their friendship. (adj.) The police arrested the lumberjack on suspicion of striking a fellow lumberjack with a bludgeon.

delineate

v. describe exactly; sketch out; depict Jim delineated his plan about how he planned to renovate the house. Before writing a novel, the author usually delineates his plot, deciding what will happen during the story.

espy

v. discover; to glimpse; to catch sight of From Arthur's lofty vantage point, he espied the man o' war. When Christopher Columbus and his men finally espied land, they thought they had reached India.

enlighten

v. educate; apprise; to inform The tourists who took the United Nations tour were enlightened as to the workings of the organization. Zeke hoped the results of our research will enlighten our colleagues.

cultivate

v. enhance; enrich; to help grow, to farm The Smith family moved to the country to cultivate the rich soil for profit. Martha cultivated her mind by reading many books each week.

fawn

v. exhibit affection; "suck up" to someone or something Andrea's cat fawns over her by rubbing alongside her leg when she is hungry. The grandmother fawned over her grandchild, tickling him and making "goo-goo" sounds.

inhibit

v. hinder, repress, prevent; to hold back, to restrain The antibiotic inhibited the spread of the bacterial infection. The highway patrol barrier inhibited traffic flow, causing a backup for miles.

captivate

v. hold the attention of someone by being interesting or charming The singing of Frank Sinatra captivated audiences around the world for fifty years. Mona captivates most men with her looks and flirtatious ways.

enthrall

v. hold under a spell; to thrill; to captivate The Great Wallendas' dangerous high wire act without a net enthralled millions of circus fans. It was enthralling to be present at the President's Inauguration Ball. (adj.)

intercede

v. intervene, act as an intermediate agent Smith was appointed to intercede in negotiations to settle the contract. The referee interceded in the boxing match to prevent serious injury.

connive

v. join secretly in a pilot; conspire; to support a wrongdoing by ignoring or failing to report it My kids are always conniving with each other, so I never feel I can trust them. Renee connived in cheating her classmates but was angry when they got a much higher grade than she.

debase

v. lower in quality, character, or value The inflation in Brazil has so debased the value of money that people won't stoop to recover small coins in the street. The judge sued the newspaper for debasing his character in an article which claimed he was too easy on criminals.

converge

v. meet, focus, come together The Mississippi and Missouri Rivers converge at St. Louis, Missouri. Jeff looked through the lens and saw the light rays converge.

compensate

v. pay to in return for services rendered; offset; be equivalent to The attorney offered his services pro bono, asking no fiscal compensation for his work. (n.) Jack compensated for his big ears with sharp wit and great personal charm.

defer

v. postpone, delay; yield, as in Congress Senator Barr deferred to his colleague from Florida to make a congressional address. Judge Rose deferred a final ruling until more evidence could be submitted by both sides.

babble

v. prattle; to talk foolishly; chatter Our bridge club members babbled foolishly for hours, but afterwards I couldn't remember a word they said. After dinner, Debra enjoys sitting on her porch and listening to the soft sounds of the babbling brook.

cite

v. quote by way of example, call to attention Joe's attorney cited DNA evidence to prove his client was not the guilty party. The chairman cited a specific parliamentary procedure that would enable him to have the security guards toss out unruly members.

hasten

v. scamper, expedite, quicken, speed up, accelerate Tony gobbled down dinner and hastened to his evening appointment. A computer in the place of an electric typewriter would hasten the office work.

chide

v. scold; reprove Mom chided Glen for not cleaning his room. When Bobby threw his toys against the wall, his father chided him for his bad temper.

flagellate

v. scourge; to drive or punish as if by whipping In some religions, practitioners flagellate themselves with whips as a form of penance. In biological terms, a class of unicellular organisms is called flagellates because of their whip-like shape. (n.)

designate

v. stipulate; to set apart for specific use John was designated as captain of the football team for the game against Central High. The closest parking space was designated for the handicap.

falter

v. stumble; hesitate in purpose or action Joey faltered at the altar when he discovered his bride-to-be had false teeth. The racehorse faltered and fell in the back stretch, but fortunately, neither the jockey nor the horse was seriously injured.

bilk

v. swindle, cheat, defraud Henry claimed he was bilked out of his inheritance by a group of thieving lawyers who handled his father's estate. Zack's clothing store business bilked the state government of almost a million dollars for non-payment of sales tax.

forsake

v. to abandon, to give up, to renounce The parents urged their daughter to forsake her life as a model and return home to become a school teacher. All the general's troops had forsaken him, and he had no choice but to allow them to return to safe ground.

hoard

v. to accumulate for future use; stockpile Whenever there is a hint of a gold shortage, people will hoard the precious metal. The government announced rationing to prevent people from hoarding necessary goods.

bluster

v. to act in a loud, boastful, or threatening way Joan blustered so often at her children's misbehavior that they came to pay little attention to her. A blustering wind blew in from the southwest, signaling a tropical storm was on its way. (adj.)

cleave

v. to adhere to; fasten tightly; split or divide The climbing ivy vines cleaved to the ancient castle walls. Rosie cleaved to the belief in her innocence even after forty years in prison.

induct

v. to admit formally into office or membership, as with ritual Newly elected presidents are inducted into office in Washington, D.C. McGwire will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame after retiring.

concede

v. to admit, often unwillingly, that something is true; to yield, as in a game or contest With two players injured and three others removed from the game, the football team conceded defeat. The government has conceded that the new tax policy has been a disaster, as we all had predicted.

espouse

v. to adopt; to support The candidate for governor espoused a one-cent sales tax to build a new stadium. Because Barbara was always ready to espouse students' privileges, she was elected senior class president.

fumigate

v. to apply a chemical vapor, often gas, to destroy insects and pests Ace Pest Control fumigated the building to prevent the spread of cockroaches and ants. The fumigated building had to be covered with a tent to prevent the gases from escaping. (adj.)

embezzle

v. to appropriate illegally We want to choose a treasurer who will not be tempted to embezzle funds from the club. The loan officer at the bank disappeared and, when an audit was made, it was discovered he had embezzled funds by making phony loans to himself.

haggle

v. to argue about the term; dicker I like to haggle using American dollars overseas to get the best buy. When buying a car, everyone attempts to haggle over the trade-in allowance and final price.

incite

v. to arouse to action The mob was incited to riot when the police arrived and began hitting people with their nightsticks. Waving a stick at Jerry's dog only incites him and increases the chance he will bit you.

deploy

v. to arrange strategically The general's intelligent deployment of his troops along the eastern front won the battle. (n.) By deploying all his resources, Phil was able to buy a new car.

entreat

v. to ask earnestly; to implore, plead, beg Roger said he would entreat Professor Jones to permit us to take the exam early so we could go on the road with the booster club. Our entire family entreated our father to take us on a summer vacation to Europe.

invoke

v. to ask for help; to call out to for help, support, protection, or inspiration; to ask for earnestly, as in prayer; solicit Barry repeatedly invoked God during his discussion of his alcoholism and his attempts to defeat it. She invoked her reputation of honesty and purity as a way of convincing him to trust her.

bombard

v. to assail vigorously The people of London sought protection in subway shelters during German air bombardment of that city during World War II. (n.) The professor bombarded his class with questions about their upcoming exam.

collate

v. to assemble in proper order; to combine printed sheets to assemble in proper order They have a copy machine that collates all the documents numerically after they are printed. The attorney asked her secretary to collate the pages before leaving for the day.

aver

v. to assert with confidence; to state as true Clark, the defense's main witness, averred that the suspect was never at the crime scene at the time of the crime. Ruth averred that her recipe for pineapple upside-down cake was the best in the county.

apportion

v. to assign, adjust or distribute parts so as to maintain the proper proportion He apportioned the bread equally among the starving children. When we know how much money is left after expenses, we will apportion that money equally among us.

allocate

v. to assign; allot Each soldier was allocated three pairs of green socks. The department head was told to allocate the remaining fluids for the annual Christmas party.

expiate

v. to atone or make amends Don bought flowers to expiate his thoughtfulness in forgetting Mary's birthday. The woman expiated for hitting my dog; she paid all the vet bills and often stopped to check on him.

harry

v. to attack or annoy repeatedly or constantly; harass She harried the authorities with her cause, writing letters and getting up petitions. The Japanese dive bombers harried the U.S. fleet for over two hours.

flay

v. to attack or scold with stinging criticism While the professor distributed the papers, he flayed the class for doing such a mediocre job on them. The assistant principal flays any student who is sent to him for misbehaving in class.

impugn

v. to attack the goodness of something In his column, the critic impugned the movie before he had seen it. In an election year, candidates attempt to impugn each other's integrity.

assail

v. to attack violently Henry claimed he did not assail his friend Norman, but Norman had bruises to prove otherwise. Loud pop music assailed our ears as we entered the concert hall.

emulate

v. to attempt to equal or surpass, especially through imitation I always try to emulate my father's work ethic. The famous golfer Tiger Woods has a golf swing that many golfers try to emulate.

endeavor

v. to attempt to fulfill commitment; reach; strive Thousands of runners endeavor to win the Boston Marathon, but only one can win. The submarine endeavored to dive beneath a giant iceberg but became stuck and had to surface.

ascribe

v. to attribute to a specific cause, source, or origin The physics professor ascribes to the theory that what goes up must come down. Samantha ascribed her weight loss to a diet of fruit and vegetables.

equivocate

v. to avoid giving a direct answer; to deceive; to be shifty He equivocated in his report to the press, neither denying or confirming the rumors. The mayor was equivocating when he deliberately avoided telling the public how bad the city's finances had become.

eschew

v. to avoid or shun We were advised to eschew riding the subway at night in certain parts of the city. Sally eschews anyone who uses bad language.

innovate

v. to be creative, to introduce something new The innovation of space shuttles has made the universe seem to shrink. (n.) Microsoft innovated the next generation of Windows with the Millennium Edition.

antedate

v. to be earlier than; precede in time; predate The cold weather antedated their return from the city. Rosie's birthday antedates her daughter's birthday by one week.

embellish

v. to beautify by adding ornaments; actual or fanciful Every time Thomas caught a large fish, he would embellish the size until he made it sound as big as a whale. Christmas trees are embellished with colored and lighted ornaments.

ebb

v. to become less or disappear; recede; to weaken or decline He could feel his strength ebbing as he lost more and more blood. As the morning wore on, we could see the tide ebbing farther and farther out from the high water mark.

dwindle

v. to become steadily less; shrink; decrease The water supply dwindled as the caravan reached deeper into the barrens of the Sahara Desert. Roy's bank account began to dwindle as soon as his wife received her own credit card.

cloy

v. to become weary with an excess of something A diet of ice cream and cake soon begins to cloy on the taste buds. The new secretary became cloying, and her boss soon tired of her. (adj.)

implore

v. to beg or appeal for; to urge To no avail, the teacher implored the class to do their homework. The mother implored the child to always wear his helmet while riding his bike.

grovel

v. to beg persistently, be servile, fawn Mary hates to see men grovel over important people. John Jones make his employees grovel if they want to leave just five minutes early.

inaugurate

v. to begin officially We will inaugurate the new school year with a special assembly. A new president is inaugurated every four or eight years.

deign

v. to believe something to be beneath one's dignity; to condescend Mr. Morris did not deign to reply when a reporter asked him if he thought he should have been arrested for walking on the grass. The salesman deigned no further discussion of price since the buyer was quite wealthy and would not want to haggle.

disparage

v. to belittle John's wife disparaged his efforts to paint their house with a toothbrush and set a new world record. Bill's writing teacher disparaged his story by saying the idea was not original.

disparate

v. to belittle John's wife disparaged his efforts to paint their house with a toothbrush and set a new world record. Bill's writing teacher disparaged his story by saying the idea was not original.

beleaguer

v. to besiege; beset; surround; harass In World War II, the Russian city of Stalingrad was beleaguered by the German Army for five months before it fell. During his last year in office, Richard Nixon was beleaguered as president and struggled to fight off the Watergate scandal.

gloat

v. to brag greatly For years she gloated over the marriage of her daughter to the most eligible bachelor in town. My big sister always gloats on how she always beats me in checkers.

arraign

v. to bring before a court of law; to respond to a charge; to accuse He was arraigned on charges of aiding and abetting terrorists. The district attorney wanted to arraign the felony suspect, but the police could not find him.

confront

v. to bring face to face; encounter It was our plan to confront the other team with a show of strength. My teacher doesn't usually confront students, but Justin gave her no choice.

conform

v. to bring into harmony; to make the same Wearing uniforms to school is conforming to the system's policy. Because of her magenta hair and various body piercings, she did not conform to the club's ideals.

elicit

v. to bring out; to call forth The beginning teacher found it hard to elicit responses from the class, so she tried a different technique. The attorney attempted to elicit sympathy for the accused murderer by calling his mother as a witness.

broach

v. to bring up a subject for discussion Because his father was out of work, Tim was careful not to broach the subject of money for a birthday present. During lunch with his boss, Hal waited for the right time to broach the conversation about a raise.

conjure

v. to call forth using magic The witches of the coven tried to conjure the devil. I don't know how Doug was able to conjure up such a good research paper in just one night.

implement

v. to carry through Sam was able to implement her new study schedule and got all "A"s for the semester. The state recently implemented a new motorcycle helmet law.

emasculate

v. to castrate, weaken; to deprive of strength and vigor The disease emasculated the patient; he lost strength and could no longer walk alone. The emasculation of Germany's military capabilities by the Allies in World War II brought the war to an end. (n.)

disquiet

v. to cause anxiety or worry Her unpredictability disquiets me because I never know how to approach her on any given day. That horror movie disquieted my kids so much that they slept with me for a week thereafter.

endear

v. to cause to be liked; to cause to be loved or cherished Bill's fiery temper did not endear him to his co-workers. Elizabeth's kind, generous manner endeared her to her friends and family.

coagulate

v. to cause to become thickened, to form a solid mass The doctor gave the patient a blood thinner to prevent his blood from coagulating. After the rainy season, the coagulation of the muddy ditch into a solid ground made it possible for vehicle traffic to pass once again. (n.)

impair

v. to cause to diminish, as in strength, value, or quality An overly aggressive negotiator can often impair negotiations. Our best soccer player was impaired when he hurt his knee.

disaffect

v. to cause to lose affection for; alienate; estrange An abusive husband will soon disaffect his wife who may stay with him only out of fear, not love. The dog became so cranky and mean that he disaffected the children who had adored him.

exult

v. to celebrate The American ice hockey team exulted in its victory over the strong Canadian team. The childless couple exulted in the news that their adoption had been approved.

congeal

v. to change from a liquid or soft state to a thick or solid state; to coagulate; to jell The blood will congeal and form a clot shortly after it is exposed to air. According to the directions, it takes about three hours for the Jello to congeal before it is ready to serve.

divert

v. to change the direction of; to alter the course of During the hurricane, the airport control tower diverted all landing aircraft to the Tampa Airport. The nurse tried to divert the little girl's attention while the doctor pricked her finger.

invert

v. to change to the opposite position, direction, or course The auditor found the mistake; the numbers had been inverted. The quarterback inverted the planned direction of the play and scored a touchdown.

bamboozle

v. to cheat, dupe, hoodwink, trick George was bamboozled out of his bank savings by a con man selling counterfeit gold bars. Joel said his brother was trying to bamboozle him out of his turn to use the family car.

avow

v. to claim; admit; declare Stanley avowed his love for Stella even after she dropped him for a new beau. The mayor avowed that he would make the city crime-free and safe for everyone to walk the streets at night.

besiege

v. to close in or surround with hostile forces; beset The Foreign Legionnaires were surrounded and besieged by Arab tribesmen. Jacob besieged his girlfriend to marry him before he died of a broken heart.

concur

v. to coincide; to act together; cooperate When my parents concur, I know I have to watch my step. The second doctor concurred with the first, so I had my tonsils removed.

compile

v. to collect from a variety of sources and arrange together Buster is compiling facts and figures as the basis for an article on the present Russian economy. Mr. Moody compiled all the financial figures asked for by the tax inspector.

intervene

v. to come between; to mediate, to occur between times Harold and his brother might have argued all day, but their father intervened and said if they couldn't decide who would ride in the front seat, they could both sit in the back. So much had happened to the family in the intervening years since Brett had gone off to college. (adj.)

emanate

v. to come from or out of; issue or emit Raucous laughter emanated from the next room. When Beatrice strolls into a room, everyone stares in awe because of the aura of beauty that emanates from her.

deduce

v. to come to a conclusion by reason When the doors to the living room were locked the day before Christmas, Peggy deduced her mother was wrapping her presents. From the footprints in the snow, the search party deduced that the missing hikers had wandered in circles several days before disappearing entirely.

bemoan

v. to complain about; to grieve over; lament Researchers at universities traditionally bemoan their lack of funds. General Wainright forever bemoaned the cruelty of the Japanese toward prisoners on the Bataan March of Death in World War II.

carp

v. to complain and find fault about unimportant things Mom and my aunt don't get along well because my mother carps always about her sister. Judy always gives me a carping replay of every disastrous dinner with her in-laws. (adj.)

complement

v. to complete; be the perfect counterpart The dessert was a wonderful complement to the delicious dinner. (n.) Jim and Sue are the perfect couple because they complement each other so well.

infer

v. to conclude; to deduce Melissa was able to infer by Jason's attitude when he dropped her off that she would not be hearing from him again. Because there was no turkey or any other meat on the Thanksgiving table, I inferred that the family was vegetarian.

censure

v. to condemn severely for misconduct The U.S. Congress sometimes censures members for misconduct unbecoming an elected official. The Mayor was censured for his role in the coverup.

certify

v. to confirm formally; verify Airline ticket personnel must certify each passenger's identity with a picture ID. Jack was a certifiable liar and crook, wanted in many countries by the authorities. (adj.)

confound

v. to confuse and surprise; to perplex or bewilder; to amaze The sudden drop in stock prices confounded my stockbroker's predictions are left him paralyzed with amazement. The athlete confounded his doctors when he won the gold medal in track after they said he would never walk again.

deem

v. to consider or judge; to have an opinion The president asked Congress for authority to take whatever steps he deemed necessary to quell the riots. The ocean current was so strong the long-distance swim team deemed it too great a risk to go for a practice swim.

comprise

v. to consist of; to include, to contain, to be made up of A basketball team is comprised of five players and any number of substitutes. The first aid kit was comprised of a bottle of aspirin, two gauze pads, and a pair of scissors.

belie

v. to contradict; give a false impression Although Goerge acts like a gruff fellow, his tenderness toward children and animals belies his outward appearance. Even though they tried to bribe Lisa, she refused to belie herself.

connote

v. to convey, to imply exact explicit meaning Many companies use logos to connote their names. The title "Doctor" does not alway have connotation of a medical degree. (n.)

emend

v. to correct by textual alterations; to edit The author wanted to emend his book because he discovered some errors in the printing. The book was not emendable because the publisher had already printed 10,000 copies and had them sent to bookstores. (adj.)

countervail

v. to counteract; to be useful or successful Coach Jim countervailed the defense with two quarterbacks in the backfield. The president countervailed the passing of a law by veto.

daub

v. to cover; to paint crudely or skillfully Freddy daubed his shoes with brown polish to cover the scuff marks. Jackie daubed the kitchen walls with paint and created an artistic flower effect.

chafe

v. to create fiction; irritate; to rub The horse was chafing at the bit, anxious for the race to start. George chafed his hands holding onto the tug-of-war rope for so long.

engender

v. to create; to cause to happen; to bring into existence The family who refused to clean up their yard engendered hostility among the neighbors. The oil slick engendered a fish kill in the bay.

attribute

v. to credit to; to assign; to ascribe to A study by the Farmingham Health Group attributes the increase in acute asthma attacks to household dust. Some people are lucky, and they attribute their success to being in the right place at the right time.

debilitate

v. to cripple; to weaken Although Mr. Smith had always been a strong man, his disease of the bones was becoming progressively debilitating. (adj.) We thought our dog Rex would be debilitated after he was hit by the car, but he learned to walk quite well on only three legs.

castigate

v. to criticize harshly, usually with the intention of correcting wrongdoing Jimmy's mother castigated him for tracking mud on the new living room carpet. When castigated for behavior unbecoming a naval officer, Chief Petty Officer Peterson was denied shore-leave.

fulminate

v. to criticize strongly or express strong opposition or opinion; to vehemently denounce or criticize Uncle Ted is always fulminating about the youth of today and how irresponsible and disrespectful he thinks they are compared to young people in the old days. The governor's speech fulminated against political corruption and addressed what he plans to do to halt it.

infringe

v. to cross established limits; encroach; trespass Unauthorized copying of videos infringes copyright law, and the culprit could be jailed or fined. Censorship infringes on our right to free speech.

cower

v. to crouch or cringe in fear; huddle in fear Oh, stop cowering! I'm not going to hit you. The puppy seemed to realize she'd done something wrong because she was cowering in the corner.

gouge

v. to cut or scoop out, to swindle, overcharge The little boy gouged into the birthday cake with his finger, then licked his finger clean. The oil companies are gouging the people at the gasoline pumps.

delude

v. to deceive; mislead; trick; to evade Many young writers delude themselves into thinking that they are going to write the great American novel. The charlatan deluded the old woman into believing he would put her money into the bank for her.

decipher

v. to decode, to interpret the meaning The scrolls from the Dead Sea were difficult to decipher, as they were written in ancient Greek and Hebrew language. The detectives deciphered the clues at the crime scene which led them to the conclusion that the butler had done it.

detain

v. to delay, restrain, especially from proceeding The travelers at the airport were detained due to a bomb scare. The mail was detained at the post office until after the hurricane blew through.

enrapture

v. to delight, to thrill or give pleasure John and Mary were enraptured upon learning they had won a new car in the YMCA fundraising lottery. The Beatles' performance enraptured the crowd.

consign

v. to deliver, transfer, entrust or give up Uncle Jed's massive estate was consigned to my brother to be dispersed according to his will. They consigned the abandoned child to a foster home while they searched for her parents.

excoriate

v. to denounce strongly The speaker came to excoriate the new and controversial decisions of the school board. It is not appropriate to excoriate members of one's family in public.

disclaim

v. to deny any claim to; to denounce He disclaimed all responsibility for the accounting mistakes and blamed a computer error. A disclaimer (n.) is an act or statement that disclaims.

disavow

v. to deny, repudiate; contradict Boone disavowed the stories that he was running for mayor of the town. Jim's coach disavowed the reports that he was married to three different women.

gainsay

v. to deny; to contradict; to speak against; oppose With all the evidence, it was impossible for the defendant to gainsay the fact that he was at the crime scene on the night of the murders. The newspaper article gainsaid what was reported on TV the night before.

depose

v. to deprive of rank or office; to remove Margaret Thatcher was deposed as leader of British Conservative Party in 1991. The stockholders voted to depose the present CEO from his office because of falling company profits.

covet

v. to desire; envy One of the Ten Commandments is "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife." Bruce coveted Steven's family life and wished that he had a big brother.

degenerate

v. to deteriorate; to break down It is a shame that the old stately mansion has been allowed to degenerate into an eyesore. By the afternoon nap time, the children's behavior had degenerated into chaotic crankiness.

evaluate

v. to determine or judge the value or worth of The supervisor was sent in to evaluate each member of the department. The hardest job of the English teacher is to evaluate each student's writing.

channel

v. to direct into a particular place or situation A lot of money has been channeled into AIDS research. She channeled her energies into providing for the homeless.

dissent

v. to disagree with or reject something; withhold approval As a die-hard liberal, the Congressman frequently dissented from the court's majority opinion, which he felt was outdated. There were no dissenters when Jack suggested the dive trip be cancelled because of the large shark fins seen at the dive site. (n.)

discriminate

v. to discern; to differentiate The art critic could easily discriminate between the original and the fake copy. (Indiscriminate (adj.) means not discriminating.) George would eat anything and be indiscriminate in his choice of food when he comes back from work.

chastise

v. to discipline; punish The teacher chastised the students for talking during the test. Chastising our parrot never worked; he kept spitting seeds on the rug anytime he chose.

deter

v. to discourage; to keep someone from doing something Nothing could deter John from his ambition to be a doctor. Bryan's broken leg deterred him from playing softball.

ascertain

v. to discover; to make certain; to learn unquestionably The medical examiner quickly ascertained that the cause of death was heart failure. Herbert said he ascertained there would be twenty-eight people attending the party.

discern

v. to discriminate; to see things clearly The psychologist was able to discern the child's problem before he spoke to the parents. The ability to discern between truth and fiction is essential to being an informed person.

controvert

v. to dispute, oppose by reasoning, refute The adolescent's desire to leave school was controverted by employment requirements. The FDA controverted the use of the drug due to negative laboratory tests.

flout

v. to disregard out of disrespect, to mock or scoff at Steve flouted the school dress code by wearing a dirty T-shirt and blue jeans with huge holes in the knees instead of the school uniform. The rude neighbor flouted my new car by bragging about his new Lexus.

dissipate

v. to dissolve; to waste away In the mountains, the morning fog rarely dissipates before noon. The smoke dissipated when the windows were opened.

disconcert

v. to disturb the composure of; upset; to frustrate; throw into disorder Some students are disconcerted when they listen to music while studying. A baby may be unaffected by familiar loud noises while the simplest new sound may disconcert her.

forgo

v. to do without Because we had eaten so much for dinner, we had to forgo dessert. In order to make up her English exam, Lisa was forced to forgo the baseball game.

debug

v. to eliminate errors or malfunctions Bob tried to debug the satellite dish but instead made it worse. The serviceman arrived and was able to debug the computer program in only a few minutes.

gird

v. to encircle as with a belt; to prepare as for action A size 54 belt was needed to gird the large man. Girded for action, the tanks moved forward into battle formation.

egg

v. to encourage or incite to action My friends egged me to try out for the tennis team. Without the crowd egging me on, I don't think I could have finished running the marathon.

foster

v. to encourage the development or growth of; to nurture The old professor fostered an appreciation for classical music in his students in spite of their devotion to rock and roll. Living in Arizona's dry climate has fostered my grandmother's victory over her allergies and asthma.

bask

v. to enjoy warmth or praise The skiers basked by the fireplace after a long day of skiing in good snow conditions. The new college graduate basked in his family's pride for his graduation with honors.

allure

v. to entice with something desirable; tempt The shipwrecked sailors had been allured into believing the calm, balmy sea would last until they reached a safe port. Psychologists agree that all movie stars have some alluring quality film audiences find irresistible. (adj.)

begrudge

v. to envy the good fortune of someone else Linda begrudged Mary her band awards because Linda felt was more deserving. Jonathan begrudged paying so much for a motel room since the motel was practically empty.

interrogate

v. to examine or ask questions formally The prosecutor was called upon to interrogate the witness. The teacher felt she had a right to interrogate the student concerning the authenticity of the paper.

appraise

v. to examine something to determine the value The diamond necklace was appraised at over two thousand dollars. Some hotels leave cards in the rooms for guests to fill out so that the management may appraise the service rendered.

expatriate

v. to exile, banish; leave one's country (either by force or by desire) Ernest Hemingway was one of the first authors to expatriate during World War I. Fidel Castro expatriated many of Cuba's former patriots who no longer agreed with him.

exert

v. to expend effort; to bring to bear steadily or forcefully The ship's certain exerted influence over all the sailors on his ship. The child continually exerted pressure on his balloon until it burst and frightened him.

explicate

v. to explain in detail; to make clear or explain completely This is a book which attempts to clearly explicate the differences in male/female psychology. Barbara explicated to her father her reasons for taking his car without permission and bringing it home on the back of a tow truck.

debunk

v. to expose the falseness or exaggerations of a claim When Christopher Columbus completed his ocean voyage, he debunked the theory that the world was flat. Ralph was determined to debunk his daughter's theory that he had a money tree in their backyard.

expostulate

v. to express disagreement or complaint; to argue earnestly with someone The Minister of Defense expostulated angrily against the terrorist bombing. Walter expostulated with the waiter about the amount of his bill.

deprecate

v. to express disapproval of That comedian is best-known for the way he deprecates himself and his family. The teacher acted in a deprecatory manner when she found out that no one had completed the assignment on time. (adj.)

chortle

v. to express with a snorting chuckle; to laugh with pleasure and glee Every time my brother beats me in a game, he chortles in a most irritating way. The children chortled under the covers, and their mom knew they would not soon fall asleep.

extirpate

v. to exterminate; to rip out, uproot, destroy Most exterminators attempt to extirpate termites from homes. Tom extirpated the weeds from his lawn with various weed killers.

founder

v. to fail; to sink The Titanic began to founder after hitting the iceberg. The witness began to founder with his answers as the attorney became more direct with his questioning.

commiserate

v. to feel or express sympathy for someone's suffering or unhappiness All the team members came to the funeral parlor to commiserate with John over his father's death. Betty called Pete to commiserate over the closing of his factory and the loss of his job.

imbue

v. to fill with a certain quality or feeling; to inspire or permeate, as with an idea or emotion; deeply influence Her poetry was imbued with a love of the outdoors. He was imbued with guilt, knowing he had hurt her so badly.

dismay

v. to fill with shock; to frighten or discourage; daunt They enjoyed the meal in the expensive restaurant but the enormous bill dismayed them. The scene of the terrible auto accident dismayed the police when they arrived and saw the carnage.

descry

v. to find out; catch sight of; discover Peter descried natives on the far side of the island and went over to ask them to help his shipwrecked crew. The astronomer had developed a new telescope which could descry universes never seen before outside of the Milky Way.

burgeon

v. to flourish; expand The burgeoning Roman Empire created by military expansion inevitably fell of its own degeneration. (adj.) Weeds have burgeoned in my garden.

dupe

v. to fool; trick; deceive Clark's attempt to dupe the store owner with counterfeit bills resulted in his arrest. The class attempted to dupe the substitute by saying that they weren't given homework last night, but they didn't fool him.

extrude

v. to force out, as through a small opening Toothpaste extrudes from the tube when you squeeze it. Plastic bags are usually manufactured by large extrusion machines. (n.)

coerce

v. to force someone by threatening or physically overpowering him The burglar claimed his confession was coerced by police brutality. Elizabeth told her mother that her sister coerced her to take another cookie from the jar.

impeach

v. to formally accuse of a serious crime in connection with one's job; to accuse of or charge with misconduct of public office; to cast doubt or discredit President Clinton was impeached due to his inappropriate relationship with an intern. The magazine article impeaches the mayor's honor because of his questionable financial dealings.

expurgate

v. to free from sins; to purify A religious group tried to expurgate books they considered immoral from the school system. Kansas schools once attempted to expurgate the teaching of Darwin's Theory of Evolution, but the voters rejected their efforts.

emancipate

v. to free from some external control or constraint; to liberate The invention of the dishwasher emancipated families from the drudgery of doing the dishes by hand. The court declared Janice an emancipated minor, able to make all her own decisions and legally handle her own financial affairs.

glean

v. to gather information or material slowly, search for relevant articles The night supervisor had to glean any article that was political from all newspapers. Max gleaned articles from foreign countries to continue his chemical research.

amass

v. to gather or accumulate She amassed an impressive library, thanks to her membership in the book club. The hiking group was amassed at the foot of the mountain ready to begin the climb.

garner

v. to gather or store Maria worked to garner all the information she could before she started writing her report. Throughout her lifetime, Bernice garnered enough antique furniture to fill five houses.

convene

v. to gather together; to assemble, especially for a formal meeting The council members will convene on the morning of July 25th. A convention is a meeting of members of a group who convene to discuss events and exchange ideas.

allot

v. to give a share of something; allocate; apportion Due to the emergency, the boss allotted only two days for a job that would normally take an entire week. The museum is planning to increase the amount of space allotted to modern art.

beger

v. to give birth to; to create Prior to the development of farm machinery, farmers would beget large families to help them run their farms. The Wright Brothers didn't invent the airplane, but they were the begetters of the first heavier-than-air flying machine in the United States. (n.)

entail

v. to involve or make necessary Any financial investment entails some degree of risk. Exactly what duties does this job entail?

embody

v. to give bodily form to; to personify; to make part of a system Virginia Satir was a wonderful therapist who embodied in her own life the loving principles she taught to her students. The embodiment of basic Christian virtues is to be found in the Boy Scouts' oath which every scout must take to become a member. (n.)

hearten

v. to give strength, courage, or hope; to encourage The family received heartening words of encouragement from the priest. (adj.) The coach heartened his team at halftime with his usual pep talk.

empower

v. to give the power to do something; to permit, enable When my mother was in the hospital, she empowered me to handle all her medical matters. John's vast inheritance empowered him to dedicate his life to charitable organizations.

forfeit

v. to give up something, especially as a penalty Our team had to forfeit the game since we didn't have enough players. Burt forfeited his scholarship when he went shopping with an agent.

bestow

v. to give, as a gift or award; to confer Many honors were bestowed on the teacher of the year at our school. The George Cross is a decoration bestowed on British civilians for acts of great bravery.

confer

v. to give, grant, or bestow; to discuss I should like some time to confer with my lawyer before I sign the contract. The honor was conferred upon him for his bravery on the battlefield.

ascend

v. to go up; to rise or move upward, succeed Drake quickly ascended to the new judgeship after he left his law practice. The climbers ascended the northern face of the mountain.

enervate

v. to gradually drain of strength After a day of school followed by five hours of work, I am enervated even before I start my homework. Cancer enervated Tim, and we watched him grow weaker each day.

coalesce

v. to grow together; to unite; to fuse The two lakes coalesced into one large lake. The rhythm of the violins and the cello coalesce into a soothing sound.

conjecture

v. to guess; figure out with little evidence Although the theory was pure conjecture, Greg fooled us into believing it was fact. (n.) Many times, the weathermen conjecture their forecasts.

eventuate

v. to happen in the end; to result ultimately It was obvious to many that WWI would eventuate in WWII. All too often marriage eventuates in divorce.

dissemble

v. to hide one's real intentions; to act or speak falsely in order to deceive Parents frequently dissemble when speaking about the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus. Michele often dissembled when she spoke about her grades, but we learned the truth when she got her report card.

commemorate

v. to honor a memory in a special way; to serve as a reminder of or memorial to The ceremony served to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. The United States Postal Service printed a new stamp commemorating the U.S. Constitution.

embrace

v. to hug, to accept; to adopt a cause, to include Jody and Shirley embraced warmly when celebrating their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. The study embraced all aspects of the housing shortage problem.

enhance

v. to improve; to intensify Bob enhanced his race car's performance by installing a more powerful engine. Since I enhanced my computer's modem, I am able to do research more quickly.

appreciate

v. to increase in value The cost of a car does not appreciate; it depreciates from the moment the car leaves the showroom. Many people collect baseball cards in hopes that they will appreciate in value over time.

foment

v. to instigate The news of the merger fomented a heavy trading day on Wall Street. Agitators were sent into the crowd to foment discontent.

indoctrinate

v. to instruct in a body of doctrine or belief, to inculcate Parents try to indoctrinate children at a young age to learn decorum. Political parties indoctrinate anyone willing to listen as they pander for their votes.

edify

v. to instruct; to enlighten To further edify his platoon, the sergeant gave instruction on cross-country marches using the hand compass. The edification of their children on the danger of drugs was a priority with the Jones' parents. (n.)

construe

v. to interpret Mona went to a psychologist to see if he could construe her nightmares. The seniors construed the school rules as not pertaining to them.

interject

v. to interrupt with; insert in between Sally is known to interject her own thoughts at inappropriate times. I would never have believed that such a meek person could interject so vehemently.

improvise

v. to invent or provide something at the time when it is needed without previous planning; to construct or compose from whatever materials are available or handy We had very little furniture, but we improvised a mattress from a pile of blankets. The drama coach encourages young actors to improvise during rehearsals to exercise their creativity.

embroil

v. to involve in argument or hostile action; to throw into disorder Most of the civilized world was embroiled in conflict during World War II. Once someone was hit on the side of the head by a clump of mashed potatoes the whole cafeteria embroiled into a huge food fight.

conjoin

v. to join or act together The United Way is an organization consisting of smaller charities who conjoin to raise funds. In Florida, the Unemployment Department conjoined with the Department of Labor.

consolidate

v. to join together to become more effective; to become stronger; to combine into a whole; unify The two firms consolidated to form a single, stronger company. The recent success of their major product has consolidated the firm's position in this market.

assess

v. to judge or decide the amount, value, quality or importance of One can be assured that the insurance company will want to assess the flood damage before paying the claim. After assessing the superior competition in the state high jump, Clarence decided to withdraw from the meet.

assimilate

v. to learn completely; to take in; to absorb He made it his life's work to assimilate the teachings of Plato. It is often hard for students were invited to join the honor society.

emigrate

v. to leave a place Many Americans have grandparents who emigrated to this country. Every day hundreds of retirees emigrate to Florida seeking a life in the sun.

deflate

v. to let the air out of; to diminish in size or importance When the roads are icy, it is a good idea to deflate the tires to provide more traction. The reprimand Joan received from her boss the first week on the job deflated her enthusiasm about her career choice.

defame

v. to libel or slander; take away a good name Defamed and defeated, Napoleon was exiled to the Island of Elba. False accusations by unscrupulous, lying men have defamed the reputations of many fair ladies.

aspire

v. to long for, aim, or seek ambitiously Tim studied hard because he aspired to be the valedictorian of his class at graduation. As a young child, General Custer aspired to become a musician, but he later decided to make the Army his career.

demote

v. to lower in rank, degrade The general demoted the corporal to the rank of private for insubordination. The administrator was demoted to an assistant for failing to reach his quota.

entice

v. to lure, attract; to tempt in a pleasing fashion The delicious aroma of a hamburger stand often entices the passerby to stop for a snack. Food, entertainment, and visits to foreign ports all contribute to the enticement of a cruise vacation. (n.)

grimace

v. to make a contorted facial expression that shows pain, disgust, or contempt He grimaced in pain as the surgeon removed his bandages and ripped his hair out. Watch the kids grimace when I run my nails down the blackboard!

forswear

v. to make a serious decision to stop doing something; to give up or renounce I will forswear smoking if I find out that I am pregnant. When Joan found the receipt for money David spent foolishly, he had to forswear his original statement that he did not get paid and come up with his share of the rent anyway.

habituate

v. to make accustomed to; to train Since moving five times in the past year, he was habituated to the idea of moving again next month. My mother habituated herself to going to the cafe every afternoon for lunch.

intimidate

v. to make afraid or timid On the first day of school, many students try to intimidate their teachers. The fifth-grade bully tried to intimidate all the other kids in the school.

atone

v. to make amends Nothing the convicted murderer said to the victim's family could atone for his crime. After atoning for his past indiscretions, the president quickly won back the support of the nation.

ameliorate

v. to make better On the first day of school, the kindergarten teacher ameliorated the children's anxieties by telling them a story. Lou knew that winning the lottery would ameliorate his financial woes.

concoct

v. to make by adding several different parts together; invent; contrive He could concoct the most amazing dishes from all sorts of unlikely ingredients. At the last minute, she concocted an unbelievable excuse for her absence.

exhilarate

v. to make cheerful, enliven, excite, or stimulate The millions of Brazilian soccer fans were exhilarated when their team scored the winning goal in overtime. Fresh mountain air exhilarates outdoorsmen.

elucidate

v. to make clear and explain fully Doctors should always elucidate test results to their patients. Elementary school teachers, as a rule, elucidate their words more clearly than do college professors, who take for granted their students will understand anything they say.

clarify

v. to make clear, refine, elucidate The patient asked the doctor to clarify his statement: "Whoopie, your ailment is going to make medical history!" Joe's explanation about the crazy taxi ride clarified the mystery of why he missed his own wedding.

defile

v. to make dirty or filthy; to pollute; to corrupt Careless littering of beer cans and paper bags defiles the beauty of our beaches. Malicious rumors defiled his good name, so he lost respect from many of the citizens.

besmirch

v. to make dirty; soil Some high school girls make an effort to besmirch the reputations of their classmates. When an American commits a crime abroad, this act besmirches the reputation of our country.

diversify

v. to make diverse; give variety to; to expand A prudent investor always diversifies his stock portfolio by purchasing many different stocks. Candy wanted to diversify her education while in college, so she took classes in business, psychology, physics, and literature.

facilitate

v. to make easier, to help bring about In order to facilitate the sale of their home, George had it painted. Pete was a facilitator at the institution, helping things run smoothly by expediting matters. (n.)

gesticulate

v. to make gestures with the hands The lifeguards gesticulated wildly on the shore to get the attention of the swimmers. Good speakers usually gesticulate to add emphasis to their words.

disgruntle

v. to make irritably dissatisfied or discontent The company's refusal to make Veteran's Day a holiday disgruntled the workers to the point that they all called in sick on that day. Jack was disgruntled over having to give Henry a handicap in their golf match.

amplify

v. to make larger, louder, or more powerful Their children had amplified the music to the point that the parents couldn't carry on a conversation. General Rommel was unable to amplify the role of his tank corps in the Battle of El Alamein because he didn't have ample fuel to run the armored vehicles.

diminish

v. to make less or cause to appear less; belittle The company's funds diminished because of bad bookkeeping and overspending. His chance for promotion diminished when an outsider was hired as CEO.

alleviate

v. to make less severe; to relieve, to lessen Peter's arrival with sacks of ice for the party alleviated the need to wait for the icemaker to produce more. Aspirin will alleviate headaches much of the time.

eclipse

v. to make obscure or darker; to surpass or outshine; to block the light of The state of the economy has eclipsed all other issues during the election campaign. The new basketball star eclipsed the team records for points scored in one game.

dwell

v. to make one's home; reside; to focus attention on That book dwells on the need for better schools in urban areas. Psychologists recommend that the mentally ill dwell on the positive, rather than the negative.

augment

v. to make or become greater Jack's part-time job did little to augment his family's income. The sheriff augmented his credibility problem with the voters when he hired his three brothers as deputies.

consecrate

v. to make or declare sacred The Puritans believed that God had led them to consecrated ground. (adj.) Many items in the Vatican have been consecrated by the Pope.

disburse

v. to make payment in settlement; expend; distribute Our attorney disbursed the final amount due from the sale of our home. The teacher disbursed the exam to all her students.

impoverish

v. to make poor and without money or to make worse in quality; cause to live in poverty; to exhaust the natural richness or strength of Tim's constant gambling impoverished his family, forcing them to live in the streets and wear rags. Lack of fertilizer impoverished the soil and left us with a very poor crop this year.

importune

v. to make repeated forceful requests for something, usually in a way that is annoying or inconvenient; to pester with insistent demands or requests; to trouble As a tourist, you are importuned for money by peddlers of all ages the moment you step outside your hotel. My children are constantly importuning me to take them to the toy store; however, I don't have enough money.

divulge

v. to make something known; to disclose; to reveal The newspapers published stories with divulged that several senators were taking bribes. There is a law that protects members of the press from having to divulge the names of their secret sources.

downplay

v. to make something seem less important or not as bad The sheriff tried to downplay his role in rescuing the children. The doctor would not downplay the risk involved in the operation he felt necessary for his patient.

dishevel

v. to make study; to disarrange A strong breeze disheveled Andrea's hair. The hurricane disheveled our yard with broken branches.

attenuate

v. to make thin in consistency; to weaken Adding milk to the ice cream attenuated the thickness of the milk shake. One of the council members made a motion to attenuate the Mayor's power, but the motion was voted down.

incapacitate

v. to make unfit, to deprive of physical and mental qualities, to handicap Although the Special Olympics contestants have been incapacitated, all have the will to win. John's heart attack and pneumonia incapacitated him for one year.

incense

v. to make very angry The behavior of the parents incensed the umpire was so much that he walked off the field and cursed at them. The publishers incensed the author by misspelling his name on the book's cover.

dilate

v. to make wider or more open; enlarge; to explain or discuss something at length The doctor's drops in Ellen's eyes dilated her pupils so wide she needed sunglasses to go into sunlight. When my father lectures me on my errors, he dilates the topic so much, I forget what I did wrong in the beginning.

deface

v. to mar the external appearance; destroy The morning after the game it was clear that someone had defaced the walls of the school with spray paint. Rain, winds, and pollution will eventually deface any historical monument exposed to the elements.

compound

v. to mix or combine so as to make a whole He used the mixer to compound the cement. Charlie chose not to date because he did not want to compound his problems.

cringe

v. to move away, to try to make oneself smaller in order to escape from something or someone; to crouch or shrink back in fear; to cower He acts like he's about to be hit and just cringes in terror. Most of us cringed with embarrassment at her terrible jokes.

careen

v. to move fast and unsteadily; to lurch while in motion The car skidded and careened wildly across several lanes of traffic. Billiard balls careen around a billiard table when the cue ball is hit effectively.

enumerate

v. to name things separately, one by one; to list The salesman enumerated all the features of the car. In their divorce, Mary Belle had no trouble enumerating all her husband's faults.

invalidate

v. to nullify; to make invalid After his speeding ticket, Doug was unhappy to learn that the state had invalidated his license. The teacher chose to invalidate all the tests because one was missing from her classroom.

comply

v. to obey an order, rule, or request; to act in agreement with a wish, or requirement Mr. Morris has to comply with the judge's order to pay fifty dollars each week, or he could go to jail. If my son would comply with one of my rules each day, I would consider myself blessed!

demur

v. to object; to make exception Billy said he was appreciative but demurred when his friends wanted him to run for class president. The mayor said he would not demur if asked to speak at the town rally.

impede

v. to obstruct or interfere with; to delay He was only my uncle, but he always told me no matter what, not to let anyone impede my ambition to go to medical school. (Something that impedes is an impediment.) As a hopeful runner on the school track team, James Carver's biggest impediment to his foot speed was his short legs. (n.)

extort

v. to obtain by force or threat, or illegally; to extract or obtain by abuse of authority The gang is accused of extorting money from local store owners in exchange for protection from rival gangs. The stockbroker was convicted of extorting money from his clients' accounts.

indict

v. to officially accuse of a crime; to bring a formal charge against Five people were indicted on drug charges at yesterday's court hearings. Although the man professed his innocence, the evidence left the judge no choice but to indict him on charges of terrorism.

bowdlerize

v. to omit, abridge, or modify a work of literature that is considered offensive By bowdlerizing 'Gone With the Wind,' the author made just another lackluster novel of the Deep South during the Civil War. The producer wanted to bowdlerize the sexually-oriented scenes in the script so the film wouldn't receive an adult rating.

gild

v. to overlay with a thin coating of gold; to give a superficial bright aspect To "gild the lily" is an adage used when something is unnecessarily overdone by an individual. Charlie gilded his offer to purchase the land with half-truths.

coddle

v. to overprotect someone or something; to pamper The mother coddled her child as if the baby were a precious and fragile jewel. The warden said he didn't support coddling criminals because doing so was not constructive for either the prisoner or society in general.

inundate

v. to overwhelm with abundance or excess; flood During final exams, we are so inundated with schoolwork that we have no time for fun. Jack's father used to inundate the front yard in the winter so all his friends could ice skate.

elapse

v. to pass or go by (said of time) Two years elapsed before they were to meet again, but all the time Jonathan knew Annette was the girl he was going to marry. Four years elapsed between the time the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and the end of the war.

dissuade

v. to persuade not to do something The bad weather dissuaded us from going outdoors. Our group hopes to dissuade Congress from cutting funds for much-needed health programs.

induce

v. to persuade to do something; to cause to happen; to influence; to stimulate They induced her to take the job by offering her a large bonus. If doctors induce labor in a pregnant woman, they cause a baby to be born before its natural time.

envision

v. to picture or visualize in the mind; imagine He envisioned a partnership between business and government in the near future. The company envisions adding at least five stores next year.

impale

v. to pierce with anything pointed In the stable, Henry was impaled by the metal prongs of a pitchfork. Dueling with epees, Richard and George impaled each other.

blacklist

v. to place a person on a list under suspicion, disfavor, censure In Senator McCarthy's witch hunt for American communists, his committee blacklisted many innocent people and often ruined their lives. Jim was blacklisted from the casino and denied entrance because he was caught card counting while playing blackjack.

entomb

v. to place in a tomb or a grave The Egyptians entombed their kings in special burial chambers together with all their possessions needed in the afterlife. In the Pittsburgh coal mine disaster of 1938, thirty-six coal miners were entombed in a tunnel for thirteen days.

array

v. to place in an orderly arrangement for display Combining flowers and candles, the florist arrayed the wedding cake. The general arrayed his troops for inspection.

depredate

v. to plunder and pillage; to despoil; to prey upon; to ransack During the L.A. riots, many people depredated the neighborhoods, stealing stereos, televisions, and clothing. Some unsavory businesses depredate the elderly, robbing them of their life savings with false promises and get rich quick schemes.

forebode

v. to predict or foretell The man's purple face and clenched fists forebode his anger. (A foreboding (n.) is the feeling that something is about to happen.) We had a foreboding that rain was coming.

augur

v. to predict; to serve as a warning It didn't augur well for a possible victory when the football team fumbled the ball the first five times they had it. The augury practiced by TV fortune tellers is mostly unreliable. (n.)

forestall

v. to prevent something from happening; to hinder by taking action beforehand; to get ahead of or head off Many doctors prescribe aspirin to forestall heart attacks because it keeps the blood thin and prevents clotting. Let's forestall the possibility of our electricity being turned off by paying the bill on time.

hamper

v. to prevent the free movement, action, or progress of; to hinder or impede Not routinely changing the car's oil will hamper its performance. A thunderstorm hampered our plans for going to the beach.

imperil

v. to put in danger, jeopardize The soldiers' lives were imperiled when on a secret mission behind the lines. Abusing the use of credit cards imperils control of one's finances.

intersperse

v. to put in different parts or places; to place or scatter among other things. Framed pictures of her children were interspersed among the books in the bookcase. The real eggs were interspersed among the plastic prize eggs all over the yard.

don

v. to put on Ed took a deep breath, donned his parachute, and jumped out of the airplane. As the storm intensified, Bill went below deck to don his foul weather gear.

euthanize

v. to put to death The old dog was so decrepit that we were forced to have her euthanized. Many unwanted cats and dogs are euthanized each year.

grill

v. to query, to question aggressively; to broil, cook, griddle The police grilled the suspect about the missing cars. Let's grill the steaks over the charcoal for dinner.

cavil

v. to quibble; to engage in trivial bickering My father will cavil endlessly with merchants; he loves to bicker over prices. My children cavil over things as trivial as on which end of the sofa each will sit.

exalt

v. to raise high; glorify The fireman was exalted by the press for saving the child from a burning building. Elizabeth's parents exalted her when she scored 1600 on her SAT.

deadlock

v. to reach an impasse; to halt progress The fight results were deadlocked until the referee cast the final vote to determine the winner. Contract negotiations were deadlocked over television rights for the basketball players which resulted in suspension of the playoffs.

culminate

v. to reach full climax Millie's thirty years of teaching culminated with her being named Teacher of the Year. The Homecoming Dance is the culmination of the week's festivities. (n.)

declaim

v. to recite a speech, usually in a pompous or dramatic way When Karen began to declaim her graduation address, her classmates began to yawn, stretch, and roll their eyes. We all hate to ask questions of that professor because he will declaim rather than converse with us.

downsize

v. to reduce in number; make a smaller number The merger of the Atom Company and the Exxon Company resulted in the loss of two thousand jobs as they downsized their plants. The Mackle Yacht Company has downsized its most popular model from thirty feet to twenty feet in length.

deplete

v. to reduce in size or amount; to lessen drastically; exhaust The disaster depleted the supply of blood plasma, so the American Red Cross flew in more to replenish it. Janet's savings account had been depleted by the time she finished her Christmas shopping.

degrade

v. to reduce in status, rank, or grade; demote Some bottles of wine in Henry's wine cellar had leaky corks, so the wine degraded into a bitter liquid. The police officer felt degraded walking a beat again after being demoted from captain. (adj.)

allude

v. to refer to indirectly All Jim's poems allude to the love of man for nature. In her letter, Jane alludes to the reason she left our city ten years ago.

forbear

v. to refrain from; to abstain; to be patient or tolerant To forbear giving your opinion on any controversial matter until you have first heard all the facts is generally the wisest course of action. The captain told his crew to forbear smoking in the cockpit.

conscript

v. to register, enlist, draft, induct, recruit The armed forces did not conscript farmers until the war was nearly over. All conscripts were ordered to report to the town square. (n.)

excise

v. to remove by cutting; to cut out The surgeon excised a small tumor from Jack's leg and found the tumor to be benign. The sculptor excised the unwanted material from the stone.

blanch

v. to remove color from; bleach; to make pale, as from illness or fear It's easy to tell that Bill would never make it as a surgeon for his skin blanches at the sight of blood. The leaves of the plant were blanched because they were out of the sunlight too long.

expunge

v. to remove; to delete; to erase The judge ordered the clerk to expunge the lawyer's statement from the record. The wet and muddy footprints were expunged with soap and water.

harp

v. to repeat or complain about something repeatedly in an annoying way; to go on and on I'm annoyed with these people who keep harping about what is wrong with the country. He was always harping about his lack of money but didn't seem to want to work.

depict

v. to represent or portray, as in a painting, sculpture, or written work In his last novel, the author depicted the hero's wife as a computer wizard who stole millions through her technology skills. The newspapers depict Bellamy's father as an alcoholic tyrant, but in reality he is a reformed alcoholic who is president of his local AA chapter.

denote

v. to represent; to mark; to indicate His angry tone denoted extreme displeasure with what had been said behind her back at the party. A flashing yellow light on the road ahead denoted a need for caution, so Randolph slowed down to be on the safe side.

bristle

v. to respond with anger; to be ready to fight back The lightning struck so close to our house it made my hair bristle. She bristled at the suggestion her new dress looked exactly like the dressed of three other women at the party.

curb

v. to restrain or control She wore a patch to try to curb her addiction to nicotine. By making them raise their hands, the new teacher curbed her students' tendency to shout out the answers.

fetter

v. to restrain; to hamper The prisoners were fettered by shackles around their ankles. The cowboy fettered his horse so it would be there when he returned.

gyrate

v. to rotate rapidly, to spin, to wind or coil Jill's body gyrates when she belly-dances. When the pilot cut the engine, the propeller stopped gyrating.

gnash

v. to rub together noisily The victim lay on the ground gnashing her teeth in an epileptic seizure. Lannie had a habit of gnashing his teeth when upset by a terrible news.

daunt

v. to scare; to intimidate When the home team saw the large players for the visiting team emerge from the bus, they were daunted by the visitors' size. Although most people are fearful of speaking on a stage, Jerry was undaunted and enjoyed the experience.

forage

v. to search or hunt for food and provision When the last of our provisions were gone, we decided that two men would take our only rifle and go foraging for a game. We foraged through the shed for plywood, tin sheets, and boards, anything with which to board up the windows and doors before the full force of the hurricane struck.

enfranchise

v. to set free; liberate; to grant the privileges of citizenship After living many years as an alien, Helen decided to become a citizen by taking the test and becoming enfranchised. In this country, women were not enfranchised and could not vote until early in the 20th century.

circumscribe

v. to set the limits; to restrict The prison walls circumscribed the territory in which the convicts were allowed to move. The baby's limits were circumscribed by his playpen.

decapitate

v. to sever the head; behead Henry VIII planned to decapitate every wife who could not produce a son. Before the guillotine, sharp swords were used to decapitate those who were disloyal.

fluctuate

v. to shift back and forth uncertainly The stock market fluctuates like a bouncing ball that never stops bouncing. The baby's temperature fluctuated between 99 and 102 degrees.

flaunt

v. to show off The lottery winner flaunted his new wealth by tipping waiters with hundred-dollar bills. Newly-rich people tend to flaunt their wealth more than those who have always had money.

evince

v. to show or demonstrate clearly The prince sang a song beneath his balcony to evince his love for the fair maiden. The new billboard evinced a sales message promoting a new kind of soap.

deplore

v. to show or have regret or sorrow about; to condemn We deplore the recent outbreak of violence in our schools. Many citizens deplore the amount of foreign aid the U.S. gives to other countries when there are Americans who are economically impoverished and in need of help.

attest

v. to show or prove that something is true; to confirm or testify to The notary attested to the signatures on the document. The number of old Volkswagen cars still on the road attests to the excellence of their manufacturer.

bootleg

v. to smuggle; to make, sell, or transport for sale illegally Scott bootlegged illegal drugs across the border. During liquor prohibition in the twenties, many gangsters were involved with bootlegging alcohol.

assuage

v. to soothe; to make less severe; to satisfy, ease, lessen Dr. Moore was able to assuage the fear of his patient by predicting successful treatment. Many athletes drink Gatorade to assuage their thirst and assimilate vital nutrients they lose during exercise.

appease

v. to soothe; to pacify or relieve by giving in to To appease her mother, Zachary always walked the dog before dinner. The trainer appeases his performing monkeys when they are stressed; he gives them extra bananas.

cull

v. to sort out or select; to choose or collect from varied sources The book is a collection of fascinating stories culled from a lifetime of experience. Here are all the facts and figures I've culled from last month's business reports.

articulate

v. to speak or pronounce clearly and distinctly; to express effectively When children first learn to talk, they do not articulate well. Surveys show that women are more apt at articulating their feelings than are men.

gibber

v. to speak rapidly, incoherently, or indistinctly Sally, being nervous, could hardly gibber when addressing the workforce. The mechanic gibbered about how we fixed the engine, then handed Amy an exorbitant bill.

expedite

v. to speed up The manager opened another cash register to expedite the checkout process during the sale. Our young accountant who understood the new laws expedited the filing of our taxes.

dawdle

v. to spend time idly; to delay The boys dawdled for hours watching TV before they finally decided to clean up their room. We asked the children not to dawdle, but they still took too much time to do their chores.

disseminate

v. to spread; to scatter; to make widely-known The news media disseminate news, information, and entertainment on a daily basis. News of the school bus accident quickly disseminated throughout the community.

glower

v. to stare fixedly and angrily; frown The coach glowered at the football players who arrived late for practice. Mickey glowered at his former boss after being fired for joking around.

assert

v. to state with force or confidence King George asserted his view that there would be war if the French did not withdraw from the Crimea. Randolph most often lost arguments with his friends because he was too timid to assert himself forcefully.

balk

v. to stop short and refuse to proceed The warden's security precautions balked the escape attempt of the prisoners. Marcie was injured when her horse balked at the last jump in the steeplechase.

deviate

v. to stray from an established course Smith deviated from the main route and chose to travel on the back roads to avoid traffic. The travelers deviated from the norm when they chose to walk to town rather than take a taxi.

digress

v. to stray from the topic The novel became boring in spots because the author constantly digressed from the main storyline. The World War I veteran began telling of his war experiences but soon digressed to tales of his childhood.

galvanize

v. to subject to or stimulate by an electric current; to stimulate into awareness or activity; to cause to suddenly take action Why not involve the media to galvanize the community into action against the misuse of government funds? The impending war galvanized the nation's industries, causing them to produce and sell their goods at a much faster rate.

insinuate

v. to suggest or hint slyly, convey an idea by indirect, subtle means He insinuated that the girls were lying concerning their whereabouts. They insinuated that Carole was the other woman in the romantic triangle.

intimate

v. to suggest without saying directly; to make known with a hint; to imply He intimated that he was going to propose to her when he said he was planning a honeymoon trip. If you don't love me, then don't intimate that you do by getting jealous if I date someone else.

evoke

v. to summon forth; call to mind; suggest A clap of thunder and a flash of lightning over the old castle evoked dark spirits for the villagers who remembered the night of the headless ghosts. The gymnastics coach's demand that her gymnasts give up dating evoked a strike by the members of the team.

document

v. to support with evidence The report documents various aspects of native American life during the period following the American Civil War. Nurses in hospitals are required to carefully document all care given to patients assigned to them.

bolster

v. to support, as in a group Jane bolstered the support of her fans by giving out autographed photographs. The school had a pep rally in order to bolster their team before the big game.

corroborate

v. to support; confirm I can usually rely on my sister to corroborate the stories I tell. Because Dirk showed up after the accident, he could not corroborate Alicia's account of it.

capitulate

v. to surrender under certain conditions; to give in After continuous bombings, the enemy agreed to capitulate. The workers capitulated when the company threatened to close down and fire all the workers.

engulf

v. to surround or enclose completely The movie stars were engulfed by a swarm of paparazzi as they arrived at the Academy Awards ceremony. The hurricane completely engulfed the town in a surge of wind and water.

circumvent

v. to surround; enclose; bypass The taxi driver circumvented the evening rush traffic by taking a shortcut through the park. The general circumvented the enemy forces by sending a battalion to their rear.

distend

v. to swell; to enlarge Starvation caused the baby's stomach to distend grotesquely. The doctor gently examined Joe's distended finger. (adj.)

foreclose

v. to take control of property because the buyers did not pay back the money borrowed to pay for it; to bar or rule out It wasn't long after Sandy's dad lost his job that the bank foreclosed on their house and they had to move. If a young lady has been married or had children, she was foreclosed from entering the Miss America Beauty Pageant.

doff

v. to take off; to remove; to put aside A gentleman should doff his hat to a lady. He doffed the invitation and promptly forgot to respond.

convey

v. to take or carry someone or something to a particular place; to communicate; express The exported goods are usually conveyed by sea from one country to the other. He put his finger to his lips to convey the idea that I shouldn't say anything.

confiscate

v. to take or seize by authority, usually as punishment or penalty The police raided the suspect's apartment and confiscated all his illegal drugs. Ms. Henderson confiscates and reads every not she sees passed during her class.

dismantle

v. to take part; to tear down The government voted to dismantle its nuclear warheads. They dismantled the reviewing stand after the parade was over.

initiate

v. to take the first step in doing something; to bring into practice I'll never forget the day I was initiated into National Honor Society. It was up to the club's president to initiate the new rules.

dispirit

v. to take the spirit out of; discourage; depress The town looked tired and dispirited as the cowboys rode toward it looking for a good time. It had rained for three solid days, and the cows in the field were a dispirited bunch.

blather

v. to talk nonsensically Mary and Kathy blather on the telephone every night. Children have great imaginations, and they blather on endlessly about ghosts and goblins that enter their rooms and play with them.

badger

v. to tease; annoy; harass persistently Louis told his daughter not to badger him; he would take her to the mall when he finished work. Harassment is common among teenagers who badger their younger siblings.

distinguish

v. to tell apart; to cause to stand out Their voices are so alike, it is hard to distinguish between them on the phone. In art museums, I have trouble distinguishing Monet's work from that of Renoir.

inveigle

v. to tempt or persuade by using deception or flattery My brother Ryan inveigled me into doing his chemistry homework by promising to take my turn washing dishes for the next week. New York City street vendors inveigle people into purchasing counterfeit Rolex watches for many times what they are worth.

cogitate

v. to think very carefully; to give careful consideration to Barry said he was cogitating about the meaning of life, but we all knew he had really been asleep. The scientist told his associates he would cogitate on the problem over the weekend.

exasperate

v. to thoroughly annoy The child's endless whining on the airplane exasperated all the passengers. The students exasperated the teacher by not having their assignment completed.

douse

v. to throw a liquid on, drench, plunge into water The children doused each other with water as they played in the summer heat. Bruce doused the campfire to make sure there would be no forest fires during the night.

bandy

v. to trade; to toss back and forth; to exchange Mike's hobby is bandying baseball cards with his friends. The two boxers bandied blows to the head and torso throughout the final round of the fight.

circumnavigate

v. to travel all the way around Magellan was the Portuguese navigator who first circumnavigated the Cape of Good Hope in 1520. Randolph carried the punch bowl across the crowded room, safely circumnavigating obstacles along the way.

deride

v. to treat contemptuously; ridicule Middle school boys often deride each other to get the attention of girls. Opposing coaches derided our team because we hadn't won a game this entire season.

encroach

v. to trespass Signs were posted all around the nuclear plant warning against trespassers encroaching on the property. The lobster poacher encroached upon everyone else's traps until he was caught by the marine patrol.

feint

v. to trick by cunning The defensive tackle feinted to the left, then charged to the right and tackled the quarterback. The young boy feinted his mother by pretending to be sick in order to stay home from school.

curtail

v. to truncate or abridge; to lessen, usually by cutting away from The chairman requested that we should curtail any further discussion of women's rights until the women arrived. The factory bosses curtailed the employment of any more workers until the strike was over.

assay

v. to try or test; examine or analyze George took a bad of ore to the assay company to determine the amount of gold he had found. John entered the school debating contest to assay his debating strengths.

ingratiate

v. to try to make especially pleasant in order to get approval; to seek or secure another's favor or approval for He tries to ingratiate himself with the boss by saying that all her ideas are brilliant and by waiting on her hand and foot. She did everything right to ingratiate herself with important people, so she benefitted from their influence.

estrange

v. to turn an affectionate attitude into an indifferent or unfriendly one Lawrence feared his candid, negative view of the company would estrange him from his co-workers. Hardly recognizing anyone, Ed felt estranged from his old high school classmates during their 25th reunion.

avert

v. to turn aside or away; to prevent; avoid She averted her glance so he wouldn't notice she was watching him. The company averted heavy financial losses by coming out with a new line of toys that children liked.

contort

v. to twist or bend out of shape The acrobats were able to contort their bodies in unbelievable ways. Sally just began baller, so she cannot yet contort herself like those who have been taking lessons for years.

fathom

v. to understand fully; to penetrate the meaning of The jury found it hard to fathom how the defendant could commit such a terrible crime. (In nautical terms, fathom is six feet of water depth.) We dropped anchor in four fathoms of water and made plans to stay for the night. (n.)

discomfit

v. to upset or confuse; frustrate George felt bad that he had inconvenienced and discomfited those who were bumped off the plane so he could get aboard. The sheriff's badgering discomfited the suspect until she broke out into a sweat and started shaking.

discombobulate

v. to upset the composure of; to throw into a state of confusion The pilot became discombobulated while flying through a thunderstorm. The kid's bedroom was in a state of discombobulation after the sleepover party. (n.)

goad

v. to urge forcefully, to taunt someone into doing something The cowboys goaded the herd along by shouting loudly. Being the youngest child, she was goaded by expectations of the family.

exhort

v. to urge strongly The union exhorted management to meet its demands. My parents exhorted me to go to college after graduation.

inveigh

v. to vent anger verbally or write bitterly When Louis went to court, he inveighed against the police, citing all reasons he believed he had been mistreated by them. Many people write letters to the editor to inveigh their anger against inequities.

desecrate

v. to violate the sacredness of; treat with disrespect Vandals desecrated the temple, removing statues and marble columns. The protesters were arrested for desecrating the flag by attempting to burn it.

brandish

v. to wave or shake something in a threatening, agitated, or exciting manner; to flaunt He rushed into the room happily brandishing a letter of acceptance from the college he applied to in California. Jane was angry and brandished a saucepan at her little brother for licking icing from the freshly-baked cake.

cajole

v. to wheedle, coax, or persuade someone to do something Jack's sister cajoled him into entering the marathon just so she could get a free T-shirt. Jeannie always sweet-talked and cajoled her parents into letting her go to Daytona Beach during spring break.

cede

v. to withdraw; to give up, as by treaty South Carolina ceded from the Union to join the Confederacy during the Civil War. The United States ceded land to Russia at the Yalta Conference.

atrophy

v. to wither away The atrophic condition of the ancient Egyptian mummy was apparent as soon as the tomb was opened. (adj.) Because his leg was in a cast so long, the muscle was beginning to atrophy.

exacerbate

v. to worsen The old man exacerbated his discipline problem when he started screaming at his students. Not going to class exacerbated the likelihood of Elliot's failing American History.

fob

v./n. foist, to force another to accept, especially by deceit or stealth; a pocket watch Internet companies sometimes try to fob off items which are copies of originals. The fob was attached to a short gold chain and kept in his pocket.

fleece

v./n. to defraud, swindle; also the wool of a sheep Jim was a crooked salesman and would sooner fleece a customer than make an honest deal. The sheep's fleece keeps it warm in the winter.

ally

v./n. to unite formally by treaty or league; a friend or close associate in a common cause Little dogs find it a good idea to ally themselves with big dogs when looking for protection from even bigger dogs. United States and England were allies during World War II.

acquisitive

adj. eager to possess and collect things; greedy We live in an acquisitive society which views success primarily in terms of material possessions. Mary Ann's children are so acquisitive she can't walk into a store before they start begging for something.

accountable

adj. expected to answer for one's actions; responsible; liable Timothy was accountable for counting the votes after the election. You can't hold the cat accountable for the mess because the dog chased it through the kitchen.

abject

adj. extremely sad; hopeless; defeated Many large cities are homes to abject people who live in cardboard boxes. It is sad to see examples of abject poverty in a wealthy country.

aghast

adj. filled with terror; shocked; feelings of anxiety or fear Jimmy was aghast with shock and surprise when he saw a ghost enter his bedroom through a mouse hole. He looked at her aghast when she unveiled her purple hair.

affable

adj. friendly; easygoing Mrs. Propert has a wonderful personality and is the most affable teacher in the school. No matter what the situation, Zachary's affable attitude toward life made him popular with his friends.

abstruse

adj. hard to understand Chemistry is an abstruse subject of study for many students. Elizabeth's directions for assembling the furniture were incomplete and very abstruse.

acrid

adj. harsh; acidic The acrid smell of smoke coming in through the open window woke us in the middle of the night. The soup of the day was so acrid they should have called it the soup of last week.

aesthetic

adj. having to do with artistic beauty Japanese rock gardens demonstrate aesthetic values typical to a Far Eastern culture. Jeannie molded the ugly lump of clay into an aesthetically pleasing masterpiece. (adv.)

agog

adj. highly excited by eagerness When they first see their presents under the Christmas tree, the children are always agog with joy. Jim was agog and fell from his chair when his name was announced as the winner of the Pulitzer Prize.

aboriginal

adj. native to an area The American Indian is the aboriginal inhabitant of the U.S.A. In Australia, there are groups of aboriginal residents who are called "Aborigines."

ajar

adj. partially open When the police carefully examined the crime scene, they found a second-story window adjacent to the large oak tree had been left ajar. The rattlesnake escaped from the bottle because the lid had been left partially ajar.

agrarian

adj. related to farming and land In its early years, America was an agrarian society. Because New Jersey is a successful agrarian state, it became known as the "Garden State."

adamant

adj. resolute; stubborn; inflexible Nancy's mother was adamant about the curfew; her daughter had to be home by midnight. Marco was adamant in maintaining his innocence, but the jury found him guilty based on circumstantial evidence.

absurd

adj. ridiculously unreasonable, laughable When Jessie's parents asked why she had been out so late, her response was so absurd that they both laughed at her tall tale. In the year 2000, the election process continued for an absurd amount of time.

acute

adj. shrewd; sharp Santiago's acute sense of sight was what made him a great fisherman. Cindy thought she had only a stomachache, but turned out to be acute appendicitis.

acerbic

adj. sour; bitter; severe Mr. Russell's acerbic wit makes students afraid to respond to his questions. Because the oranges were not quite ripe, the juice was acerbic.

aberrant

adj. straying from the correct or normal way Sharon's aberrant way of spelling words cost her the spelling contest. Joe's method of painting his car with his fingers was totally aberrant.

absolute

adj. total; complete In the 1960s Castro declared himself the absolute ruler of Cuba. The cat was absolutely soaked after falling into the pool. (adv.)

adverse

adj. unfavorable; antagonistic The stormy weather was so adverse they called off the Super Bowl. The doctor was surprised to learn his patient had an adverse reaction to aspirin.

abortive

adj. unsuccessful Although they meant well, the children made an abortive effort to clean the kitchen floor with dirty mops. The launching of the Atlantis was aborted because of cold weather. (v.)

affluent

adj. wealthy, rich The affluent couple sat in the first class section of the airplane. In our town, all the affluent families live on the river.

affliction

n. a condition of pain or suffering; the cause of misery, illness, or suffering Due to the lack of resources and food, malnutrition is one of the common afflictions in Third World countries like Nigeria and Borneo. Osteoporosis is a degenerative bone disease which usually afflicts the elderly. (v.)

adherent

n. a follower of a leader; supporter The political candidate praised his adherents for their support. People who believe in a particular religion are said to be adherents of that faith.

ague

n. a malarial fever characterized by drastic changes of hot and cold body temperature The hunters returning from South America were struck with an attack of ague. The physician diagnosed the patient as having ague.

affinity

n. a natural attraction; kinship; similarity Max had an affinity for sports and excelled at football, basketball, and tennis. Monkeys have an affinity for climbing, birds for flying, and fish for swimming.

accomplice

n. a person who knowingly aids or abets another in an unlawful act or crime Jerry was charged as an accomplice because he had been in on the murder plan from the start. The teacher realized that the child must have had an accomplice to enable him to get back into the school after dark.

accede

v. to yield; give in to a request Bill graciously acceded to our request to have the party at his house. The police acceded to the terrorist's demands for a hamburger from the local drive-thru.

abeyance

n. a state of not being presently used; temporary suspension or cessation The road repair project is being held in abeyance until agreement is reached on project funding. Hostilities between the two countries have been in abeyance since the peace agreement last June.

affidavit

n. a sworn written statement The defense lawyer had a sworn affidavit claiming his client was playing bridge at a neighbor's home the night of the crime. Roseanne had an affidavit from her neighbor giving her permission to cut down the tree on their mutual property line.

adage

n. a wise saying or proverb; an old familiar saying that expresses folk wisdom He remembered the old adage, "Look before you leap," as he stepped back from the diving board above the pool that contained no water. The old woman had an appropriate adage for every situation.

acronym

n. a word created from the initials of other words AIDS is an acronym for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. SCUBA is an acronym for Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus.

affront

n. an action intended to insult or offend someone; an injury to one's dignity She saw her fellow lawyers' rejection of her as a personal affront Littering public grounds such as parks and highways is an affront to the community and to the ecology.

accolade

n. an award, an honor; approval, praise You cannot imagine the accolades received by the chemistry teacher from her students when she accidentally blew up the lab and class was canceled for the remainder of the term. The accolades Rachel received for making the Olympic Swim Team were well deserved; she practices four hours a day.

aggrandizement

n. an exaggeration, an appearance of greater power or influence The greatest aggrandizement of the entire evening was when the Russian delegate claimed Russia had won World War II single-handedly. Hitler feigned concern for other countries, but territorial aggrandizement was his true motive.

alibi

n. an excuse to avoid blame, a credible excuse or explanation of innocence John always had a credible alibi for not doing his homework on time. In most murder movies the hero is the chief suspect who is innocent but who has no alibi for the time the murder was committed.

access

n. authorization or capacity to enter, look at, or use something The only access to the island restaurant is by boat. Our company accountant has access all of our offices and records at any time.

abyss

n. bottomless pit; a profound depth or void The lost spaceship wandered endlessly in the vast abyss of space. After digging for three days through the snow of the avalanche without finding the missing skier, the rescuers faced an emotional abyss of despair.

alacrity

n. cheerful expectancy; eagerness Mary Ellen packed with great alacrity, thinking of all the adventures she might encounter at summer camp. In a moment of alacrity, Ben realized the gathering was a surprise party in his honor.

aftermath

n. events following some occurrence; a consequence of Poverty and economic depression are often the horrendous aftermaths of wars. The logical aftermath of Christmas shopping is a deluge of gifts returned to the stores where they were first purchased as gifts.

adulation

n. extreme flattery or admiration When George met his favorite musician, adulation was clearly written all over George's face. All through her life, Melissa lived in the adulation of her older sister.

affectation

n. false behavior intended to impress Bonnie's affectation was that she personally knew every actor in Hollywood, which was an untruth. When Ray came home from a vacation in England with a British accent, it was obviously an affectation.

alchemy

n. magical power or process of transmutation; a medieval study and practice of chemistry The alchemy of medieval times may seem primitive to us, but it was the foundation of our present research to find cures for many illnesses. The alchemy of cosmetics transforms ugly ducklings into beautiful swans.

acumen

n. mental keenness or sharpness Bill's business acumen was evident even where he was a young boy with a paper route. Mathematical acumen is an asset in the financial world.

alcove

n. nook, corner, any recessed space The living room had a dining alcove by the rear windows. Henry turned the alcove off the kitchen into a recreation room.

agnostic

n. one who believes it is impossible to know whether God exists Although Helen calls herself an atheist, she is really an agnostic because she says really doesn't know. Some scientists are agnostic because they say there is no proof that God exists, yet they admit there is no scientific proof that he does not.

advocate

n. one who supports a cause; one who defends, or pleads on behalf of another He is a strong advocate of capital punishment because he feels it will be a deterrent to criminals. Joslyn advocates equal rights between the sexes, including the right for girls to play on boy's sports teams.

agenda

n. schedule; program While touring Europe, we followed a strict agenda in order to see as much as possible in the time we had. The politician seemed to have no hidden agenda, but after he was elected governor, the voters learned he was a pawn of wealthy industrial interests.

acuity

n. sharpness, keenness of perception, deftness The student showed great acuity in his scientific study of comets. John's acuity at knowing when to hold and when to fold in poker was unsurpassed.

advent

n. the arrival of beginning; coming Quills made of bird feathers were the chief writing implement until the advent of steel fountain pens in the mid-19th century. The advent of winter was apparent to Luke the morning he arose and discovered all the fallen leaves on the ground outside his bedroom window.

acquiesce

v. to agree passively; comply; consent Thankfully, the bank acquiesced to an extension of my loan. She acquiesced to the thief's demands and handed over her wallet.

afford

v. to allow to have; to provide; to have enough money to buy; to confer upon On my salary, I can barely afford a Honda, much less a Cadillac. The safari tent leaked in numerous places and afforded little protection from the jungle downpour.

accost

v. to approach and speak to someone Jessica was terrified she would be accosted by the dean for her choice of attire. Mel accosted a taxi driver and accused him of taking the long way to the hotel to earn a higher fare.

acclimate

v. to become suitable for a certain situation or use; adapt The football team finally acclimated to the new formations and systems given them by the new coach. Terry and her friends enthusiastically acclimated to the new shorter school day.

abduct

v. to carry off a person, usually by force; to kidnap Charles Lindbergh's son was abducted from his home. Abduction is a serious crime punishable by death if the person abducted is killed. (n.)

afflict

v. to cause suffering or pain It was clear from the boxer's eyes that his main intention was to afflict his opponent. After traveling to Africa, the missionary was afflicted with a rare disease.

affiliate

v. to cause to become part of or to form a close relationship with; to associate or connect with The "Dive and Duck" driving school is affiliated with the United States National Association of Driving Schools. Our local TV news station is an affiliate of NBC news. (n.)

admonish

v. to caution or warn; to criticize or scold mildly but firmly His mother admonished him for eating his birthday cake with his fingers. Jane's parents admonished her for spending all her allowance on shoes.

affirm

v. to declare something to be true, to confirm or ratify The committee affirmed the statements, so they were entered into the minutes. In a radio address to the nation, President Roosevelt affirmed the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

aggrieve

v. to distress or bring grief to; cause to suffer; to treat unfairly The unsafe conditions at the nuclear plant aggrieved the employees because of the obvious dangers. Her son's raucous behavior that caused him to be kicked off the school bus aggrieved Mrs. Williams.

accentuate

v. to emphasize; to make more noticeable; to accent Her dress was tightly belted and accentuated the slimness of her waist. Many women use eyeliner to accentuate their eyes.

abound

v. to exist in large numbers; to be full; to teem Many theories abound about how the earth began. Rabbits abound behind every tree in these woods.

adduce

v. to give as proof; to cite She adduced several significant facts to support her thesis about the nutritional value of peanuts. The defendant was directed to adduce his whereabouts on the night of the crime.

acclaim

v. to give public approval and praise; to approve enthusiastically Critics have acclaimed Peter's new novel, The Hill of Ants, as the best written in this decade. Dr. Smith was universally acclaimed for his contribution to the discovery of a new common cold vaccine.

abet

v. to help someone do something illegal or wrong; to incite, encourage, or aid, especially in wrongdoing Three tax inspectors were accused of aiding and abetting men charged with cheating on their income taxes. When he ran from the scene of a crime, Jonathan was charged with abetting Charlie.

accrete

v. to increase by growth or addition; adhere The Australian coral reef was built up by accretion over thousands of years. (n.) We watched the sand accrete during the days of strong wind.

adjourn

v. to make a pause or rest; suspend until later Because of the hurricane, the city council meeting was adjourned until Tuesday. The judge adjourned the court for a lunch break.

absolve

v. to make free of blame, obligation, or sin After viewing the evidence, the jury absolved Joe of criminal intent in the auto accident. Catholics attend confession with the purpose of being absolved of sins.

alienate

v. to make hostile; to cause to feel unwelcome or estranged Mary's boss had an ugly habit of alienating his employees by shouting at them. Barb was alienated from her group when they learned that she was the town gossip

accommodate

v. to provide for; help; adapt; oblige The young gentleman tried to accommodate the older woman by assisting her with her shopping cart. Many immigrants in America try to accommodate themselves to the customs of their new home.

abstain

v. to refrain from; denying oneself any action or practice Jean abstained from eating chocolate cake in order to win a bet. Jeff abstained from watching the television for a week after his eye operation.

abide

v. to remain; continue; stay; endure Josh's father always told him if he made a promise, he must abide by it. To survive, soldiers in battle need to have an abiding faith in their fellow soldiers. (adj.)

abjure

v. to repudiate or renounce; to give up He abjured his life of luxury once he saw how the poor people of underdeveloped countries live. Once Jane learned the risks of smoking, she abjured cigarettes for the sake of her health.

abridge

v. to shorten; to condense; to diminish; to curtail For people who don't want to read an entire newspaper, there are clipping services that abridge news stories to specification. A TV abridgment of the movie Gone With the Wind lasts two hours, whereas the original lasts four. (n.)

adumbrate

v. to sketch, to outline, to give a hint of things to come Betty adumbrated the plans for her wedding in June. The president of the Alumni Association adumbrated his scheme to bring in more good athletes.

address

v. to speak to The president made his annual address to Congress. (n.) When James picked up his date, he was careful to address her parents courteously.

abscond

v. to take flight, escape, to leave quickly and secretly The thief absconded from the country with the stolen jewels. Millie's husband absconded from their home and was never heard of again.