English Vocabulary

Atrophy (v)

A decrease in size of an organ caused by disease or disuse.

Unbeknownst [to]

without the knowledge of (someone)

Compunction (n)

A feeling of guilt or moral scruple that follows the doing of something bad.

Discomfit (n)

A feeling of unease or embarrassment; awkwardness.

Adrenaline

A hormone released into the bloodstream in response to physical or mental stress

Dirge (n)

A lament for the dead, especially one forming part of a funeral rite.

Demagogue (n)

A leader who seeks support by appealing to popular passions.

Accretion (n)

An increase by natural growth or addition.

Ephemeral (adj)

Anything short-lived, as an insect that lives only for a day.

Mereticious

Apparently attractive but having in reality no value or integrity.

Impute (v)

Attribute or credit.

Apocryphal (adj)

Being of questionable authenticity, approbation.

Corpulence (n)

Bulkiness or largeness of body; fatness; portliness.

Enervating (adj)

Causing weakness or debilitation

Impetuous (adj)

Characterized by undue haste and lack of thought.

Anachronistic (adj)

Chronologically misplaced.

Commensurate (adj)

Corresponding in size or degree; in proportion.

Abject (adj)

Describes a situation or condition: extremely bad, unpleasant, and degrading.

Florid (adj)

Elaborately or excessively ornamented.

Carouse (v)

Engage in boisterous, drunken merry making.

Diaphanous (adj)

Especially of fabric. Light, delicate, and translucent.

Disparate (adj)

Essentially different in kind; not allowing comparison.

Egregious (adj)

Extraordinary in some bad way; glaring; flagrant.

Blandishment (n)

Flattery intended to persuade.

Budding

Promising; Developing; Burgeoning

Hackneyed (adj)

Repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse.

Umbrage (n.)

Resentment, offence.

Dearth (n)

Scarcity or lack of something.

Arrogate (v)

Seize and take control without authority.

Eclectic (adj)

Selecting or choosing from various sources.

Hedonist (n)

Someone motivated by desires for sensual pleasures.

Ascetic (adj)

Someone who practices self denial as a spiritual discipline.

Evanescent (adj)

Tending to vanish like vapor.

Abnegate (v)

The act or an instance of abnegating, or denying oneself some rights, conveniences, etc.

Semantics

The branch of linguistics that studies the meaning of words, their historical and psychological development, their connotations, and their relation to one another.

Disrepute (n)

The state of being held in low esteem by the public.

Equivocation (n)

The use of ambiguous language to conceal the truth or to avoid committing oneself; prevarication.

Rarefy (v)

To become less thin or less dense, or to make or become more refined.

Denigrate (v)

To criticize unfairly; disparage.

Abscond (v)

To depart in a sudden and secret manner, especially to avoid capture and legal prosecution.

Adumbrate (v)

To describe roughly or give the main points or summary of or outline.

Abjure (v)

To formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief.

Bilk (v)

To obtain or withhold money from (someone) by deceit or without justification; cheat or defraud.

Accede (v)

To yield to another's wish or opinion.

Imperturbable (adj)

Very calm, very hard to disturb or upset.

Substitute

a good that can be used in place of another good

Inkling

a hint; a vague notion

Anaphora

the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses

Syntax

the rules for combining words into grammatically sensible sentences in a given language

Synergise

to combine strengths and benefit from working together as a team

Illustrate

to make clear by examples or pictures

Seratonin

A neurotransmitter that affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal; linked to depression and treated by Prozac. (Blocks reuptake of seratonin, activating more seratonin in neural pathways, therefore elevating mood.)

Ideals

A person or thing regarded as perfect.

Augment

to make larger, increase

Augury (n)

A sign of what will happen in the future; an omen.

Celestial

(adj.) - relating to the sky or the heavens

Pretentious

(adj.) done for show, striving to make a big impression; claiming merit or position unjustifiably; making demands on one's skill or abilities, ambitious; self-righteous

Docile

(adj.) easily taught, led, or managed; obedient

Rancid

(adj.) stale, spoiled

Reverie

(n.) a daydream; the condition of being lost in thought

Veto

(v) to reject; (n) a constitutional right to reject a decision or proposal made by a law-making body.

Discern

to see clearly, recognize; differentiate between two or more things

Aberration (n)

A state or condition markedly different from the norm.

Parliament

A body of representatives that makes laws for a nation

Convivial (adj)

Friendly, lively, and enjoyable. (of a person) cheerful and friendly; jovial.

Cupidity (n)

Greed for money or possessions.

Abstruse (adj)

Hard to understand.

Deleterious (adj)

Harmful to living things

Amorphous (adj)

Having no definite form or distinct shape.

Beguile (v)

Influence by slyness.

Didactic (adj)

Intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive.

Cavort (v)

Jump or dance around excitedly. Informal; apply oneself enthusiastically to sexual or disreputable pursuits.

Feckless (adj)

Lacking initiative or strength of character; irresponsible.

Concomitant (adj)

Naturally accompanying or associated.

Arboreal (adj)

Of or relating to or formed by trees.

Antediluvian (adj)

Of or relating to the period before the biblical flood. Very old, old-fashioned, or out of date; antiquated; primitive.

Glib (adj)

Of words or the person speaking them, fluent and voluble but insincere and shallow.

Approbation (n)

Official approval.

Ebullient (adj)

Overflowing with fervor, enthusiasm, or excitement; high-spirited

Assiduous (adj)

Persistent, attentive, diligent.

Fanatical

acting excessively enthusiastic; filled with extreme, unquestioned devotion

Nightmarish

adj. frightening, terrifying, horrible

Somersault

an acrobatic feat in which the feet roll over the head (either forward or backward) and return

Godspeed

an wish of a prosperous journey; a wish for success given to a person

Idyllic

charming in a rustic way; naturally peaceful

Imbroglio

complicated situation; an entanglement

Auspicious

conducive to success; favorable

Lest

conj. for fear that

Ascertain

find (something) out for certain; make sure of

Atopia

greek strangeness

Uncooth

ill-mannered or impolite

Coin

make coins; invent a word or phrase; N. coinage: word or phrase recently invented

Platonic

marked by the absence of romance or physical attraction

Endorphins

natural, opiate-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure

Untapped

not yet exploited or used

Fanatic

one who is extremely devoted to a cause or idea

REM

rapid eye movement : describes sleep in which vivid dreams typically occur; this type of sleep increases as the night progresses while stage 4 sleep decreases

Oneirology

scientific study of dreams

Feng shui

the art and science of organizing living spaces in order to channel the life forces that exist in nature in favorable ways

Meliorism

the belief that the world tends to improve and that humans can aid its betterment